Rock me (Steppenwolf) (LP 3959 - 3966)

Steppenwolf  Recorded live at The Matrix 1967 (Vinyl, ABC Dunhill Records, 1969) *  

Steppenwolf  Steppenwolf (Vinyl, ABC Dunhill Records, 1968) ****  

Steppenwolf  The Second (Vinyl, ABC Dunhill Records, 1968) ****

Steppenwolf  At Your Birthday Party (Vinyl, ABC Dunhill Records, 1969) ***  

Steppenwolf  Monster (Vinyl, Stateside Records, 1969) *** 

Steppenwolf  Steppenwolf Live (Vinyl, ABC Dunhill Records, 1970) *** 

Steppenwolf  Steppenwolf 7 (Vinyl, Stateside Records, 1970) *** 

Steppenwolf  Steppenwolf Gold: Their Great Hits (Vinyl, Stateside Records, 1971) *** 

Genre: Hard rock

Places I remember: Amoeba Music, Real Groovy Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Magic Carpet Ride (The Second)

Gear costume: The Pusher, Born to be Wild (Steppenwolf)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6

Active compensatory factors: I bought their hits compilation Steppenwolf Gold: Their Great Hits in 1971 and that did it for me - I had the bug. AllMusic describes it as a nearly perfect introduction to the band. They're right. If you only want one Steppenwolf album, this is it! I still play this album when I'm in the mood for a reminder of 1971.

Since then it's been a steady love affair and a lot of albums! I'll divide them in half pre and post the Gold album. 

We start this post with a very early version of the band, then known as Sparrow (or The Sparrow, or The Sparrows). The band at this point is John Kay (vocals, guitar), guitarist Dennis Edmonton (a.k.a. Mars Bonfire), Goldy McJohn (keyboards), Nick St. Nicholas (bass), and Jerry Edmonton (drums). 

They are captured live at the San Francisco venue in 1967 doing their bluesy set. It ends with a twenty minute version of The Pusher - the first 15 minutes are free form improvisation and virtually unlistenable; the last 5 minutes are great though. Ultimately, this album is one for the completists.

Their debut album under the new Steppenwolf name came a year later but the band are tight as a drum. Steppenwolf does the business! John Kay's vocals are superb (unbelievable on Hootchie Kootchie Man). This is the one with The Pusher (now tightly arranged), Sookie Sookie, and Born to be Wild on it.

The lineup had changed before the debut emerged - John Kay, Jerry Edmondson and Goldy were still there, new members were Michael Monarch (guitars - replacing Dennis Edmonton) and Rushton Moreve (bass).

 

Born to be Wild was by former member Mars Bonfire and thanks to its inclusion in the film Easy Rider, it became a huge success. The album as a whole is a terrific first effort which holds up.

The Second came in the same year - 1968. It's overshadowed by Magic Carpet Ride but the rest of the album is an excellent example of the psychedelic hard rock sound of that era. Magic Carpet Ride is, for me, their best song. I never get tired of its surreal approach.

At Your Birthday party could be called The Second Part Two. It continues the psychedelic hard rock style but without a galvanising hit song (like Magic Carpet Ride). So, it's an okay album, but not one that has the inspired approach of the first two.

Monster was their fourth album in two years - these boys didn't muck about. Gone were the psychedelic flourishes, instead a more political consciousness took over and the hard rock genre was embraced as a vehicle for the social comment. 

I like Monster more than At Your Birthday, but their previous commercialism seems a long time ago (it was only a year!). Larry Byrom is the new lead guitarist and he fits right in.

Steppenwolf Live is a recording of a concert early in 1970 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium as part of their tour to  support Monster. It has the requisite hits - Born to Be Wild, Magic Carpet Ride and The Pusher. Given its timing is just after Monster, it has a lot of songs from that album as well.

It also has a couple of studio songs blended into the live stuff - Corina Corina, Twisted and Hey Lawdy Mama. Although that's a bit naughty, they are seamlessly added, and they don't disrupt the flow. 

Unfortunately, the same criticisms leveled at Monster remain relevant for the Steppenwolf Live album (a double). All their best songs are on side 4 and none of those are from Monster.

Steppenwolf 7 is weirdly titled. Yes, it's seven if you add in the two live albums but by that method The Second should be called The Third. George Biondo was a new member on bass.

The album is a good hard rock album, not a great one. That's down to the songs rather than the musicianship - which is excellent. Celebrated rock critic, Robert Christgau makes a great point - "Laying back hasn't been good for them, and neither has getting heavy. Their way lies somewhere in between".

Where do they all belong? The post Steppenwolf Gold albums are next.