Can't Buy a Thrill, Steely Dan, 1972, :40
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
This debut is one of the only albums left from their 70s run that I hadn't listened to in its entirety, and often (the other being, I think, Katy Lied). It's weird hearing that one-shot singer on a few of these tracks, before Fagan decided he wasn't too shy to sing. Other than that, this is all glossy pop, jazz flourishes, and cryptic lyrics, Steely Dan as usual. "Kings" is a fairly subtle dig at Richard Nixon ("we've seen the last of good King Richard") and "Only a Fool Would Say That' mocks the optimism of John Lennon and his '60s ilk. But "Dirty Work" is as pop as pop gets, so there's a sort of balancing act between the subversion and commercial success here. Favorite tracks: "Reelin' in the Years," "Do It Again," "Midnight Cruiser."
