Wolftracks
{{other uses|Wolf Tracks (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Wolftracks
| type = Album
| artist = Steppenwolf
| cover = Wolftracks - Steppenwolf.jpg
| alt =
| released = 1982
| recorded = 1982
| venue =
| studio = Ocean Way, Hollywood, California
| genre = Rock
| length = 45:09
| label = Wolf
| producer = John Kay, Richard Podolor
| prev_title = Skullduggery
| prev_year = 1976
| next_title = Paradox
| next_year = 1984
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Wolftracks
| type = studio
| single1 = Hot Night in a Cold Town
| single1date = 1981
}}
}}
Wolftracks is an album by John Kay and Steppenwolf, released in 1982 by Wolf Records, with distribution by Nautilus Records in the U.S. and Attic Records in Canada.{{cite web |title=Steppenwolf Biography by Mark Deming |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/steppenwolf-mn0000022928/biography |access-date=21 July 2023 |website=AllMusic}} It was the first new studio album in six years for John Kay, featuring a new line-up of Steppenwolf and Kay renaming the group accordingly.
Background
In 1980, John Kay reclaimed the Steppenwolf name, touring as “John Kay & Steppenwolf.” The album Wolftracks, the first after the band reformed, was recorded "live" in the studio on a 2-track digital recorder, which was then a new medium.{{cite web |url= https://steppenwolf.com/i-5117298-wolftracks-cd.html |title= Wolftracks-CD|author= |date= |website= Stepphenwolf.com|publisher= John Kay & Steppenwolf|access-date= 26 October 2018}}
Critical reception
{{music ratings
|rev1 = AllMusic
|rev1score = {{rating|2|5}}{{cite web |title=Wolftracks John Kay & Steppenwolf |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/wolftracks-mw0001880923 |website=AllMusic |access-date=21 July 2023}}
|rev2 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide
|rev2score = {{rating|1|5}}{{cite book |title=The Rolling Stone Album Guide |date=1992 |publisher=Random House |page=670}}
}}
The Globe and Mail wrote that "the basic elements are all there: Kay's husky, Wilson Pickett singing style dominates the digitally processed mix, and Michael Wilk adds the familiar, fat organ sounds to the lurching, half-soul and half-rock beat."{{cite news |last1=Lacey |first1=Liam |title=Wolftracks Steppenwolf |work=The Globe and Mail |date=11 Sep 1982 |page=F6}}
Track listing
;Side one
- "All I Want Is All You Got" (John Kay) – 3:55
- "Time" (Kay, Michael Palmer, Kevin Kern) – 3:31
- "None of the Above" (Kay, M. Palmer, Steven Palmer) – 5:59
- "You" (Kay) – 3:50
- "Every Man for Himself" (Kay) – 3:19
- "Five Finger Discount" (Kay) – 4:36
;Side two
- "Hold Your Head Up" (Rod Argent, Chris White) – 3:42
- "Hot Night in a Cold Town" (Rick Littlefield, Geoffrey Cushing-Murray) – 3:20
- "Down To Earth" (Kim Fowley, Ross Wilson) – 3:00
- "For Rock-N-Roll" (Kay) – 3:42
- "The Balance" (Kay) – 6:15
Personnel
=John Kay and Steppenwolf=
- John Kay – guitar, vocals
- Michael Wilk – keyboards, vocals
- Michael Palmer – lead guitar, vocals
- Welton Gite – bass
- Steven Palmer – drums, percussion, vocals
=Additional musicians=
=Technical=
- John Kay – producer
- Richard Podolor – producer (track 1)
- Kevin Kern – engineer, assistant producer
- Rich Feldman – engineer
- Mark Ettel, Steve Crimmel – assistant engineers
- Bruce Leek, Richard Donaldson – mastering
- Drennon Studio – art direction
- John Exley – photography