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.

Este es el primer album que adquiri, habia escuchado la cancio "The Joker" y decidi comprar el disco cuando eran todavia de "LP". Actualmente lo conservo como un bonito recuerdo de mi adolescencia. Stevie Miller es uno de mis favoritos guitarristas. Lo admiro desde que tenia 14 años y todavia sigo escuchando su musica. Se los recomiendo no solo a los cuarentones sino tambien a los jovenes que quieran escuchar una buena musica con una guitarra muy original.

I heard Steve Miller for the first time when "The Joker" was a big ol' radio hit (it's a classic rock staple today). The rest of the album is hot, too!

After I discovered him, a friend of mine who was already into Miller's music turned me on to the rest of his back catalog, which I went out and bought immediately. This album was a "bridge" between the early material and the later radio hits (think "Jet Airliner" and "Fly Like an Eagle"). Smooth vocals, killer songwriting, and slick production make this album the type of album that is likable throughout. There is not a shred of "filler" material. This album could make you a Steve Miller fan.

Had this album - that's vinyl to you whipper snappers - decided to get it again. Love "Come on into my Kitchen" great blues tune!