Monster

Sound DNA

• Rock
• Hard Rock

• crunchy
• defiant
• political

About

John Kay was born with the voice of a roadhouse hellraiser, and it served him well—you can’t start to question his intentions without thinking his fist might fly from speakers to smash your face. What Steppenwolf stands for on this 1969 album (its fourth in two years) is simple: the band is intolerant to intolerance, and it uses the Vietnam War and American greed as platforms to show it. Even the instrumental “Fag”—driven by a Hammond organ and loopy piano with a slight bluesy-cabaret feel—could soundtrack footage of a tragic hate crime. “Draft Deserter” is reverse conscription, calling for draft dodgers to stand tall in the face of legal action. The music is pure speedway-rock Steppenwolf too, with touches of dirty jazz (“Power Play”), some biker R&B (“Move Over”), and oil-stained soul (“What Would You Do If I Did That to You”) to complement. At more than nine minutes, “Monster/Suicide/America” wraps it all together; its finale is a fist-jacking chorus of bogus jingoism that’ll bounce inside your head for days.

via Apple Music

Tracklist

Credits