I love that album as well. Fagen’s lyrics are much less cynical than those of Walter Becker. Not that I have anything against cynicism. It was just different.
Well, a whole lot of Steely Dan’s songs are about drug use. We know that Becker struggled with addiction.
We don’t know for sure, but Fagen’s lyrics are unlike pretty much any Dan lyrics. Of course, he could have done that on purpose to suit the material that he wrote.
Critic Robert Palmer wrote that Becker was responsible for the ‘more sardonic’ elements of Steely Dan and contrasted them with the more ‘hopeful’ lyrics on ‘The Nightfly’.
Great album. I wore the grooves out on that one.
I love that album as well. Fagen’s lyrics are much less cynical than those of Walter Becker. Not that I have anything against cynicism. It was just different.
Do we know who wrote what on those SD songs?
Well, a whole lot of Steely Dan’s songs are about drug use. We know that Becker struggled with addiction.
We don’t know for sure, but Fagen’s lyrics are unlike pretty much any Dan lyrics. Of course, he could have done that on purpose to suit the material that he wrote.
Critic Robert Palmer wrote that Becker was responsible for the ‘more sardonic’ elements of Steely Dan and contrasted them with the more ‘hopeful’ lyrics on ‘The Nightfly’.