SHOWBIZ KIDS: THE STEELY DAN STORY 1972-1980

STEELY DAN are one of the few bands where i'd be content with a compilation album over having all their studio records. Having said that I still find "Countdown To Ecstacy" and "Pretzel Logic" quite strong but man they have so many amazing songs on other recordings but for my tastes those albums aren't that strong as a whole. On a non-prog site their first six records are rated extremely high and there is almost no difference in the overall ratings between them. In other words these guys have been beyond successful over their careers.

I must admit I have had a bit of an infactuation with Becker and Fagan of late. I mean their lyrics are incredible and they've done nothing but create hit after hit and they don't all sound the same either, quite the opposite. These guys shunned the spotlight yet their music kept pushing them back out into it album after album. This is the most exhaustive compilation i've seen where they take us from "Can't Buy A Thrill" right through to "Gaucho" in chronological order. I count 13 brilliant tracks over those seven albums and nine years. Of course there are about 8 more I consider amazing but a step below those 13. Bottom line is that this double disc recording covers their careers very well.

My favourite 13 tracks ? Well three from "Can't Buy A Thrill" in "Do It Again" , "Dirty Work" and "Reelin' In The Years". I absolutely love those songs. Next is "Countdown To Ecstacy" and "Show Biz Kids" and "My Old School" although special mention also to "Boston Rag" and "Bodhisattva". "Pretzel Logic" is great too with "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" and "Any Major Dude Will Tell You" and special mention to the title track. Lastly on disc one is "Katy Lied" and none of these are in my top 14 but I do enjoy "Black Friday" , "Bad Sneakers" and "Any World (That I'm Welcome To)".

Disc two begins with tracks from the "Royal Scam" and one of my 13 are here in "Kid Charlemagne" but I do like "Take Me Alive" and "The Fez". Next is "Aja" and three killer tunes from my top 13 in "Deacon Blues" , "Peg" and "Josie". "FM" is included but it was released on a soundtrack only. "Hey Nineteen" is my final from the top 13 and it's from "Gaucho". Special mention to "Babylon Sisters".

So there you have it. I find it interesting that I was just starting to get very serious about music just as they released "Gaucho". Still I knew so many of their songs from the radio. In fact later I would be surprised at how many of these songs were actually done by them.