Scorpions- Top Of The Bill by Martin Popoff

  
  
   The Scorpions are the biggest hard rock band to come out of Germany and to be honest its not even close. They are winding down on a mostly stellar 40 plus year career so you would think they would have a multitude of books written about them. You would be wrong, there's Herman Rarebell's recent memoir and Rudolf Schenker's that's only avaliable in German. I've personally e-mailed Martin in the past to ask for a book on the band, he says in the introduction that he gets more e-mails about a book on them then any other. When you look at all the books on bands like Guns 'N' Roses who have 1 classic album, an overblown double set and the terrible Chinese Democracy you wonder where all the Scorpions books are. They tick all the boxes: lengthy career, great albums, big in the MTV days, trouble in the 90's and a recent resurgence. They've done their share of partying too.

   It's the usual album by album biography of the band starting at the very beginning right up to the recent Comeblack release. Each album is given equal weight and there are interview quotes from past and present members and management. Martin also weighs in with his opinion on each song and album. I like that, a lot. One of the things that stuck out for me is the bands (I mean Klaus, Rudolf and Mathias) inability to take ownership of any of the albums panned by fans and critics. Eye To Eye- that was Peter Wolf's fault. Savage Amusement- that was Dieter Dierks fault. Pure Instinct- blame that one on grunge. Rudolf even has the audacity to say Eye To Eye was a side project, last time I looked it had the bands name on the cover. Some of the best commentary comes from Herman Rarebell and Ralph Rieckermann, both past members who call a spade a spade. After reading the quotes you will also think that the Scorpions single-handedly brought down communism and the Berlin wall. Something lost in translation there me thinks.

   If you love the Scorps then this is a great read. Well written as always by Martin, he might churn them out every couple of months or so but the quality is always there. I wish this book was coffee table size and in colour like his Judas Priest and Sabbath book. The pics and memorabilia shots deserve it. Quality stuff like this should have been picked up by a publishing house but for now we can be thankful that it's out there, self-published and all. It's the definitive book on the band for now.

Richie.

www.martinpopoff.com