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The Joker is, without question, the turning point in Steve Miller's career, the album where he infused his blues with a big, bright dose of pop and got exactly what he deserved: Top Ten hits and stardom. He also lost a lot of fans, the ones who dug his winding improvs, because those spacy jams were driven by chops and revealed new worlds. The Joker isn't mind-expanding, it's party music, filled with good vibes, never laying a heavy trip, always keeping things light, relaxed and easygoing. Sometimes, the vibes are interrupted, but not in a harsh way -- the second side slows a bit, largely due to the sludgy "Come in My Kitchen" and "Evil," the two songs that were recorded live but lacking any kinetic energy -- but for the most part, this is all bright and fun, occasionally truly silly, as on "Shu Ba Da Du Ma Ma Ma Ma." This silliness, of course, alienated old fans all the more, but that sense of fun is both the most appealing thing about The Joker and it set a touchstone for the rest of his career. Here, it's best heard on the terrific opener "Sugar Babe" and, of course, the timeless title track, which is sunny and ridiculous in equal measure. If nothing else is quite up to that standard in terms of songs -- certainly, it's not as jammed-pack as its successor, Fly Like an Eagle -- The Joker 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.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
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Gene Hicks, Assistant Mixer, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - STEVE MILLER, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Sweet, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Jay Ranellucci, Mixer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Steve Miller Band, MainArtist - Steven Haworth Miller, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1990 Capitol Records, LLC
Gene Hicks, Assistant Mixer, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - STEVE MILLER, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Sweet, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Jay Ranellucci, Mixer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Steve Miller Band, MainArtist - Obediah Donnell Jessie, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1990 Capitol Records, LLC
Gene Hicks, Assistant Mixer, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - STEVE MILLER, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Sweet, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Jay Ranellucci, Mixer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Steve Miller Band, MainArtist - Steven Haworth Miller, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1990 Capitol Records, LLC
Gene Hicks, Assistant Mixer, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - STEVE MILLER, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Sweet, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Jay Ranellucci, Mixer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Steve Miller Band, MainArtist - Charles Calhoun, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1991 Capitol Records, LLC
Gene Hicks, Assistant Mixer, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - AHMET ERTEGUN, ComposerLyricist - STEVE MILLER, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Sweet, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Jay Ranellucci, Mixer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Steve Miller Band, MainArtist - EDDIE CURTIS, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1973 Capitol Records, LLC
Gerald Johnson, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Gene Hicks, Assistant Mixer, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - JOHN KING, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - STEVE MILLER, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, Harmonica, AssociatedPerformer - Sweet, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Jay Ranellucci, Mixer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Steve Miller Band, MainArtist - Steven Haworth Miller, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1991 Capitol Records, LLC
Gene Hicks, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - STEVE MILLER, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Sweet, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Robert Johnson, ComposerLyricist - Jay Ranellucci, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Steve Miller Band, MainArtist - Greg MacCarthy, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1990 Capitol Records, LLC
Gene Hicks, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Dickie Thompson, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - JOHN KING, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - STEVE MILLER, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Sweet, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Jay Ranellucci, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Steve Miller Band, MainArtist - Steven Haworth Miller, ComposerLyricist - Lonnie Turner, Bass, AssociatedPerformer - Greg MacCarthy, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1990 Capitol Records, LLC
Gene Hicks, Assistant Mixer, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - STEVE MILLER, Producer, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Sweet, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Jay Ranellucci, Mixer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Steve Miller Band, MainArtist - Steven Haworth Miller, ComposerLyricist - "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow, Pedal Steel, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1991 Capitol Records, LLC
Album review
The Joker is, without question, the turning point in Steve Miller's career, the album where he infused his blues with a big, bright dose of pop and got exactly what he deserved: Top Ten hits and stardom. He also lost a lot of fans, the ones who dug his winding improvs, because those spacy jams were driven by chops and revealed new worlds. The Joker isn't mind-expanding, it's party music, filled with good vibes, never laying a heavy trip, always keeping things light, relaxed and easygoing. Sometimes, the vibes are interrupted, but not in a harsh way -- the second side slows a bit, largely due to the sludgy "Come in My Kitchen" and "Evil," the two songs that were recorded live but lacking any kinetic energy -- but for the most part, this is all bright and fun, occasionally truly silly, as on "Shu Ba Da Du Ma Ma Ma Ma." This silliness, of course, alienated old fans all the more, but that sense of fun is both the most appealing thing about The Joker and it set a touchstone for the rest of his career. Here, it's best heard on the terrific opener "Sugar Babe" and, of course, the timeless title track, which is sunny and ridiculous in equal measure. If nothing else is quite up to that standard in terms of songs -- certainly, it's not as jammed-pack as its successor, Fly Like an Eagle -- The Joker 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.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 9 track(s)
- Total length: 00:35:52
- Main artists: Steve Miller Band
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: CAPITOL CATALOG MKT (C92)
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock
© 1973 Capitol Records, LLC ℗ 1973 Capitol Records, LLC
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