STEELY DAN - PRETZEL LOGIC @ 50

 

Celebrating its 50th anniversary today is the third studio album from Steely Dan, Pretzel Logic, which was released on February 20th, 1974. Featuring the hit single, Rikki Don't Loose That Number, the album and single would re-establish the band as sophisticated hit makers after the disappointing performance of the previous album and singles.

By the time of their third LP, Steely Dan were evolving beyond the five piece touring band that had started out a few years earlier. Walter Becker & Donald Fagen were less interested in touring and the other regular members of the band were finding themselves marginalized as LA studio musicians were being brought in to help render the group's increasingly complex song arrangements. Indeed, the album would mark the end of Steely Dan as a functional touring band and put Becker and Fagen in place at its only consistent members going forward.

Musically, the duo were determined to reign in their excesses by cutting back on song lengths and soloing excursions. They were aiming to keep their forays into the more highbrow jazz influences constrained by the three minute pop format. The move managed to make the album more accessible, while still retaining their penchant for sophisticated, layered musical arrangements. The result was a concise, meticulously crafted example of mainstream friendly pop music that still contained the sophistication of its higher aspirations. Lyrically, Fagen was looking for a kind of suggestive vagueness that avoided explicit implications while still evoking an emotional resonance. Some people may have found that creative choice confusing, preferring to have their content laid out, plain and simple, but more adventurous listeners could appreciate the room for interpretation that was being created between the words.

As well as being a commercial success, the album was near universally praised by critics, topping numerous "best of" year end polls. Its legacy has secured it as essential listening for anyone seeking to explore the band's music. It is also a reminder that popularity need not come at the cost of intelligence and creative ambitions. That the band were able to top charts while building on complex, mature musical structures stands sharply in contrast to the computer generated disposable pop of the modern age.