The Joker - THE STEVE MILLER BAND***

Sugar Babe/Mary Lou/Shu Ba Da Du Ma Ma/Your Cash Ain't Nothin' But Trash/The Joker/Lovin' Cup/Come On In My Kitchen/Evil/Something To Believe In

Although overall a mediocre release Steve Miller’s The Joker album quickly became his most successful, propelled by the catchy title track, No. 1 in both the US and UK. (US:2)

“Being Steve Miller is a mixed bag: a cool voice and an inability to write a decent lyric. It comes together smashingly on the endearing title track, against the odds. The rest of The Joker lacks that song's lazy swagger. Some of it-especially Your Cash Ain't Nothin' But Trash is flat out terrible.”

“Though concerts had been getting larger since the late 60s, this album was ushered in when arena rock was becoming the only way to go for most artists where they could make a lot of money quickly. It became more of an event than an opportunity to develop a rapport with the artists, and the type of music they were putting out in many ways began to reflect this.”

“The Joker is an average album, by a great artist. This is far from being one of Steve Miller's best, as it is very uneven. You have a couple of pretty decent songs, a couple of bad ones and one absolute rock and roll classic.”

“This is the last of the smooth Steve Miller Band vibe. His mojo is starting to fade but he gets it all together for another psychy R & B release that is still a good listen today.”

“Some would call this the turning point when Miller set the stage for his commercial success on ensuing albums. Although that is the more popular scenario, others may have viewed this as his last gasp before he would sell his soul to the top 40 gods.”

“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. However the album as a whole bears the mark of an artist still struggling to find a consistent groove.”

“While there are some outstanding numbers on this record, I dig these songs and they put a smile on my face, but I'm left with the empty feeling that Steve Miller is showing us nothing new here at all.”