Herman Rarebell is best known as the drummer during the Scorpions heyday in the 1980’s. Much more than a drummer, Herman wrote lyrics to many of the Scorpions best songs, including their biggest anthem “Rock You Like A Hurricane.”

Rarebell is always a man with a smile on his face and he has many tales to tell, which make this book seem more like an evening spent with friends at a local watering hole listening to their famous friend recount his glory days than it does an autobiography. Rarebell shares his story and interjects his thoughts and his unique sense of humor (I didn’t know Germans even had one) throughout the book.

The book is a treasure trove of what it was like behind the scenes and behind the stage during one of hard rock’s most prolific eras. Herman takes us, literally, around the world as the band plays the USA, Russia, the UK and Japan. He openly discusses what the band was going through while recording each album he was involved in. Rarebell is as open and honest as a man can be and he tells his story with the passion of a man who has been there, done that and bought the T-shirt. Scorpions fans will be hooked as the friendly drummer discusses hanging out at The US Festival and remembers a new band called Iron Maiden opening for the Scorpions.

The only negative aspect of the book is the same thing that gives the book its charm. Rarebell often strays from the story on flights of fancy. He speaks of the crazy stuff the band did on the road but then distracts himself before he really gets to the goods. While this is a bio of Rarebell, it is not a tell all, sensational type of read. It is more his thoughts on his travels and his reflections from being in one of the world’s biggest rock bands.

While the book would have benefitted from Herman having more self-restraint and being able to stay on task, it truly shows the personality of the man behind the words. Herman Rarebell is simply a great guy and this is his story done exactly the way he wants it to be told and it comes from the depths of his heart.

One is left to ponder at the fact the Scorpions have never been able to equal their success once Herman “Ze German left the band. That is but one of many interesting facts discussed in the book. This one, while a choppy read, is very much worth it for fans of the Scorpions.