Steely Dan: A Month of Blissful Listening

My current financial situation is such that I pretty much don't try to discover new artists. That is because if I really like an artist, I will want to become a completist, and this can become a financial burden. However, when my birthday rolls around, I usually ask for gift certificates to record stores. That becomes my one chance to go crazy and try some new artists. This year, I decided to pick up Steely Dan's "Two Against Nature" because it's a CD I've been meaning to get for a few years now. And, as I expected, it definitely launched a Steely Dan phase which I'm currently in and which requires me to pick up everything they've ever done. I was able to pick up "Everything Must Go," "Aja" and "Pretzel Logic" using the remainder of my gift cards. Since I got a decent tax return this year, I had some extra dough to purchase "The Royal Scam," "Gaucho," "Katy Lied" and both of Donald Fagen's solo albums. (Hopefully my mother will never read this blog so she won't know that I completely ingnored her financial advice as to what I should have done with my tax return.) I also got the DVD of the "Two Against Nature" concert that Steely Dan did in the year 2000. Here is my rundown of what I think of the albums so far. And, of course, I still need to pick up their first two albums.

Pretzel Logic (1974): I haven't really gotten into this one yet. Steely Dan were still trying to come off as though they were a five-piece rock band at this time (and this was probably the label's decision, not Donald and Walter's.) So, it sounds like a lot of other 70's rock which I feel I already have enough of. But, who knows? I may wind up loving this album someday.

Katy Lied (1975): This one hasn't sparked with me yet, either. But, the concert DVD I bought features a live version of the song "Bad Sneakers" which is awesome. So, maybe that will be the window into this album for me. At least Donald and Walter were a duo by this point and were completely unashamed of hiring professional musicians to do the rest. This was the right track they needed to be on to produce their next three brilliant albums.

The Royal Scam (1976): Here's where things start getting good for me. A lot more brass arrangements than on the previous two albums. And, the compositions start getting more complex and "jazzy." I know the word "jazzy" gets thrown around too much when talking about Steely Dan, but how else can I describe it? I wouldn't go as far as Rickie Lee Jones does on her website and say that there are no low points on this album. But, there are many highlights which include "Kid Charlemagne," "The Caves of Altamira," "Don't Take Me Alive," "The Fez," "Green Earrings," "Haitian Divorce" and the title track.

Aja (1977): A lot of people call this their masterpiece. I agree it is flawless, but I wouldn't call it my favorite of their albums. I really don't need to list the highlights because each and every song is great. This is the album that has the classic "Peg" on it.

Gaucho (1980): I think this has to be my personal favorite from the Steely Dan catalog. This album takes a lot more chances than the Aja album does. "Babylon Sisters" is such a classic track. Forget that you've heard it in every supermarket you've ever been in. Listen to it again for the first time. You'll be amazed. "Hey Nineteen" is also great. The jaw-drop track on this album for me is "Glamour Profession." The subtle dissonance between some of the melodic lines Donald sings and the chords underneath just blow my mind. The title track is great. Pay no attention to those critics that say the second half of this album is boring. It's just not true. For me, the only weak track is "Time Out of Mind." It's just a little too peppy within the context of the whole album, which is generally pretty dark. But, "My Rival" and "Third World Man" make for an awesome close.

Two Against Nature (2000): I think this album comes in for a close second to "Gaucho" as my favorite. They won the "album of the year" grammy for this, and they definitely deserved it. The fact that Steely Dan came back from a 20-year hiatus to produce an album with such a fresh sound just goes to show you how great they are. Like "Aja," every track on this is strong, so a rundown of highlights is pretty pointless. But, my personal favorite is the track "Almost Gothic."

Everything Must Go (2003): At first, this album seems like a disappointment because it's not as strong as "Two Against Nature" and it doesn't even really follow the same stylistic path at all. But, once you get used to the new musical direction, it is very easy to like this album. The new songs are simpler, but no less addictive. Standouts are the bluesy "Last Mall," the motown-like "Things I Miss the Most," and the funky "Pixeleen," which features outstanding supporting vocals by Carolyn Leonhart. Another great track is the title track, which is written from the point of view of the Enron guys, who are realizing that their 'time in the sun' is over. But, the song has a very wistful feel that keeps it from being cynical or depressing.

Donald Fagen's solo albums are also great, but I will write about those another time. And, the concert DVD "Two Against Nature" serves as a fantastic document of the perfect Steely Dan live show.