(3 Out of 5)

SEVENTEEN STUDIO ALBUMS!!!  That’s how many The Scorpions have released.  It starts out with “Raised on Rock” and for three straight songs The Scorps rock out like only they can.  “Sting in the Tail” is the highlight of those three songs, with some heavy guitars and throaty vocals.  The title track proves why millions of us who were raised on rock in the 80s and 90s love the Scorps.

After Track 3… well, the disc kind of peters off into no mans land.  The rest of the tracks slow down, and the CD kind of loses its way.  It doesn’t exactly tumble into the abyss, but the rest of the album is not up to par.

Still, I listened to those first three songs over and over.  I really dug them, and having 25% of the album completely kick ass is not necessarily a bad thing.  And in all fairness, Track 10 on my CD completely skipped and wasn’t available so maybe that was the greatest song ever and I missed it.  Who knows?

What I do know is that the last track on the US CD is titled “The Best is Yet To Come.”  For a group on a farewell tour, that just got their star on the Hollywood Rock of Fame, I can only hope that a successful tour with Sold Out Arenas will keep the sting in that tail long enough to crank out another 17 albums and raise another generation on some kick ass rock.

By: Paul Hammond - Senior Editor