Band :: Charon :: 60 Minutes
In the spirit of the Guitar World column 60 Minutes, I have written up my own short list of favorite songs. So many to choose from, but here is an abridged list of some of my favorites.
"We'll Burn the Sky" : Scorpions : Tokyo Tapes
When people think of Scorpions, they tend to think of "Rock You Like A Hurricane", but their true magnum opus is the Tokyo Tapes version of "We'll Burn the Sky". This song is Scorpions answer to "Stairway to Heaven" and "Freebird." The jam at the end is absolutely spectacular, rivaled by very few other songs.
"Alien Nation" : Scorpions : Face the Heat
It seemed that whatever producer Bruce Fairbairn touched, became gold. The entire Face the Heat album is excellent, but "Alien Nation" in particular stands out as a very dark sounding, but a wonderfully crafted Scorpions song. Every piece fits together so well, without needing to drown out the other parts.
"Sails of Charon" : Scorpions : Taken By Force
Many guitarists agree that this song was Ulrich Roth's magnum opus while he was with Scorpions. Not only is it a great song, but the guitar work is phenomenal.
"Magic" : Axel Rudi Pell : Magic
This was one of the first Axel Rudi Pell songs I heard, and it is still a wonderful classic of his. Other people I've also turned on to Axel's music have also been drawn toward this song.
"Black Star" : Yngwie Malmsteen : Rising Force
Yngwie has written plenty of great songs, but "Black Star" wraps Yngwie's style up in a nutshell. It's as true as it was in 1984 as it is today.
"Rainbow Eyes" : Rainbow : Long Live Rock n Roll
The most beautiful ballad I've ever heard. Dio + Blackmore = great combo!
"24 Grand Avenue" : Michael Lee Firkins : Michael Lee Firkins
Not every great song needs lyrics as this song shows.
"I Need You Tonight" : ZZ Top : Eliminator
My favorite ZZ Top song, off of the classic Eliminator album.