Steppenwolf: Steppenwolf 7 - 1970

This album is actually a bit of an improvement on Monster. Just. Nicely produced, there's some fine, varied rock/blues/country to be found on here, from the industrial, riffy and fabulously funky opener Ball Crusher via the blues of both Forty Days And Forty Nights and Fat Jack to the acoustic and most pleasurable country rock of Snowblind Friend.

Who Needs Ya is a typical Steppenwolf serving of riffage that shows they hadn't quite lost it. It reminds me a lot of Creedence Clearwater Revival and particularly  Grand Funk Railroad from the same period. It is probably the best track on the album. I love its early seventies riffy rocking sound.

Actually, Renegade its pretty good too. There's lots of hidden treasure to be discovered on this album, for sure. It seems to have become far too easy for reviewers to criticise this album and its tracks for not being Born To Be Wild. It is a stereotyped, perceived wisdom critics' trap to fall into. Make sure you don't! What do those critics know? Not as much as The Panther.

The oddly-titled Earschplittenloudenboomer is an appealing, organ-powered instrumental, while Hippo Stomp and Foggy Mental Breakdown are examples of the sort of rock with a soulful, vaguely funky edge that was becoming popular at the time. All really good stuff.

As I said, don't write this album off too soon. I almost did and have since reassessed it, positively. It is one of those that gets better with every listen.


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