The Dan’s not quite jazz, not quite rock classic.
In 1977, as half the planet spiked up its hair and the other half honed its disco moves, Steely Dan decided to redefine the relationship between jazz and rock. They succeeded to the extent that while Aja is usually, for convenience, labelled jazz rock, or even as a key player in launching yacht rock, it remains completely unique. Its warm, smooth sound and impeccably clean production veil slightly less cynical lyrics than its creators’ usual, but still they seem allergic to sentiment, to emoting. Deacon Blues may romanticise the loner, but as soon as it feigns to admit it with ‘I cried when I wrote this song,’ it swiftly follows that with, ‘Sue me if I play too long.’ Most of…
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Prog Italia (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 144