August 13, 2008 Playlist

"Hippie Xmas"
featuring second hand vinyl
   
"Can't Buy A Thrill" by Steely Dan (1972)
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Steely Dan  "Can't Buy A Thrill"  1972 (USA)
Steely Dan was the vehicle for the songwriting talents of Donald Fagen and Walter Becker.  The motley crew originally included the nerdy Ivy League duo on keyboards and bass, plus two hotshot guitar players (Skunk Baxter later of the Doobie Brothers, and bearded jazzbo hippie Denny Dias) and a glamorous lead singer named David Palmer that the record company foisted upon them because they thought Fagen's voice was too "weird."  Though ironically, Fagen still wound up singing lead on most of their debut album, including the first two of the band's many hit singles.  Combining the jazzy fusion sounds of late sixties progressive groups like Blood Sweat & Tears and Spirit with the darker side of Bob Dylan (in particular the acidic ballad "Positively 4th Street"), plus assorted soul, jazz and funk licks, they produced one of the defining sounds of the 1970's.  After dwindling down to the core duo of Becker & Fagen by the end of the decade, Steely Dan officially broke up in 1981, only to reform more than a decade later and go on to win a "Record of the Year" Grammy in 2000.  
There aren't many clips of Steely Dan performing live in the 1970's, because they hated touring and stopped doing it entirely by 1974.  But here they are playing their first hit single  "Do It Again" -- only with Palmer on lead vocals instead of Fagen!  (They also cut out Fagen's brilliant keyboard solo, though Denny Dias' groovy raga guitar solo is still included.)  And here's their follow-up hit, the rocker "Reelin' In The Years" (introduced by Bill Cosby!)  David Palmer was gone by the second album in 1973, which featured the near-hit "My Old School".  Here they are in the 21st century playing their 1978 non-album single "FM" (the intro lick to this song is "borrowed" from Spirit's "Space Child" by the way!  And the intro to "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" is cribbed from "Song For My Father" by Horace Silver.  Plus of course, "Steely Dan" was originally a sex toy in Naked Lunch!  Clever guys . . . )
 
 
Artist Song Album Year (label) Country
Kasenetz-Katz Super Circus Let Me Introduce You (To The Kasenetz-Katz Orchestral Circus) Kasenetz-Katz Super Circus 1968 USA
The Association Enter The Young And Then . . . Along Comes The Association 1966 USA
Crosby Stills Nash & Young Everybody I Love You Deja Vu 1970 USA/Canada
The Monkees Tapioca Tundra The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees 1968 USA
Klaatu Doctor Marvello 3:47 E.S.T. (aka Klaatu) 1976 Canada
Badfinger Suitcase (original version) Straight Up (CD bonus track - Apple Records) 1971 UK
Mary Hopkin Goodbye (by Lennon & McCartney) A-side 7" single (Apple Records) 1969 UK (Wales)
National Lampoon
(Tony Hendra as John Lennon)		 Tragical Misery Tour National Lampoon's Radio Dinner 1972 USA
 
 
Frost
(Dick Wagner, guitar)		 1500 Miles Through The Eyes Of A Beatle Through The Eyes Of Love 1970 USA
Lou Reed
(Dick Wagner, guitar)		 White Light / White Heat (live) Rock N Roll Animal 1974 USA
Steely Dan Brooklyn (Owes The Charmer Under Me) Can't Buy A Thrill
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK		 1972 USA
Steely Dan Change Of The Guard Can't Buy A Thrill
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK		 1972 USA
Steely Dan Turn That Heartbeat Over Again Can't Buy A Thrill
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK		 1972 USA
   
 
Journey Next Next 1977 USA
Melvins Revulsion / We Reach Ozma 1989 USA
Isao Tomita Mars, The Bringer Of War / Venus, The Bringer Of Peace (Gustav Holst) The Planets 1976 Japan
Miles Davis What I Say Live Evil 1971 USA
The Flock Big Bird Dinosaur Swamps 1970 USA
 
 
The Firesign Theatre I Think We're All Bozos On This Bus (side 2) I Think We're All Bozos On This Bus 1971 USA
Cheech & Chong Pedro's Request / Framed Sleeping Beauty 1976 USA
 
 
Jackie Lomax (with George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and Eric Clapton) Sour Milk Sea (by George Harrison) A-side 7" single (Apple Records) 1968 UK
George Harrison (with Ringo or Paul on drums?) Party Secombe Wonderwall Music (Apple Records) 1968 UK
Leon Russell Beware Of Darkness (George Harrison) Leon Russell And The Shelter People 1971 USA
Sonny & Cher Something (live - Beatles / George Harrison) Live 1971 USA
   
  
Isaac Hayes
(20 Aug 1942 - 10 Aug 2008)		 Joy Blaxploitation - The Payback Volume 3
(various artists - full length version on Joy LP)		 1973 USA
          
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