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[Drygioni]

If any of you fine gentlemen/ladies are into Steely Dan, could you recommend me any albums? I've lost faith in allmusic.com, and this nine-song best of compilation JUST DON'T CUT IT.

[AugustWest]

I really can't think of a bad one.  My favorites are probably Can't Buy a Thrill, Katy Lied and Aja, but it's hard to go wrong with Becker and Fagen.

[pmcd9]

I really can't think of a bad one.

That's because there aren't any bad ones.  Their latest, Everything must go, didn't blow me away, but it's got it's moments.

I would recommend Citizen Steely Dan if you've got the cash.

As I see it, there are basically 4 eras of Steely Dan.  There is the original era when there was the semblance of a band.  Becker and Fagen were in charge from the get go, but there were other permenant members then.  They made five albums, Can't Buy a Thrill, Countdown to Ecstasy, Pretzel Logic, Aja, and The Royal Scam.  All are solid gold in my opinion.  If I had to choose a favorite from this bunch it would probably be Pretzel Logic.  The next era is when Becker and Fagan let the rest of the band go and worked exclusively with top flight studio musicians.  Their sound became much more precise. They made two albums in this way.  They are Aja, and Gaucho.  If I had to choose between the two I would probably choose Aja, but they are both great.  The third era is the 19 years they took off.  During this time Becker retreated to Hawaii and became a producer.  He's produced some albums of note, but I can't name them off the top of my head.  The Offspring comes to mind for some strange odd reason, but I could be wrong about that.  He also recorded a solo album sometime in the 90's, but I haven't heard it.  He sings a song on the SD live album and he's not got a good voice.  Fagan recorded two albums during this period, The Nightfly, and Kamakiriad.  Both are very Steely Danesque.  The Nightfly is one of my favorite albums.  The fourth era is when Becker and Fagan reconvened in 1996 and began touring.  I've seen them twice perform and they put on a good show.  They recorded a live album sometime in the late 90's, which is alright, but it's basically exact reproductions of their studio cuts.  They returned to the studio in 2000 and produced a latter day masterpiece with Two Against Nature.  It's It's one of their best albums, I love it.  I believe it won Album of the Year at the Grammys.  Anyway, they released Everything Must Go last year and it's pretty good.

I hope this helps.

~Paul

[AugustWest]

Nice analysis Paul.  I concur with pretty much everything you said, only you included Aja in two different eras.  Although it is so very good it deserves double notice.

[Drygioni]

August and Paul, much thanks. As Aja was so doubly recommended and both Paul and my friend recommended Pretzel Logic, I shall procure both immediately. I don't know how I'd live without this board.

[pmcd9]

Nice analysis Paul.  I concur with pretty much everything you said, only you included Aja in two different eras.  Although it is so very good it deserves double notice.

That was a typo.  Replace Aja in the first era with Katy Lied.

~Paul

[jough]

I have all of their albums (after a raid on AllOfMP3 before they doubled their prices last year) and I gotta say, I just don't "get" them.  I can appreciate how they're good musicians, and some of their stuff is interesting, but it just doesn't move me.  At all.  I hear more feeling from the rattle in my clothes dryer.

What am I missing?

[miles]

My thoughts exactly, Jough.  I haven't heard it all, but what I have for the most part has left me unmoved.  I'll have to try again sometime.

[AugustWest]

I couldn't possibly attempt to explain.  Just personal taste, I guess.  I can think of two songs right off the top of my head that have strong emotional ties for me (Dirty Work, Deacon Blue).  But I understand how somethings just don't resonate.  Half the stuff you guys rave about on (that I get a chance to listen to) doesn't do much for me.  It's OK, and I can see the quality, but it doesn't move me.  Why?  Who knows?

[pmcd9]

Their songs are all about drugs and prostitutes, what's not to love?

~Paul

[jough]

Yeah, I guess I don't get it because I don't do either.

[Turbo Ninja]

Their songs are all about drugs and prostitutes, what's not to love?

~Paul

And they're named after a dildo.  And Chevy Chase played with them in a pre-Dan college band.  There is no reason NOT to love Steely Dan.

[jough]

There is no reason NOT to love Steely Dan.

What, you mean other than the music?

[theinevitable]

yeah, the music of theirs I have heard was a pretty good reason.

also that my dad likes them. Once an album is in the same cd-case as every album ever recorded by James Taylor, I stop being physically capable of liking it.

[AugustWest]

Your loss.