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 saw 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.[6]
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.
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..."[7]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."[3]
Record World said that the title track "is solidly in [Steppenwolf's] hard-driving, hard-rocking tradition."[8]
