Ultimate Rhoads

If there was one band that could create great music it was the Scorpions. With songs like Blackout, Dynamite, Make It Real, The Zoo, Still Loving You, Rock You Lick A Hurricane etc. you could always count on them to give you something to remember. Now they are going to put up their guitar axes forever and retire. I can't believe it! This is a crushing blow to my heart and soul. They are a symbol of what the spirit of Rock n' Roll are all about. Why retire at all? Why not just tour far less. Musicians don't retire and stop creating. The Scorpions have too much left in the tank to just pull the plug like that. I teach music from bands that can't even hope to produce that kind of quality of songs. EVER!

"It was always our pleasure, our purpose in life, our passion and we were fortunate enough to make music for you - whether it was live on stage or in the studio, creating new songs.

While we were working on our album these past few months, we could literally feel how powerful and creative our work was – and how much fun we were still having, in the process. But there was also something else: We want to end the Scorpion’s extraordinary career on a high note. We are extremely grateful for the fact that we still have the same passion for music we’ve always had since the beginning. This is why, especially now, we agree we have reached the end of the road. We finish our career with an album we consider to be one of the best we have ever recorded and with a tour that will start in our home country Germany and take us to five different continents over the next few years."

I've noticed many bands who say this but they just do it as a 'last tour' to cash in. I loved this band back in the 80's it was my first gig seeing these live in 1979 for the Lovedrive tour. I just wish i had seen these with Uli Roth, Tokyo Tapes was a great live album. Uli went onto to do a very weird style of solo album. But they are not getting any younger and the guys have to retire some day. We'll see what happens

x 2 DOH! I say...

I think it's a good thing that they are retiring. I hate seeing all these old guys reliving their youth. I just wish the kids these days good produce music as good as bands like Scorpions did in the late 70's and early '80's

Off topic but your posts seem to often be x 2. It reminds me of one of my all time favourite Coronation Street characters Fred Elliot;
'I say you always seem to post twice; I say you always seem to post twice'

(If you are American that will make even less sense )

Cpt Matt Sparrow wrote:Off topic but your posts seem to oftem be x 2. It reminds me of one of my all time favourite Coronation Street characters Fred Elliot;
'I say you always seem to post twice; I say you always seem to post twice'

(If you are American that will make even less sense )

I'm sick of deleting them does this only happen to me ?. I say i say Ashley

I miss fred Shaun; he was in Gandhi by the way. A great actor! Brilliant as Fred!!!!

Matt

Cpt Matt Sparrow wrote:I miss fred Shaun; he was in Gandhi by the way. A great actor! Brilliant as Fred!!!!

Matt

Yeah he's been in a few big films a bit of a lovey is we. I remember seeing Roy Cropper in an episode of 'Secret Army' he played an SS officer. We better get back on track Matt The Scorpions ....

Shit Happens Doh !! X2

I know younger fans/players always feel retirement is some logical step in life; it really isn't. Retirement, the act of quitting what you love to do most, is really a concept made up by those that never did what they really wanted to do in life and finally don't have to do it anymore. Thus, they retire. Unless of course that job does have an age limit attached to it. Musicians do not have that problem. I turned 40 this year and man do I NOT feel old. The only difference is that I know more about what I want to do in life than ever. Retirement does not exist in Rock n' Roll. If you believe that then someone has been lying to you.

By the way, it really wasn't the Scorpions idea to retire:

Scorpions Guitarist Discusses Band's Decision to RetirePosted on Jan 27th 2010 8:00AM by Carlos Ramirez

The Scorpions sent shockwaves throughout the hard rock community when they announced earlier this week that they would be retiring. In a statement on their official site, the German legends said they would be releasing a new album called 'Sting of the Tail' in March and then would be heading out on a tour that would span the world "over the next few years." Noisecreep had to get to the bottom of this and got in touch with guitarist Rudolf Schenker who shared some insight to the band's decision.

First off, why the hell are you guys packing it in?

We were sitting in the studio after we finished tracking 'Sting of the Tail,' and we realized something rather quickly. We heard these songs together, and it just captured the essence of the '80s Scorpions sound. It sounds like a combination of the best material on the 'Lovedrive' and 'Crazy World' albums. The songs have that feel and spirit. Then our manager had the idea to finish the band on a high note with this record. At first, we thought he was joking (laughter). But then we noticed he was completely being serious. And it turns out, he was right.

So you just wanted to end the band with a high note.

Yes, exactly. Look, we have been around for a long time, and we've done so many great things together. We came out of Germany when no one thought a band from there could rock hard. We've always believed in the band and had fun doing it. 'Sting of the Tail' sounds like a classic Scorpions album, so we decided to leave after we get done touring it since it's such a powerful record.

You've worked with outside collaborators like Desmond Child in the past. Did you do that again on 'Sting of the Tail'?

We worked with Eric Bazilian, who is a fantastic guitar player and songwriter. He used to be in The Hooters and has written some huge songs for other people, too. He's worked with us in the past and he becomes like our sixth member. We also worked with Mikael Nord Andersson and Martin Hansen. They are Swedish guys and really helped us capture that classic Scorpions sound. One guy is a great guitarist, and one is a sound engineer. The band obviously did most of the songwriting, but we definitely worked with some talented guys again.

People have been critical about the group's pop overtones throughout the years. Looking back at your catalog, do you feel like the band has had any missteps?

We experimented with our sound during some of the '90s. It was a bit strange for us in that period. All of a sudden you had alternative stuff and heavier bands around, so we tried to adapt. It was difficult for the band. In the States, it was especially hard for bands like us. The funny thing is that in Asia we got even bigger (laughter). Our records went many times platinum in countries like Malaysia and Thailand during the '90s.

On the 'Unbreakable' and 'Humanity: Hour I' album we brought our hard rock sound back. When 'Sting of the Tail' comes out, you'll see that we've stuck to that

RR-ElectricAngel wrote:I know younger fans/players always feel retirement is some logical step in life; it really isn't. Retirement, the act of quitting what you love to do most, is really a concept made up by those that never did what they really wanted to do in life and finally don't have to do it anymore. Thus, they retire.

I totally disagree. Retirement is a logical step for real world people who must work for a lifetime to support themselves and their families. Not everyone can earn a living at 'what they love'. Thus you are not quitting what you love to do, you are moving from one period of your life - earning a living - to another - reaping the rewards of your labor.

In the case of rockers, who says they have to quit making music? Retirement would simply mean not making music as the band Scorpions. They can all still create, maybe even together, just not as the band whose legacy was cemented in the '80's.

It's sad that they were 'capturing the essence of their 80's sound'. That was more than 20 years ago. Why not capture the essence of their 2010 sound? Musician's grow and change, Scorpions heyday was 1985, they should leave that in 1985 and concentrate on now... or retire.

Just my point of view.


By the way, I loved the band in the '80's, saw them 5 times live... I really don't care for anything they did after Love at First Sting, the whole Winds of Change era with the power ballads marked the end of my interest in them.

I do feel that they should hang it up, but because they feel it's the right thing to do, not because someone tells them to.

When I retire from my day job, it surely won't be quitting something I love, lol!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow, I thought they retired a while ago! LOL

McLowery wrote:Wow, I thought they retired a while ago! LOL