Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good stuff, no jokin', June 13, 2002
Steve Miller's work is generally noted for its listenability, but the distinction between this set and his later work is that the material here has more substance. This collection contains great rockers and pop songs, infused with some blues, but also showcases some of the psychedelia that was a prominent part of his pre-mid-'70s work. Leading the way are the hard-driving (literally) Americana classic "Living in the U.S.A.," the gorgeous rocker "Sugar Babe," and "The Joker," the cool, catchy staple of AM and FM radio. Also necessary inclusions for this multi-sobriqueted icon are the Western fantasies "Gangster of Love" and "Space Cowboy." Some songs mix in psychedelia, but the pretty entries from Sailor, "Quicksilver Girl" and the atmospheric "Song for Our Ancestors," are pure-breds. Stevie "Guitar" Miller also does the country sound well, as demonstrated in some of the studio tracks and a couple of live ones. This package represents a solid legacy from the fluid-sounding West Coast guitar hero and falls short of five stars just barely.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The hippe side of Steve Miller, June 12, 2000
Before he became a mid-1970s guitar pop icon, Steve Miller indulged in some serious psychedelica. That side of him, which he subdued later on, dominates this collection of his early material. Like a lot of music from that era, it sounds dated today. In fact, the best songs on this collection ("Living in the U.S.A.," "Going to the Country," "The Joker," and the improbably titled "Kow Kow Calqulator") are the ones that keep the mind trips to a minimum. The one exception is the masterful "Your Saving Grace," one of his best-ever songs. Nevertheless, this is a good collection for fans of the "Gangster of Love."
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Let's Get Serious. This are the ORIGINALS! Stevie Miller!, April 6, 1999
Let get SERIOUS fans. I'd like for you to cherish Sailor, Brave New World, and the other great Stevie Guitar Miller albums from the times that were... but you can't even get Brave New World! (one of the 3 BEST!) This FAITHFUL collection of the creme will leave behind the tracks of your tears. 'STEVE MILLER BAND the BEST 0f 1968 - 1973' has 19 of the best cuts (O-riginal! One and All.) from records YOU can't find now. There's Living in the USA (somebody give me a CHEESEburger!) My Dark Hour, Song of our Ancestors, Space Cowboy, Kow Kow, Don't let Nobody Turn you 'Round (some of MY favorites)... + More. All Gold. Steve, (boz scaggs at bass in the early days) frequently decorated his songs with the gulls' calls and wind of the west coast and he was an innovator of the Coast Sound of SF. Those WERE the days that were! Young Steve went from a sometimes off-key but brilliant, inspired musician on Children of the Future (Get it too, on Amazon!) to a politically hip cornerstone for more than a decade of THE finest era of music. His strong guitar and AMERICAN voice are well chronicled in this prized collection. Get this one the go out and hunt the rest. ENJOY! (I said yessir brother sherrif, and that's your WIFE in the back of my car! I'm a gangster... A gangster of love!) Excellent job of studio transfer to CD!
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