Album Reviews

At first, the lingering melodies and stick-to-the-synapses catch phrases don’t seem to reach out and grab you like they do on older Steely Dan albums, but the grooves are deeper and more elastic here than ever and Fagen’s arranging abilities remain crisp, inventive and instantly recognizable even if you don’t take time out to analyze what’s going on to make them seem so familiar.

Listen a bit deeper though, and the more angular, less tuneful melodies that dominate this set come floating cleanly to the surface as do the wry, 21st century lyrics. If there’s nothing quite as breezy, direct and immediately tangible as “Drive west on Sunset to the sea,” in the reggae splashed “Babylon Sisters,” or “Kid Charlemagne”’s tale of a fast-moving coke dealer, there are more subtle pleasures to be found between the funky, pile-driver drum beats.

There’s an encounter at an airport security checkpoint with TSA agent “Security Joan,” and when the traveler misses his flight, his overnight stay appears to be an opportunity for some coupling. The charming “What I Do” recounts an imaginary conversation between the ghost of Ray Charles and a young Fagen, while “Brite Nightgown” (the angel of death according to W.C. Fields) describes various modern encounters with death, including a drug overdose and a mugging at an ATM.

There are only 8 tunes plus a title tune reprise, but Fagen manages these slow grooves carefully and makes them last a long time before you’re ready for the next. While at first, it can seem as if the rhythm tracks were put down first and everything else was invented later to fill the space, the longer you listen, the more you’ll appreciate Fagen’s accomplishments on this fabulous sounding two LP set, “tracked” analog (meaning the rhythm section), converted to digital for the overdubs and then mixed to 30 IPS analog according to Elliot Scheiner, who is credited as “Tracking Engineer” at Clinton Recording Studios. Other recording, including ProTool overdubs (feh!) were done at Avatar Studios and Sear Sound, New York’s most tubey and analog facilities.

The bass and drums are particulary meaty and full bodied, though everything sounds really fine, with outstanding clarity and inner detail resolve. Fagen leaves lots of spaces between instruments and notes and the recording does a good job of leaving things clean and uncluttered.

Scheiner’s company ELS, which consulted with Panasonic in the design of the DVD-A capable surround sound system installed in Acura’s TL, hosted an event at SIR in NYC before Fagen’s tour kicked off last winter. At the event Fagen and band played a few tunes for a handful of invited journalists and I got to ask Scheiner about the recording. When Fagen entered the room, he singled me out and looked at me and nodded. Either it was my massive ego, or perhaps he reads Stereophile and recognized me. Whatever, it was a opportunity lost as this stupidly starstruck geek reacted by averting eye contact, burying his head in the press release. I hate when that happens, but I must admit I was taken by surprise.

In any case, the recording is fit for an audiophile and the double 180g RTI vinyl mastered at AcousTech by Kevin Gray and Steve Hoffman simply devastates the fine sounding CD mastered at Sony by Darcy Proper. It’s not even close. Add deluxe gatefold packaging and color insert and it’s no wonder this set has been a top vinyl seller on the online vinyl vendor sites. If you have yet to pick this up, what have you been waiting for? This review? Wait over!