Lovedrive

Occupation

Love Drive is the sixth studio album by German hard rock band Scorpions, released in late February 1979. It is the first album the band has worked on the guitarist Matthias Jabs, who as lead guitarist crucial still shapes the style of the group and influenced and occurs every now and then as a composer. Jabs, however, was ( according to official figures ) replaced here on three of the eight songs by the former lead guitarist Michael Schenker, who was again between early member of the group during the recording of the album. The album contains numerous live classics of the band and one of the most popular works of the band in both the fans and for the group itself with Coast to Coast it contains the second and to date last instrumental title ever released on a studio album by the band been.

  • 2.1 Loving You Sunday Morning
  • 2.2 Another Piece of Meat
  • 2.3 Always Somewhere
  • 2.4 Coast to Coast
  • 2.5 Can not Get Enough
  • 2.6 Is There Anybody There?
  • 2.7 Lovedrive
  • 2.8 Holiday
  • 2.9 singles

Origin, characteristics and importance

Production history

After Uli Jon Roth had left the band after the Scorpions tour in Japan, the band had to first find a new lead guitarist. Thus, in Melody Maker ad with the words " Search for Heavy guitarists worldwide activities " connected to which competed more than 140 guitarists. One of these candidates was the Hanoverian Matthias Jabs, who was eventually hired by the band as a new member of the band and presented in the summer of 1978 at the Summertime Festival as the new guitarist. "In the new constellation, the songs were suddenly not so much tailored to the solo guitar and sounded thus significantly band- oriented ", Rudolf Schenker describes the former group feeling. " That gave us a big step forward. Lovedrive paints a very accurate picture of the whole band at that stage. The album as a whole is incredibly strong, although it did not have a Top 20 hit. "In the midst of the current production appeared Schenker's younger brother Michael Schenker, who had already played on the Scorpions debut Lonesome Crow (1972 ), we finally played on three of the eight songs ( enter once he left the band in UFO that in 1978 but left again) the solo guitar instead of Matthias jabs. At the start of the tour in Germany in February 1979, he was announced even as new old band member. However, the band decided not reluctant on the performance of jabs. " Of course I was disappointed, on the other hand, I could understand this decision, because Michael and Rudolf just brothers ," commented jabs his emotions at that time. However, Schenker was still during the current tour his latest exit from the group known why Jabs finally been fixed lead guitarist of the band. " Michael is more of a lone wolf, which makes dealing with it is not always easy ," said Michael's brother the situation. " He was on time just not Scorpions -capable. "

Musical Style

The replacement of lead guitarist Uli Jon Roth to the Tokyo Tapes (1978 ) by Matthias Jabs is clearly noticeable in the guitar style of this album. This is partly due to the distinctly different play styles of both musicians jabs and Roth, and certainly also in the various musical models of the two -founded. As Roth has been very dominant both as a songwriter and as a lead guitarist in the musical chemistry of the band, so this staff exchange from the first song is clearly noticeable. Jabs ' guitar style is much more virtuosic and especially melodic than that of Roth, what a very positive effect on the musical style of the group. This is particularly noticeable in songs like Always Somewhere. Although, however, can be heard in some of the songs represented here Michael Schenker takes jabs so but this difference is, however, much less obvious. Rather, the entire album in terms of the different strings occupation here acts more like one after the other produces almost concert -like in one piece. The turbulent occupation crisis, which was associated with the recordings of this album is the album difficult or impossible to remember.

Songwriting and features of texts

As for the authors of the individual titles, so here the three main authors for the next round 15 years crystallize out clearly: Rudolf Schenker as a composer of all arrangements of this album, the lyrics, however, are either derived from Klaus Meine and Herman Rare Bell or from My and Rare Bell together (for more details about the individual authors: see paragraph "The songs in detail "). From the album title Lovedrive a "Sub- concept " developed by many of the texts, as many songs actually deal with love. The last song Holiday can because of the text as a kind of "invitation" to be understood about this " love trip ". Whether this interpretation was intended by the band, however, is not known.

Album Cover

Even the album Love Drive are two different cover designs. The original picture shows a man and a woman in formal clothes in the back seat of a car. The man takes the woman 's breasts, where he sticks chewing gum with it. This image was designed by Storm Thorgerson of the Hipgnosis design company. Also, this motif was the trigger for some controversy and was therefore replaced for some publications with an apparent simpleres artwork, which on the Scorpions logo "sitting" shows a blue scorpion against a black background.

Tour

The tour for the album, which took place in 1978 and 1979, the Scorpions played among others with AC / DC, Ted Nugent and Rainbow.

Attention on the setlist

A Scorpions concert without songs of this album is, especially since this decade rather rare or practically impossible. The album is absolutely studded with great songs that are present especially live very well and are always happy transported by the band in the setlist and always resonate with the concert audience. So, a really great concert without the instrumental number Coast to Coast ( often engages in sometimes singer Klaus Meine for guitar) for example, rarely found. This song is very much appreciated recited particularly at concerts played by the band, with guests such as Michael Schenker, but is otherwise an absolute classic of the live band. Also the song Holiday is rarely sought in vain at a concert, as it is the band always like to play and the fans also can always sing along. Even such songs like Loving You Sunday Morning, Another Piece of Meat or Lovedrive are quite often on the setlist of the band. Leaving the live presence of the band in the last thirty years since the publication of this album reminisce, so you can Lovedrive well as the overall look with the most dominant and " long-lived " album of a setlist of the band. As an example, here about the 2006 concert played in front of 60,000 spectators at the Wacken Open Air Festival are (released on DVD ), which have made it six out of eight Lovedrive songs in the setlist of a single concert.

As a further measure can take ( 2007-2009 ) and the overview of the total played songs of the three years Humanity World Tour, all songs have been played up to Can not Get Enough in this album. This song, however, was played at the Wacken Open Air festival a year before tour start. For comparison: From the new album on this tour, Humanity - Hour I (2007), only six of the twelve songs (half the album so ) were on the entire tour played. Thus, so all the songs on the album Love Drive in Live program of the band are practically up now present what is otherwise rather unusual especially at such old albums in general. Even so large and successful albums of the band such as Blackout ( 1982) Love at First Sting (1984 ) or Crazy World (1990 ), this is, however, remained detained. Looking at previous setlists, eg live video or live albums such as World Wide Live (1985 ) from the 80s and 90s, but it is also clear that at these times the current albums of the tours essential " dominant " have been in the set list and times at which the band has not yet so strongly oriented at concerts of the past, as now, the album Love Drive is not even occurred to some extent in the setlist. It is unknown, however, whether this album is the only one in the band, of which over wholly skin all the songs were ever performed live. On her big farewell tour are with Loving You Sunday Morning, Coast to Coast, Is There Anybody There? Holiday and next four songs from the current album Sting in the Tail most of the songs of a single album on the setlist.

Criticism, sale and Awards

The album marks the important success for the band in the U.S.. The British New Musical Express brought the matter with the words "These guys have Generation X as beginners look " to the point. The Stereoplay wrote a review about the album: " At their best album Lovedrive draw from Hannover Scorpions rock all registers. In the title track of the band and singer Klaus Meine sparked a huge rock hurricane. Is There Anybody There impressed by protracted rhythm and striking melody. But the highlight is the ballad Holiday, in which the heavy rockers lay bare the soft core under the rough exterior. It also awarded the Melody Maker one of the best Heavy Metal albums of the year. The cover design was honored by the men's magazine Playboy as gelungenstes artwork of the year.

To date, over 4 million copies were sold of the album worldwide.

Content and Title List

Loving You Sunday Morning

With this song, which is characterized by its fast riffs and frequent mood changes, as well as in some cases exceptionally melodic vocals of My, the song begins with a Scorpions ratios right, " extensively " structured number. The lyrics are about longing of a man who lives on the basis of conversations with acquaintances with the fear of losing his beloved ( people tell me that I'm gonna lose you, our love will die). In the course of the song, the man his wife the question of whether there was something in it ( so tell me is it true right or wrong ). If this be true, the man explains his willingness to change his life for his beloved ( so I want to change my life ), he should really run the risk of losing the woman. In addition, the song also the constant distance is discussed that prevails between the man and the woman. While the man six days a week working for his wife 's ( working hard to get it on for you every day and night ), while he is all the time our thoughts are with his wife ( you were on my mind love everyday ) and he now on Sunday to come home ( I'm coming home ) to ( ie in the presence of his beloved ) to love his wife " active" ( loving you sunday morning ).

Another Piece of Meat

In this also for Scorpions ratios fairly quick song tells drummer Herman Rare Bell - who composed not only the text but also the arrangement together with Rudolf Schenker - a special story. In the song, he describes a young woman he in Japan - more precisely in Tokyo - met (Met her down at Tokyo did place) and offered him his love, because she knew him as a superstar (she told me: " You're a star and I know you " ). One day she led him to a boxing match from (next day she took me out to a rough kick boxing show), when she screamed for more and more blood (she what screamin for more blood ), while he could no longer bear all this authority ( I could not stand it ). The woman replied that he should not pull off such a show (do not put on a show ), he was for them " just another piece of meat " (another piece of meat ). The song was the third and final single from the album.

Always Somewhere

Also, this song describes the longing feeling of a man. While it is in other cities ( Arrive at seven the place feels good ) because he needs to play concerts, he tried to call his mistress (I call your number ), but when it's busy ( the line not Free ). He would like to tell her that he loves her, wherever he is, and that he will come back to love again it (always somewhere miss you where I've been ..., ... I'll be back to love you again). Similar to Loving You Sunday Morning, here the constant distance and the yearning between men and women due to the musicians existence of man are discussed.

Coast to Coast

This piece is the last instrumental piece of the band, which was released on one of their studio albums. It is since its release to the live repertoire of the group, often engages in this song also singer Klaus Meine the guitar. Several times in the new millennium (including Wacken Open Air 2006), she played the song with her former guitarist Michael Schenker, with whom she recorded the song in the studio. In the title coast to coast can be interpreted into a musical accompaniment of " Love Ride". Coast to Coast was composed by Rudolf Schenker.

Can not Get Enough

Can not Get Enough is one of the most entertaining songs throughout the Scorpions discography. The song describes the passion of the author for rock music ( I need sounds loud and rough ) that he like the bee needs their honey ( like the bee the honey ). This was more important to him than gold and money ( more then gold and money ). Loud and rough music is the stuff that turns him on the most and from which he just can not get enough (I can not get enough ). Later in the text, this statement is no longer alone on the singer, but on the whole band projected ( we can not get enough ).

Is There Anybody There?

From a purely musical, this song is one of the most unusual musical Scorpions songs, as this is a slightly reggae -like arrangement, which is supported by melodic vocals. Hardly any other song the band has been frequently published in alternative versions like Is There Anybody There?. The lyrics are about a man who can not properly deal with his feelings and wants to find a woman with whom he can fall in love.

Lovedrive

Shortly before the album concludes here's the title track and the first single from the album, in which the distinctive line of text I'd like to show why scorpions got a sting ("I would like to show why scorpions have a sting " ) occurs. The song describes a " love trip " between man and woman, which takes place on fire wheels ( on wheels of fire ). We play with the different meanings of the word drive. Thus, although it is on the one hand to catch a ride (love drive), on the other hand it says later in the text and you drive me crazy (you Drive me crazy ).

Holiday

This song is the melancholy conclusion of the album and is by Always Somewhere the second and last pure ballad on Love Drive. It was composed by Schenker (music) and My ( text). In the course of the song, the man asks his beloved, if she wants a little vacation ( you'd like a holiday).

Singles

From album a total of three singles were released in 1979: the title track Lovedrive with Holiday as a B- side, Is There Anybody There? along with Can not Get Enough and Another Piece of Meat with Always Somewhere as a B-side.

Other song versions and live recordings

It should be noted that no other Scorpions album so many different song versions exist, such as. Of Love Drive, which also suggests the dominance of this album in the band's history It has already been published in 1989 on the compilation Scorpions Best of Rockers N ' Ballads a remix of the song Is There Anybody There? published, which came in the same year as individual single under the name Long version on the market. On the ballads published in 1992 remix album Still Loving You, new versions of the title Is There Anybody There?, Always Somewhere and Holiday were. For her acoustic project Acoustica they released on the eponymous album acoustic versions of the songs Always Somewhere and Holiday. The accompanying concert DVD additionally contained Loving You Sunday Morning and Is There Anybody There?.

In the published 1985 live album World Wide Live live recordings of Loving You Sunday Morning, Coast to Coast, Holiday, Another Piece of Meat as well as a split into two parts Can not Get Enough were housed. The USB stick A Night to Remember - Live in Essen from 2009 contains the title Loving You Sunday Morning, Is There Anybody There, Holiday, Coast to Coast, Love Drive and Another Piece of Meat ( the latter three with Michael Schenker as guest guitarist ).

Cover versions

  • Another Piece Of Meat was by Michael Schenker Group (1997 live version ); Diary (2001); Metalium (2001); and FourYearBeard (2008) gecovert.
  • Coast To Coast was of Disbelief (2001) and Gas Head (2003) gecovert.
  • Holiday was covered by Paul Shortino ( 2004).
  • Is There Anybody There? was of J.B.O. ( 2000 German Version: Is there anyone there ) and Rough Silk (2000) gecovert.
  • Lovedrive was covered by Taime Downe ( 2004).
Record label Genre Singing Herman Rarebell Dieter Dierks Tokyo Tapes (album) Animal Magnetism (Scorpions album) AC/DC Rainbow (rock band) NME Generation X (Band) James Kottak Barry Sparks In Trance Virgin Killer Taken by Force Blackout (Scorpions-Album) Savage Amusement Face the Heat Pure Instinct Eye II Eye Moment of Glory Unbreakable (Scorpions album) Comeblack Live Bites Acoustica (Scorpions album) Best of Scorpions Best of Scorpions Vol. 2 Still Loving You (album) Deadly Sting The Zoo (Scorpions song) Rock You Like a Hurricane Wind of Change (Scorpions song)
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