Tuesday, November 14, 2017

An Album A Day: I'm a Pretentious Dork, Do I Like Steely Dan [part 1]

I already know I'm a dork, and I'm pretentious, and I like Dad rock (but usually the harder stuff). A funny, vaporwave dude I only know through Twitter enjoys Steely Dan. My favorite lesbian dominatrix couple loves them. My friend Pinky's weird Dad always loved 'em, and his house was full of vintage Heavy Metal magazines and every Blue Öyster Cult album. In other words... people I respect love Steely Dan, and all I know about them is that they're named after a dildo in a Burroughs novel (Naked Lunch?) and that Brad Nowell from Sublime sang "Dr. Wu" in an acoustic set that became a bootleg I listened to a lot in high school.

So let's give 'em a chance, and start at the beginning.

CAN'T BUY A THRILL (1972)

1. Do It Again - oh shit, it's this song, I've heard this! Maybe an abridged version without the keyboard solo? That kinda elevates it from deece lite rock to more interesting lite rock.

*Spotify ad - Koch Industries - ohhhh fuck you
*Spotify ad - Elton John Greatest Hits Collection - ohhhh fuck yeah
*Spotify ad - Petco - aight

2. Dirty Work - smoooth start. am I going to be typing smoooth with three o's a lot? Oh no, seventies white guy voice! okay, they're bringing me back with the chorus. Solid fucking chorus. OH NO WHITE GUY SINGING AGAIN. Chorus still tight. ROCK 'N' ROLL SAXOPHONE SOLO YAY. 

3. Kings - "lay his body down" UNNH! "Sad old men who run this town" UNNH! Alright, a story song about a king is extremely my shit. Group singing chorus. Organ. Guitar solo. Digging all of it. 

4. Midnite Cruiser - The line between a 1970s radio rock driving down the highway singalong classic and just decent generic 1970s rock song is paper thin. The chorus is there but the rest of the song isn't. It's missing some extra quirk. Doesn't make the cut.

5. Only A Fool Would Say That -  The vocals rescue this from elevator territory real quick, phew.

6. Reelin' In The Years - I didn't know they did this. This one does what Midnite Cruiser should but doesn't. I think the "quirk" comes from the forceful talk singing, "You been telling me you're a genius since you were 17. All this time I known you I still don't know what you mean." OKAY I'M LISTENING BRO, THIS SOUNDS JUICY, LET IT ALL OUT. "Okay, I will... through guitar!" doodley doodley doodley wheeeeeeoooo 

7. Fire In The Hole - Starting out with some HORNY CABARET piano. Totally dazed out and finished the album without paying attention and had to go back. Good solos with some interesting chord bends here but BLAND.

8. Brooklyn (Owes The Charmer Under Me) - starting out LITE isn't starting out RIGHT! Win me over, I'm becoming hostile. Faded out AGAIN. Rewound AGAIN. Boring. Skip.

9. Change Of The Guard - C'mon changing of the guard. You've got a good name. Do it for me. Faded out again. I hope we end on a highlight.

10. Turn The Heartbeat Over Again - This song is pretty smoooth. Glad we're back to that. Seventies rock about Jesus puts us in the territory of some real bangers. I dig it. They land the ending.

VERDICT: In addition to the two songs that had already entered my lexicon, I dug "Turn the Heartbeat Over Again" and "Dirty Work". I can't listen to this album straighthrough but 4/10 good songs is a deece ratio. I'm not a Steely Dan convert, but I'll try another, maybe work my way up to Aja. Past Aja? I think Aja's the one that's supposed to make the difference. Not gonna listen to a second song in a row though.

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