The sophomore effort isn’t exactly a slump - indeed, it’s clearly evolved from Can’t Buy A Thrill - but on the other hand I can’t call Countdown to Ecstasy an improvement. In its favor, it’s got quite a few B-grade Dan classics like "Bodhisattva" , "Show Biz Kids" and "My Old School", and the remaining cuts aren't bad. In fact, I don’t think there’s a serious dud on the record. When I was ranking all their records I placed it just behind the debut - more coherent and cohesive than its predecessor, but also lacking a “Do It Again” or “Reeling In The Years”, or even a golden bit of songwriting like “Dirty Work”. I’ve heard Countdown compared to prog rock, and while some would say that’s crazy, there’s more than a hint of prog dinosaurs like Yes in the lengthy instrumental breaks of cuts like “Your Gold Teeth”. I don’t mind it - it gives the record kind of a casual, loping sense of development that its more taut successors eschewed, a bit more mystery, definitely less concise. In keeping with its name, it makes Countdown more of a journey and less of a destination. The problem I have with this record is that nowhere is it melodically as successful as its predecessor was at its heights. I love a good solo, but when the solos are the best thing a song has going for it (or just about the only thing), meh. Unfortunately, there’s more than a bit of that problem in evidence on Ecstasy. “Bodhisattva” I liked but didn’t love for years, and at this point I think I’ve grown tired of it, finding it a bit strident and annoying, although I appreciate the sarcastic lyric, slamming the concept of enlightenment for sale, spiritual awakening as a hustle. “Razor Boy” is slight but far less annoying, although unfortunately I think “Only a Fool Would Say That” from the previous album already covered similar stylistic and sonic territory, and did it better. I didn’t care for “The Boston Rag” at all at first, but I’ve grown to like the chantlike chorus and much of the guitar work over the past few years. “Your Gold Teeth” just feels like somewhat pointless noodling to me, although it too I’ve grown to appreciate more just since Becker died, after watching the Classic Albums Aja installment and seeing Fagen talk about how he was inspired by “cheap music” - television and film soundtracks and such, stuff banged out in a hurry to be emotionally manipulative and effective. I totally hear snippets of that all over Countdown, including on this cut. Since I’m a fan of that kind of kitsch too, I finally see what it is about a lot of Fagen’s work that I find so appealing, even if the melodies aren’t always there - it’s the arrangements, it’s the instruments, it’s the sonics, it’s those little nods to “cheap music” that I’m getting teeny thrills from. So, maybe you can buy a thrill? When I moved to San Francisco in the ‘90s our local station KFOG played a lot of Dan deep cuts and flop singles, including “Show Biz Kids”, which I wasn’t too familiar with before. It’s a testament to the band that these deep cuts were better than most of the new material the station played. This is a simple but propulsive track with a killer, bitter, cynical lyric that’s incredibly clever (“they got the Steely Dan t-shirts”) and flawlessly delivered. Best cut on the record is the one I was most familiar with to begin with, FM radio staple “My Old School”, which I think is a great example of how The Dan might have been (as Rickie Lee Jones noted in her Becker tribute) the first college rock band. Apparently this cut was about a college drug bust, but since I was a kid I always thought this was about the narrator getting a girl pregnant, who then got busted trying to get an abortion, and the girl fingering him as the father and forcing him to marry her - properly in the states, not in some Mexican quickie - instead of getting an abortion. Anyhow, it all seemed quite seedy and debauched, and I loved it. It’s also a great tune that sounds like literally nobody else - way too raunchy to be Chicago, way too sophisticated to be The Eagles. Everybody seems to love “Pearl Of The Quarter”, but I find it conventional and kinda boring, even if it is pretty. Leave the pedal steel or whatever to The Eagles. It just feels like it fell off an already overcrowded bandwagon - these guys shouldn’t be wasting their time making this whitebread crap. “King Of The World” seems to be pretty popular too. It’s very ‘70s and also sounds like that cheap soundtrack music Fagen loved, tarted up with better musicianship, cutting lyrics and a nasty attitude. The little synth break halfway thru always reminds me of the NBC Mystery Movie theme... I should probably like this one more than I do - maybe it’ll grow on me. Other Dan tracks certainly have. Am I the only one who thinks this whole record sounds better than most of their subsequent albums until Aja? I just love the sound of it. Dunno if it's the recording itself or just the choice of instruments - lots of bells and vibes and whatever that cut thru the mix and give the recording a wonderful depth and dimension that's missing in the next few. Unlike a lot of people, I don’t find the following Pretzel Logic to be an improvement. In fact, the band starts to feel a bit like diminishing returns with each subsequent record - while still alright - a bit less enjoyable overall than its predecessor. But I’ll get to that when I look at the next pair of albums.
It's a matter of taste, that's all. I can't stand repetition. If it goes on too long, I get an almost physical reaction to it. I have to turn it off. It's why I absolutely can't listen to techno or any similar music. The repetition repulses me. I'd rather have a tooth pulled or be stuck in traffic. I'm not comparing Showbiz Kids to techno, just making a point.
Excellent post. I need to get another copyf this an the next two which were stolen from me years ago and I've never replaced them. I'm starting to miss them. I've always liked this one a lot along with Katey Lied.
Catch up time again! Indeed they were! That's why I have no urge or inclination to party anymore, I did a lifetime's share between 1993 and 1997, thanks. In retrospect I am amazed I am still compos mentis at all with my short term memory still mostly intact. I can only put it down to one thing that a few of my friends didn't quite adhere to: moderation At the end of the day, I think that's why Countdown is my favourite Danalbum- because they actually sound like a band, as opposed to Becker and Fagen a bunch of session guys picking up a good paycheck. The fact that it's a band gives the album a sense of unity and overall consistency some of their later records sort of lack because of the revolving door of musicians. But we'll get to that in due course, I s'pose. The irony is that it wouldn't surprise me if Becker and Fagen were Carlin fans. Same here- they're one of the few bands I'm into where more often than not I'm inclined to start playing the damn album over again when it's finished. I can't even say that about my beloved Rolling Stones... I think he did too. Listen to The Nightfly- as great and Steely Dan-esque that album is you can't deny that there's something missing, and that something is Walter Becker. Hell, even Fagen had to concede that Becker brought an edge and a depth to the writing Fagen himself otherwise lacked. Let's not and say we did, whaddya say? Indeed, and that is one of the things I have enjoyed about this discussion so far- there's no "groupthink" going on, lots of differing opinions and -most importantly- civility when offering these different opinions. I like that. And I am gratified to see that people have heeded my working in the initial post that trolling won't be tolerated. I've only had to report two posts thus far and they were both removed (cheers to the Gorts) and the poster has clearly taken the hint and made themselves scarce from the remainder of the discussion. Soon, very soon, lemme get back to work and I'll lash together the Pretzel write up in about an hour or so.
It's interesting though, because I was listening to The Nightfly just over the weekend, and while it's true it's not quite the same as Steely Dan, I was also surprised by how much it feels like an offshoot of Aja and Gaucho - I can feel a clear link between the three records. Fagen is just as wry and sarcastic as ever ("The Goodbye Look"), although perhaps a bit more inclined to look back fondly on his youth ("New Frontier", maybe the best thing either ever did post-Dan), though not without some ironic humor. I think there's a sadness Becker had that Fagen doesn't. On The Nightfly though, there's enough going on that I can't say that I miss it. The record isn't as good as Aja or Gaucho (my two favorites), but I've grown to like it about as much as most of the earlier Dan records, and indeed more than a couple. Also, the sound of the thing is just incredible, living up to the standard set by Aja and Gaucho.
I dunno, it sounds like you don't like this album much at all (although you do seem to like the sound of it). Too bad, it's a great album from top to bottom.
Actually I like the record a lot, and thought that came across pretty well in the overview (for example, "this song sucks" doesn't appear anywhere in what I wrote ). But I do think it's a little flawed, and I can't find as much to love on this record as I could on Can't Buy A Thrill, although overall it addresses a lot of Thrill's shortcomings and shows definite growth. It's definitely harder to warm to than Thrill is, less accessible. Of course, there can be rewards to a record that takes awhile to unravel, too. I could see liking this record more in 5 years than I do today. That's already happened to me over the years with other Dan records (like The Nightfly).
Well, the audit's done, now it's time to get serious! Wiccapeedia says: Pretzel Logic is the third studio album by the American rock band Steely Dan, released on February 20, 1974 by ABC Records. It was written by principal band members Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. They recorded the album at The Village Recorder in West Los Angeles with producer Gary Katz. It was the last album to feature the full five-member band of Becker, Fagen, Denny Dias, Skunk Baxter, and Jim Hodder, although on this recording, drummer Hodder appeared on vocals only. It also featured significant contributions from many prominent Los Angeles–based studio musicians. The album was a commercial and critical success upon its release. Its hit single "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" helped restore Steely Dan's radio presence after the disappointing performance of their 1973 album Countdown to Ecstasy. Pretzel Logic was reissued on CD in 1987 and remastered in 1999 to retrospective acclaim from critics. Recording and production Pretzel Logic was recorded at The Village Recorder in West Los Angeles. It was produced by Gary Katz and written primarily by Walter Becker and bandleader Donald Fagen, who also sang and played keyboard. The album marked the beginning of Becker and Fagen's roles as Steely Dan's principal members. They enlisted prominent Los Angeles–based studio musicians to record Pretzel Logic, but used them only for occasional overdubs. Steely Dan's Jeff "Skunk" Baxter played pedal steel guitar and hand drums. The cover photo featuring a New York pretzel seller was taken by Raeanne Rubenstein, a photographer of musicians and Hollywood celebrities. She shot the photo on the west side of Fifth Avenue and 79th Street, just above the 79th Street Transverse (the road through Central Park), at the park entrance called "Miners' Gate". Music and lyrics Pretzel Logic has shorter songs and fewer instrumental jams than the group's 1973 album Countdown to Ecstasy. Steely Dan considered it their attempt at complete musical statements within the three-minute pop-song format. The album's music is characterized by harmonies, counter-melodies, and bop phrasing.[10] It also relies often on straightforward pop influences. The syncopated piano line that opens "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" develops into a pop melody, and the title track transitions from a blues song to a jazzy chorus. The lyrics of Barrytown describe the Unification Church's proselytizing methods around Barrytown, New York Steely Dan often incorporated jazz into their music during the 1970s. "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" appropriates the bass pattern from Horace Silver's 1965 song "Song for My Father", while "Parker's Band" features Charlie Parker–influenced riffs and a lyric that invites listeners to "take a piece of Mr. Parker's band." Baxter's guitar playing drew on jazz and rock and roll influences. On Duke Ellington's "East St. Louis Toodle-oo", he imitates a ragtime mute-trombone solo. Certain songs incorporate additional instrumentation, including exotic percussion, violin sections, bells, and horns. Music critic Robert Christgau wrote that the solos are "functional rather than personal or expressive, locked into the workings of the music". Release and reception Pretzel Logic was released by ABC Records on February 20, 1974, to high sales. It charted at number eight on the Billboard 200 and became Steely Dan's third gold-certified album.After the disappointing performance of Countdown to Ecstasy, the album restored their radio presence with the single "Rikki Don't Lose That Number",which became the biggest pop hit of their career and peaked at number four on the BillboardHot 100. On September 7, 1993, Pretzel Logic was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), having shipped one million copies in the United States. Pretzel Logic was praised by contemporary critics. Bud Scoppa from Rolling Stone magazine found the album's "wonderfully fluid ensemble sound" unprecedented in popular music and said that the ambiguous lyrics "create an emotionally charged atmosphere, and the best are quite affecting." Down Beat asserted that "there are no better rock recording groups in America, and damn few worldwide." Christgau found the record innovative, writing in Creem: "The music can be called jazzy without implying an insult, and Donald Fagen and Walter Becker are the real world's answer to Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia." In a mixed review, Noel Coppage of Stereo Review was impressed by the music, but said that "the lyrics baffle me; maybe they know what they're talking about, but I can't get a clue." At the end of 1974, Pretzel Logic was named NME magazine's album of the year, and it was also voted the second best record of 1974 in the Pazz & Jop, an annual poll of prominent critics published by The Village Voice. Christgau, the poll's creator, ranked it number one in his own list. He later wrote that the album encapsulated Steely Dan's "chewy perversity as aptly as its title", with vocals by Fagen that "seem like the golden mean of pop ensemble singing, stripped of histrionics and displays of technique, almost ... sincere, modest." In 1994, Pretzel Logic was ranked number 67 in the All Time Top 1000 Albums by writer Colin Larkin, who felt the album's mix of jazz, R&B, and pop styles was "highly inventive" and "greater than the sum of its parts". In The All-Music Guide to Rock (1995), Rick Clark gave it five stars and said that, with the album, Steely Dan "most successfully synthesized their love for jazz into their dense pop/rock sound." Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine called it their "richest album" and wrote that Becker and Fagen's songwriting had become "seamless while remaining idiosyncratic and thrillingly accessible." Stylus Magazine's Patrick McKay said that the "superb" album found them "relying instead on crack studio musicians that could realize their increasingly complex compositions." In 2003, Rolling Stone ranked Pretzel Logic number 385 on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Rob Sheffield, writing in The Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004), said "Steely Dan's songwriting and Fagen's singing were at their peak of fluid power: The whole album is flawless". Track listing All songs written by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, except where noted. Side one No. Title Length 1. "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" 4:32 2. "Night by Night" 3:40 3. "Any Major Dude Will Tell You" 3:05 4. "Barrytown" 3:17 5. "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo" (Duke Ellington, Bubber Miley) 2:45 Side two No. Title Length 6. "Parker's Band" 2:36 7. "Through with Buzz" 1:30 8. "Pretzel Logic" 4:32 9. "With a Gun" 2:15 10. "Charlie Freak" 2:41 11. "Monkey in Your Soul" 2:31 Personnel Steely Dan Donald Fagen – keyboards, saxophone, lead vocals Walter Becker – bass, guitar, background vocals Jeff Baxter – lead guitar Denny Dias – guitar Jim Hodder – backing vocals Additional musicians Michael Omartian – keyboards David Paich – keyboards Ben Benay – guitar Dean Parks – guitar, banjo Plas Johnson – saxophone Jerome Richardson – saxophone Ernie Watts – saxophone Ollie Mitchell – trumpet Lew McCreary – horn Timothy B. Schmit – background vocals, Rikki Don't Lose That Number and 'Barrytown' Wilton Felder – bass Chuck Rainey – bass Jim Gordon – drums on all tracks Jeff Porcaro – drums on "Parker's Band" Victor Feldman – percussion Production Producer: Gary Katz Engineer: Roger Nichols Reissue Consultant: Daniel Levitin Orchestration: Jimmie Haskell Design: David Larkham Art direction: Ed Caraeff Photography: Ed Caraeff Cover photo: Raeanne Rubenstein Charts Album Year Chart Position 1974 Pop Albums 8 Singles Year Single Label & number Position 1974 "Pretzel Logic" (3:59 edit) (B-side: "Through With Buzz") ABC 12033 57 1974 "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" (B-side: "Any Major Dude Will Tell You") ABC 11439 4
The 79th st. transverse @ 5th Ave., where the cover shot was taken, is at the Metropolitan Museum Of Art. Random trivia.
In high school I thought this was the Dan's second record because it sounds like a step down from Countdown, IMHO.
Ratings.... 1. "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" 10 2. "Night by Night" 8 3. "Any Major Dude Will Tell You" 9 4. "Barrytown" 8 5. "East St. Louis 7 6. "Parker's Band" 7 7. "Through with Buzz" 10 8. "Pretzel Logic" 10 9. "With a Gun" 8 10. "Charlie Freak" 7 11. "Monkey in Your Soul" 7
Bob Egan's fantastic detective work on the Central Park location of the cover shot. (hi Bob!) Pretzel Logic - Steely Dan (1974) - Album Cover Location
Rikki sounds like a dry run for AJA. I would say this is their best album yet. And complimentary album cover for a change,iconic.
I must admit, I was not a fan of Pretzel Logic for the longest time; my first impression of the album was that it was very lightweight, poppy and too schizophrenic stylistically. In short, it just wasn't what I expected (or wanted) a Steely Dan record to sound like, aside from the odd song or two. Until earlier this year, that was, when I actually sat down and listened to the damned thing and it was then that I "got" it. Now I think it's one of their best- it was at this point that Becker and Fagen really gave up any pretense of the Dan being a proper band, and this is reflected in the larger than usual (to this point) array of additional musicians who contributed to the recordings. As far as that goes, it is also noteworthy as being Skunk Baxter's swansong with the group, and he indeed lays down some stellar guitar and pedal steel parts on these songs. Equally noteworthy is Walter Becker's debut as a guitarist on the album. Two more factors that make Pretzel Logic kind of anomaly in the Dan's ouevre is that it's the only album to feature a cover version and the only one with no female backing singers. Horns also become more prevalent in the arrangements. I believe it's also their shortest studio album; unlike the expanded running times found on Countdown, the longest tunes on Pretzel Logic run four and a half minutes, with the shortest barely clocking in at a minute and a half. I do still think Pretzel Logic is their most "pop" album, even hearing a slight (I hate to say it but here it comes) Beatles influence in a couple of the songs. Here's a breakdown (I gave the album a listen during my commute to work tonight): "Rikki Don't Lose That Number"- The Dan's biggest hit. Having said that, of all their "hits" this is probably the one I like the least (whereas it's one of my wife's favourites), though it is still a good song (if not 100% original...) Michael Omartian's piano sounds beautiful, Jim Gordon nails the bossa nova rhythm and Skunk puts down yet another classic guitar solo but IMO the unsung hero of the piece is Walter Becker's bass line. Give it a listen some time, particularly the choruses- some very inventive playing here; I always assumed it was Chuck Rainey and was pleasantly surprised to find out it was Becker himself. Apparently Fagen isn't a big fan of the song, which was written about one of his Bard classmates. My cousin Rikki is named after this song. "Night By Night"- this is my favourite song on the album. Funky as hell (I think it's the clavinette that does it). Jeff Porcaro makes his debut with the Dan playing drums after Becker and Fagen decided Jim Hodder couldn't cut it, which of course sealed Hodder's fate in the band in the end. Skunk plays another awesome solo, reminiscent of his "Boston Rag" solo to my ears- same sort of sound and feel. Just put this song on a loop, and I'm good. "Any Major Dude Will Tell You" - based around acoustic guitars, this is one of the Dan's "folkier/California rock" type songs. The main riff that bridges the chorus and verses is interesting: Denny Dias played the first part of the riff, then handed off the guitar to Skunk to finish it off (the second half of the riff required bending, which as we know is not Denny's forte). Skunk also lays down a quick, understated solo. What really stood out when I was listening earlier tonight is this is a rare Steely Dan song with no vocal harmonies- I think Fagen double tracks himself during the bridge but that's about it. "Barrytown"- IMO this is the most "Beatlesque" tune the Dan put down, not that the Fabs would ever approach such a subject matter for a song. Like "Bodhisattva", Fagen wrote this one on his own. It's also the first of three tunes on the album that hearken back to Becker and Fagen's early days writing together ("Parker's Band" and "Charlie Freak" being the others). "East St Louis Toodleoo" - A novelty: Steely Dan doing a reverent cover of a Duke Ellington song incorporating aspects of four different Ellington versions, yet still manages to sound contemporary. And they outdo themselves here: Becker transposes the song's trumpet riff to wah wah guitar and Fagen contributes piano and saxophone. But, once again, Jeff Baxter's pedal steel work threatens to steal the show. Roger Nichols hits a gong at the end, and it's time to flip the platter over. "Parker's Band" - the only Steely Dan studio track to feature two drummers (Gordon and Porcaro), this is an ode to Charlie "Bird" Parker, with lots of arcane Parker references thrown in to the lyric. Naturally, the sax solo at the end is the star here. When they play this song live these days, the girls sing this one, which makes no sense to me. "Through With Buzz"- the Dan's shortest song, and the only one of two tracks -the other being "FM"- to feature an orchestral score. Lyrically it is pretty minimalistic, and the "Oh yeah, uh huh" chorus seems a bit throwaway. I doubt the "Maybe he's a fairy..." line would pass muster in 2017, but, not unlike the horn response to the "California" line in "My Old School", the melody the strings play in response to the "fairy" line is priceless. Still, there are very few Steely Dan songs I would consider "filler material" but "Through With Buzz" qualifies IMO. "Pretzel Logic" - my second favourite song on the album. A bluesy shuffle, I consider it particularly noteworthy for two reasons: Fagen's spectacular multitracked harmonies in the chorus (quite possibly my favourite Steely Dan vocal harmonies in their entire catalog) and Walter Becker's guitar solos (his first on a Steely Dan record). Apparently when Becker heard the playback he exclaimed, "Did I play that?!". On an album where they tended to take a backseat to the other musicians involved, not unlike "East St Louis Toodleoo" the composers give themselves an opportunity to shine. "With A Gun"- arguably one of the more "WTF?!" Steely Dan songs, this is an interesting piece that would not sound out of place being heard in some sh-tkicker bar down in Alabama. It is even more country-sounding than "Pearl Of The Quarter" and revolves around the decidedly disturbing protagonist who deems it necessary solve his problems with wanton violence (or maybe he's just a psychopath...knowing Becker and Fagen's twisted sense of humour it could go either way). Acoustic guitar driven, Jeff Baxter once again kicks it up another notch with his very Nashville sounding lead electric picking. "Charlie Freak"- for composers known for their "dark" subject matter, for my money this is probably Becker and Fagen's darkest song (also one their earliest, amazingly enough.) It concerns a junkie who sells his last worldly possession -a gold ring- to a friend, then promptly overdoses on the drugs he used the money from said sale to buy. His friend feels such guilt that he slips into the mortuary and places the ring back on the OD victim's finger. This tale is set to bouncy piano led music, with decidedly Christmasy overtones via overdubbed sleighbells, conjuring up yet another William S Burroughs reference other than the band's name- a story called "The Priest, They Called Him" which relates a similar story (even taking place on Christmas Eve), though I believe "Charlie Freak" came first in this case. Coincidence? Perhaps...all I know is it was all I could do not to burst out laughing on the bus tonight at the sheer audaciousness of this song. "Monkey In Your Soul" - soul influenced, but this is the only song on the album I can do without, the piece just doesn't work for me much the same way that "Turn That Heartbeat Over Again" on Thrill doesn't. The fuzz bass (presumably played by Becker) is a nice touch, though.
My favorites on Pretzel Logic are the title track, Rikki Don't Lose That Number, Night By Night, Any Major Dude Will Tell You and Parker's Band. I feel it is weaker than the previous album.
The thing I'm noticing about Steely Dan is, it's kind of an apples/oranges comparison comparing their albums. Every album is different from what came before, a deliberate move on Becker and Fagen's part. I agree that, song for song, Pretzel Logic probably is weaker than Countdown To Ecstasy but, again, you really can't compare the two- completely different sounding records, with a completely different approach to their artistic intentions. IMO it's best just to accept their albums at face value. On Countdown it's pretty well established that B & F were writing with the band in mind (Baxter, Dias, Hodder), even to the point of listening to suggestions from the other members (Jeff Baxter, for example, suggested one of the chord progressions they used in "The Boston Rag", which pleased Skunk to no end). On Logic they didn't have to write for anybody else's considerations but still hit the wall composing an entire album's worth of new songs, having to resort to their old songbooks to complete the album- which of course they would end up doing on every other album they made within the 'classic seven'.
It's my favorite Dan album and my favorite side 2 of theirs. I don't think they ever again made an album nearly this good, with the exception of Aja (and Fagen's The Nightfly). Favorite track: "Parker's Band."
Back in 1974, you could NOT go the entire day w/o hearing 'Rikki' on the radio. It's a great little pop song, but the overplaying of it by the radio ruined it for me. It was almost as overplayed as 'Stairway to Heaven.' Almost. This is the album of theirs that I have to cherry pick the songs, as the whole album is not my favorite. What's good is great, but what's not so good (most of side 2, IMO) is weak. But it clearly set the stage for the direction to come. Edit: I'd be remiss if I didn't say that the title song is about as close to perfection as any of their songs.....or anyone else's.....can get. Just a brilliant track that never gets old. And I've used that 'where did you get those shoes' line on many people and occasions over the years
And the second I think is from record Mirror. Sounds usually gave ratings so I think this might be RM.
