REVIEWS:
Post your comments about Steve Miller Band
(reviewed by Casey Brennan)
This first album by Steve Miller and his band was recorded during the height of the psychedelia era. Since Steve was heavily influenced by the blues at an early age, a fair amount of this record contains bluesy tunes (with the three last tunes being blues covers i believe). His fascination with spacy sound-effects and psychedelic instrumentation usually turns it into very trippy blues though. This makes Children Of The Future a very neat and sometimes haunting psychedelic blues-rock album, with Steve's melodic yet bluesy vocal-style being already engaging and developed by this point. This fine debut would make the band become a welcome new addition into the San Franciscan sound, which already contained respected acid bands like Jefferson Airplane and The Grateful Dead.
Although fairly blues-based, the record's first side is actually a dreamy and highly trippy medley of five tunes, that contain some high-quality melodies, along with some stretches of mellowed-out atmospheric playing (mostly towards the end). It all starts out with an outburst of distorted guitars and swirling organs before quieting down for the beautiful acoustic melody to come in, which contains a cheery falsetto vocal by Steve, and a rich organ sound in the background. In a more upbeat fashion the title tune ends with a drum-roll and segues right into two very short (both under one minute each), but excellent tunes. The first one "Pushed Me To It" is a melodic mid-tempo slice of pop that with a tight drum-roll flows right into the driving organ-drenched blues-pop of "You've Got The Power" (with a quick and impressive musical twist at the end), which at only clocking in at about forty seconds or so, is quite awesome.
This leads all of a sudden into the dreamy and subtly textured "In My First Mind", which is a lengthy seven-minute tune, with a resonant mellotron sound in the background and slow-moving chord changes. It may be slightly over-long but is still a stunner. This pretty tune very slowly fades out into the light and breezy "The Beauty Of Time Is That It's Snowing (Psychedelic B.B.)", which has a perfect 'cold n' stormy' atmosphere in the background, with a light blues number being played softly overtop. Then the voices singing the refrain "Children Of The Future" fades out the tune and ends Side one.
Side two is not quite as impressive, but still decent. The quiet acoustic harpsichord-laden tune "Baby's Callin' Me Home" is a nice tune, with an echoy atmosphere, while Boz Scagg's tune "Steppin' Stone" follows as a tough acid-tinged blues-rock song with some good guitar soloing. The top highlight, and my personal favorite though would have to be "Roll With It", with its' great trebly guitar line running throughout the song, and a full and upfront organ sound that gives the song a great edge. Not only that, but the track contains a great instrumental break in the middle, and some insane psychedelic guitar wanking fading out the tune against some lesliephied 'doo doo do de do de doo' vocals by Steve.
The fast blues-rocker "Junior Saw It Happen" is almost as good as "Steppin' Stone", as it is a pretty nifty tune. Unfortunately the album ends with two uninteresting blues tunes called "Fanny Mae", which is tolerable, and "Key To The Highway", a mostly long and boring number that puts me to sleep. This underrated and trippy set, is a good start for the band, who are mostly known for their catchy mid-1970's hits (ex. "Fly Like An Eagle"). Almost an 8, but those two last numbers deduct it down to a high 7.
Post your comments / reviews for this album
(reviewed by Casey Brennan)
It's a wonder how almost every band seemed to follow the same trend if they released two albums in 1968. The first album would usually turn out to be very psychedelic, while the second album would turn out to be a lot less trippy, and more straighforward and normal. This trend was followed by Traffic on Mr. Fantasy and the more conventional Traffic album from later that year, the Byrds on the spacy early '68 release Notorious Byrd Brothers and full-blown country album Sweetheart Of The Rodeo, and even (to a smaller extent) with the Beach Boys on their mellow and experimental Friends and more 'straightforward' 20/20 album.
It's the same case for this album, which followed Children Of The Future only months later. Did these bands all know where music was heading in this short time, or was it all some evil plot? (just joking). Anyway, the trippy atmosphere of the first album is much more tamed, which makes the album sound different in that respect. What we have here is a good collection of tough, lightweight, and decent bluesy cuts, pretty acoustic ballads, along with an atmospheric opener. The material is of nearly the same quality as the previous release, and contains another classic Miller tune in "Living In The U.S.A.", which is a groovy rocker with an organ pumping along to its' effective and steady beat. Another very strong tune is "Dime-A-Dance Romance", the hardest rocking song on the whole album. This melodic and fuzzy rocker is highlighted by the Rolling Stones-like background vocals and really good lead guitar work.
"Lucky Man" and "My Friend" are also solid rock songs, with the former containing an acoustic intro leading into a more rough-edged tune (I love that organ/guitar riff before the lyrics come in), and the latter being a fast-paced rocker, that sounds like the Who's "Whiskey Man" during the verses. "Dear Mary" is a good bedroom-window ballad with quiet vocals and a rainstorm in the background, and "Quicksilver Girl" is a tasty little ballad, with a sparkling mid-section. Then there is the opener "Song For Our Ancestors", which starts off with the sound of peaceful waves and a ship in the distance(a less fierce version of what the album cover shows), before it turns into a slow-moving piece with dreamy and relaxed guitar. The three remaining tracks are "OverDrive", a fine acoustic shuffle, and two alright generic blues numbers, the short "Gangster Of Love" and "You're So Fine". Sailor is a fine successor to Steve's first album, as it is a consistent set, with really no weak spots.
Post your comments / reviews for this album
(reviewed by Casey Brennan)
The third album from the Steve Miller Band contains a set of solid Rock/pop songs just like its' predecessor Sailor, from half a year earlier. Original Band member Boz Scaggs left before this album was recorded, so that means there are even more songs written by Steve on here (which is no bad thing at all). He pretty much contributes the strongest material on the album, with "Space Cowboy" and "My Dark Hour" being major highlights on here, with the latter being one of the best tunes he ever recorded. It is a fantastic rocker (and one hell of a closer), with a loud and memorable chorus, nifty guitar-work, a catchy riff, and a special guest appearance by the mighty Paul McCartney on bass (and background/response vocals). Overall, a pretty inspired performance.
The former is a spacey mid-tempo rocker which has a lightweight beat and mellow vocals during the vocals, and those famous Steve 'doo doo doo' vocals during the 'under-water' spaced-out section. The rest of the record is typically pretty good, with some fine ballads mixed in with more upbeat, and driving bluesy rock tunes. In fact, Brave New World rocks out a little more than the first two albums did, as it has more fast-paced tunes than either. "Can't You Hear Your Daddy's Heartbeat" (which has a great drum intro) and the harmonica-wailing "Got Love 'Cause You Need It" are the two fast-paced blues numbers on here, both being played in a similar forceful fashion.
"Celebration Day" is a more downbeat bluesy pop tune done in fine style, while the title track is the hopeful opener, with a sing-a-long and cheerful melody. "Kow Kow" is a worthy ballad with a somewhat monotonous tone (sung by another member of the band), and the two remaining tracks "Seasons"(an unmemorable but nice tune) and "Lt's Midnight Dream" (a simple mid-tempo acoustic rocker) are also pretty nice, even if kinda fillerish. Brave New World turns out to be the most conventional set of tunes by the band thus far, as by now all traces of psychedelia are gone (except for maybe 'Space Cowboy', which really ain't psychedelic anyway). Steve's easygoing (and sometimes infectious) vocals along with his recognizable approach to songwriting makes this album an easy one to digest (even though it's too short at only thirty-some minutes). Another fine set that continues in a string of good albums from the band.
Post your comments / reviews for this album
(reviewed by Casey Brennan)
Steve's fifth album in less than three years was recorded on the road, as can be seen by the song titles on here. Visiting these various areas gave him a good range of things to write about, whether it's about eating food in "Hot Chili" or visiting places itself in "Going to the Country" and "Going To Mexico". Even though the material is fairly wide-ranged, this album isn't quite as consistent as his first several albums. Even with the small drop in quality, Number 5 is still a fine album, with several strong gems shining through. One of the best offerings comes in the excellent opener "Good Morning", a rough-edged and poppy 'peace and love' tune, which has a shimmering fade-in, tasty guitar work, and an anthemic vibe running through it.
"Going To The Country" is a really fun and upbeat bluesgrass-tinged number, with a nice fiddle playing along, and some bluesy guitar soloing ending the tune, while "Tokin's" is a fast and hooky rock n' roll tune, with some very pleasing banjo and harmonica playing. The latter is such a warm and inviting track. The glittery "Steve Miller's Midnight Tango" is a real treat on here; it's not a great tune, but the mood created by the engaging harpsichord and relaxed vocals is real special. "Going To Mexico" is a bluesy and darker tune with some electrifying guitar work, while the acoustic ballad "I Love You" (a nice but typical ballad from the man) and catchy "Hot Chili" (the horns add a nice touch to this silly tune) are a little more lighthearted.
"Industrial Military Complex Hex" and "Jackson-Kent Blues" are two bluesy cuts coming towards the end of this set - they are hard-edged and fairly average (I do like the wah-wah effects of the latter). "Never Kill Another Man" is a fine piano-led tune that ends an album which is surprisingly good, for being released so soon after the last one. A few of the tunes are a little insubstantial, or have an exhausted feel to them (which is only natural at this point), so the rating is lowered just a bit.
Post your comments / reviews for this album
(reviewed by Casey Brennan)
Steve Miller rebounded on this set after releasing two unsuccessful albums in the past two years (they are called Rock Love and Journey...Eden - both are supposedly said to be wretched affairs, which might describe why they are out of print). Hopefully I can find them one day. hehe. Anyway, this album brought Steve back into the mainstream, with its' catchy blues rock/pop sound. It also helped that the title track was a monster hit. A simple and effective guitar riff carries this song along, which has clashing drums and a wah-wah guitar sound after he sings the word 'Maurice' during the verses, and lyrics that refer to some of his earlier songs.
There are several other tunes that are pretty good on here too, even if nothing can quite compare to the title track hit (even if it has been overplayed a little too much on radio). The first half contains such notable tracks as the comfortable opener "Sugar Babe", the lightweight pop of "Mary Lou", which is a really catchy tune, and especially the groovin' blues of "Shu Ba Da Du Ma Ma Ma Ma", which is another catchy tune with a generic organ-rock sound and the best hooks on the album.
Unfortunately, the album is rather half-assed and timid when it comes to the other tracks. For one thing, there are a couple of live tunes on the second half, which probably would have sounded ok in concert, but as generic blues cuts don't do anything for me on here. "Come On in My Kitchen" and "Evil" are just rather humdrum. "Your Cash Ain't Nothing But Trash" and "The Lovin' Cup" are well-sung and catchy, but also routine and generic. I almost forgot to mention "Something To Believe In" though, which actually is a pretty good song that closes out the set. The Joker may be a somewhat patchy offering, but the pop sound of the album was a prediction of the sound he would adopt for his two largely successful releases a few years later.
Post your comments / reviews for this album
(reviewed by Casey Brennan)
After a three year break, Steve returned with enough material too make up two albums. Being recorded at the same time, Steve used half of the songs for the first album Fly Like An Eagle, and the other half for the Book Of Dreams album a year later. I'm reviewing the first of these hugely successful albums (duh! you can tell by the title of the review that I'm reviewing Fly Like An Eagle). Anyway. When this album was released it was bound to become big, as the idea was to make the ultimate accessible pop/rock album, with a collection of songs that are catchy, straightforward, and melodic at the same time. Basically, it was what the public wanted (Steve knew this was true when he saw "The Joker" become a box office hit).
In many cases a commercialized album like this would make fans yell 'sell-out', but not in Steves' case. First off, Steve's strength had always been in making concise pop/rock tunes, as can be seen on many of his earlier albums. Also, Steve does these songs in a great lightweight fashion, which is true to his form and gives off an easygoing and comfortable vibe. The neat sound affects and synthesizer flourishes that flow in-between or during some of the tracks is a nice touch too. What you get is a really good set of songs. One of the many popular tunes on here is the title track, which has a distinctive intro riff, cool organ sound, and inspired vocals by Steve. The synthesized "Space Intro" introduces this great song, which has a nice ambience to it.
The warm and fuzzy "Wild Mountain Honey" follows nicely afterwards, with some mellowed-out lyrics and very melodical vocals by Steve. The two catchy rockers "Take The Money and Run" and "Rock 'n Me" come later in the set; they are both very simple radio-friendly tunes that work with their highly effective singing and melodies. Whether its' a good thing or not, they do stick in your head for awhile. The uptempo and minor "Serenade" and little 'country n' western' ditty "Dance Dance Dance" are really enjoyable too.
The other five tunes are a little less memorable, but still fairly good. "You Send Me" is the best of them, with a retro-vibe and great vocal line, that is passionate. "Mercury Blues" and "Sweet Maree" (and its' spacey intro "Blue Odyssey") are two bluesy cuts, which are fine. Closing the album off is the slightly haunting "The Window", where a synthesizer line gives the song a moody edge. It may have taken nearly a decade but Steve is at an obvious peak on here.
Post your comments / reviews for this album
COMMENTS
[email protected] (Rich Bunnell)
I really can't stand "Rock 'n Me" - the song steals the opening chord sequence from Free's "All Right Now," steals its verse melody from "Take It Easy" by the Eagles, and the only original part of the song is the irritating chorus. Just an overall worthless song. I do think the title track has been underrated highly by rock purists, however - if Stevie Wonder had sung the song with no changes in instrumentation whatsoever, it would be hailed as a masterpiece.
(reviewed by Casey Brennan)
Recorded at the same time as Fly Like An Eagle, this album repeats the exact same formula, with obvious great success. As far as quality goes, they are almost copies of each other; although I may like this one a little better. Maybe it's because the hit tunes on the previous set (Rock n' Me, title track) are just slightly more over-played than the ones on here. Besides that stupid little complaint though, everything's pretty much the same. Book of Dreams even starts out the same way; a short spacy introduction with some neat effects segues right into one of the albums major hit, the extremely catchy and successful rock n' roller "Jet Airliner". Once this song gets pumped into your head, the rest of this album follows in nice fashion.
The ballad "Winter Time" is a good successor of "Wild Mountain Honey" from the album before, as they both carry the same mellow mood, although "Winter Time" has a more somber melody. Two of the album's best songs may be the irresistible "Swingtown", an easygoing and danceable pop/rock tune with a catchy drum pattern and a good touch of synthesizer, and the great "Jungle Love", which may be one of Steve's most successful rockers, with typical lyrics from the man 'where everything's peaches and cream'. The nifty retro-rock n' roller "True Fine Love" is a pure delight, highlighted by a short n' sweet guitar solo backed by a thudding rhythym section, and the hard-edged "The Stake" is also pretty good, as a midtempo blues-rocker (even though it's on the generic side of things).
Like Fly Like An Eagle the lesser songs on the whole aren't too special, but give the album a good balance. Even so, there are a few minor nuggets on here like the sweet (and I even go as far to say 'adorable' haha) "Wish Upon A Star" and the poppy "My Own Space" which has a neat and unexpected synthesizer twist in the middle (too bad it doesn't continue into anything that exciting). There is also another tiny spacy track on here called "Electro Lux Imbroglio", which has a Floydish edge to it like the others, that leads into the decent moody ballad, "Sacrifice". Last of the tunes and also closing off the album is the alright instrumental "Babes In The Wood", which has a prominent flute playing along to a simple kind of hokey melody. Along with the previous album, this set shows Steve doing what he does best: lightweight and bluesy pop/rock numbers with catchy and enjoyable melodies.
Post your comments / reviews for this album