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Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic .jpg) .gif) By John Milward
Pretzel Logic marked a transition for Steely Dan from a
studio-bound rock band producing hits such as "Reeling in the
Years" and "Do It Again" to a looser constellation of
studio musicians under the direction of songwriters Walter Becker and
Donald Fagen. That later version of Steely Dan would paint its masterpiece
with Aja. Pretzel Logic is much more playful than that, and
also jazzier than the albums that came before. The jazz intentions are
made perfectly clear on "Parker's Band," a swinging tribute to
bebop titan Charlie Parker, and a crafty cover of Duke Ellington's
"East St. Louis Toodle-oo." The lyrics displayed their own
twisted logic, presenting a tumble of images in search of a unifying
principle that most often remained elusive. Steely Dan was that rare act
that could work such purposeful obscurity to its advantage: "Rikki
Don't Lose That Number" was a top-five hit even though nobody had a
clue as to what it was about. Or, perhaps, everybody had a clue, but
nobody could agree.
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Tracks |
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| 1. Rikki Don't Lose That Number | 7. Through With Buzz | | 2. Night By Night | 8. Pretzel Logic | | 3. Any Major Dude Will Tell You | 9. With A Gun | | 4. Barrytown | 10. Charlie Freak | | 5. East St. Louis Toodle-Oo | 11. Monkey In Your Soul | | 6. Parker's Band | |
Share Your Memories!Is Pretzel Logic one of your favorite albums? What interesting or amusing stories can you tell? Wanna write a review? Share your stories (or your reviews) with the world! (We print the best stories right here!)
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Your Memories Shared! |
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"While the lyrical intent of "Ricki Don't Lose that Number" remains somewhat opaque and "Barrytown" is fairly obvious, (take the real life history of E. St Louis as a clue) - my take on the rest of the album is that Becker and Fagan are making a pretty muscular rant against the devastation of drug addiction and it's purveyors. Examples of the overall conceptual theme - "Charlie Freak, (I'm)Thru with Buzz and Monkey in your soul", make it abundantly clear that this is one of the first albums with an anti-drug abuse - (if nothing else, anti-smack & coke) lyrical theme. Beyond that, it is one of those few albums that to me is a true "Desert Island Disc" and I can listen to over and over and it just gets better with time." --Vinylcam | "This is the album that turned me into a complete Steely Dan freak. They grab you with the first note and don't let go until the last. If you can't feel the groove in Parker's Band, its time to call the undertaker. And of course, how could they lose with Skunk Baxter sittin' in? "C'mon man and take a piece of Mr. Parker's band"" --The Magic Rat |
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Looking for a rare import-only single, a gold record, world tour book, hard to find magazine, an autographed guitar, or simply this CD? You'll find them at eBay!
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MUSICAL NOTES |
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|  | Artist: Steely Dan
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| | Released: May 27, 1974
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| | Availability: CD,
Vinyl | |
| | Awards:
Platinum | | |
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