Few things can beat
commercial cynicism, and you won’t find a better example than Steely Dan.
Starting with the name meaning dildo in Burroughs’ Naked Lunch and ending with the pointless Grammy for Two Against Nature which they planned to
send to Eminem (who really wanted
it), they have been walking the fine line between charts and obvious drug and
sex references for decades.
For me, Walter Becker
is one of those rare people who can get away with slagging off “Yesterday” and
being ridiculously arrogant during interviews. And that goes well with polished
jazzy grooves and Donald Fagen’s (The
Nightfly is seriously overrated though) smoothly playful vocals. They might
sound like your granddad’s favourite band and Johnny Rotten must have hated them.
But in a way – they were more punk than punk.
Can’t Buy A Thrill is in the top 10 of my favourite debut albums.
Although really – that whole seven album run was terrific (they've been way too
sterile this century), and was filled, among other things, with minor classics
like “Charlie Freak”.
