Customer Reviews

Joker

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'll admit up front, "The Joker" was the first song by the SMB I ever heard on the radio. Little did I know (it took a while to grow on me) that Steve Miller would become one of my favorites in the music biz. Stripping his repertoire down to R&B, this was Miller's most "pop"-style album at the time-- but it was only a foreshadowing of things to come. My faves include "Sugar Babe" (why wasn't THIS a big hit?), "Mary Lou" (some girls are just BAD news!), "Shu Ba Da Du Ma Ma Ma Ma" (Be-Bop reinvented for the 70's?), "Your Cash Ain't Nothin' But Trash" (a novelty tune that refers back to the previous "Gangster Of Love" and "Space Cowboy"--shades of Cab Calloway) and "The Joker" (which in a more musical way does the same while adding "Enter Maurice" and its twisted lyrics to the mix). FUN stuff! A great example of how persistence pays off-- it "only" took 8 albums before SMB really hit it BIG!

From my understanding the word 'pompodous' is not a word whatsoever.But it sure sounds great in the classic 70's pop/rock hit the this album's title track has become.The album opens with another terrific,like-minded Steve Miller tune called "Sugar Babe" but that's as commercial as the album gets.Steve Miller may have entered his most commcercialy furtile phase by this time but his band are still pretty devoted to gravel raw blues,R&B and even a few tablespoons of funk "Shu Ba Da Du Ma Ma Ma",a pretty silly jam with a fabulous rhythm-it's one of Miller's few forways into out and out funk."Your Cash Ain't Nothin' But Trash" tries at a similar approch with far more of a blues bent-same goes for "Mary Lou" with it's keyboard textures."The Lovin' Cup" tries at all out 12 bar blues most successfully while the album closes on the warm ballad "Something To Believe In".The two live fillers between the latter two songs are poorly recorded and I'm sure will drag this album's reviews down a bit.But still in his pre
'Fly Like An Eagle' days Steve Miller had a tight blues machine that,as showcased here could be played in a very soulful and funky way at the same time.Different but not to be ignored.

My love affair with the Steve Miller Band began in 1973 when this album was first released. I was a junior at UNL and as usual was spending way too much time hanging out at my favorite record store when "The Joker" came over the in-store stereo system. Needless to say, I left the store with a copy of the album and just recently upgraded to CD. While this is not as strong of a collection of songs as his follow-ups (Fly Like an Eagle, Book of Dreams), there is much to enjoy here besides the catchy single, "The Joker," which was his first Top 40 hit. Originals like "Sugar Babe" and the bluesy "The Lovin' Cup" are first-rate. Also, live versions of "Come On In My Kitchen" and "Evil" show the band in fine form. Casual fans might better be served by a greatest hits collection, but this is required listening for fans who want to dig into the artist's catalog a little deeper. RECOMMENDED

I had not heard this album in at least 30 years. I listened to it with a friend of mine who had not heard it for at least that long. I don't know if I have a better appreciation for music, or if the cd player makes it sound so good. It was much better then I remember. What a great album.

Steve Miller's "The Joker" marked the high point of his career; the song that is, not the album. The strong hook, melodic guitar solo and clever lyrics made the song a smash hit and one of the best-ever "classic rock" tunes. Miller would parlay the song's winning formula into two excellent mid-70s albums, "Fly Like an Eagle," and "Book of Dreams," but that was in the future. "The Joker," the album, bears the mark of an artist still struggling to find a consistent groove.

Stylistically, the opening track "Sugar Babe" and the goofy "Shu Ba Da Du Ma Ma Ma Ma," are closest to the hit in terms of style. Much of the rest of the album focuses on mid-tempo blues numbers, including the cover tracks "Mary Lou," "Your Cash Ain't Nothing but Trash" and "Come On In My Kitchen" and his own "Evil." Miller may have had a lifelong love affair with the blues, but he's no Eric Clapton when it comes to interpreting this form of music. Miller is best when he stays closer to rock and roll, as on the sweet album-closing "Something to Believe In."

Overall, an uneven album that contains some soaring high points, including its mega-successful title track.

I think that this is an excellent CD by the band from the 70's all the songs sound really cool it's worth having in your collection if your a big fan like me.

I recorded The Joker off the radio back in the late '80s or early '90s. Anyway, I have loved the album ever since I made that copy off the radio. But, the cd version of the album I just got today has too much crackling in it for 1973. I have cds of music recorded in the '50s that sounds better than this cd version of The Joker. The album sleeve claims it was remastered, but that is difficult to believe! Yes, Capitol Records, give me Something To Believe In. I imagine over the next few years, there will be a proper remastering of the album. I mean, I am also finding I need to turn the volume up to a level that I normally don't reach when I listen to a new or properly remastered classic! If you have a cassette or vinyl version of The Joker, I'd wait until a new remaster is released. I love this album, so I am going to enjoy it as best I can, despite its shortcomings. I've heard Steve Miller Band music before The Joker, and I can definitely say The Joker is a great jump forward for Steve Miller and Co. Then, by the mid 1970s, Fly Like An Eagle and Book Of Dreams would make Steve Miller a superstar. But, The Joker is the album that really launched his recording career by leaps and bounds!

Classic rock greatness from Steve Miller. Guitar playing is good, it has the necessary commercial hits, and the band rocks hard. I really feel this is the first Steve Miller release that separated him a song writer, as opposed to a jam band player. I recommend it!!

I bought this together with "Fly Like an Eagle" and "Book of Dreams" in order to fill in a huge gap in my music collection. How could a Seventies music lover be credible without The Steve Miller Band well represented?

I always laugh when "Your Cash Ain't Nothin' But Trash" and identify with the lament of the main character. For fueling a pure blues funk, there's nothing like "Evil". Steve reaches to his roots on "Come On In My Kitchen" and "The Lovin' Cup". And radio staples "The Joker", "Shu Ba Da Du Ma Ma Ma Ma".

This is the album that Steve considered his last toss of the dice, and it was the one that brought him to the masses. It's definitely a "must have"!

i would tell any steve miller fan old or young to buy this album, it is a must have for miller fans everywhere