Steely Dan - Countdown To Ecstasy (2LP, Box set, 45RPM, UHQR, 200g, Clear vinyl)
ORDER LIMITED TO ONE ITEM PER CUSTOMER
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Piano, Electric Piano, Synthesizer, Vocals – Donald Fagen [click here to see more vinyl featuring Donald Fagen]
Backing Vocals – David Palmer (4), James Rolleston, Michael Fenelly*, Myrna Matthews, Patricia Hall, Royce Jones, Sherlie Matthews
Vibraphone, Marimba, Percussion – Victor Feldman
Bass Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals – Walter Becker
Acoustic Guitar – Ben Benay
Drums, Percussion, Vocals – Jim Hodder
Guitar – Denny Dias
Guitar, Pedal Steel Guitar – Jeff "Skunk" Baxter
All songs written by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen
2 LPs, box set, gatefold on heavy cardboard stock, premium slipcase with a wooden dowel spine
Limited to 15,000 numbered copies
Original analog Master tape : YES
UHQR
Heavy Press : 200g
Record color : Clear vinyl
Speed : 45RPM
Size : 12”
Stereo
Studio
Record Press : Quality Record Pressings
Label : Analogue Productions
Original Label : ABC
Recorded at Caribou Ranch in The Nederlands and The Village Recorder in West Los Angeles
Engineered by Roger Nichols
Mixed by Denny Dias
Produced by Gary Katz
Mastered by Bernie Grundman
Originally released in July 1973
Reissued in December 2022
Tracks:
Side A:
- Bodhisattva
- Razor Boy
Side B:
- The Boston Rag
- Your Gold Teeth
Side C:
- Show Biz Kids
- My Old School
Side D:
- Pearl Of The Quarter
- King Of The World
Awards:
Colin Larkin’s All Time Top 1000 Albums - Ranked 307
Included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
Reviews :
“Can't Buy a Thrill became an unexpected hit, and as a response, Donald Fagen became the group's full-time lead vocalist, and he and Walter Becker acted like Steely Dan was a rock & roll band for the group's second album, Countdown to Ecstasy. The loud guitars and pronounced backbeat of "Bodhisattva," "Show Biz Kids," and "My Old School" camouflage the fact that Countdown is a riskier album, musically speaking, than its predecessor. Each of its eight songs have sophisticated, jazz-inflected interludes, and apart from the bluesy vamps "Bodhisattva" and "Show Biz Kids," which sound like they were written for the stage, the songs are subtly textured. "Razor Boy," with its murmuring vibes, and the hard bop tribute "Your Gold Teeth" reveal Becker and Fagen's jazz roots, while the country-flavored "Pearl of the Quarter" and the ominous, skittering "King of the World" are both overlooked gems. Countdown to Ecstasy is the only time Steely Dan played it relatively straight, and its eight songs are rich with either musical or lyrical detail that their album rock or art rock contemporaries couldn't hope to match.” Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
UHQR :
UHQR pressing is inspired from JVC Japan, which 30 years ago was the pinnacle of high-quality vinyl. Each UHQR vinyl is pressed, using hand-selected vinyl, on a manual Finebilt press with attention paid to every single detail of every single record. The 200-gram records feature the same flat profile that helped to make the original UHQR so desirable. From the lead-in groove to the run-out groove, there is no pitch to the profile, allowing your stylus to play truly perpendicular to the grooves from edge to center. Every UHQR is hand-inspected upon pressing completion, and only the truly flawless are allowed to go to market.
Ratings :
AllMusic : 5 / 5 , Discogs : 4.28 / 5