GOLD

Scorpions: Klaus Meine (vocals); Rudolf Schenker, Uli Jon Roth, Matthias Jabs (guitar); Herman Rarebell (drums). Personnel: Ulrich Roth (vocals, guitar); Uli Jon Roth (vocals); Michael Schenker (guitar); Achim Kirschning, Jim Vallance, John Webster (keyboards); Francis Buchholz (Moog synthesizer); Matthias Jabs (voice box); Rudy Lenners (drums, percussion); Jurgen Rosenthal, Wolfgang Dziony (drums); Herman Rarebell (percussion); Jodi Summers Dorland, Jim Lewis, Tony Ioannoua, Claudia Frohling, Wolfgang Praetz, Dries Van Der Schuyt, Cliff Roles, Rudolf Schenker (background vocals). Recording information: Sun Plaza Hall, Tokyo, Japan. Photographers: William Hames; Robert Alford; Ebet Roberts; Richard Aaron; Tony Mottram; Gene Kirkland; Paul Natkin. This 34-track, two-disc set provides a definitive overview of the career of Scorpions, the German heavy metal outfit that began gaining steam in the early 1970s and continued on to worldwide stardom through the '80s, '90s, and well into the 2000s. With their lean, aggressive style, twin-guitar attack, and knack for melodic hooks, Scorpions proved themselves worthy of both commercial success and long-term rock credibility. The truly impressive thing about this excellently compiled set is how it spans the band's entire output, reaching back to 1972's LONESOME CROW and continuing to 2004's UNBREAKABLE, with attention paid to nearly every record issued in the interim. Naturally the band's mega-hits, "Rock You Like a Hurricane," "Still Loving You," and "Winds of Change" (the latter two show the band's skill with power ballads), are here, but there are plenty of equally strong, lesser-known tracks that represent the band at their best. This release should be required listening for hard rock and heavy metal fans of all stripes.