Scooter Chronicles

Steely Dan - “Citizen Dan”

Tracks:

Disc: 1

1. Do it Again
2. Dirty Work
3. Kings
4. Midnite Cruiser
5. Only a Fool Would Say That
6. Reelin’ in the Years
7. Fire in the Hole
8. Brooklyn (Owes The Charmer Under Me)
9. Change of the Guard
10. Turn That Heartbeat Over Again
11. Bodhisattva
12. Razor Boy
13. The Boston Rag
14. Your Gold Teeth
15. Show Biz Kids
16. My Old School

Disc: 2

1. King of the World
2. Pearl of the Quarter
3. Rikki Don’t Lose That Number
4. Night By Night
5. Any Major Dude Will Tell You
6. Barrytown
7. East St. Louis Toodle-Do
8. Parker’s Band
9. Through With Buzz
10. Pretzel Logic
11. With a Gun
12. Charlie Freak
13. Monkey in Your Soul
14. Bodhisattva (Live)
15. Black Friday
16. Bad Sneakers
17. Rose Darling
18. Daddy Don’t Live in That New York City No More
19. Doctor Wu
20. Everyone’s Gone to the Movies
21. Chain Lightning

Disc: 3

1. Your Gold Teeth II
2. Any World (That I’m Welcome To)
3. Throw Back the Little Ones
4. Kid Charlemagne
5. The Caves of Altamira
6. Don’t Take Me Alive
7. Sign in Stranger
8. The Fez
9. Green Earrings
10. Haitian Divorce
11. Everything You Did
12. The Royal Scam
13. Here at the Western World
14. Black Cow
15. Aja
16. Peg

Disc: 4

1. Deacon Blues
2. Home at Last
3. I Got the News
4. Josie
5. FM
6. Babylon Sisters
7. Hey Nineteen
8. Glamour Profession
9. Gaucho
10. Time Out of Mind
11. My Rival
12. Third World Man
13. Everyone’s Gone to the Movies (Demo)

OK, so I am bending my own rules. I thought about just posting my favorite Steely Dan album (which is probably “Aja”), but then I realized that I don’t ever listen to just any one particular SD album anymore. David and Catherine got me this box set for Christmas a few years ago, and it probably ranks up there with some of the best Christmas gifts I ever got. That is based on how much I like it, and how much I have used it. I listen to this collection a lot at work. (It helps that José, the guy that sits next to me, is also a big SD fan.) Another factor is that this box set includes EVERY song that Steely Dan released on their studio albums, plus a few bonus tracks. So who needs all the albums separately?

The two main conspirators behind Steely Dan: Walter Becker (guitar, bass) and Donald Fagen (keyboards, vocals).

I am not sure exactly when I got introduced to Steely Dan. I am sure I heard them many times and on the radio and liked what I heard, because I can say that I have liked “Deacon Blues” since I can remember. Even as a kid.

For those that need a bit of a history lesson, Steely Dan is basically Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. They met at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, and one of the earlier line ups of the band that became Steely Dan included Chevy Chase on drums. The other positions of the band (other then Becker and Fagen) were revolving doors, with two leaving to join the Doobie Brothers (Jeff “Skunk” Baxter and Michael McDonald).

There are many traits in SD’s music that I like. But mostly is the jazz-boogie-rock feel to most of the songs. Though some are more jazzy then others (like “Aja” and “Deacon Blues”), where as other are more boogie-rock (”Bodhisattva”), or even just good pop songs (”Peg”, “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number”, and “FM”). And even though Fagen’s voice is not the smoothest, he still delivers the a soulful performance when needed. The musicianship in this band is under rated, I believe. Some know of Steely Dan and say, “Yeah, they got some good tunes.” But do they realize that Baxter, Steve Gadd, and Larry Carlton have all pitched into the SD cause? Not to mentioned that even if Becker and Fagen aren’t fantastic as musicianship, they ARE fantastic songwriters.

There is a lot to talk about, but I am going to just stick with some highlights; “Do It Again”, mostly for the “electric sitar” sounding solo; “Razor Boys”, “Boston Rag”, and “Your Gold Teeth” is a great combination tunes right in a row; “Your Gold Teeth II”, which is cool to see what a band can do with similar themes, but changing the song as a whole; the very cool jazz-funk-rock sounds of “Monkey in Your Soul”; the jazziness of “Aja” and the incredible drum performance from Steve Gadd; the soulfulness of “Babylon Sisters” including some great female back-up vocals; the funky Rhodes piano on “Kid Charlemagne”; the hip guitar and a bit funky appeal of “Green Earrings”.

A recent photo of Becker and Fagen.

Another highlight of this collection is the live version of “Bodhisattva”. It is obvious after listening that it was recorded in Santa Monica, California and the opening song of the show. It has a very funny set up by an introduction from a rather inebriated roadie. This is also a smoking fast version of the tune.

Steely Dan has to be one of my favorite bands, but like with others, it comes under the radar. I never really realized just how much I liked them until I found myself listening to this collection quite often. And for those of you that may have a “Greatest Hits” CD of theirs, or a separate album or two, you might be surprised to know that you probably would like most all of their material. It is similar enough to give it an “easy to get into” feel, yet different enough that it’s not repetitive.

Note: The early picture of Becker and Fagen is from Chris Walter.