{"title":"Steely Dan","description":"\u003ch2\u003eAbout Steely Dan\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eSteely Dan formed at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York in 1972 around Donald Fagen (born January 10, 1948, Passaic, New Jersey) and Walter Becker (born February 20, 1950, New York City; died September 3, 2017). The band's name was taken from a sexual device in William S. Burroughs's novel Naked Lunch (1959). They are widely cited as one of the most important contemporary rock and jazz-rock bands in popular music history. Their late-1970s catalog - particularly Aja (1977) and Gaucho (1980) - established their distinctive blend of sophisticated jazz-influenced compositions, virtuosic session musician contributions, and perfectionist studio production. They shifted from a touring band to a studio-only project in 1974 (Becker\/Fagen dislike of touring), with Fagen and Becker functioning as the two-person core supported by extensive session musicians (Larry Carlton, Steve Gadd, Bernard Purdie, Michael McDonald, and dozens of other top-tier session musicians). The band dissolved in 1981 following Gaucho. Fagen pursued solo work (The Nightfly 1982). The band reformed in 1993 with Two Against Nature (2000) winning the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 2001 (an unprecedented late-career renaissance). They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. Walter Becker died of esophageal cancer on September 3, 2017 at age 67. Donald Fagen has continued touring as Steely Dan with session musicians. Their foundational influence on contemporary rock, jazz-rock, and broader contemporary American popular music is widely cited.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eSound and style\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eSteely Dan's sound combines rock, jazz-rock, jazz fusion, soft rock, yacht rock, blue-eyed soul, pop rock, and art rock with Fagen's distinctive vocal delivery, virtuosic compositional approaches (use of jazz harmony, complex chord progressions, and unconventional rock song structures), session musician contributions, and lyrical content addressing dark satirical, literary, and cynical themes drawing on American literary traditions.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eDiscography highlights\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCan't Buy a Thrill (1972, ABC)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCountdown to Ecstasy (1973, ABC)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePretzel Logic (1974, ABC)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKaty Lied (1975, ABC)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Royal Scam (1976, ABC)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAja (1977, ABC) - widely-cited landmark\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGaucho (1980, MCA)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTwo Against Nature (2000, Giant) - Album of the Year Grammy 2001\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEverything Must Go (2003, Reprise) - final studio\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch2\u003eFor collectors\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eOriginal ABC Records, MCA Records, Giant Records, and Reprise Records pressings of the Steely Dan catalog are foundational items in contemporary rock and jazz-rock collecting, with collector premiums on rare pressings.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWhere to start\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eListeners new to Steely Dan typically start with Aja (1977) or The Royal Scam (1976). \u003cspan class=\"related-collections\"\u003eExplore more: \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/classic-rock-vinyl-records\"\u003eClassic Rock\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/jazz-vinyl-records\"\u003eJazz\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"steely-dan-pretzel-logic-vinyl","title":"Pretzel Logic LP","description":"\u003cp\u003eSTEELY DAN \/ PRETZEL LOGIC - At long last: the classic Steely Dan catalog is back on vinyl. Led by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, Steely Dan released seven albums from 1972-1980.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wax Trax Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48540918087863,"sku":"210000082060","price":29.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0745\/5755\/4871\/files\/steeldan.jpg?v=1781154714"},{"product_id":"steely-dan-gaucho-vinyl","title":"Gaucho LP","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe band's 1980 album featuring featuring Mark Knopfler on guitar. The LP has been remastered by Bernie Grundman sourced from a 1980 analog tape copy originally EQ'd by Bob Ludwig.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wax Trax Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48540918120631,"sku":"210000085452","price":29.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0745\/5755\/4871\/files\/steely.jpg?v=1781154715"},{"product_id":"steely-dan-countdown-to-ecstasy-vinyl","title":"Countdown to Ecstasy LP","description":"\u003cp\u003eLed by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, Steely Dan released 7 albums from 1972-1980. The vinyl series continues with Countdown to Ecstasy, the band's 1973 sophomore LP with standouts such as \"Bodhisattva,\" \"Show Biz Kids\" and \"My Old School.\" 180-gram vinyl\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wax Trax Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48540918284471,"sku":"210000080326","price":29.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0745\/5755\/4871\/files\/steely-dan.jpg?v=1781154715"},{"product_id":"steely-dan-can-t-buy-a-thrill-vinyl","title":"Can't Buy a Thrill LP","description":"\u003cp\u003eSteely Dan - \"Can't Buy A Thrill\" - At long last: the classic Steely Dan MCA Records catalog is back on vinyl. Led by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, Steely Dan released 7 albums from 1972-1980.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wax Trax Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48540918382775,"sku":"210000075036","price":29.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0745\/5755\/4871\/files\/steelydan.jpg?v=1781154716"},{"product_id":"steely-dan-aja-vinyl","title":"Aja LP","description":"\u003cp\u003eBand leaders Donald Fagen and Walter Becker pushed Steely Dan further into experimenting with different combinations of session players giving the world the iconic sixth studio album by Steely Dan, Aja.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wax Trax Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48540918579383,"sku":"210000083807","price":29.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0745\/5755\/4871\/files\/4239980-3045661.jpg?v=1781154717"},{"product_id":"steely-dan-greatest-hits-cd","title":"Greatest Hits CD","description":"","brand":"Wax Trax Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48785634689207,"sku":"210000065788","price":11.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}]},{"product_id":"steely-dan-the-royal-scam-vinyl","title":"The Royal Scam LP","description":"\u003cp\u003eSteely Dan's gold-selling fifth studio album The Royal Scam was produced by Gary Katz and was originally released by ABC Records in 1976.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wax Trax Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48785743642807,"sku":"210000098076","price":29.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0745\/5755\/4871\/files\/royalscam.jpg?v=1783045787"},{"product_id":"steely-dan-katy-lied-180g-vinyl","title":"Katy Lied LP","description":"","brand":"Wax Trax Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48785758748855,"sku":"210000095126","price":29.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0745\/5755\/4871\/files\/4336200-3315509.jpg?v=1783045826"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.waxtraxrecords.com\/collections\/steely-dan.oembed","provider":"Wax Trax Records","version":"1.0","type":"link"}