Steve Miller Band - Young Hearts: Complete Greatest Hits

Rating:
Summary: Yeah, I'm a Space Cowboy! Bet'chu weren't ready for that!
Review:
Please don't mistake this for the 'Easy Guitar Tab' version. This is the title you want! In fact, don't ever buy 'Easy' versions of any guitar book. They are incomplete mostly regarding riffs and solos, and innaccurate mostly regarding chord voicings and phrasing.

The cool thing about Steve Miller, is his ability to say it all in a minimum of notes. He calls to mind the likes of John Fogerty, only with a more urbane and sophisticated sound over CCR's raw swampy feel.

On cuts such as 'Space Cowboy', 'Cry, Cry, Cry', 'Shubada Du Ma Ma', and 'The Stake', Miller displays a call-and-response style of simple yet elegant blues.

'Wild Mountain Honey' is tasty with all its stacatto rhythm jabs, calling to mind the likes of T-Bone Walker.

While 'Abracadabra' emits the effects, of heavy studio reverb and echo.

And 'Dance, Dance, Dance' with its hoedown feel, shows that Miller truly has a strong voice in any musical context.

This folio is good for any level of guitarist, who desires to learn some very palpable and playable tunes.



Rating:
Summary: Essential classic rock accurately transcribed
Review: Steve Miller's contribution to the lexicon of classic rock is substantial. Unfortunately playing his songs have always been a little tricky, due to his wide spread use of capos and alternate tunings.

For example "The Joker" sounds to be in the key of "F" but try to play it in "F" and you'll find some difficulty. The reason behind this difficulty is Miller's alternate tuning; Miller tunes the guitars down one step and plays the song in "G", due the alternate tuning the song sounds to be in "F."

This book of tablature transcriptions notes all the alternate tunings and capo placements, thus making his exact sound accessible.

If you are interested in an alternate transcription of "Jungle Love" see the November 1994 issue of Guitar School. The alternate transcription is played in the "open G" tuning and capoed on the 3rd fret.