That's Steve Miller...No way!!!!

Quick!!, Hey can you name the band in the above picture? Can you guess the year of the photo taken? Can you believe that this band was famous before 1974 and no one knew about it. Well I am one his most devoted early fans. I used to a really great classic rock show that incorporate some of the best of famous rock bands or artist that we all and love and play stuff that is their hidden gems or songs that would make you think. It was a two hour show and it was one of the best shows I ever did. I would play stuff by Spirit, Buffalo Springfield, Fleetwood Mac, It's A Beautiful Day and others. Once in a while I get someone who was on the same vibe I was. I get good requests too. If they requested an artist that I had, I would play their early stuff.

So if you don't know who that is on the picture or the year I will give you the answer to the quiz. Ready!! Alright, It's Steve Miller Band circa 1968. Yes Steve Miller had a career before late 1973/74. Steve Miller started in 1966 or so. In 1967 they were Chuck Berry's back up band. I bet you did not know that. Did you also know they played Monterey Pop Festival too. What I liked about the early Steve Miller was the Blues. He mixed Psychedelic and the Blues and good old fun and added Boz Scaggs and had a kick ass band.



This Band with Boz Scaggs only lasted two albums, but it was a great match. Boz and Steve knew each other since they were 12. They both were amazing performers. I have seen them both, but Boz wins hands down. His shows are not long (less then 2 hours), but he really has a great group backing him. Steve on the other hand plays for himself and if you ask for early stuff, he laughs at you and thinks your crazy.

This was a tough choice to put on the blog because, his first 3 albums are amazing. They are so close together in feel and in sound. They all have great musicians and really make a case for his early creativity. Speaking of musicians on the album I chose Brave New World there is a special guest on two songs. Paul McCartney plays drums and bass on two cuts. He does a great job and no one knows its Paul which is even better.

I will tell you how I got started on his early liking. I had the best of that everybody had. You know that one. The one that has a best of years from 1974-1978. I think it sold like a gazillion records. I mean I had it. I had on tape and thought that stuff was good. Then I did my weekly trek to the record store. In front of the new arrivals was Steve Miller Anthology. I looked at the date. The date was 1973, but I thought it was a misprint. The record store guy informed me that if you like the late 1960's stuff you should check this out.



So I did and I was very impressed. I was so impressed that I went back the next week and bought his first 4 records. Each album was better then the rest. It was so hard to pick a great album. I did have one thing going for me though when I bought these. They were short. They easily could fit on my tapes that I bought. I could listen to them in my Walkman. When it was a nice day I would blast that Walkman till I got to school.

What makes this album unique from the era of the 60's is that it's not overly Psychedelic like a lot of stuff from that period. There is a lot of blues feel to it too. He was a talent back then and now to me just a fizzle. If you want to one up somebody on the cool music that person should be listening to, then you have it right here. Thank God I listened and fell in love with this era of Steve Miller. His stuff is awesome!!! Check it out if you can, and treat yourself to a great era that will never come again.