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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Did you have this much fun listening to rap at your birthday, March 15, 2001
There are some controversial messages here that have been overlooked and over-shadowed throughout time by all the other over marketed and exploited recording artists of the late 60's and early 70's, while Steppenwolf remains more musically relative with emphasis on moody textures, dynamic modern day grit rock and lyrically more on the mark than a great deal of their counterparts. It's Never Too Late is an anthem and a serious message for the breakdown and alienation between kids and parents to this day. This really is a multi faceted effort, steering away from the blues rock that links the first 2 albums underlining their roots. The rebellious rock is still adrift in Jupiter Child, radio air play syndrome in Rock Me, (I can picture Pearl Jam conceiving Don't Cry) Mango Juice is world music in sedated acid jazz and there is also a hint of rag time jazz in Cat Killer and wit in God Fearing Man and Chicken Wolf. For a true reflection on John Kay's soul check out the lyrics of Renegade from Steppenwolf 7 which is a self portrait of his child hood when he was carried away from enemy lines during the bombing of Germany during WWII wrapped up in his mothers arms. The Ostrich from their debut album is his epic, picking the bones of the "SYSTEM" that we still adhere to today, not to mention Monster whose lyrics politically reign supreme and true!!! Enjoy this while it continues to be pressed on plastic, for very few modern day bands are blessed with this vision or scope. Don't hold your breath on any Hall Of Fame induction either (Rush will probably have a better chance) for if Pink Floyd or Black Sabbath are left out cold, the Wolf will not play either.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
My Favorite Steppenwolf Album, January 31, 2007
It's good. In '76 when I was at Cornell, we were doing a deal and I put this record (which was old then) on to help test the stuff. Everyone asked, "What is this GREAT album?". We had a GREAT time, in the spirit of 1969 to boot.
So, if you want to get wasted a la 1969, try it with this album. You won't regret it. It invokes the feeling.
Favorite cuts: Don't Cry, It's Never Too Late; Rock Me; Happy Birthday. Kay's voice is at its prime.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Several diamonds in the rough, March 23, 1999
Those of us who had a copy of "Steppenwolf: 16 Greatest Hits" in high school (and who didn't?) will be familiar with the stand-out tracks on "At Your Birthday Party": "Rock Me" and "It's Never Too Late". However, the real highlights on this album are the unexpected diamonds in the rough that showcase Steppenwolf's suprisingly diverse pallette. One track, "Cat Killer," is a short, adrenaline-laced boogie-woogie piano workout; and another, "Mango Juice," is a spacey, mellow jam that makes one think that John Kay might have been listening to a lot of Pink Floyd at the time of this recording. The album concludes with a simple-yet-beautiful tune entitled "Happy Birthday". While some may regard these tracks as filler, I regard them as the "diamonds in the rough" that give the album its spark. The rest is fairly standard stuff that does not necessarily display much creativity on the band's part--but if you're in the mood for some straight-forward rock, then tracks like "Don't Cry" and "Jupiter's Child" will probably do just fine.
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