SCORPIONS Frontman: 'Classic Rock Is Making Its Way Back And We're Riding On A Wave Right Now'

Jesse Capps of Rock Confidential recently conducted an interview with SCORPIONS frontman Klaus Meine. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Rock Confidential: Klaus, let's start by talking about the new record. We all know now that "Sting In The Tail" is the last studio album from the SCORPIONS, but you didn't know that while you were in the studio did you?

Meine: That's right. We started working on it in the summer of last year. It came up that this might be our final album around November or December, when the album really shaped up. Our manager brought it up first. He told us "Sting In The Tail" is a very strong record and after we go on another world tour and go back in the studio that it would be really hard to top it. He asked us how long we thought we could keep going on like that. None of us would have brought it up and we all thought he was joking. Then we thought he may have a point. We've been doing this for such a long time. After 40 years on this crazy rock 'n roll train, when is the perfect moment to get out with class and style? When we realized this album might be the right moment to get out, together with a tour that will take us all around the world one more time — that's when it came up. Not while we were writing the record.

Rock Confidential: Listening to those songs sounds really reflective — on your career and on your fans. I think it really works as a final record even though it wasn't planned that way. Those songs do a really great job of summing up everything the SCORPIONS are about.

Meine: Exactly. We did "Humanity – Hour 1" with Desmond Child in Los Angeles. It was more a concept album with a big message. We wanted to go back closer to our roots and make a more European album. Working with those Swedish guys — they didn't really put that much of a "producer's stamp" on the band. They really tried to support us in getting the SCORPIONS DNA. We wanted to get the best out of this band and we wanted to enjoy ourselves in the studio. Most of the album we did in Germany. I did the lead vocals in Stockholm. We did a lot of work at home. It was a very relaxed setup and we all had a good time.

Rock Confidential: I wondered about that. The tone of "Humanity" seemed almost strained. Was it more comfortable to record a straight up rock album without having to focus on a storyline?

Meine: Yes. Absolutely. It was also the creative forces. We were focused more on the inner circle. With "Humanity" we had the pleasure of working with a lot of outside writers but it's really a totally different story when you go back to your own creative input. We enjoyed working with Desmond Child on "Humanity" and we had a great time but it's completely different when you're working on a concept album. We wanted to go back to the '80s this time. We feel that style of music is back and coming back in a big way with the younger generation. Who knows what style is next? The last music revolution was not that long ago. It seems that classic rock is making its way back and we're riding on a wave right now.

Rock Confidential: You mentioned the younger generation. I'm sure because of video games that there are more five-year-old kids that can sing "Rock You Like A Hurricane" than there ever has been!

Meine: Jesse, you're right. It's funny with all of those games that it's attracted a whole new generation. I think because of the Internet — being able to watch a concert we did in Siberia or Brazil on YouTube — that next generation is making the decision that this is a band they want to see. I think that explains why we see so many young fans singing along to songs that were written even before they were born.

Rock Confidential: I was really worried for a while that the Internet would keep people in front of their computer monitors instead of getting out to see a band live. I think the Internet is making people more aware of what's out there.

Meine: The whole world is just a click away at home. To get that emotional feeling when you go to a concert with your friends — that's something you cannot find on a computer. The recording industry has been going down the past few years but the live side of it hasn't changed at all. It may even be going stronger. Every band out there that delivers the goods night after night in front of a live audience is the winner.

Read the entire interview from Rock Confidential.