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.
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".

Reception

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."

Singles

Four tracks from the album were released as singles: "The Joker", "Your Cash Ain't Nothin' but Trash",, "Shu Ba Da Du Ma Ma Ma Ma", and "Evil".

Track listing

Personnel

Additional personnel