Classic Rock Bottom

ALBUM OF THE WEEK # 346 THE STEVE MILLER BAND - BOOK OF DREAMS (1977)

Disclaimer: All info that does not reside in my brain is gathered from wikipedia.com (mostly because Jon can't stand it) unless otherwise noted.

Rumours, Cheap Trick (debut album), Foreigner (debut album), Cat Scratch Fever, Love Gun, The Grand Illusion, The Stranger, Point of Know Return, Street Survivors and Bat Out of Hell were all future classic albums and they were all released in 1977.  So was this week's Album of the Week, Book of Dreams by The Steve Miller Band. 

First of all, how cool is that album cover?  Pretty dang cool.  Book of Dreams was eventually certified Triple Platinum in the US.  It claimed the number two spot on the US chart, which ties it with The Joker for the highest charting Steve Miller Band album.  Jet Airliner was a Top 10 single, rising as high as number 8, while Swingtown and Jungle Love both were Top 40 hits, topping out at number 17 and number 23 respectively.  

I remember someone close to me having this on vinyl.  Maybe a cousin, but I can't be sure.  I remember that I wasn't all that fond of it at the time.  I love Jet Airliner and Jungle Love, but I was never a fan of Swingtown.  Not sure why, I just didn't like it.  But time has a way of changing your outlook and opinions, and as I listen to Swingtown now, it's not half bad.  The rest of the album is quite good as well, especially  Winter Time and Sacrifice.

My recommendation is to listen to this album if you own it, or buy it if you don't.  It's only 5 bucks on Amazon.  

Tracks:

1. Threshold

2. Jet Airliner 

3. Winter Time

4. Swingtown

5. True Fine Love

6. Wish Upon A Star

7. Jungle Love

8. Electro Lux Imbroglio

9. Sacrifice

10. The Stake

11. My Own Space

12. Babes In The Wood

Views: 60

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Well, it's only 5 bucks on Amazon......as an add-on item. My days of getting two day shipping on $2-3 albums is over, I guess.

Really like this album, but the one track I really, really, REALLY like is "The Stake". It's such the raging rocker. 

You know, this was one of those albums that was in the Walmart CD bin, for $5 and you DIDN'T need to get any add-on items. Sadly, the bin is gone, at least it is here.

Wonder if they'll ever release a super-special-deeeluxe edition like they did with "Fly Like An Eagle". Probably not, but you can always hope.

I only heard the Jet Airiner and Jungle Love from this album, but I had the Fly Like An Eagle vinyl before. It's nice to hear the "spacey" sound is present here as well.

That's a good point, this does have a spacey feel.

Had an artist friend of mine who got paid to airbrush this onto someone's car hood.  And it turned out sweet!  Also an had older brother who played the snot out of Fly Like an Eagle - which I prefer over this album, maybe because of that, but its a better album none-the-less.

Still, this album is no slouch!  Its top to bottom stellar and 80% of it can still be heard on Classic Rock radio to this day!  I can find 2 non-instrumental tracks that I don't recall hearing on the radio, 2 out of 12...Most artists would die for 1!

Miller went weird after this though (See his 16 minute opus titled Macho City on his next album) before regaining some pop-rock sensibility with Abracadabra but after that I lost track until someone posted Bingo! and Let Your Hair Down which were two covers albums... But hey we got his early work up to this album to listen to ...

Nice post!

RSS

Question Of The Week

CRB Features (Click photo to visit)

Birthdays

There are no birthdays today

CRB Staff Members

 

In Memory Of

Norma Jean Fox
(11/30/1945-9/7/2010)

Photos

  • Add Photos
  • View All

Videos

  • Add Videos
  • View All

Badge

Loading…

© 2024   Created by RJhog (Admin).   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service