Monster (Steppenwolf album)
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| Monster | |||||
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| Studio album by Steppenwolf | |||||
| Released | 1969 | ||||
| Recorded | 1969, American Recording Co. Studio, Studio City, California | ||||
| Genre | Rock, Hard Rock | ||||
| Length | 32:53 | ||||
| Label | ABC Dunhill Records | ||||
| Producer | Gabriel Mekler | ||||
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| Steppenwolf chronology | |||||
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Monster is an album by the band Steppenwolf, released in 1969 (see 1969 in music) and 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 title refers to the contemporary politics and state of the U.S., as in the lyrics to the title song:
- "The cities have turned into jungles,
- and corruption is stranglin' the land.
- The police force is watching the people,
- and the people just can't understand.
- We don't know how to mind our own business,
- 'cause the whole world's got to be just like us.
- Now we are fighting a war over there.
- No matter who's the winner, we can't pay the cost.
- 'Cause there's a monster on the loose,
- it's got our heads into the noose.
- And it just sits there... watching."
The album was the first Steppenwolf album not to feature a US top ten hit, and can thus be seen as the beginning of their slow fall from fame. Even though this album, "Live", "Steppenwolf 7" and "For Ladies Only" are today seen as making up the latter half of their ultimate prime, their days of "Born to Be Wild"-like fame were over. Still two singles from the album cracked the top 40, and Steppenwolf would continue landing albums in the US top 20 for a while yet, a factor that became more and more important during this time.
As seen above, the title track is a call for pacifism and a more ethical society. The tone, which can be seen as very provocative towards the political decisions of the US at the time, continues with "Draft Resister", which glorifies draft resisters as heroes, who by their moral example and determination, are at least the equals, in terms of patriotism and heroism, of any American, who did go to Vietnam as a soldier.
[edit] Track listing
- "Monster" (Kay, Edmonton) / "Suicide" (Kay, St.Nicholas, Byrom, Edmonton) / "America" (Kay, Edmonton) – 9:16
- "Draft Resister" (Kay, McJohn, Byrom) – 3:22
- "Power Play" (Kay) – 5:26
- "Move Over" (Kay, Mekler) – 2:53
- "Fag" (Byrom, Edmonton, St.Nicholas) – 3:13
- "What Would You Do (If I Did That To You)" (Francen, Porter) – 3:23
- "From Here To There Eventually" (Kay, McJohn, Edmonton) – 5:30
[edit] Personnel
- Gabriel Mekler - Producer
- Steppenwolf - Main Performer
- Bill Cooper - Engineer
- Richard Podolor - Engineer
[edit] Charts
Album - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Chart | Position |
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| 1970 | Pop Albums | 17 |
Singles - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
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| 1969 | "Move Over" | Pop Singles | 31 |
| 1969 | "Monster" | Pop Singles | 39 |
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