Steppenwolf : Top 10 Favorite Songs

[whobeatle]

I find the Steppenwolf knowledge, here on the board to be rather
surprising and impressive,

 

[Groovy Man]

7-Earscplittinloudenboomer

Love the beginning of that tune - classic!

 

[whobeatle]

To be brutally honest, after about late 1969 or 1970 there is no Steppenwolf, just a rotating group of back up musicians calling themselves Steppenwolf., of the six or seven studio albums they made before they broke up in 1971-2? God knows how many lead guitar players and bass players they had.

Michael Monarch = mega success , hits, classics like Born To Be Wild

post Michael Monarch = no hits, just John Kay making lots of money playing
Born to Be Wild and Magic Carpet Ride

Kay and Richie Podolor were clever enough to sort of maintain the sound, get a couple
charting records, but the real deal, was Monarchs long free form guitar parts, they never ever achieved that again with any success.

I still like the songs I picked, I forgot Dont Step on the grass Sam..

 

[aeroplane]

To be brutally honest, after about late 1969 or 1970 there is no Steppenwolf, just a rotating group of back up musicians calling themselves Steppenwolf., of the six or seven studio albums they made before they broke up in 1971-2? God knows how many lead guitar players and bass players they had.

Michael Monarch = mega success , hits, classics like Born To Be Wild

post Michael Monarch = no hits, just John Kay making lots of money playing
Born to Be Wild and Magic Carpet Ride

Kay and Richie Podolor were clever enough to sort of maintain the sound, get a couple
charting records, but the real deal, was Monarchs long free form guitar parts, they never ever achieved that again with any success.

I still like the songs I picked, I forgot Dont Step on the grass Sam..

Musically, the latter-day Wolf probably didn't have the same drive or passion that the old band did but for the most part, their lyrics remained of a good quality, even in the 80's and 90's.

They had a few "stoopid" songs, presumably in an attempt to get on the pop charts but I challenge someone to listen to a song such as The Wall from 1990 and tell me that Steppenwolf was no longer capable of delivering the goods when properly motivated.

 

[whobeatle]

Musically, the latter-day Wolf probably didn't have the same drive or passion that the old band did but for the most part, their lyrics remained of a good quality, even in the 80's and 90's.

They had a few "stoopid" songs, presumably in an attempt to get on the pop charts but I challenge someone to listen to a song such as The Wall from 1990 and tell me that Steppenwolf was no longer capable of delivering the goods when properly motivated.

NO I think you misunderstand me. I am not saying the music wasn't any good
I love John Kays to 70's solo albums. What i am saying is the later day music whether you like it or not, is not really Steppenwolf at all, I am saying everything post 1970, is John Kay calling it Steppenwolf, Mike Wilk played with Steppenwolf for 25 years! But its not really Steppenwolf, Heck I recorded with Mike Wilk, he was pretty good, Kent Henry was a friend of mine
he taught me to play guitar, but I'm just saying it wasnt really Steppenwolf
it was John Kay calling it Steppenwolf.

although I did say...after Monarch left, they never really had a big hit again, and thats true, that rare chemistry, and timing that makes a hit act, well they got it...and Monarch left, they continued to have some version of Something people called Steppenwolf for another 40 years..but they never had another hit..

I Liked three or four songs off of paradox in 1984, I thought the fixer was a great song, and Watch Your Innocence, I Liked rock n roll rebels, I'm just saying that isint really Steppenwolf, its John Kay using the name to make more money

 

[aeroplane]

NO I think you misunderstand me. I am not saying the music wasn't any good
I love John Kays to 70's solo albums. What i am saying is the later day music whether you like it or not, is not really Steppenwolf at all, I am saying everything post 1970, is John Kay calling it Steppenwolf, Mike Wilk played with Steppenwolf for 25 years! But its not really Steppenwolf, Heck I recorded with Mike Wilk, he was pretty good, Kent Henry was a friend of mine
he taught me to play guitar, but I'm just saying it wasnt really Steppenwolf
it was John Kay calling it Steppenwolf.

although I did say...after Monarch left, they never really had a big hit again, and thats true, that rare chemistry, and timing that makes a hit act, well they got it...and Monarch left, they continued to have some version of Something people called Steppenwolf for another 40 years..but they never had another hit..

I Liked three or four songs off of paradox in 1984, I thought the fixer was a great song, and Watch Your Innocence, I Liked rock n roll rebels, I'm just saying that isint really Steppenwolf, its John Kay using the name to make more money

I see what you mean now.

Being one of our newer members like you are, you will soon learn I misunderstand things a lot around here. Sometimes my motto is "Type first and think later."

I'm sure you remember that period in the late 70's or early 80's when some of the old members were touring with a bogus Steppenwolf lineup (at least to most people) and Kay had to take legal action to straighten that out.

I always thought that was one of the other reasons he still used the Steppenwolf name, in addition to the money it brought obviously. I think he (Kay) was also worried that if he wasn't using the name Steppenwolf that someone else was going to start using it. He figured if someone was going to be making money off of the name it might as well be him instead of some other guys

History recollects 2 versions of not only Steppenwolf but Deep Purple, The Guess Who, The Temptations, L.A. Guns, Ratt and Tigertailz touring at the very same time as one another. And those are just the examples I am aware of personally. I'd expect you could probably name a few more for me.

 

[whobeatle]

I see what you mean now.

Being one of our newer members like you are, you will soon learn I misunderstand things a lot around here. Sometimes my motto is "Type first and think later."

I'm sure you remember that period in the late 70's or early 80's when some of the old members were touring with a bogus Steppenwolf lineup (at least to most people) and Kay had to take legal action to straighten that out.

I always thought that was one of the other reasons he still used the Steppenwolf name, in addition to the money it brought obviously. I think he (Kay) was also worried that if he wasn't using the name Steppenwolf that someone else was going to start using it. He figured if someone was going to be making money off of the name it might as well be him instead of some other guys

History recollects 2 versions of not only Steppenwolf but Deep Purple, The Guess Who, The Temptations, L.A. Guns, Ratt and Tigertailz touring at the very same time as one another. And those are just the examples I am aware of personally. I'd expect you could probably name a few more for me.

John Kay, is sort of a normal disciplined guy, he fired Steppenwolf members
for being unprofessional or drugged out, at a very druggy time in rock history, so Kay maintained a business, but he fired the people who brought him to the dance, that made him succesful. Goldy McJohn and Mike Monarch and kent henry were all just trying to make a buck, make a living not starve. Believe me I understand why John Kay fired those people, but rocknroll is a little different from other business,

Maybe the Guess Who were still the Guess WHO without Randy Bachman, Three Dog night tours constantly without Chuck Negron and FLoyd, is that really Three Dog Night ? (I don't believe so)

I Just think, once all that crap was over, the "real" surviving members of Steppenwolf, should have got together.... Kay-Monarch-McJohn- maybe George Biondo..they never did, because Kay is professional and the rest of them were like borderline criminals, but still, thats who made the hit records
not Mike Wilk or rocket Richochette or any of those people.

Kay had the name, he made the money, he called the shots, did quite well financially, maybe even creatively, but he was never commercially successful again, and I dont think Kay recognized the importance of the "original" sound to their success

I asked longtime Steppenwolf engineer Bill Cooper one day, I said, Why didint these guys ever get a hit again... Cooper replied "Steppenwolf was all about Michael Monarch playing these long flowing guitar lines, and just turning on the microphone and letting them perform in the studio.."

John Kay forgot that secret, he kept the name, and made money, but he forgot the formula..for hits

but yeah Goldy Mcjohn gigging with Larry Byrom or whoever is not steppenwolf either, but they probably were living in a van or one room
apartment and needed money, who can say. I think Mike Monarch cleaned
up and became quite reknowned. too bad John Kay never called him and said
well? have you cleaned up your act, do you fancy recording

 

[joe]

1. Monster
2. The Pusher
3. Hey Lawdy Mama
4. Sookie Sookie
5. Lost And Found By Trial And Error
6. 28
7. Born To Be Wild
8. Magic Carpet Ride
9. Jupiter Child
10. Hoochie Koochie Man

 

[Wolf]

I'm glad that John was still out there in the 80's but that synthesized sound just didn't cut it so that's when Steppenwolf ended for me. I also like though "Watch Your Innocence" and later on "The Wall". Larry Byrom did some great work on Monster one of the very first concept albums but when Michael left some of that "rough edged" Wolf sound went with him and probably so with bassist Rushton Moreve too. Jerry Edmonton is under rated his opening drumming on Skullduggery is great stuff. Here's ten I like a lot:
None Of Your Doing
The Pusher
Hey Lawdy Mama
From Here To There Eventually
Don't Step On The Grass Sam
28
MCR
Sookie Sookie
Monster
Renegade

NO I think you misunderstand me. I am not saying the music wasn't any good
I love John Kays to 70's solo albums. What i am saying is the later day music whether you like it or not, is not really Steppenwolf at all, I am saying everything post 1970, is John Kay calling it Steppenwolf, Mike Wilk played with Steppenwolf for 25 years! But its not really Steppenwolf, Heck I recorded with Mike Wilk, he was pretty good, Kent Henry was a friend of mine
he taught me to play guitar, but I'm just saying it wasnt really Steppenwolf
it was John Kay calling it Steppenwolf.

although I did say...after Monarch left, they never really had a big hit again, and thats true, that rare chemistry, and timing that makes a hit act, well they got it...and Monarch left, they continued to have some version of Something people called Steppenwolf for another 40 years..but they never had another hit..

I Liked three or four songs off of paradox in 1984, I thought the fixer was a great song, and Watch Your Innocence, I Liked rock n roll rebels, I'm just saying that isint really Steppenwolf, its John Kay using the name to make more money

 

[Groovy Man]

Yeah, the Steppenwolf fans are coming out of the woodwork!



Woo-Hoo! let's see more lists!!