LogFAQs > #960372152

Well I'll tell you Steely Dan is one of America's finest bands, and all of their records are good. Can't Buy a Thrill isn't actually my favorite but it's probably their most widely known release, owing to a pair of radio-saturated singles (or trio if you include Dirty Work) that remain dad rock staples today. It's surprisingly well-formed for a debut, with a host of seasoned musicians punching in tasty solos over catchy 70's tv-show theme songwriting. It's not as jazzy or polished as their later records (The Dan's sound gradually progresses from beer at a jukebox to wine on a yacht) but the musicianship is apparent in the performance and arrangements. It's a classic for a reason. I think the only flaw is that 8/10 of the songs use a fade out ending. It's like they can't pick a chord to end on!

10. Brooklyn (Owes the Charmer Under Me) - It's a dip in energy late in the record, one of the two tracks sung by David Palmer and I think it shows why his more sensitive voice was ultimately not the right fit for this band, even if he turns in a capable performance. Jeff Baxter's lap steel solo is probably the sleepiest on the record, though he adds a lot of nice touches in the verses. There's still a solid core of a tune here but it's played so straight it doesn't stand out much on an album this good.

9. Fire in the Hole - The Vietnam protest song, or at least a song about draft-dodging. Fagen takes a rare piano solo with some angsty flare to prove he has some chops. But there's only a sketch of drum, bass, and lap steel guitar outside of that so the rest of the instrumental feels a little thin to me.

8. Midnite Cruiser - The only Steely Dan album track sung by *checks notes...* drummer Jim Hodder. He actually works on this one, his voice isn't too dissimilar from Fagen's and they all jump in on the chorus anyway. It's another nostalgic dive bar anthem, but far from the best one here.

7. Dirty Work - I'm just not into Palmer's soft vocals in the verses. But I dig the instrumental - that intro with the rhodes/guitar arpeggios and organ lead into the horn line is butter. And I'd be a fool to deny that the chorus is a groove. The random break for the sax solo is totally unnecessary though.

6. Kings - This one is catchy as heck. The crunchy guitar and stack of hype background singers give it a lot of energy, and the subtle addition of congas in the chorus keeps it moving (even if you don't think you notice, you notice). The liner notes cheekily include a 'no political significance' disclaimer under this track, which almost certainly means they were alluding to Nixon.

5. Turn That Heartbeat Over Again - Perhaps the strangest song of the bunch, there's a lot of silence as punctuation between sections so the mood feels very flexible. I really enjoy the way the vocals shift between speaker channels as the music shifts gears into the chorus. The 'solo' is almost played for comedy, as the tune suddenly gives way to a slowed down jugband section before switching back to a proggy interlude. The minor key twist at the very end is a nice touch to close on. "oh Michael, oh Jesus..."

4. Change of the Guard - Perfect simplicity right here, never stops rocking. Has my favorite 'na na na' section this side of a hey hey goodbye and the bluesy guitar solo is a whole jam unto itself. That's Jeff "Skunk" Baxter ripping it up, now he's a respected missile defense advisor to the Pentagon. How's that for a change of the guard!

3. Reelin' In The Years - One of those songs that's built to get more nostalgic every time you hear it. The vocal harmonies make this one shine, and that becomes a Dan trademark as Donald Fagen assumes lead vocal duties despite his lack of range. I'll always remember that Joe Satriani admitted he ripped off this song on his solo for "If I Could Fly" in a 2006 issue of Guitar Player magazine, and then later he successfully sued Coldplay for ripping off that same song. Sneaky bastard!

2. Only A Fool Would Say That - Plays as a cynical response to "Imagine", which was released a year earlier. It's never totally clear when Steely Dan is being sarcastic but I tend to read this one at face value. How smooth is that instrumental though? It's tightly written and the jazzy latin style is rendered so convincingly, it never sounds like a costume the band is putting on. Bonus points for ending the song neatly instead of fading out.

1. Do It Again - "In the morning you go gunnin' for the man who stole your water" Steely Dan has so many songs involving gunplay and gambling it becomes a whole mythology, the theme of cyclical mistakes and indulgence is like their lyrical north star. The tune is full of flavor, congas/guiro set a mellow salsa mood and electric sitar/plastic organ solos send it to vibespace. An excellent song to drive to, it's too cool for its own good.
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You bow to no one, azuarc