Continuing my look at the albums of 1976…
If you buy into the theory that three great songs make a great album, Steve Miller Band’s Fly Like an Eagle certainly fits the bill.
Best known for its trio of hits — ‘Fly Like an Eagle,’ ‘Take the Money and Run,’ and ‘Rock’n Me’ — Miller’s ninth album was his first to go multi-Platinum, following up on the breakout success of The Joker a few years earlier. It remains his most popular release.
Apart from the three hits — which are still ubiquitous on whatever passes for radio these days — the album features some enjoyable deep cuts, all in the same trippy space rock vein. I particularly like the sweetly countrified ‘Dance, Dance, Dance.’
In addition to the original tunes, covers of ‘Wild Mercury Blues’ and Sam Cooke’s ‘You Send Me’ let Miller dip into other genres without breaking stride.
This is the first Steve Miller Band album I’ve heard start to finish and I came away impressed. Add another name to the “possible deep dive” category, I guess.
(Tick tock tick) Doo doo doo-doo
(Tick tock tick) Doo doo doo-doo
(Tick tock tick) Doo doo doo-doo
(Tick tock tick) Doo doo doo-doo
[Chorus 1]
Time keeps on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’
Into the future
Time keeps on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’
Into the future
[Chorus 2]
I wanna fly like an eagle
To the sea
Fly like an eagle
Let my spirit carry me
I want to fly like an eagle
‘Til I’m free
Oh, Lord, through the revolution
[Verse]
Feed the babies
Who don’t have enough to eat
Shoe the children
With no shoes on their feet
House the people
Livin’ in the street
Oh, oh, there’s a solution
[Chorus 2]
I want to fly like an eagle
To the sea
Fly like an eagle
Let my spirit carry me
I want to fly like an eagle
‘Til I’m free
Fly through the revolution
[Chorus 1]
Time keeps on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’
Into the future
Time keeps on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’
Into the future
[Chorus 1]
Time keeps on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’
Into the future
Time keeps on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’
Into the future
[Bridge]
Doo, doo, doo-doo
Doo, doo, doo-doo
Doo, doo, doo-doo
Doo, doo, doo-doo
Doo, doo, doo-doo
Doo, doo, doo-doo
Doo, doo, doo-doo
Doo, doo, doo-doo
[Chorus 2]
I want to fly like an eagle
To the sea
Fly like an eagle
Let my spirit carry me
I want to fly like an eagle
‘Til I’m free
Fly through the revolution
[Bridge]
(Tick tock tick) Doo doo doo-doo
(Tick tock tick)
(Tick tock tick) Doo doo doo-doo
(Tick tock tick) Doo doo doo-doo
(Tick tock tick) Doo doo doo-doo
[Chorus 1]
Time keeps on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’
Into the future
Time keeps on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’
Into the future
Meet Me In Montauk 
While a deep dive into the Steve Miller Band’s albums may prove rewarding, I’ve always been content with the Greatest Hits album, which contains the three songs you mentioned, plus “The Joker” and some other good ones.
I’d have to agree with Dana here. SM was good at creating earworms – it’s annoyingly hard to get Fly Like an Eagle out of my head now – but he was one of the more derivative artists in that period (borrowed from eeeeverybody). I think the deep dive might find no deep end. Also, I don’t think I can ever forgive him for using the term “the pompatus of love” in The Joker. 🙂
Thanks to both of you… I’m convinced!