Album: The Definitive Collection by Steely Dan (2006)
Format: Compilation

Artist Background: Steely Dan is an American rock band consisting of core members Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Rolling Stone has called them "the perfect musical antiheroes for the Seventies." The band's music is characterized by complex jazz-influenced structures and harmonies played by Becker and Fagen along with a revolving cast of rock and pop studio musicians. Steely Dan'... Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Related Artists: Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, The Doobie Brothers, Boz Scaggs

Music Scene: Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: 2000s, Compilation


Album: Citizen Steely Dan: 1972-1980 by Steely Dan (1993)
Genre: Rock | Mood: Good Natured
Format: Compilation

Description: Collecting all of Steely Dan's albums in chronological order, plus all of their two or three B-sides and one demo in a four-CD box, Citizen Steely Dan is only worthwhile for the fan replacing their old records. The remastering on the box is exactly the same as the newly upgraded CDs, and everything but the demo is available on other discs.

Artist Background: Steely Dan is an American rock band consisting of core members Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Rolling Stone has called them "the perfect musical antiheroes for the Seventies." The band's music is characterized by complex jazz-influenced structures and harmonies played by Becker and Fagen along with a revolving cast of rock and pop studio musicians. Steely Dan'... Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Related Artists: Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, The Doobie Brothers, Boz Scaggs

Music Scene: Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: Rock, Good Natured, 1990s, Compilation


Collecting all of Steely Dan's albums in chronological order, plus all of their two or three B-sides and one demo in a four-CD box, Citizen Steely Dan is only worthwhile for the fan replacing their old records. The remastering on the box is exactly the same as the newly upgraded CDs, and everything but the demo is available on other discs.

Album: Aja by Steely Dan (1977)
Mood: Good Natured
Format: Album

Description: Aja,(pronounced like Asia) is the sixth album by the jazz rock band Steely Dan. Originally released in 1977 on ABC Records, it became the group's best-selling album. Peaking at No. 3 on the U.S. charts and No. 5 in the United Kingdom, it was the band's first platinum album, eventually selling over 5 million copies. In July 1978, the album won the Grammy Award for Best Engineered Non-Classical Recording. In 2003, the album was ranked number 145 on Rolling Stone's "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list.

Donald Fagen has said the title of the album comes from the name of a Korean woman who married the brother of a high-school friend of his. The cover photo by Hideki Fujii features Japanese model/actress Sayoko Yamaguchi.

The album features several leading session musicians. The eight-minute-long title track features jazz-based changes and a solo by saxophonist Wayne Shorter.

Aja is the subject of one of the Classic Albums, a series of documentaries about the making of famous albums. The documentary includes a song-by-song study of the album (the only omission being "I Got the News," which is played during the closing credits), interviews with Steely Dan co-founders Walter Becker and Donald Fagen (among others) plus new, live-in-studio versions of songs from the album. Becker and Fagen also play back several of the rejected guitar solos for "Peg," which were recorded before Jay Graydon produced the satisfactory take.

When DTS attempted to make a 5.1 version, it was discovered that the multitrack masters for both "Black Cow" and the title track were missing. For this same reason, a multichannel SACD version was cancelled by Universal Music. Donald Fagen has offered a $600 reward for the missing masters or any information that leads to their recovery.

On April 6, 2011, the album was deemed by the Library of Congress to be "culturally, historically, or aesthetically important" and added to the United States National Recording Registry for the year 2010.

Artist Background: Steely Dan is an American rock band consisting of core members Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Rolling Stone has called them "the perfect musical antiheroes for the Seventies." The band's music is characterized by complex jazz-influenced structures and harmonies played by Becker and Fagen along with a revolving cast of rock and pop studio musicians. Steely Dan'... Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Related Artists: Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, The Doobie Brothers, Boz Scaggs

Music Scene: Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: Good Natured, 1970s, Album

Additional Context: Rating score: 9. Based on 2 votes. Available on Discogs marketplace


Aja,(pronounced like Asia) is the sixth album by the jazz rock band Steely Dan. Originally released in 1977 on ABC Records, it became the group's best-selling album. Peaking at No. 3 on the U.S. charts and No. 5 in the United Kingdom, it was the band's first platinum album, eventually selling over 5 million copies. In July 1978, the album won the Grammy Award for Best Engineered Non-Classical Recording. In 2003, the album was ranked number 145 on Rolling Stone's "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list.

Donald Fagen has said the title of the album comes from the name of a Korean woman who married the brother of a high-school friend of his. The cover photo by Hideki Fujii features Japanese model/actress Sayoko Yamaguchi.

The album features several leading session musicians. The eight-minute-long title track features jazz-based changes and a solo by saxophonist Wayne Shorter.

Aja is the subject of one of the Classic Albums, a series of documentaries about the making of famous albums. The documentary includes a song-by-song study of the album (the only omission being "I Got the News," which is played during the closing credits), interviews with Steely Dan co-founders Walter Becker and Donald Fagen (among others) plus new, live-in-studio versions of songs from the album. Becker and Fagen also play back several of the rejected guitar solos for "Peg," which were recorded before Jay Graydon produced the satisfactory take.

When DTS attempted to make a 5.1 version, it was discovered that the multitrack masters for both "Black Cow" and the title track were missing. For this same reason, a multichannel SACD version was cancelled by Universal Music. Donald Fagen has offered a $600 reward for the missing masters or any information that leads to their recovery.

On April 6, 2011, the album was deemed by the Library of Congress to be "culturally, historically, or aesthetically important" and added to the United States National Recording Registry for the year 2010.

Album: Aja by Steely Dan (1977)
Genre: jazz rock
Record Label: ABC Records
Format: 12" Vinyl

Artist Background: Artist from US, known for jazz pop, jazz rock, pop rock, rock, soft rock

Musical Influences: David Palmer, Larry Carlton

Related Artists: Walter Becker, The Doobie Brothers, Boz Scaggs, Supertramp

Music Scene: Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: jazz rock, 1970s, 12" Vinyl, ABC Records


Album: Pretzel Logic by Steely Dan (1974)
Format: Album

Description: Pretzel Logic is the third studio album by the American jazz-rock band Steely Dan, originally released in 1974. The album's opening song, "Rikki Don't Lose That Number", became the band's biggest hit, reaching #4 on the charts soon after the release of the album. The album itself went gold, and then platinum, reaching #8 on the charts. The album was also highly regarded critically, appearing near the top of several end-of-year polls including the number one slot on NME Album of the Year and the number two spot on the Village Voice end-of-year list compiled by Robert Christgau. In 2003, it was placed at number 385 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

Steely Dan was still considered a true â€œgroupâ€ at the time this, their third album, was released; in addition to core members Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, guitarists Jeff â€œSkunkâ€ Baxter and Denny Dias and drummer Jim Hodder (as well as multi-instrumentalist Victor Feldman) had appeared on both previous Steely Dan releases along with a host of session aces; all five appeared on the inside cover of the album, though Hodder was replaced on drums by Jim Gordon and Jeff Porcaro for the recordings (Hodder did, however, contribute backing vocals to "Parker's Band").

The tour supporting this album would be the last time any version of Steely Dan appeared live until decades later, as Becker and Fagen's disillusionment with live performance during the tour would lead both to an end of such performances and a disbanding of the Steely Dan lineup. Much of this disillusionment was due to audiences' lack of reception of more complex material. This would lead Becker and Fagen to move to being a studio duo with varied backing on following albums, still under the name Steely Dan.

One of the tracks, "Parker's Band," was a tribute to legendary jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker.

Initial versions of the Remastered CD issue contained an abridged version of "Rikki Don't Lose That Number". This has been corrected on subsequent pressings. The album was originally released in 2 channel Stereo and also in a special 4-channel Quadrophonic mix. There are some significant musical differences between the two mixes. This was the last of three Steely Dan albums to be issued in both 2 and 4 channel formats.

The album cover features a photograph, of a New York pretzel seller, taken by the well-known photographer of music and Hollywood celebrities, Raeanne Rubenstein.

The location is the west side of Fifth Avenue and 79th Street, just above the 79th Street Transverse (the road through Central Park), at the park entrance called "Miners' Gate".

Artist Background: Steely Dan is an American rock band consisting of core members Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Rolling Stone has called them "the perfect musical antiheroes for the Seventies." The band's music is characterized by complex jazz-influenced structures and harmonies played by Becker and Fagen along with a revolving cast of rock and pop studio musicians. Steely Dan'... Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Related Artists: Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, The Doobie Brothers, Boz Scaggs

Music Scene: Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: 1970s, Album

Additional Context: Rating score: 8. Based on 1 votes. Available on Discogs marketplace


Pretzel Logic is the third studio album by the American jazz-rock band Steely Dan, originally released in 1974. The album's opening song, "Rikki Don't Lose That Number", became the band's biggest hit, reaching #4 on the charts soon after the release of the album. The album itself went gold, and then platinum, reaching #8 on the charts. The album was also highly regarded critically, appearing near the top of several end-of-year polls including the number one slot on NME Album of the Year and the number two spot on the Village Voice end-of-year list compiled by Robert Christgau. In 2003, it was placed at number 385 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

Steely Dan was still considered a true â€œgroupâ€ at the time this, their third album, was released; in addition to core members Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, guitarists Jeff â€œSkunkâ€ Baxter and Denny Dias and drummer Jim Hodder (as well as multi-instrumentalist Victor Feldman) had appeared on both previous Steely Dan releases along with a host of session aces; all five appeared on the inside cover of the album, though Hodder was replaced on drums by Jim Gordon and Jeff Porcaro for the recordings (Hodder did, however, contribute backing vocals to "Parker's Band").

The tour supporting this album would be the last time any version of Steely Dan appeared live until decades later, as Becker and Fagen's disillusionment with live performance during the tour would lead both to an end of such performances and a disbanding of the Steely Dan lineup. Much of this disillusionment was due to audiences' lack of reception of more complex material. This would lead Becker and Fagen to move to being a studio duo with varied backing on following albums, still under the name Steely Dan.

One of the tracks, "Parker's Band," was a tribute to legendary jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker.

Initial versions of the Remastered CD issue contained an abridged version of "Rikki Don't Lose That Number". This has been corrected on subsequent pressings. The album was originally released in 2 channel Stereo and also in a special 4-channel Quadrophonic mix. There are some significant musical differences between the two mixes. This was the last of three Steely Dan albums to be issued in both 2 and 4 channel formats.

The album cover features a photograph, of a New York pretzel seller, taken by the well-known photographer of music and Hollywood celebrities, Raeanne Rubenstein.

The location is the west side of Fifth Avenue and 79th Street, just above the 79th Street Transverse (the road through Central Park), at the park entrance called "Miners' Gate".

Album: Can't Buy a Thrill by Steely Dan (1972)
Style: Rock/Pop | Mood: Good Natured
Format: Album

Description: Can't Buy a Thrill is the first album by Steely Dan, released in 1972. It peaked at #17 on the Billboard chart and has been certified gold (1973) and platinum (1993) in the U.S. In 2003, the album was ranked number 238 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

The album was originally released in two-channel stereo and also in a special four-channel quadrophonic mix. There are some significant musical differences between the two mixes, such as extra lead guitar fills in the quad mix of "Reelin' in the Years".

The album cover features a line of prostitutes standing in a red light area waiting for clients, an image which was chosen because of its relevance to the album title. The cover was banned in Francisco Franco's Spain and was replaced with a photograph of the band playing in concert. The title is taken from a lyric in the Bob Dylan song "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry" on Highway 61 Revisited. Walter Becker and Donald Fagen themselves commented on the album art in their liner notes to the reissued The Royal Scam, saying that album possessed "the most hideous album cover of the seventies, bar none (excepting perhaps Can't Buy a Thrill)."

Two songs recorded during the Can't Buy a Thrill sessions were left off the album and released as a single ("Dallas" and "Sail the Waterway"). This is the only Steely Dan album to include David Palmer as a lead vocalist, having been recruited after Donald Fagen expressed concerns over singing live. Drummer Jim Hodder also chips in lead vocals on one song, as well as singing the "Dallas" single. By the time recording of the next album began, the band and producer Gary Katz had convinced Fagen to assume the full lead vocalist role.

Artist Background: Steely Dan is an American rock band consisting of core members Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Rolling Stone has called them "the perfect musical antiheroes for the Seventies." The band's music is characterized by complex jazz-influenced structures and harmonies played by Becker and Fagen along with a revolving cast of rock and pop studio musicians. Steely Dan'... Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Related Artists: Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, The Doobie Brothers, Boz Scaggs

Music Scene: Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: Rock/Pop, Good Natured, 1970s, Album

Additional Context: Based on 2 votes. Available on Discogs marketplace


Can't Buy a Thrill is the first album by Steely Dan, released in 1972. It peaked at #17 on the Billboard chart and has been certified gold (1973) and platinum (1993) in the U.S. In 2003, the album was ranked number 238 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

The album was originally released in two-channel stereo and also in a special four-channel quadrophonic mix. There are some significant musical differences between the two mixes, such as extra lead guitar fills in the quad mix of "Reelin' in the Years".

The album cover features a line of prostitutes standing in a red light area waiting for clients, an image which was chosen because of its relevance to the album title. The cover was banned in Francisco Franco's Spain and was replaced with a photograph of the band playing in concert. The title is taken from a lyric in the Bob Dylan song "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry" on Highway 61 Revisited. Walter Becker and Donald Fagen themselves commented on the album art in their liner notes to the reissued The Royal Scam, saying that album possessed "the most hideous album cover of the seventies, bar none (excepting perhaps Can't Buy a Thrill)."

Two songs recorded during the Can't Buy a Thrill sessions were left off the album and released as a single ("Dallas" and "Sail the Waterway"). This is the only Steely Dan album to include David Palmer as a lead vocalist, having been recruited after Donald Fagen expressed concerns over singing live. Drummer Jim Hodder also chips in lead vocals on one song, as well as singing the "Dallas" single. By the time recording of the next album began, the band and producer Gary Katz had convinced Fagen to assume the full lead vocalist role.

Album: The Very Best of Steely Dan: Reelin' In the Years by Steely Dan (1985)
Format: Compilation

Artist Background: Steely Dan is an American rock band consisting of core members Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Rolling Stone has called them "the perfect musical antiheroes for the Seventies." The band's music is characterized by complex jazz-influenced structures and harmonies played by Becker and Fagen along with a revolving cast of rock and pop studio musicians. Steely Dan'... Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Related Artists: Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, The Doobie Brothers, Boz Scaggs

Music Scene: Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: 1980s, Compilation


Album: Countdown to Ecstasy / Can't Buy a Thrill by Steely Dan (1982)
Format: Compilation

Artist Background: Steely Dan is an American rock band consisting of core members Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Rolling Stone has called them "the perfect musical antiheroes for the Seventies." The band's music is characterized by complex jazz-influenced structures and harmonies played by Becker and Fagen along with a revolving cast of rock and pop studio musicians. Steely Dan'... Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Related Artists: Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, The Doobie Brothers, Boz Scaggs

Music Scene: Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: 1980s, Compilation


Album: The Very Best of Steely Dan by Steely Dan (1987)
Format: Compilation

Artist Background: Steely Dan is an American rock band consisting of core members Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Rolling Stone has called them "the perfect musical antiheroes for the Seventies." The band's music is characterized by complex jazz-influenced structures and harmonies played by Becker and Fagen along with a revolving cast of rock and pop studio musicians. Steely Dan'... Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Related Artists: Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, The Doobie Brothers, Boz Scaggs

Music Scene: Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: 1980s, Compilation


Album: Remastered: The Best of Steely Dan (Then and Now) by Steely Dan (1993)
Format: Compilation

Artist Background: Steely Dan is an American rock band consisting of core members Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Rolling Stone has called them "the perfect musical antiheroes for the Seventies." The band's music is characterized by complex jazz-influenced structures and harmonies played by Becker and Fagen along with a revolving cast of rock and pop studio musicians. Steely Dan'... Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Related Artists: Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, The Doobie Brothers, Boz Scaggs

Music Scene: Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: 1990s, Compilation


Album: The Very Best of Steely Dan by Steely Dan (1979)
Format: Compilation

Artist Background: Steely Dan is an American rock band consisting of core members Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Rolling Stone has called them "the perfect musical antiheroes for the Seventies." The band's music is characterized by complex jazz-influenced structures and harmonies played by Becker and Fagen along with a revolving cast of rock and pop studio musicians. Steely Dan'... Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Related Artists: Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, The Doobie Brothers, Boz Scaggs

Music Scene: Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: 1970s, Compilation


Album: Katy Lied / The Royal Scam by Steely Dan (1982)
Format: Compilation

Artist Background: Steely Dan is an American rock band consisting of core members Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Rolling Stone has called them "the perfect musical antiheroes for the Seventies." The band's music is characterized by complex jazz-influenced structures and harmonies played by Becker and Fagen along with a revolving cast of rock and pop studio musicians. Steely Dan'... Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Related Artists: Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, The Doobie Brothers, Boz Scaggs

Music Scene: Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: 1980s, Compilation


Album: Steely Dan by Steely Dan (1978)
Format: Compilation

Artist Background: Steely Dan is an American rock band consisting of core members Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Rolling Stone has called them "the perfect musical antiheroes for the Seventies." The band's music is characterized by complex jazz-influenced structures and harmonies played by Becker and Fagen along with a revolving cast of rock and pop studio musicians. Steely Dan'... Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Related Artists: Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, The Doobie Brothers, Boz Scaggs

Music Scene: Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: 1970s, Compilation


Album: Alive in America by Steely Dan (1995)
Format: Live

Artist Background: Steely Dan is an American rock band consisting of core members Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Rolling Stone has called them "the perfect musical antiheroes for the Seventies." The band's music is characterized by complex jazz-influenced structures and harmonies played by Becker and Fagen along with a revolving cast of rock and pop studio musicians. Steely Dan'... Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Related Artists: Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, The Doobie Brothers, Boz Scaggs

Music Scene: Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: 1990s, Live


Album: Gold by Steely Dan (1982)
Format: Compilation

Artist Background: Steely Dan is an American rock band consisting of core members Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Rolling Stone has called them "the perfect musical antiheroes for the Seventies." The band's music is characterized by complex jazz-influenced structures and harmonies played by Becker and Fagen along with a revolving cast of rock and pop studio musicians. Steely Dan'... Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Related Artists: Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, The Doobie Brothers, Boz Scaggs

Music Scene: Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: 1980s, Compilation


Album: Everything Must Go by Steely Dan (2003)
Style: Rock/Pop | Mood: Good Natured
Format: Album

Description: Everything Must Go is the 9th and most recent album by Steely Dan, originally released June 10, 2003. It was Steely Dan's second album following their 20-year studio hiatus, which spanned from 1980 through 2000. Everything Must Go was released three years after their Grammy-winning and certified double-platinum release Two Against Nature. It was a departure from their previous release in that the arrangements were scaled back, the solos were kept tighter, and the album had a more overall live feel. It is also the first time Walter Becker was featured on lead vocals on an official Steely Dan release (Slang of Ages). It also featured Becker and Fagen as instrumentalists much more than some of their previous releases, especially their late '70s work. Becker played bass on every song as well as contributing all of the guitar solos, and Fagen provided most of the keyboard work as well as the synthesizer solos.

Received to mixed reviews and lackluster sales, it is the only Steely Dan studio album not to have been certified at least gold.

Artist Background: Steely Dan is an American rock band consisting of core members Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Rolling Stone has called them "the perfect musical antiheroes for the Seventies." The band's music is characterized by complex jazz-influenced structures and harmonies played by Becker and Fagen along with a revolving cast of rock and pop studio musicians. Steely Dan'... Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Related Artists: Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, The Doobie Brothers, Boz Scaggs

Music Scene: Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: Rock/Pop, Good Natured, 2000s, Album

Additional Context: Based on 3 votes. Available on Discogs marketplace


Everything Must Go is the 9th and most recent album by Steely Dan, originally released June 10, 2003. It was Steely Dan's second album following their 20-year studio hiatus, which spanned from 1980 through 2000. Everything Must Go was released three years after their Grammy-winning and certified double-platinum release Two Against Nature. It was a departure from their previous release in that the arrangements were scaled back, the solos were kept tighter, and the album had a more overall live feel. It is also the first time Walter Becker was featured on lead vocals on an official Steely Dan release (Slang of Ages). It also featured Becker and Fagen as instrumentalists much more than some of their previous releases, especially their late '70s work. Becker played bass on every song as well as contributing all of the guitar solos, and Fagen provided most of the keyboard work as well as the synthesizer solos.

Received to mixed reviews and lackluster sales, it is the only Steely Dan studio album not to have been certified at least gold.

Album: Sun Mountain by Steely Dan (1985)
Format: Compilation

Artist Background: Steely Dan is an American rock band consisting of core members Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Rolling Stone has called them "the perfect musical antiheroes for the Seventies." The band's music is characterized by complex jazz-influenced structures and harmonies played by Becker and Fagen along with a revolving cast of rock and pop studio musicians. Steely Dan'... Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Related Artists: Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, The Doobie Brothers, Boz Scaggs

Music Scene: Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: 1980s, Compilation


Album: Old Regime by Steely Dan (1987)
Format: Compilation

Artist Background: Steely Dan is an American rock band consisting of core members Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Rolling Stone has called them "the perfect musical antiheroes for the Seventies." The band's music is characterized by complex jazz-influenced structures and harmonies played by Becker and Fagen along with a revolving cast of rock and pop studio musicians. Steely Dan'... Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Related Artists: Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, The Doobie Brothers, Boz Scaggs

Music Scene: Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: 1980s, Compilation


Album: Gaucho by Steely Dan (1980)
Style: Rock/Pop | Mood: Good Natured
Format: Album

Description: Gaucho is the seventh studio album by the American Jazz rock band Steely Dan, released in 1980. The sessions for Gaucho represented the peak of Steely Dan's recording studio perfectionism and obsessive recording technique. To record the album, the band used at least 42 different musicians, spent over a year in the studio, and far exceeded the original monetary advance given to the band by their record label.

During the two-year span in which the album was recorded, the band was plagued by a number of creative, personal and professional problems. MCA, Warner Bros. and Steely Dan had a three-way legal battle over the rights to release the album. After it was released, jazz musician Keith Jarrett successfully sued the band for writing credit on the title song "Gaucho".

Gaucho marked a significant stylistic change for Steely Dan, introducing a more minimal, groove- and atmosphere-based format. The harmonically complex chord changes that were a distinctive mark of earlier Steely Dan songs are less prominent on Gaucho, with the record's songs tending to revolve around a single rhythm or mood. Gaucho proved to be Steely Dan's final studio album before a 12-year hiatus.

Artist Background: Steely Dan is an American rock band consisting of core members Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Rolling Stone has called them "the perfect musical antiheroes for the Seventies." The band's music is characterized by complex jazz-influenced structures and harmonies played by Becker and Fagen along with a revolving cast of rock and pop studio musicians. Steely Dan'... Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Related Artists: Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, The Doobie Brothers, Boz Scaggs

Music Scene: Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: Rock/Pop, Good Natured, 1980s, Album

Additional Context: Rating score: 7. Based on 1 votes. Available on Discogs marketplace


Gaucho is the seventh studio album by the American Jazz rock band Steely Dan, released in 1980. The sessions for Gaucho represented the peak of Steely Dan's recording studio perfectionism and obsessive recording technique. To record the album, the band used at least 42 different musicians, spent over a year in the studio, and far exceeded the original monetary advance given to the band by their record label.

During the two-year span in which the album was recorded, the band was plagued by a number of creative, personal and professional problems. MCA, Warner Bros. and Steely Dan had a three-way legal battle over the rights to release the album. After it was released, jazz musician Keith Jarrett successfully sued the band for writing credit on the title song "Gaucho".

Gaucho marked a significant stylistic change for Steely Dan, introducing a more minimal, groove- and atmosphere-based format. The harmonically complex chord changes that were a distinctive mark of earlier Steely Dan songs are less prominent on Gaucho, with the record's songs tending to revolve around a single rhythm or mood. Gaucho proved to be Steely Dan's final studio album before a 12-year hiatus.

Album: The Root of Steely Dan by Steely Dan (1997)
Genre: Rock | Mood: Good Natured
Format: Compilation

Artist Background: Steely Dan is an American rock band consisting of core members Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Rolling Stone has called them "the perfect musical antiheroes for the Seventies." The band's music is characterized by complex jazz-influenced structures and harmonies played by Becker and Fagen along with a revolving cast of rock and pop studio musicians. Steely Dan'... Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Related Artists: Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, The Doobie Brothers, Boz Scaggs

Music Scene: Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: Rock, Good Natured, 1990s, Compilation


Album: Berry Town by Steely Dan (1985)
Format: Compilation

Artist Background: Steely Dan is an American rock band consisting of core members Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Rolling Stone has called them "the perfect musical antiheroes for the Seventies." The band's music is characterized by complex jazz-influenced structures and harmonies played by Becker and Fagen along with a revolving cast of rock and pop studio musicians. Steely Dan'... Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Related Artists: Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, The Doobie Brothers, Boz Scaggs

Music Scene: Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: 1980s, Compilation


Album: Becker & Fagan From Steely Dan Collection by Steely Dan (1994)
Format: Compilation

Artist Background: Steely Dan is an American rock band consisting of core members Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Rolling Stone has called them "the perfect musical antiheroes for the Seventies." The band's music is characterized by complex jazz-influenced structures and harmonies played by Becker and Fagen along with a revolving cast of rock and pop studio musicians. Steely Dan'... Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Related Artists: Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, The Doobie Brothers, Boz Scaggs

Music Scene: Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: 1990s, Compilation


Album: Katy Lied by Steely Dan (1975)
Format: Album

Description: Katy Lied is the fourth album by Steely Dan, originally released in 1975 by ABC Records. It went gold and peaked at #13 on the US charts. The single "Black Friday" also charted at #37.

It is the first appearance of singer Michael McDonald on a Steely Dan album. The album cover features a picture of a katydid, a "singing" (stridulating) insect related to crickets and grasshoppers. This is most likely a pun on the album's title; the "singing" of a katydid sounds as though they're saying "Katy did, Katy didn't." Lyrics in the song "Doctor Wu" include "Katy tried, I was halfway crucified" and "Katy lies, you can see it in her eyes". The premise of the theme of Katy "lying" is based on a quote from Denny Dias when he came to the studio to play on "Your Gold Teeth II". Jeff Porcaro, then only 21 years old, played drums on all the songs except "Any World (That I'm Welcome To)", which features legendary session drummer Hal Blaine.

Band members Walter Becker and Donald Fagen were unhappy with the album's sound quality owing to an equipment malfunction with the then new dbx noise reduction system. The group has claimed that the damage was mostly repaired after consulting with the engineers at dbx, but Fagen and Becker still refused to listen to the completed album.

The album was reissued by MCA Records after ABC Records was acquired by MCA in 1979.

Artist Background: Steely Dan is an American rock band consisting of core members Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Rolling Stone has called them "the perfect musical antiheroes for the Seventies." The band's music is characterized by complex jazz-influenced structures and harmonies played by Becker and Fagen along with a revolving cast of rock and pop studio musicians. Steely Dan'... Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Related Artists: Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, The Doobie Brothers, Boz Scaggs

Music Scene: Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: 1970s, Album

Additional Context: Rating score: 8. Based on 1 votes. Available on Discogs marketplace


Katy Lied is the fourth album by Steely Dan, originally released in 1975 by ABC Records. It went gold and peaked at #13 on the US charts. The single "Black Friday" also charted at #37.

It is the first appearance of singer Michael McDonald on a Steely Dan album. The album cover features a picture of a katydid, a "singing" (stridulating) insect related to crickets and grasshoppers. This is most likely a pun on the album's title; the "singing" of a katydid sounds as though they're saying "Katy did, Katy didn't." Lyrics in the song "Doctor Wu" include "Katy tried, I was halfway crucified" and "Katy lies, you can see it in her eyes". The premise of the theme of Katy "lying" is based on a quote from Denny Dias when he came to the studio to play on "Your Gold Teeth II". Jeff Porcaro, then only 21 years old, played drums on all the songs except "Any World (That I'm Welcome To)", which features legendary session drummer Hal Blaine.

Band members Walter Becker and Donald Fagen were unhappy with the album's sound quality owing to an equipment malfunction with the then new dbx noise reduction system. The group has claimed that the damage was mostly repaired after consulting with the engineers at dbx, but Fagen and Becker still refused to listen to the completed album.

The album was reissued by MCA Records after ABC Records was acquired by MCA in 1979.

Album: Countdown to Ecstasy by Steely Dan (1973)
Mood: Good Natured
Format: Album

Description: Countdown to Ecstasy is the second album by rock group Steely Dan, released in July 1973. The album was written and recorded in rushed sessions between live concerts and produced two Billboard Hot 100 hits, "Show Biz Kids" and "My Old School".

By the time the sessions for the album were in full swing, David Palmer had left the group, leaving Donald Fagen to assume full lead vocalist duties.

The album was originally released in two-channel stereo and also in a special four-channel quadrophonic mix. There are some significant musical differences between the two mixes.

A live version of the song "Bodhisattva" was used as the B-side for both "Hey Nineteen" and "Babylon Sisters", released as singles in the 1980s.

"Bodhisattva" is a playable track in the video game Rock Band 2, while "My Old School" is featured as downloadable content.

The cover art to the album originally included only the three pink figures seated up front, but because there were five members of Steely Dan, the two ghostly figures to the left were added by the record company to "balance" it out.

Artist Background: Steely Dan is an American rock band consisting of core members Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Rolling Stone has called them "the perfect musical antiheroes for the Seventies." The band's music is characterized by complex jazz-influenced structures and harmonies played by Becker and Fagen along with a revolving cast of rock and pop studio musicians. Steely Dan'... Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Related Artists: Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, The Doobie Brothers, Boz Scaggs

Music Scene: Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: Good Natured, 1970s, Album

Additional Context: Based on 2 votes. Available on Discogs marketplace


Countdown to Ecstasy is the second album by rock group Steely Dan, released in July 1973. The album was written and recorded in rushed sessions between live concerts and produced two Billboard Hot 100 hits, "Show Biz Kids" and "My Old School".

By the time the sessions for the album were in full swing, David Palmer had left the group, leaving Donald Fagen to assume full lead vocalist duties.

The album was originally released in two-channel stereo and also in a special four-channel quadrophonic mix. There are some significant musical differences between the two mixes.

A live version of the song "Bodhisattva" was used as the B-side for both "Hey Nineteen" and "Babylon Sisters", released as singles in the 1980s.

"Bodhisattva" is a playable track in the video game Rock Band 2, while "My Old School" is featured as downloadable content.

The cover art to the album originally included only the three pink figures seated up front, but because there were five members of Steely Dan, the two ghostly figures to the left were added by the record company to "balance" it out.

Album: Stone Piano by Steely Dan (1988)
Format: Compilation

Artist Background: Steely Dan is an American rock band consisting of core members Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Rolling Stone has called them "the perfect musical antiheroes for the Seventies." The band's music is characterized by complex jazz-influenced structures and harmonies played by Becker and Fagen along with a revolving cast of rock and pop studio musicians. Steely Dan'... Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Related Artists: Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, The Doobie Brothers, Boz Scaggs

Music Scene: Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: 1980s, Compilation


Album: Northeast Corridor: Steely Dan Live! by Steely Dan (2021)
Genre: Rock | Style: Jazz | Mood: Good Natured
Format: Live

Artist Background: Steely Dan is an American rock band consisting of core members Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Rolling Stone has called them "the perfect musical antiheroes for the Seventies." The band's music is characterized by complex jazz-influenced structures and harmonies played by Becker and Fagen along with a revolving cast of rock and pop studio musicians. Steely Dan'... Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Related Artists: Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, The Doobie Brothers, Boz Scaggs

Music Scene: Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: Rock, Jazz, Good Natured, 2020s, Live


Album: The Very Best of Steely Dan by Steely Dan (2009)
Mood: Good Natured
Format: Compilation

Artist Background: Steely Dan is an American rock band consisting of core members Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Rolling Stone has called them "the perfect musical antiheroes for the Seventies." The band's music is characterized by complex jazz-influenced structures and harmonies played by Becker and Fagen along with a revolving cast of rock and pop studio musicians. Steely Dan'... Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Related Artists: Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, The Doobie Brothers, Boz Scaggs

Music Scene: Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: Good Natured, 2000s, Compilation


Album: Greatest Hits by Steely Dan (1978)
Format: Compilation

Artist Background: Steely Dan is an American rock band consisting of core members Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Rolling Stone has called them "the perfect musical antiheroes for the Seventies." The band's music is characterized by complex jazz-influenced structures and harmonies played by Becker and Fagen along with a revolving cast of rock and pop studio musicians. Steely Dan'... Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Related Artists: Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, The Doobie Brothers, Boz Scaggs

Music Scene: Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: 1970s, Compilation


Album: Two Against Nature by Steely Dan (2000)
Style: Rock/Pop | Mood: Good Natured
Format: Album

Artist Background: Steely Dan is an American rock band consisting of core members Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Rolling Stone has called them "the perfect musical antiheroes for the Seventies." The band's music is characterized by complex jazz-influenced structures and harmonies played by Becker and Fagen along with a revolving cast of rock and pop studio musicians. Steely Dan'... Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Related Artists: Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, The Doobie Brothers, Boz Scaggs

Music Scene: Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: Rock/Pop, Good Natured, 2000s, Album

Additional Context: Based on 3 votes. Available on Discogs marketplace


Album: The Royal Scam by Steely Dan (1976)
Format: Album

Description: The Royal Scam is the fifth album by Steely Dan, originally released by ABC Records in 1976. The album went gold and peaked at #15 on the charts. The Royal Scam features more prominent guitar work than other Steely Dan albums. Guitarists on the recording include Walter Becker, Denny Dias, Larry Carlton, Elliott Randall and Dean Parks.

The mood of the album stands in contrast with the band's more mellow and hugely successful follow-up, Aja.

In common with other Steely Dan albums, The Royal Scam is littered with cryptic allusions to people and events both real and fictional. In a BBC interview in 2000, Becker and Fagen revealed that "Kid Charlemagne" is loosely based on Augustus Owsley Stanley, the notorious drug "chef" who was famous for manufacturing hallucinogenic compounds, and that "Caves of Altamira" is about the loss of innocence, the narrative about a visitor to the Cave of Altamira who registers his astonishment at the prehistoric drawings.

The album was re-issued by MCA Records in 1979 following the sale of the ABC Records label to MCA.

The album cover shows a man in a suit sleeping underneath (or perhaps dreaming of) images of skyscraper-beast hybrids. The cover was designed by Larry Zox, and was originally created for Van Morrison's unreleased 1975 album, Mechanical Bliss. In the liner notes for the 1999 remaster of the album, Fagen and Becker claim it to be "the most hideous album cover of the seventies, bar none (excepting perhaps Can't Buy A Thrill)."

The album was not as highly rated upon its release as its predecessors with most reviewers noting that it did not seem to represent any musical advancement. In contrast, the original Rolling Stone review was more positive, and ultimately the magazine gave it five stars in a later Hall of Fame review.

Artist Background: Steely Dan is an American rock band consisting of core members Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Rolling Stone has called them "the perfect musical antiheroes for the Seventies." The band's music is characterized by complex jazz-influenced structures and harmonies played by Becker and Fagen along with a revolving cast of rock and pop studio musicians. Steely Dan'... Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Related Artists: Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, The Doobie Brothers, Boz Scaggs

Music Scene: Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: 1970s, Album

Additional Context: Rating score: 8. Based on 1 votes. Available on Discogs marketplace


The Royal Scam is the fifth album by Steely Dan, originally released by ABC Records in 1976. The album went gold and peaked at #15 on the charts. The Royal Scam features more prominent guitar work than other Steely Dan albums. Guitarists on the recording include Walter Becker, Denny Dias, Larry Carlton, Elliott Randall and Dean Parks.

The mood of the album stands in contrast with the band's more mellow and hugely successful follow-up, Aja.

In common with other Steely Dan albums, The Royal Scam is littered with cryptic allusions to people and events both real and fictional. In a BBC interview in 2000, Becker and Fagen revealed that "Kid Charlemagne" is loosely based on Augustus Owsley Stanley, the notorious drug "chef" who was famous for manufacturing hallucinogenic compounds, and that "Caves of Altamira" is about the loss of innocence, the narrative about a visitor to the Cave of Altamira who registers his astonishment at the prehistoric drawings.

The album was re-issued by MCA Records in 1979 following the sale of the ABC Records label to MCA.

The album cover shows a man in a suit sleeping underneath (or perhaps dreaming of) images of skyscraper-beast hybrids. The cover was designed by Larry Zox, and was originally created for Van Morrison's unreleased 1975 album, Mechanical Bliss. In the liner notes for the 1999 remaster of the album, Fagen and Becker claim it to be "the most hideous album cover of the seventies, bar none (excepting perhaps Can't Buy A Thrill)."

The album was not as highly rated upon its release as its predecessors with most reviewers noting that it did not seem to represent any musical advancement. In contrast, the original Rolling Stone review was more positive, and ultimately the magazine gave it five stars in a later Hall of Fame review.

Album: A Decade of Steely Dan by Steely Dan (1985)
Mood: Good Natured
Format: Compilation

Description: 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, it's balanced to showcase at least one song from each of the band's 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 Don't 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 Dan's career, making the disc a fine introduction to the innovative jazz-rock group.

Artist Background: Steely Dan is an American rock band consisting of core members Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Rolling Stone has called them "the perfect musical antiheroes for the Seventies." The band's music is characterized by complex jazz-influenced structures and harmonies played by Becker and Fagen along with a revolving cast of rock and pop studio musicians. Steely Dan'... Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Related Artists: Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, The Doobie Brothers, Boz Scaggs

Music Scene: Part of the Annandale-on-Hudson, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1970s era. Associated with Rock movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: Good Natured, 1980s, Compilation


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, it's balanced to showcase at least one song from each of the band's 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 Don't 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 Dan's career, making the disc a fine introduction to the innovative jazz-rock group.

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