STEPPENWOLF ? EX '68 Dunhill Monarch 1st press foil cover no Born To Be Wild box

$

50

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Original stereo first Monarch press of one of the finest debuts of the 60s. Steppenwolf entered the studio for their first time with a lot of confidence (based on a heavy rehearsal schedule before they ever got signed), and it shows on this album, a surprisingly strong debut from a tight hard rock outfit overlaid with acid-infused flowing guitar lines. From an unpromising start came one of rock history's most breathtakingly punchy, sonically economic-yet-engaging works. Its combination of kickin' party rock and sophisticated socio-political viewpoint is truly an odd one, and the playing is about as loud and powerful as anything being put out by a major record label in 1968, while John Kay's lyrics seem much wiser and mature than his age would suggest. The group's still-ubiquitous 1968 anthem 'Born To Be Wild', with its "heavy metal thunder" lyric, helped usher in an entire genre of music which thrives to this day. Steppenwolf's pioneering "hard rock" sound was an altogether grittier and heavier beast than 60's rock audiences had generally heard before. Their albums tended to be uneven efforts, but they did manage to make a couple of great ones, and this debut is arguably their best. In autumn 1967, the Canadian band Sparrow (fronted by East German escapee Kay) found itself broke and stranded in Los Angeles. Not yet ready to be sent home by immigration, they renamed themselves Steppenwolf, added a couple of locals, and passed themselves off as a fledgling American band. The new band's initial distinctive sound was due largely to the dodgy old gear they were using, including the Lowery organ so memorably attacked throughout this album, but their daunting technical deficiencies were ingeniously concealed behind loads of volume and tastefully-used distortion. Their fortuitous choice to use L.A.'s little-known American Recording Studios resulted in an amazing near-live sound which is crystal-clear, in-your-face, and wonderfully gimmick-free. Bass lines sound fat yet nimble, the loud crack n' thump drums vastly surpass the usual "cereal box" tap-tapping found on most 60's records. With few effects but amp set firmly at '10', guitarist Michael Monarch fills the air with a pealing, harmonic-drenched soulfulness that still sounds fresh over four decades later. Then there's that voice, which shifts with ease from pop balladeer to blistering blues shouter, while laying down some of the heaviest, socially-aware lyrics of the era. The range of songs makes for a most entertaining listen; this is an album of unusual breadth and maturity. The huge success of 'Born To Be Wild' (due to its inclusion in the Easy Riderfilm) did not prove beneficial to the band for long. Other hits (and better gear) were to follow, but the band generally floundered until its first breakup in 1972 for the usual rock-star reasons. Of their original albums, only 1971's 7came close to recapturing this album's strength and clarity of vision.



Artist: STEPPENWOLF

Title: STEPPENWOLF

Year: 1968

Label: Dunhill

Catalog Number: DS-50029

Mono/Stereo/Quadro: stereo

Country: USA

Dead Wax Numbers: DS-50029-A ?11491  / DS-50029-B-RE ?11491-X  (hand-etched)  plus (MR) Monarch stamp on both sides

Weight: 146 grams

Cover Format: standard. foil wraparound front slick with paste-on rear panel

Cover Condition: VG+ (sharp, crisp, vivid and tight, moderate ring/shelf & edge wear which is highly exaggerated in the reflective photo, rear slick is NM)

Vinyl Condition:

EX (perfect gloss, close to NM with some faint surface hairlines & a few light sleeve marks but nothing affects play, couldn't be much nicer)

Label Condition: like new

We clean every record on a VPI HW-17F using Audio Intelligent Vinyl Solutions multi-step process (every disc goes into a brand-new poly-lined inner sleeve).

Everything is strictly graded using the classic Goldmine Standards that we have been applying since 1983: 

M (rarely ever used unless still sealed)/ NM / EX / VG+ / VG / VG- / G+ / G (please see bottom of auction for specific grading information).

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Each (non-sealed) record is removed from its cover before shipping, and both are inserted into a new 3 mm sleeve before they are secured, with bubble wrap if necessary, in the highest-quality cruciform LP mailer.  No time or effort is spared to insure that your disc, cover and inner sleeve / inserts all arrive in exactly the same condition as they were listed.

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We visually grade all records using the classic Goldmine Standard, to which we have added EX (as have many others), but we do not use any other variant from the classic scale.  No NM- or EX+ (which are both EX), EX- VG+++ or Near Excellent (which are all VG+), or any such other nebulous grades here!  We feel that nearly every collector will be more than pleased with anything listed EX or above in our auctions; they will all be top-shelf, archive quality items which will play M- throughout.  A VG+ record will truly satisfy all but the most critical curator.  On the very rare occasion we actually grade an opened LP as straight MINT, we can guarantee you’ll never find a nicer copy anywhere!

We will play-grade any LP if there is any reason to do so; any questionable mark, scuff or noteworthy artifact of any kind will be sampled to determine its true significance (which may obviously impact the grade ).  We will also gladly play-grade anything upon request; if you are curious about the actual pressing characteristics or any have other questions about its actual performance please feel free to ask.

MINT :  Absolutely perfect.

This record looks like it has just left the plant, with no flaws whatsoever.  It appears unhandled and unplayed, with no marks of any sort.  Usually only sealed or (sometimes) unplayed LPs will warrant this grade.

The cover does not appear to have had a record inside it; there is no wear or distraction of any kind.

 NM : Virtually flawless, top copy.

The record is virtually identical to the moment it was opened, but may have a few faint paper, packaging or pressing scuffs which will produce no sound whatsoever and are very hard to see without critical inspection.  It was very carefully handled and played, likely only once or twice.

The cover is as close to perfect as can be expected given its age.  There may be minor impressions due to the outer edge of the vinyl (no ring wear), the lightest possible corner bumps, or a few tiny laminate creases (mainly on imports), but no wear or whitening of any kind whatsoever.

EX : A beautiful specimen, which will please most critical collectors and not need to be upgraded.

The record has no scratches or significant blemishes, and will play NM throughout.  It retains 100% of the gloss, sheen and luster, but may have a handful of faint superficial scuffs, hairlines or light spindle marks which will not produce any sound whatsoever.

The cover is nearly perfect.  There may be the absolute faintest suggestion of ring wear or possibly a light touch of dulling on the corners (nothing wrinkled or obtrusive in any way), but no notable seam or spine wear, writing or sign of tape anywhere.

 VG+ : Plays perfectly nearly all of the time, with only a few minor distractions.

The record still retains nearly all of the gloss, sheen and luster, but there may be a handful of inaudible superficial marks or scuffs, a mild scattering of light hairlines (which would only be faintly audible between tracks or in some very quiet passages), or a few stray marks which may mildly sound for a few revolutions. Each flaw is very minor, barely noticeable to the naked eye, and will not detract from the enjoyment in any way.

The cover is still very clean and crisp, but may look slightly more aged and have a few minor flaws such as small unobtrusive writing, minor wear to the seams and spine (no splits), slightly worn corners, very light ring wear or minor creasing.  No flaw is at all distracting in and of itself.

 VG : A nice play copy, which will perform without much significant distraction.

The record appears well played, but still has the majority of the luster.  It will not have been abused, though there will be some audible sound defects which will not overpower the dynamics of the music, such as mild surface noise in the quietest sections, a handful of stray isolated pops and clicks (which are brief and occasional), or possibly some very mild groove wear; still no skips, repeats, or anything deep or seriously pronounced.  It will play through quite nicely most of the time, with very minimal distraction.

The cover looks somewhat used and shows some mild wear.  There may be some minor seam splitting, ring wear (which still doesn’t overwhelm the cover), discreet writing (not large magic marker), or mild yellowing due to air contaminants. It is still nice, just a few notable flaws away from VG+.

We will never sell anything less than VG, so the rest of the scale is unnecessary.  We absolutely detest groove wear, so we will almost never list anything lacking the overwhelming majority of the luster, sheen and gloss.  Anything of significance will always be noted. 

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