Steely Dan is an American music group famous for fusing rock with jazz with outstanding results. In 1974, the founding members Donald Fagen (vocals, keyboards) and Walter Becker (bass, guitar, vocals) decided to quit touring and focus solely on their career in the recording studio.

In 1980, they released their last album of that era Gaucho, and then called it quits despite the album having a Top ten status and reaching platinum sales. The band officially had broken up in 1981, and the split lasted 12 years. In 1993, an all inclusive CD Box set, Citizen Steely Dan was released to commemorate the reunion of Steely Dan and surprisingly, the announcement of upcoming tour dates. Fans of the band thought the chance to see the band perform live had been 20 years gone, and this was a huge turn of events indeed.

The band recorded their shows, and this CD, Alive In America is the first album of "new" material from the band in fourteen years, even if all of it is old material. Alive In America is the souvenir album from their reunion tour, and it permeates the air with sound waves that illustrate how Steely Dan sound in the 90s, just in case you pondered this.

The opening track, Babylon Sisters answers the question, How would Steely Dan would sound in the 90s? with a dismal response - old and tired. The key sounds lowered, and Donald Fagen's vocal lack the presence of the original recording from 1980's Gaucho album. It just seems to make the song sound feeble despite a cool sax solo from Bob Sheppard. Each song is taken from a different concert. Green Earrings is from a September California date, and the band sound great. Again, it's Donald Fagen's unenthused vocal which just depresses this once great jazz/funk track. The piano solo from W.B. Bernhardt is a wonderful highlight from a new jam section thrown into the updated arrangement.

Bodhisattva shows the entire band in lively form, taken from a concert in Detroit. The solos are different in this live version from the original studio recording. The Citizen Steely Dan Orchestra show that they're here to rock as well as lay down the smooth jazz grooves in this huge audience pleaser. That is except when it comes to Reelin' in the Years. This was once one of Steely's straight ahead rock songs, in Donald Fagen and Walter Becker's mind this jazz fusion overhaul of the entire song is a facelift, but most fans would be quick to reject the bastardization of the classic, I know I do.
The inclusion of a Walter Becker solo effort Book of Liars is mind boggling. Both Donald Fagen and Walter Becker had worked on and loved the album 11 Tracks of Whack from Walter Becker, but this bluesy track brings the flow and mood even lower.

A highlight is Peg, taken from the same show as Bodhisattva. The song, originally from 1978's Aja, is very energetic, Donald Fagen sounds very in to it and excited to play. I am beginning to see a pattern here but again, taken from the Detroit show, Kid Charlemagne sounds fresh and lively as well. Charlemagne really shows off bass player Tom Barney's chops. Here we go again, but Sign In Stranger is also taken from the same show in Detroit, and this must have been one of the best shows on their reunion tour, because the band just sounds awesome. Sign in Stranger stays faithful to the original Royal Scam version while subtle new arrangements from Fagen and Becker finally do the song justice.

To listen to the album as a whole in the same fashion as a fan, like me for instance, would do with one of their original studio albums seems to drain the spirit a bit more. Alive In America would serve best as background atmosphere for dinner rather than a CD you would take in your car and drive. I think the irony of an album that's called Alive In America would be illustrated with two dead people on the cover, yet it actually sort of sums up the CD pretty well. Steely Dan for the most part does not sound like the lively bunch from the 70s with a line-up which included Jeff "Skunk" Baxter and Denny Dias. Now it sounds like the New Jersey founders Becker and Fagen have mellowed and resigned to a life of joints and some sushi.





Steely Dan
Alive in America
Length: 66:36
Released: 10/17/1995
the songs
1. Babylon Sisters
2. Green Earrings
3. Bodhisattva
4. Reelin' In the Years
5. Josie
6. Book of Liars
7. Peg
8. Third World Man
9. Kid Charlemagne
10. Sign In Stranger
11. Aja


Can't Buy A Thrill
Countdown To Ecstasy
Pretzel Logic
Katy Lied
The Royal Scam
Aja
Gaucho (SACD)


This is a partof my list The Best Damn Live Albums Ever.

Recommended: Yes