Fly Like an Eagle (album)

Fly Like an Eagle is the ninth studio album by American rock band Steve Miller Band, released in May 1976 by Capitol Records in the United States, Canada and Japan and Mercury Records in Europe.

Fly Like an Eagle
Studio album by
Steve Miller Band
ReleasedMay 14, 1976 (1976-05-14)[1]
Recorded1975–1976
StudioCBS Studios, San Francisco, California
GenreRock, psychedelic rock, space rock, blues
Length38:07
LabelCapitol
ProducerSteve Miller
Steve Miller Band chronology
The Joker
(1973)		 Fly Like an Eagle
(1976)		 Book of Dreams
(1977)
Singles from Fly Like an Eagle
  1. "Take the Money and Run"
    Released: April 26, 1976[2]
  2. "Rock'n Me"
    Released: August 1976 (US)[3]
  3. "Fly Like an Eagle"
    Released: August 13, 1976 (UK)[4]
  4. "Serenade"
    Released: January 28, 1977 (UK)[5]

The album was a success, spawning three singles: the title track, "Take the Money and Run" and "Rock'n Me", and eventually received quadruple platinum certification from the RIAA.

Fly Like an Eagle was voted number 400 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000).[6] In 2012, the album was ranked number 445 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time."[7]

The album remains a staple of rock, and its singles remain in constant rotation on classic rock radio stations in the United States and worldwide.

On the album's cover, Miller is posing with a black left-handed Fender Stratocaster that Jimi Hendrix had originally ordered, but Miller ended up claiming it from Manny's Music and re-strung it right-handed, as Hendrix had died after it was ordered. Unfortunately, the guitar was later stolen after the album's release.[8]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]
Christgau's Record GuideB+[10]
Rolling Stone(favorable)[11]
The Village VoiceB−[12]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[13]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine in a retrospective review for AllMusic felt that "the focus brings about his strongest set of songs (both originals and covers), plus a detailed atmospheric production where everything fits." However, he said that "it still can sound fairly dated", but concluded the review by saying that "its best moments [...] are classics of the idiom." Rolling Stone voted it 1976's Best Album. Jay Cridlin of the Tampa Bay Times described "Dance, Dance, Dance" as "the best John Denver song John Denver never recorded".[14]

Track listing
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Space Intro" (Instrumental)Steve Miller1:15
2."Fly Like an Eagle"Miller4:42
3."Wild Mountain Honey"Steve McCarty4:51
4."Serenade"Miller, Chris McCarty3:13
5."Dance, Dance, Dance"Miller, Joseph Cooper, Brenda Cooper2:18
6."Mercury Blues"K. C. Douglas, Bob Geddins3:30
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
7."Take the Money and Run"Miller2:50
8."Rock'n Me"Miller3:05
9."You Send Me" (*)Sam Cooke2:42
10."Blue Odyssey" (Instrumental)Miller1:00
11."Sweet Maree"Miller4:16
12."The Window"Miller, Joseph Cooper4:19

* Contains a brief sample from Cheech & Chong's comedy routine "Championship Wrestling" (from Cheech & Chong's Wedding Album, 1974), inserted after the first verse. The sample includes the words "...c'mon, don't be nervous!"

Personnel

Steve Miller Band

Additional personnel
  • James Cotton – harmonica (on track 11)
  • Curley Cooke – guitar (on track 12)
  • Les Dudek – guitar (on track 12)
  • Charles Calamise – bass (on track 12)
  • Kenny Johnson – drums (on track 12)
  • John McFee – dobro (on track 5)
  • Joachim Young – B3 organ (on tracks 2 and 12)

Technical
  • John Palladino – executive producer
  • Mike Fusaro – recording engineer
  • Jim Gains – mastering
  • Susan McCardle – photography
  • David Stahl – photography

Quadraphonic and original editions

A Quadraphonic mix of the album was available on the Quadraphonic 8-Track cartridge format (in which Track 1 - "Space Intro" is edited into "Fly Like an Eagle" as one track, and Track 6 - "Take the Money and Run" intro repeats twice).

On the U.K. original vinyl release "Space Intro" does not appear on track listing. A 40-second track called "Space Odyssey" segues into "Wild Mountain Honey".

30th anniversary edition

In 2006 the album was re-released to celebrate its 30th anniversary. The CD is digitally remastered and includes three bonus tracks and a bonus DVD features a concert performance at Mountain View, California's Shoreline Amphitheatre in 2005 with over two hours of music in 5.1 Surround Sound (Note this surround mix is not based on the QUAD mix as track 1 and 6 are not different from the standard releases). Guest musicians include George Thorogood and Joe Satriani. The DVD also features a lengthy interview with Steve Miller, archive footage, never-before-seen photographs, and early demo recordings.

Live at Shoreline Amphitheatre

September 17, 2005

  1. Swingtown
  2. True Fine Love
  3. Abracadabra
  4. Dance Dance Dance
  5. Wild Mountain Honey
  6. Nature Boy
  7. Mercury Blues
  8. The Stake
  9. Shu Ba Da Du Ma Ma Ma Ma
  10. I Love the Life I Live, I Live the Life I Love (featuring George Thorogood)
  11. Got Love If You Want It (featuring George Thorogood)
  12. Gangster of Love (featuring George Thorogood)
  13. All Your Love (I Miss Loving) (featuring Joe Satriani)
  14. I'm Tore Down (featuring Joe Satriani)
  15. Slow Blues (featuring Joe Satriani)
  16. Crossroads (featuring Joe Satriani)
  17. Fly Like an Eagle (featuring Joe Satriani)
  18. Take the Money and Run
  19. Rock'n Me
  20. Jungle Love
  21. The Joker
  22. Encore: Serenade (featuring Joe Satriani)

Charts
Chart (1976) Peak
position
Canadian Top Albums[15] 4
Netherlands Top 100 Albums[16] 7
UK Albums Chart[17] 11
US Billboard 200[18] 3
Chart (1977) Peak
position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[19] 20
New Zealand Top 40 Albums[20] 16
US R&B Albums[18] 19

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[21] 2× Platinum 200,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[22] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[23] 4× Platinum 4,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. "RIAA certifications". Recording Industry Association of America.
  2. "Steve Miller singles". DutchCharts.
  3. "Steve Miller singles". DutchCharts.
  4. "Steve Miller single". DutchChartss.
  5. "Steve Miller singles". DutchCharts.
  6. Colin Larkin (2006). All Time Top 1000 Albums (3rd ed.). Virgin Books. p. 150. ISBN 0-7535-0493-6.
  7. "500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time". Rolling Stone. 2012. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  8. https://www.groundguitar.com/jimi-hendrix-gear/jimi-hendrixs-1970s-fender-stratocaster-black-left-handed/
  9. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Fly Like an Eagle - Steve Miller Band". AllMusic. Retrieved June 30, 2012.
  10. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: M". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 8, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  12. Christgau, Robert (December 1976). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  13. Larkin, Colin (2011). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0857125958.
  14. "Review: Steve Miller Band plows through Hall of Fame hits at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater". Archived from the original on September 27, 2016. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  15. "Top Albums". RPM. Vol. 23, no. 5. October 30, 1976. p. 29. ISSN 0315-5994. Archived from the original (PHP) on October 23, 2012. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
  16. "Steve Miller Band – Fly Like an Eagle (Album)" (ASP). Dutch Charts (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
  17. "Chart Archive: Top 40 Official UK Albums Archive – 19th NJune 1976". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
  18. "Steve Miller: Charts & Awards – Billboard Albums". Allmusic. United States: Rovi Corporation. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
  19. "Offiziellecharts.de – Steve Miller Band – Fly Like an Eagle" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  20. "Steve Miller Band – Fly Like an Eagle (Album)" (ASP). New Zealand Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
  21. "Canadian album certifications – Steve Miller Band – Fly Like an Eagle". Music Canada.
  22. "British album certifications – Steve Miller Band – Fly Like an Eagle". British Phonographic Industry.
  23. "American album certifications – Steve Miller Band – Fly Like an Eagle". Recording Industry Association of America.
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