Heretics & Privateers

John Kay | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 8, 2007)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Shout Factory
• ASIN: B000255LS4
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #374,284 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Shawn Perry, About.com, 2001

"Kay, as a songwriter and social commentator, may well be in the same league as Bob Dylan & Bruce Springsteen." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

John Kay, leader of one of rock's most venerable bands, Steppenwolf, has returned to the folk/blues roots of his troubador days with the release of his fourth solo recording "Heretics and Privateers". The musical subtlety and emotional depth of the albums 12 composistions feature provacative lyrics which offer a gritty view of contemporary life, surveying the human toll of institutional callousness with unflinching clarity.

Kay's lyrics aren't the gripes of a chronic malcontect but the deeply felt observations of a first-generation American whose appreciation of his adopted country's promise and potential is balanced by an awareness of it's lapses.

On both the album's title track, which pays tribute to those among us who reject society's proscribed roles in favor of more humane value systems, and the spare, acoustic closing track "Te Back Page" which celebrate those whose everyday acts of kindness demonstate the human rac's capacity for selflessness, Kay's ultimate sense of hope and faith in humanity shines through. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great addition to your CD collection, May 19, 2001

By 

Stephen M. John (Federal Way, Wa United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heretics & Privateers (Audio CD)

I've had the opportunity to listen to "Heretics and Privateers" several times now. Although I enjoyed the entire cd, "Ain't That a Shame", "Sleep With One Eye Open" and "Endless Commercial" are my favorite cuts by far. Musically, I believe that this is John's finest solo effort by far, and I was a huge fan of "Forgotten Songs and Unsung Heroes." In some ways it seems so odd that John and Steppenwolf became icons for the "Born to be Wild" generation, which casts images of tatoos, motorcycles and open roads, when JK's musical influence was so obviously the blues. While the world saw John as a sunglassed, leather-clad, metal-studded, politically defiant rock icon, through "Herettics and Privateers" John casts a different image of himself. As the cd played I envisioned John in a smoke-filled jazz club, playing before a small, but appreciative crowd, their eyes closed and heads swaying.

One had only to listen to "Hoochie Koochie Man" or "Tighten Up Your Wig" from the early Steppenwolf efforts to know where JK's personal mucials loves lied, and if you were a fan like me that craved more material like that, this cd provides the perfect scratch for that itch.

I had always enjoyed Steppenwolf's acoustic efforts in the late 60's and early 70's. I remember first buying a cassette deck some 30 years ago and the very first home-made tape I made, was of Steppenwolf's mellow tunes. I listened to "Corrina, Corrina," "Snowblind Friend," "Tenderness," and "It's Never Too Late," about a billion times before my tape deck mercifully ate the tape. I had to buy two copies of "Forgotten Songs and Unsung Heroes." Even an expensive Stanton 681EEE phono cartridge could not save the first album from serious wear.

"Heretics and Privateers" offers a variety of looks into the world as seen by John Kay. He gives you a glimpse of the ups and downs and pains and pleasures he has enjoyed. It appears to be an album made by John for John and those who have followed him most closely over the years. Those people who only knew Steppenwolf as the group the played "Born to be Wild" would likely not appreciate this effort, but then again, I don't think those folks were John Kay's target audience.

It was terrific to see Steppenwolf's early guitar player, Larry Byrom, playing on a track. Of all of Steppenwolf's albums, I believe Steppenwolf 7 may have been my favorite. I thought the songwriting team of John Kay and Larry Byrom, that so dominated that album, was one of tremendous chemistry. And the fact that former Blues Brothers and Booker T and the MG's guitarist, Steve Cropper, played on a track of the cd did not escape me. For those of you Steppenwolf fans who have not gone out and picked up this little gem, you should do so. If you want some Steppenwolf flavor, you'll find some of that. Play "Endless Commercial" and tell me there isn't a great deal of "Tighten Up Your Wig" in that tune. But this album seems to come from John Kay's heart. It is a cd that perhaps expresses what the long-time Steppenwolf front man would like you to know about his personal music tastes. If I had a complaint at all, I am not sure I would have included this version of "To Be Alive." Not that it isn't enjoyable - it is. But I do believe I enjoyed the original more. Each time I listen to the cd, I pick up some new nuance, some special musical significance, that I had missed the time before. And that makes me want to listen to the cd again. I am sure "Heretics and Privateers" has secured a spot in my 6-disc car cd changer for another month or two. If you go out to buy the cd thinking you may get a new Steppenwolf album, you'll probably be disappointed. But, if you're like me, and have liked the blues, and simply enjoy hearing the unique, mellowed grizzle of John Kay's unmistakeable voice, then "Heretics and Privateers" will be a great cd for your collection.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars He Cannot Be Denied, July 18, 2001

By 

Delton Grassmid (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heretics & Privateers (Audio CD)

John proves to all his fans that this album has been well worth the wait. It covers all his musical styles of folk, rock, and heavy on the blues. The song writing is outstanding; why he is not held in the regard of Dylan and Simon is beyond me. He really lets you in to his heart and soul when you hear his story come out in songs like The Women In My Life and Don't Waste My Time. You may have heard some of thees songs prior to release; he has performed She's Got The Goods and Endless Commercial on tour with the Wolf. Other stand out tracks include The Backpage and the Title Track Heretics and Privateers which speak of people trying to do the right things and listen to their heart in a society that does'nt always wish you to do so. I should also mention the sond Sleep With One Eye Open which does a beautiful job of capturing and evil presance of what the writer sees as a sometimes troubled society. If you love writers of great lyrics this album must be in your collection

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Rock Music Legend Still Growing, May 11, 2001

By 

Arctic Voice Earl (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heretics & Privateers (Audio CD)

I have been a fan of John Kay and the rock group Steppenwolf since first hearing them in the mid to late 1960s. And it has always been a combination of hard-driving music, with thoughtful lyrics. John has never been afraid to take a stand ---for peace, tolerance and first amendment rights. This is especially meaningful since he and his family escaped from Communist East Germany when he was a boy. Songs like "Monster" and "Draft Resister" helped many of us get through the wild and frustrating 1960s.

Now as Steppenwolf nears its 35th anniversary, John Kay is once again trying a solo album, and he does very well. Aided by some very capable musicians, including Steve Cropper and also members of the present Steppenwolf on some cuts. And this is more blues oriented than the typical Steppenwolf efforts. It is easy to tell that John enjoyed going back to his roots and working on this project. Some of the songs really move, including "Ain't That a Shame," while virtually all of them make a person think---about our society and what is right, and what is wrong or wasteful. Titles like "The Endless Commercial" and "Don't Waste My Time" speak for themselves.

So get the CD and enjoy it, especially if you have a player in your car, and can play it on a solitary drive through a scenic, wild area. Or at least somewhere you won't be disturbed or distracted. And don't pass up a chance to see John Kay in person, be it sitting on a porch somewhere playing the blues, or fronting past and present members of Steppenwolf and "Get Your Motor Running.....Heading Down the Highway....." Enjoy. Earl Finkler