We continue our look back at the music of 50 years ago…..
As probably my favorite band of the 1970’s, you know I’m gonna give a good review to “Can’t Buy A Thrill” from Steely Dan.
The bands debut features many things we would not hear in later albums. David Palmer sings a pretty lead on two tracks before exiting. Drummer Jim Hodder sings before he too would take an early exit from the band after three albums. There is little of the jazz influence of Walter Becker & Donald Fagen’s upbringing that they would polish to a high gloss on future LPs. It’s truly a “band” record as the Becker/Fagen duo actually applied to join the band that was originally run by guitarist Denny Dias. Jeff “Skunk” Baxter is here too with sterling guitar work including some nice pedal steel.
What the LP does have that make it a “Steely Dan” record is the caustic wit and literary depth of the Becker/Fagen lyrics….the stylish musical compositions combining all kinds of different musical ideas…..the nasal, spitting vocals from Fagen (who didnt think he should sing lead…hence Palmer’s appearance)…and the virtuoso soloing, most of which come from the band (they would use session men on later records) although Elliot Randall delivers the scorching work on “Reelin In The Years”.
The album was mixed bag according to the critics, most of whom did not see the band ascending to more than a typical 70’s pop/rock band.
My friends and I jumped on the Dan early driven by the sounds of “Do It Again” and “Reelin” coming out of our radios. There really was nothing like it at the time. Even the record label was weird…and the band’s name? Well, let’s say that it stands out….
Most of the tracks are solid with “Kings”, “Fire In The Hole” and “Turn That Heartbeat Over Again” particularly good.
The band also recorded two other tracks at the session that didn’t make the record…”Dallas” which was sung by Hodder and later cut by label mates Poco….and “Sail The Waterway” a more straight-forward pop record than we are used to hearing from the boys (shades of their time in the Brill Building with Jay & The Americans)
If you only know Steely Dan from Yacht Rock Radio or their jazz drenched records of later in the decade…dive into where it began and revel in the genius that was Becker/Fagen.
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