Abracadabra

Steve Miller Band | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Original Release Date: 1982
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B00000DQSJ
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #38,825 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

No Description Available
No Track Information Available
Media Type: CD
Artist: MILLER,STEVE BAND
Title: ABRACADABRA
Street Release Date: 11/15/1988
Domestic
Genre: ROCK/POP

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Miller's last gasp as a major artist, November 27, 2000

By 

Brian D. Rubendall (Oakton, VA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Abracadabra (Audio CD)

"Abracadabra" was Steve Miller's last chart hit (and a number one, at that). The album of the same name was the last Miller album actually worth owning. Miller is known for his blues stylings, but ultimately he is a 1970s era classic rocker at heart. With "Abracadabra," he attempted to insert some new wave flourishes into his music, with mixed results. After the big hit, the album's other highlights include "Keeps Me Wondering Why," "Give it Up" and "Cool Magic." Nothing of great consequence, but then again Miller's albums were more about having fun than thinking real hard.

Overall, "Abracadabra" is far from being Miller's best album but might be worth owning for ardent fans.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Last flawless Steve Miller album for awhile anyways, September 15, 2010

By 

Terrence J. Reardon "Classic rock and old sch... (Lake Worth (a west Palm Beach suburb), FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Abracadabra (Audio CD)

The Steve Miller Band's twelfth studio album entitled Abracadabra was released in June of 1982.
After experiencing extremely disappointing sales of his 1981 album Circle of Love, Steve decided to release another album right away with Abracadabra. Steve (as always on guitars and vocals but suffering from some writer's block as he only had two new tunes for the album) retained the band on Circle of Love (bass player Gerald Johnson, drummer Gary Mallaber and keyboard player Byron Allred) and added two new guitarists Kenny Lee Lewis (who is still in the band today) and John Massaro (the two wrote much of the album aside two tracks) and record Abracadabra at Capitol Record Studios in early 1982 with help from ex-bass player Lonnie Turner and ex-guitarist Greg Douglass (both of whom last recorded with Steve in 1977 on Book of Dreams). The result is an album which some cry "sell out" and others say "gave Steve his last hit". I think it's a great album as I found out when I first got the cassette tape in September of 1987 (alongside The Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band to begin my first year of Junior High School).
The opening "Keep Me Wondering Why" is a great rocker which was written by Kenny Lee Lewis. Next is the album's title track (written by Steve himself) and is the big hit from the album. The song would prove to be his last #1 pop hit in the summer/fall of 1982 and here it's in its full long version with outro and at over 5 minutes the longest track on the album. Next is the Lonnie Turner/Greg Douglass penned rocker "Something Special" which is another winner. We follow with the album's second single "Give It Up" (also penned by Steve Miller himself) and sounds like a slowed down version of "Heart Like a Wheel" but a great song. A shame the song didn't rise above #60 on the charts. Next is another nice tune out of "Never Say No" (penned by Lewis and Massaro) which ends side one on a rocking note and was the flip side to the title cut.
The second side begins with two songs written by John Massaro which is the New Wave rock sound of "Things I Told You" which is another great tune. We follow with "Young Girl's Heart" which is a nice song. Next is another Turner/Douglass composition which is the country-ish "Goodbye Love" which has some banjo-style guitar and some harmonica by either Steve or Norton Buffalo (who would join in time for the Abracadabra tour). Next is another great rocker penned by Lewis out of "Cool Magic" which is one of my favorite Steve Miller album tracks ever. We then end with the nice acoustic ballad "While I'm Waiting" penned by Massaro.
Abracadabra would become The Steve Miller Band's last album to reach the US Top 10 peaking at #3 and bringing him back to Platinum glory one more time as his career went into a slide for awhile after this (although his next great album would be 1986's Living In the 20th Century).
RECOMMENDED!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars One Track Wonder, April 26, 2008

By 

Two Tone Antoine (Brigg, North Lincs, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Abracadabra (Audio CD)

There is little to commend this CD except the title track, which I happen to like very much. Others have been spectacularly dismissive, which is a shame.

The rest of the album is either dull or mediocre.