Taken by Force

Taken by Force
Studio album by Scorpions
Released	4 December 1977 (Europe, U.K.) January 1978 (US) April 1978 (Japan)
Recorded	Dierks Studios, Cologne, Germany, June–October 1977
Genre	Hard rock
Length	39:05
Label	RCA Records
Producer	Dieter Dierks
Scorpions chronology
Virgin Killer (1976) Taken by Force (1977) Tokyo Tapes (live) (1978)
Singles from Taken by Force
"He's a Woman - She's a Man / Suspender Love" Released: 1977 "The Sails of Charon / Steamrock Fever" Released: 1978
Alternative cover

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	positive[1]
Sputnikmusic	[2]

Taken By Force is the fifth studio album by German hard rock band Scorpions, released by RCA Records in 1977. This was the first Scorpions album to feature drummer Herman Rarebell and the final album to feature guitarist Uli Jon Roth. Roth left the band in 1978 following the end of the album's tour, and was eventually replaced by Matthias Jabs.

The lyrics to "We'll Burn the Sky" were initially a poem written by Monika Dannemann, the last girlfriend of Jimi Hendrix, as a tribute to him after he died. Later, she became involved with Scorpions' guitarist Uli Jon Roth (himself an admirer of Jimi Hendrix) and they worked together on some songs, including "We'll Burn the Sky".

Cover art

The album cover photography was taken by Michael von Gimbut,^[3] returning for his third Scorpions album cover commission. Like their previous two albums, Taken By Force caused controversy with its cover art which again resulted in the artwork being replaced in most markets with an alternative cover using photographs of the band members. The band's former lead guitarist Uli Jon Roth defended the original artwork in a 2008 interview, stating

I think the original idea was children playing with guns at a military cemetery in France and some people found that offensive. I don't think it's offensive because I think it was actually a quite a good image because it puts war totally into perspective, very often it is young people, eighteen, ninenteen [sic], going to war that don't fully understand life. When you're fifteen you don't fully understand life, but these guys then have to shoot other people simply because someone tells them to do it for their country. Politicians are sometimes also children with guns, in all periods of time a lot of politicians are far too trigger happy and war too easily becomes an "easy solution", whereas for me it should never a solution, there should be no war in the first place. Maybe every once in a while a country may need to defend itself, I understand that, but in general if you consider that there are over a hundred wars raging in the present day on this planet alone then it's just sheer lunacy and always the tool of the Dark Side. Usually bad things come from war, very few good things, but sometimes good things come from bad things, that's true, nothing's that black and white. It's always the wrong solution to kill people.^[4]

Track listing

"Suspender Love" was originally the b-side of "He's a Woman - She's a Man" single.

Most versions of this album (including all CD versions with bonus tracks) feature an edited version of "The Sails of Charon". The editing removes an introduction made up of "wind-like" sound effects. The intro does not actually contain any music performed by the band. The complete version is available on a 2010 remastered CD of Taken by Force released only in Japan.

"The Sails of Charon" was also used in the videogame Gran Turismo 5.

On "Born To Touch Your Feelings" a guest woman's voices can be heard. They are performed by some friends and fans: Junko and Mutsumi from Japan, Esther from Suriname, Rosa from Rom, Susan from L.A. and Leila from Tahiti.

Personnel

Band members

• Klaus Meine – lead vocals
• Ulrich Roth – lead guitars, backing vocals
• Rudolf Schenker – rhythm guitars, backing vocals
• Francis Buchholz – bass guitar, backing vocals
• Herman Rarebell – drums, percussion, backing vocals

Production

• Dieter Dierks - producer, engineer, mixing

Covered songs

• "We'll Burn the Sky" was covered by the Japanese metal musician Syu on his cover album Crying Stars -Stand Proud!- in 2010.
• "The Sails of Charon" was covered by the American thrash metal band Testament on their compilation album Signs of Chaos in 1997.
• "The Sails of Charon" was also covered by Yngwie Malmsteen on his 1996 cover album Inspiration (Yngwie Malmsteen album)
• "He's a Woman - She's a Man" was covered by the German power metal band Helloween on their cover album Metal Jukebox in 1999.
• "He's a Woman - She's a Man" was also covered by American Thrash metal band Evildead on their album The Underworld in 1991.
• Another cover of "He's a Woman - She's a Man" was played by the American power metal band Helstar on their 1988 album A Distant Thunder.

References