Taken by Force

This article is about the album. For the book covering cases of rape committed by U.S. servicemen in Europe during World War II, see Taken by Force (book).

Taken by Force
Studio album by Scorpions
Released	4 December 1977
Recorded	June–October 1977
Studio	Dierks Studios, Stommeln, West Germany
Genre	Hard rock, heavy metal
Length	39:05
Label	RCA
Producer	Dieter Dierks
Scorpions chronology
Virgin Killer (1976) Taken by Force (1977) Lovedrive (1979)
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

Taken by Force is the fifth studio album by German band Scorpions, released by RCA Records in 1977. This was the first Scorpions album to feature drummer Herman Rarebell and the final studio 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. The music was written by the Scorpions founder and rhythm guitarist Rudolf Schenker.

Artwork

The album cover photography was taken by Michael von Gimbut; 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.

Track listing

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Steamrock Fever"	Rudolf Schenker, Klaus Meine	3:37
2.	"We'll Burn the Sky"	Schenker, Monika Dannemann	6:26
3.	"I've Got to Be Free"	Ulrich Roth	4:00
4.	"The Riot of Your Time"	Schenker, Meine	4:09

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
5.	"The Sails of Charon" (most copies have a 4:23 edited version)	Roth	5:16
6.	"Your Light"	Roth	4:31
7.	"He's a Woman – She's a Man"	Schenker, Meine, Herman Rarebell	3:15
8.	"Born to Touch Your Feelings"	Schenker, Meine	7:40

2001 CD reissue bonus tracks

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
9.	"Suspender Love"	Schenker, Meine	3:20
10.	"Polar Nights" (live version from Tokyo Tapes)	Roth	6:56

Notes

• Most versions feature an edited version of "The Sails of Charon". The editing removes an introduction of wind-like sound effects performed on guitar. Similar sound effects can be heard at the end of the song.
• 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 Rome, Susan from L.A. and Leila from Tahiti.

Personnel

Scorpions

• 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

Cover versions

• "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
• "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.