The Joker is the eighth studio album by Steve Miller Band. The album was released in October 1973, by Capitol Records. The album marked a period of significant change for the group as the band abandoned their psychedelic-oriented music for a more melodic, smooth rock/blues sound. Perhaps not coincidentally, it was also their first solid commercial success due to the strong radio-play of the title track. The title track took 19 days to record. The album reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and has been certified Platinum in the United States. It reached No. 1 on the Cash Box Albums Charts on January 8, 1974.[1]
The artwork of the album is also considered amongst the greatest; for example Rolling Stone would later rank it as one of the "Top 100 Album Covers Of All Time".[2]
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | B–[4] |
| Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [5] |
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic rated The Joker three out of five stars, calling it "all bright and fun, occasionally truly silly". He also stated that it "isn't mind-expanding", but concluded by saying that it "nevertheless maintains its good-time vibe so well that it's hard not to smile along...provided you're on the same wavelength as Miller, of course."[3]
Singles
Four tracks from the album were released as singles: "The Joker" (1973), "Your Cash Ain't Nothin' but Trash", (1974), "Shu Ba Da Du Ma Ma Ma Ma" (1974), and "Evil" (1975).
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sugar Babe" | Steve Miller | 4:35 |
| 2. | "Mary Lou" | Obie Jessie, Sam Ling | 2:24 |
| 3. | "Shu Ba Da Du Ma Ma Ma Ma" | Miller | 5:41 |
| 4. | "Your Cash Ain't Nothin' but Trash" | Chuck Calhoun | 3:21 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Joker" | Miller, Eddie Curtis, Ahmet Ertegun | 4:26 |
| 2. | "The Lovin' Cup" | Miller | 2:10 |
| 3. | "Come On in My Kitchen" (Live at the Tower Theater, Philadelphia) | Robert Johnson | 4:06 |
| 4. | "Evil (Live at the Aquarius Theatre, Boston, Massachusetts)" | Miller | 4:35 |
| 5. | "Something to Believe In" | Miller | 4:41 |
Personnel
- Steve Miller – guitar, vocals, harmonica
- Gerald Johnson – bass guitar (all but 8), vocals
- Dick Thompson – organ, clavinet
- John King – drums
Additional personnel
- Lonnie Turner – bass guitar (8)
- "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow – pedal steel guitar (9)
- John Van Hamersveld and Norman Seeff – album cover design
- Norman Seeff – photography
References
- ^ "Top albums from Tuesday January 8, 1974". ultimate70s.com. Retrieved 2020-02-01.
- ^ "Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Album Covers". Rolling Stone. Rateyourmusic.com. November 14, 1991. Retrieved June 28, 2011.
- ^ a b Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "The Joker - Steve Miller Band". AllMusic. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: M". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 8, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195313734.