One of the best rock bands ever

[johnnie]

I drug out some vinyl tonight, and put on a few Steppenwolf records. If you have never heard more than "Born To be Wild", you need to really go out and get some of their music.



DON'T STEP ON THE GRASS, SAM


Starin' at the boob tube, turnin' on the big knob
Tryin' to find some life in the waste land
Fin'ly found a program, gonna deal with Mary Jane
Ready for a trip into hate land
Obnoxious Joe comes on the screen
Along with his guest self-righteous Sam
And one more guy who doesn't count
His hair and clothes are too far out

While pushin' back his glasses Sam is sayin' casually
"I was elected by the masses"
And with that in mind he starts to unwind
A vicious attack on the finest of grasses

Well it's evil, wicked, mean and nasty
(Don't step on the grass, Sam)
And it will ruin our fair country
(Don't be such an ass, Sam)
Well, it will hook your Sue and Johnny
(You're so full of bull, Sam)
All will pay that disagree with me
(Please give up you already lost the fight, alright)

Misinformation Sam and Joe
Are feeding to the nation
But the one who didn't count counted them out
By exposing all their false quotations
Faced by a very awkward situation
This is all he'd say to save the day

Well it's evil, wicked, mean and nasty
(Don't step on the grass, Sam)
And it will ruin our fair country
(Don't be such an ass, Sam)
Well, it will hook your Sue and Johnny
(You're so full of bull, Sam)
All will pay that disagree with me
(Please give up you already lost the fight alright)

You waste my coin Sam, all you can
To jail my fellow man
For smoking all the noble weed
You need much more than him
You've been telling lies so long
Some believe they're true
So they close their eyes to things
You have no right to do
Just as soon as you are gone
Hope will start to climb
Please don't stay around too long
You're wasting precious time

[Dr_Funkenstein]

1. Great Era

...but...I think my current favorite is "Kittie". I dunno what the hell these chicks are screaming about, but I like it...I can't get it out of my head.

[johnnie]

2. Kittie?

Ummm, sounds good to me.

[johnnie]

3. Another good one

Tenderness

She tried to show me how to love
I bit her lips and bruised her arms
No I hadn't learned Tenderness
She asked "what does love mean to you?"
I grabbed her hair and pulled her down
I looked in her eyes and I laughed
The love I feel is hard and fast
It's for a face and for one night
I don't need to own anyone

She said, she said all your women burn in your flame
But as it dies, as it dies, they'll leave you and seek revenge

She laughed and said "You'll go thru hell
You'll live in lonely rooms unknown
And watch for my lost Tenderness"
I went from her to someone else and someone else
No, I couldn't be satisfied

She said, she said all your women burn in your flame
And as it dies, as it dies, they'll leave you and seek revenge

I wish that I could find her now
My love is soft, my love is warm
I'd take her to bed tenderly
Yes I'd take her to bed tenderly

[idgiehkt]

11. I remember that one

It's funny how one song can kind of eclipse the other stuff a band does. They had a lot of good stuff, snowblind friend is one of my favorites (I think that is the name of it). :hi:

[johnnie]

12. Yup

That's it. They had a hell of a lot of good tunes.

[enigmatic]

4. John Kay's first solo record is awesome

Forgotten Songs And Unsung Heroes:

http://www.steppenwolf.com/s/w/CD147

brilliant, acoustic country blues record; if you don't have it, I'll send you a copy...

[johnnie]

5. I got it!

I listened to it tonight for the first time in a long while. I was listening to "Bold Marauder" and thought I would love to do a version of that. I have had that album for years. Do you have a digital version? I would really dig that.

[enigmatic]

6. as a matter of fact

:D

Let me find in in my Pile O' CD's and I'll PM you...

[johnnie]

7. Cool

His version of "I'm Movin'On" is so cool. I remember Hank Snow when I was a wee little lad, it was cool to hear stuff like that later by people I really dug.

[johnnie]

8. Ok, one last one that is on now

This one is just too modern.

MONSTER - SUICIDE - AMERICA

(Monster)
Once the religious, the hunted and weary
Chasing the promise of freedom and hope
Came to this country to build a new vision
Far from the reaches of kingdom and pope
Like good Christians, some would burn the witches
Later some got slaves to gather riches

But still from near and far to seek America
They came by thousands to court the wild
And she just patiently smiled and bore a child
To be their spirit and guiding light

And once the ties with the crown had been broken
Westward in saddle and wagon it went
And 'til the railroad linked ocean to ocean
Many the lives which had come to an end
While we bullied, stole and bought our a homeland
We began the slaughter of the red man

But still from near and far to seek America
They came by thousands to court the wild
And she just patiently smiled and bore a child
To be their spirit and guiding light

The blue and grey they stomped it
They kicked it just like a dog
And when the war over
They stuffed it just like a hog

And though the past has it's share of injustice
Kind was the spirit in many a way
But it's protectors and friends have been sleeping
Now it's a monster and will not obey

(Suicide)
The spirit was freedom and justice
And it's keepers seem generous and kind
It's leaders were supposed to serve the country
But now they won't pay it no mind
'Cause the people grew fat and got lazy
And now their vote is a meaningless joke
They babble about law and order
But it's all just an echo of what they've been told
Yeah, there's a monster on the loose
It's got our heads into a noose
And it just sits there watchin'

Our 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 worlds 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 a noose
And it just sits there watching

(America)
America where are you now?
Don't you care about your sons and daughters?
Don't you know we need you now
We can't fight alone against the monster

[last_texas_dem]

19. I like Steppenwolf, and that may be my favorite song by them

The Monster album is very good, too. Most of the tracks seem to be protest-themed, and "Move Over" and "Draft Resister" are two other cool ones that stick out in my mind.

Some of my other favorites include "It's Never Too Late", "Snowblind Friend", and "Screaming Night Hog" (the guitar part is awesome). It's a shame that oldies and classic rock stations pretend that they only recorded two songs. "Born to be Wild" and "Magic Carpet Ride" are both good but hardly the only two good tracks recorded by the band.

[Oeditpus Rex]

9. I have this one:

It doesn't sound so good anymore, but... :shrug:

The entire second side is a 21-minute version of "The Pusher." Legend has it that the band came out for the second set after smoking some reefer and just started jamming until they found the song. :hippie:

[johnnie]

10. I have that one too

That second side rocks..LOL. I think the "legend" is pretty close to it. :)

[argyl]

13. Great tune. The "Joe" they refer to is Joe Pyne,the original angry RW

talking head.He had a Saturday night 90 minute TV in the late 60's that aired from the LA area.

He was a real hoot to watch if you were in the right frame of mind.Guy smoked like a chimney on air and so did many of his viewers,just herb instead of tobacco.

[mitchum]

17. An actual on air exchange between Pyne and Frank Zappa...

Pyne: So, does your long hair mean that you are a girl?
Zappa: No, does your wooden leg mean that you are a table?

Pyne had an artificial leg and Zappa had a razor wit

[johnnie]

18. .

:spray:


Zappa was funny as hell

[HuskerDU]

14. I'm really into 'Rock Me Baby.'

Might have to go listen to it!

[johnnie]

15. They really just rocked

Every one of their albums was good.

[DS1]

16. Kittie?

Pure crap. Get some Soulfly or Sepultura

[MysticalChicken]

20. "Magic Carpet Ride" ...

...is my all-time favorite song. (And it was recorded ten years before I was even born.)