The Second cover

The Second

Released

Steppenwolf’s second and most commercially successful album was released mere months after “Born To Be Wild,” from their self-titled debut, brought them nationwide fame and a permanent spot in the biker-rock pantheon. It contains a second, almost as memorable hit in “Magic Carpet Ride,” but it’s their jammier side, reflected on “Tighten Up Your Wig,” which featured frontman John Kay’s lyrics set to the music of “Messin’ With The Kid” by blues harmonica wizard Junior Wells (acknowledged in the lyrics: “But just before we go/I’d like to mention Junior Wells/We stole this thing from him/And he from someone else/Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, he plays the blues like few before/May he play forevermore”), and the five-track medley on Side Two, that hinted at the grimy blues-psych direction they’d travel on subsequent releases.

Phil Freeman

Suggestions
Rides Again cover

Rides Again

James Gang
Lotus cover

Lotus

Santana
Barrett cover

Barrett

Syd Barrett
The Real Thing cover

The Real Thing

Faith No More
Senderos De Traición cover

Senderos De Traición

Héroes del Silencio
Buffalo Springfield Again cover

Buffalo Springfield Again

Buffalo Springfield
At Fillmore East cover

At Fillmore East

The Allman Brothers Band
S.F. Sorrow cover

S.F. Sorrow

The Pretty Things
East West cover

East West

The Butterfield Blues Band