B737-300 CREW DID NOT COMPLY WITH A XING ALT OR SPD RESTR AND HAD AN ALT OVERSHOOT IN D01 CLASS E.

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ON OUR DSCNT INTO RAMMS; ATC KEPT US HIGH THEN SLOWED US TO 250 KIAS. WE HAD IDLE AND SPD BRAKES; BUT COULDN'T GET DOWN TO 17000 FT AND 250 KIAS BY RAMMS. WE SHOULD HAVE LET THEM KNOW RIGHT AWAY; BUT WE CONTINUED WITH OUR SPD UP AT 260-270 KTS. AS WE APCHED RAMMS; PASSING 19000 FT; THEY ASSIGNED US FL180 FOR SEPARATION WITH THE PRECEDING ACFT. WE LEVELED AT 18000 FT; BUT HAD ALREADY SWITCHED THE ALTIMETER TO DEN 30.35. WHEN WE CAUGHT THE MISTAKE AND SWITCHED BACK TO 29.92 WE WERE AT 17650 FT; AND CLBED BACK UP. OUR SPACING WAS STILL TIGHT BEHIND A B757 AS THEY VECTORED US IN FROM RAMMS TO THE ILS RWY 7; BUT HAD US TURN IN RIGHT BEHIND HIM TO THE MARKER. THEY GAVE US SPDS OF 170 KTS; THEN 150 KTS; AND AS WE TURNED ONTO FINAL THEY SAID SOMETHING LIKE KEEP 4 1/2 MI SPACING ON THE B757; CLRED ILS RWY 7. WE DIDN'T SEE THE B757 THROUGH THE SCATTERED CLOUDS; BUT SLOWED TO OUR APCH SPD. WHEN WE SWITCHED TO TWR THEY SAID ARE YOU KEEPING VISUAL SEPARATION WITH THE B757? WE REPLIED WE WEREN'T ASKED TO. THEY SAID YOU ARE ON THE MISSED. AS WE STARTED THE GAR; THEY SAID OR YOU CAN CIRCLE TO LAND RWY 34. WE ACCEPTED THAT AND FLEW THE VISUAL CIRCLE TO RWY 34 AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. NEITHER APCH CTL OR TWR MENTIONED ANYTHING TO US ABOUT THIS UNUSUAL SET OF ACTIONS.