| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   link |
| Rolling Stone | (favorable)[2] |
| Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [3] |
Brave New World is the third album by American rock band Steve Miller Band, released in 1969. It is the band's first album following the departure of founding members Boz Scaggs and Jim Peterman, with Ben Sidran replacing Peterman on keyboards.
The track "My Dark Hour" featured Paul McCartney (credited as "Paul Ramon") on backing vocals, drums, guitar and bass guitar, and he performed additional backing vocals on "Celebration Song".[4] "My Dark Hour" was recorded in a late-night session on May 9, 1969 after an acrimonious argument between McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr over signing a contract appointing Allen Klein as The Beatles' financial manager. Lennon, Harrison and Starr walked out, while McCartney remained at Olympic Studios. Miller was the only member of the band to attend the session, and the song emerged from him and McCartney jamming.[5]
The primary guitar riff on "My Dark Hour" was also used on the title track to Steve Miller's 1976 album Fly Like an Eagle.
"Space Cowboy" uses the same primary guitar riff as the Beatles' song "Lady Madonna," owing perhaps to McCartney's involvement on "My Dark Hour" and allied permission. It was released as downloadable content for the video game Rock Band on January 20, 2009.
It was voted number 676 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000).[6]
In 2012, Edsel Records released a remastered version of the album.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Brave New World" | Steve Miller | 3:27 |
| 2. | "Celebration Song" | Miller, Ben Sidran | 2:33 |
| 3. | "Can't You Hear Your Daddy's Heartbeat" | Tim Davis | 2:30 |
| 4. | "Got Love 'Cause You Need It" | Miller, Sidran | 2:28 |
| 5. | "Kow Kow" | Miller | 4:28 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Seasons" | Miller, Sidran | 3:50 |
| 7. | "Space Cowboy" | Miller, Sidran | 4:55 |
| 8. | "LT's Midnight Dream" | Lonnie Turner | 2:33 |
| 9. | "My Dark Hour" | Miller | 3:07 |
| Total length: | 29:52 | ||
Personnel
- Steve Miller – guitar, lead vocals (1, 2, 4–7, 9), harmonica
- Glyn Johns – guitar, backing vocals, percussion
- Lonnie Turner – bass guitar (all but 9), backing vocals, guitar
- Ben Sidran – keyboards
- Tim Davis – drums (all but 9), lead vocals (3, 8)
- Additional personnel
- Nicky Hopkins – piano (5)
- Paul McCartney (as "Paul Ramon") – backing vocals (2), bass guitar, drums (9),[7] guitar (9)[5]
Production
- Glyn Johns and Steve Miller
- Recording Engineer – Glyn Johns
- Recorded at Sound Recorders, Hollywood, California. "My Dark Hour" recorded at Olympic Studios, London, May, 1969.
- Photography – Ivan Nagy
- Design – Lockhart
Charts
Album – Billboard (United States)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 | The Billboard 200 | 22 |
References
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/album/brave-new-world-mw0000198787
- ^ Morthland, John (26 July 1969). "Records". Rolling Stone. San Francisco: Straight Arrow Publishers, Inc. (38): 37. Archived from the original on 2 October 2007. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0857125958.
- ^ Castleman, Harry; Podrazik, Walter J. (1977). "1969 – "But If Paul's Alive, How Did He Die?". All Together Now – The First Complete Beatles Discography 1961–1975 (Second ed.). New York: Ballantine Books. p. 78. ISBN 0-345-25680-8.
- ^ a b The Beatles Bible, "Paul McCartney performs on Steve Miller’s My Dark Hour"
- ^ Colin Larkin, ed. (2006). All Time Top 1000 Albums (3rd ed.). Virgin Books. p. 219. ISBN 0-7535-0493-6.
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/album/brave-new-world-mw0000198787/credits