The Steve Miller Band’s frontman and namesake heartily endorses the group’s first-ever official DVD, Live From Chicago. Centered around high-definition live footage from a July 2007 concert at the Ravinia Amphiteater, the three-disc set features what Miller considers vastly improved versions of the classic rock songs that he’s been performing for the past 40 years. “I really do prefer the new versions rather than the old,” he says.
Longtime fans might be a little disconcerted by the freestyle rap keyboardist Joseph Wooten performs in the opening song, “Fly Like an Eagle,” but for the most part FM staples such as “The Joker” and “Abracadabra” from Miller’s extensive back catalog are given languid bluesy makeovers.
Tellingly, the second disc of the lovingly produced DVD set features a first-person documentary with Miller talking the viewers through his Chicago blues roots and describing in very candid terms how the city shaped him as a musician, especially in the ’60s: “It was like getting a Masters and a Ph.D. in Bluesology.”
The third disc is filled with bonus material from the concert featuring Miller and his band―Wooten, vocalist Norton Buffalo, guitarist Kenny Lee Lewis, bassist Billy Peterson, and drummer Gordy Knudtson.
What Miller, who was taught his first guitar chords by none other than Les Paul, is not so crazy about are the slew of Steve Miller Band compilations that seem to hit record stores every few months via his longtime label, Capitol. “I just caught them slipping an unauthorized three-CD set that they failed to ask my permission for,” he says. “It’s sad to see these big record companies fall apart. I’ve been at war with them for 40 years, from day one until now. It’s like dealing with vacuum cleaner salesmen.”
Besides, Miller would rather you check out his new material. He spent the early part of this year in Northern California, recording a whole mess of blues tunes at George Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch Studio, and he plans to gather them in three albums and sell them through his website.
In the meantime, you can find the Steve Miller Band where they have always been―on the road. “Playing music to me is the most fun thing there is to do,” Miller says.