Donald Fagen-Sunken Condos

FWTW...my impressions on first listen to "Sunken Condos": impeccable musicianship, arrangements, & production - but the songs? Kind of boring w/the exception of "Out of the Ghetto" (Isaac Hayes)and maybe, "Slinky Thing". Of course, quite often, a recording that does not immediately grab me on first listen becomes a favorite later on. Maybe that will be the case here. But I have a sense the pursuit of technical perfection has somewhat squeezed the life out of things in this recording. It doesn't always have to happen that way, but seems like a spark of some sort is missing from many of the tracks. Again, just my impression after a first listen. I'll be checking it out again for sure.

I get the same "it's sterile but cool" reaction at first listening to anything from these guys and I've found that opinion always changes for the better as I warm up to it. "Condos" may or may not wind up as a fave, but I think the larger point beyond rating or comparison is that I can't find anything like this stuff...even at their most "sterile" it's just more fun for me than so much of what is out there. I listen to jazz mostly, and when I've used a new Fagan or Becker track when doing live sound testing (not uncommon among pro sound people), especially when doing a jazz show, the musicians notice and it always starts a conversation. Remember, jazz is mystifyingly relatively unpopular in general, and, agree or not, even the New York Times now describes Steely Dan as the premier touring jazz group. And the New York Times is always right...or left...something...

Todd K, don't be so surprised that others don't agree with you!!!

Wolf-garcia. Did you ever consider that your gf and myself have our own perceptions of what good pop music is??

I guess I should just suicide off my balcony because I don't like MTC. The album title is dumb, and the music insipid, despite one or two decent cuts. "NightFly" is a very good album, no complaints.

However, I think it is important to distinguish the music of Steely Dan from that of Donald Fagen. Fagen and Becker are brilliant composers, but the "Steely Dan" band is a changing collection of excellent studio musicians which seem to perform way beyond the sum of its parts.

For example, a much overlooked and underrated Dan studio album, (and if we must use superlatives) "Can't Buy a Thrill" is much MORE than just a diamond in the rough. It is a straight ahead rock and roll album but has the Dan quirky "musical persona" The studio band is outstanding, and David Palmer's vocal on "Brooklyn(Owes The Charmer Under Me)" elevates this ballad to ethereal heights. Ironically or tragically, the radio overplayed "Reelin In the Years" despite its catchy, driving rhythms "MAY BE" the weakest cut on the album....This statement should cause a shitstorm in this thread. Will have to check back later.

Hey Wolf - don't get me wrong. I am very much aboard the Steely Dan/Becker/Fagen bandwagon! Mediocre from them is only so by comparison to the better/best stuff of their own work. I do have to say I don't always have a "sterile" reaction to their music on first listen and also I am not yet calling Sunken Condos, mediocre. Might just take a while to warm up to it. As you point out, I do wish there were more bands working in whatever pop/rock/jazz/R&B genre "the Dan" has carved out over the decades. (BTW- I'm going to have to check out that September collaboration thing).

I guess you could call me a fan, I ordered the Japanese version of this new Fagen CD as soon as I heard about it. Unfortunately I have not had time to listen yet.

Warning, if you order from Japan there are two versions available, a made in Japan version and a import version (don't know where it comes from, maybe US?). Obviously you don't want to pay shipping etc. for a CD you could probably buy cheaper here.

Up to now "Nightfly" is definitely my favorite, probably will continue to be. I agree with Onhwy61, it's close to perfect, a masterpiece.

Sometimes it takes a while to warm to some songs because they're frequently more complex, both lyrically and musically, than your run of the mill shit kick'n rock'n'roll. If there's no catchy tune then it takes a little longer for me.

I have a feeling this one's going to be pretty good like "MTC" and "Kamakiriad", but not great like "Nightfly". Again, we'll see after I listen to this new one a few times.