The Joker (album)

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 Joker
Studio album by
Steve Miller Band
ReleasedOctober 19, 1973
GenreRock, blues
Length35:57
LabelCapitol
ProducerSteve Miller
Steve Miller Band chronology
Recall the Beginning...A Journey from Eden
(1972)		 The Joker
(1973)		 Fly Like an Eagle
(1976)
Singles from The Joker
  1. "The Joker"
    Released: October 1973
  2. "Your Cash Ain't Nothin' But Trash"
    Released: 1974
  3. "Shu Ba Da Du Ma Ma Ma Ma Ma"
    Released: 1974
  4. "Evil"
    Released: 1975

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
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Christgau's Record GuideB–[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
Side 1
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Sugar Babe"Steve Miller4:35
2."Mary Lou"Obie Jessie, Sam Ling2:24
3."Shu Ba Da Du Ma Ma Ma Ma"Miller5:41
4."Your Cash Ain't Nothin' but Trash"Chuck Calhoun3:21
Side 2
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Joker"Miller, Eddie Curtis, Ahmet Ertegun4:26
2."The Lovin' Cup"Miller2:10
3."Come On in My Kitchen" (Live at the Tower Theater, Philadelphia)Robert Johnson4:06
4."Evil (Live at the Aquarius Theatre, Boston, Massachusetts)"Miller4:35
5."Something to Believe In"Miller4:41

Personnel

Additional personnel

References
  1. "Top albums from Tuesday January 8, 1974". ultimate70s.com. Retrieved 2020-02-01.
  2. "Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Album Covers". Rolling Stone. Rateyourmusic.com. November 14, 1991. Retrieved June 28, 2011.
  3. Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "The Joker - Steve Miller Band". AllMusic. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  4. 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.
  5. Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195313734.
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