By Roman Soto
Have you ever pressed shuffle on your playlist, only to have the repetitive nature of the selected musical genre play continuously on your listening device? Well, my fellow music connoisseurs, you’ve just stumbled upon a place to expand your music taste. Welcome to Roman’s Empire, your new favorite music column. My job here is to persuade you to add the suggested artist or genre to your playlist. Here, we delve into some of music’s most captivating yet underrated artists from all over the world. It’s simple: find a comfortable chair and prepare to expand your musical knowledge. Today, we explore the brilliant elements that frame Steely Dan’s dazzling portrait.
Throughout the 70’s, a new genre took the United States by storm: yacht rock. Defined by its mellow jams–perfect for a summer day–yacht rock famously intertwined a soothing bass, distinguished acoustic guitar, and ethereal synth. The euphonious atmosphere it emitted was perfect.
Along with the sudden boom of yacht rock came one of the genre’s pioneers: Steely Dan. Led by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, the band achieved massive commercial and cultural success by fusing jazz-rock with the mainstream acoustic rock of its time. Years after their music was initially released, Steely Dan’s musical versatility was finally recognized at the 1978 (20th Annual) Grammy Ceremony, as their album, Aja, won Best Engineered Recording Later, in 2001 at the (43rd Annual) Grammy Ceremony, they earned three awards: Album of the Year (Two Against Nature), Best Pop Vocal Album (Two Against Nature), and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical (Two Against Nature). Below are two of my favorite Steely Dan songs and what makes them so special.
“Only A Fool Would Say That” (Cant Buy A Thrill)
Few songs are meant to be listened to in a perfect scenario; however, I take pride in imagining the perfect one for “Only A Fool Would Say That.” The scenario goes as follows: imagine you’re on the open road, a carless freeway in the middle of nowhere, your loved one in the passenger seat, chanting the lyrics religiously, as not a care enters your mind, the only thing concerning you is if the next song will top this one (it won’t). Seeing as I haven’t even earned the right to experience this scenario, it will soon be a reality as well as an indication that life has reached near-perfection.
As the song commences, Walter Becker exposes listeners to the iconic, head-rocking acoustic guitar. Becker’s ingenious miniature guitar solos sprinkled throughout the song, paired with Donald Fagen’s methodical lyrics, create an elegant atmosphere for the listener to explore.
“Do it Again” (Cant Buy A Thrill)
Many avid music listeners can say they’ve never heard an electric sitar solo; luckily, Steely Dan incorporates this unheard component. Furthermore, Fagen’s story uses the protagonist, Jack, to reflect the cyclical nature of addiction, greed, and gambling. The versatile songwriter wails, “You go back, Jack, Do it again,” emphasizing the protagonist’s remorse for returning to his destructive habits, which create patterns of violence, break relationships, and culminate in moments of desperation, despite his promises to veer from old ways.