Title: Disappointment with a few highlights
Product review: "Disappointment compared to all of the Dan's other studio output. This CD is flat-out boring. There isn't a single tune in here that has the same individuality as almost anything else Steely Dan ever did. Every tune is a loping mid-tempo beat, with wordy lyrics and extremely annoying vocals. Not a decent groove in the bunch. Walter Becker's guitar solos are all eighth-note wonders with no particular distinction. He's improved in the ten or so years between Dan albums, just not enough to make a convincing front-line guitarist in the Dan tradition. Great studio production can't make up for mediocre, enervated songwriting. The exception is the mid-tempo number (again) "Jack of Speed" which was basically the breakout hit off this disc, and which I covered in a band once. Good song. I'm glad they're back, but I wish they'd get their harmonic edge back.
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