Old School Scorpions

I know Aske scoffs at these guys and it's true they went pop-metal later in the careers but in the 60s, 70s and early 80s these guys seriously kicked ass.  I'd even give them right up through Blackout in a pinch.

They put out some great stuff in the Schenker, Roth and early Jabs years. 

i.e.  Drifting Sun off Fly to the Rainbow.  Not technically superior but, like early Sabbath, drives at the emotional level.  Great stuff. 

It's hard to get some off the early stuff on CD domestically but I still have Lonesome Crow, Fly to the Rainbow, In Trance and Virgin Killer on vinyl.  I have Fly to the Rainbow and Virgin Killer on CD.  The other two (plus Taken By Force which I've never heard) I need to get from my BIL before he PSCs back from Stuggart. 

Anyone else?  I don't meet too many pre-radio success Scorps fans.

Just to be clear though, the difference between old, Schenker/Roth Scorpions and what you've heard on the radio and probably from friends is substantial.

But they're no Morrissey. 

Growing up, my brother was a big-time Scorps fan. He had a lot of their older material, so I'm somewhat familiar with it, though if pressed I probably couldn't name a single song. I don't abhor it, just not big on it. If I'm going for 70s hard rock/heavy metal, I'd rather listen to Sabbath, Rainbow, Priest, Motörhead, etc.

Morrissey, by the way, probably gets classified as "guilty pleasure." I'll spend no amount of time trying to argue his brilliance.  Slayer's Reign in Blood on the other hand, now there is an album.