Kids if You Want Some Fun...
Written: May 18 '04 (Updated Jun 24 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Any World, Black Friday, Bad Sneakers, Rose Darling, Your Gold Teeth
Cons: Daddy Don't Live In That New York City No More
The Bottom Line: Steely's Fourth Release is stellar.
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| scapp70's Full Review: Katy Lied - Steely Dan Movies |
Katy Lied is Steely Dan's fourth release. This album was originally issued on March 9th, 1975. Where were you? I was just four years old, I was probably getting into trouble. Years later though, I discovered that this is my second favorite Steely album, second only to the masterful Aja.
Katy Lied did well. In the pop album charts it hit a high of #13, and the album went Platinum in the month of blank.
Steely Dan obviously tries to produce a single for the radio on this release. The longest song is only 4:12, and for Steely Dan that's short. They produced only one top 40 single from this album from a source of many eligible songs that were not chosen for a single for some reason or another.
Black Friday is the first single from this album, and it reached a respectable #37 on the single charts, a top 40 is good enough. This is another one of those heavier rock songs that Steely is so good at and that were very prominent on there first three albums.
The next song, Bad Sneakers on the other hand is the total opposite. It is a relaxed jazzy-mood tempo. I love the way that Donald Fagen would record harmonies with himself. His voice produces such a great affect, but here for the first time Michael McDonald can be heard singing the background vocals. Michael McDonald adds such a different tone to Steely songs.
Rose Darling is another rock-jazz mix that is so catchy, with hypnotizing vocals during the chorus. Although, Steely Dan as a rule it seems, tend to write cryptic lyrics. I can't understand fully what these lyrics mean either, but even so, they are sometimes very poignant:
♫"Rose darling come to me
The clock is close at hand
All my empty words of love
Can never screen the flash I feel
Or make you understand
Honey can't you see
I know it's real it's got to be
Why not chase it where it goes".♫
Dr. Wu shows the height of Steely Dan's song writing maturity level, as this song in my opinion, is at the as of then current height. This has that Steely Dan brand of city jazz that they perform so perfectly. On a side note, these lyrics are the reason for the CD's title.
♫"Katy lies
You could see it in her eyes
But imagine my surprise
When I saw you"♫
Everyone's Gone To The Movies has got a Caribbean feel with its steel drums and choppy guitar accents. I personally prefer the demo version of this song available in the Steely box set, Citizen Dan.
Your Gold Teeth II is a remake from their third album Pretzel Logic. This version is much more upbeat, sunny and fun.
My favorite song on this CD is Any World (That I'm Welcome To). It's a soft rock song, and the chorus speaks to me as I love the lyrics.
♫"Honey I will be there...
Any world that I'm welcome to
Is better than the one I come from"♫
The only song that bores me is Daddy Don't Live In That New York City No More. The lyrics are good, even though there is a double negative in the song's title. It has a very bluesy beat, with those bluesy hammer-ons that tend to get annoying. It's not a bad song, but still the only downer for me.
The award for smoothest song goes to Chain Lightning. This song is so cool, it's my second favorite here. The beat has that smooth relaxed feel, and Donald's vocals really were right on target here.
CD Rating: 5 stars
Tracks:
1. Black Friday
2. Bad Sneakers
3. Rose Darling
4. Daddy Don't Live In That New York City No More
5. Doctor Wu
6. Everyone's Gone To The Movies
7. Your Gold Teeth II
8. Chain Lightning
9. Any World (That I'm Welcome To)
10. Throw Back The Little Ones
Musicians:
Walter Becker: Bass, Guitars
Donald Fagen: Lead Vocal, Keyboards
Hal Blaine: drums
Larry Carlton: guitar
Rick Derringer: guitar
Denny Dias: guitar
Wilton Felder: bass
Victor Feldman: percussion and vibes
Jim Haskell: horn arrangements
Hugh McCracken: guitar
Myrna Matthews: backing vocals
Sherlie Matthews: backing vocals
Michael McDonald: backing vocals
Michael Omartian: keyboards
David Paich: keyboards
Dean Parks: guitar
Jeff Porcaro: drums, dorophone
Chuck Rainey: bass
Elliot Randall: guitar
Carolyn Willis: backing vocals
Phil Woods: alto sax
Side note: What does the cover of this album mean? I mean, what am I looking at?
Recommended:
Yes
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scapp70
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Member: Michael Scapp
Location: NYC
Reviews written: 466
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