Customer Reviews

Showbiz Kids: The Steely Dan Story 1972-80

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MCA Records produced second-rate Steely Dan compilations with near-perfect timing. Two slipshod, incomplete collections ("Gold" and "A Decade of Steely Dan") greeted the start of the digital music revolution. 1993's box set/tribute album craze brought the exhaustive, unilluminating "Citizen Steely Dan," reshuffling classic music most fans already owned. Many music lovers invested in the CD format to hear Steely Dan's musical precision digitally detailed, yet were mostly unsatisfied.

If MCA had had foresight and sonic clarity 15 years ago to release "Show Biz Kids," this definitive 2CD anthology may have had the evergreen sales Billy Joel's greatest hits collection has been since its 1985 release. Joel flirted and occasionally hit with jazz-flavored hybrid pop, but the Dan (especially main songwriter/architects/iconoclasts Walter Becker and Donald Fagen) connected bebop jazz, doo-wop harmonies, Beatlesque, Spectoresque and bubblegum pop with the avant-garde, making it cynical, romantic and real at once.

Argue with some song choices, despite all chart hits ("Reelin' In The Years," "Peg," "FM," "Rikki Don't Lose That Number") and most beloved FM tracks ("Bad Sneakers," title cuts from "Aja" and "Pretzel Logic," the still-powerful "Dirty Work") sounding their best from Roger "The Immortal" Nichols' engineering on Gary Katz's original productions. (Nichols is addressed a cryptic letter in the set's liner notes). You might have liked hearing the late Jim Hodder on "Midnight Cruiser," or the outright jazz tributes "Parker's Mood" and "East St. Louis Toodle-Loo." But "Pretzel Logic" and the rest of the Dan's catalogue provide those in pristine sound.

Like "Revolver," "Innervisions," or any classic rock evergreen (even extending it in this case to jazz works like Coltrane's "Love Supreme"), you hear Steely Dan LPs as dramatic, seamless wholes, worth buying again despite being strongly represented on hits sets. The enduring power of the group's late 70s' masterworks "Royal Scam" and "Aja" shows when, hearing their best-known tracks ("Kid Charlemagne," "Don't Take Me Alive," "Black Cow," the tireless "Deacon Blues") you await, then miss, the songs left off. ("Gaucho"'s three songs are what's required from that disappointing 1980 set, yet also sound great here.)

The group's trademark crystalline productions often laid atop deceptively simple melodies. ("Do It Again" and "Josie" aren't as hummable as they first seem.) The song choices also remember Steely Dan's rare shards of spare, direct truth and vulnerability (the gentle "Any Major Dude" and "Any World I'm Welcome To," the humorous exchanges in "Hey Nineteen" and even the profanity in "Show Biz Kids") amid its other trademark: cryptic, idiosyncratic lyrics.

Here's hoping Steely Dan's recent Hall of Fame induction, Grammy-winning comeback album and lifetime songwriter awards bring their complex, classy catalog to a generation used to dissonant, minimalist rock. This underpublicized, highly recommended group introduction is Steely Dan's best greatest hits yet, telling theirs and their era's story more than effectively.

Steely Dan, as most of you probably know, had a BUNCH of hits, and anyone who grew up in the 70's would tell you that. Many folks are familiar with Steely Dan to the point of having most of their popular material memorized. There was a time when Steely Dan was HUGE, and furthermore, they had a pleasant "fit-for-radio" sound that enabled their music to be played all over America, and that smooth sound of theirs never really changed as the years rolled by. Steely Dan also had a certain magic to their music, whether it was in the songwriting or the experimentation featured on most of their albums, that allowed ALL sorts of people to enjoy their music while at the same time expand their taste.

If you like the sound of jazz rock, Steely Dan had it. If you like smooth 70's rock, Steely Dan had it. If you're a serious music fan who likes lots of genre exploring and memorable songwriting, Steely Dan even had that. They were also easy to listen to, because they knew how to write immediately-enjoyable vocal melodies that were never annoyingly written. They had a lot!

Now, a problem with Steely Dan (a problem that's been around for years, might I add) is trying to find the right greatest hits package that features ALL the appropriate songs that people grew up with and loved (and continue to love). Show Biz Kids works *extremely* well not only as a comprehensive greatest hits package, but also to bring back memories for folks that may have forgotten JUST how many classics Steely Dan were responsible for. And by many I mean MANY. Face it, many people out there right now don't remember songs like "night by night", "the boston rag", "the fez", "don't take me alive", and the list goes on, because those songs are no longer heard on the radio. This 33-track collection will help you remember all those classics and make you think "oh YEAH, I used to hear that song all the time!"

I'll be the first to admit I was NOT a fan of Steely Dan when I used to listen to classic rock stations all the time. They'd play the same 5-10 songs over and over such as "rikki don't lose that number", "do it again" and "deacon blues" and I thought that was just overkill. That is why I never bothered exploring the band further because I got the impression I didn't NEED to (and plus I didn't want to listen to those same songs yet AGAIN).

As the years went by, two things happened. One, radio stations cut down on their playlist and in the process they eliminated some very tasty Steely Dan tunes such as "show biz kids", "change of the guard", "doctor wu" and "night by night". You know, tunes that many people knew and loved at one time, but haven't heard in years. The other thing that happened was a change in my taste- I began to find out that Steely Dan's smooth, laidback production was quite charming, and that mixing rock with jazz is a winning combination.

Today, people looking for one Steely Dan compilation probably aren't sure which one to get. Let me remind you, Steely Dan has a ton of Best Of's and Greatest Hits and VERY Best Of's and who knows what else, and that probably ends up confusing and/or irritating music buyers. In my opinion, you should skip EVERY SINGLE ONE of these and go with the more satisfying 2-CD Show Biz Kids collection. This is a great, well-thought out collection of songs. Here, you will find *most* of the best Steely Dan songs. Yes, I have to agree with the reviewers who really wanted songs such as "green earrings" and "king of the world" because those songs WERE popular at one time and should have been on here, but hey, you have nearly 2 and a half hours of music on this collection to look forward to, and besides, I don't think it was possible to squeeze in any more songs (unless the band has a couple short 2-minute songs I don't know about). Each CD comes close to holding as much music as possible, so it wouldn't be right to ask for more.

The sound quality of the music on this collection, particularly the early songs on the Can't Buy a Thrill album, is amazing. Everything is so LOUD now. Songs like "dirty work" never sounded better. This is the one Steely Dan collection that does a magnificent job giving the casual fans just the right amount of juice for their meat, or the right amount of ice cream for their cone, or... you get the idea! This compilation does a wonderful job including most of the highlights from the bands successful career back in the 70's. A better compilation isn't possible, IMO.

If you're a Steely Dan fan you already know you can't go wrong with any of their regular albums such as Pretzel Logic or Aja, but you have to give credit to the people who went through each Steely Dan album and put this excellent list of songs together (in order of release)- they did a really good job with it. I think Steely Dan released what, 7 studio albums in the 70's/early 80's? This compilation features at LEAST three songs from each album. Simply a good deal here. Heck, buy it anyway, even if you own the rest of their albums. Plus, as others have mentioned, you get the other major hit "FM" and the only other way you could get that song would be to dish out lots of money for a box set or dish out money for yet another one of their pointless greatest hits CD's. You and I both know it isn't possible to fit every one of their hits on a single CD.

If I had one complaint it's probably that much of the focus here seems to be on the Aja album. Five of the seven songs from that album have been included here, and that *almost* makes it so you don't have to buy the Aja album. I guess in a way you can say that's a GOOD thing, if you don't want to own Aja. It's your call. I also think this collection may be a little skimpy on the Pretzel Logic album by only including four songs, but it's not the end of the world. These are the smallest complaints I've ever had with anything. This is a must buy!

This is by far the best "retrospective" they've put out to date, although there are some songs that are missing, but that's to be expected.

My complaints are minor in comparison to the great collection of songs.

If you've never owned a Steely Dan CD but know the songs, this is a great collection.

The first CD takes us from "Can't Buy a Thrill" into "Katy Lied".

The first 9 songs take us through their first 2 albums, "Can't Buy a Thrill" and "Countdown to Ecstasy". "Do It Again" must have been an odd duck on the radio back then, but "Reeling in the Years" is the standout track from that album. "Dirty Work" features a singer that was with them for a short period of time and has been an FM radio staple over the years. "Midnight Cruiser" would be another that I'd have included. "Boston Rag" is also a standout track that was a nice addition. "King of the World" and "Razor Boy" were left off, but "Bodhisattva" and "My Old School" are on there.

"Pretzel Logic" has 4 songs, minus "East St. Louis" which has been included on previous "hits" packages. But instead they included "Night By Night". I do think "Barrytown" would've been the better pick though. "Rikki", their biggest hit, is here.

The last 5 songs on the first CD are from "Katy Lied", which to me was the jumping point to less "rock" and more "smooth jazz", although it still has "Black Friday". "Any World" is the deep cut, "Rose Darling" is the only one that would've been nice to here, but no big deal. "Bad Sneakers", "Dr Wu", and "Chain Lightning" are classics.

The 4 tracks that start off the second CD (which could be classified as "the studio years" are from "Royal Scam". "Kid Charlemagne" and its funky groove, "Don't Take Me Alive" goes back into guitar rock territory, "Haitian Divorce" sounds like Club Med hell and "The Fez" showing caution in the 70s. I do think "Royal Scam" was the only one sorely missing from this collection, and it would've been nice to hear "Sign in Stranger" and "Everything You Did".

The outtake "Here at the Western World" that was released with the original hits is here as well. One of their catchiest songs in my opinion, not everyone's favorite though.

The next 5 are from the landmark smash "Aja". Considering that "Aja" only had 7 songs ("Peg" being the hit from here), you're getting a bulk of the album here, leaving off only "I Got the News" and "Home At Last". "Home At Last" is one of my favorite songs, so... but "Aja" and "Deacon Blues" being included makes up for it.

The next track is "FM", a song for a movie with the same name, also a hit at the time.

The last 4 come from 1980's "Gaucho", another one that had 7 songs on it, "Hey Nineteen" being the hit from there, ending with "Third World Man". The songs they included were fine. However, I would've loved to see Steely Dan re-record the never released "Second Arrangement" from the "Gaucho" era that should've made it on there.

Other comments: This CD came out to support the "Two Against Nature" tour in 2000 and features no tracks from the last 2 studio CDs they put out, but the DVD of them in concert (called "2 Against Nature Plush TV Jazz-Rock Party") also came out that year, also worth picking up to see a decent performance of Steely Dan live.

This 2-disc collection of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen's most casually recognizable tracks from their 1972-80 era is ideal for the musical journeyman/woman who wants all of Steely Dan's memorable charters, but also wants to get to know the enigmatic, sardonic genius of their work. "Show Biz Kids: The Steely Dan Story" contains all of the Dan tracks one is most likely to hear on the radio ('Do It Again,' 'Reeling in the Years,' 'Rikki Don't Lose That Number,' 'Deacon Blues,' 'FM') but also offers a fair look at their first seven albums by providing plenty of samples from each one. These 33 tracks will show the listener what composes the body of Steely Dan; glossy, perfectionist jazz-rock fusion that ironically addresses both pop tones and a moral wasteland; the fallen drug dealer 'Kid Charlemagne,' the withdrawal symptoms of 'Doctor Wu,' and the gun-toting outlaw of 'Don't Take Me Alive' are perfect examples. "Show Biz Kids" will prove one thing: anyone who dismisses Becker and Fagen as light-rock fudge has obviously never listened to an entire Steely Dan song. The listener who "just wants to be friends" will get a treat with 'Here At the Western World,' a non-album track that was previously only available on the box set 'Citizen Steely Dan.' Featuring hilarious liner notes which are actually a letter from a down-and-out former SD "associate" written to engineer Roger Nicholls, "Show Biz Kids" is a strong package for the listener who only needs the hits, and a brief overview. Yet the fact remains that they're still missing some of Steely Dan's most elaborate songs, 'The Royal Scam,' 'Kings,' 'Gaucho,' the list goes on and on.

After 3 uncomprehensive compilations released over the years, they finally got it right with this package. Compiled by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen themselves, "Showbiz Kids" features the cream of Steely Dan's original seven studio albums and also includes "Here At The Western World" from the 1978 greatest hits album and "FM". While most hardcore fans probably already have the remastered CD's, for anyone just getting into Steely Dan, this is an excellent introduction to their music without getting the other hits packages(which should be avoided), and not have to cough up 60 bones for the box set. Great music that has only gotten better with age.

A very generous 33 track collection compiled by the masters themselves Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. All tracks have been remastered by the original engineer Roger Nichols and sound amazing. This compilation has the two tracks not on any other Steely Dan LP FM (from the fm soundtrack) and Here at the Western World (previously only available on the Greatest Hits and Citizen Steely Dan box set).A difinite must for all Steely Dan Fans!

THE BAND: Donald Fagen (lead vocals, piano, keyboards) and Walter Becker (guitar, bass guitar)... with a host of other band/session players too numerous to list.

THE DISCS: (2000) 33 tracks on 2 discs clocking in at approximately 153 total minutes (76 minutes on disc-1, and 77 on disc-2). Included with the discs is a 14-page booklet containing song titles/credits/times, a 5-page band intro from journalist Michael Phalen, 3 color photos of Fagen & Becker together, and what songs came from which albums (including the players on each and album cover artwork). As the title indicates, this collection of songs follows Steely Dan from 1972-80 (from "Can't Buy A Thrill" to "Gaucho"). Label - MCA Records.

ALBUM REPRESENTATION: Can't Buy A Thrill (5 songs), Countdown To Ecstasy (4), Pretzel Logic (4), Katy Lied (5), Royal Scam (4), Greatest Hits (1), Aja (5), Gaucho (4), "FM" Movie Soundtrack (1).

COMMENTS: To date, there are ten Steely Dan compilations on the market. To name several - "Greatest Hits", "Gold", "Definitive Collection", "Citizen Steely Dan", "Decade", "Reelin' In The years", "Then & Now"... and this "Showbiz Kids". In my opinion, too many hit compilations for so few studio albums. With that being said, spend the extra few dollars on this double-disc set... because this "Showbiz Kids" is the definitive collection. Later releases - "Two Against Nature" (2000) and "Everything Must Go" (2003) were released after the fact - so no songs from these albums. If you're an old school Steely Dan fan from the 70's, that's probably a good thing. THE GOOD: Whoever made the track selections on "Showbiz Kids" hit the nail squarely on the head. The best songs from each album were chosen, and I can't think of one tune that I would've/could've added. All the staples are here presented in chronological order - "Do It Again", "Reelin' In The Years", "My Old School", "Rikki Don't Lose That Number", "Pretzel Logic", "Black Friday", "Doctor Wu", "Chain Lighting", "The Fez", "Here At The Western World", "Peg", "Black Cow", "Deacon Blues", "Aja", "FM (No Static At All)", "Hey Nineteen", "Time Out Of Mind", etc. Many an excellent deep album track are included as well - "Dirty Work", "Change Of The Guard", "The Boston Rag", "Any Major Dude Will Tell You", "Bad Sneakers", "Haitian Divorce", and "Third World Man". I'd be willing to bet even the slightest of Steely Dan fans would recognize most of the tracks here. Steely Dan has so many great songs that one disc simply isn't enough... and this 2-disc set hits the mark in so many different ways. The digitally remastered sound is crisp to a fault. THE NOT SO GOOD: I can't find anything wrong with "Showbiz Kids" outside of 2 extremely minor details. The band's sixth album, "Aja" (1977), is/was a jazz-oriented multiple award winning (including a Grammy) best selling album... and only 5 of the 7 tracks are included here. Missing are "I Got The News" and "Home At Last" - two great songs. I'm selfish - wanting to see all 7 of "Aja's" tracks here - but in reality, it'd be silly to think the label would include the entire "Aja" album. And lastly - the weak album cover featuring two hands forming what looks like a soaring duck on a blank pale green wall. All of Steely Dan's studio album covers conveyed some interesting photography or artwork... and this "Showbiz Kids" cover in my eyes is a let down. OVERALL: Don't take these 2 minor details to heart, because the music here is top notch. Even if you own all the studio albums, it's great to have so many remastered classic tunes all in one place. A vast majority of music compilations truly miss the mark... this one however does not. "Showbiz Kids - The Steely Dan Story" is a snazzy perfect mix of their songs (5 stars).

With Steely Dan returning in a big way during the last decade, it's only logical that a CD retrospective be released from the band. In 2000, the same year that Steely released its comeback effort "Two Against Nature", "Showbiz Kids-The Steely Dan Story" was released. This double-CD is the most definitive Steely Dan retrospective ever released. More comprehensive than the original "Greatest Hits" and not scattered about like the "Decade of.." and "Gold" compilations, "Showbiz Kids" includes enormous chunks of music from each of Steely's seven original studio albums during their heyday between 1972 and 1980.
All of the band's hits are included here featuring the timeless classics "Do It Again" and "Reeling In The Years" plus "My Old School", the top 10 smash "Rikki Don't Lose That Number", "Black Friday", "Peg" and "Hey Nineteen". Important key album tracks such as the title track to 1977's "Aja" (included in its full 8-minute entirety), "Deacon Blues", "Any World That I'm Welcome To" and "The Boston Rag" are featured here as well. Fill this in with the rare hits "Here At The Western World" and the theme from the film "FM", and you've got the best of the best from Steely Dan.
"Showbiz Kids" serves as a perfect introduction to Steely Dan's music. If you don't want to invest in all of their albums, this will probably be all the Steely Dan you'll ever need. However, if this compilation impresses you, I would next recommend buying their albums in chronological order beginning with 1972's excellent "Can't Buy A Thrill" up to the very latest Steely Dan album "Everything Must Go".

At last a Steely dan compilation that's complete with every chart hit and pretty much most of the signicant album tracks, including "Here At the Western World" from the first "Greatest Hits" LP (out of print in the US, available as an import) and "FM". There may be one or two favorite album tracks one might have wished for, but since this was compiled by Becker and Fagan themselves (and nicely annotated by them as well), it really can be considered the authoritative collection. Excellent sound, of course. An ideal introduction for newcomers, a valuable overview for the converted.

This 2 cd set was issued as a compilation of the years 1972-1980. The anthology coincides with the remastering of their individual albums and their reunion studio album. It just so happens that they were elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame recently so these two discs provide an excellent overview of a great band. Kudos to Roger Nichols, the remastering is exceptionally good, these cuts never sounded better. The individual instruments can be heard clearly and distinctly. Steely Dan was one of the few bands to mix jazz/fusion with vocals and have the product be both interesting and successful. Songs such as "Do It Again" with Denny Dias' amazing solo, "Reelin In The Years", "Dirty Work", "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" and others are classics. They succeed not just because Walter Becker and Donald Fagan are great songwriters but also because the know how to fully utilize the talents of the guest musicians who appear on their recordings. Elliot Randall's solo on "Reelin In The Years", Rick Derringer's slide guitar playing in "Show Biz Kids" and Steve Gadd's drumming in "Aja" to name a few. I am glad that they included two of my personal favorites "The Boston Rag" and "The Fez" on this anthology. However I was disappointed that they chose not to include "Green Earrings" and "King Of The World". It seems as if I hear something new each time I listen to these recordings. If you want a great overview of an impressive band but can not afford to pick up all the individual albums or if you are converting to compact disc "Showbiz Kids: The Steely Dan Story 1972-1980 is an essential purchase. It's about time Becker and Fagan received some credit for their music by being elected to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.