Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic (remastered) - (Remastered) - [CD]

Led by New Yorkers Walter Becker and Donald Fagan, Steely Dan made their mark in music history as a jazz-flavored group who explored the cutting edge of pop, creating a singular sound that is both esoteric and accessible. This newly digitally remastered upgrade of the '70s classic Pretzel Logic sports original credits, liners, graphics and - for the 1st time - complete lyrics. Highlights: "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" and "Any Major Dude Will Tell You." Upcoming 1999 Steely Dan tour!

Pretzel Logic marked a transition for Steely Dan from a studio-bound rock band producing hits such as "Reeling in the Years" and "Do It Again" to a looser constellation of studio musicians under the direction of songwriters Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. That later version of Steely Dan would paint its masterpiece with Aja. Pretzel Logic is much more playful than that, and also jazzier than the albums that came before. The jazz intentions are made perfectly clear on "Parker's Band", a swinging tribute to bebop titan Charlie Parker, and a crafty cover of Duke Ellington's "East St. Louis Toodle-oo". The lyrics displayed their own twisted logic, presenting a tumble of images in search of a unifying principle that most often remained elusive. Steely Dan was that rare act that could work such purposeful obscurity to its advantage: "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" was a top-five hit even though nobody had a clue as to what it was about. Or, perhaps, everybody had a clue, but nobody could agree. --John Milward