360 records from 2000: 32. Steely dan: Two against nature

Country: US
Artist: Duo
Career: recording since 1972
Language: English
Genre: Pop / Rock

This is one funny record about midlife crisis. As they put it in interviews at the time: ‘We discovered there wasn’t one midlife crisis, but an endless series of them.’ You could say that they came back even more cynical than before. Can one record contain so much cynicism? Well, things have changed, as even Dylan experienced, and in these times a record definitely can. This is that record. It’s not the Dan at peak performance, but it’s damn near close enough, and there is no one else to do it.

At its best: Janie runaway, Almost gothic, Cousin Dupree

Capsule review: Steely dan - The royal scam (1976)

Donald Fagen's name is misspelt on the back cover of my cd reissue. It's hard to believe it's not deliberate. Faultless, spotless productions about disillusionment and failure, but fun.
It's hard to say if I enjoy it. I just don't know.