Steely Dan - Gaucho

The multiplatinum success of Aja made Steely Dan, the musical conceit of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, a household name. But that prosperity came bundled with a fateful triple-whammy for rock's dyspeptic duo: unrealistic commercial expectations, a critical backlash spawned by punk's nascent mewling, and the long-simmering meltdown of their artistic partnership. But the cool, perfect sheen of 1980's Gaucho tipped its hand to none of it. Ironically, those fashion victims who sniffed up their sleeves at Don and Walt's decadence-tinged Me Decade manifesto couldn't have had a clue that just maybe Gaucho's typically oblique protagonists had uncomfortably blurred from the third-person to the first this time 'round. At least that's what Becker and Fagen hint at in their smart-assed notes to this digitally remastered, definitive edition (all original artwork and printed lyrics restored) of the final album before their 20-year hiatus. Pristine and sonically polished (three years and seven studios worth), time has served Gaucho well. Even its sense of laconic detachment now seems but a logical bridge to the two-decade removed Dan of Two Against Nature. To their credit, Becker and Fagen didn't trash the first half of Steely Dan's legacy on Gaucho, they simply burnished it to oblivion. -Jerry McCulley Amazon.com

Steely Dan's Weakest Album

From their debut album "Can't Buy a Thrill" to their incredible work with "Aja," Steely Dan had been defining itself as a very talented, innovative group with a unique flavor. Unfortunately, though every album before it had been excellent, Gaucho just doesn't live up to the Steely Dan pedigree.

Gaucho certainly has its own flavor, which is readily recognizable within the first few tracks. "Babylon Sisters" is a great start and a well-known hit. "Hey Nineteen" is a fairly mediocre (albeit popular) song, and "Glamour Profession" is interesting, though not necessarily great. "Gaucho" is a very cheesy gospel-roots song that has a grating chorus, and the final two songs on the album, "My Rival" and "Third World Man," are downright horrific. The real highlight of the album is the track "Time Out of Mind," a really catchy and subtle piece that gets everything right, from the laid-back emotion to the keyboard riffs.

There is a lot of apparent experimentation going on with many of the tracks on this album. It's really too bad that there are only seven of them, then, since so many of them are just not worth listening to. Your best bet is to download "Babylon Sisters" and "Time Out of Mind" and skip the rest of the album. Though it is nice to see Steely Dan try to be different all the time, they were bound to get something wrong. April 15, 2008

Hey Nineteen, that's about it

"Hey Ninteen" is a great track, and "Babylon Sisters" rocks, but the whole thing sounds like the Dan on auto-pilot and, though it is a bit tiresome to judge records this way, doesn't come close to mid-70's classics like Countdown to Ecstasy and Katy Leid. The middle sction drags, and its a chore to listen straight through, even though the album only runs to 38 mintes. Still, "Hey Nineteen" is one killer tune. "The Cuervo Gold/ The fine columbian/ Make tonight a wonderful thing." Indeed, but read between the lines and this is as unsettling a song as the band ever wrote. It belongs elsewhere, apart from the remainder of an insipid record. March 29, 2008

Synchronicity

Having previously enjoyed Steely Dan exclusively on the radio, it's been a blast to get into their albums. I was under the mistaken impression that everything they've done sounds great, but essentially the same. Yes, they have a distinctive sound, but the variety on GAUCHO is impressive. When I'm not distracted by the funny, sardonic lyrics, the title track is actually a thing of great beauty. I sometimes wish it were in a foreign language so I could just soak in the gorgeousness of the unexpectedly hymnlike melodic turns and chorus. Overall, superb musicianship, instrumentation and arrangements reveal multiple layers and details that paint lovely, funky sound pictures. I don't know the personal sagas of Becker and Fagen, so I can't comment on the cynical, funny lyrics other than to say that nobody does cynical and funny better than Steely Dan. Even when I have no idea what the hell they're talking about, I'm seduced by the sophisticated synchronicity of music and lyrics. "Time Out of Mind" is an uplifting gem graced by the genius of Mark Knopfler, "Third World Man" is sad and sinister with a bit of Dylanish inflection, "My Rival" makes me laugh even as I'm bopping to the groove, "Hey Nineteen" is funny in the way only self-mockery can be -- and all of it sails along with some of the best hooks in the business. Hope I don't sound like a cliche, because GAUCHO sure doesn't. What took me so long? Better late than never... March 11, 2008

A few moments, but again disappointing

Aja was Steely Dan's most popular album but it marked a departure from their previous methods of working with a full-time studio band in favour of working exclusively with session musicians. Unfortunately, the move did not turn out perfectly because much of the music on Aja turned out too relaxed, overly "layered" and lighthearted, lacking the intensity that had marked such albums as Countdown To Ecstasy or The Royal Scam.

Three years and seven studios' work later, Becker and Fagen emerged at the tail end of 1980 with "Gaucho", which was their last album before drugs and depression caused them to disband for twenty years. With the music press of the day generally indifferent to pre-"punk revolution" stars, it is unsurprising "Gaucho" was coolly received even by those who previously adored Steely Dan. Many writers thought the band had lost the distinctiveness and power it had on its early albums and was moving far too close to bland pop music. Such songs as "Gaucho" itself, which tries far too hard to be humorous and "Third World Man" are quite emotionless and much too light for a band that once put out pieces like "Bodhissatva", "Do It Again", "Change of the Guard" or "The Royal Scam". The "Bodhissatva" sequel, "Time Out of Mind", with Dire Straits' Mark Knopfler guesting on guitar, has lyrics that impress in spite of being almost overtly religious (I admit I never saw that when I first listened) but the music, in spite of a clear, dense vocal from Fagen, could have sounded much better were the production crisper and more intense. The opener "Babylon Sisters", whose chorus should have rocked quite hard, suffers from the same problem and the song becomes less than exciting after years of listening.

Nonetheless, "Gaucho" does contain two absolutely classic Steely Dan tracks that save it from being a waste of time. "Hey Nineteen" is pure funk with a wonderful lyric about the dreams of youth back in the late 1960s - and it has the same crispness and power the Dan produced time and time again on their first five albums. "Glamour Profession", a brilliantly-weaved tale of the underground criminal life of a professional basketballer, on the other hand uses the light production to create a psychedelic atmosphere that is truly hypnotic yet catchy. It is a pity the Dan were unable to replicate this sense of atmosphere more often on their last two albums before the breakup. When they try on the chorus of "My Rival", however, it shows how difficult creating one song like "Glamour Profession" actually is.

All in all, despite two excellent songs, "Gaucho" is a rather disappointing farewell considering what the Dan did on their first five albums. Certainly buy these before checking out "Gaucho." March 7, 2008

Heh, "Mexican cowboy"...

The last of the early Dan albums, and I say it's a pretty good one... I personally prefer all prior albums to this one but it is a fitting swan song fer everything Steely. Some awesome tunes like the title track, "Time Out Of Mind" (which features Dire Straits' Mark Knopfler on guitar-leads, and the only track with Michael McDonald backin' them vox up) & the radio staple "Hey Nineteen".
The production & musicianship on the album is as-always flawless! I look at the album basically as the less accessible AJA, not necessarily a bad thing at all. But I would say if you aren't a total Steely nut yet then try out maybe AJA or Can't Buy A Thrill as firsties to git your whistle soggy first... February 14, 2008

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