#309 Steely Dan - Countdown to Ecstacy

In one of the most roundabout origin stories ever: I was listening to a rap album that sounded like it sampled Steely Dan's Peg, thought that would make a pretty sweet sample, found out someone else had already used it (which probably gave me the idea, Marfa-dream style), and said, hey, I kind of like Steely Dan, I should probably hear one of his albums.

There was a recent run of light beer ads that talked about how the beer had superior "drinkability", which is the most brilliant thing to hang your beer on if you're trying to appeal to people who drink beer unthinkingly at social events. Is it delicious, satisfying, pleasant? Not necessarily, but man, it is no trouble at all to drink it. Oh! Oh how I railed against the insipid logic behind this ad. But this album might have changed my mind.

The way I want to describe this album is "listenable". But. But! I actually don't mean that in such a bad way. This album is easy to listen to. It is smooth, perfectly produced and mixed (as is the band's reputation), with a bit of soul, a bit of jazz, some stomping rock beats where it needs them, fancy moves perfectly timed and perfectly controlled. And I rather like it. Because the fact is, underneath the sheen, there is actually a fair amount of complexity, some expert playing, and more ambition and reach than you might expect. It's music that actually rewards close listening, actually keeps you on your toes, sounding like the best post-Hackett-pre-self-titled-album era Genesis songs (say, Abacab, Behind the Lines, Duke's Travels). When I spend all this time listening to "difficult" music, its a nice reprieve to find something that is pleasant to listen to without being boring. It's an interesting sweet spot.

And dammit, if I'm being honest, while I like myself a sierra nevada or a delirium or a stone, sometimes can after can of watery domestic is not such a bad reprieve.

On this subject, here's your homework. Is Steely Dan cool? They sound like they could be a band that serious music people despise or a band that serious music people respect. They seem like a band that it would be uncool to like, but also a band that it would be uncool not to like. They're a band that I feel inclined to say "actually, they're a lot better than you think" but then, I don't know whether I'm going to get a skeptical look that says "No, Steely Dan sucks" or a skeptical look that says "what do you mean 'actually'? Steely Dan rules". I usually know what a band's status is among the music listening populace and its various subfactions, but this one seems like a chameleon on that matter. Its strengths are its weaknesses.

Why does it matter what the world thinks? I guess I'm interested in positioning myself in the world of music listenership, finding my likes and dislikes, my overlaps and points of conflicts with various contingents. Music listenership is a language, and I'm trying to learn all the words, and there is no definition under Steely Dan.

I guess I'll have to actually listen to the music on its own.

It is too polished at times, a little repetitive at times, the vocals a little bit (a lot) too smooth. But for whatever reason, it isn't boring. It goes down smooth, but the way a decent Belgian does, not the way a Coors Light does. There's an legitimately exciting tempo change or paradigm shift at least once a song, with occasional touches of gritty (if well-honed) exuberance that evoke Exile on Main Street and the best Springsteen. And a couple of the songs are legitimately adventurous, on Your Gold Teeth and the epic tail-end-Genesis-evoking King of the World. And tell me that 2/3rds-thru breakdown on Boston Rag doesn't rock.

I think Steely Dan is a test. My answer is that it has all the trappings of sucking, but if you actually listen to it, it does not suck. I don't know if it means I pass or fail, but I put it at the high end of 4/5

Edit: also, after about 10 years of listening to the Super Furries' The Man Don't Give a Fuck, randomly I find out its oft-repeated, core sample is a one-off line from Show Biz Kids. Which, strangely, makes both songs way more awesome by association.