LP #27 Steely Dan – Countdown To Ecstasy (1973)

I have to admit that, when it comes to Steely Dan, I basically punted when it came time to put together my original list of favorite albums. There were two or three that could have found their way onto my list, but I was never able to choose among them. (I consoled myself with the fact that Donald Fagen’s first solo effort, Nightfly, did finish in the runner-up spot.)

 

I own each of the 7 albums that the duo released before going their separate ways on vinyl. Instead of repurchasing them individually on CD, I sprang for the Citizen Steely Dan boxed set, which spreads those albums, along with a handful of odds and ends, over 4 discs. As it happened, everything from Countdown To Ecstasy except for the final two tracks was on Disc 1, while one of my all-time favorite Steely Dan songs was pushed onto the second CD. Had I not forgotten that “King Of The World” was on this album, it may well have made it into my initial set of faves.

 

Favorite tracks:

 

My Old School  

King Of The World

Show Biz Kids

Bodhisattva

Razor Boy