Tuesday
Feb252014
'Rock You Like A Hurricane' Acoustic
Tuesday, February 25, 2014 at 12:01AM The Scorpions recently released the CD/DVD package MTV Unplugged. To celebrate and promote that album, the band released an acoustic version of their most famous track "Rock You Like A Hurricane." The song doesn't initially scream "acoustic" does it? Somehow, it works.
Reader Comments (12)
Actually, I laughed during some of the performances of bands I do like, too, precisely because of acoustic interpretations like this one.
Come to think of it, I laugh at the bands I like whether they're doing acoustic or not.
p.s. To experience something that's both astonishing AND humorous, go back one to Allyson's post from yesterday of the acoustic act, "2 Cellos". Now that's acoustic!
Metal boy have you seen this?:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfGggAGITwg
My only criticism is Steve Vai's lack of sideburns, hahaha!!!
Seriously, though, this totally kicks a*s!!!
Thanks for sharing!
p.s. But there is plenty of validity to what you're saying. I know plenty of oldsters who like Rod Stewart's and Eric Clapton's unplugged stuff, etc.
But this is all about brand extension and correction. These versions are much better than the past attempt at giving them acoustic life (at least sound-wise, because I still prefer "Hurricane 2001" from _Acoustica_ for not adding all the bells and whistles and thimbles and such]). That said, it is amazing that Meine--age 65!--sounds this good in 2001 and 2013. Those oxygen tanks they keep backstage must really work.
But even they seem to know this is brand extension. They really have hammered home how this is "the first outdoor 'MTV Unplugged'." Translation: I hope that makes you buy it! Second translation: like KISS and Priest, our farewell is going to take a looooooooooooooooooong time. So be it. They still sound great. And this gives Kingdom Come's drummer some walking around money before they begin their reunion tour (which I can't wait for . . . begin snarky criticism).
For me, the problem is taking aggressive sexual lyrics that are figuratively burned into my cortex as "metal" and "slow-jamming" them with orchestral accompaniment. Making sweet love to Orff's "Carmina Burana"? Okay, maybe in the 40s or after/during watching _The Doors_. To the original version of this song? Sure, that might work. This?!!? It sounds, on repeated listenings, like some sort of John Tesh fever dream. For those of us old enough to know, like VH1 when it was the odd/soft/flaccid older cousin to MTV (not 1 or 2).
Still, DJ is right. A good song is a good song. And glamrockarchie is even more correct. It was a great song in the first place.
Next up: "Smooth Up In Ya'" . . . the a cappella version!
The original version of this song really kicks. Still one of my favorites. They should have left it alone.
And I finally saw Scorpions in 2010 with Cinderella opening and they were really good live. I have never been a fan of their ballads, only their heavier stuff like No One Like You, The Zoo, Alien Nation and this song.
And when it comes to their ballads, one of the greatest Scorps songs ever, "Believe In Love" works but "Wind Of Change" doesn't, further proof that, even though a song's a hit, won't necessarily mean it's automatically good.
p.s. I for one, will not be getting snarky on you about the reunion of yet another great German band, the one and only Kingdom Come! Love these guys and seen 'em twice. You may remember me occasionally reminiscing on this site about hanging out with The Cult poolside, on the roof of Le Parc in Hollywood, when all Ian Astbury could talk about was how he thought they were better than Guns n' Roses, so much so, he personally invited me to join he and The Cult to go see them the next night. Alas, I had to go on a commercial shoot overnight, so I had to pass, one of those moments in life where business overrides pleasure. Subsequently, I saw Kingdom Come twice, once off the first album and once off the second and they were absolutely KILLER! I will certainly make a point of seeing them and I sure hope they stick around for the next rounds of M3, The Monsters of Rock Cruise and some of the other big fests, their presence is much needed. Lesser bands like the edgeless TeslUGH! and the other usual borefests who have infected that circuit need to get out of the way and let the likes of Kingdom Come step in to inject some real excitement into what has become a very moribund slew of "legacy acts". It's time to "Get It On"!
I truly hope their "Unfinished Business" tour rolls my way this year.