Steely Dan - Alive in America (11 tracks) +Album Reviews +Used CD available for Swap

A Studio Band Shines on Stage

Michael J Edelman | Huntington Woods, MI USA | 05/12/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This record seems to be a litmus test for some listeners- particularly those who cannot bear hearing a band peform a tune any way other than *exactly* as they did on the record. That group will be severely dissapointed; Becker and Fagin are first and formost jazzers, and on this album they flex their jazz chops to bring some new color and style to their best known songs."Reelin' in the Years" is probably the cut that will bug the inflexible listeners the most; gone is that classic (Elliot Easton?) guitar riff, replaced by a horn section, and at a slower tempo, too. But it still swings, in a more sophisticated way. The first time I heard it I thought gee, they've taken away the best part of the tune, but now it's my favorite cut on the album."Babylon Sisters" is perhaps the closest to the recorded arrangement, but it too benifits from a slightly slower tempo and a jazzier feel. "Green Earrings" is still the ultimate in cool hipster music, and "Boddhisatva" loses nothing, even without the original guitar pyrotechnics.In fact, the entire album swings in a way no Steely Dan studio album ever did. I love it."

What a Find!

Connery | FL, USA | 04/13/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I was looking around in a used music shop for some Donald Fagan albums a couple of months ago when I happened upon this little gem. Being a devoted Steely Dan fan, I decided to give it a try, and boy am I glad I did. I've now listened to it a number of times and it just gets better every time I hear it. That cool, jazzy sound that is inevitably Steely Dan is wonderfully accomodating for a live album such as this, with subtle variations on old favorites like "Reelin' In The Years", and a delightfully spontaneous drum solo in "Josie". Steely Dan generates a cool energy for this live album, and Walter Becker proves that Fagen is not the only one who can tear the roof off the sucker in his vocal performance of "Book Of Liars", my personal favorite.

This album is not just for the hardcore Steely Dan listeners. I would recomend it to anyone brand new to the funky, arcanic world of Steely Dan. And for those who already own every album, well, you can never have too much Steely Dan. A welcome new addition to any collection"

Excellent

True Faithe | East Coast | 05/10/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This CD captures the skill and talent of Steely Dan and the band members in their mastery of their instruments. Very entertaining to listen to and compare with their studio works. The only reason I gave it a 4 star is not enough songs. They could have added more since it was a compilation of their live performance over a period of time."

Nice but short...

dvdtrkr | San Diego CA | 02/10/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I think that they should have had Denny Dias and Jeff Baxter play at some of the shows to capture the early flavor of their sound versus revamping as many bands do due to playing it for years (there are tapes from radio concerts in the early 70s out there), some of the original session musicians from the later albums, and presented it on 2 CDs because a lot is missing from it."

Excellent tracklist, solid production

FloydWaters | 08/11/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Although it isn't perfect, I'd say this is one of the better live albums I've heard. Yes, it might have been nice to capture some more of the banter between the band and the audience, but the factor I'm most interested in is the music--and that they do well indeed. At least the hilarious, intentionally irritating liner notes do a bit to capture the off-the-wall personality of the band, including snippets of the touring musicians' concert and travel experiences, among other things. The cover art is even a bit amusing--given that neither subject is "alive", or should be!The tracklist was definitely well chosen, although I didn't really appreciate it until I actually listened to the album the whole way through. Some of the songs were not the ones I would have chosen for the CD, such as "Sign In Stranger"--and yet how well they turn out! My favorite tracks were the ones from Aja and The Royal Scam, and I was very glad to see them willing to venture into this material.I also thought the vocals were excellent--Donald Fagen is someone who handles live performance as well as studio work, and sounds just as good either way. You won't have to worry about being disappointed--his voice is just as clear as ever. Mr. Fagen isn't the only good singer with Steely Dan, however. Walter Becker does a very nice job with "Book of Liars". I must applaud the band for the placement of this song midway through the album--it serves as a very interesting break. Even though Donald Fagen is the traditional voice of Steely Dan perhaps Mr. Becker should feel free to use his voice a bit more frequently; he's good at it!The songs chosen, for the most part, were well-suited to live performance, and lost little in the transfer. Part of this is because Steely Dan does not overencumber itself in studio effects that cannot be replicated in a live setting. The only case where this happens is the very end of "Aja", where there was no effort to replicate the jaw-dropping synth effects, and that is one of the two reasons I couldn't award this album a 5th star. The second problem in my mind is the fact that they changed the pitch of "Josie". Yes, in its original pitch it's a bit close to "Green Earrings", but those who are musically sensitive may be thrown off at first by the change.Overall, this is a solid live production with few flaws, that gets a good deal of playing time from me when I get in a Steely Dan mood."

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