"You're in the wayback machine and the dial has been set to 1973," says
Steve Miller at the start of
J50: The Evolution of the Joker, a collection that documents the creation of the 1973 album that brought the
Steve Miller Band from psych-blues cult favorites to album rock staples. It's a long journey, spanning two CDs and featuring 27 previously unreleased cuts, all assembled to follow a story narrated by
Steve Miller himself. The first section features
Miller playing a bunch of
SMB material as solo acoustic numbers while on tour in 1972. Stripping away the band helps focus attention on the songs, preparing the listener for the rest of the collection where each cut from
The Joker is surrounded by early or alternate versions intended to show how
Miller arrived at the final version. This same approach also applies to such outtakes as "Lidi," "Travelin'," and "I Don't Mind," a strategy that does indeed help illustrate how songs can transform either on-stage or in the recording studio. It often makes for fascinating listening but as a collective, the album can play a bit like an extended Westwood One Radio Special: it's designed to be heard as a collective, not picked apart. This sense that
J50 is a documentary, not entertainment, is enhanced by the fact that the original album of
The Joker is not heard as an entirety anywhere on the set: it's all about the sessions, not the finished product. That ensures that
J50: The Evolution of the Joker is only for diehards but that's the audience this set targets: it's a thorough exploration of familiar territory that manages to find something new. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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