Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Shiny and clean and altogether sterile, 17 May 2006
'Savage Amusement' would be the last time the Scorpions teamed up with producer Dieter Dierks and for the first time in ten albums, the production is nothing better than mediocre. The successful, radio-friendly rock songs of the late Eighties undoubtedly encouraged the band to go for a shinier, sleeker sound (despite them having done just fine in the past), but it's a move that robs the Scorpions of their usual sting (forgive the cliché). The lack of excitement this smooth edge gives to the music means that 'Savage Amusement' simply rolls along, without any significant peaks or troughs, leaving the listener distinctly unmoved. Of course, some pretty average writing doesn't help and there are several tracks that are nothing more than mid-paced rock by numbers; 'Media Overkill' and 'Passion Rules the Game' are prime examples and even 'Rhythm of Love' is memorable mostly due to it being the first single from the album, although as a melodic hard-rocker it actually works just fine. Things do get more promising as the album progresses, however, with 'We Let it Rock, You Let it Roll' (another clunky title from the Scorpions) possessing more drive and aggression and 'Love on the Run' positively sprinting, albeit with something of a limp. Unfortunately, after lifting one's hopes the album reaches it's nadir as it comes to the end. Where previous releases 'Lovedrive', 'Blackout' and 'Love at First Sting' excelled with their closing ballads (indeed, up until to this album the Scorpions had a terrific track record of last songs), here we get the wishy-washy effort of 'Believe in Love'. Klaus does as good a job as the production allows, but that's not enough to save this damp squib of a song.
I'm a Scorpions fan and a fan will always find something of value in an album, be it a typically crunching guitar sound, the familiar vocals, the songwriting templates or whatever. So I don't mind 'Savage Amusement' because it is, after all, the Scorpions and as such I'll give it an extra star. For a rock fan who has no particular passion or fascination for their music, however, this record has very little to recommend it. Moreover, it's the first indication of a decline in not just musical quality but simple ear-bursting power from the Scorpions, a band previously renowned as a premier league hard rock / heavy metal powerhouse.
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5 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Savagely Brilliant, 9 Aug 2005
This album for me is the culminaton of a three album reign of rock for the Scorps. These three albums cataloguing the establishment of Matthias Jabs as a leading rock lead guitarist. Matthias does well on his debut album Lovedrive and staggers a little on Animal Magnetism, but then he shows what he's made of on Blackout and Love at first sting ... and by the time this album emerged, you have no doubt that The Scorpions are at the top of their tree. I am not taking anything away from the rest of the band either - the progression of quality from Animal Magnetism to Blackout (and hence LAFS and SA) is noticeably meteoric. They complement each other wonderfully - Of course, I am a fan of the early material as well, but for me Ulrich Roth's style was a little too complicated for what essentially is a straight rock band - Matthias Jabs fitted perfectly. The band's solid rhythms and Klaus Meine's distincts vocals sometimes hide the fact that these are musicians - "Walking on the edge" is one track that draws on work from an earlier era in the Scorpions history, the opening very reminiscent of the music on "Taken by force" or "virgin killer". Well the stand out tracks : I could say all of them, but that doesn't help you much ! Personal favourites are - "Don't stop at the top", "Rhythm of Love", "Media overkill" - nice use of the vocorder! "We let it rock" and "Every minute every day".... but I love them all. I'm sure you will too. You won't go far wrong if you get all three albums. Personally, I give them all five stars each - Blackout, Love at first sting and Savage amusement - a defining era in this bands history.
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3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I dont care what they say, 24 Sep 2003
I dont profess to be a music expert, but I first got this album a decade or so ago, and loved it. I still listen to it regularly. Contrary to the professional review here I think the album is superb, and regard it as one of my favourites (along with Hysteria, Slippery When Wet, Appetite for Destruction, etc. I definately consider it soft rock, but good none the less.
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