Barry Searle

If you want to delve into Steve Miller at his artistic best, this album IMHO, is where it's at. It is kind of a shame that his gigantic commercial success of the 70s and 80s so overshadowed his more creative instincts. This album is full of gems from start to finish without a single weak spot anywhere. Strong opening with Welcome, through the subtle perfection of the slide guitar in High on You Mama, the rocking Heal Your Heart (one of my favorite Jesse Ed Davis guitar tracks), and on to Somebody Somewhere Help Me, possibly my favorite SMB song of all. And then on to Side Two which is pure brilliance: his masterpiece, (presented en suite like side two of Abbey Road), the songs rise in dynamics and intensity with a thematic connectedness. Fandango stands among his best ever, but wait, here's Nothing Lasts with its message fortified by his call and response with himself, and then culminating with the last word, the album's peak, the title track. If only he'd continued down this this creative path instead of veering off to greater fame and much greater fortune with the arena rock anthems..... in other words, blatant commerciality. But it's nice to know he had this in him anyway.