Scorpions: Forever and a Day

After playing music for 50 years and selling 100 million records, the German metal band the Scorpions embark on their final tour in Katja Von Garnier's documentary. Recalling their history while spending 18 months traveling to Thailand, Beirut, and other cities, singer Klaus Meine says he met the brother he never had when he connected with guitarist Rudolf Schenker in Hanover, discovering that they shared similar goals and influences (through much of the decade, Rudolf's brother, Michael, also played with the band). Once they filled out their ranks, the Scorpions won a battle of the bands that resulted in a recording contract. Now, the group is a more international affair, with American drummer James Kottak, who joined in 1996, and Polish bass player Pawel Maciwoda, who signed on in 2003. During their farewell tour, the Scorpions also play Moscow, significant because their 1990 song “Wind of Change” struck such a chord that they recorded a version in Russian, which led to a meeting with Gorbachev. The former Soviet Union president remembers, “That was a time when rock gained recognition.” If the beginning of the 1990s represented a high, the band soon experienced new lows as their music fell out of fashion, but still they persevered through Meine's throat problems and an ill-fated flirtation with dance music. The singer regrets that they were never as popular in Germany as they were in other countries, such as France, where “Still Loving You” became the country's top-selling single. Other speakers include KISS's Paul Stanley, former drummer Herman Rarebell, and longtime producer Dieter Dierks. Recommended. (K. Fennessy)