Along with Pretzel Logic, Katy is an album of transition, and perhaps the most impressive thing about both albums is the degree of refinement that both albums display. Production is top-notch on Katy in spite of the misgivings of the notoriously obsessive Fagen, and songwriting is as solid as anything on Can't Buy a Thrill, Countdown to Ecstasy, or Pretzel (trademark smarmy lyrics included at no additional charge). Unlike the former three albums, however, is Katy's increasing emphasis on texture and jazz. While SD is commonly referred to as jazz-rock, the first three albums and The Royal Scam are jazz-rock as opposed to Aja and Gaucho's jazz-rock. Katy lies somewhere between these two groups, if trending a bit more towards the rock side. This is both the album's strength and weakness--it simultaneously provides plenty of nods to both Steely Dan albums yet to come and Steely Dan albums already released.
On the extreme jazz-rock side of the equation, we have "Black Friday", the album's most well-known track, "Chain Lightning," a bluesy number similar to "Pretzel Logic" on the album of the same name, and "Throw Out the Little Ones," a call-forward to the biting lyrics and guitar of The Royal Scam. In the other corner, we have "Rose Darling" and "Doctor Wu," the closest track to Aja that you won't find on Aja. Where Katy really shines, however, is when she manages to perfectly balance old and new. Michael McDonald, best known as one of the lead vocalists for The Doobie Brothers, makes his Dan debut on "Bad Sneakers" and helps the harmony vocals during the refrain soar. "Your Gold Teeth II", the album's best track, is a perfect storm of Denny Dias's guitar, the precise drum work of 21 year old Jeff Porcaro (Toto), and a driving piano line that channels Vince Guaraldi. Of special note is its seeming lack of the snark-filled lyrical irony of many Dan tracks; it--with surprising honesty--seems to urge the listener towards a philosophy of carpe diem--"If you're feelin' lucky/ You'd best not refuse / It's your game / The rules are your own, win or lose."
And what a way to seize the day. Although Katy does have dips in quality--"Daddy Don't Live in that New York City No More," "Any World (That I'm Welcome To)" being the two standout examples--it is an incredibly enjoyable and engaging listen from front to back, and excepting Aja which is a bit of a base-breaker, the last Dan album that can indisputably boast of this quality.
Tracklist for Katy Lied:
1. Black Friday
2. Bad Sneakers
3. Rose Darling
4. Daddy Don't Live in That New York City No More
5. Doctor Wu
6. Everyone's Gone to the Movies
7. Your Gold Teeth II
8. Chain Lightning
9. Any World (That I'm Welcome To)
10. Throw Back the Little Ones
On the extreme jazz-rock side of the equation, we have "Black Friday", the album's most well-known track, "Chain Lightning," a bluesy number similar to "Pretzel Logic" on the album of the same name, and "Throw Out the Little Ones," a call-forward to the biting lyrics and guitar of The Royal Scam. In the other corner, we have "Rose Darling" and "Doctor Wu," the closest track to Aja that you won't find on Aja. Where Katy really shines, however, is when she manages to perfectly balance old and new. Michael McDonald, best known as one of the lead vocalists for The Doobie Brothers, makes his Dan debut on "Bad Sneakers" and helps the harmony vocals during the refrain soar. "Your Gold Teeth II", the album's best track, is a perfect storm of Denny Dias's guitar, the precise drum work of 21 year old Jeff Porcaro (Toto), and a driving piano line that channels Vince Guaraldi. Of special note is its seeming lack of the snark-filled lyrical irony of many Dan tracks; it--with surprising honesty--seems to urge the listener towards a philosophy of carpe diem--"If you're feelin' lucky/ You'd best not refuse / It's your game / The rules are your own, win or lose."
And what a way to seize the day. Although Katy does have dips in quality--"Daddy Don't Live in that New York City No More," "Any World (That I'm Welcome To)" being the two standout examples--it is an incredibly enjoyable and engaging listen from front to back, and excepting Aja which is a bit of a base-breaker, the last Dan album that can indisputably boast of this quality.
Tracklist for Katy Lied:
1. Black Friday
2. Bad Sneakers
3. Rose Darling
4. Daddy Don't Live in That New York City No More
5. Doctor Wu
6. Everyone's Gone to the Movies
7. Your Gold Teeth II
8. Chain Lightning
9. Any World (That I'm Welcome To)
10. Throw Back the Little Ones