Post by athompsen on Mar 14, 2004 18:44:22 GMT -5
Today's album is one of the newer albums I got a couple of months ago.
Steely Dan- Everything Must Go
released in 2003
The Steely Dan sound remains impressive, but it no longer seems as unique as it did back in the seventies. 2000's Two Against Nature, their first studio album after a twenty year hiatus, carried on in the same vein as Gaucho. Now in 2003 we've got Everything Must Go, and it seems like Walter Becker and Donald Fagen have finally let things slip. Don't get me wrong, it's a very good album. And if you're a fan of "the Dan"...you'll like it. The sound is still unmistakably Steely Dan,
but it no longer seems as unique as it did back in the seventies.
Another change that will surely dismay longtime listeners comes with the vocals on "Slang of Ages". Ever since the group's second album, Donald Fagen has had the vocal duties. "Slang of Ages" marks the vocal debut of Walter Becker on a Steely Dan album. Becker's voice is by no means terrible, but the gruff, gravely quality of his singing detracts from what might otherwise have been one of the standout tracks.
The songs on Everything Must Go not only lay things too far out in the open, but the also stick to some pretty safe, mundane subject matter. Becker and Fagen give us songs about anti-commercialism... "The Last Mall" and "Everything Must Go", and coping with divorce "The Things I Miss the Most", and simply relaxing and enjoying life... "Blues Beach". The songs still sound pretty good, but the mundane subject matter is rather disappointing. There are a few flashes of inspired madness, such as "Godwhacker", the tale of a hitman tracking down God, or the nightclub seduction/drug deal tale told in "Slang of Ages" (although, Becker's vocals on this one tend to distract the listener). These few moments where they approach their old brilliance are simply too few and too far between.
When all is said and done, fans will want a copy of Everything Must Go both so that they can keep their collections complete and because the album is enjoyable, despite falling a little short of expectations in a few ways. People who aren't so familiar with Steely Dan will also enjoy the album, as it still sounds better that most of the other upstart band these days whose fifteen minutes of fame are rapidly drawing to a close. The album isn't that good of an introduction to Steely Dan, though. Those looking to explore Steely Dan will be best served by delving into their releases from the seventies, and then coming back to Everything Must Go for a sense of closure.
The tracks:
1. The Last Mall
2. Things I Miss The Most
3. Blues Beach
4. GodWhacker
5. Slang Of Ages
6. Green Book
7. Pixleen
8. Lunch With Gina
9. Everything Must Go
Is it me, or is this icon stange?
Steely Dan- Everything Must Go
released in 2003
The Steely Dan sound remains impressive, but it no longer seems as unique as it did back in the seventies. 2000's Two Against Nature, their first studio album after a twenty year hiatus, carried on in the same vein as Gaucho. Now in 2003 we've got Everything Must Go, and it seems like Walter Becker and Donald Fagen have finally let things slip. Don't get me wrong, it's a very good album. And if you're a fan of "the Dan"...you'll like it. The sound is still unmistakably Steely Dan,
but it no longer seems as unique as it did back in the seventies.
Another change that will surely dismay longtime listeners comes with the vocals on "Slang of Ages". Ever since the group's second album, Donald Fagen has had the vocal duties. "Slang of Ages" marks the vocal debut of Walter Becker on a Steely Dan album. Becker's voice is by no means terrible, but the gruff, gravely quality of his singing detracts from what might otherwise have been one of the standout tracks.
The songs on Everything Must Go not only lay things too far out in the open, but the also stick to some pretty safe, mundane subject matter. Becker and Fagen give us songs about anti-commercialism... "The Last Mall" and "Everything Must Go", and coping with divorce "The Things I Miss the Most", and simply relaxing and enjoying life... "Blues Beach". The songs still sound pretty good, but the mundane subject matter is rather disappointing. There are a few flashes of inspired madness, such as "Godwhacker", the tale of a hitman tracking down God, or the nightclub seduction/drug deal tale told in "Slang of Ages" (although, Becker's vocals on this one tend to distract the listener). These few moments where they approach their old brilliance are simply too few and too far between.
When all is said and done, fans will want a copy of Everything Must Go both so that they can keep their collections complete and because the album is enjoyable, despite falling a little short of expectations in a few ways. People who aren't so familiar with Steely Dan will also enjoy the album, as it still sounds better that most of the other upstart band these days whose fifteen minutes of fame are rapidly drawing to a close. The album isn't that good of an introduction to Steely Dan, though. Those looking to explore Steely Dan will be best served by delving into their releases from the seventies, and then coming back to Everything Must Go for a sense of closure.
The tracks:
1. The Last Mall
2. Things I Miss The Most
3. Blues Beach
4. GodWhacker
5. Slang Of Ages
6. Green Book
7. Pixleen
8. Lunch With Gina
9. Everything Must Go
Is it me, or is this icon stange?
