Steely Dan - Countdown To Ecstasy (Hybrid SACD)
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
1 Hybrid SACD, jewel box
Original analog Master tape : YES
Stereo
Studio
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
Glass master made by Sony DADC
Originally released in July 1973
Reissued in June 2023
Tracks:
- Bodhisattva
- Razor Boy
- The Boston Rag
- Your Gold Teeth
- Show Biz Kids
- My Old School
- 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
Ratings :
AllMusic : 5 / 5 , Discogs : 4.28 / 5