TWO AGAINST NATURE

Settle back with a fine ale or chardonay and make sure you have no interruptions to enjoy a good two hours of seeing professional musicians strutting their stuff. The cover describes this release as a Plush TV Jazz-Rock Party in Sensuous Surround Sound and that is exactly what it is. Throw on top some typical Steely Dan humour as they interview the band members, fanclub presidents as they relate to many pissed off session players from bygone years. It is all in good taste, move on basically is the message. All this happens between numbers or limos and gives you a good insight as to how eccentric Becker and Fagen really are.

Musically there is not much to fault at all. Tom Barney on bass stands out for me and his interplay with Becker ( Guitar ) and Lawson ( Drums) is superb. The late Cornelius Bumpus and Chris Potter on saxophones and the girls filling the backing vocal department are also having the time of their lives. Michael Leonhart and Jim Pugh do a fine job on the trumpet and trombone respectively. Donald Fagen does not give away much as he plays away being the prefectionist he is and Walter Becker even shows the odd rare smile. All the songs are great to watch in this nightclub type atmosphere, shot at Sony Music Stage,NYC, but the ones to watch out for would have to be the opener Green Earrings, Josie , they really all get into their groove here, Babylon Sisters of course! and the foot tapping Jack Of Speed. A great visual feast of the Steely Dan 28 years after it all began. Highly recommended to all but even for those new or oblivious to their sound and wonder what the fuss is all about.