Taken by Force [50th Anniversary Edition]

Scorpions: Klaus Meine (vocals); Ulrich Roth, Rudolf Schenker (guitar); Francis Buchholz (bass); Herman Rarebell (drums).
All tracks have been digitally remastered.
Less brutal than the two previous albums, this one is nonetheless an underappreciated treat. Sure, there are some weak cuts, but there are plenty of strong ones to make up for it. Among the highlights of the disc are the energetic anthem "Steamrock Fever" and the growling song of androgyny "He's a Woman, She's a Man." The highlight of the disc, though, is "We'll Burn the Sky." This one is lyrically quite similar to the Blue Oyster Cult classic "Don't Fear the Reaper," but the music is a wonderfully building anthemic ballad. It is arguably one of the finest songs the Scorpions have ever done. ~ Gary Hill