Steve Miller Band

- Capitol Recall The Beginning . . . A Journey from Eden

Steve Miller first made an appearance in the Sixties about the same time as Procol Harum and the Byrds. His first two albums Children of the Future and Sailor were two of the strongest strangest rock and roll albums around for a long time. Two or three albums later he had lost his original success and members of the band, But Recall the Beginning is better than anyone could have imagined he was capable of - probably because of the return of a former colleague Ben Sidran, who produced the album and of Miller's new men like Kim Keltner and Jesse Davis.

Despite having written all the songs himself, there is a distinct difference in tone and emotion in every (rack. The lighter, shorter tracks are all on the same side while the deep, dark, longer tracks are on the other. Miller's int-ention to retrieve some kind of the old dark mystery in this album is suggested in the "This recording completed on the full eclipse of the moon, Jan 29, 1972," statement on the cover. It also says the album is devoted to Mahalia Jackson and Junior Parker which could be relevant.

The first track, Welcome, with no vocals heralds in the new emotional, uncool Miller. It's followed by a typical Fifty-ish doo wap, light-hearted, half-sung, half-reuted number. Very nostalgic. From here Miller is on his own Unfortunately the album becomes more and more disillusioned, almost heartbroken (but still good), until by the end of side two you've just gotta turn the record and start again

—Judy Allen.