Customer Reviews

A Decade of Steely Dan

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A truly comprehensive must-have Steely Dan collection would fill two or, more likely, three CDs. It's just impossible to cram all the vital cuts from the Dan's career onto one disc. But this one has the major American hits (excepting Grammy-winner "Cousin Dupree" from their later Two Against Nature album...though I can't really say it was a "hit"; really, the Academy was just guiltily giving the Dan their long long long long long overdue statuettes). It's well-sequenced and it sounds great.

Recommended for the casual Steely Dan fan, or for a friend who's only heard a few tunes in passing. There's enough here to further whet your appetite if you've got one. If you already know you like all these songs, go straight to the Citizen Steely Dan box set.

Collectors take note: There are two versions of the song "F.M." The one on this disc ends with a guitar solo, whereas the version on Steely Dan Gold and Citizen Steely Dan ends with a sax solo. Both are great.

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!

This is the first SD cd I've purchased and completely enjoy almost every song. For a casual fan, I think it's a fine compilation -- how could you go wrong with FM, Black Friday, Deacon Blues, Hey Nineteen, Do It Again, Peg, Rikki, Reeling, Kid, and My Old School on the same CD? Steely Dan offers a rare combination of smooth, fun, well-composed, and dynamic music. This album is sure to entice you buy more.

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.

They did such a great job re-mastering this album! The original CD was so flat. This one has so much range that really brings out the instruments and background vocals. You definately want to replace your old CD with this one.

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.

Few musicians have the ability of blending jazz textures within a rock context, and then put in some pop flavor instead of showing off (which is a normal tendency when you mix jazz and rock). That's what Becker & Fagen, 2 gifted musicians, did. And the results are unique: from the subtle changes of time signatures in "Deacon Blues", a monster of a song with sax solos and brass and wind sections appearing here and there, and great bass lines; the straight rock and roll of "Bodhisattva", with a duel of keyboard and guitar solos; the latin percussion that opens "Do It Again", not as raw as Santana's and more elegant; the rocking tunes "Black Friday" and "Reeling In the Years", showcasing great vocal harmonies in the chorus, steady drumming and killer guitars; the minimal feeling of "Rikki Don't Lose That Number", with its commanding piano; and the melancholy of "Bad Sneakers".

Music like this, very well crafted and executed, is not done anymore in this days of other musical styles with no substance. A big pity. But, those who were fortunate to listen to it in its heyday, don't forget them; and for those who don't know about (specially the kids), it's time to show them. And this record, a fine compilation originally in vinyl and now on CD, is a great starter for it.

My respects for Steely Dan, master of masters of great music.

Though they were never a singles (or touring) band, Steely Dan created some of the most memorable rock recordings in the 70s. The bad news is that this collection sells itself short, offering only a small slice of Steely Dan's magnitude. Fans will not find "Show Biz Kids," "The Fez," "Pretzel Logic," "Josie," or "Time Out of Mind," all of which hit the charts. It's unknown why such trifles as "Babylon Sisters," "East St. Louis Toodle-OO" and "Bad Sneakers" made the grade when more worthy songs could have been placed in their stead. Still, casual fans will not be disappointed.

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 that 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 this newer version.)