1. Born to Be Wild
2. Magic Carpet Ride
3. Rock Me
4. It's Never Too Late
5. Move Over
6. Monster
7. Hey Lawdy Mama
8. Screaming Night Hog
9. Who Needs Ya
10. Snow Blind Friend
11. Ride with Me
12. For Ladies Only
13. Pusher
14. Sookie Sookie
15. Jupiter's Child
16. Tenderness

Led by John Kay (born Joachim Krauledat, April 12, 1944), Steppenwolf's blazing biker anthem "Born to Be Wild" roared out of speakers everywhere in the fiery summer of 1968, John Kay's threatening rasp sounding a mesmerizing call to arms to the counterculture movement rapidly sprouting up nationwide. German immigrant Kay got his professional start in a bluesy Toronto band called Sparrow, recording for Columbia in 1966. After Sparrow disbanded, Kay relocated to the West Coast and formed Steppenwolf, named after the Herman Hesse novel. "Born to Be Wild," their third single on ABC-Dunhill, was immortalized on the soundtrack of Dennis Hopper's underground film classic Easy Rider. The song's reference to "heavy metal thunder" finally gave an assignable name to an emerging genre. Steppenwolf's second monster hit that year, the psychedelic "Magic Carpet Ride," and the follow-ups "Rock Me," "Move Over," and "Hey Lawdy Mama" further established the band's credibility on the hard rock circuit. By the early '70s, Steppenwolf ran out of steam and disbanded. Kay continued to record solo, as other members put together ersatz versions of the band for touring purposes. During the mid-'80s Kay re-formed his own version of Steppenwolf, grinding out his hits (and some new songs) at oldies shows. Nevertheless, they'll be remembered for generations to come for creating one of the ultimate gas'n'go rock anthems of all time. ---Bill Dahl, allmusic.com

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1. "For Ladies Only" – 9:17
2. "I'm Asking" – 4:28
3. "Shackles and Chains" – 5:00
4. "Tenderness" – 4:55               play
5. "The Night Time's for You – 2:58
6. "Jaded Strumpet" – 4:44           play
7. "Sparkle Eyes" – 4:33
8. "Black Pit" – 3:50
9. "Ride With Me" – 3:24
10. "In Hopes of a Garden" – 2:10

Musicians:
John Kay - vocals, guitar
Kent Henry - lead guitar
George Biondo - vocals, bass
Goldy McJohn - keyboards
Jerry Edmonton - drums

The title track of For Ladies Only is a classic slice of Steppenwolf's brand of hard rock: gritty chord guitar from Blues Image refugee Kent Henry (Steppenwolf went through as many or more guitarist changes as the Guess Who), elegant piano from Goldy McJohn, even jazz flavors on a nine-minute-plus track as blatantly sexist as the album gatefold. The graphic photo of a huge penis car alongside the Hollywood walk of fame tucked inside the cardboard is completely juvenile, while the back of the LP features the boys all reading books, from The Sensuous Woman to Snow White & the Seven Dwarves -- interesting imagery that doesn't complement the music as much as the artists might have thought it did at the time. The Jerry Edmonton/Goldy McJohn composition "I'm Asking" has a heavy "Jumpin' Jack Flash" riff that's all sludged out and a weak non-John Kay vocal -- like, why bother? Kay's snarling voice was as much a part of the sound as the heavy keys, and without it the otherwise fine performance and production are just totally eradicated; it's a song that would've worked better as an instrumental. Ditto for Jerry Edmonton's "Jaded Strumpet," which is also in desperate need of Kay's authoritative tone, which is refreshingly surreal on the singer's co-write with George Biondo that is "Sparkle Eyes."

In retrospect, For Ladies Only remains a neat artifact of a band who might've been called on to create too much too soon. Three Mars Bonfire compositions brighten up the proceedings, including "Tenderness" and the excellent "Ride With Me," perhaps the most memorable tune of the ten, all culled from that ever-flowing fountain that was Mars Bonfire's Faster Than the Speed of Life LP. Interesting that on the vinyl four songs grace side one, while side two has six titles, from two to four and a half minutes in length. The songwriting is shared pretty equally, the bandmembers co-writing in different combinations. Bonfire's brother, Jerry Edmonton; singer John Kay; and keyboardist Goldy McJohn all write or contribute to three titles each with two for the newer members, bassist George Biondo and guitarist Kent Henry.

A very democratic brew, which is interesting but for the most part doesn't have the punch of the title track or the nugget from the Mars Bonfire solo disc, "Ride With Me." The original Sparrow guitarist's presence casts a good shadow and remains as essential to this crew as the lead singer and keyboard player. Why they didn't keep Bonfire on from day one of their journey is the mystery. This 1971 Dunhill release produced by Richard Podolor for Steppenwolf Productions, Inc. makes that point loud and clear, though the Kent Henry/Goldy McJohn instrumental "Black Pit" does tend to sound like Blues Image-meets-Steppenwolf, and proves the point made earlier. If John Kay wasn't in the mood to sing, the material works better with no voice at all. His absence from three of the ten tracks is perhaps an indication that he had his sights set on a solo career. Kent Henry and George Biondo moved on with the singer for his 1972 outing Forgotten Songs & Unsung Heroes. ---Joe Viglione, AllMusic Review

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Disc 1:
1. Born to Be Wild
2. Sookie Sookie
3. Everybody's Next One
4. Your Wall's Too High
5. Desperation
6. The Pusher
7. The Ostrich
8. Take What You Need
9. Magic Carpet Ride
10. Don't Step on the Grass Sam
11. Tighten up Your Wig
12. It's Never Too Late
13. Jupiter's Child
14. Rock Me
15. Monster/Suicide/America

Disc 2:
1. Move Over
2. Power Play
3. Hey Lawdy Mama
4. Snowblind Friend
5. Who Needs Ya
6. Renegade
7. Foggy Mental Breakdown
8. Hippo Stomp
9. Screaming Night Hog
10. For Ladies Only
11. Tenderness
12. Ride With Me
13. I'm Movin' On
14. My Sportin' Life
15. Drfit Away
16. Straight Shooting Woman

Performer:
George Biondo 	- Bass, Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Larry Byrom - Guitar, Vocals (Background)
Bobby Cochran - Guitar, Vocals (Background)
Jerry Edmonton - Drums, Vocals (Background)
Don Ellis - Trumpet
Don Ellis Orchestra
Venetta Fields - Vocals (Background)
Whitey Glan - Drums
Kent Henry - Guitar
Gloria Jones - Vocals (Background)
John Kay - Dobro, Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Harmonica, Soloist, Vocals
Clydie King - Vocals (Background)
Larry Knechtel - Organ
Danny Kortchmar  - Guitar
Russ Kunkel - Congas, Drums
Sherlie Matthews - Vocals (Background)
Goldy McJohn - Keyboards, Organ, Vocals (Background)
Gabriel Mekler - Piano, Producer
Michael Monarch - Guitar, Vocals (Background)
Rushton Moreve - Bass, Vocals (Background)
Hugh O'Sullivan - Keyboards
Richard Podolor - Guitar,  Sitar
Nick St. Nicholas - Bass
Lee Sklar - Bass
Mike Utley – Piano

Since "Born to Be Wild" blasted its way up the charts back in '68, I have been a fan of John Kay and Steppenwolf. At one time or another I have owned all of their classic LP's, Reel to Reel tapes, and more recently CD's. The sad fact of the matter is that the first batch of Steppenwolf cd releases sound flat and lifeless and are basically garbage. This unfortunate situation was improved with the Mobile Fidelity release of their first self titled album on their gold cd format.This disc has long been out of print but is usually available on Amazon for a huge premium. The catalogue once again became listenable when the BGO label remastered the first 8 non-compilation albums in 2 disc sets. However, the 2005 release of the double cd set titled Steppenwolf Gold, actually sounds great, much better than anything ever released previously with the possible exception of the lone Mobile Fidelity disc. I have heard nuances in these songs that I have never noticed before and the sound is smooth and non-fatiguing with plenty of air. It goes to show what can be done with careful remastering and just how far the redbook cd format has improved since its infancy. This release is a must have for aging boomers that still love Steppenwolf. ---M.R. Ridge, amazon.com

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01. Sookie Sookie (Don Covay) – 3:13
02. Everybody's Next One (John Kay, Gabriel Mekler) – 2:56
03. Berry Rides Again (John Kay) – 2:48
04. Hoochie Coochie Man (Willie Dixon) – 5:11
05. Born To Be Wild (Mars Bonfire) – 3:28
06. Your Wall's Too High (John Kay) – 5:44
07. Desperation (John Kay) – 5:44
08. The Pusher (Hoyt Axton) – 5:49
09. A Girl I Knew (John Kay, Morgan Cavett) – 2:38
10. Take What You Need (John Kay, Gabriel Mekler) – 3:27
11. The Ostrich (John Kay) – 5:41

Personnel:
- John Kay - guitars, harmonica,lead vocals
- Rushton Moreve - bass, backing vocals
- Michael Monarch - guitars, backing vocals
- Goldy McJohn - Hammond organ, piano, electric piano
- Jerry Edmonton - drums, percussion, backing vocals

"Steppenwolf" was first recorded at United/Western Studio's in Los Angeles. We didn't care for the results at all. Through my friend Morgan Cavett, we discovered The American Recording Studio, with engineers Richard Podolor and Bill Cooper. Everything fit together. They, along with Gabriel Mekler our producer made for some very exciting recording sessions. We were knocked out by what we heard. It was everything we hoped for. We recorded onto an eight track machine through a tube board using a live echo chamber that Richie and Bill had built, which was one of the best live chambers in Los Angeles at that time. We recorded seven songs the first day and four more the next. The majority of the vocals were recorded on the third day and the album was mixed on day four. The entire album cost around $9,000.00 to make. We thought it sounded pretty damn good and in my opinion it still holds up to this day. Someone once said, "You have your entire life to get ready for the first album, and no time for the next one". That was certainly true in our case. ---steppenwolf.com

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01. Skullduggery (Bobby Cochran) – 5:15
02. (I'm A) Road Runner (Lamont Dozier/Eddie Holland/Brian Holland) – 3:51
03. Rock & Roll Song (Horsdal) – 3:05				play
04. Train Of Thought (O'Day) – 4:40					play
05. Life Is A Gamble (Bobby Cochran/Garfield) – 3:22
06. Pass It On (Jean Watt) – 4:42
07. Sleep (George Biondo) – 3:45
08. Lip Service (Steppenwolf) – 5:25

Personnel:
- John Kay - guitar, lead vocals
- Jerry Edmonton - drums, percussion, backing vocals
- George Biondo - bass, vocals
- Bobby Cochran - lead guitar, vocals
- Wayne Cook - keyboards 

The recording of this album fulfilled our contractual obligations to Epic Records. While I found it difficult to find the motivation to write songs for an album that I felt was the musical equivalent of The Titanic, Bobby Cochran, our intrepid guitarist felt no such energy drop. No one worked harder to give the record life than he. His enthusiasm was infectious to the point that when we were finished I was surprised at the results. The title song as well as our versions of “Road Runner” , “Rock and Roll Song” and “Pass It On” are still some of my favorites. ---steppenwolf.com

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01. Get Into The Wind (Can Beek/Cochran) – 2:59
02. Gang War Blues (Edmonton/Fowley/Kay/McJohn) – 4:24
03. Justice Don't Be Slow (Kay/Richie) – 4:54
04. Children Of Night (Kay) – 5:11
05. Jeraboah (Conrad) – 5:39
06. Straight Shootin' Woman (Edmonton) – 4:04
07. Smokey Factory Blues (Hammond/Hazelwood) – 4:09
08. Morning Blue (Biondo) – 4:11
09. A Fool's Fantasy (McJohn) – 3:37
10. Fishin' In The Dark (Kay) – 5:45

Personnel:
- George Biondo - bass, vocals
- Jerry Edmonton - drums, vocals
- Bobby Cochran - lead guitar, vocals
- John Kay - rhythm guitar, harmonica, lead vocals
- Goldy McJohn - keyboards, vocals

Steppenwolf's first album after For Ladies Only, their final Dunhill epic, was recorded for Mums, a CBS-distributed imprint which also was home to Albert Hammond's only two solo chart hits in 1972 and 1974. Though it may be surprising to find the labelmate's "Smokey Factory Blues" on this package, it isn't a stretch; Hammond would co-write a number one smash for Starship with "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now," so you know John Kay can still find a good tune and pluck it out of the air. More impressive than the follow-up disc, Hour of the Wolf, this CBS debut has the look and feel of a vintage Steppenwolf product. Veterans Ed Caraeff and Tom Gundelfinger do the photos, the wolf logo is still intact (the back cover looking much like the front of Steppenwolf Live), and the sound has those political leanings of the group's Monster period. The album gets into gear by the fourth song, "Get Into the Wind," co-written by guitarist Bobby Cochran. With a little emphasis on production, the tune might actually have had a chance at some chart action; it blatantly carries the "Born to Be Wild" theme. "Jeraboah" also has its album track moments, but the three John Kay contributions which open this new era up set the tone for the band's dilemma. "Gang War Blues" isn't a bad essay; the collaboration between Kay, Kim Fowley, drummer Jerry Edmonton, and keyboardist Goldy McJohn continues the preaching initiated by earlier discs, preaching that doesn't hit the interesting vibe of a song like "The Pusher." The lyrics are enclosed and there are lots of them, though fans come to Steppenwolf for angst-fueled hard rock oozing with feedback, not lots of words and tape loops of a Richard Nixon speech. Though it's a very good performance by the group, good doesn't match the majesty of "Magic Carpet Ride." Jerry Edmonton's "Straight Shootin' Woman" has horns and solid piano from McJohn, but somehow slightly misses the mark. The Albert Hammond/Mike Hazlewood tune is a great change of pace; the direction fuses Steppenwolf's sensibilities with outside ideas. The cover surpasses Hammond's version, giving further evidence that Steppenwolf had a knack for interpretation -- a knack that Don Covay, Hoyt Axton, and Mars Bonfire all benefited from. Like their contemporaries, the Guess Who, Steppenwolf lost the fine art of crafting a song for the Top 40. Where they succeed at being very musical, much like Burton Cummings' band, they fail to create that sparkling little advertisement for the album that was the hit single. It was that vehicle which brought them fame, and both bands needed that arena. Had John Kay tackled "Star Baby," the tune released by the Guess Who off of the LP Road Food the same year, 1974, both bands could have had another dance in the sun. Still, Slow Flux has many decent moments. Bassist George Biondo's "Morning Blue" is a fine ballad; it's just that at this point in time, Steppenwolf could have given listeners so much more. ---Joe Viglione, AllMusic Review

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01. Ball Crusher – 4:49
02. Forty Days And Forty Nights – 3:01
03. Fat Jack – 4:46
04. Renegade – 6:04
05. Foggy Mental Breakdown – 3:50
06. Snowblind Friend – 3:51
07. Who Needs Ya' – 2:57
08. Earschplittenloudenboomer – 4:56
09. Hippo Stomp – 5:39

Personnel:
- John Kay - guitars, harmonica, lead vocals
- George Biondo - bass, backing vocals
- Larry Byrom - guitar, backing vocals
- Goldy McJohn - keyboards
- Jerry Edmonton – drums

Steppenwolf only recorded seven discs for Dunhill Records in the short span between 1968 and 1971, six of them studio albums, and one allegedly "live" -- though there was early Sparrow material recorded in May of 1967 not released by the label until 1972. Throw in a greatest-hits package along with Columbia's reissue of yet more Sparrow recordings, and how they came up with Steppenwolf 7 for the title of this, their fifth studio recording for Dunhill, is a question for hardcore fans of the band to debate (don't even bring the movie soundtracks into this equation). Richard Podolor has taken the production reins from Gabriel Mekler, as he did with Three Dog Night, but where the producer was able to take Hoyt Axton's "Joy to the World" to number one in a notable six weeks in 1971 with the vocal trio and labelmates of this group, the author of "The Pusher," Axton, is represented here by his "Snowblind Friend," a topic not likely to get Steppenwolf chart action. And that's the dilemma with Steppenwolf 7. This is a very worthwhile Steppenwolf recording, chock-full of their trademark sound, but nothing that was going to penetrate the Top 40. John Kay and guitarist Larry Byron (listed on the song credits as Larry Byrom and on the live album as Byron -- take your pick, he's a notable session player) co-write five of these nine tunes, "Ball Crusher" being what you expect, as is "Fat Jack," Byrom's only co-write here with new bassist George Biondo (and perhaps one of them on the vocals, as it certainly isn't John Kay). A nice, thick Goldy McJohn keyboard and solid beat still don't give this tune enough of an identity to be considered hit material. Kay and Byrom do a better job of heading in that direction with their "Foggy Mental Breakdown" and "Hippo Stomp," while Byrom's instrumental, "Earschplittenloudenboomer," had the attitude to be the next "Born to Be Wild," just not enough of the magic -- not explosive enough and no sneering Kay vocal to bring it home. What is happening here is that John Kay is heading in the direction of his 1972 solo disc, Forgotten Songs & Unsung Heroes, especially on the cover of Roth's "Forty Days and Forty Nights" and the country-ish "Snowblind Friend," which is the other side of Hoyt Axton's "The Pusher," the effect of cocaine on the victim/user. Kay and Byrom come back with more driving rock in "Who Needs Ya?," played well and listenable, but just missing the edge that gave "Rock Me" and "Magic Carpet Ride" their specialness. The blueish images of the bandmembers in a desolate area with two skulls above them on the album cover make an interesting statement. Steppenwolf 7 is an intriguing collection of album tracks showing the two sides of John Kay -- the hard rock singer and the artist setting his sights on interpreting other musical styles. It came at a moment when the band needed to redefine itself on the AM band, but opted instead to just put out a decent product and take few risks. ---Joe Viglione, AllMusic Review

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01. Faster Than The Speed Of Life (Mars Bonfire) – 3:12
02. Tighten Up Your Wig (John Kay) – 3:05
03. None Of Your Doing (Gabriel Mekler, John Kay) – 2:50
04. Spiritual Fantasy (John Kay) – 3:39
05. Don't Step On The Grass, Sam (John Kay) – 5:39
06. 28 (Gabriel Mekler) – 3:11
07. Magic Carpet Ride (John Kay, Rushton Moreve) – 4:29
08. Disappointment Number (Unknown) (John Kay) – 4:52
09. Lost And Found By Trial And Error (John Kay) – 2:07
10. Hodge, Podge, Strained Through A Leslie (John Kay) - 2:48
11. Resurrection (John Kay) – 2:53
12. Reflections (Gabriel Mekler, John Kay) – 0:42

Personnel:
- John Kay - lead vocals, guitar, harmonica
- Michael Monarch - lgad Guitar
- Goldy McJohn - organ, piano
- Rushton Moreve - bass
- Jerry Edmonton - drums, vocals

The group's second album was virtually a re-creation of its predecessor, only slightly more sophisticated in its range of songs and the manner of playing them, and the in-house writing had improved, though the latter also became highly derivative. Steppenwolf the Second embraces everything from hard rock to psychedelia to blues, and the band is in excellent form, playing very hard and edgy, except on the deliberately lyrical, reflective "Spiritual Fantasy," a rare acoustic number for the group. Much more to the point of the group was the single "Magic Carpet Ride," the ultimate psychedelic pop dance number of the decade, and the marijuana anthem "Don't Step on the Grass, Sam," the pounding "28," and the album-opener "Faster Than the Speed of Life." Side two of the original LP was a great achievement in its own right, opening with "Magic Carpet Ride," which leads into a nonstop extended array of hard-rocking numbers, mostly in a blues idiom: "Disappointment Number (Unknown)," "Lost and Found by Trial and Error," "Hodge Podge, Strained Through a Leslie," and "Resurrection." The playing was as good as the first album, and though there's nothing quite comparable to "Born to Be Wild" here in terms of cultural impact, the level of the surrounding numbers is higher. ---Bruce Eder, AllMusic Review

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