"Magic Carpet Ride: The Dunhill/ABC Years 1967-1971" by STEPPENWOLF – Includes 8 Albums issued January 1968 to November 1971 in the USA (May 1968 to November 1971 in the UK on RCA Victor, Stateside and Probe Records) – featuring John Kay, Michael Monarch, Goldy McJohn, Rushton Moreve, Jerry Edmonton, Mars Bonfire, Nick St. Nicholas, Larry Byrom, Kent Henry and George Biondo (November 2021 UK Esoteric Recordings 8CD Clamshell Box Set with Mini LP Repro Artwork Card Sleeves and Paschal Byrne Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

 

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"...Heading Off Down The Highway..."

 

British reissue label Esoteric Recordings (a part of Cherry Red) has fast been carving out a place in the hearts of collectors these last few years and a total winner like "Magic Carpet Ride: The Dunhill/ABC Years 1967-1971" amply shows why – it screams class. And in October 2022 – it's priced at just over forty-quid and not the initial sixty – so is properly great value for money (for years you could only get expensive Japanese SHM-CD Remasters that at one point were clocking in at £400 for what you get here at a tenth of the cost).

 

In a nutshell, you get 8 Steppenwolf albums in Stereo - six studio sets, the full compliment of one live US-double which was only released as a single LP in the UK and a single live set of early 1967 wolf recordings when they were called The Sparrow. On top of that there's a tasty 26 Bonus 45-single Sides (most in their original and rare Mono form), a beautifully presented 52-page chunky-monkey booklet, a fold-out memorabilia-strewn poster, 8 Mini LP card repro sleeves (five of which are gatefolds) and Brand New 2021 Paschal Byrne Remasters from original Dunhill/ABC master tapes. Frankly Frank and don't step on the grass Sam, but that's a whole lot of primo Howlin' Wolf, if you know what I'm barking on about.

 

Always somehow in the second tier of great Rock Bands, Steppenwolf rocked and ever since I heard their angry, but utterly brilliant take on drug-addiction "The Pusher" complete with John Kay's larger-than-life persona dealing with everything from the intrusiveness of The Man and the Vietnam War to snowblind friends - I have loved the mad buggers dearly. Time to come out of the cave man; get wild, tighten up your wig and hop on long motorbikes and suspect carpets. Here is the Sookie-Sookie detail...

 

 

UK released Friday, 26 Nov 2021 - "Magic Carpet Ride: The Dunhill/ABC Years 1967-1971" by STEPPENWOLF on Esoteric Recordings ECLEC82777 (Barcode 5013929477780) is an 8CD Clamshell Box Set with Mini LP Card Sleeve Repro Artwork, a 52-Page Booklet, Fold-Out Poster, 26 Bonus Tracks and New 2021 Remasters that play out as follows:

 

CD1 "Steppenwolf" – 1968 Debut LP (74:29 minutes): 

The LP's STEREO MIX ONLY is used on this CD; the 8 Bonus Single Sides are in MONO.

1. Sookie Sookie [Side 1]

2. Everybody's Next One 

3. Berry Rides Again

4. Hootchie Kootchie Man 

5. Born To Be Wild

6. Your Wall's Too High 

7. Desperation [Side 2]

8. The Pusher 

9. A Girl I Knew

10. Take What You Need 

11. The Ostrich

Tracks 1 to 11 are their debut album "Steppenwolf" - released January 1968 on Dunhill D-50029 (Mono) and Dunhill DS-50029 (Stereo) and May 1968 in the UK on RCA Victor RD-7974 (Mono) and RCA Victor SF-7974 (Stereo). Produced by GABRIEL MEKLER - it peaked at No. 6 in the US Billboard Rock LP charts (didn't chart UK).

 

BONUS TRACKS: 

12. Sookie Sookie (Mono Single Version) - February 1968 US 45-single, Dunhill D-4123, A

13. Born To Be Wild (Mono Single Version) - May 1968 US 45-single, Dunhill D-4138, A

14. Everybody's Next One (Mono Single Version) - May 1968 US 45-single, Dunhill D-4138, B

15. Take What You Need (Mono Single Version) - Feb 1968 US 45-single, Dunhill D-4123, B

16. A Girl I Knew (Mono Single Version) - Oct 1967 US debut 45-single, Dunhill D-4109, A 

17. The Ostrich (Mono Single Version) - Oct 1967 US debut 45-single, Dunhill D-4109, B

18. The Pusher (Mono Single Version) - August 1970 UK 45-single, Stateside SS 8056, A

19. Berry Rides Again (Mono Single Version) - December 1969 US 45-single, Dunhill D-4221, B-side of "Monster"

 

CD2 "The Second" – 1968 Second LP (46:33 minutes): 

The LP's STEREO MIX ONLY is used on this CD; the 2 Bonus Single Sides are in MONO.

1. Faster Than The Speed Of Life [Side 1]

2. Tighten Up Your Wig 

3. None Of Your Doing 

4. Spiritual Fantasy 

5. Don't Step On The Grass Sam 

6. 28 [Side 2]

7. Magic Carpet Ride

8. Disappointment Number (Unknown)

9. Lost And Found By Trial And Error 

10. Hodge, Podge, Strained Through A Leslie

11. Resurrection

12. Reflections

Tracks 1 to 12 are their second studio album "The Second" - released October 1968 in the US on Dunhill DS-50037 (Stereo-only) and December 1968 UK on Stateside SL 5003 (Mono) and Stateside SSL 5003 (Stereo). Produced by GABRIEL MEKLER - it peaked at No. 3 in the USA on the Billboard Rock LP charts (didn't chart UK)

 

BONUS TRACKS: 

13. Magic Carpet Ride (Mono Single Version) - Sept 1968 US 45-single, Dunhill D-4161, A

14. Spiritual Fantasy (Mono Single Version) - Aug 1970 US 45-single, Dunhill D-4248, B-side of "Screaming Night Hog"

 

CD3 "At Your Birthday Party" – 1969 Third LP (53:30 minutes):

The 13-Track album is in STEREO; the 4 Bonus Single Sides are in MONO.

1. Don't Cry [Side 1]

2. Chicken Wolf

3. Lovely Meter 

4. Round And Round 

5. It's Never Too Late 

6. Sleeping Dream 

7. Jupiter Child [Side 2]

8. She'll Be Better

9. Cat Killer 

10. Rock Me

11. God Fearing Man 

12. Mango Juice

13. Happy Birthday

Tracks 1 to 13 are their third studio album "At Your Birthday Party" - released March 1969 in the US on Dunhill/ABC DSX-50053 (Stereo) and May 1969 in the UK on Stateside SSL 5011 (Stereo. Produced by GABRIEL MEKLER - it peaked at No. 7 in the US Billboard Rock LP charts (didn't chart UK)

BONUS TRACKS: 

14. Rock Me (Mono Single Version) - Feb 1969 US 45-single, Dunhill D-4182, A

15. Jupiter Child (Mono Single Version) - Feb 1969 US 45-single, Dunhill D-4182, B

 

CD4 "Early Steppenwolf" - 1969 Fourth LP (43:44 minutes):

Recorded Live at The Matrix in San Francisco, May 14, 1967 (as The Sparrow)

1. Power Play [Side 1]

2. Howlin' For My Baby 

3. Goin' Upstairs 

4. Corina, Corina

5. Tighten Up Your Wig 

6. The Pusher (21:36 minutes) [Side 2]

Tracks 1 to 6 are their fourth album "Early Steppenwolf", a collection of six live recordings as THE SPARROW made in May 1967 with MARS BONFIRE on Lead Guitar - released July 1969 in the US on Dunhill/ABC Records DS-50060 in Stereo and November 1969 in the UK on Stateside SSL 5015 in Stereo (it peaked at No. 27 in the US Billboard Rock LP charts, didn't chart UK).

 

CD5 "Monster" – 1969 Fifth LP (44:53 minutes):

The 7-Track album is in STEREO; the 3 Bonus Single Sides are in STEREO and MONO.

10 Tracks

1. Monster/Suicide/America [Side 1]

2. Draft Resister 

3. Power Play 

4. Move Over [Side 2]

5. Fag

6. What Would You Do (If I Did That To You) [Side 2]

7. From Here To There Eventually 

Tracks 1 to 7 are their fifth album (fourth studio) "Monster" - released November 1969 in the US on Dunhill/ABC Records DS-50066 in Stereo and February 1970 UK on Stateside SSL 5021 in Stereo. Produced by GABRIEL MEKLER - it peaked at No. 17 on the US Billboard Rock LP charts and became their first LP to chart in the UK peaking at No. 43.

 

BONUS TRACKS:

8. Monster (Single Version, Edit, Stereo) - December 1969 US 45-single, Dunhill D-4221, A

9. Move Over (Mono Single Version) - August 1969 US 45-single, Dunhill D-4205, A

10. Power Play (Mono Single Version) - August 1969 US 45-single, Dunhill D-4205, B

 

CD6 "Steppenwolf 'Live'" – 1970 Sixth Album (78:25 minutes):

The 13-Track Live-Double is in STEREO on this CD; the 3 Bonuses are MONO

1. Sookie Sookie [Side 1]

2. Don't Step On The Grass Sam

3. Tighten Up Your Wig

4. Monster [Side 2]

5. Draft Resister

6. Power Play 

7. Corina, Corina [Side 3]

8. Twisted

9. From Here To There Eventually 

10. Hey Lawdy Mama [Side 4]

11. Magic Carpet Ride 

12. The Pusher 

13. Born To Be Wild

Tracks 1 to 13 are their sixth album (second live set) issued June 1970 as a 2LP vinyl double-album in the USA on Dunhill DSD 50075 in Stereo only. On the original US issue the opening tracks "Hey Lawdy Mama" and "Magic Carpet Ride" of Side 4 are configured on the label as one-song hence giving the double a 12-track count. Here they have been separated as two songs, hence the 13-track count on CD. Produced by GABRIEL MEKLER - it peaked at No. 7 in the US Billboard Rock LP charts and No. 16 (as a single LP) in the UK

 

In the UK, "Steppenwolf 'Live'" was issued July 1970 on Stateside SSL 5029 as an 11-Track Single LP in Stereo. You can sequence that version using the following tracks:

Side 1: Sookie Sookie, Don't Step On The Grass Sam, Tighten Up Your Wig, Hey Lawdy Mama, Magic Carpet Ride, The Pusher

Side 2: Corina-Corina, Twisted, From Here To There Eventually, Draft Resister, Born To Be Wild

 

BONUS TRACKS: 

14. Hey Lawdy Mama [Live] (Mono Single Version) - April 1970 US 45 on Dunhill D-4234, A

15. Twisted [Live] (Mono Single Version) - April 1970 US 45 on Dunhill D-4234, B

16.Corina, Corina [Live] (Mono Single Version) - August 1970 US 45 on Dunhill D-4248, B-side of "Screaming Night Hog"

 

CD7 "Steppenwolf 7" – 1970 Seventh Album (50:28 minutes):

The 12 Tracks are all in STEREO 

1. Ball Crusher [Side 1]

2. Forty Days And Forty Nights 

3. Fat Jack 

4. Renegade

5. Foggy Mental Breakdown [Side 2]

6. Snow Blind Friend 

7. Who Needs Ya

8. Earschplittenloudenboomer

9. Hippo Stomp

Tracks 1 to 9 are their seventh album (fifth studio) "Steppenwolf 7" - released November 1970 in the US on ABC/Dunhill DSX-50090 and January 1971 in the UK on Probe Records SPBA 6254. Produced by RICHARD PODOLOR - it peaked at No. 19 on the US Billboard Rock Lp charts (didn't chart UK). 

BONUS TRACKS:

10. Screaming Night Hog - August 1970 US 45-single on Dunhill/ABC D-4258, A

11. Snow Blind Friend - February 1971 US 45-single on Dunhill/ABC D-4269, A

12. Hippo Stomp - February 1971 US 45-single on Dunhill/ABC D-4269, B

 

CD8 "For Ladies Only" – 1971 Eight Album (61:13 minutes):

Tracks 1 to 12 in STEREO, Track 13 is MONO

1. For Ladies Only [Side 1]

2. I'm Asking 

3. Shackles And Chains 

4. Tenderness

5. The Night Time's For You [Side 2]

6. Jaded Strumpet 

7. Sparkle Eyes 

8. Black Pit 

9. Ride With Me 

10. In Hopes Of A Garden 

Tracks 1 to 10 are their eight album (sixth studio set) "For Ladies Only" - released November 1971 in the US Dunhill/ABC DSX-50110 in Stereo and November 1971 in the UK on Probe Records SPBA 6260 in Stereo. Produced by RICHARD PODOLOR - it peaked at No. 54 on the US Billboard Rock LP charts (didn't chart UK) 

 

BONUS TRACKS:

11. For Madmen Only - June 1971 US 45-single on Dunhill D-4283, B-side of "Ride With Me"

12. For Ladies Only (Single Version, Stereo Version) - October 1971 US Promo-Only US 45-single on Dunhill D-4292, B-side of "For Ladies Only (Mono Version)"

13. Ride With Me (Mono Single Version) - June 1971 US 45-single on Dunhill D-4283, A

 

"Magic Carpet Ride..." is a looker of a CD Box Set - the glossy Clamshell giving it a feel of event. The Matt-booklet of 54-pages has reams of MALCOLM DOME liner notes interspersed with LP credits and loads of period photos, while the fold-out memorabilia poster showing stuff like their involvement in the "Candy" soundtrack is a great touch. PASCHAL BYRNE did the new Remasters from original tapes and it absolutely rocks - the lyrically awful "Jaded Strumpet" on "For Ladies Only" might make you wince, but the in-yer-face Audio won't. 

 

My only thing would be that many of the Mono single mixes feel too often like an Audio compromise rather than a Bonus. The fact that the last four card sleeves are gatefolds thereby keeping to their original designs is well tasty too - but the silver foil feel of the debut is missing as is the die-cut of "At Your Birthday Party" - for that level of Mini LP Sleeve detail you have to go to the Japanese SHM-CD reissues of April 2013 and they'll cost ya. But what we do have is superbly done and cleanly presented.  

 

The much-loved self-titled 1968 debut album is balls-to-the-wall brilliant - not surprising then that a whopping eight of its eleven tracks made it onto the 2CD "Gold" compilation put out to universal praise in September 2005 (Erick Labson Remasters - see separate review). So many tracks like their fantastic cover of Don Covay and Steve Cropper's "Sookie Sookie", Hoyt Axton's viscerally brutal "The Pusher" and their own reach for personal freedom "Born To Be Wild" that would lead the "Easy Rider" movie charge the following year. I would have to admit that the filler started to creep in by the time we reach platter number three - "At Your Birthday Party" feeling like its reaching all the time, but killer Kay tunes like "Rock Me" and "Jupiter Child" saving the day.

 

Rock-genius and So-Steppenwolf-Sounding-Riffage courses through the veins of "Don't Step On The Grass Sam" - both John Kay and Joey Edmonton sharing the vocals and those incendiary 'you'll pay if you disagree with me' lyrics. It's of the times for sure, but at a distance of nearing on 60-years - its crafty melody/production turns still amazes and manages to feel contemporary. There are times too when the band's musical reach surprises - even thrills - the gorgeous and cleverly orchestrated string arrangements in "Spiritual Fantasy" - just a song that dreams and hopes - John Kay searching for the supreme. The sexy guitar and piano Blues lurch of "Disappointment Number (Unknown)" is not just a fabulous deep album cut, but the Audio on the Remaster is fantastically clear - Mekler's original Production values shining through. And despite its hippy almost Jazz Fusion feel (or perhaps because of it) - I've been a tad partial to the three-minute instrumental "Mango Juice" on the patchy "At Your Birthday Party" album. 

Other deep dive dips include the slide-guitar shuffle of "Shackles And Chains" on Side 1 of the mixed-bag "For Ladies Only" album - their last for Dunhill/ABC in 1971 before they joined Mums Records for 1974's comback platter "Slow Flux". "Shackles And Chains" is another hooky John Kay message song (funky too) and this time we finally get to hear the great production values from Richard Podolor (guitarist Kent Henry playing a blinder). And I used to put "Tenderness" from the same album on 70's-Fest CD-Rs I made for Shop Plays - its Mars Bonfire-written acoustic/keyboard/guitar shuffle disarmingly touching (gorgeous Audio too). The guitar/keyboard groove of the instrumental "Black Pit" is one for Soul-Rock 'Funky Funky' compilations as well. 

 

While you might think its cool to have the Mono Single Mixes, the version of the lovely "Spiritual Fantasy" in Mono fares fairly well, but "Magic Carpet Ride" in Mono is too muffled for my tastes (guess I'm too used to that great Stereo clarity). Collectors will love the oddities - the decidedly eerie B-side "For Madmen Only" where the band seems to channeling Stephen King on a bad day. But then you play "Ride With Me" as either a 1971 Mono Single or its Stereo LP counterpart - with John Kay at his rumbunktious blazing best - and the rawk racket that Steppenwolf made was/is just fantastic. And on it goes...

 

There is so much on "The Dunhill/ABC Years 1967-1971", we could have it for days, but this Esoteric Recordings 8CD Mini Box Set for STEPPENWOLF hits home on all the right fronts - Presentation, Audio and Musical Surprises for a band so pigeonholed by their 60ts sound. 

 

A Magic Carpet Ride indeed...

 

PS: see also my review for "Gold" and "Slow Flux etc" both by Steppenwolf and the John Kay solo albums from 1972 and 1973 on Beat Goes On Records - "Forgotten Songs..." and "My Sportin' Life"