Shackles and chains (Steppenwolf) (LP 3967 - 3970)

Steppenwolf  For Ladies Only  (Vinyl, ABC Dunhill Records, 1971) ***  

Steppenwolf  Slow Flux (Vinyl, CBS Records, 1974) **** 

Steppenwolf  Hour of the Wolf (Vinyl, Epic Records, 1975) **

John Kay & Steppenwolf  Live in London (Vinyl, Mercury Records, 1981) *** 

Genre: Hard rock 

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Jeraboah (Slow Flux)

Gear costume: Straight Shootin' Woman (Slow Flux)

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: After a live album in 1970 and a greatest hits compilation earlier in 1971, comes their sixth studio effort - For Ladies Only. The title gives away the content - this is a concept album about feminism.

The expectation after a live one and a hits compilation is that a new phase is beginning for a band. Sure enough Steppenwolf try to step away from expectations built up from their old macho sound. But with limited success. The songs tend to retain the uneasiness they show on the back cover 'reading' feminist literature and the gatefold cover with the giant phallic symbol also tended to reduce their sincerity factor.

The band moves towards a more progressive rock sound with more complex arrangements and sophisticated keyboard playing at times (the title track for instance). By this time Kent Henry had replaced Byrom and that influences the sound as well as the more democratic approach to singers (John Kay's distinctive vocals are a real strength of Steppenwolf and are always missed).

In any event, Steppenwolf disbanded in 1972 and then reformed two years later with their next album - Slow Flux. There was yet another new lead guitarist (Bobby Cochran) on board for the reformed Steppenwolf.

In some ways it's a pity Steppenwolf missed 1972 and 1973 - prime rock years, but by 1974 they sound pretty rejuvenated. The hard rocking band, America's Deep Purple, were back. I say Deep Purple because both bands' set up was similar - 5 members - drums, bass, organ, guitar and a vocalist (although John Kay did also play guitar) and the music's power base was the same - the interplay between guitar and organ. Slow Flux was Goldy's last album with Steppenwolf. He'd be missed.

Slow Flux is a powerful reboot with the band trying new sounds with the inclusion of horns, acoustic guitars (shock horror) and an Albert Hammond cover. It mostly works and is, for me, their best album since The Second.

Sadly, that wasn't sustained into The Hour of the Wolf. It has a great cover but the sound is much more mainstream rock without the Steppenwolf edge. It's still a worthwhile record, just that it falls short of that hard rock of old, making Slow Flux the last great Steppenwolf album*.

Live in London is a good album - amply showing that live the new boys could represent the past well (only John Kay remains from the glory years). The new songs are okay; the stand outs happen to be the old hits (funny that): Sookie, Sookie; Magic Carpet Ride; The Pusher: Born to be Wild (naturally).

Where do they all belong? *I'd buy their last album before they became John Kay & Steppenwolf - 1976's Skullduggery, if I saw it, but aside from that their eighties album don't hold much of an appeal.

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.

All he wanted was to be free (Roger McGuinn) (LP 299)

The Byrds, The Electric Prunes, The Fraternity Of Man, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Holy Modal Rounders, Roger McGuinn, Smith, Steppenwolf  Easy Rider (Vinyl - EMI Stateside, 1969) *****

Genre: Soundtracks  

Places I remember: Chaldon Books and Records (Caterham on the hill)  

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: If Six Was Nine (The Jimi Hendrix Experience)




Gear costume: Wasn't Born To Follow (The Byrds); The Pusher (Steppenwolf), Ballad Of Easy Rider (Roger McGuinn) 

Active compensatory factors: I'm breaking my own guidelines again by featuring a soundtrack album comprised of a variety of groups and artists.

But I just couldn't go past this one this week, as you will understand if you peek into my Jewels For The Thirsty blog.

My memories of the Easy Rider movie and record are all gold plated. 

My first viewing was during a weekend poetry camp while I was at Auckland University. Our lecturer, Roger Horrocks, had a print of it which he projected onto the wall in a communal area we all shared.

There were no artificial stimulants - I just simply had a magical experience. 

Shortly afterwards, I bought the soundtrack. 

It's a weirdly compiled sequence of songs - apparently they appear in the movie in this order, so we get two Steppenwolf songs leading us off (The Pusher and Born To Be Wild) and two Roger McGuinn performances to finish (a Dylan song, then the majestic Ballad Of Easy Rider). 

As each song was carefully selected to accompany sections of the film, the whole thing makes sense (apart from Smith going The Band song for contractual reasons) and gives a pretty instant version of the movie each time it's played.

Where do they all belong? Not sure, but it must be one of the first rock soundtracks to compile the actual performances from the movie by various people (rather than incidental music or things like A Hard Day's Night). From around 1970 onwards this was pretty much how all soundtracks appeared.