Cheap Scorpions: Unauthorized (DVD) (Pierre Vinour) Price

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Customer Reviews of Scorpions: Unauthorized

Great DVD, but could have used a little more concert footage
Nice DVD. I finally got to know what videos and ablums the band liked without posting that question in the Scorpions official website. I enjoyed the interview a lot, and I must admit that the lady who interviewed the band wasn't really smart.:) The thing that bugs me is that they showed a snip of concert footage when the band was playing Coast to Coast. They didn't show Klaus playing the guitar! They only showed Rudy and Francis in one angle only.

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Better Than I Expected
After reading other reviews, I was expecting to be disappointed. However, the DVD was MUCH better than other reviewers had indicated and I was very pleasantly surprised.

If you are a die-hard Scorpions fan, this is a "must-have". The DVD is mostly interviews, but that's what I was looking for. Other DVD's have great music, but you barely ever hear the guys TALK. Although the woman who conducts the interviews is pretty bad (Matthias even asks her at one point if she "is serious"), the answers from the band offer deep insights into their intelligence, their commitment to their music, their deep friendship, their thoughts on world peace, etc. Rudolf and the other band members describe each other, name their favorite songs/albums/tours etc. and you get a real feel for their personalities. The guys are all funny, smart and dedicated.

Truly a MUST for anybody who wants to get to know the men behind the music.

The snippets of music are (of course) GREAT and there are several shots from videos, tours and photo shoots.

As a lifelong musician myself, I like to get into the "process" as well as just appreciate the music. I was very pleased to "meet the band" and see them as more than just beautiful men who make beautiful music. Their intelligence and concern over world issues gives the listener a whole new appreciation for their music.

My ONLY negative comment would be that they should have gotten an interviewer with a bit more intelligence -- but then again, that only adds to the comedic value of some spots! It is HYSTERICAL when Matthias looks her in the eye with a "you're kidding" expression!

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2 Stars is being generous
DVDs about rock bands that scream "Unauthorized" are risky business. There's a KISS: Unauthorized DVD that features NO music at all by the band KISS. It's mostly fan footage and not worth your time.

This DVD is a bit better but still only for the most die-hard and serious Scorpions fan out there.
NOTE: The entire content of this DVD deals with Scorpions interviews done in 1990/91. There is no information beyond 1991.

How bad is it? Picture-wise it's pretty good. Content wise it cheats the buyer. I'll explain how...
First: The back of the DVD case (lower right hand corner) lists the running time at 90 minutes. This disc is 50 minutes if you include the "credits" at the end.
Second: There are no complete songs here. You get 2 minutes of one video and less than a minute of "...Hurricane". Then there are 1 to 2 minute clips of concert footage by fans. More about that later.
Third: The "discography" listed as chapter 8 is a joke. You see pictures of CASSETTES of early Scorpions albums. "Taken by Force" (1978) is skipped completely and "Animal Magnetism" is noted as being from "1989" instead of 1980. From "Lovedrive" on up LP covers are shown but "Lovedrive's" cover is the "clean" version (as is Virgin Killer's cassette cover).
Fourth: Chapter two is called "Making The First album". Not quite. It starts with drummer Herman Rarebell discussing HIS first album with the Scorpions called "Taken By Force". This is not about the making of "Lonesome Crow". I think you get the idea. Don't take the "chapter" titles seriously.

The concert footage is sprinkled about and only whets your appetite for more. What's shown is pretty good for fan(?) footage shot in 1990. Earlier portions appear to be sound checks. Later clips are actual concert footage. The picture is good for what it is and the sound is fair and raw. That being said there are no complete songs and this totals maybe 8 minutes of the total DVD. (All of this seems to be from the Crazy World tour).

The rest of the DVD is interview footage. It's badly edited with some cuts coming after a the female interviewer asks a question and then the camera cuts away as the band member begins to answer. All the interviews are one on one. Most of the time you don't even hear the question.
Rudolf Schenker gets the most interview time. Matthias Jabs is second. The other three are about equal.
Most of the information is quite dated since all of this is over 12 years old.

For my money I got a few minutes of nicely shot concert snippets and some fair interview footage. I doubt I'll both playing this DVD again. 2 stars is generous because I liked the concert footage I saw and enjoyed the interviews for what they were.
I don't like the fact that it was 50 min. instead of 90 min.