Steely Dan... Rikki Don't Lose That Number, Reelin' In The Years, Do It Again... You've NEVER Heard of them???

I was talking with a friend of mine the other day when our conversation turned to where it often does; our mutual love and fascination with music. I think we're both frustrated musicians... you know the types. We transferred our inability to become musicians into a love of most types of music. We both have enormous record/CD collections (yes we still have vinyl) and I even took the extraordinary step of working in radio for 25 years so I could be closer to the music I love. (See Mom, if you had just let me learn to play the trumpet in 4th grade when I asked LOL).

We were in a store at the time and Donald Fagen's "I.G.Y." was the "elevator music" playing which caught both our ears as it's not the typical schmaltz you usually hear when in the retail environment. Our reactions however were different... I just said, "Wow, never heard something this cool playing on Muzak before" and he said, "I really like it... who is it?". At first I thought he was kidding. Coming from anyone else I'd understand, but John is like me; he devours music. I understand he's a bit younger than me and wasn't quite 3 years old when the "Nightfly" album was released (1982), but I was still shocked. After telling him it was Donald Fagen and having him still look puzzled I explained that Fagen was the co-founder of Steely Dan. Still a blank stare. Steely Dan, you know... Rikki Don't Lose That Number? I figured since it was their biggest radio hit (reaching #4 on the U.S. charts) he'd HAVE to know that song. Nope. OK, so I rattled off a bunch of other "hits" and rock radio standards. Nothing; no reaction at all. At first I thought he was kidding, but John had never heard of Steely Dan... one of my favorite bands, and not just from the 70s but of all-time! Let's just say that gave us something to talk about for awhile.

This post is here for those of you, like John, who somehow due to your age or just some other misfortune have missed out on the magic that is Steely Dan. Founded by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen (who met at Bard College in New York in 1967), Steely Dan would go on to create some of the most incredible music of the 1970s, fusing rock, pop and jazz. Their sound gave equality to all musical instruments which delivered a rich, satisfying feast for the ears and would provide fuel for the progressive FM radio movement of the time.

If you've never heard Steely Dan, then click on the links below and start a fascinating journey. You can't say you've truly experienced 70s rock until you do. In my personal opinion Steely Dan and ELO alone can probably give you a great feel for the early to mid 70s rock scene. But don't stop with these two songs... and don't just go out and buy a greatest hits compilation. One of the beautiful things about Steely Dan's work is that the albums were ALBUMS... they had a flow and feeling to them that is lost if you don't listen to the work track by track in order. So investigate some of the full albums too... you'd be best to start with their first effort "Can't Buy A Thrill". I'm sure once you've listened to that you'll be hooked and want to keep listening to the artful music that Becker and Fagen produced through the rest of the decade. And if you are a Steely Dan fan like me but haven't listened for awhile these songs will probably start you digging out those old Steely Dan albums for a long overdue treat for your ears!

Steely Dan - Rikki Don't Lose That Number

Steely Dan - Reelin' In The Years