There's no denying
the Scorpions' influence on '80s heavy metal -- and particularly, on hair metal bands. And this point is certainly proven on 2008's
Scorpion Tales, by former
Dokken guitarist
George Lynch. This 12-track release sees
Lynch paired with a gaggle of singers who were consistently splashed across the pages of Hit Parade and Circus Magazine during the late '80s, all of which cover tunes from
Klaus Meine and company. As with all "tribute" releases, it's a mixed bag of the good, the bad, and the ugly, as you'll find
Hurricane/
Foreigner singer
Kelly Hansen sounding quite
Don Dokken-ish on "Rock You Like a Hurricane,"
Quiet Riot's
Kevin DuBrow warbling through "Big City Nights" (on one of his last-ever recordings), and
Kix's
Steve Whiteman simply slaying (and not in a good way) "Still Loving You." While
Scorpion Tales is certainly not the biggest "must hear" of
Lynch's career, it does succeed on shining the spotlight on an oft-overlooked metal act.