Steely Dan | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Most rock & roll bands are a tightly wound unit that developed their music through years of playing in garages and clubs around their hometown. Steely Dan never subscribed to that aesthetic. As the vehicle for the songwriting of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, Steely Dan defied all rock & roll conventions. Becker and Fagen never truly enjoyed rock -- with their ironic humor and cryptic lyrics, their eclectic body of work shows some debt to Bob Dylan -- preferring jazz, traditional pop, blues, and R&B.; Steely Dan created a sophisticated, distinctive sound with accessible melodic hooks, complex harmonies and time signatures, and a devotion to the recording studio. With producer Gary Katz, Becker and Fagen gradually changed Steely Dan from a performing band to a studio project, hiring professional musicians to record their compositions. Though the band didnt perform live between 1974 and 1993, Steely Dans popularity continued to grow throughout the 70s, as their albums became critical favorites and their singles became staples of AOR and pop radio stations. Even after the group disbanded in the early 80s, their records retained a cult following, as proven by the massive success of their unlikely return to the stage in the early 90s. Walter Becker (bass) and Donald Fagen (vocals, keyboards) were the core members of Steely Dan throughout its variety of incarnations. The two met at Bard College in New York in 1967 and began playing in bands together shortly afterward. The duo played in a number of groups -- including the Bad Rock Group, which featured future comedic actor Chevy Chase on drums -- which ranged from jazz to progressive rock. Eventually, Becker and Fagen began composing songs together, hoping to become professional songwriters in the tradition of the Brill Building. In 1970, the pair joined Jay & the Americans backing band, performing under pseudonyms; Becker chose Gustav Mahler, while Fagen used Tristan Fabriani. They stayed with Jay & the Americans until halfway through 1971, when they recorded the soundtrack for the low-budget film You Gotta Walk It Like You Talk It, which was produced by the Americans Kenny Vance. Following the recording of the soundtrack, Becker and Fagen attempted to start a band with Denny Dias, but the venture was unsuccessful. Barbra Streisand recorded the Fagen/Becker composition "I Mean to Shine" on her album Barbra Joan Streisand, released in August 1971, and the duo met producer Gary Katz, who hired them as staff songwriters for ABC/Dunhill in Los Angeles, where he had just become a staff producer. Katz suggested that Becker and Fagen form a band as a way to record their songs, and Steely Dan -- who took their name from a dildo in William Burroughs Naked Lunch -- were formed shortly afterward. Recruiting guitarists Denny Dias and Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, drummer Jim Hodder, and keyboardist/vocalist David Palmer, Becker and Fagen officially formed Steely Dan in 1972, releasing their debut, Cant Buy a Thrill, shortly afterward. Palmer and Fagen shared lead vocals on the album, but the records two hit singles -- the Top Ten "Do It Again" and "Reeling in the Years" -- were sung by Fagen. Cant Buy a Thrill was a critical and commercial success, but its supporting tour was a disaster, hampered by an under-rehearsed band and unappreciative audiences. Palmer left the band following the tour. Countdown to Ecstasy, released in 1973, was a critical hit, but it failed to generate a hit single, even though the band supported it with a tour. Steely Dan replaced Hodder with Jeff Porcaro and added keyboardist/backup vocalist Michael McDonald prior to recording their third album, Pretzel Logic. Released in the spring of 1974, Pretzel Logic returned Steely Dan to the Top Ten on the strength of the single "Rikki Dont Lose That Number." After completing the supporting tour for Pretzel Logic, Becker and Fagen decided to retire from live performances and make Steely Dan a studio-based band. For their next album, 1975s Katy Lied, the duo hired a variety of studio musicians -- including Dias, Porcaro, guitarist Elliot Randall, saxophonists Phil Woods, bassist Wilton Felder, percussionist Victor Feldman, keyboardist Michael Omartian, and guitarist Larry Carlton -- as supporting musicians. Katy Lied was another hit, as was 1976s The Royal Scam, which continued in the vein of its predecessor. On 1977s Aja, Steely Dans sound became more polished and jazzy, as they hired jazz fusion artists like Wayne Shorter, Lee Ritenour, and the Crusaders as support. Aja became their biggest hit, reaching the Top Five within three weeks of release and becoming one of the first albums to be certified platinum. Aja also gained the respect of many jazz musicians, as evidenced by Woody Herman recording an album of Becker/Fagen songs in 1978. Following the release of Aja, ABC was bought out by MCA Records, resulting in a contractual dispute with the label that delayed until 1980 the release of their follow-up album. During the interim, the group had a hit with the theme song for the film FM in 1978. Steely Dan finally released Gaucho, the follow-up to Aja, in late 1980, and it became another Top Ten hit for the group. During the summer of 1981, Becker and Fagen announced that they were parting ways. The following year, Fagen released his solo debut, The Nightfly, which became a critical and commercial hit. Fagen didnt record another album until 1993, when he reunited with Becker, who produced Kamakiriad. The album was promoted by the first Steely Dan tour in nearly 20 years, and while the record failed to sell, the concerts were very popular. In 1994, Becker released his solo debut, 11 Tracks of Whack, which was produced by Fagen. The following year, Steely Dan mounted another reunion tour, and in early 2000 the duo issued Two Against Nature, their first new studio album in two decades. It won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Steely Dan followed it in 2003 with Everything Must Go. Fagens solo album Morph the Cat was released in 2006, and Becker released Circus Money in 2008 as Steely Dan embarked on another tour. In September 2017, it was announced that Becker had died in Maui, Hawaii. He was 67 years old. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 32 Title: Katy Lied / The Royal Scam Released: Tracks: 19 Duration: 1:16:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Black Friday (03:41) 2 Bad Sneakers (03:20) 3 Rose Darling (03:07) 4 Daddy Don’t Live in That New York City No More (03:16) 5 Doctor Wu (03:57) 6 Everyone’s Gone to the Movies (03:47) 7 Your Gold Teeth II (04:14) 8 Chain Lightning (03:01) 9 Any World (That I’m Welcome To) (03:55) 10 Throw Back the Little Ones (03:14) 11 Kid Charlemagne (04:39) 12 The Caves of Altamira (03:32) 13 Don’t Take Me Alive (04:14) 14 Sign in Stranger (04:21) 15 The Fez (03:59) 16 Green Earrings (04:10) 17 Haitian Divorce (05:50) 18 Everything You Did (03:57) 19 The Royal Scam (06:32) |
 | Album: 2 of 32 Title: Can’t Buy a Thrill Released: 1972-10 Tracks: 10 Duration: 41:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Do It Again (05:56) 2 Dirty Work (03:08) 3 Kings (03:45) 4 Midnite Cruiser (04:08) 5 Only a Fool Would Say That (02:57) 6 Reelin’ in the Years (04:37) 7 Fire in the Hole (03:28) 8 Brooklyn (Owes the Charmer Under Me) (04:21) 9 Change of the Guard (03:39) 10 Turn That Heartbeat Over Again (04:58) |
| Can’t Buy a Thrill : Allmusic album Review : Walter Becker and Donald Fagen were remarkable craftsmen from the start, as Steely Dans debut, Cant Buy a Thrill, illustrates. Each song is tightly constructed, with interlocking chords and gracefully interwoven melodies, buoyed by clever, cryptic lyrics. All of these are hallmarks of Steely Dans signature sound, but what is most remarkable about the record is the way it differs from their later albums. Of course, one of the most notable differences is the presence of vocalist David Palmer, a professional blue-eyed soul vocalist who oversings the handful of tracks where he takes the lead. Palmers very presence signals the one major flaw with the album -- in an attempt to appeal to a wide audience, Becker and Fagen tempered their wildest impulses with mainstream pop techniques. Consequently, there are very few of the jazz flourishes that came to distinguish their albums -- the breakthrough single, "Do It Again," does work an impressively tight Latin jazz beat, and "Reelin in the Years" has jazzy guitar solos and harmonies -- and the production is overly polished, conforming to all the conventions of early-70s radio. Of course, that gives these decidedly twisted songs a subversive edge, but compositionally, these arent as innovative as their later work. Even so, the best moments ("Dirty Work," "Kings," "Midnight Cruiser," "Turn That Heartbeat Over Again") are wonderful pop songs that subvert traditional conventions and more than foreshadow the paths Steely Dan would later take. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 32 Title: Countdown to Ecstasy Released: 1973-07 Tracks: 8 Duration: 41:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Bodhisattva (05:18) 2 Razor Boy (03:11) 3 The Boston Rag (05:40) 4 Your Gold Teeth (06:59) 5 Show Biz Kids (05:26) 6 My Old School (05:46) 7 Pearl of the Quarter (03:51) 8 King of the World (05:01) |
| Countdown to Ecstasy : Allmusic album Review : Cant Buy a Thrill became an unexpected hit, and as a response, Donald Fagen became the groups full-time lead vocalist, and he and Walter Becker acted like Steely Dan was a rock & roll band for the groups second album, Countdown to Ecstasy. The loud guitars and pronounced backbeat of "Bodhisattva," "Show Biz Kids," and "My Old School" camouflage the fact that Countdown is a riskier album, musically speaking, than its predecessor. Each of its eight songs have sophisticated, jazz-inflected interludes, and apart from the bluesy vamps "Bodhisattva" and "Show Biz Kids," which sound like they were written for the stage, the songs are subtly textured. "Razor Boy," with its murmuring vibes, and the hard bop tribute "Your Gold Teeth" reveal Becker and Fagens jazz roots, while the country-flavored "Pearl of the Quarter" and the ominous, skittering "King of the World" are both overlooked gems. Countdown to Ecstasy is the only time Steely Dan played it relatively straight, and its eight songs are rich with either musical or lyrical detail that their album rock or art rock contemporaries couldnt hope to match. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 32 Title: Pretzel Logic Released: 1974-03-02 Tracks: 11 Duration: 34:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Rikki Don’t Lose That Number (04:32) 2 Night by Night (03:40) 3 Any Major Dude Will Tell You (03:08) 4 Barrytown (03:22) 5 East St. Louis Toodle‐Oo (02:49) 6 Parker’s Band (02:45) 7 Through With Buzz (01:34) 8 Pretzel Logic (04:32) 9 With a Gun (02:18) 10 Charlie Freak (02:44) 11 Monkey in Your Soul (02:33) |
| Pretzel Logic : Allmusic album Review : Countdown to Ecstasy wasnt half the hit that Cant Buy a Thrill was, and Steely Dan responded by trimming the lengthy instrumental jams that were scattered across Countdown and concentrating on concise songs for Pretzel Logic. While the shorter songs usually indicate a tendency toward pop conventions, thats not the case with Pretzel Logic. Instead of relying on easy hooks, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen assembled their most complex and cynical set of songs to date. Dense with harmonics, countermelodies, and bop phrasing, Pretzel Logic is vibrant with unpredictable musical juxtapositions and snide, but very funny, wordplay. Listen to how the albums hit single, "Rikki Dont Lose That Number," opens with a syncopated piano line that evolves into a graceful pop melody, or how the title track winds from a blues to a jazzy chorus -- Becker and Fagens craft has become seamless while remaining idiosyncratic and thrillingly accessible. Since the songs are now paramount, it makes sense that Pretzel Logic is less of a band-oriented album than Countdown to Ecstasy, yet it is the richest album in their catalog, one where the backhanded Dylan tribute "Barrytown" can sit comfortably next to the gorgeous "Any Major Dude Will Tell You." Steely Dan made more accomplished albums than Pretzel Logic, but they never made a better one. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 32 Title: Katy Lied Released: 1975-03 Tracks: 10 Duration: 35:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Black Friday (03:40) 2 Bad Sneakers (03:19) 3 Rose Darling (03:05) 4 Daddy Don’t Live in That New York City No More (03:15) 5 Doctor Wu (03:57) 6 Everyone’s Gone to the Movies (03:44) 7 Your Gold Teeth II (04:14) 8 Chain Lightning (03:00) 9 Any World (That I’m Welcome To) (03:55) 10 Throw Back the Little Ones (03:14) |
| Katy Lied : Allmusic album Review : Building from the jazz fusion foundation of Pretzel Logic, Steely Dan created an alluringly sophisticated album of jazzy pop with Katy Lied. With this record, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen began relying solely on studio musicians, which is evident from the immaculate sound of the album. Usually, such a studied recording method would drain the life out of each song, but thats not the case with Katy Lied, which actually benefits from the duos perfectionist tendencies. Each song is given a glossy sheen, one that accentuates not only the stronger pop hooks, but also the precise technical skill of the professional musicians drafted to play the solos. Essentially, Katy Lied is a smoother version of Pretzel Logic, featuring the same cross-section of jazz-pop and blues-rock. The lack of innovations doesnt hurt the record, since the songs are uniformly brilliant. Less overtly cynical than previous Dan albums, the album still has its share of lyrical stingers, but whats really notable are the melodies, from the seductive jazzy soul of "Doctor Wu" and the lazy blues of "Chain Lightning" to the terse "Black Friday" and mock calypso of "Everyones Gone to the Movies." Its another excellent record in one of the most distinguished rock & roll catalogs of the 70s. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 32 Title: The Royal Scam Released: 1976-05 Tracks: 9 Duration: 41:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Kid Charlemagne (04:38) 2 The Caves of Altamira (03:33) 3 Don’t Take Me Alive (04:16) 4 Sign in Stranger (04:23) 5 The Fez (04:01) 6 Green Earrings (04:05) 7 Haitian Divorce (05:51) 8 Everything You Did (03:55) 9 The Royal Scam (06:30) |
| The Royal Scam : Allmusic album Review : The Royal Scam is the first Steely Dan record that doesnt exhibit significant musical progress from its predecessor, but that doesnt mean the album is any less interesting. The cynicism that was suppressed on Katy Lied comes roaring to the surface on The Royal Scam -- not only are the lyrics bitter and snide, but the music is terse, broken, and weary. Not so coincidentally, the album is comprised of Walter Becker and Donald Fagens weakest set of songs since Cant Buy a Thrill. Alternating between mean-spirited bluesy vamps like "Green Earrings" and "The Fez" and jazzy soft rock numbers like "The Caves of Altamira," theres nothing particularly bad on the album, yet there are fewer standouts than before. Nevertheless, the best songs on The Royal Scam, like the sneering "Kid Charlemagne" and "Sign in Stranger," rank as genuine Steely Dan classics. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 32 Title: Aja Released: 1977-09-23 Tracks: 7 Duration: 39:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Black Cow (05:10) 2 Aja (08:00) 3 Deacon Blues (07:36) 4 Peg (03:57) 5 Home at Last (05:35) 6 I Got the News (05:07) 7 Josie (04:31) |
| Aja : Allmusic album Review : Steely Dan hadnt been a real working band since Pretzel Logic, but with Aja, Walter Becker and Donald Fagens obsession with sonic detail and fascination with composition reached new heights. A coolly textured and immaculately produced collection of sophisticated jazz-rock, Aja has none of the overt cynicism or self-consciously challenging music that distinguished previous Steely Dan records. Instead, its a measured and textured album, filled with subtle melodies and accomplished, jazzy solos that blend easily into the lush instrumental backdrops. But Aja isnt just about texture, since Becker and Fagens songs are their most complex and musically rich set of songs -- even the simplest song, the sunny pop of "Peg," has layers of jazzy vocal harmonies. In fact, Steely Dan ignores rock on Aja, preferring to fuse cool jazz, blues, and pop together in a seamless, seductive fashion. Its complex music delivered with ease, and although the duos preoccupation with clean sound and self-consciously sophisticated arrangements would eventually lead to a dead end, Aja is a shining example of jazz-rock at its finest. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 32 Title: Greatest Hits Released: 1978 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:20:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Do It Again (05:56) 2 Reeling in the Years (04:35) 3 My Old School (05:46) 4 Bodhisattva (05:18) 5 Show Biz Kids (05:26) 6 East St. Louis Toodle‐Oo (02:49) 7 Rikki Don’t Lose That Number (04:32) 8 Pretzel Logic (04:32) 9 Any Major Dude (03:06) 10 Here at the Western World (04:01) 11 Black Friday (03:39) 12 Bad Sneakers (03:19) 13 Doctor Wu (03:57) 14 Haitian Divorce (05:51) 15 Kid Charlemagne (04:38) 16 The Fez (04:01) 17 Peg (03:57) 18 Josie (04:31) |
| Greatest Hits : Allmusic album Review : This 1978 ABC set was issued to bide time between Aja and Gaucho. Despite the generous 18 tracks covering the 1972-1977 work, this didnt take on mythical proportions due to the fact that the bands separate albums all remained strong and the groups better moments werent always the biggest hits. Despite the cavils, some great work is here. "Do It Again" and "Reelin in the Years" both broadened what listeners expected from singles as Donald Fagens ironic vocals were instantly singular and made all of the lyrics stick. By the middle of Greatest Hits, tracks from three albums in particular, Pretzel Logic, Katy Lied, and The Royal Scam, all cohere into an imperfect though cogent sampling of their work. Tracks like "Black Friday," "Pretzel Logic," and "Haitian Divorce" are all nervous energy and gallows humor, all assiduously played in their patented mix of rock, jazz, and R&B.; During its initial release, the draw for Greatest Hits was one unreleased track. The elegiac "Here in the Western World" from the Royal Scam sessions perfectly summed up their 1973-1976 sound. The track later showed up on another compilations. "Peg" and "Josie" from Aja show up here as well. What makes Greatest Hits less than essential are the glaring omissions, including "Dont Take Me Alive," "Chain Lightening," and "Deacon Blues." Having "FM" absent doesnt help things either. Unlike many compilations, Greatest Hits isnt a loving look but at a groups recent past, but more a stopgap measure to put product on shelves. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 32 Title: Gaucho Released: 1980-11-21 Tracks: 7 Duration: 38:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Babylon Sisters (05:52) 2 Hey Nineteen (05:07) 3 Glamour Profession (07:29) 4 Gaucho (05:32) 5 Time out of Mind (04:14) 6 My Rival (04:34) 7 Third World Man (05:14) |
| Gaucho : Allmusic album Review : Aja was cool, relaxed, and controlled; it sounded deceptively easy. Its follow-up, Gaucho, while sonically similar, is its polar opposite: a precise and studied record, where all of the seams show. Gaucho essentially replicates the smooth jazz-pop of Aja, but with none of that records dark, seductive romance or elegant aura. Instead, its meticulous and exacting; each performance has been rehearsed so many times that it no longer has any emotional resonance. Furthermore, Walter Becker and Donald Fagens songs are generally labored, only occasionally reaching their past heights, like on the suave "Babylon Sisters," "Time Out of Mind," and "Hey Nineteen." Still, those three songs are barely enough to make the remainder of the albums glossy, meandering fusion worthwhile. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 32 Title: Gold Released: 1982 Tracks: 8 Duration: 40:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Hey Nineteen (05:04) 2 Green Earrings (04:05) 3 Deacon Blues (07:26) 4 Chain Lightning (02:57) 5 FM (04:50) 6 Black Cow (05:07) 7 King of the World (05:03) 8 Babylon Sisters (05:51) |
| Gold : Allmusic album Review : Donald Fagen and Walter Becker wrote many outstanding light-rock tunes with a somewhat soulful appeal. This compilation album plays host to quite a few of those songs, among them "Hey Nineteen," "Deacon Blues," and "Black Cow."" The twosome have an uncanny style of conveying their messages in a very overt way without forfeiting the songs charisma. Of the 12 tracks listed, Steely Dan is responsible for ten and the other two are Donald Fagen selections; both were taken from movie soundtracks, and unfortunately, they do not retain that same sting that the other compositions have. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 32 Title: Berry Town Released: 1985 Tracks: 14 Duration: 38:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Idia Lee (03:35) 2 Any World (03:38) 3 You Go Where I Go (02:01) 4 This Seats Been Taken (02:40) 5 Barrytown (02:43) 6 Android Warehouse (02:09) 7 More to Come (02:51) 8 Sun Mountain (02:59) 9 A Little With Sugar (03:41) 10 Take It Out on Me (02:03) 11 Stone Piano II (02:14) 12 Roaring of the Lamb (03:03) 13 Parkers Band (02:13) 14 Oh, Wow Its You (02:37) |
 | Album: 12 of 32 Title: Reelin’ in the Years: The Very Best of Steely Dan Released: 1985 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:27:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Do It Again (05:56) 2 Reelin’ in the Years (04:26) 3 My Old School (05:38) 4 Bodhisattva (05:18) 5 Show Biz Kids (05:18) 6 Rikki Don’t Lose That Number (04:07) 7 Pretzel Logic (04:31) 8 Black Friday (03:38) 9 Bad Sneakers (03:17) 1 Doctor Wu (03:55) 2 Haitian Divorce (05:46) 3 Kid Charlemagne (04:31) 4 The Fez (03:56) 5 Peg (03:57) 6 Josie (04:32) 7 Deacon Blues (07:36) 8 Hey Nineteen (05:10) 9 Babylon Sisters (05:50) |
 | Album: 13 of 32 Title: A Decade of Steely Dan Released: 1985 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:08:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 FM (04:50) 2 Black Friday (03:40) 3 Babylon Sisters (05:52) 4 Deacon Blues (07:36) 5 Bodhisattva (05:18) 6 Hey Nineteen (05:07) 7 Do It Again (05:56) 8 Peg (03:57) 9 Rikki Don’t Lose That Number (04:32) 10 Reeling in the Years (04:38) 11 East St. Louis Toodle‐Oo (02:49) 12 Kid Charlemagne (04:38) 13 My Old School (05:46) 14 Bad Sneakers (03:19) |
| A Decade of Steely Dan : Allmusic album Review : A Decade of Steely Dan was one of the first compilations designed for CD, so it was intended to showcase digital sound as much as the music itself. Consequently, its balanced to showcase at least one song from each of the bands albums, leaving off the compilation such minor hits as "Pretzel Logic," "The Fez," and "Josie." Nevertheless, the songs here -- including "Do It Again," "Reeling in the Years," "My Old School," "Rikki Dont Lose That Number," "Kid Charlemagne," "Peg," "Deacon Blues," "Hey Nineteen," and the non-LP "FM (No Static at All)" -- provide a good overview of Steely Dans career, making the disc a fine introduction to the innovative jazz-rock group. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 32 Title: The Very Best of Steely Dan Released: 1987 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:02:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Rikki Don’t Lose That Number (04:07) 2 Reelin’ in the Years (04:26) 3 Kid Charlemagne (04:30) 4 Doctor Wu (03:55) 5 FM (04:50) 6 My Old School (05:38) 7 The Fez (03:56) 8 Do It Again (05:29) 9 Pretzel Logic (04:31) 10 Any Major Dude Will Tell You (03:08) 11 Black Friday (03:38) 12 Showbiz Kids (04:40) 13 Peg (03:57) 14 Haitian Divorce (05:41) |
| The Very Best of Steely Dan : Allmusic album Review : Putting together a "best-of" compilation for a band as hell-bent on achieving perfection as Steely Dan can be a daunting task. Fortunately, The Very Best of Steely Dan takes a kitchen-sink approach as it delivers two discs of remarkably precise jazz-rock from the storied outfit. A career retrospective, the album tracks Steely Dan from their more group-oriented beginning, which found legendary guitarist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter in the lineup, to their more withdrawn period in the second half of their career when Becker and Fagen focused on the perfectionism allowed by the studio environment. This helps to give listeners a taste of the bands complete history all in one shot rather than over the course of a couple of volumes. In the end, The Very Best of Steely Dan is like the closing arguments of two attorneys who are both arguing their client is innocent, just for different reasons, with both of its two discs making a compelling case for why Steely Dan were one of the great soft/jazz-rock bands of the 70s. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 32 Title: Remastered: The Best of Steely Dan (Then and Now) Released: 1993 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:19:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Reelin’ in the Years (04:37) 2 Rikki Don’t Lose That Number (04:32) 3 Peg (03:57) 4 FM (05:05) 5 Hey Nineteen (05:07) 6 Deacon Blues (07:36) 7 Black Friday (03:40) 8 Bodhisattva (05:18) 9 Do It Again (05:56) 10 Haitian Divorce (05:51) 11 My Old School (05:46) 12 Midnite Cruiser (04:07) 13 Babylon Sisters (05:52) 14 Kid Charlemagne (04:38) 15 Dirty Work (03:08) 16 Josie (04:31) |
| Remastered: The Best of Steely Dan (Then and Now) : Allmusic album Review : Theres a reason why "remastered" is part of the title of Then and Now: The Best of Steely Dan Remastered. Steely Dans fans are notorious for their love of pristine audio quality; they loved virgin vinyl pressings of the Dans classic studio work and they loved the CD reissues. So the distinction that this 1993 collection is remastered is important, since it gives the hardcore a reason to check it out. Of course, in the years since, the remasters have been replaced by new remasters, most notably the Fagen and Becker-endorsed 1999 reissues, but this was still an improvement over the issues in the marketplace in 1993. More importantly, at least to the general audience, is that the compilation is a good overview of the bands work. It doesnt follow chronological order and there are omissions that are easy to spot, especially since it decides to balance singles with album tracks from "Midnite Cruiser" to "Josie." Still, this is a really entertaining sampling, heavy on their big hits yet still an accurate portrait of their breadth and depth. Nothing that the hardcore fan needs to add -- unless they dont have "FM" somewhere in their collection or are a completist or an audiophile circa 1993 -- but casual fans will enjoy it (though its not much better than the easily available A Decade of Steely Dan, so its not necessarily worth an extensive search for this British collection). Best of all, the auto-Stonehenge makes for the coolest cover ever for a Dan compilation. | ||
 | Album: 16 of 32 Title: Citizen Steely Dan: 1972–1980 Released: 1993 Tracks: 66 Duration: 4:51:32 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Do It Again (05:56) 2 Dirty Work (03:08) 3 Kings (03:45) 4 Midnite Cruiser (04:07) 5 Only a Fool Would Say That (02:54) 6 Reelin’ in the Years (04:37) 7 Fire in the Hole (03:28) 8 Brooklyn (Owes the Charmer Under Me) (04:21) 9 Change of the Guard (03:39) 10 Turn That Heartbeat Over Again (04:58) 11 Bodhisattva (05:18) 12 Razor Boy (03:11) 13 The Boston Rag (05:40) 14 Your Gold Teeth (06:59) 15 Show Biz Kids (05:22) 16 My Old School (05:46) 1 King of the World (05:04) 2 Pearl of the Quarter (03:51) 3 Rikki Don’t Lose That Number (04:07) 4 Night by Night (03:40) 5 Any Major Dude Will Tell You (03:08) 6 Barrytown (03:22) 7 East St. Louis Toodle‐Oo (02:49) 8 Parker’s Band (02:45) 9 Through With Buzz (01:34) 10 Pretzel Logic (04:32) 11 With a Gun (02:18) 12 Charlie Freak (02:44) 13 Monkey in Your Soul (02:36) 14 Bodhisattva (live) (07:44) 15 Black Friday (03:40) 16 Bad Sneakers (03:19) 17 Rose Darling (03:05) 18 Daddy Don’t Live in That New York City No More (03:15) 19 Doctor Wu (03:57) 20 Everyone’s Gone to the Movies (03:44) 21 Chain Lightning (03:00) 1 Your Gold Teeth II (04:14) 2 Any World (That I’m Welcome To) (03:55) 3 Throw Back the Little Ones (03:14) 4 Kid Charlemagne (04:38) 5 The Caves of Altamira (03:33) 6 Don’t Take Me Alive (04:16) 7 Sign in Stranger (04:23) 8 The Fez (04:01) 9 Green Earrings (04:05) 10 Haitian Divorce (05:51) 11 Everything You Did (03:55) 12 The Royal Scam (06:30) 13 Here at the Western World (04:01) 14 Black Cow (05:10) 15 Aja (08:00) 16 Peg (03:57) 1 Deacon Blues (07:36) 2 Home at Last (05:35) 3 I Got the News (05:07) 4 Josie (04:31) 5 FM (05:05) 6 Babylon Sisters (05:52) 7 Hey Nineteen (05:07) 8 Glamour Profession (07:29) 9 Gaucho (05:32) 10 Time out of Mind (04:14) 11 My Rival (04:34) 12 Third World Man (05:14) 13 Everyones Gone to the Movies (demo) (03:59) |
 | Album: 17 of 32 Title: Becker & Fagan From Steely Dan Collection Released: 1994 Tracks: 25 Duration: 1:18:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Brooklyn (05:30) 2 Old Regime (03:09) 3 Soul Ram (02:06) 4 Let George Do It (03:02) 5 I Can’t Function (03:58) 6 Don’t Let Me In (04:06) 7 Come Back Baby (04:02) 8 Brain Tap Shuffle (02:54) 9 Yellow Peril (03:59) 10 Mock Turtle Song (03:21) 11 Barrytown (02:47) 12 Charly Freak (02:39) 13 Caves of Altimira (03:19) 14 Parker’s Band (02:15) 15 Any World That I’m Welcome To (03:41) 16 Take It Out on Me (02:24) 17 The Roaring of the Lamb (03:07) 18 A Horse in Town (02:53) 19 More to Come (02:54) 20 Oh Wow It’s You Again (02:43) 21 Sum Mountain (02:50) 22 Stone Piano (02:19) 23 You Go Where I Go (02:06) 24 A Little With Sugar (03:30) 25 This Seat’s Been Taken (02:38) |
 | Album: 18 of 32 Title: Roaring of the Lamb Released: 1994 Tracks: 17 Duration: 47:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Android Warehouse (02:09) 2 A Horse in Town (02:52) 3 More to Come (02:51) 4 Parkers Band (02:13) 5 Idia Lee (03:35) 6 Stone Piano II (02:14) 7 Any World (03:38) 8 Take It Out on Me (02:03) 9 This Seats Been Taken (02:40) 10 Barrytown (02:43) 11 Oh, Wow Its You (02:37) 12 Charlie Freak (02:37) 13 Roaring of the Lamb (03:03) 14 A Little With Sugar (03:27) 15 Sun Mountain (02:59) 16 The Caves of Altamira (03:17) 17 You Go Where I Go (02:01) |
| Roaring of the Lamb : Allmusic album Review : In the years before they formed Steely Dan and released the bands debut album Cant Buy a Thrill in 1972, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen made numerous demonstration recordings of their songs under the auspices of their manager, Kenny Vance of Jay & the Americans. Vance began leasing these recordings for commercial release in 1983 with the album Becker & Fagen: The Early Years, and since then they have been repackaged over and over in various combinations, appearing on such albums as Berry Town, Sun Mountain, Old Regime, and Stone Piano. Twenty-eight different songs (plus an alternate version of the song "Sun Mountain") have turned up on one album or another, and The Roaring of the Lamb presents half of them. Steely Dan fans who have never heard any of these tracks may be pleasantly surprised. None of Becker and Fagens vaunted studio perfectionism is present on these primitive and usually spare tracks, but the work comes only a short time before the polished Steely Dan commercial recordings, and it is identifiably by the same performers. In fact, "Barrytown" later turned up on the third Steely Dan album, Pretzel Logic. "Android Warehouse," meanwhile, is basically a demo of "The Caves of Altamira" from the fifth Steely Dan album, The Royal Scam. Most of the tracks feature only Fagen on lead vocals and piano, and Becker on bass and harmony vocals, though some are more developed arrangements presumably including Demian (featuring guitarist Denny Dias, later of Steely Dan, drummer John Discepolo, and singer Keith Thomas), the band with whom they were playing at the time. As long as buyers arent expecting the usual Steely Dan sonics, they may enjoy a glimpse into the bands beginnings. | ||
 | Album: 19 of 32 Title: Alive in America Released: 1995-10-17 Tracks: 11 Duration: 1:06:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Babylon Sisters (06:47) 2 Green Earrings (05:20) 3 Bodhisattva (05:47) 4 Reelin’ in the Years (06:24) 5 Josie (06:11) 6 Book of Liars (04:19) 7 Peg (04:19) 8 Third World Man (06:38) 9 Kid Charlemagne (05:16) 10 Sign in Stranger (06:33) 11 Aja (09:02) |
| Alive in America : Allmusic album Review : When Donald Fagen and Walter Becker re-formed Steely Dan in 1994, they didnt put out a new album. They undertook a tour of sports arenas, their first tour since the days of Countdown to Ecstasy. Since Steely Dan became stars after they retired from performing, many of their dedicated fans never got a chance to see the group in concert. Given those circumstances, maybe the uniformly positive reviews of the tour were predictable. But as Alive in America proves, the shows werent earth-shaking. Certainly they were fun -- theres no denying its a thrill to hear these songs in a live setting, both for fans and for Becker and Fagen themselves -- but essentially they were exercises in nostalgia. Alive in America is enjoyable, but it offers no new insight into Steely Dan as performers, or Becker and Fagen as songwriters. Its a gas while it lasts, but it doesnt leave any lasting memories. | ||
 | Album: 20 of 32 Title: The Early Years Released: 1998 Tracks: 14 Duration: 43:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Old Regime (03:10) 2 Come Back Baby (04:09) 3 Brain Tap Shuffle (03:07) 4 Take It Out on Me (02:26) 5 Yellow Peril (04:13) 6 She Took a Little With Sugar (03:33) 7 More to Come (02:56) 8 This Seat’s Been Taken (02:44) 9 A Horse in Town (02:58) 10 You Go Where I Go (02:09) 11 Barrytown (02:51) 12 Android Warehouse (03:21) 13 Roaring of the Lamb (03:10) 14 Soul Ram (02:10) |
 | Album: 21 of 32 Title: Steely Dan Released: 2000 Tracks: 12 Duration: 59:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Do It Again (05:56) 2 Reeling in the Years (04:31) 3 Rikki Dont Lose That Number (04:32) 4 Peg (03:57) 5 Deacon Blues (07:36) 6 FM (04:50) 7 Babylon Sisters (05:52) 8 Black Friday (03:40) 9 Hey Nineteen (05:07) 10 My Old School (05:46) 11 Bodhisattva (05:18) 12 East St. Louis (02:47) |
 | Album: 22 of 32 Title: The Steely Dan Collection Released: 2000 Tracks: 28 Duration: 1:25:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 You Go Where I Go (02:00) 2 A Little With Sugar (03:27) 3 Roaring of the Lamb (03:00) 4 Charlie Freak (02:34) 5 Sun Mountain (02:48) 6 Oh Wow Its You (02:34) 7 Undecided (02:58) 8 Caves of Altamira (03:13) 9 Any World (That Im Welcome To) (03:36) 10 More to Come (02:49) 11 Parkers Band (02:10) 12 Barrytown (02:40) 13 Brain Tap Shuffle (02:54) 14 Brooklyn (Owes the Charmer Under Me) (05:32) 1 Mock Turtle Song (03:23) 2 Yellow Peril (03:57) 3 Android Warehouse (02:09) 4 A Horse in Town (02:49) 5 Idia Lee (03:35) 6 Stone Piano II (02:14) 7 Take It Out on Me (02:22) 8 This Seats Been Taken (02:38) 9 Come Back Baby (04:02) 10 Dont Let Me In (04:05) 11 Old Regime (03:07) 12 Soul Ram (02:03) 13 I Cant Function (03:56) 14 Let George Do It (03:00) |
 | Album: 23 of 32 Title: Two Against Nature Released: 2000-02-29 Tracks: 9 Duration: 51:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Gaslighting Abbie (05:57) 2 What a Shame About Me (05:19) 3 Two Against Nature (06:20) 4 Janie Runaway (04:11) 5 Almost Gothic (04:11) 6 Jack of Speed (06:19) 7 Cousin Dupree (05:30) 8 Negative Girl (05:36) 9 West of Hollywood (08:21) |
| Two Against Nature : Allmusic album Review : Notorious for shunning concert performances, Steely Dans improbable live reunion in the mid-90s eventually turned into a full-fledged reunion album. Since Steely Dan fans went two decades without even the hope of a new record, the very prospect was a delight, but it was also a little worrying, since a botched comeback would tarnish the bands legacy. Fortunately, Two Against Nature is as seductive and alluring as the best of Steely Dans later work, with a similar emphasis on classy atmosphere and groove. Pitched halfway between Gaucho and the immaculate production of Fagens solo album Kamakiriad, its a graceful, intricate record that works its subtle charms at its own pace. While that means it isnt a knockout on the first listen, its a real grower -- a quietly addicting album that slowly works its way into the subconscious. Its also an uncannily natural extension of the duos previous work, but surprisingly, it never sounds nostalgic or dated. Its clear that Becker and Fagen re-teamed because they simply enjoy working together: crafting the songs and arrangements, designing the production, shoehorning in-jokes into the lyrics, finding the exact performances that fit their specifications. In this sense, Two Against Nature is no different than any past Steely Dan effort; thats exactly why its welcome, since they find nearly endless permutations within their signature sound. Lyrically, the album isnt quite as malicious as their 70s work, but they havent lost their sharp humor, even on some mere throwaway lines. The real payoff, however, is musical. Each song gradually reveals its own identity through small, thrilling touches, giving the record depth and character, and fitting it comfortably into Steely Dans acclaimed body of work. And thats as delightfully unexpected and peculiarly beautiful as anything else in their career. | ||
 | Album: 24 of 32 Title: Showbiz Kids: The Steely Dan Story Released: 2000-11-21 Tracks: 33 Duration: 2:34:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Do It Again (05:56) 2 Dirty Work (03:08) 3 Reelin’ in the Years (04:37) 4 Only a Fool Would Say That (02:57) 5 Change of the Guard (03:39) 6 Bodhisattva (05:18) 7 The Boston Rag (05:40) 8 Show Biz Kids (05:26) 9 My Old School (05:46) 10 Rikki Don’t Lose That Number (04:32) 11 Night by Night (03:40) 12 Pretzel Logic (04:32) 13 Any Major Dude Will Tell You (03:08) 14 Black Friday (03:40) 15 Bad Sneakers (03:19) 16 Doctor Wu (03:57) 17 Any World (That I’m Welcome To) (03:55) 18 Chain Lightning (03:00) 1 Kid Charlemagne (04:38) 2 Don’t Take Me Alive (04:16) 3 Haitian Divorce (05:51) 4 The Fez (04:01) 5 Here at the Western World (04:01) 6 Black Cow (05:10) 7 Aja (08:00) 8 Deacon Blues (07:36) 9 Peg (04:00) 10 Josie (04:35) 11 FM (05:05) 12 Babylon Sisters (05:52) 13 Hey Nineteen (05:07) 14 Time out of Mind (04:14) 15 Third World Man (05:14) |
 | Album: 25 of 32 Title: Everything Must Go Released: 2003-06-10 Tracks: 9 Duration: 42:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Last Mall (03:38) 2 Things I Miss the Most (04:01) 3 Blues Beach (04:31) 4 Godwhacker (04:59) 5 Slang of Ages (04:17) 6 Green Book (05:57) 7 Pixeleen (04:03) 8 Lunch With Gina (04:29) 9 Everything Must Go (06:45) |
| Everything Must Go : Allmusic album Review : When Steely Dan released Two Against Nature in 2000, their first album in 20 years, it was an unexpected gift, since all odds seemed against Donald Fagen and Walter Becker reteaming for nothing more than the occasional project, let alone a full album. As it turned out, the duo was able to pick up where they left off, with Two Against Nature seamlessly fitting next to Gaucho and earning the band surprise success, including a Grammy for Album of the Year, but the bigger surprise is that the reunion wasnt a one-off -- they released another record, Everything Must Go, a mere three years later. Given the (relatively) short turnaround time between the two records, it comes as little surprise that Everything Must Go is a companion piece to Two Against Nature, and sounds very much like that albums laid-back, catchy jazz-funk, only with an elastic, loose feel -- loose enough to have Walter Becker take the first lead vocal in Steely Dan history, in fact, which sums up the Dans attitude in a nutshell. This time, theyre comfortable and confident enough to let anything happen, and while that doesnt really affect the sound of the record, it does affect the feel. Though it as expertly produced as always, theres less emphasis on production and a focus on the feel, often breathing as much as a live performance, another new wrinkle for Steely Dan. Sometimes, it also sounds as if Becker and Fagen have written the songs quickly; theres nothing that betrays their high standards of craft, but, on a whole, the songs are neither as hooky nor as resonant as the ones unveiled on its predecessor. While it might have been nice to have a song as immediate as, say, "Cousin Dupree," there are no bad songs here and many cuts grow as nicely as those on Two Against Nature. But the real selling point of Everything Must Go is that relaxed, comfortable, live feel. It signals that Steely Dan has indeed entered a new phase, one less fussy and a bit funkier (albeit lite funk). If they can keep turning out a record this solid every three years, wed all be better off. | ||
 | Album: 26 of 32 Title: Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz Released: 2005-03-15 Tracks: 16 Duration: 53:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 [conversation] (01:38) 2 Limbo Jazz (02:42) 3 [conversation] (05:07) 4 Josie (03:50) 5 [conversation] (03:06) 6 Mood Indigo (03:07) 7 [conversation] (02:41) 8 Star Eyes (03:19) 9 [conversation] (03:38) 10 Hesitation Blues (03:26) 11 [conversation] (05:17) 12 Things Ain’t What They Used to Be (03:46) 13 [conversation] (01:41) 14 Chain Lightning (04:44) 15 [conversation] (01:50) 16 Black Friday (03:30) |
| Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz : Allmusic album Review : It isnt hard to imagine how some jazz purists will react upon seeing the name Steely Dan on one of Marian McPartlands Piano Jazz releases; theyre likely to ask, "What, in Gods name, is a pop/rock group doing in McPartlands presence?" But even though Steely Dan isnt a jazz act per se, they have always had jazz influences -- and it would be a mistake to think of this CD as strictly a pop/rock disc. Actually, the original material of Steely Dan leaders Donald Fagen (vocals, acoustic piano) and Walter Becker (electric guitar) takes somewhat of a back seat to instrumental straight-ahead jazz when they join forces with pianist McPartland, bassist Jay Leonhart and drummer Keith Carlock. Some longtime Steely Dan enthusiasts might be disappointed to know that only three Fagen/Becker songs are performed: "Josie," "Black Friday" and "Chain Lightning" -- you wont hear "Peg," "Do It Again," "Rikki, Dont Lost That Number," "Deacon Blues," "Hey Nineteen" or "Reeling in the Years." Nonetheless, there are many enjoyable moments, and McPartland has no problem finding common ground with Fagen and Becker -- common ground that includes a healthy appreciation of Duke Ellingtons repertoire. Between three songs associated with the Duke ("Mood Indigo," Mercer Ellingtons "Things Aint What They Used to Be" and the lesser known "Limbo Jazz"), W.C. Handys "Hesitation Blues" and the standard "Star Eyes," Steely Dans encounter with McPartland is dominated by straight-ahead jazz -- not the jazz-influenced, soul-minded pop/rock that made Steely Dan famous during their 70s heyday. This intriguing CD may not have as many Steely Dan classics as some of their die-hard fans would like, but their appearance on Piano Jazz is full of pleasant surprises and reminds us just how much jazz means to 70s pop/rock icons. | ||
 | Album: 27 of 32 Title: The Definitive Collection Released: 2006-08-01 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:17:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Do It Again (05:56) 2 Dirty Work (03:10) 3 Reelin’ in the Years (04:37) 4 Bodhisattva (05:18) 5 My Old School (05:46) 6 Rikki Don’t Lose That Number (04:33) 7 Black Friday (03:40) 8 Bad Sneakers (03:20) 9 Kid Charlemagne (04:38) 10 Deacon Blues (07:32) 11 Peg (03:55) 12 FM (04:50) 13 Hey Nineteen (05:07) 14 Babylon Sisters (05:52) 15 Cousin Dupree (05:27) 16 Things I Miss the Most (03:57) |
| The Definitive Collection : Allmusic album Review : Geffens 2006 release The Definitive Collection is a mere 16 tracks long, which is a bit short for covering Steely Dans career. They may not have landed many singles within the Billboard charts -- only 15 between their 1973 debut, Cant Buy a Thrill, and their 2000 comeback, Two Against Nature -- but they had plenty of standards on album rock radio, giving the impression that they had more charting hits than they actually did. This can make compiling a Dan hits collection a little difficult, since concentrating on either the chart singles or the radio staples will wind up giving a misleading impression. The Definitive Collection attempts to negotiate the two: it has the biggest singles -- "Do It Again," "Reeling in the Years," "Rikki Dont Lose That Number," "Deacon Blues," "Peg," "Hey Nighteen" -- and it has such radio favorites as "Bodhisattva," "My Old School," "FM," and "Babylon Sisters." This disc does take into account their new-millennium comeback, pulling "Cousin Dupree" from Two Against Nature and "Things I Miss the Most" from 2003s Everything Must Go, which leaves less space for such Steely Dan standards as "Josie," "Time Out of Mind," "Show Biz Kids," "Any Major Dude Will Tell You," and "Aja." While those songs are missed, listeners wanting a more exhaustive compilation always have the option of purchasing 2000s excellent double-disc set Showbiz Kids: The Steely Dan Story 1972-1980 instead. For those who just want a sampler of many, but not all, of Steely Dans biggest and best songs, this will suit them fine. | ||
 | Album: 28 of 32 Title: 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best of Steely Dan Released: 2007-06-12 Tracks: 10 Duration: 49:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Do It Again (05:56) 2 Reelin’ in the Years (04:37) 3 Only a Fool Would Say That (02:56) 4 My Old School (05:46) 5 Rikki Don’t Lose That Number (04:32) 6 Any World (That I’m Welcome To) (03:55) 7 Deacon Blues (07:32) 8 Josie (04:31) 9 Time out of Mind (04:14) 10 Third World Man (05:14) |
| 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best of Steely Dan : Allmusic album Review : Steely Dan mainstays Walter Becker and Donald Fagen are credited as co-compilation producers with Universal Music executive Andy McKaie on the Steely Dan entry in Universals discount-priced series 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection. Its a rule of thumb: get the artist involved in a compilation, and the choices are bound to be idiosyncratic. The rule holds here. Becker and Fagen eschew the boring hits-only approach, ignoring the Top Ten "Hey Nineteen" and the Top 40s "Black Friday," "Peg," and "FM (No Static at All)" in favor of album tracks "Any World (That Im Welcome To)" and "Third World Man," as well as the B-side "Only a Fool Would Say That" and "My Old School," which peaked at number 63 on the Hot 100. It doesnt really matter. More than three decades after the fact, "My Old School" sounds as much like a Steely Dan hit as any of the bands actual Top Ten singles, and it gets as much play on classic rock radio. Is this the best of Steely Dan? No, but some of the groups best songs are included, among them "Do It Again" and "Rikki Dont Lose That Number." A neophyte wanting to get an idea of what Steely Dan sounds like can do so by listening to these ten tracks. Real Steely Dan fans already have multiple copies of each of these songs. | ||
 | Album: 29 of 32 Title: Can’t Buy a Thrill / Gaucho Released: 2010 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:19:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Do It Again (05:56) 2 Dirty Work (03:08) 3 Kings (03:45) 4 Midnite Cruiser (04:08) 5 Only a Fool Would Say That (02:57) 6 Reelin’ in the Years (04:37) 7 Fire in the Hole (03:28) 8 Brooklyn (Owes the Charmer Under Me) (04:21) 9 Change of the Guard (03:39) 10 Turn That Heartbeat Over Again (04:58) 1 Babylon Sisters (05:52) 2 Hey Nineteen (05:07) 3 Glamour Profession (07:29) 4 Gaucho (05:32) 5 Time out of Mind (04:14) 6 My Rival (04:34) 7 Third World Man (05:14) |
 | Album: 30 of 32 Title: Collected Released: 2010-02-15 Tracks: 47 Duration: 3:26:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Do It Again (05:56) 2 Dirty Work (03:07) 3 Only a Fool Would Say That (02:57) 4 Brooklyn (Owes the Charmer Under Me) (04:16) 5 Midnight Cruiser (04:02) 6 My Old School (05:46) 7 Pretzel Logic (04:32) 8 Rikki Dont Lose That Number (04:08) 9 Rose Darling (03:05) 10 Bad Sneakers (03:21) 11 Everyone’s Gone to the Movies (03:44) 12 The Fez (04:01) 13 Deacon Blues (07:33) 14 Hey Nineteen (05:07) 15 Babylon Sisters (05:46) 1 Reelin in the Years (04:37) 2 Turn That Heartbeat Over Again (05:00) 3 Night by Night (03:39) 4 With a Gun (02:19) 5 Any Major Dude Will Tell You (03:09) 6 Black Friday (03:38) 7 Doctor Wu (03:55) 8 Daddy Dont Live in That New York City No More (03:16) 9 Any World (That I’m Welcome To) (03:55) 10 Chain Lightning (03:00) 11 Green Earrings (04:06) 12 Kid Charlemagne (04:38) 13 Here at the Western World (04:01) 14 Peg (03:55) 15 Josie (04:31) 16 Time out of Mind (04:14) 17 Third World Man (05:11) 1 Bodhisattva (05:18) 2 Show Biz Kids (05:22) 3 Pearl of the Quarter (03:51) 4 Parkers Band (02:45) 5 Barrytown (03:22) 6 Throw Back the Little Ones (03:15) 7 Dont Take Me Alive (04:16) 8 Haitian Divorce (05:51) 9 Sign in Stranger (04:23) 10 Black Cow (05:07) 11 Aja (07:58) 12 Home at Last (05:35) 13 FM (05:05) 14 Gaucho (05:30) 15 Everyones Gone to the Movies (demo) (03:55) |
| Collected : Allmusic album Review : Released to Top Ten success in the Netherlands, Collected is a triple-disc compilation of Steely Dan highlights from 1972 to 1980. Its not technically a greatest-hits collection because Steely Dan never scored many hit singles (for instance, only three of their singles ever reached the Top Ten in the U.S.), yet all of the 47 tracks compiled here are great, starting with the bands 1972 breakout hit "Do It Again." Almost all of the material on Collected dates back to the 70s, drawing from the bands first six albums -- Cant Buy a Thrill (1972), Countdown to Ecstasy (1973), Pretzel Logic (1974), Katy Lied (1975), The Royal Scam (1976), and Aja (1977) -- plus their last album for 20 years, Gaucho (1980). All of these albums are classics to some extent. Moreover, there are a few previously released non-album tracks: "Here at the Western World," originally released on Greatest Hits (1978); "FM," a 1978 single from the soundtrack of the same name; and a 1971 demo version of "Everyones Gone to the Movies." All thats missing on Collected is material from the latter-day Steely Dan albums Two Against Nature (2000) and Everything Must Go (2003). The sequencing of Collected is notable. Each disc is sequenced chronologically, starting with "Do It Again," "Reelin in the Years," and "Bodhisattva," respectively, and then wrapping up with Gaucho material. This can be a bit maddening when youre listening to the album digitally, as the music goes back and forth in time every 80 minutes or so, yet the sequencing is effective when you listen to the CDs individually, as each makes for an alternate best-of collection. Relative to other Steely Dan compilations, Collected is at once a bit too much and not enough. Those who want only Steely Dans most familiar material are better off with either the single-disc A Decade of Steely Dan (1985) or the double-disc Showbiz Kids: The Steely Dan Story 1972-1980 (2000). On the other hand, the quadruple-disc Citizen Steely Dan (1993) includes all of the material from Cant Buy a Thrill through Gaucho, adding an extra discs worth of album tracks missing from Collected. | ||
 | Album: 31 of 32 Title: Stealee Dan Released: 2015-11-20 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:11:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 anY MaJoR DuDe wiLL TeLL yoU 72-16 (03:04) 2 baD sNeaKerS 75-11 (03:17) 3 bArrytOWn 74-16 (03:21) 4 bLacK frIDay 75-11 (03:34) 5 bROOklyN 72-16 (04:10) 6 cHanGe of ThE GuaRD 72-16 (03:26) 7 CHarliE FreAk 74-11 (02:43) 8 D-con BlUes 77-16 (07:20) 9 DirTy WorK 72-11 (03:05) 10 dO it AGaiN 72-15 (05:52) 11 Kid ChArlemagNe 76-16 (04:32) 12 KIngs 72-16 (03:40) 13 MidNiGhT CrUiSeR 72-14 (03:58) 14 MonKey iN YouR SoUL 74-11 (02:32) 15 mY OLd scHOoL 73-11 (05:41) 16 pRetZel LogIC 74-11 (04:21) 17 riCCI DonT LOse ThaT NuMBer 74-14 (04:24) 18 wItH a gUn 74-16 (02:18) |
 | Album: 32 of 32 Title: Transmission Impossible Released: 2016-12-02 Tracks: 43 Duration: 3:55:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Intro (00:47) 2 Bodhisattva (04:59) 3 The Boston Rag (06:08) 4 Do It Again (07:54) 5 Any Major Dude (03:13) 6 King of the World (05:12) 7 Rikki Don’t Lose That Number (05:12) 8 Pretzel Logic (05:28) 9 Your Gold Teeth II (05:30) 10 Reelin’ in the Years (04:31) 11 This All Too Mobile Home (05:57) 12 Barrytown (04:40) 13 My Old School (05:30) 14 Pretzel Logic (05:40) 15 Do It Again (07:49) 1 Bodhisattva (05:19) 2 The Boston Rag (07:02) 3 Do It Again (08:21) 4 Brooklyn (04:14) 5 King of the World (05:39) 6 Funky Scare Tactic Orchestra Blues (00:59) 7 Rikki Don’t Lose That Number (04:46) 8 Pretzel Logic (06:52) 9 My Old School (05:44) 10 Dirty Work (03:58) 11 Your Gold Teeth II (01:30) 12 Reelin’ in the Years (05:54) 13 Show Biz Kids (07:04) 14 This All Too Mobile Home (07:34) 1 Green Earrings (05:16) 2 Bodishattva (05:43) 3 I.G.Y. (06:16) 4 Josie (06:45) 5 Hey Nineteen (05:57) 6 Book of Liars (04:28) 7 Chain Lightning (05:42) 8 Home at Last (06:28) 9 Black Friday (03:50) 10 Deacon Blues (07:41) 11 Babylon Sisters (06:46) 12 Reelin’ in the Years (06:55) 13 Fall of ‘92 (06:09) 14 Peg (04:31) |