Not for me. I like KL a little more. Whether it is better is another story that would be impossible to answer. In some ways RS is superior IMO but not in every way.
It's not the melodies, per se. For me, The Royal Scam is where I really notice the Dan staring to emphasize groove and mood over catchy pop hooks. This is not the same as the long song-ending jams on Countdown - I can hear it in tracks like The Fez, Green Earrings and The Royal Scam, although at this point, there's still some attempt to hold to pop song-writing conventions. Cheers, Paul
"Everything You Did" is the only track that was split. Someone actually uploaded all 4 of the 8-track programs on YouTube so I went to check out where the split occurs, and ... BLASPHEMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's during the guitar solo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! "Spiral" is bar none my favorite Larry solo, and I would strongly advise anyone who hasn't heard it to check it out NOW (starting at 1:30). Oh, and they'd be wise to stick around for Joe Sample's solo following it. And Dias / Randall / Purdie tearing it up on "Green Earrings" is a strong contender for my favorite instrumental section of the entire SD catalog. The way Bernard sets up the two sections of Denny's fluid solo - the fill before the first half, and then the tomtom / hi-hat going into that amazing squall from Denny launching into the second half. Just wow.
For me, Countdown to Ecstasy is my favorite. When Skunk Baxter left I think the band went downhill a bit.
I share that as my favorite, but by a very small margin, and Skunk is really important in terms of pedal steel, traditional rock or roots rock elements. Once SD knew those weren't the directions they ever wanted to go, there was no reason to keep Skunk around and he was better off with the Doobie Bros or Defense Dept as the case may be. It was a less rocking direction, but not downhill by any means.
Dug out the old Hot 100 tome for a little sad perspective ... "Kid Charlemagne" peaked at #82 on 7/17/76. #1 that week was ... "skyrockets in flight ... afternoon deliiiiight". "The Fez" peaked at #59 for 2 weeks on 10/16 & 23/76. #1 those weeks were ... "discoooooo ... disco duck ..." and "if you leave me now, you'll take away the biggest part of meeeeee". Thank heavens Casey Kasem was spared from having to expose the youth of America to tales of Owsley and (ahem) Jimmy's hat. I do wonder if Starland Vocal Band had their fezzes on.
I don't think I agree with that, but it does occur to me that the guys didn't seem to like putting out the melodic songs as singles after the first album. Show Biz Kids and Haitian Divorce are two of the least melodic songs in their repertoire, yet those were singles off of those two albums. I love The Royal Scam. Definitely top 3 for me, but if I have one tiny complaint it's that I think it gets a little too musically dense at times. In other words, it can tend to sound a little overproduced to me. After listening to it today, I guess I'd say the mix is a little dense but maybe that's just because there's no break from it when listening to the album all the way through.
Ahh, yes. The guitar licks start at the beginning of the first chorus, rather than half way through it.
As noted previously in this thread, the talk box effect was *not* done by Parks. Sometime after Parks recorded his part, Becker decided to add the talk box effect by running Park's already-recorded audio through his own (Becker's) mouth. In my opinion, Becker's 'out of the box' idea elevated that song to greatness.
Songs I remember hearing on the radio at that time...Kid Charlemagne, Don't Take Me Alive, and Here at the Western World. (always misheard it as "We've got young skinny girls"). Bern
Another trademark SD move on Don't Take Me Alive is the use of all open fourths on the line "With rage in your eyes and your megaphones". The chords sound vicious on guitar. :56 on the clip.
The only song on RS I have grown a little tired of - perhaps I have ever been that crazy about it anyway, but the overexposure didn't help - is Green Earring. There is plenty of melody on this album. The Caves Of Altamira is to me one of SD's masterworks... I have never heard elsewhere any lyrics like the ones from the chorus. A deep subject matter like that over a catchy, pop melody... And I am also fond of The Fez; I have always heard some sort of Kurt Weilian sound in that refrain. It sounds "old Europe", with the electronic keyboard having an accordion-like flavor... "Weird German art music" perhaps, like they wrote in the liner notes from Countdown To Ecstasy!
The loss of Skunk meant Steely Dan would be less visceral and ballsy, but more cerebral. That's ok, because he gave The Doobie Brothers a shot in the arm...while The Dan still turned out great work, too.
Does anyone else hear an American Indian vibe in the title track? Some other cool things lyrically that show up on Scam are drinks, drinking establishments and religious leanings.
