In Trance

{{Infobox album

| name = In Trance

| type = studio

| artist = Scorpions

| cover = In Trance (Scorpions album - cover art).jpg

| alt =

| released = 17 September 1975

| recorded = 1975

| studio = Dierks Studios, Stommeln, West Germany

| genre = Hard rock, heavy metal

| length = 37:17

| label = RCA

| producer = Dieter Dierks

| prev_title = Fly to the Rainbow

| prev_year = 1974

| next_title = Virgin Killer

| next_year = 1976

| misc = {{Singles

| name = In Trance

| type = studio

| single1 = In Trance

| single1date = November 1976{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/greatrockdiscogr00stro/page/721/mode/2up|title=The Great Rock Discography|year=1995|page=721 |isbn=9780862415419 |last1=Strong |first1=Martin Charles }}

}}

{{Extra album cover

| header = Alternative cover

| type = Studio album

| cover = InTranceCensored.jpg

| border =

| alt =

| caption =

}}

}}

{{Album ratings

|rev1 = AllMusic

|rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}{{cite web |author=Weber, Barry |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=in-trance-mw0000204919|pure_url=yes}} |title=Allmusic review |website=AllMusic |access-date=March 21, 2006}}

|rev2 = Rock Hard

|rev2Score = 7.0/10{{cite magazine |title=Review Album: Scorpions - In Trance |magazine=Rock Hard |date=April 2010 |last=Rensen |first=Michael |issue=275 |url=https://www.rockhard.de/megazine/reviewarchiv/review-anzeigen.html?tx_rxsearch_pi1%5Breview%5D=25340 |access-date=18 June 2017 |language=de}}

|rev3 = Teraz Rock

|rev3score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web |url=http://www.terazrock.pl/cd.php?CdId=2118 |title=Teraz Rock review |publisher=Terazrock.pl |access-date=October 5, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723120813/http://www.terazrock.pl/cd.php?CdId=2118 |archive-date=July 23, 2011}}

| noprose = yes

}}

In Trance is the third studio album by German rock band Scorpions, released by RCA Records in 1975. The music was a departure from the progressive rock of the two previous albums. Instead, the album has a hard rock sound of shorter and tighter arrangements with which the band would achieve their global success and fame. Extended suites in the vein of songs such as "Lonesome Crow" and "Fly to the Rainbow" are absent altogether. This was the first of two studio albums to feature drummer Rudy Lenners, and the first album by the band to contain the now-famous logo and controversial artwork.

Artwork

The original version of the album cover--photographed by Michael von Gimbut{{cite AV media notes |title=In Trance Virgin Killer: The Back to Black Collection |others=Scorpions |year=2000 |publisher=Axe Killer Music |id=3056462 |location=France}} was censored for clearly showing the cover model's exposed breast{{cite web |author=Easton, Jeffrey |title=Metal Exiles interview with Klaus Meine |url=http://www.metalexiles.com/_mgxroot/page_11070.html |publisher=Metalexiles.com |access-date=April 21, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100421000657/http://www.metalexiles.com/_mgxroot/page_11070.html |archive-date=April 21, 2010}} hanging down towards the guitar. Later releases blacked out the breast so that it is not visible. This is the first of many Scorpions album covers to have been censored. The band's former lead guitarist Uli Jon Roth claimed he may have "come up with the idea to do the thing with the guitar for the cover of In Trance".{{cite web |author=Syrjälä, Marko |title=Interview with Uli Jon Roth |url=http://www.metal-rules.com/zine/content/view/748/0/ |publisher=Metal-rules.com |access-date=May 12, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101126150948/http://www.metal-rules.com/zine/content/view/748/0 |archive-date=November 26, 2010 }}

However, in a 2008 interview Roth claimed that early Scorpions album covers in general were "the record company's idea-- but we certainly didn't object. And so shame on us. Those covers were probably the most embarrassing thing I've ever been involved with." He did, though, classify the In Trance cover as "borderline".{{cite web |author=Plakas, Argie |title=Uli Jon Roth: 'Bridging Classical and Rock to Form Musical Bliss' |url=http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/interviews/interviews/uli_jon_roth_bridging_classical_and_rock_to_form_musical_bliss.html |publisher=Ultimate-Guitar.com |access-date=January 20, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090602124319/http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/interviews/interviews/uli_jon_roth_bridging_classical_and_rock_to_form_musical_bliss.html |archive-date=June 2, 2009 }}

The White Stratocaster shown on the cover belonged to Roth and he can be seen playing the same guitar on the cover of the Electric Sun album Fire Wind. This is the guitar that Roth used on all subsequent Scorpions and Electric Sun albums on which he played.{{cite web |author=Wright, Jeb |title=Uli Jon Roth: Surviving the Scorpions Sting |url=http://www.classicrockrevisited.com/Interviews06/ulijonroth.htm |access-date=July 14, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070613043717/http://www.classicrockrevisited.com/Interviews06/ulijonroth.htm |archive-date=June 13, 2007}}

This was the band's first album to feature the band's name written in the now-familiar font used on nearly all subsequent album covers--as well as their first collaboration with producer Dieter Dierks.

Track listing

{{Track listing

| headline = Side one

| title1 = Dark Lady

| length1 = 3:30

| writer1 = Ulrich Roth

| title2 = In Trance

| length2 = 4:47

| writer2 = Rudolf Schenker, Klaus Meine

| title3 = Life's Like a River

| length3 = 3:54

| writer3 = Roth, Schenker, Corina Fortmann

| title4 = Top of the Bill

| length4 = 3:26

| writer4 = Schenker, Meine

| title5 = Living and Dying

| length5 = 3:24

| writer5 = Schenker, Meine

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Side two

| title6 = Robot Man

| length6 = 2:47

| writer6 = Schenker, Meine

| title7 = Evening Wind

| length7 = 5:06

| writer7 = Roth

| title8 = Sun in My Hand

| length8 = 4:25

| writer8 = Roth

| title9 = Longing for Fire

| length9 = 2:44

| writer9 = Schenker, Roth

| title10 = Night Lights

| note10 = Instrumental

| length10 = 3:14

| writer10 = Roth

}}

Personnel

;Scorpions

;Additional musician

  • Achim Kirschning – keyboards

;Production

References

{{Reflist}}