Space Cowboy

Anthology, The Best of the Steve Miller Band 1968 - 1972. Which were certainly the peak years for Steve Miller. I've already posted about the individual album Number 5, so comments made about Miller there hold true for this anthology. There are tracks from Number 5 duplicated here but also heavily represented are the companion albums to that ( three and four chronologically ) Your Saving Grace and Brave New World. This collection is an excellent summing up of the band at this time. Aside from Steve Miller, it also highlights the organ playing and song writing skills of Ben Sidran and particularly the matchless rock piano playing of Nicky Hopkins. More influenced by classical and gospel than by blues and jazz, Hopkins was a unique talent who never quite found his niche to settle in. Maybe he would have done better accepting the gig with the Steve Miller Band than plumping for Quicksilver Messenger Service instead. And lifestyle wise, he may have done better not being house pianist on many Stones records, although musically his contribution to those was considerable.