Steely Dan Albums
Steely Dan is not my favorite band for many reasons, mainly because they popularized a type of music that most existed on the basis of being “smooth, sophisticated, studio-time based constructed tracks with detail so detailed that you have to buy a hi-def whoza-whut just to get to the 50 track layered production hidden secrets mannn”. They are not a bad band by any means, but they are probably my least favorite of the popular rock bands of the 1970’s and way more of a singles band then an album band despite any hi-def production values.
But, end of the day: are the songs good? That should be what matters, and I truly think a great song is a great song is a …great song. Were they more a singles band in my opinion? Oh, undoubtably. All their albums are degrees of inconsistent, proof is in the pudding so lets see how. Gary Katz was the producer on many of their records, and the shaper of this jazz-rock 70’s sound. If the words Yacht Rock excites you, well, here is your kind of band (it’s not mine, but I’m being as objective as I can).
Donald Fagan – Piano, organ
Walter Becker – Bass
Albums Chronologically
1972 - 62% - Can’t Buy a Thrill
1973 - 65% - Countdown to Ecstasy
1974 - 70% - Pretzel Logic
1975 - 65% - Katy Lied
1976 - 46% - The Royal Scam
1977 - 74% - Aja
1980 - 53% - Gaucho
1972
Can’t Buy a Thrill - 62%
Based off the two lead singles, expectations are super high: “Do It Again” is a six minute catchy jangle that will stick in your head for days, seems to be about the circular notion of making mistakes over and over again- this song is brilliant and I’m all about it. “Reeling the Years” has a similar sound of jazz infused rock n roll, with some stellar guitar work that is as perfect as technical guitar solos can get; I’m not gonna deny that its an exciting song that gets the blood pumping with a catchy / nostalgic chorus. “Kings” has similar guitar work, though not as strong of a melody. The reminder of the album is not very distinctive and I have trouble beside a couple of shout out moments: “Brooklyn” has a nice Jackson Brown type sound with some distinctive lyrics, “change of the Guard” has a memorable almost 60’s feel which they never really recapture again and I like the light and innocent feel.
In all, for a debut album they have some work to do on getting beyond generic 1970’s sounding rock.
Best Songs: Do It Again, Reeling in the Years
1973
Countdown to Ecstasy - 65%
On the second album, the band has decided ot settle into their jazz rock, blues type grooves and expand their song lengths. It’s still rock n roll, but so old fashioned it sometimes feels like its from the 1950s. “King of the World” and “Bodhisattva” are the best examples of these types of songs, with virtuoso solos on all their instruments. “Show Biz Kids” is a subversive topic with and interesting repetitious background chorus that makes it the stand out and sort of foreboding- but this is the exception not the rule. Bland, smooth jazzy rock rules abound and nothing out stands out to me at all. The killer singles of the last album are even missing.
Best Songs: King of the World, Show Biz Kidz
1974
Pretzel Logic – 70%
By shortening their songs and going for a more Pop music approach, Steely Dan have made perhaps their best album. The upbeat classic blues rock of “”Night by Night” and the title track are a treat, and the guitar and organ solos fit right in this time. “Barrytown” and “Parker’s Band” are gems too, and I’m not sure the band has ever rocked this hard before, with a huge Bob Dylan influence to boot. “Rikki Don’t Lose that Number” get’s across their smooth rock message in a very entertaining and memorable way; it’s a killer hook combined with enough starts, stops and eccentricities that Steely Dan makes a lasting impression. Micheal McDonald of the Doobies brothers plays a lot on this record as a session player and shows his roots.
There is still an inconsistency to the second half of the record, a problem that hopefully the band will rectify one day. I have no lost love for the odd noises in instrumental “East St Louis Toddleoo”, the shuffle of “With a Gun”, the goofiness of “Monkey in Your Soul”. But it’s all impeccably performed and produced, so I can at least why people like this one.
Best Songs: Rikki Don’t Lose that Numba, Barry Town, Night by Night
1975
Katy Lied - 67%
Further expanding their sound to sound as bright as possible, we have another album by Steely Dan and nothing new but something reliable. “Black Friday” and “Rose Darling” are standard AOR songs with some interesting guitar and organ solos. Expanding their sound with the beautiful ballad of “Doctor Wu” is pretty impressive, creating something unique to them for sure. “Chain Lightning” gives a fun psychedelic spin to their atypical (or just typical blues). “Any World” has some strange kind of muted energy….hard to tell if I actually like it or not…..
Again, there is plenty that I am just not in tune with- blues rock shuffle with distorted vocals “Daddy Don’t live in NY City no More”, “Everyone’s Gone to the Movies” is just bland, and I don’t really care for fan favorite “Bad Sneakers” either. But I’ll give them some credit, they spread out their better songs throughout the album this time. This is still, music for the background while driving your yacht.
Best Songs: Black Friday, Doctor Wu, Chain Lightning
1976
The Royal Scam – 46%
Keeping up their record of making a dang record every dang year!!!! Here are the SD guys again. Some would say this album has a darker spin, but this time around I am not hearing anything that stands out particularly. For once, no easy-to-love singles jump out. “Don’t Take Me Alive” is probably the best song, but its nothing we haven’t heard before. “The Fez” dabbles in some disco, “Haitian Divorce” is some odd funk rock for sure and its far too long at 5 and a half minutes. It’s never touted as the band’s best record, and of the 70’s id say its easily the worst. It exists and is all instantly forgettable to me. I don’t love them anyways, so it should come as no surprise I would rate this one the lowest.
Best Songs: Don’t Take Me Alive
1977
Aja – 74%
And they end their hot streak with this album, consisting of their biggest hits and smallest # of songs. They have some singles that are absolutely some of the best songs of the 70’s: “Deacon Blues” is one I have heard a zillion times thanks to my mother who went to University of Alabama during the mid 70s and this song rules the airwaves, and “Peg” is the most fun song SD ever created and the most upbeat and memorable. The remainder of the record doesn’t reach the high of those two songs, falling back on the saxophone mid-tempo sort of jazz-rock they are so known for. Title Track “Aja” and “Deacon Blues” are both about eight minutes long, and most other average about five minutes giving us only 7 total songs for the record. That totally would work, if every song was as entertaining as “Deacon Blues”, but “Aja” to me sounds like a retread of “Rikki Don’t Lose that Number” and “Home at Last” is painfully slow. “Black Cow” beings the record in such an odd way, but its not a bad song at all, in fact it almost is a tour-de-force of what’s to come in the next six songs, which is good and bad. At the end of the album, “Joise” is something special though- a sprinkle of keyboards to being, an upbeat hybrid of funk and disco sounds that sound sat both futuristic and old fashioned and it totally works. This one does gives me hope for SD and is probably the best album since Pretzel Logic. When it works, it truly works for pristine 70’s pop.
Best Songs: Peg, Deacon Blues, Josie
1980
Gaucho – 53%
Hit single in “Hey Nineteen” is the standout, and it does stick in your head in a very smooth-jazz played to a beat sort of way. I’m still not sure what they are saying in the chorus of this song, “No We can’t talk at all?” Something like that. And this is the band at their most laid back laid backness. Aja part two in every way, but not as innovative or catchy.