Let Your Hair Down

When I heard that Steve Miller was releasing a second album of blues covers in as many years, I was less than thrilled. While there were fun moments on last year's BINGO!, there was also something...incomplete and unfinished...about the disc. In the end, it just didn't do anything for me. Would a second volume share the same fate? Thankfully, no. LET YOUR HAIR DOWN is everything BINGO! wasn't....fresh, full-bodied, earthy, organic...and REAL. There are almost no false moves here ~ everything is assured and played with purpose. It definitely reminds me of the first three or four albums my older brother used to play, long before I got into music, and certainly long before any eagles, jokers, books or magic tricks ever arrived. Yet it also sounds modern and in the moment. In a nutshell, this is the best of both worlds when it comes to Steve Miller! The disc opens up with the blistering "Snatch It Back And Hold It", a killer duet between Miller and Sonny Charles. As with most of the cuts, the instrumentation is tight and crisp, but it's the late Norton Buffalo's harmonica playing that really jumps out and "snatches" you. Subtle, supple, sassy and smooth, the man truly was a master at his craft. "I Got Love If You Want It" just exudes the aforementioned retro vibe, but in no way does it feel dated. Miller's lead vocal is relaxed and controlled, while his guitar playing is precise, yet plush. What can I say? The track just soars! Definitely one of LYHD's finest moments! "Just A Little Bit" is the best of the two previous tracks combined...you've got Buffalo's chooglin' harmonica, an ultra-tight arrangement (a special mention has to be made of Bill Peterson's INSANE bass lines!), and a sly, sexy lead vocal courtesy of Miller. Everything about the track works...nothing more need be said! Up next is another enjoyable duet, the boppin' "Close Together." Actually, Charles is doing more of a lead vocal here, with Miller supplying a nice harmony. Whatever the case, it's a fun cut that features some economical, yet smart, guitar playing, the kind where all the holes are filled...in...just...perfectly. Sweet. And then there's "No More Doggin'." THIS is what was missing from BINGO!...full of attitude, emotion and soul, this could be 60's Miller, or 70's Miller...or 2011 Miller! In short, it's Miller! You could almost say the arrangement is simple, but it's all we need. Add a sterling lead vocal, and....WOW!!! Brilliant...simply brilliant. "Pretty Thing" has a killer bayou groove to it, all swampy and rhythmic. Everything just comes together perfectly...the crackling percussion, Buffalo's harmonica, Miller's high-octane bursts of guitar, Charles' stylish lead vocal...reminiscent of a back porch sing-a-long, it just doesn't get much better than this! Oh, wait...yeah, it does! Up next is "Can't Be Satisfied", probably my favorite cut on LET YOUR HAIR DOWN. All full of swagger and, once again, attitude (but in a GOOD way!), it's almost as if Miller were channelling his inner Tina Turner (LOVE the line "I feel like snappin' my finger in your face!"). Great arrangement as well. (Note to Bonnie Raitt....record this song!). "Sweet Home Chicago" is a potpourri of musical goodness...a big dose of blues, a smidgeon of swing, a dollop of pop. The arrangement is solid, while the instrumentation is energetic. And then there's Miller's lead vocal ~ you can just FEEL his smile coming through the speakers! Yet another high point for the disc. Ditto the next track. Sultry, sly, sensual, "Love The Life I Live" says it all. This is what Steve Miller is all about...a lead vocal that is the aural embodiment of a wink and a nudge, guitar riffs that spit and sparkle, and a respect for both the past greats and music in general. This, folks, is the real deal! The standard disc ends with "The Walk." It's not that it's a bad cut, but, as with BINGO!, I feel a Steve Miller album should both open and close with a Steve Miller lead vocal. While the track is upbeat and fun, and Charles' vocal is enjoyable, it just doesn't generate the kind of memorable punch the way a great album closer should. That's certainly not the case with "When Things Go Wrong (It Hurts Me Too)", the first of four bonus tracks on the extended version (which is worth the few extra bucks). Comfortable, casual, cool...there's just an innate charm to the cut. From Miller's spirited lead vocal to Buffalo's heavenly harmonica, this is an absolute winner! The disc proceeds to wrap up with three lead vocals from Charles, which range from good to just...O.K. Up first is the weakest of the three, the lackluster "I Ain't Got You." Extremely run of the mill, this could be just about anybody (If you want to hear a far-superior version of the song, check out Rosie Flores' take on her excellent 2009 disc GIRL OF THE CENTURY). "Tell Me What's The Reason" is considerably better. Bursting to the brim with a mesmerizing swing groove, it's the arrangement that takes center stage...from the cavalcade of guitars to the perfect percussion that just adds a little something extra, this could well be the disc's best cut, at least muusically speaking. Winding things up is "Driftin' Blues." All slow and smoky, this is the Blues, plain and simple. Charles delivers a weary, worn lead vocal, while the band backs him with a muted, thoughtful performance. Very nice (But I still think the disc should have ended with "When Things Go Wrong!"). That said, I've got to say...LET YOUR HAIR DOWN is one of 2011's nicest surprises so far. Pretty much everything BINGO! wasn't, this disc finds Steve Miller in top form, looking back at the past, but making it clear that he'll be here well into the future! Now, if he would just come up with some new originals...! (As with all my reviews, I'm giving the disc an extra half a star, not for including the lyrics ~ which he should have! ~ but for the personal thoughts and mini history lessons we get on each song. Nice touch! Finally, rest well, Norton!).

Bought this when it was first released. Bought Bingo! its predecessor when it first came out. These recordings are the equivalent of Steve's Fly Like and Eagle and Book of Dreams. Two LP/CDs recorded at approximately the same time and released within less than a year of each other, rather than constructing a double album. Bingo! and Let You Hair Down are made loud to be played loud and really shine on a rocking car stereo system.Saw Steve Miller Band at The Louisville (KY) Palace [July 16, 2013]. Played the hits (to be expected), played deep catalog (nice surprise), played the new/old blues (his latest products) and it was all phenomenal. If you can catch SMB on tour, then do it. In the mean time, get this disc (highly recommend the Special Edition) and pair it with Bingo! (Special Edition); slam them in a retro-fit killer cd player in your '53 Mercury, go for broke, pack your bags, and split for Mexico.

Steve Miller's guitar is on fire on this work of art. The songs are Blues songs that many of us have heard other artists perform but it's the Steve Miller Band's Arrangements of these songs that make this project unique. Love the Harmonica playing.There is no clear way of describing how good this CD is and the cover art does not do it justice. These Blues song renditions make you want to do what the title suggests to Let Your Hair Down. You will have to hear it to understand.Steve Miller's signature style is there blues style. Highlights are Pretty Thing, Snatch It Back And Hold It, No More Doggin'. All the songs on this CD are excellent and fit well with Steve Miller Band's Classic Rock songs.Don' t miss out. Give it a listen.

I'm a lukewarm fan of the Steve Miller Band's popular stuff. I had read they started out as a blues band but just didn't hear any of that in their mainstream hits. Then I stumbled on this album. If I knew they would only play this and related blues, I would follow them around the country just to see them play it live. I know they wouldn't have been as big as they are had they followed this path but they would certainly be viewed as one of the best blues bands in America if they had. Good stuff!

Let Your Hair Down...Does Just ThatOnce again Steve Millers innovation in the recording studio and distinct sound quality puts him head and shoulders above other releases who do not even come close to scratching the surface. The signature vocals that have been Millers claim to fame are certainly there to remind us of earlier times but they are edgier now more focused and less electronic. The choice of material in covering famous blues standards is no small undertaking as many others have attempted to cover some of these classics with far less success. Millers interpretation of these Blues Standards is impecably performed. The studio musicians and the mixing quality shows through tremendously. Given the history of Millers previous studio work this effort stands out from the rest as innovative, fresh and thougtful. It delivers a drive, sense of urgency as well as fun!

steve miller steps outside the pop albums to do so older blues jams! I thought it was better then the last one. Bongo I think it was, Id have to get off my ass to go check, that being said, get it it jams! Don't forget to turn the volume up

Let Your Hair Down is an excellent CD, 14 beautiful tracks, what a band! Steve and Sonny Charles are great singers.I saw a concert of the Steve Miller Band last year in the Heineken Music Hall in Amsterdam, it was great (also because of all the Bingo songs).Please come back as soon as possible and play and sing all the tracks of this album if possible. I will be there.To all bluesfans: Buy the Special Edition CD because it is worthwhile.PS: A suggestion for Eric Clapton: invite the Steve Miller Band for the next Crossroads Festival.

I had never heard of this album. It’s actually a very good album that fits well into my Steve Miller collection.

前作がかなり久しぶりのスタジオアルバムということで大いに期待され期待以上の作品だったことで今作へのプレッシャーは相当なものだったと思われるが、ミラーの上手な手法によって前作と同等かそれ以上のテンションとクオリティの高さで勝負しきれている。全体的な音作りはベースラインを意識して前作を大きく上回る上質なブルースに傾倒したものであり、それでいて現代的でハードドライビングな硬派なロックに仕上がっている。好感度の高さは1曲1曲がコンパクトにまとまった小品となっていることに起因しているようで、アルバムを聴きとおしても疲れないし一貫性を感じるからだ。個人的にはブルースのスタンダードともいえる＃７、８がSMBらしいアレンジと演奏で収録されていることがなにより嬉しい。オリジナル曲を切望するファンやリスナーはもちろんいるだろうが、人気絶頂だった時期のミラーのオリジナル曲を凌駕する楽曲を提供することはなかなか難しいと思われることと、往年ロッカーならではのブルースロック懐古には絶大な信頼を置くリスナーもまた少なからずいるということもまた事実だ（ポール・ロジャースの『マディ・ウォーター・ブルース』は成功作であった一方でクラプトンの『フロム・ザ・クレイドル』は大げさで見栄っ張りな印象だったが）。

Let Your Hair Down takes off where Bingo stops. Steve continues his love of Blues music with his second Cd. Steve adds his own tongue in cheek style to music written by some of the blues legends of the time. Great driving music with songs that will get stuck in your head. Check out Steve's version of Jimmy Vaughan's Bit of Your Love. Fun, bouncy and uplifting worth buying.

CD was okay

Fast shipping, Great packaging, Outstanding product, Highly Recommended! ★★★★★