Steely Dan - Album By Album - Can't Buy A Thrill

(from the Where are you driving Midnight Cruiser? department)

Hi everyone,

On the Steve Hoffman forums, we've been reviewing Steely Dan album by album, and I thought I'd share some of the reviews I'd written here as well.

This is the first one I wrote for Steely Dan's first album - and it's terse.  As we've gone on - the reviews have become more detailed.  Still - there's a little bit of content in this one.

As far a recommendation, this is a very solid debut.  Not quite like the other records in their catalog - they had put the band together just before they recorded it.  The subject matter of the songs are all over the place too - these were probably the best of the material they'd been writing as staff writers for ABC Dunhill.

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Can't Buy A Thrill is the only album in their official cannon that sounds like this - but to my mind - is not their only material that sounds like this.

Dallas and Sail The Waterway should be on this, regardless of what the actual creators think. :)

Heck - some of the Kenny Vance stuff, cleaned up a bit, would fit fine on here.

Although not my favorite SD of all time, I still love this album. Especially for the overarching literary feel - they're trying too hard - but who cares?

Also Midnight Cruiser is an underrated gem. Love Hodder's vocals on that. I agree about the non-airplay cuts too - Dirty Work and Kings are stellar.

As for the hits, they're great - and that guitar solo in Reelin' In The Years still shatters.

An auspicious debut - and points to things to come.

Cheers,
Paul