Published on Sep 26, 1999
Klaus Meine and the Scorpions hit it big in America in the early
’80s, thanks to albums like
Blackout and
Love At First Sting. The surge in metal’s popularity and the
birth of MTV didn’t hurt matters, either. But what many people
probably didn’t realize was that the Scorpions had been working on
their success for a decade before they finally made it to the big
time.
Their 1972 debut album,
Lonesome Crow, is considered to be one of the tougher albums
by the group to find. (It was re-released in 1989 on Rampage, a
subsidiary of Rhino Records; that’s the copy I stumbled upon in my
weekly trip to the used record salon.) But if you expect to hear
screaming guitars and power chords up the yin-yang on this one,
you’re in for one hell of a shock.
I can’t verify this as truth (though the page I learned it
from,The Scorpions Home Page, seems to be blessed by the band), but
Lonesome Crow actually served as the soundtrack for a German
film; shortly afterwards, the band broke up after a lackluster
tour. With the roots of the band dating back to the mid-60s, one
could understand the frustration felt after working so hard and
making little progress.
Listening to this album for the first time, the words “heavy
metal” were not what popped to mind as a descripiton of the
Scorpions. Instead, words like “jazz” and “Focus” came into mind –
“Focus” because songs like “I’m Goin’ Mad” reminded me a little bit
of the Dutch group’s hit “Hocus Pocus”, “jazz” because, well, the
music sounds more jazzy than metal. I realize this was 1972, but
it’s not like crunching music didn’t exist then.
Adding fuel to the jazz fire is the exceptional bass work of
Lothar Heimberg, who lasted only one album with the group. Pity, as
his work is some of the most exciting on
Lonesome Crow, especially on the title track. Heimberg’s
work is technical without becoming either flamboyant or arrogant,
something that’s hard to do when one is talented on an
instrument.
Michael (then spelled Michel) Schenker’s guitar work is
impressive, but sometimes it doesn’t seem to fit the mood that the
music is creating. Also, I kept waiting for him to just let loose
with a six-string barrage, forgetting that not only wasn’t the
music of the Scorpions in that vein yet, but also that Schenker has
never really been that kind of a guitarist.
One major disappointment in
Lonesome Crow is that Meine is underused as a vocalist.
Knowing now that the music on this album was originally meant for a
film helps to explain things a little more, but Meine’s vocals are
so much a part of the Scorpions’ sound that any lack of his
presence is almost immediately felt. For that matter, Rudolf
Schenker’s rhythm guitar is hidden too far in the mix.
As for the music on
Lonesome Crow, it suffices to say that it’s not the band’s
best work – but it’s also not bad considering the time period it
was recorded in. Tracks like “In Search Of The Peace Of Mind”,
“Inheritance,” “It All Depends” and the title track have the most
bang for your musical dollar, though each of these tracks have weak
moments as well. The other three songs on this one, unfortunately,
are much weaker all around. “I’m Goin’ Mad” just doesn’t have the
kind of punch one would have expected from this group, while “Leave
Me” (which does have a killer intro sound) and “Action” both aren’t
as strong as some of the other cuts.
Lonesome Crow is still an interesting first snapshot of a
band who would eventually gain superstardom – though it might have
been hard to tell that they were headed that way if you first heard
this when it was released. The diehard fans (at least those who
don’t have this one in their collections) will undoubtedly want to
search out a copy, if only to complete their discography.