Steppenwolf

Steppenwolf

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Original Release Date: 1968
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Mca
• ASIN: B000002PAW
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #49,609 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Before Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath, came Steppenwolf, November 5, 2001

By	Rik K (Vancouver, Canada) - See all my reviews

The group's still-ubiquitous 1968 anthem 'Born To Be Wild', with its "heavy metal thunder" lyric, helped usher in an entire genre of music which thrives to this day. Steppenwolf's pioneering "hard rock" sound was an altogether grittier and heavier beast than 60's rock audiences had generally heard before.

Music fans wanting to own some of Steppenwolf's work have mostly been content to have one of the band's countless "greatest hits" collections - a wise choice if your interest is merely casual. Steppenwolf's few original albums tend to be highly uneven efforts, but they did manage to make a couple of great ones. "Steppenwolf", their debut, remains arguably their best.

From an unpromising start came one of rock history's most breathtakingly punchy, sonically economic-yet-engaging works. Its combination of kickin' party-on rock and sophisticated adult socio-political viewpoint is truly an odd one.

In autumn of 1967, a touring Canadian band called Sparrow (fronted by East German escapee John Kay) found itself broke and stranded in Los Angeles. Not yet ready to be sent home by Immigration officers, some of the Sparrow-men renamed themselves Steppenwolf, added a couple of locals, and passed themselves off as a fledgling American band.

The new band's intitial distinctive sound was due largely to some very dodgy old gear they were using, including the cheap Lowery organ so memorably attacked in 'Born To Be Wild' and throughout this album. Their daunting technical deficiencies were ingeniously concealed behind loads of volume and tastefully-used distortion.

Steppenwolf's fortuitous choice to use L.A.'s little-known American Recording Studios resulted in their sophomore effort having the amazing near-live sound that it does: crystal-clear, in-your-face, and wonderfully gimmick-free. Bass lines sound fat yet nimble, the loud crack n' thump drums vastly surpass the usual "cereal box" tap-tapping found on most 60's records. With few effects but amps set firmly at '10', guitarists Kay and Michael Monarch fill the air with a pealing, harmonic-drenched soulfulness that still sounds fresh over four decades later. A Rolling Stones disc from the same year sounds woefully flat and dated in comparison.

Then there's That Voice, the unique and unforgettable singing of John Kay. (That Kay's voice impressed Little Richard speaks volumes.) Here, Kay differs from most of today's male rock singers in that he tries and succeeds at sounding far older and more worldly than a man just out of his teens has any right to! Shifting from pop balladeer to blistering blues shouter, John Kay is easily one of the finest singers the classic rock era ever produced.

"Steppenwolf" 's range of songs makes for a most entertaining listen. From the creepy chords of 'The Pusher' (wholly sampled to great effect on Neneh Cherry & Michael Stipe's 'Trout') to the rock-meets-funk sound of Don Covay's 'Sookie Sookie'; from the rollicking tribute (Chuck) 'Berry Rides Again', to the wry sexual observations of 'Everybody's Next One'; this is an album of unusual breadth and maturity. The idea of applying mildly-fuzzed guitars and organ to a Willie Dixon standard should horrify, but here it works curiously well. 'Desperation' 's chorus of over-driven guitars sound at once sweet, elegant and deafening. The album's most ascerbic political song, 'The Ostrich', takes the archetypal Bo Diddley rhythm, drives it a bit too fast, and mutates it into something both bleak and mesmerizing. Intricately dueling lead guitars make the song even more exciting.

The huge success of Steppenwolf's dubut (helped by 'Born To Be Wild' 's inclusion in the hit movie "Easy Rider") did not prove beneficial to the band for long. Other hits (and better gear) were to follow, but the band generally floundered until its first breakup in 1972 for the usual rock-star reasons. (Those believing that Steppenwolf eschewed drugs should read John Kay's memoirs.) Of their original albums, only 1971's "Seven" came close to recapturing this album's strength and clarity of vision.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An innovative release, January 12, 2002

By	Hans Pfaall (Connecticut, USA) - See all my reviews

Due to the possibility that some of the other reviews may have been a bit long-winded, I will state the essential. Along with Blue Cheer, Iron Butterfly, and at times Vanilla Fudge, Steppenwolf was an innovative hard rock group unfortunately not known today. On many songs, the organ, and fuzz create a unique massive sound that was before Zeppelin, and a full two years before Black Sabbath. My fiend of a friend likes calling this release "loud and dumb," but I certainly will not go that far. Although the lyrics would improve for Steppenwolf, this album is one of their best, and is essential for someone interested in the roots of heavy metal. It is a good listen, with none of what I would refer to as "obviously inefficient tracks." Particularly good are the covers - the Muddy Waters standard is one of the heaviest versions of slow blues ever recorded. John Kay's "Desperation" is a strong heavy rhythm and blues styled track. Hoyt Axton's "The Pusher" is also superb, with freaked out guitars, and a fierce vocal from Kay. This album also contains one of the most overplayed, though great songs, "Born to Be Wild." If you are the kind of person that buys albums, as opposed to best of compilations, this is one to get for sure.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rusty's memory is not long, but...rusty, January 27, 2006

By	Gerald A. Maliwesky "Jam" (Syracuse, NY United States) - See all my reviews

To refute Mr. Rusty Humphrey's review: Snowblind Friend originally appeared on Steppenwolf 7, and Magic Carpet Ride on Steppenwolf the Second. Check them out too! And, the Ostrich is a great tune also.