Anthology

Steve Miller Band

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 23, 1991)
• Original Release Date: 1972
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B00000DRBK
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #46,021 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Notes From The Underground, October 12, 2004

By	Sal Paradise (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

The importance of this early Steve Miller Band material cannot be overstated. Far from being a prelude to his mid-Seventies stardom, the early SMB was perfect, and I do mean PERFECT, counterculture music. The presence of Boz Scaggs very early on (he's only on one song here) has added some mystique but Miller was the key. Most of the early albums are now available and I would recommend ALL of them. But for the SMB neophyte, "Anthology" is the best starting point.

Guests abound, notably Paul McCartney, Lee Michaels, Ben Sidran and, most profoundly, Nicky Hopkins on piano in "Baby's House". While the song is overly long, Hopkin's piano work transcends anything he was doing more famously with The Rolling Stones around the same time.

But the greatest stuff is vintage Steve Miller. Excellent in their own right, "Going To The Country", "Going to Mexico", "Seasons" and "Living In The USA" scream for an altered state...and, once there, you are rewarded on a level known to many "back in the day". Essential esoterica from the visionary side of the social revolution.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Steve Miller Band Anthology, a must for blues/rock fans, April 21, 2002

By	Kristy (La Porte City, IA) - See all my reviews

STEVE MILLER BAND ANTHOLOGY REVIEW: BY Kristy
Steve Miller has played many different styles of music throughout his long career which is still continuing today. He's most known for his instant gratification songs such as: The Joker, Fly Like An Eagle, Jungle Love, Take the Money an Run, Abracadabra, and Jet Airliner. But I'd like to write a bit about his earlier style which was much closer to BBKing than The Who.

He has an honest sounding, baritone voice, not specatacular, but it does the job he's trying to do...make good music that doesn't have be shout/sung. It is especially effective when he does blues ballads, like many of the standard classics on this album, which when orginally realeased was a two LP set of their best songs from the late 60's to the early 70's which is when he still worked with now famous Boz Scaggs, which helped add a different feel to this album than his later work.

I don't have time or space to write about every single song on these albums, but I'll definately cover the highlights...although all of the songs are great in their own way.

'I Love You' is the romantic opener, subtle yet beautiful...simplistic, but I wish more rock would be like that...I think today's bands should follow Miller's example. Nice harmonica work

'Baby's House' has to be one of my favorites on this album.. you know me and my piano fetish, well this is a gentle mournful song that has this great piano solo in the middle...a little long...but like a great movie, you always wish it could last a little longer...the lyrics are bittersweet...

...

I don't care what I've heard other critics say. Steve Miller was inovative and didn't just copy other styles...that's why I wrote my own review because all of the cynics just smugly diss him, saying he was nothing but a cheap thrill in long technical terms. I strongly ugre this album to be in your music collection..second suggetion if you're new to Miller and want his greatest hits, buy The Steve MIller Band's Greatest Hits 1972-1978.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The kind of recording you can play over and over and over..., March 19, 1999

By A Customer

I burned out the LP early on, followed by the 8 track and then cassette tape versions, now I am ready to own the CD and play it to my hearts content....Steve Miller at his finest early hour, and truly if you can only have one Steve Miller, this is it!