Another week, another Steely Dan record (and I have several more!). Two albums into their discography, I think it is safe to say that I like this band quite a bit. Their sound is on the verge of being the same as all the faceless 70s soft-rock LPs I own, but their taste and professionalism always ensures that their songs sound classy instead of slick, interesting instead of generic. I don't like Katy Lied quite as much as I did Countdown to Ecstasy, as the solo instrumental passages weren't as consistently enthralling, nor the proceedings as diverse, but I am comfortable saying that this is still a very good and creative album. And with lyrics like those to "Everyone's Gone to the Movies" (about an old man showing porn to kids), one can even think of as Steely Dan as an early trial run for the postmodern approach of Ween - working firmly within radio-friendly musical forms with lyrics that belie what is coming out of the speakers. Of course, Ween perfected that approach and went far more extreme with it, so perhaps it's best to just focus on the admirable music and consistent songwriting.
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