Steve Miller Band – Number 5

Midnight Tango is a good song. The rest I can leave.

This track list is wrong. A and B need to be switched.

A comparison of the record labels between the original release and this 2018 LP release shows a shorter time on this version (by about 30 seconds) for "Hot Chili". I checked it out and this version fades out about 30 seconds before the original's end.

This is such an absurdly underrated record based solely on SMB's reputation (rightfully so) as hardcore yatch rock. Look, do i think that 74-78 Greatest is cover-to-cover classics, well, yeah duh. You know how much those guys made off of those tracks on advertising comps in the 90 and early aughts? Yeah, exactly! This record doesn't share one iota or gene with that generation of Steve Miller Band. Played back to back with Book of Dreams you won't even believe this COULD be the same band. My point is, this is NOT the SMB you are thinking of whatsoever.

There are such a wide variety of tracks here, as well as session additions from bluegrassy banjo moments, to deep blues harmonica. The overall feel of the tracks is far more loose and less radio structured while stil having tight and exciting progressions. Some of the songs themselves are so strong its surpising they arent known . There are goofy, cryptic tracks with wild weird, acid inspired solos: I'm looking squarely at you "Hot Chilli", and I like what I see buddy. and while you can hear tambers of what the band will become later as well as some quiet moody vocals that will reemerge years down the road, the overall feel of the album is unlike anything from the best known era of SMB.

This is the band before they were famous, when they were still trying to figure their thing out and as such they aren't afraid to experiment whatsoever BUT they were far enough into their professional career to have a mature and complex sound. I got my copy as a $2 record store toss-aside with a "Check Condition" sticker on it and honestly the amount of pleasure it gives me to share with people and hear them say "THAT'S Steve Miler Band!?" is actually kinda absurd. Dont let the name on the cover throw you, if you like bluesy, funky, fun, progish gems of the 70s this should be on the list. And you'll prob get it at a cut rate.