By Chris Ellis Creative Loafing She puts on a record, metallic cocaine be-bop. This line, from the harrowing “A.J.’s Annual Party” scene in William S. Burroughs’ Naked Lunch, seems a portent of the distinctive sound and ambience of Steely Dan, a band legendary for its cryptic lyrics, opium den demeanor and flawless musicianship. After 19 years […]
Tag Archives | Two Against Nature
Steely Dan Takes on Life in ‘2vN’
By John Soeder Cleveland Plain Dealer Donald Fagen doesn’t consider himself a dirty old man. But he plays one — several, actually — on Two Against Nature, Steely Dan’s first new album in two decades. “There’s a certain amount of denial in older men who say they’re not attracted to younger girls or to women other than […]
Steely Dan First in Irony
By Chuck Klosterman Akron Beacon Journal There is a logic to humor. Of course, how that logic is applied makes all the difference in the world. First, there is the logic of being silly, which is essentially the art of being obvious (if a clown gets hit in the head with an anvil, a 5-year-old child […]
Steely Dan Goin’ For It
By G. Brown Denver Post DENVER –In the ’70s, Steely Dan’s sleek, studio-perfect sound defied all conventions. Pop hooks mixed with jazz harmonies and chording. Complex time changes. A flair for wryly observant yet cryptic lyrics. It made Steely Dan one of the most influential bands in the development of rock music. Now, Donald Fagen […]
Steely Dan: Still Reeling
By Chris Macias Sacramento Bee This is not typical Steely Dan mode. The group — founded in 1972 by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker — rarely tours and hadn’t released an album since 1980’s “Gaucho.” But Steely Dan has emerged from pop music’s shadows this year with a new album (Two Against Nature) and a […]
Steely Dan Makes a Few Concessions
By Mike Weatherford Las Vegas Review Journal There are some things Steely Dan’s members will do to conform to the modern demands of music marketing. And some things they won’t. “We stopped short of Jay Leno, actually. I didn’t want to spend that sad a night in the aftermath of it, really depressed,” says singer-keyboardist […]
The Guilty Pop Pleasures of Steely Dan
By Derk Richardson San Francisco Bay Guardian I’ve always felt a little ashamed about being seduced by Steely Dan. But I thought that was all behind me, reduced to the occasional nostalgic tug of hearing “Rikki Don’t Lose that Number” on classic rock radio. Wrong. Steely Dan is back with Two Against Nature, their first […]
Two Against Nature Review
By Graeme Hammond Melbourne Sunday Herald Sun Strictly speaking, Steely Dan ceased as a functioning unit 20 years ago with the release of the exquisite Gaucho, which yielded “Hey Nineteen” and “Babylon Sisters.” Like partners in a well-mannered divorce, however, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen maintained warm diplomatic relations: Becker collaborated on Fagen’s futuristic Kamakiriad […]
Walter Becker takes the solos on Steely Dan’s first studio release in 20 years
By Darrin Fox Guitar World Even though two decades have passed since Steely Dan’s last studio album (Gaucho), their new release, Two Against Nature (Giant), bears all the trademarks fans expect from Donald Fagen and Walter Becker: complex, yet musical songs, stellar production values, and — of course — exceptional guitar work. The guitar is […]
Sophisticated Skank
Donald Fagen and Walter Becker return with the first new Steely Dan album in 20 years By Gary Kamiya Salon.Com Steely Dan slid like a malevolent ice cube through the ’70s, their complex music and insidious lyrics burning a cold tunnel through the decade’s soft, fatty tissues. The antithesis of punk, they were just as […]
