Lovedrive

by Barry Weber

Prior to Lovedrive's recording, the Scorpions' lineup had a major change when their lead guitarist, Uli Jon Roth, quit the group and the rock genre was rapidly changing. With this in mind, the band not only highlighted the album with the licks and riffs of three guitarists (Rudolf Schenker, Michael Schenker, Matthias Jabs), but they also dramatically changed their style to sound more like that of Van Halen. This change is quite welcome; not only are the performances more unpredictable, but the lyrics and melodies are better written. In fact, some of the Scorpions' most classic songs, such as "Loving You Sunday Morning," "Holiday," and "Coast to Coast" are found on Lovedrive, which makes it one of their finest.