Do we really need to hear a re-imagining of Scorpions hits like “No One Like You” and “Rock You Like a Hurricane”? Not really. They were perfect singles as they were. Redoing them is nothing more than an interesting b-side. However, the Scorpions went into the studio with Comeblack to breathe new life into “The Zoo” and Rhythm of Love” — songs that were popular with fans but not household jingles. And it worked! “Rhythm of Love” has a nice up-to-date 2012 feel, and “The Zoo” gets some nice guitar nuances added to it.

Comeblack was done with the fans in mind and, let’s face it, it is a worthy ‘thank you’ to all Scorpions listeners over the years. And it’s not just new renditions of Scorpions songs. Cover songs like Marc Bolan’s “Children of the Revolution” and The Small Faces’ “Tin Solder” have enough of  Scorpions energy to make them worthy. But nothing is more perfected than “Tainted Love.” This rendition does exactly what covers songs are supposed to do: bring out a new feel, an unexpected shine of light on another artist’s material. And the Scorpions certainly do that here with Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love.” I didn’t want to like this song, the idea of the Scorpions playing synthpop made my head dizzy, but they master it with a big guitar sound and brash production. Klaus Meine then gives it the final seal of approval it by putting his vocal stamp on it.

Like the reimagining of past Scorpions’ hits, there are a few misses with the covers as well. Iconic songs like “Ruby Tuesday” and “All Day and All of the Night” fail to take hold. It’s hard to cover the Stones. They are too legendary. You come off as a bar band. And the Kinks … let’s just say Van Halen did it so much better.

What you end up with is a great disc for the fans. What you also have is a missed opportunity. The Scorpions could have redone anything off of their older albums like “Lonesome Crow” or “Virgin Killer.” It would have been great to give a talented guitarist like Matthias Jabs a shot at taking on cult gems. I know it would have really pleased this fan. Oh well. Fans can’t have everything.