Steely Dan Album: “Citizen Steely Dan [Box]”

It really does seem convenient, doesn't it - getting all of an artist's work in one nice neat package, with a cute booklet thrown in. And make no mistake about it, everything that's on here is worth owning. The problem is, this particular package was flawed from the very beginning. Lets start with the fact that, had the cheapskate record company been willing to stretch to five discs (and we all know how much a blank cd costs by now), they could have presented each of the albums without interruption (Katy Lied + The Royal Scam fit on one disc), instead of rudely cutting off three of them (mid-side no less). An even bigger problem is that, as Messrs. Fagen and Becker have ruefully recounted many times in the years since, MCA didn't bother locating the master tapes for this... they used the same weak transfers that were done in the 80's and had someone tweak them a little bit. Adding insult to injury, they then reissued the individual albums with a sticker proclaiming them to be "Newly Remastered by the Artist". And you wonder why these guys record for a different label now. Sheesh.

Anyway, the story does have a happy ending. In 1999, Don + Walt presided over a _real_ remastering of the albums, with the help of Roger Nichols, who'd engineered the original albums. Those cds, available today, sound spectacular and feature groovy liner notes that tell a lot more about the band than this booklet does.

Do yourself a favor - get the albums individually. Even the untrained ear will marvel at the immaculate sound, and there's barely any price difference anyway. Enjoy!

I listened to Steely Dan in high school in the late 1970s and thought AJA was a fine piece of work. Several years after my record player finally broke down and I ended up unloading my LP collection in favor of CDs, I came upon this box set of Citizen Steely Dan. All Dan Fans would be well-served in acquiring it. I don't know what I can add to the various reviews and pretentious critiques over the years of this extraordinary band (or should I say repeated gatherings of excellent studio musicians?)except to say that Steely Dan exemplifies the best of what pop music can be. The songs had far more heart than they were ever given due recognition for. Listen closely to Fagen's lyrics and within the dark passions you can hear the heart what is being said. And for as sleek, cynical, mysterious and driven as their repetoire was, one cannot help but stand in awe of the sheer quality of musicianship displayed over and over again. They avoided the monstrous excesses that plagued the other titanic rock bands (i.e. The Who, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones) which proved too often to be fatal. There was never, nor will there likely be, another band like them. All that being said, we can all look forward to hearing their new album, due out early next year! After twenty years, all the best to you, Fagen & Becker!

I was a casual Steely Dan fan and as such, owned their greatest hits collection "Decade of Steely Dan". It had some great stuff on it (DO IT AGAIN, DEACON BLUES, REELIN' IN THE YEARS, etc.) but it left me wanting more. Where was DIRTY WORK? MIDNIGHT CRUISER? PRETZEL LOGIC? DON'T TAKE ME ALIVE? or THE FEZ? With considerable intrepidation, I sprung for "Citizen Steely Dan", not sure of what to expect since most box sets have a handful of good songs but are padded with a bunch of garbage you're not really interested in listening to. This is NOT one of those box sets.

Steely Dan is one of those rare groups/artists where if you were to limit yourself to their greatest hits, you'd be cheating yourself. Their "non-hit" material is rich with great artistry, music, lyrics, and musicianship and I was very impressed hearing much of this stuff for the first time. I'm now a full-blown Steely Dan fan! Their entire body of work (this, along with "Two Against Nature") is well worth the price of owning and listening to. I'd recommend it to the casual fan as well as the full-blown Steely Dan fan without any reservations. Steely Dan (and this collection) is great and like no other!

This box set is truly complete, as there are NO substitutions for our fave SD tunes - no bathroom or 'demo takes' on the songs that made up the career of one of the best bands ever (without their latest stuff of course!). I generally hate box sets for what they do to get you to buy it, and you end up turning around and going out to buy the CD that the song that you DIDN'T want the 'demo take' of. This one is PURE 'Dan' - the group that never compromised, always one to present their best, and their years and years of hard work truly show. From their beginnings with "Can't buy a Thrill" (a genuine classic) to their more modern (and some have said 'elevator') sounds of 'Gaucho', you have got it all here with CITIZEN. It is really up to you which 'era' of the Dan you like the best. I will not get critical, as I love all of their work from track 1. But it is all there, in a resounding remastered form (which is funny, cuz I always thought that SD records sounded so much better than any others I owned back in the vinyl days).

From Disc 1 to Disc 4, even a casual Steely Dan fan will find the hook that made them an icon in music today. The way that they blended jazz into contemporary rock and pop was amazing, in a time when this was just NOT fashion. Hail to Becker and Fagan - they are truly 'THE MEN'.

Of course the music is 5-star material. But the package design and CDs leave much to be desired. The artwork for the leaflets, box and liner notes is somewhat lame and uniformed. My other complaint about this set is that there are 7 albums of material crammed onto 4 CDs. If you're new to Steely Dan like I was when I bought this bargain buy set, it can be somewhat frustrating. I like certain songs, but what album are they on? That's why I copied all the files from the CDs to my computer's hard drive, split them up into 7 different album folders, then burned a set of 7 CDs for myself (one album per CD). I found experiencing them this way is far better.

I've actually taken the time to review each Steely Dan album included in this set individually. Sorry about the length, but Steely Dan deserves this kind of attention.

Steely Dan - Can't Buy a Thrill (MCA, 1972)

Star Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Most Steely Dan fans will tell you that their best songs were not hits, they were album tracks. I'd have to agree to an extent when reviewing their later albums, when their true sound was defined. But "Can't Buy a Thrill" is truly an addictive pop record that is all (well, at least mostly) about the singles. And after all, this was the record that made me love those lush flourishing jazz melodies that I've come to respect about their later records. You can't deny that these two visionaries were remarkable craftsmen. The soundscape is filled beautifully orchestrated melodies of piano, keyboard, guitar and saxophone, seamlessly interwoven to create some of the best pop gems of their career. Not to mention the unique brand of clever and cryptic songwriting.

Every song here shines nicely. Favorites will vary, but mine would include "Do It Again" (peaking at #6), "Dirty Work", "Midnight Cruiser", "Reelin' in the Years" (peaking at #11), "Fire in the Hole", and "Turn That Heartbeat Over Again". Probably the biggest difference between this record and later Steely Dan would be the addition of David Palmer (who would later go on to join Wha-Koo), who's vocals take the forefront in many of the songs presented here. Although tracks like "Do It Again" has a sweet Latin jazz beat, much of their jazz leanings would soon make their way to later albums.

Overall, there's not much to complain about here. This is Steely Dan at their best in the early stages of their career. It's nice to see a band evolve and improve upon their successful debut, rather than try to duplicate it. So looking at it in the respect, this is an all out classic.

Steely Dan - Countdown to Ecstasy (MCA, 1973)

Star Rating: 5 out of 5

As a fairly new Steely Dan listener (about a year), I found myself completely addicted to their radio friendly debut, "Can't Buy a Thrill". It wasn't until much later (yesterday), that I truly discovered the beauty of this immaculate record. This is a much riskier album than it's predecessor. First of all, soul singer David Palmer, who was prominently featured on the bands debut, has left the group, and Donald Fagen became the full-time lead vocalist. The most notable change lies within the music. It's got more of a hard rock feel to it, along with sophisticated jazz delicacies. This album reveals more and more with each listen, because there are so many intricacies to it, lyrically and musically. Ultimately, this record is more rewarding than it's predecessor when it's truly discovered.

"Bodhisattva", the album opener, shows that Steely Dan isn't out to duplicate their pop inflicted debut. The opening riff is very bluesy and rock & roll. But, it simply warms up the tune for a series of beautiful solos. Denny Dias gets the first guitar solo, Fagen goes from synthesizer to piano, and Jeff "Skunk" Baxter gets the second guitar solo. The song has been a centerpiece in their live shows ever since. "Razor Boy" shows Fagen and Becker's love for Jazz and Brazilian music. Fagen's vocals are exceptionally sweet here. The singles of the record, "My Old School" and "Show Biz Kids" (both peaking at around 60 on the charts), are quite solid. The latter is among my favorite, just because it's such a bizarre choice for a single. It was a big FU to everyone who wanted "Do It Again" part 2. The song features a killer slide guitar solo (performed by Rick Derringer). There is no real structure to the song, which makes it feel like a jam. It also seems strange that their first single was one with this lyric - "Show business kids making movies 'bout themselves / You know they don't give a fu*k about anybody else". Nevertheless, it was fairly successful. "My Old School" is a great tune about the liberal arts school Bard College, which they both attended in upstate New York (which they continue to mock). The chorus on the album is easily the most infectious on the album. Jeff Baxter remarkable guitar playing intertwines with Fagen's piano and horn section perfectly. Another one of my favorites in the country swagger of "Pearl of the Quarter". "King of the World" also seems to be an overlooked gem.

This album has boosted Steely Dan up to my top of my listening list. It's even better when you realize they have a ton more to offer than their "hits". This was only the second masterpiece of many masterpieces to come from these two musical geniuses.

Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic (MCA, 1974)

Star Rating: 5 out of 5

I've become a Steely Dan addict lately. I've been working my way through Steely Dan's discography in chronological order. My first love was their biggest hit (and debut), "Can't Buy a Thrill". And although their second album, "Countdown to Ecstasy" was half the hit of it's predecessor, I grew to like it more. Now their third, "Pretzel Logic", pushes the envelope even more, and has since become my favorite. Becker and Fagen just can't do wrong, as this is the richest set of songs I've heard from them yet. The songs are so intricate, and densely crafted, but bafflingly accessible. Their word play is top notch here; snide, sarcastic, and very funny at times. As if crafting some of the greatest rock & roll music in history wasn't enough, these guys were on the forefront lyrically as well. "Countdown to Ecstasy" is notably different though, boasting several lengthy jams with a hard rock edge, and a flourishing of jazz elements. The jazz elements are fully intact here, but the songs are considerably shorter than it's predecessor. That may seem that they are moving toward the radio friendly side once again; which isn't true. Although very poppy in their own right, the songs don't rely on easy hooks, but instead incorporates even more intricacies.

The album kicks off with their biggest hit on the record, "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" (which coincidentally is the longest track on the album). The lyrics in this song were interpreted in several ways; but mostly this lyric - "send it off in a letter to yourself". People interpreted the "Number" to be a joint (marijuana), and that mailing the joint off into a letter to yourself, so it doesn't get picked up by authority figures. But it turned out that "Rikki" was a girl that Fagen had a crush on in college, and wound up being a straight-forward love song. The lyrics and melody in the song are among the catchiest Steely Dan has ever come up with. It's not a surprise that the single peaked at number 4 on the charts. "Night By Night" is a catchy funky guitar flavored tune, with a very memorable chorus. "Any Major Dude Will Tell You" is among my favorites. The heavy sarcastic vibe of the lyrics is what draws me in so much about it. The song is fairly simple in arrangement, but it's also one of their best. Fagen's whine induced voice is utterly captivating on "Barrytown". "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo" has some addictive "wha-wha" effects that adds a nice color to the album. The title track is also one of my favorites (also one of the longer cuts). It's got my favorite chorus on the album. Other notable standouts are the two cuts that close out the album, "Charlie Freak" and "Monkey in Your Soul".

All and all, every Steely Dan album I listen to has since become my favorite; so I have a very biased opinion. All I can say is, when you finally learn that their album tracks are better than many of their hits, you will be a Steely Dan addict just like me. Well, I'm off to listen to, and review their forth album, "Katy Lied".

Steely Dan - Katy Lied (MCA, 1975)

Star Rating: 5 out of 5

After being blown away by Steely Dan's first three albums, it was time to move on to "Katy Lied". It picks up where they left off with the lush jazz fusion of "Pretzel Logic". "Katy Lied" is simply a cleaner, smoother version of it's predecessor. Does the lack of innovation hurt the album? Of course not. They just nailed jazz-pop and blues-rock on the head. They rely heavily on studio musicians for the album, which gave the album an immaculate sound. Each track glistens. The hooks are stronger than past Dan albums. The solos are more technical and precise. And the lyrics are arguably the best they've ever been. It may seem like some of these perfected elements may suck the life out of the lyrics and stories, but that's not the case here. In fact, each song benefits from them, with the lyrics sounding just as personal and quirky as ever.

"Black Friday" opens the album up (also the only single on the album, peaking at #37). It's a perfectly executed parody of 70s style boogie rock. The lyrics are about what they would do if the stock market crashes and the economy goes down the toilet. But overall, Becker and Fagen are having some good clean fun. "Bad Sneakers" is probably my favorite. The soothing melodic vocal hooks and choruses just reel you in ("And I'm going insane / And I'm laughing at the frozen rain"). "Rose Darling" stands out nicely. It's got a little more of a sophisticated feel to it. Fagen and Michael McDonald sing beautifully together as Dean Parks wails out a gnarly guitar solo. Fagen's voice is overly giddy and comical; which happens to sound a lot like Bob Dylan. The driving beat and stellar rhythm guitar on "Daddy Don't Live in That New York City No More" makes it a standout too. It ventures into a little more of a soul-blues-rock area. "Doctor Wu" has one of the most addictive choruses on the album. This also has a very sophisticated feel to it; especially with the sweet saxophone (I think) solo. "Everyone's Gone to the Movies" is actually one of Steely Dan's earliest songs (from 1971). The one on "Katy Lied" is obviously the most well-known version, which has a jazzier Latin feel to it. It also has a very memorable chorus - "Everyone's gone to the movies / Now we're alone at last". "Your Gold Teeth II" features some sublime piano work, and a nice building guitar solo. "Chain Lightning" has a friendly blues swagger to it, and a very catchy chorus; pretty laid back for the most part. Getting toward the end, "Any World (That I'm Welcome To)" is a standout. It's also an earlier demo reworked for "Katy Lied", much like "Everyone's Gone to the Movies". It's fairly simple in delivery, and is among the most effective. Michael McDonald's vocals shine the brightest here. The album is closed out nicely with "Throw Back the Little Ones". Fagen's lyrics are bouncy in delivery. The piano and production is sweet as always.

Overall, I feel this is Steely Dan's best album. Even classic albums have flaws here and there that are overshadowed by the album's highlights; but that's not the case here. Every track is perfect. Their lyrical stabbing wit is presented at it's best. The flow and musical intricacies are at their finest. "Katy Lied" is one of the most overlooked gems of the 70s.

Steely Dan - The Royal Scam (MCA, 1976)

Star Rating: 4 out of 5

"The Royal Scam" is far from a disappointment; but it doesn't quite hit the nail on the head like their previous three albums did ("Countdown to Ecstasy" [1973], "Pretzel Logic" [1974], "Katy Lied" [1975]). That doesn't make the record any less interesting though. The biggest thing that makes this album less fun(ny), is the hostility and cynicism in the lyrics. Not only are the lyrics disparaging, but the music also reflects those notes of sarcasm. Where past Dan albums feel sarcastically fun and reflective, "The Royal Scam" feels dark and pessimistic.

That's not to say there isn't some classic Steely Dan cuts here. The notable classics are the character sketch stories of "Kid Charlemagne" (peaking at #82), the mean spirited "Don't Take Me Alive", "Sign in Stranger", the mostly instrumental "The Fez" (peaking at #59), and the infectious wha-wha guitar of "Haitian Divorce". There are a lack of standout cuts compared to it's predecessors ("Everything You Did", "The Royal Scam"). Nevertheless, it's very strong.

Overall, this is a very enjoyable record, and a favorite among many Steely Dan fans (including my own father). Their diversity, lack of #1 hits, and an abundance of quality album tracks gives their discography a notable cult status that will be around for many generations to come.

Steely Dan - Aja (MCA, 1977)

Star Rating: 5 out of 5

Where past Steely Dan albums dabbled with the flourishing of jazz-rock, "Aja" goes the whole nine yards. This album is often hailed as the finest example of jazz-rock ever. Becker and Fagen's obsession with intricate arrangements are in full form here. Each cut is immaculate in production; glistening with pure class. The "major" difference between "Aja" and past Dan albums lies within the lyrical content. Subtle wit, sarcasm, and the occasionally disparaging lyrics are what distinguished their earlier works. "Aja" pretty much cleared the canvas as far as the observable cynicism goes. Needless to say, it's a far cry from the jaded negativity of "The Royal Scam". "Aja" is all about those subtle textures that they've been perfecting over the years. Even the simplest songs are layered with cool jazz, blues and pop, all in a brilliant and seamless fashion.

"Black Cow" kicks off the set with one of many flawlessly clean arrangements. It's cleaner than anything that came before it. They make it sound simple, although it's actually quite meticulous and layered. "Aja" is a heart-stopper. An 8-minute epic which is the longest and most complex piece of music they've ever attempted, and a favorite among Steely Dan fans alike. "Deacon Blues" (peaking at #19), "Josie" (peaking at #26), and "Peg" (peaking at #11) are the most successful singles they've had since 1972's "Can't Buy A Thrill". It's not hard to see why when listening to the record. In a way, this album is far less risky than say, "Countdown To Ecstasy". The music appeals to a whole new set of fans, and cult fans alike.

Some Steely Dan fans claim "Aja" veers away from who Steely Dan really is; a rock & roll band. That's far from true. This album was just waiting to break through the gates. Every album that came before steadily introduced "more" jazz into their repertoire. It was only a matter of time before the gloves came all the way off. If you were drooling at the mouth for a Steely Dan album which prominently featured jazz, you wouldn't be happier about this stellar set of songs. I can't say that it's my favorite album of theirs ("Katy Lied" is), but I have to give credit where it's due. This is a definitely 5-star classic.

Steely Dan - Gaucho (MCA, 1980)

Star Rating: 4 out of 5

There are many reviewers here that say this album is perfect and among their best. I can kind of see where they are coming from. The album is immaculate down to every last note. It's sonically similar to "Aja" as far as the jazz-rock template goes. The instrumental passages and arrangements are cleaner than clean. And that is part of the problem with this record - it's too perfect. What I mean by that is, is that the life has been sucked out of these songs. They are simply going through the motions for what seems to be their final album as Steely Dan (a break that would last 20 years). "Babylon Sisters", "Hey Nineteen" (peaking at #10) and "Time Out of Mind" (peaking at #13) are the notably strong cuts. The latter featuring a nearly inaudible guitar solo from Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits. Being a fan of Dire Straits, I would have never known it was him if I hadn't read the credits. There's not too many flaws musically, but it's seriously flawed when it comes down to the lyrics. Past Dan albums were a lot of fun. They were albums that made you snicker, smile, drop your jaw, and at times, laugh out loud. The cynical sarcasm is stripped from "Gaucho" almost entirely (except for "Hey Nineteen"). One can only appreciate the massive amounts of mixing, arranging, producing, engineering and session musicians (work!!) that went into this album (There's a reason it won a Grammy for "Best Engineered Recording, Non Classical"). Any fan of their earlier records will notably miss lyrics as fun as this one - "Driving like a fool out to Hackensack / Drinking his dinner from a paper sack / He says I gotta see a joker / And I'll be right back."