Whenever
someone releases the "ultimate" edition of anything, whether its an
album or a book or a movie, you have a lot of pressure to make this the
best collection anyone has ever had. So when Universal Music announced
the new "Ultimate Hits" release from the Steve Miller Band I was
apprehensive at first. The Steve Miller Band was a music staple on AM
and FM radio throughout the seventies and their "Greatest Hits 1974-78"
album is one of the best selling albums of all time. So how do you improve on that?
This
new "Ultimate Hits" will be released in a number of different formats,
including multiple CD and vinyl editions. The single CD release mirrors
the 2LP edition and both contain 22 songs, including Les Paul talking to
a five-year old Steve Miller on becoming a big star. This release also
includes all of the Steve Miller Band's classic hits like "The Joker,"
"Take The Money And Run" and "Abracadabra." Three previously unreleased
tracks round out the single CD release as current live versions of Steve
Miller Band classics "Living In The USA" and "Space Cowboy" are proof
at how timeless their music is. The treasure on this release is the
previously unreleased song "Seasons," which is a heartfelt acoustic
piece that showcases Steve Miller's softer side.
There
is also a deluxe edition which fills up 2CDs or a 4LP vinyl set. This
includes 40 songs that dig deeper into the Steve Miller Band catalog
with songs like "My Dark Hour," "Journey From Eden" and "Heart Like A
Wheel." The beginning of the deluxe edition is great with Steve Miller
describing his early days in concert before performing a solo acoustic
version of "Gangster Of Love." Not only does it included the unreleased
song "Seasons," but it has a second previously unreleased track titled
"Baby's Callin' Me Home," which carries a jazzy blues vibe and a third
one, which is a studio recording of Wilson Pickett's "Midnight Hour."
Another hidden gem on this deluxe edition is the demo of "Take The Money
And Run." The only complaint I have on this "Ultimate Hits" release is
that the string of hits ends in 1987 and does not include any songs from
his last three studio albums.
The
Steve Miller Band "Ultimate Hits" is definitely a great addition to
anyone's musical library and should re-introduce their brand of
blues/rock music to a whole new generation. The Steve Miller Band have
about half-a-dozen live shows remaining on their calendar for this year.
Please visit stevemillerband.com for more information on the Steve Miller Band's new release "Ultimate Hits."
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