Monster (Steppenwolf album)

Monster
Studio album by Steppenwolf
Released November 1969
Recorded 1969
Studio American Recording Co. Studio, Studio City, CA
Genre
Length 32:53
Label ABC Dunhill
Producer Gabriel Mekler
Steppenwolf chronology
Early Steppenwolf
(1969)Early Steppenwolf1969		 Monster
(1969)		 Steppenwolf Live
(1970)Steppenwolf Live1970
Singles from Monster
  1. "Move Over"/"Power Play"
    Released: 1969
  2. "Monster"/"Berry Rides Again"
    Released: 1969
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Robert ChristgauB+[2]
Rolling Stone(unfavorable) [3]

Monster is the fourth album by Steppenwolf. Released in 1969, it was their first LP with new lead guitarist, Larry Byrom instead of Michael Monarch. The album was Steppenwolf's most political one, making references to important issues at the time, such as the Vietnam War.

The album was the first Steppenwolf album not to feature a US top ten hit, though two singles from the album cracked the top 40: "Move Over" and "Monster".[4]

Reception

Reviews for Monster have generally been negative. Rolling Stone commented that the playing of the individual performers is "top-notch", but that "Their arrangements have become sloppy and crude, as the early-Zappa lyrics continuously clash with the music."[3]

Allmusic panned the album in their retrospective review, remarking that "these lumbering hard rock tunes were not an effective means to address [important political topics], politically or musically."[1]

On the other hand, rock critic Robert Christgau gave the album praise. Christgau gave the album a B+ rating and called it "an excellent comeback", though he thought the preachy lyrics marred somewhat the final result.[2]

Track listing

Side one
  1. "Monster/Suicide/America" (John Kay, Jerry Edmonton)/(Larry Byrom, Edmonton, Kay, Nick St. Nicholas)/(Edmonton, Kay) – 9:15
  2. "Draft Resister" (Kay, Goldy McJohn, Byrom) – 3:20
  3. "Power Play" (Kay) – 5:26
Side two
  1. "Move Over" (Kay, Mekler) – 2:53
  2. "Fag" (Byrom, Edmonton, St. Nicholas) – 3:13
  3. "What Would You Do (If I Did That to You)" (Leno Francen, Nolan Porter) – 3:19
  4. "From Here to There Eventually" (Kay, McJohn, Edmonton) – 5:27

Personnel

Steppenwolf

Technical


Charts

Album - Billboard (United States)

Year Chart Position
1970 Billboard 200 17[5]

Singles - Billboard (United States)

Year Single Chart Position
1969 "Move Over" Billboard Hot 100 31[4]
1969 "Monster" Billboard Hot 100 39[4]

References

  1. 1 2 Monster at AllMusic
  2. 1 2 "Robert Christgau: "Steppenwolf"". Retrieved September 3, 2017. .
  3. 1 2 Rezos, Ray (7 February 1970). "Records". Rolling Stone. San Francisco: Straight Arrow Publishers, Inc. (51): 38. Retrieved 21 May 2017. Archived at .
  4. 1 2 3 Steppenwolf USA chart history, Billboard.com. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Billboard 200 - Steppenwolf". Retrieved September 3, 2017.
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