CAN'T BUY A THRILL

Steely Dan takes the listener on a true ride with their very first studio album 'Can't Buy a Thrill'; going all the way from hard rock to jazz, R&B, soft rock, some blues and Latin rock, and adding a tint of prog in the atmosphere, you get a trailblazer of a record that sounds as good as ever at the verge of its fiftieth anniversary - a true sign that it was quality over quantity for this American band.

Formed in 1971 by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, Steely Dan, a band named after a dildo in a William S. Burroughs novel, is one of the somewhat underappreciated classic rock acts, which would of course mean that they never reached the mainstream appeal of other giant bands like Deep Purple, or Fleetwood Mac, or even The Eagles, should we name a few. The music of Steely Dan, however, is no less spectacular. And then again, hard rock or rock'n'roll would not be a very helpful tag for SD for the ones that have not heard this band; Their music reaches so many different places and creates such an unmatched atmosphere with its pleasant gush of classy rock tunes that might be considered sophisti-pop on some occasions.

All of this should come as no surprise, given the stellar line-up and the presence of three different vocalists throughout the record, all of which have excellent and memorable voices. Donald Fagen handles the keyboard and lead vocal duties, Walter Becker the bass and backing vocals, Jim Hoder the drums and the lead vocals on 'Midnite Cruiser', Daved Palmer on vocals as well, and finally Jeff Baxter and Denny Dias on guitars.

The warm and virtually perfect production hits you from the opening notes of 'Do It Again', arguably their most famous song, a jazzy, steady-paced soft rocker that contains one of the most memorable choruses in all of 70s rock music; on top of that, the instrumental breaks are marvelous (not only here, but throughout the whole album). Then comes 'Dirty Work', a sing-along radio rocker that is much more appealing than one could expect from such a stripped-down song. 'Kings' has beautiful vocal harmonies, another hit for Steely Dan; 'Midnite Cruiser' could be described as a combination of the three songs that preceded it, and 'Only a Fool Would Say That' is a gentle nod to Latin rock, with yet another memorable chorus, great instrumental work and fine vocal work.

Opening side two is 'Reelin' in the Years' that is followed by 'Fire in the Hole' and I can say that both of these songs are simply legendary; Moreover, all of the above descriptions apply for them as well - amazing songwriting, top-level production, instrumental prowess and beautiful vocals, a mixture of the band's rock and blues roots and their jazzy, almost radio-friendly inclinations. The rest of the album is contained in songs like 'Brooklyn', a slow-paced track with lead vocals from Palmer, 'Change of the Guard' and 'Turn That Heartbeat Over Again', a really strong composition.

Not all classic bands began their careers with excellent releases. Steely Dan did, and what is more, they presented an unmatched palette of sounds, a vibrant energy and masterful songwriting, all resulting in the creation of what is evidently one of the most enjoyable albums ever recorded. The diversity in this album alone, the somewhat philosophical lyrics, the masterful way of composing with the minimal number of notes and the laid-back swagger of the songs, are all adding up to the charm of this really excellent record and band.