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I had this album before but I lost it now is my chance to get a brand new copy pretzel logic is fantastic in my Steely Dan collection from the classic of Ricky Don't Lose That Number Night by night to Parker's band I also enjoyed through with Buzz one can never go wrong with Steely Dan
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
I used to listen to this in high school and it brought back great memories
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Pretzel logic, I guess the contorted SD psychotic version of a 'catch-22', is the third album release from the boys. This album was actually a very good mix of the styles of the 1st 2 albums and is to many SD fans a favorite. I would rank this somewhere in the middle, although even the album that somehow ends up at the bottom of my list is still up there with the greatest albums ever released. So, on to the music: RIKKI DON'T LOSE THAT NUMBER is SD's biggest hit, which doesn't really mean much of anything to Donald, Walter or their fans. It is about as pop as SD can get, but it is a good song nonetheless. NIGHT BY NIGHT gets back to the biting sarcasm and cynical stereotyping of society; the song begins, "It's a beggars life, said the Queen of Spain, But don't tell it to a poor man, 'Cause he's got to kill for every thrill, The best he can", and that about sums up that. The boys are ripping on the well to do, the 'let them eat cake types' that control the world; how SD remained so unaffected after a decade in the business is beyond me, but they remain so to this day, they do their own thing. ANY MAJOR DUDE WILL TELL YOU is a good little diddy, soft and smooth, with good background instrumentals that hold the jazz sound solid. BARRYTOWN is a tune about a sect of zealots that were identifiable by the papers they carried and sold; I took this as a statement about everyone, however. They seem to be saying that if someone can see you coming from a mile away, you might want to change your process, change your deal, change your life; a fun song, more blues than jazz or rock, mainly guitar based. PARKER'S BAND, a tribute to one of Donald and Walter's inspirations/idols, Charlie Parker. Now, if you say Charlie who?, you really need to get in touch with the sounds that affected and ultimately influenced and created SD and Charlie Parker and his crew were a big part of that; this is a jazz tribute, pure and simple. THROUGH WITH BUZZ seems to be a quick witted jab at a friend who's playing a girlfriend, replete with desperate insults and pathetic poor me's; the tune is hot, soft and ominous, almost eerie. The title track, PRETZEL LOGIC, is an exercise in circular relativism. Seems like a 6 degrees of seperation type of tune only with concepts instead of people, everything comes back to center at one point or another; with no true verse, chorus or bridge, this is a really entertaining and original piece. WITH A GUN is upbeat on the musical side and depressing as hell on the lyrics. Just more proof that SD can pull from the headlines as easily as they can from their own twisted world. Now, my favorite tracks from this album are the last two. CHARLIE FREAK is about a guy that is so strung out he sells his only possession to score a hit and when the hit goes wrong, the singer returns the ring out of guilt, to the morgue. Depressing as all get out, but a catchy jazz/blues tune with great guitar work. MONKEY IN YOUR SOUL is funky as hell, a musical piece of heaven, with lyrics that seem to point at the big boys of the record industry and pulls the trigger. A great song. So, there you have it, and as usual, with any review of SD, I offer a piece of obligatory advice; if you wanna be a danfan, it's all in or all out, so the rule of thumb when it comes to music is IF IT'S STEELY DAN, BUY IT. PERIOD.Read full review
This is one of my favorite Steely Dan albums, mainly because of the title tune and another number, "Charlie Freak". Many of the original songs have a gritty urban feel to the lyrics, and I love their cover tribute to Duke Ellington. Long before I was into music, "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo" signaled the beginning of the Saturday afternoon Dr. Creep Show, a local Dayton television station's horror-fest. Good times. So much for my personal memories. This album incorporated the assistance of many excellent studio musicians, the first time Becker and Fagan relied on them to such an extent. The result is a richer, more "professional" sound that fleshes out the fusion concept and makes it a thoroughly enjoyable listen.
Bought CD for one song. Do not like the others. May appeal to some if you are just into Steely Dan. Does not contain hits
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
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