Monster is the fourth studio album by Canadian-American rock band Steppenwolf. The album was released in November 1969, by ABC Dunhill Records. It was their first LP with new lead guitarist Larry Byrom instead of Michael Monarch. The album was Steppenwolf's most political album, making references to important issues at the time, such as the Vietnam War.
| Monster | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 1969 | |||
| Recorded | 1969 | |||
| Studio | American Recording, Studio City, California | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 32:53 | |||
| Label | ABC Dunhill | |||
| Producer | Gabriel Mekler | |||
| Steppenwolf chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Monster | ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Rolling Stone | (unfavorable) [4] |
| The Village Voice | B+[5] |
The album was the first Steppenwolf album not to feature a US top ten hit, though two singles from the album entered the top 40: "Move Over" and "Monster".[6]
Reception
editReviews for Monster have generally been negative. Rolling Stone commented that the playing of the individual performers is "top-notch", but that "[t]heir arrangements have become sloppy and crude, as the early-Zappa lyrics continuously clash with the music."[4]
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."[3]
On the other hand, Village Voice 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.[5]
Record World called the title track a "rocking smash" on which "the group never sounded better."[7] Record World said of the single "Move Over" that "Steppenwolf are back in their best of bags."[8]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Monster/Suicide/America" | John Kay, Jerry Edmonton / Kay, Nick St. Nicholas, Larry Byrom, Edmonton / Kay, Edmonton | 9:15 |
| 2. | "Draft Resister" | Kay, Goldy McJohn, Byrom | 3:20 |
| 3. | "Power Play" | Kay | 5:26 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4. | "Move Over" | Kay, Gabriel Mekler | 2:53 |
| 5. | "Fag" | Byrom, Edmonton, St. Nicholas | 3:13 |
| 6. | "What Would You Do (If I Did That to You)" | Leno Francen, Nolan Porter | 3:19 |
| 7. | "From Here to There Eventually" | Kay, McJohn, Edmonton | 5:27 |
Personnel
editSteppenwolf
edit- John Kay – vocals, harmonica, guitar
- Larry Byrom – lead guitar
- Nick St. Nicholas – bass guitar
- Goldy McJohn – Hammond organ, piano
- Jerry Edmonton – drums and lead vocals on "What Would You Do (If I Did That To You)"
Technical
edit- Gabriel Mekler – producer
- Bill Cooper – engineer
- Richard Podolor – engineer
Charts
editAlbum
edit| Chart (1970) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[9] | 27 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[10] | 9 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[11] | 43 |
| US Billboard 200[12] | 17 |
Singles
edit| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | "Move Over" | US Billboard Hot 100 | 31[6] |
| 1969 | "Monster" | US Billboard Hot 100 | 39[6] |
References
edit- ^ "Steppenwolf singles".
- ^ "Steppenwolf singles".
- ^ a b Monster at AllMusic
- ^ a b Rezos, Ray (7 February 1970). "Records". Rolling Stone (51). San Francisco: Straight Arrow Publishers, Inc.: 38. Retrieved 21 May 2017. Archived at [1].
- ^ a b Christgau, Robert (January 15, 1970). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved March 17, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com..
- ^ a b c Steppenwolf USA chart history, Billboard.com. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
- ^ "Single Picks of the Week" (PDF). Record World. December 20, 1969. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
- ^ "Single Picks of the Week" (PDF). Record World. August 9, 1969. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-05-04.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Steppenwolf – Monster" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Steppenwolf – Monster". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
- ^ "Billboard 200 - Steppenwolf". Retrieved September 3, 2017.