MY NORTHERN SKIES

Hello, welcome to the My Northern Skies website, home of my two weekly radio shows, which alternate here each week, The Jazz File every Tuesday (8pm) and Flick the Dust Off every Friday (10am).

Featured Album | 399

Steve Miller Band | Brave New World | Capitol EST 184 | 1969

In 1974, I was involved in a theatrical group with several students then currently studying drama at High Melton Teacher’s Training College, putting on plays at the college and rehearsing in an upstairs room at Elmfield House, before moving to our own space in an old disused church on the corner of Broxholme Lane. During this time, I hung out with the two directors of the group, the group curiously named ‘Arthur’, who were both avid fans of the Steve Miller Band. At the time, I recall the two of them pooling their resources to buy an import of one of the band’s albums that at the time wasn’t available in the UK. That album was either Brave New World or the follow up Your Saving Grace, my memory is hazy. All I know is that I couldn’t wait to hear the album having already devoured all the others up to that point. This all coincided, rather coincidentally, with the release of the band’s breakthrough album here, The Joker, which I snapped up as soon as it was released. I still listen to the band quite regularly and couldn’t possibly say which is may favourite album. Brave New World is certainly a contender if only for both “My Dark Hour” and “Kow Kow”, both of which might find their way into my desert island box.

Playlist:

Rocky Mountain Way – Joe Walsh (The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get)

Gasoline Alley – Rod Stewart (Gasoline Alley)

My Dark Hour – Steve Miller Band (Brave New World)

Cybernaut – Tonto’s Expanding Head Band (Zero Time)

Ella Guru – Captain Beefheart (Trout Mask Replica)

Senor – Bob Dylan (Street Legal)

If There is Something – Roxy Music (Roxy Music)

Cloudy Eyes – Manfred Mann’s Earth Band (Messin’)

Long Red – Leslie West (Mountain)

I’d Rather Go Blind – Christine Perfect (Christine Perfect)

Red Guitar – Loudon Wainwright III (Album III)