Steve Miller Band ‎– Fly Like An Eagle

Steve Miller found his edge here with his most successful album of all time, Fly Like An Eagle, which for most artist can be double edged sword, but Steve Miller has managed to balance his success and maintain his integrity.  

The song "Mercury Blues" takes him right back to his Texas blues roots with nice blues laden rocking overtones and a bright future.  While "Fly Like An Eagle" soars, and is probably the most successful song he's ever written, where he manages to draw deeply from his psychedelic past.  The song is full of sound effects, shiny little eggs to surprise you, and a great clean mix of clean clear smooth vocals and instrumentation.  I just wish it hadn't been so overplayed ... nearly to the point of death, because it is a solid number.

"Rock N' Me Baby" jumps out of the box so strongly that it nearly takes your breath away with a guitar that has a steady rolling beat, one that drives relentlessly on and on and on, moving the listener across the country in the vain of the Beach Boys' "California Girls," only with a harder edge.  His voice is brilliant and light here, as if he knows just how fine this song is.

Then there's "Serenade," a song that will draw chills we've almost forgotten Miller could bring out in us.  It's a rocking social comment if ever there was one, where he's returned to his past again, mixing the vocals and the guitars on an equal level, evoking a feeling of sonic  layered depth and importance, with a percussion that has a great new kick, one not heard before and quite refreshing ... probably the strongest and best number on the record.

'"Take The Money And Run" is a majestic stoner's delight ah-la an updated story of Bonnie and Clyde.  The unexpected hand claps will bring a righteous smile to your face, and the fact that the duo get away with the crime is just fine with me.  I like knowing that there are some rebels out there willing to take the money and ran, even if they're still running ... as we all need some sort of contemporary Billy the Kid to believe in, people bigger than life to give us hope.

"Wild Mountain Honey" is totally wasted and emotionally psychedelic, breathy, and honest ... floating out there on a quiet breeze.  Steve's at his best in this neighborhood, after all, this is where he grew up and seems to be most at home, finding his greatest pleasure.  His voice is uncharacteristic on this track, there's something etherial and different about it, where his delivery ushers in a timeless classic, one that is certainly overshadowed by his hits, but nevertheless, a brilliant bit of inspired musicianship.

All and all a very fine offering from this great artist, along with some new an fresh attitudes that are flawlessly intermixed with that of his past, holding your attention as he hasn't done in a very long time.

Review by Jenell Kesler