Building from the
jazz fusion
foundation of
Pretzel Logic
,
Steely Dan
created an alluringly sophisticated album of jazzy
pop
with
Katy Lied
. With this record,
Walter Becker
and
Donald Fagen
began relying solely on studio musicians, which is evident from the immaculate sound of the album. Usually, such a studied recording method would drain the life out of each song, but that's not the case with
, which actually benefits from the duo's perfectionist tendencies. Each song is given a glossy sheen, one that accentuates not only the stronger
hooks, but also the precise technical skill of the professional musicians drafted to play the solos. Essentially,
is a smoother version of
, featuring the same cross-section of
jazz-pop
blues-rock
. The lack of innovations doesn't hurt the record, since the songs are uniformly brilliant. Less overtly cynical than previous
Dan
albums, the album still has its share of lyrical stingers, but what's really notable are the melodies, from the seductive jazzy
soul
of
"Doctor Wu"
and the lazy
blues
"Chain Lightning"
to the terse
"Black Friday"
and mock
calypso
"Everyone's Gone to the Movies."
It's another excellent record in one of the most distinguished
rock & roll
catalogs of the '70s. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine