For Ladies Only
1971 studio album by Steppenwolf
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| Christgau's Record Guide | C+ |
| Rolling Stone | (mixed) |
For Ladies Only is the sixth studio album by Canadian-American rock band Steppenwolf. The album was released in November 1971, by Dunhill Records. It is a political concept album mainly about feminism, but with several more conventional songs about romance, as well, both unusual themes for Steppenwolf. Some critics saw the album as sexist, citing the lyrics of the songs and a photo of a car shaped like a penis alongside the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the gatefold. The album had the band hinting toward the progressive rock movement that was popular at the time with more complex arrangements and sophisticated keyboard playing, particularly on the title track. Like their previous album, it was accompanied by two minor hit singles, which fell just short of the top 40.
Lead guitarist Kent Henry from Blues Image replaced Larry Byrom prior to recording this album. The album was Steppenwolf's last of new material released prior to the band's initial breakup in February 1972.
01Reception
The album charted at number 54 on the Billboard 200. The album was not well received by reviewers, with Robert Christgau writing, "These fellows certainly have lost their hip aura..." AllMusic's Joe Viglione writes, "In retrospect, For Ladies Only remains a neat artifact of a band who might've been called on to create too much too soon."
Record World said that the title track "is solidly in [Steppenwolf's] hard-driving, hard-rocking tradition."
02Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "For Ladies Only" | Jerry Edmonton, Kent Henry, John Kay, Goldy McJohn | 9:13 |
| 2. | "I'm Asking" | Edmonton, McJohn | 4:25 |
| 3. | "Shackles and Chains" | Kay | 4:57 |
| 4. | "Tenderness" | Mars Bonfire | 4:51 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Night Time's for You" | Bonfire, Morgan Cavett | 2:56 |
| 2. | "Jaded Strumpet" | Edmonton | 4:40 |
| 3. | "Sparkle Eyes" | George Biondo, Kay | 4:29 |
| 4. | "Black Pit" | Henry, McJohn | 3:46 |
| 5. | "Ride With Me" | Bonfire | 3:15 |
| 6. | "In Hopes of a Garden" | Biondo | 2:01 |
03Personnel
Steppenwolf
- John Kay, vocals, guitar
- Kent Henry, lead guitar
- George Biondo, vocals, bass guitar
- Goldy McJohn, Hammond organ, piano
- Jerry Edmonton, drums
Technical
- Richard Podolor, producer
- Bill Cooper, engineer
- Tom Gundelfinger, photography, design
04Charts
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Billboard 200 | 54 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | "For Ladies Only" | Billboard Hot 100 | 64 |
| 1971 | "Ride with Me" | Billboard Hot 100 | 52 |
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “For Ladies Only”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- SteppenwolfForLadiesOnly.jpg by Unknown author, Fair use
- ForLadiesOnly Steppenwolf LP upfolded outside.jpg by Steppenwolf, Fair use
- ForLadiesOnly Steppenwolf Upfolded Inside.jpg by Steppenwolf, Fair use
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