Steely Dan - Can't Buy A Thrill (1972) Part 1 (Full Album)

Track List: 1-4

1. Steely Dan - Do It Again (0:00)
2. Steely Dan - Dirty Work (5:57)
3. Steely Dan - Kings (9:06)
4. Steely Dan - Midnight Cruiser (12:51)

Part 1.    • Steely Dan - Can't Buy A Thrill (1972...  
Part 2.    • Steely Dan - Can't Buy A Thrill (1972...  
Part 3.    • Steely Dan - Can't Buy A Thrill (1972...  

Can't Buy a Thrill Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine:
Walter Becker and Donald Fagen were remarkable craftsmen from the start, as Steely Dan's debut, Can't Buy a Thrill, illustrates. Each song is tightly constructed, with interlocking chords and gracefully interwoven melodies, buoyed by clever, cryptic lyrics. All of these are hallmarks of Steely Dan's signature sound, but what is most remarkable about the record is the way it differs from their later albums. Of course, one of the most notable differences is the presence of vocalist David Palmer, a professional blue-eyed soul vocalist who oversings the handful of tracks where he takes the lead. Palmer's very presence signals the one major flaw with the album -- in an attempt to appeal to a wide audience, Becker and Fagen tempered their wildest impulses with mainstream pop techniques. Consequently, there are very few of the jazz flourishes that came to distinguish their albums -- the breakthrough single, "Do It Again," does work an impressively tight Latin jazz beat, and "Reelin' in the Years" has jazzy guitar solos and harmonies -- and the production is overly polished, conforming to all the conventions of early-'70s radio. Of course, that gives these decidedly twisted songs a subversive edge, but compositionally, these aren't as innovative as their later work. Even so, the best moments ("Dirty Work," "Kings," "Midnight Cruiser," "Turn That Heartbeat Over Again") are wonderful pop songs that subvert traditional conventions and more than foreshadow the paths Steely Dan would later take.

A commercial success, in the United States Can't Buy a Thrill peaked at number 17 on the Billboard albums chart, bolstered by the popular singles "Do It Again" and "Reelin' In the Years", and was eventually certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. It was also met with positive reviews, and has appeared on many retrospective "greatest albums" lists, Rolling Stone magazine's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" (2003).

Personnel:
Jeff "Skunk" Baxter – guitar, pedal steel guitar, spoken Spanish (the end of track 5)
Walter Becker – electric bass guitar, co-lead vocals (10), backing vocals
Denny Dias – guitar, electric sitar
Donald Fagen – piano, electric piano, plastic organ (YC-30), lead vocals (all except 2,4,8), backing vocals
Jim Hodder – drums, percussion, lead vocals (4), backing vocals
David Palmer – lead vocals (2,8), co-lead vocals (5,9,10), backing vocals
Additional musicians
Elliott Randall – lead guitar (3,6)
Victor Feldman – percussion
Jerome Richardson – tenor saxophone (2)
Snooky Young – flugelhorn (2)
Clydie King, Sherlie Matthews, Venetta Fields – backing vocals (3,8)

Production:
Gary Katz – producer
Roger Nichols – engineer
Tim Weston – assistant engineer
Doug Sax – mastering engineer
Robert Lockart – cover design
Tristan Fabriani (Walter Becker & Donald Fagen) – liner notes