Katy Lied

by

Steely Dan

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By 1975, Steely Dan had abandoned touring and reconvened in L.A. to wring songs of confusion, loss, mayhem, and strange lust out of a new Bosendorfer and some ace studio musicians. The cryptic lyrics of such songs as "Dr Wu," and "Rose Darling" shimmer as in a dream amongst the syncopation and searing guitar work (just who is Snake Mary?). Although these are all rock songs, they are arranged and played in a jazz idiom for the backing tracks, giving Steely Dan their unique soundworld.

Walter Becker and Donald Fagan's talents begin to bloom here. Freed from the grind of touring that wore down so many bands with potential, they could concentrate on their neurotic perfectionism and create recorded music that is both clear and deep.

This reissue sparkles, the musical layers in relief, the sneer and terror in Donald Fagan's voice ringing over the snap and smear of Michael Omartian's dynamic pianism. Donald Fagan and David Paitch contribute keyboards of various types throughout, always to good effect. Larry Carlton, Denny Dias, Rick Derringer, Dean Parks, Hugh McCracken, and Walter Becker contribute the excellent guitar work.

The album begins with an ominous song of dread, "Black Friday," whose existance might alone justify the invention of the electric piano, if that invention might need to be justified.

The big Bosendorfer powers the next cut, the classic "Bad Sneakers," a tale of exile and aimlessness in the big city. Michael McDonald's back-up vocals of "Goin' insane" give the song some bluesy atmosphers, while the nearly whimsical guiter solo over some nice piano chops belies the seriousness of the song's existential dilemma.

And of course, certainly one of the 10 best Steely Dan songs, "Dr. Wu," a Miami Beach epic of the love jones and Asian physicians. Once again the piano strikes like a bell, and Porcarco's minimal percussion on the verse ticks like a bomb. Fagan's lament for his lost and future love murders me still, as it killed me back in 1977. Phil Woods takes this song into the stratosphere with an alto saxophone solo few could match; consider how well this solo works in the context of the music and the lyrics compared to the clumsliness with which most solos intrude on other songs.

Katy Lied, indeed. Like a fresh morning breeze on a summer day that carries the portent of pain and a lonely night. In short, a masterpiece.

Katy Lied could have been the greatest album that Steely Dan ever recorded. After all, it represented a considerable refinement over Pretzel Logic in terms of songwriting. "Bad Sneakers", "Rose Darling", the fabulous "Doctor Wu" are standouts, and the musicianship is typically top-notch. The songs are more interesting melodically and lyrically than Pretzel Logic without any trace of the self-conscious brilliance that (slightly, IMO) marred Aja and totally ruined Gaucho. BUT (there's always a but)...

The sound on this album just doesn't sparkle. A faulty noise reduction system caused a problem during the mastering process which led to the cymbal sounds becoming slightly clipped. This doesn't sound like the end of the world but when you listen to it alongside the Royal Scam the difference is plain. In the latter the drums lend every track a sense of urgency and bite which is noticeably absent when listening to Katy Lied. Certainly on Katy Lied the songs are generally a little more pastoral and reflective than the cynical anger of the Royal Scam, but this doesn't account for the way I feel when I'm listening to this album nowadays. It just feels a bit limp and uninspired. I'm actually bored by it.

Successive masters have to a certain extent improved matters, but as yet nobody has managed to recapture what the album should have been. Of course despite my reservations regarding the sound quality some tracks are indispensible, such as those I mention above. But others sound like filler, and I don't think the songwriting is at fault. On a highly melodic track like "Doctor Wu" you can get away with a sub-standard drum track, but "Chain Lightning" and "Black Friday" need the song to motor along. Listen to "The Fez" on the Royal Scam album- not everyone's favorite but it stands up a lot better than many on this album on the strength of its groove alone.

We Dan fans will already have this album, so we can but hope for a remaster which makes this sound like it should have done back in the Seventies when some hapless individual ruined the original master. In the meantime those of you trying to find out what its all about would be better with "Pretzel Logic" if you prefer a more pop-song sound or "Royal Scam" for the more biting, jazzier sound of Becker & Fagen.