What's so great about the Steve Miller band?

Well, maybe when he covers their songs in whole, but not necessarily when he uses some of their lyrics

 

It's interesting that you bring up Pink Floyd because I feel that his lead playing is quite similar to that of David Gilmour.

He really gets bad rap for having commercial hits, whether it be "Livin' In The U.S.A.", "Rock 'n Me", or "Abracadabra". His overall work is much more inspired than those songs would suggest.

 

Start off with Greatest Hits(74-77) and Anthology(68-71). Help me out Jim...

 

I love The Steve Miller Blues Band.Children of the Future and Sailor are two pure moments in early Haight Ashbury scene.You had to be there to know how mindblowing these recordings where.On stage at the Avalon Ballroom,a Strong Blues Band.At home on this 16 year old record player /with headphones...Mind Expanding

 

Your Dad was 100% right.Steve didn't sell out.He just didn't burn out.He is still making fine music.

 

Greatest Hits is a good party record.

 

How do you get the nickname Stevie "Guitar" Miller if no one thinks you are great?

Personally, Book Of Dreams & Fly Like An Eagle are in my Top 100 Albums of All Time. I also have a vintage Book of Dreams poster framed hanging in my office that has pics of 10 previous SMB albums across the bottom. In the late 70's, my Dad, a hard core Elvis & Chet Atkins fan, heard me playing Book of Dreams and bought the album for himself.

So to answer the OP's question, there's something to be said for mass appeal and yet maintain the mystique of the Space Cowboy.

 

Miles Davis:

“I remember one time - it might have been a couple times - at the Fillmore East in 1970, I was opening for this sorry-ass cat named Steve Miller. Steve Miller didn't have his **** going for him, so I'm pissed because I got to open for this non-playing mother#%*#%* just because he had one or two sorry-ass records out. So I would come late and he would have to go on first and then we got there we smoked the mother#%^*%#^ place, everybody dug it.”

 

With Paul Ramon on drums! Great!

 

Classic Miles.

 

I'll take Miles' advice.

 

I don't doubt he was inspired by them, but we're talking a single misheard word for pompetus and while those lovey dovey lyrics clearly come from the Clovers' song, it's sung entirely differently from the original.

 

The first five albums are wonderful. From Joker, Fly Like an Eagle on he started to really sell and make bank. Good for him but it's more about 70s pop rock hooks which is fine. But the first 5 are well crafted albums.

 

Yup

 

I LOVE The Steve Miller Band... Joker, Fly, Book -- that era.

 

Ah, too late to this thread. I was gonna say "Perhaps you should ask Miles Davis that question".

 

I'm amazed that it took that long for somebody to mention Paul McCartney or his alias.

 

"What's so great about the Steve Miller Band?"

I guess I don't understand these "what's so special about _______ " threads. Who says that you need to agree with everyone else? Either you like it or you don't.

As for the SMB the music that most people know (those who don't have any of their records) will be from the albums The Joker, Fly Like an Eagle and Book of Dreams, perhaps also his earlier song, Livin' in the USA. His first few albums, say up to and including Recall the Beginning didn't get much radio play and mostly aren't known, even to those who loved Fly Like An Eagle. While I really like his more commercial mid-70s albums, his early albums from the late 60s and early 70s are much more mature and just better overall.

Scott

 

Talent aside, there's been plenty of accounts that Miles was quite the "sorry-ass cat" with quite a few people, including those closest to him.

 

Also, the great piano playing of Nicky Hopkins on that album.

 

Oh, sure - that's why I put the smiley face there. The "lovey-dovey" is absolutely a swipe, but I don't think Steve Miller is a lyrical thief. Hmm, there must be a better way to put that.

 

Great stuff. But the guy on drums is no Ringo

 

If you can get past the truly awful "rap" section at the beginning, the rest of this track is a monster instrumental jam.... full of funky bass lines, synth effects, and echo-drenched guitar licks.... I wish more of SMB's stuff was like this!