With Sting in the Tail, legendary German metal band Scorpions signaled a farewell after 40 years in the business, and this quick follow-up Comeblack sees the band following a trend we see all too often these days, re-recording some old classics and some cover songs thrown in for good measure. It's all pretty well done, with crisp production values and the top notch musicianship we've come to expect from the band, but unless you are a hard core fan of the band, I can't imagine you'll get much mileage out of Comeblack other than a few cursory listens.
Most of the big hits are here, re-recorded in 2011, such as "No One Like You", "Rhythm of Love", "Rock You Like a Hurricane", "Still Loving You", and "Winds of Change", plus live favorites "Bllackout" and "The Zoo". Yes, they sound great, with Klaus Meine's vocals still quite strong, but the fire of the original versions seems to be missing here. Modern production values can't replace the hunger that the much younger Scorpions fueled into the original recordings, but these are still quite good. The covers are a mixed bag for the most part. Soft Cell's "Tainted Love" is given the metal treatment, with the synths replaced by layers of power chords, and is a fun take on an otherwise silly song. "Children of the Revolution", a pretty neat song from T Rex, has some heavy riffs and plenty of groove, plus strong vocals from Klaus, while The Beatles "Across the Universe" sees the band in an acoustic setting, nice but nothing spectacular. "Tin Soldier", one of the most memorable songs from the Small Faces, is pretty forgettable, with Klaus' German accent coming out way too much. "All Day and All of the Night" however, sees the band rocking quite hard to this Kinks classic, and the Rolling Stones staple "Ruby Tuesday" is given a royal treatment, with the band injecting plenty of their own spice into the song. It's almost as if the band are using this one to say goodbye to their fans. Well done.
Overall, Comeblack is hardly an essential listen, though it is well done and enjoyable for the most part. With the band retiring, it's a solid if unspectacular way to go out after a stellar career.
Track Listing
1. Rhythm Of Love (2011 Version) 3:39
2. No One Like You (2011 Version) 4:06
3. The Zoo (2011 Version) 5:38
4. Rock You Like A Hurricane (2011 Version) 4:15
5. Blackout (2011 Version) 3:48
6. Wind Of Change (2011 Version) 5:08
7. Still Loving You (2011 Version) 6:43
8. Tainted Love 3:27
9. Children Of The Revolution 3:33
10. Across The Universe 3:17
11. Tin Soldier 3:14
12. All Day And All Of The Night 3:15
13. Ruby Tuesday 3:55
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