One of the most consistent arguments of the rock and roll era revolves around the musical validity of Steely Dan. There will always be controversies, but even fifty years afterward, fans of the band exude a passion that transcends simple dedication, while naysayers are absolutely reviled by a band they deem as soulless as wallpaper.

The haters consist mainly of underground punk rock fans, while the supporters tend to predate that era. As shown by my inclusion of their first six albums on this list, I solidly concur with the supporters. Steely Dan may have been the only band in the world that could take serious jazz influences and then turn them into pop confection without sounding utterly stupid.

The song “Parker’s Band” meant nothing to the teenage audience that bought the record, but it subtly hinted toward something mysterious. It would take years for (most of) us to make the connection to Charlie Parker. The riff supporting “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” was simply a cool hook, except to the very few who may have recognized that it was lifted from Horace Silver’s “Songs for My Father.” Duke Ellington’s “East St. Louis Toodle-oo” was nearly fifty years old when “Pretzel Logic” hit the streets, but the guitar-based version that closes side one marks the first time most kids heard it.

Some passionate haters will always deride Steely Dan as pretentious thieves, while the rest of us share an appreciation for consistently clever, detailed recordings that occasionally led us toward an appreciation of American Jazz history.

Featured Tracks:

Rikki Don't Lose That Number

Night by Night

Any Major Dude Will Tell You

Barrytown

East St. Louis Toodle-Oo

Parker's Band

Through with Buzz

Pretzel Logic

With a Gun

Charlie Freak

Monkey in Your Soul

February 1974 - Bilboard Charted #8