The Second

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Second
Studio album by Steppenwolf

Publication
(s)

1968

Label (s) ABC Records , Dunhill Records, Stateside Records

Format (s)

LP, CD

Genre (s)

Rock , blues rock , psychedelic rock

Title (number)

12

running time

40:25

production

Gabriel Mekler

Studio (s)

American Recording Co. Studio, Studio City , Los Angeles

chronology
Steppenwolf
(1968) 		The Second At Your Birthday Party
(1969)

The Second is the second studio album by the American-Canadian rock band Steppenwolf . It was released on ABC Records in October 1968 .

background

The Second appeared in the same year as Steppenwolf's debut album Steppenwolf , because the formation was contractually obliged to deliver two recordings per year at the time. The recordings lasted six weeks and, like the predecessor, took place in the American Recording Co. Studios in Los Angeles . After the success of Born to Be Wild in June 1968, the album includes another successful hit single, Magic Carpet Ride, and another track written by Mars Bonfire , Faster Than The Speed ​​Of Life . Similar to Abbey Road by the Beatles , a medley begins with Disappointment Number (Unknown) on the second page , which ends with Resurrection .

In contrast to later LP and CD versions, the album was originally delivered with a glossy film as the front cover, which was designed by Gary Burden according to the zeitgeist of the time, based on psychedelic art .

The publications in Great Britain in particular also name Steppenwolf The Second as an alternative title.

Track list

Original LP from 1968

page 1

  1. Faster Than The Speed ​​Of Life (Mars Bonfire) - 3:10
  2. Tighten Up Your Wig ( John Kay ) - 3:06
  3. None of Your Doing (Kay, Gabriel Mekler) - 2:50
  4. Spiritual Fantasy (Kay) - 3:39
  5. Don't Step On The Grass, Sam (Kay) - 5:43

Page 2

  1. 28 (Mekler) - 3:12
  2. Magic Carpet Ride (Kay, Rushton Moreve) - 4:30
  3. Disappointment Number (Unknown) (Kay) - 4:52
  4. Lost And Found By Trial And Error (Kay) - 2:07
  5. Hodge, Podge, Strained Through A Leslie (Kay) - 2:48
  6. Resurrection (Kay) - 2:52
  7. Reflections (Kay, Mekler) - 0:43
Bonus track from the remastered CD re-release in Japan 2013
  2. Magic Carpet Ride (Mono Single Version)

On the back of the album cover, Magic Carpet Ride only mentions John Kay as the author. On the other hand, both Kay and Rushton Moreve are on the record.

occupation

Chart successes

The Second reached number 3 on the Billboard 200 . It was awarded gold by the RIAA in February 1969 . The single Magic Carpet Ride reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed on the US charts for 16 weeks.

reception

  • Bruce Eder wrote on Allmusic that the second album was a slightly more sophisticated redesign of the debut record and that the band's songwriting had improved. This is in excellent shape and covers everything from hard rock to psychedelia to blues. Even if there is nothing comparable to Born To Be Wild on The Second , the level of the rest of the songs is superior to the debut. The album received four and a half stars out of five.
  • George Starostin wrote on his review page that The Second is not as good as Steppenwolf's debut album, but, in contrast to this, not overrated, but underrated. He complained that there were no other classics like Born To Be Wild , but The Second was still fun with lowered expectations. It would also show that the band is not only able to deliver all-too-simple macho rock made on the assembly line. In the evaluation, the album got ten out of fifteen points.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ List of the various editions at discogs.com
  2. ↑ The Second at steppenwolf.com
  3. ↑ Steppenwolf and The Second by Steppenwolf at classicrockreview.com
  4. ↑ Photos of the cover of the US edition from 1970 under "More Images" at discogs.com
  5. ↑ Photos of the cover of the US edition from 1968 under "More Images" at discogs.com
  6. ↑ Steppenwolf The Second at discogs.com
  7. ↑ CD version Japan 2013
  8. ↑ Chart placement at allmusic.com
  9. ↑ Awards at riaa.com
  10. ↑ Chart placements at tsort.info
  11. ^ Band biography at rollingstone.com
  12. ↑ Review at allmusic.com
  13. ↑ Review at starling.rinet.ru