20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection (CD - 2003)

Includes liner notes by Joseph Laredo.

Digitally remastered by Erick Labson (MCA Music Media Studios, North Hollywood, California).

This is part of MCA's 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection series.

The upteen millionth collection by Steppenwolf -- er, slight exaggeration but there are way too many -- is easily one of the best both in terms of sound and selection. While the ready made expectations are met with "The Pusher," "Born to Be Wild," "Magic Carpet Ride," and "Sookie Sookie," there are a few surprises as well, including "Screaming Night Hog," "It's Never Too Late," "Tenderness," and "The Night Time's for You." If only there would have been room for "Monster," "Move Over," and "Power Play." Alas. But as these things go, it's pretty great. Now if they'd only reissue Early Steppenwolf on CD we'd be all set. ~ Thom Jurek

Like any record company worth their salt, MCA knows a good gimmick when they see it, and when the millennium came around -- well, the 20th Century Masters -- The Millennium Collection wasn't too far behind. Supposedly, the millennium is a momentous occasion, but it's hard to feel that way when it's used as another excuse to turn out a budget-line series. But apart from the presumptuous title, 20th Century Masters -- The Millennium Collection turns out to be a very good budget-line series. True, it's impossible for any of these brief collections to be definitive, but they're nevertheless solid samplers that don't feature a bad song in the bunch. For example, take Steppenwolf's 20th Century volume -- it's an irresistible ten-song summary of their MCA years. There may be a couple of noteworthy songs missing, but many of their best-known songs for the label are here, including "Born to Be Wild," "Magic Carpet Ride," "Rock Me," "Snowblind Friend," "Hey Lawdy Mama," "Ride with Me," and "The Pusher." Serious fans will want something more extensive, but this is an excellent introduction for neophytes and a great sampler for casual fans, considering its length and price. That doesn't erase the ridiculousness of the series title, but the silliness is excusable when the music and the collections are good. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine minimize