Steely Dan Album: “A Decade Of Steely Dan”

If any of you out there have read my review for the new Steely Dan album, "Two against Nature," I mention this album as my introduction to SD, back when my parents played it during car rides when I was younger. I eventually bought it myself, and then got the "Citizen Steely Dan" box set to complete my collection. After getting the box set, I thought I'd never listen to "Decade" again, but I still play it every now and then, which definitely says something about this collection. There's just something about these undisputed classic songs in the arrangement that they appear on this CD that makes for a great listen. Hearing "Boddisatva," followed by "Hey Nineteen," running into "Do it again"...this order may sound strange, but the album just flows perfectly. And "Bad Sneakers" is a great closing song, which one wouldn't expect because it is the second track on "Katy Lied." Definitely one of the best "hits" collections out there, and fine introduction to Steely Dan. And as an added bonus, you will keep listening to it for a long time!

You'll pay a little more than double the price of this CD, but you get a lot more than double the songs. I basically like every album Steely Dan has done, but if you want to get a good collection with one purchase, go for the box set.

I am not a dedicated or particularly knowledgeable listener to Steely Dan, although I have both of Donald Fagen's solo LP's. However, growing up I always loved hearing their songs on the radio. This collection has all of the hits I have been looking for, including "Hey Nineteen" and the classic "Peg." I've also found a new favorite: the melancholy "Deacon Blues." Any music fan would do well to buy this set.

Steely Dan was a ubiquitous AM/FM presence in the late 70's, and this CD culls some of the best of their output. Leaders Donald Fagan and Walter Becker wrote all the songs on the album (except for their weak version of Ellington's and Miley's "East St. Louis Toodle-oo"), and most of them have worn well with time.

It is almost obligatory to mention the wry, ironic, intelligent, even fey lyrics, especially in the singular delivery of Donald "is there gas in the cah?" Fagan. It's a distinctive voice, one that some will find annoying, but I think it fits the bittersweet tone of the songs. Some of the ballads (e.g., "My Old School," "Bad Sneakers" sound formulaic after so many years, but the best of the ballads ("Deacon Blues." "Hey Nineteen") have superb solos and ensemble work.

It is the musicians who sparkle on the album, and the group uses such talents as Wayne Shorter (sax), Randy Brecker (trumpet and flugelhorn), Larry Carlton and Lee Ritenour (guitar), Chucky Rainey (b), and Jim Hodder (d). "Deacon Blues" particularly benefits from an excellent, textured arrangement, and the otherwise bland "Hey 19" has excellent B.B. King blue notes from guitarists Hugh McCracken and Becker.

The group is best on the faster, more rock/blues-oriented numbers. "Bodhisattva" is the pinnacle: a jazz-blues with excellent bass by Becker, superb guitar work by Denny Dias and Jeff Baxter, drummer Hodder keeping a shuffling beat, and an infectious lyric: "Bodhisattva, won't you take me by the hand, Bodhisattva won't you take me by the hand, can you show me...the shine of your Japan, the sparkle of your china, can you show me, Bodhisattva, Bodhisattva." This song alone makes the album worthwhile.

Other highlights include Peg ("I like your pict-uah, I keep it with your lettah; done up in blueprint blue, it sure looks good on you, and when you smile for the camera, I know I love you bettah"), the cruelly bitter "Reeling in the Years (I don't know, maybe best after a break-up?)," and the more hopeful, romantic "Rikki, Don't Lose that Number," featuring an excellent guitar solo by Elliot Randall.

I'm not a huge fan of this group (and haven't bought their very popular recent CD), but this collection shows why they became so popular, particularly in an era when vapid, unidimensional songs dominated the airwaves. Even the somewhat tedious (and aptly named) "Do it Again," is redeemed by Fagan's keyboards and Dias' guitar solo.

Steely Dan, a definitive soft rock/ jazz rock group, have had a lot of greatest hits/ best of compilations released over the years with a lot of recycling of the same tracks. "A Decade of Steely Dan" was originally released in 1985, & it manages to somewhat stand apart from other Dan compilations such as "Gold" and the 1978 "Greatest Hits". With Steely Dan's 1972-1980 output being, in general, so astonishingly consistent and filled with brilliant songs, plus the fact that their biggest hits do tend to rank among their best work, it's pretty hard to screw things up when assembling a Steely Dan greatest hits/ best of. The tracks on "Decade" are not presented in chronological order, however there is at least one track from each of their '72-'80 albums, & with the track selection being as as strong as it is, this is a great listen and an effective overview of their career. The only inclusion that's particularly questionable is the Duke Ellington/ Bubber Miley-penned instrumental "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo"--yes, I like it, & it's certainly clever, but it's a questionable choice when such total Dan classics as "Any Major Dude Will Tell You", "Any World (That I'm Welcome To)", and "Haitian Divorce", among many others, are missing in action. Still, like I said, this is an effective overview of a band who had boundless creativity when it came to sophisticated, arresting compositions. The thing that really sets this compilation apart is something the previous reviewer has also pointed out--it contains a version of the soundtrack tune "FM" that has a haunting, extended song-ending guitar solo passage from Walter Becker; this is the only Steely Dan CD I know of that contains this superior version of this classic song--the "Citizen" box set, the 2 CD "Show Biz Kids" set, and the aforementioned "Gold" CD all contain the inferior version that ends with an extended sax solo instead. Also, the musician/ performance credits for each individual track are a solid bonus. With a band like Steely Dan, obviously there's a lot more you need than just what's on this disc, but still, it's filled with great songs and is an effective compilation.

(P.S. Somewhere along the line the "A Decade of Steely Dan" CD was indeed re-released ("original recording remastered" as they say), but the packaging remained extremely similar. The sound quality on the older version certainly isn't BAD, so it's a solid bargain if you see it around for a couple bucks somewhere. I wouldn't recommend spending a LOT more for the newer version.)