Born 2 B Blue

Steve Miller scored big with the fickle pop crowd in the early '80s, due to his new wave detour, "Abracadabra," which became one of 1982's biggest hits. But as his longtime fans knew, Miller was a rocker deep down inside, not a popster. Still, it was hard for Miller to turn his back on potential lucrative crossover success, and his '84 release, ITALIAN X-RAYS, showed Steve exploring the style further, except this time, sans chart success. Getting back to basics, Miller issued BORN 2B BLUE four years later, and although the album's title would lead you to believe it's a blues-based work, it's comprised entirely of jazzy workouts. Miller gets to show his immense guitar chops throughout (especially on such album highlights as "God Bless the Child" and "Just A Little Bit"), making BORN 2B BLUE a return to strengths for the one-time "Space Cowboy."