Crazy World (Scorpions album) explained

Crazy World is the eleventh studio album by the German hard rock band Scorpions, released on 6 November 1990.^[3] The album peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard 200 chart for albums in 1991.^[4] That same year, the song "Wind of Change" reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100^[4] and "Send Me an Angel" reached No. 44 on the same chart.^[4] It also has the only Scorpions track to credit bassist Francis Buchholz as a writer, "Kicks After Six". This album was the band's first album in a decade and a half to not be produced by Dieter Dierks.

Crazy World became the band's only album to reach number one in their home country of Germany.^[5] In the UK, it remains the only Scorpions album to attain Silver certification (60,000 units sold) by the British Phonographic Industry, achieving this in November 1991.^[6] In the United States, it is the band's second best-selling album to 1984's Love at First Sting, and their last one to be certified at least gold by the RIAA.^[7] It was the band's last studio album to feature the Lovedrive-era lineup, with Buchholz leaving the band in October 1992.

"Hit Between the Eyes" was played during the ending credits of the 1992 film Freejack.

"Send Me an Angel" was played at the closing scene in the 2004 Cold Case episode "Who's Your Daddy." "Wind of Change" was also used during the 2009 film Gentlemen Broncos and towards the end of the 2014 film The Interview and international version soundtrack featured Nutri Ventures in pilot episode.

Reception

Adrien Begrand writing for PopMatters called the album "pop metal by [the] numbers".^[8]

Personnel

Scorpions

• Klaus Meine – vocals, additional "gang" vocals on "Tease Me Please Me", additional "bang" vocals on "Crazy World"
• Rudolf Schenker – rhythm guitar, lead guitar on "Wind of Change" and "Send Me an Angel", additional "gang" vocals on "Tease Me Please Me", additional "bang" vocals on "Crazy World"
• Matthias Jabs – lead guitar, rhythm guitar on "Wind of Change" and "Send Me an Angel", additional "gang" vocals on "Tease Me Please Me"
• Francis Buchholz – bass
• Herman Rarebell – drums

Additional musicians

• Koen van Baal – keyboards on "Wind of Change"
• Jim Vallance – keyboards on "Send Me an Angel"
• Roy Tesse, Dries van der Schuyt, Ria Makker, Gerard v.d. Pot, Louis Spillman, Wolfgang Praetz, Inka Esser, Claudia Frohling, Cliff Roles, Peter Angmeer, Tony Ioannoua and Jim Lewis – "gang" vocals on "Tease Me Please Me"
• Marcel Gelderblom, Mirjam Erftemeijer, Henk Horden and Patrick Ulenberg – "bang" vocals on "Crazy World"

Production

• Keith Olsen – producer, engineer, mixing, additional "gang" vocals on "Tease Me Please Me", additional "bang" vocals on "Crazy World"
• Erwin Musper – engineer, mixing, additional "gang" vocals on "Tease Me Please Me", additional "bang" vocals on "Crazy World"
• Shay Baby – additional engineering, mixing
• Attie Bauw, Albert Boekholt, Tom Fletcher – assistant engineers

Charts

Chart (1990–1991)! scope="col"

Peak position
Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts)[9]	14
French Albums (SNEP)[10]	2
Italian Albums (Musica e Dischi)[11]	13
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[12]	39

Notes and References

1. Web site: Rivadavia . Eduardo . November 6, 2015 . How Scorpions Welcomed Fans to a New Decade on 'Crazy World' . 2022-09-14 . Ultimate Classic Rock. The result, as mentioned earlier, was a successful resurrection of the Scorpions' vintage '80s melodic hard rock sound.
2. Web site: Begrand . Adrien . Scorpions: Box of Scorpions. 2021-05-30 . . 1990's Crazy World was more pop metal by numbers.
3. Web site: RIAA Certification . 6 November 2023.
4. Web site: Crazy World Billboard Albums . 20 November 2012 . . . https://web.archive.org/web/20131125092402/http://www.allmusic.com/album/crazy-world-mw0000309561/awards . 25 November 2013.
5. Web site: Album – Scorpions, Crazy World . 20 November 2012 . Charts.de . . German .
6. Web site: BPI Certified Awards Database: search for Artist Scorpions . . 12 June 2017 . 1 August 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170801142929/http://www.bpi.co.uk/certified-awards/Search.aspx . dead .
7. Web site: Gold & Platinum - RIAA. RIAA.com. 16 August 2018.
8. Web site: Begrand . Adrien . Scorpions: Box of Scorpions, PopMatters . 2021-05-30 . PopMatters . 27 May 2004 . en-US . 1990's Crazy World was more pop metal by numbers.
9. Web site: Scorpions – Crazy World (album) . https://web.archive.org/web/20220121072427/http://wiki.pomus.net/wiki/Albumit_1990-11_marraskuu. usurped. 21 January 2022. March 25, 2024 . Pomus.net . The Official Finnish Charts.
10. Web site: Le Détail des Albums de chaque Artiste – S . Infodisc.fr . fr . March 25, 2024 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141022124902/http://infodisc.fr/Album_S.php . 22 October 2014 . Select Scorpions from the menu, then press OK.
11. Web site: Classifiche. Musica e Dischi. it. March 25, 2024. Set "Tipo" on "Album". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Scorpions".
12. Book: Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005. Oricon Entertainment. Roppongi, Tokyo. 2006. 4-87131-077-9. ja.