Magic Carpet Ride: The Autobiography of John Kay and Steppenwolf

by John Kay, John Einarson

Autobiography and stories of John Kay and Steppenwolf, the band that made the rock 'n' roll anthem- "Born To Be Wild".

Genres: Music

372 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1994

Reviews

[Joe Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steppenwolf's legacy is largely (and unfairly) defined by the extreme overuse of "Born to Be Wild" in commercials, TV shows, and movies... all stemming from its original, iconic appearance in "Easy Rider". This is a shame, because there is so much more to their story, and John Kay lays that full story out here in his memoirs. This book details John's life and career, starting with his childhood escape from Eastern Bloc Germany to Toronto, CA. From there, he migrates to the US and develops his chops as a musician by performing multiple types of music on both coasts of the country. By 1968, he was ready for primetime, so he created Steppenwolf out of the ashes of a previous group and released a debut record that featured not one, but two of his most iconic songs. And from there, Steppenwolf experienced the highs of being the most important band in the world, to the lows of chasing imposter acts across the country, and everything in between. John is up front and honest about his perspectives, decisions, and regrets, and the book even includes passages from his family and former collaborators, all of whom speak freely (and often critically!) of John. To me, this is as honest as a memoir can be. He covers everything, and includes other perspectives on tough subjects. If you're looking for an underappreciated rock biography, start here. Of the many, MANY rock memoirs on my shelf, this is one of the best.

[Rik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Early Steppenwolf was a vastly under-rated band, and John Kay deserves recognition as one of the finest singers of the classic rock era. If you remain unconvinced of this, you can still find plenty to enjoy in this bio. It's a story rich enough to make a movie out of, for certain. John Kay was born in communist East Germany, and made a dramatic escape with his family to Canada. He only learned to speak English in his teens, which makes his convincing ability to sing authentic blues all the more remarkable. A severe eye disability didn't stop him from once sneaking onto train boxcars and riding the rails across Canada in search of work. In short, Kay was a tough, driven entrepreneur, more determined to provide well for his family than to become famous. His character was thus rather at-odds with the prevailing 1960s-70s youth zeitgeist, and no doubt this made him a few enemies. Still, Kay was no conservative, as his highly-political - and smart - lyrics will attest. Although Kay and his band are generally remembered only for a handful of hit singles 35-40 years ago, there is a great deal more to their story than that. Of the many music bios I've seen, this is actually one of the better ones. Pity that it, and its subject, aren't much better known.

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad autobiography of John Kay and his wild and wicked band, Steppenwolf. It takes almost half the book to get to his band because he waxes nostalgic for Canada, his folk singing past and the Sparrow.

In a way I understand his need to discipline a band that was under the spell of hard drugs but the overall tone of the book is angry and bitter. I didn't expect him to love all his ex-band mates, but he comes off a little too impossible to please. Born to be pissed.

[Eamonn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a fan of the original Steppenwolf era (1967-71 approx). I can't honestly say I thought much of the later albums I've heard or of John Kay's solo material, where there is a shift in emphasis towards country music, singer songwriter pop, R&B, horn sections, and so on. Just not my taste, or done better elsewhere.
I found this book fascinating but as it's Kay's full biography, spanning the years 1944-94, the key Steppenwolf period is only a fraction of that timeline, and while it's unquestionably the main story of the book, it's not dealt with in quite enough detail for me (we're a third of the way in before the band has even formed!). Which is the chief reason this gets 3 stars.
The debut album is covered in some detail but subsequent albums are given increasingly less attention, weirdly echoing the general publics reception of the bands works. It is interesting to read Kay's opinions of his various ex bandmates, the personality traits and inter-personal alliances, and how each of them managed to piss Kay off! Kay come across as authoritarian, uncompromising, and a man who knows how to hold a grudge.
Finally, while I'm surprised this book didn't find a bigger publisher, perhaps Kays unlikeableness, and the relative lack of tales of outrageous tour behaviour are part of the reason this didn't happen.