Friday 3 November 2017

Children Of The Future – THE STEVE MILLER BAND***

Children Of The Future/Pushed Me To It/You’ve Got The Power/In My First Mind/The Beauty Of Time Is That Its Snowing/Baby’s Callin’ Me Home/Steppin’ Stone/Roll With It/Junior Saw It Happen/Fanny Mae/Key To The Highway

Children Of The Future was the debut album from American progressive rocker Steve Miller. His earlier albums show more psychedelic influences than the more bluesy seventies releases. (US:134)

"Many of those who have discovered this band via their mid-70s and later releases are often surprised to discover that they had a somewhat underground reputation at the beginning of their career. On this debut album, we find a mix of soft, and somewhat harder material featuring subtle psych influences running more or less throughout the LP." ,p> "The Steve Miller Band started out doing stuff that sounds like a mix between psychedelic pop/rock and symphonic prog. Unfortunately, they weren't all that remarkable at this style. Not that anything Steve Miller was ever involved with blew me away, but at least some of their classic rock singles were fun. This is just sort of dull and meandering."

"Half of the album is classic blues-rock style - solid but without very much personal character. The rest is more searching - at times almost psychedlia. This is where the group is most interesting, and although Miller's songwriting has yet to reach his top level, the three opening numbers are actually quite good and successful."

"The whole album is excellent, though the 'song-cycle' of interwoven aural visions on the first side still shines brightly today as an important testament, and gorgeous musical contribution, to the psychedelic revolution of the time."

"In terms of stylistic direction, Children Of The Future is effectively split down the middle. The first side shows off a nearly flawless platter of psychedelic rock, a genre then still in its infancy with some well placed pop hooks keeping it all tethered down. The second side holds a more widely accessible blend of pop and R & B neatly sidestepping the massive head trip found on the first side."

"This recording is a great example of how late 1960s proto-progressive rock bands mixed disparate styles."

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