Published on Jul 6, 1998
Steely Dan is definitely not for everyone. It is the kind of
band you are either going to love or hate, which makes it difficult
to review one of their albums. One reason for the wildly different
opinions on this band is that they were a rock-jazz-pop hybrid with
a unique vision and disquieting lyrics that somehow managed to
compile a string of pop-hits. With this warning out of the way,
here is a review to Steely Dan’s follow up album to their first
successful album,
Can’t Buy A Thrill.
Was 1973’s
Countdown To Ecstasy produced to capitalize on Steely Dan’s
newfound success? Not a chance! I could never figure out if this
was a jazz band performing rock or a rock band performing jazz, but
on this release the jazz side is more prominent. They were
definitely not playing it safe as the songs have extended solos and
an even more eccentric world-view. They paid the price, though, as
this album was not as successful as its predecessor. The album
kicks off on a rocking note with the old-timey rock raveup
“Bodhisattva.” Note how they add little jazz touches on Donald
Fagan’s piano part making this song sound like Elvis Presley and
his band jamming with Dave Brubeck. And then there’s the mystical
lyric reminding me of Todd Rundgren’s spiritual doo-wop
“Hodja.”
The next song “Razor Boy” plants the band firmly in the jazz
section (and in this case, Latin jazz) with the vibes and
percussion aptly handled by Victor Feldman. Another “real” jazz
artist, bassist Ray Brown, guest stars on this cut, but then here
comes Jeff “Skunk” Baxter with his steel guitar to keep things
unpredictable. The skewered lyrics contain the line in the chorus.
“Will you still be singing that song/when the razor boy comes and
takes your fancy things away?” Like I said, this music is not for
everyone. “The Boston Rag” boasts nice harmonies by lead singer
Fagan and songwriting partner Walter Becker. I like the strident
rhythm provided by drummer Jim Hodder andbassist Becker which shows
that even slow songs can have great playing behind it.
However, it is on the second side where
Countdown To Ecstasy really becomes…er…ecstatic. It
starts off on a rock note on the R&B-ish “Show Biz Kids” with
the background singers chanting “Las Vegas” (and later “Lost
Wages”), and some nice help from guest guitarist Rick Derringer.
The single “My Old School” is a blast as it boasts a horn section
not unlike the band Chicago, and the rhythm section provides a nice
shuffling beat. And “Pearl Of The Quarter” reveals the sweet side
of Steely Dan. It shows that Becker and Fagan can write a love song
after all. I like Baxter’s wistful steel guitar combined with
Fagan’s piano. In short, the song should have been another hit for
them.
Countdown To Ecstasy is not a bad place to start a Steely
Dan collection despite the dearth of hits, and for those who
already like them, this album definitely does not disappoint.
Musically the band is very much in top form as it deftly handles
through the twists and turns of this eclectic collection. And the
lyrics, as eccentric as ever, are part of the fun. I think this is
quietly one of Steely Dan’s best albums.