How To Buy... Steely Dan -

How To Buy... Steely Dan

2:10 PM GMT 30/01/2008

DOES LISTENING to Steely Dan make you more intelligent? Debatable. But they certainly make you think you are. The most cerebral, sarkiest jazz, rock and funk duo on the planet, since 1972’s Can’t Buy A Thrill, give or take a few decades off, Donald Fagen and Walter Becker have made an artform out of smuggling the intellectual and complicated onto the radio. And, as a band who were able to namecheck Retsina, Tanqueray gin and Kirschwasser brandy in song, they knew that they had to entertain as well.

So which records by this pair of severe quality controllers do you need to own? Gaucho or Countdown To Ecstasy? How does Two Against Nature compare with Can’t Buy A Thrill? Solo LPs are allowed, so what’s the deal there? As ever, the best comments and recommendations will appear in the magazine.

Post your thoughts below. Or, if you’re feeling secretive, mail them here...

Posted by Danny_Eccleston at 2:10 PM GMT 30/01/2008

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Countdown to Ecstasy is essential, to the first phase of the Dan’s career (rock-jazz), just as Aja is essential to the next (jazz-rock). Can’t Buy A Thrill is a great introduction to their potential as writers with range. But it’s CTE that solidifies their sound as a band.

Posted by Clippernolan at 4:59 PM GMT 30/01/2008 Report Abuse

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Countdown To Ecstasy IS their finest hour but The Royal Scam is their great underrated album. Coming off the back of the disappointing Katy Lied it seamlessly joins the slick later stuff with the more muscular early material. Killer tunes to boot.

Posted by Warren at 5:17 PM GMT 30/01/2008 Report Abuse

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Well....I would recommend the Citizen Dan box set.All the CRUCIAL dan one NEEDS!!

Posted by at 5:44 PM GMT 30/01/2008 Report Abuse

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Well....I would recommend the Citizen Dan box set.All the CRUCIAL dan one NEEDS!!

Posted by Tremelo at 5:44 PM GMT 30/01/2008 Report Abuse

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RE: Couldn't agree more!!

Posted by Clean Willie at 7:43 PM GMT 30/01/2008 Report Abuse

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Pretzel logic: West coast AOR with a twist. Sublime guitar by the MIA Jeff Skunk Baxter, last sighting of the band rather than the duo plus top quality session musicians.

Aja: A pearl among the punk swine of 1977. Peerless songwriting. Even took me to see Chick Corea just to see Steve Gadd who was in his band at the time.

Posted by AndyH at 11:15 AM GMT 31/01/2008 Report Abuse

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As Steely Dan were ultimately aiming for the perfect rock/jazz/lounge hybrid, their ultimate album has to be Aja. Here they broke out of the limitations of traditional pop song structures to craft mature, elongated 'compositions' featuring the usual impossibly high standard of their musicianship. Their paradigm was always Duke Ellington and this is the album were they came nearest to fulfilling that legacy. The fact that it still yielded pop singles is little short of a miracle and proves how open-minded the times were.

Posted by Mark Blanchard at 12:30 PM GMT 31/01/2008 Report Abuse

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As an American expat, I've been living in Paris for the last 13 years, and when I need to escape from the realities of living with the "French", the Citizen Dan box set is readily at hand next to my kitchen boombox. Preferred tracks : Dirty Work, The Caves Of Altamira...EVERY SINGLE TRACK!
Before the fall when they wrote it on the wall
When there wasn't even any Hollywood
They heard the call
And they wrote it on the wall
For you and me we understood

Posted by Charlie de Paris at 6:32 AM GMT 01/02/2008 Report Abuse

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Can't Buy a Thrill is my favourite - not a weak song on it.
Gaucho is their most underrated album.

Posted by at 9:34 AM GMT 01/02/2008 Report Abuse

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Can't Buy a Thrill is my favourite - not a weak song on it.
Gaucho is their most underrated album.

Posted by Stephen at 9:34 AM GMT 01/02/2008 Report Abuse

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"can,t buy a thrill" from start to finish,need i say more !!

Posted by Gazza .K. at 11:39 AM GMT 01/02/2008 Report Abuse

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well ... I would recommend all the fucking steely dan records. But "Aja" is the masterpiece.

Posted by jazzmessenger at 5:44 PM GMT 01/02/2008 Report Abuse

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Don't own AJA? Keep walking...

Posted by David Feijoo at 11:43 AM GMT 02/02/2008 Report Abuse

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The first three (CBAT, CTE and Pretzel Logic) with "Skunk" Baxter on board are the next step West Coast 70's Rock needed. He was a Jack Nicholson kind of guitar player, but the combination with two jazz hipsters, created a unique alchemic sound, offering ROCK wrote in jazz language.
The key for the "masterpiece" tag is Are you embarrasing listening to now? Steely Dan music sounds even today surprising and fresh.
AJA is a masterpiece, with punk in the horizon they gave their must.
"Everything Must Go" for these cheesy moments.

Where are the SD followers in today's rock?

Posted by Kid 72 at 12:04 PM GMT 02/02/2008 Report Abuse

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"The Royal Scam" is by far the best Steely Dan lp. "Green Earrings" is the best track, but this record is brilliant beginning to end.

Posted by Skittlebrau at 3:50 PM GMT 02/02/2008 Report Abuse

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Headed to a desert island and have to pack light? Aja is your choice if you want to take along a representative Steely Dan record. Aja marks the band at the height of its considerable powers, both lyrically and musically. Every song swings, each in its own way.

Posted by Chris Dortch at 4:35 PM GMT 02/02/2008 Report Abuse

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RE: AndyH

i agree Pretzel Logic is the pivotal Dan album Countdown is good but lacks the sparkle and wit of Pretzel.The pathos and sarcasm are honed to the hilt , with a rock beat fires on all cylinders....its a winner

Posted by Diamond Legs Dave at 8:54 PM GMT 02/02/2008 Report Abuse

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Dan had so many great albums...Can't Buy A Thrill and Aja are essential Steely Dan, but my personal fave is Pretzel Logic.
PL's short, deceptively simple songs encapsulate all that the group's fearless blend of American musical genres was capable of; peerless musicianship, with unashamedly commercial aspirations.

Posted by Angelo Tsiboyannis at 2:18 AM GMT 03/02/2008 Report Abuse

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Aja - ties together all their influences so perfectly the result sounds much more unique and lighter than just a mere sum of its parts - plus the opening chordal progression of "Deacon Blues" adds their most ellingtonesque moment ever :-) Gaucho is their most underrated album - the sheer sound brillance of "Babylon Sisters" is just amazing...

Posted by David Berdych at 8:38 PM GMT 03/02/2008 Report Abuse

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RE: Tremelo
I agree - you can't go past Citizen Dan for the full overview of "Dan world." But my personal favourites would have to be CTE (who can go past Show Biz Kids and trying to put it out as a single [LOL]) and Aja - the title track for chrome seamless perfection of drums and a guitar solo that still send me when I hear it.

Posted by BlindBoy at 6:13 AM GMT 04/02/2008 Report Abuse

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1) Katy Lied
The pinnacle of modern music - "Doctor Wu" is IMHO probably the best finest track ever recorded, followed closely by "Bad Sneakers". OK so they nearly scrapped the album due the DBX noise reduction going pear shaped but what songs and arrangements... From Michael Omartian's immaculate Bosendorfer through Phil Woods' one take solo and Denny Dias's guitar solo on Your Gold Teeth II ("Holy Fuck" as Donald exclaims on the bootleg,...) to the first airing of the wonderous "Mike" McDonald ("Going insane...") there is one album I keep returning to over and over again. Katy lies, you can see it in her eyes....

2) Countdown to Ecstasy
Is there anything more joyous than My Old School?? California tumbles into the sea, that'll be the day I go back to Annendale..

3) Aja
Sue me if I play too long

4) The Royal Scam
Turn up the Eagles, the neighbours are listening...

5) Pretzel Logic
You must be joking son, where did you get those shoes??...

Posted by Doobs at 9:17 PM GMT 04/02/2008 Report Abuse

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Gaucho is one of the best records ever made, so it's also the best Steely Dan-record. Look at the cover, listen to the music - the production, the arrangements, the musicians (just take a look at the drummers: Purdie, Gadd, Porcara, Marotta - who else do you want?)and of course the songs - babylon Sisters, Hey Nineteen, Gaucho, Time out of mind, third world man... Contrary to many peoples opinion, this is a warm, sensual and funny record, definitely not the cold perfectionist show a lot have mentioned in the past.

Posted by Søren Eigaard at 12:59 PM GMT 05/02/2008 Report Abuse

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Lots of love for Aja and Countdown to Ecstacy. As it should be.
But there are only nine Dan studio albums, so what's number ten? Well that has to be Donald Fagan's "The Nightfly". It's like the SD sound projected into the future from back in 1955. Or something. It's an absolute must for all Steely Dan lovers; swinging, soulful and cynical, looking at the past through jazz-tinted glasses.
Anyways, here's my rankings:
1- Aja
2- Can't Buy A Thrill (the only album where SD was a real band)
3- Countdown To Ecstacy
4- The Nightfly (Donald Fagan)
5- Pretzel Logic
6- Gaucho (this album needs more love)
7- The Royal Scam
8- Two Against nature
9- Katy Lied
10- Everything Must Go

Posted by Conor at 6:48 AM GMT 07/02/2008 Report Abuse

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I've got all of their studio albums bar the latest (Everything Must Go) but the one that introduced me to slick groove and seedy tales of The Dan was "The Royal Scam". Now, i knew Haitian Divorce - me brother had the single. But it was many years later that i borrowed a copy of the album.
Well, yes, you could say it paved the way for the magum opus that was "Aja" but with songs that sing of drug dealers gone to seed, hostage situations and inter-marital confrontation (with "the Fez" to dance to in the intermission) it's 10 tracks of pure unadultarated Dan.

The sleeve design, is shit however.

Posted by Chunkyboy G at 11:10 PM GMT 08/02/2008 Report Abuse

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I feel i need to add that i totally forgot about Donalds' "The Nightfly"! What was i thinking?

But no, i'm sticking with "The Royal Scam", great though Nightfly was.

Now my brother reckons his "Kamakiriad" poo-poos all over it

Posted by Chunkyboy G at 11:23 PM GMT 08/02/2008 Report Abuse

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My favourite would be "Can't buy a thrill",even though it has some vocals by David Palmer and not Fagen. It's exciting to hear a new band with such incredible eclectic variety of songs. From the pop of "Dirty work", or the latin groove of "only a fool would say that" to the incredible solos of "reelin' in the years", this album has it all. The would match it with their next albums, but never ever surpassed it.One of the best debuts of all time,period.

Posted by gautxos at 8:56 PM GMT 11/02/2008 Report Abuse

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My list

1. Can´t buy a thrill - Just listen to the solo on "Change of the guard"
2. Pretzel logic
3. Countdown to ecstacy
4. Royal scam
5. Two against nature - They could still do it after twenty years

Posted by Thomas Nirbrant at 12:18 PM GMT 19/02/2008 Report Abuse

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Pretzel Logic.....then Countdown......then......ARRGHHH I cant make my mind up !!!!

Posted by Hegel at 7:51 PM GMT 21/02/2008 Report Abuse

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The beautiful thing about The Dan is, with the possible exception of 'Alive in America', there is no wrong choice. Every studio album pays off BIG TIME.

I love the 'Citizen Steely Dan' suggestion, but it has one major flaw: It doesn't include 'Two Against Nature' and 'Everything Must Go', which are "full-strength" Steely Dan albums, despite the conventional wisdom that suggests otherwise.

And, as has been mentioned, Fagen's 'The Nightfly' is a sensational album...but, so is his 2006 release 'Morph the Cat'.

Posted by at 4:13 AM GMT 27/02/2008 Report Abuse

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There is no wrong answer!

Can't Buy A Thrill - classic "early" Dan
Royal Scam - one of the great Guitar records; sex, drugs and rock & roll;
Aja - breathtakingly gorgeous, like nuthin' else, breaks the mold;
Two Against Nature - Wild, Wacky & Fun! it's got grooves in 6/8 and horn arrangements that Miles would kill for;
Morph the Cat - Fagen's post-Apocalyptic Masterpiece

but that's just me.

Posted by YourGoldKeith at 3:55 PM GMT 19/03/2008 Report Abuse

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Get 'em all

Posted by mark gardner at 9:07 AM GMT 23/07/2008 Report Abuse

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