Set Lists

1973

Countdown to Ecstasy review

Steely Dan's follow-up to their debut album Can't Buy a Thrill is quite strong. It includes a variety of musical styles from song to song and often within the same track. The musical genres they hit include country, hard rock, jazz, pop, and blues. While, they are most successful here with rock, they begin to explore more sophisticated jazz inferences that became more prevalent in their later albums. 

The track "Boston Rag" is a nice ballad with successful use of acoustic guitars; while "Pearl of the Quarter," is country influenced; and they use pedal steel on "Razor Boy." Their attempt to stretch out is exhibited in "Your Gold Teeth," but Dan is no jam band.

Countdown to Ecstasy's best tracks are those with a rock tone. The albums opening track, "Bodhisattva" gets things off to a energetic pace. The superb track "Show Biz Kids" has both blues and rock inferences. It  features great slide guitar, and excellent use of complementary background vocals. The song "My Old School" has extremely tight musicianship throughout with the drummers holding the beat while keeping in lockstep through the numerous solos whether with the guitar, keyboards, trumpets, or saxophone. The instrument sections offer delicious soloing as the musicians trade riffs resulting in the dynamics of the song shifting from rock to pop to jazz to blues and back. Really a well crafted song, one of Steely Dan's best. 

Countdown to Ecstasy is a solid album and like most Steely Dan albums is a great listen.  by Barry Small ©
Grade  A -

1. Bodhisattva (Becker / Fagen) - 5:16
2. Razor Boy (Becker / Fagen) - 4:10
3. The Boston Rag (Becker / Fagen) - 5:48
4. Your Gold Teeth (Becker / Fagen) - 6:45
5. Show Biz Kids (Becker / Fagen) - 5:21
6. My Old School (Becker / Fagen) - 4:46
7. Pearl of the Quarter (Becker / Fagen) - 3:55
8. King of the World (Becker / Fagen) - 5:03

Donald Fagen - Keyboards, Vocals 
Walter Becker - Bass, Guitar, Vocals 

Additional Musicians:  
Rick Derringer - Guitar
Jeff Baxter - Guitar, Pedal Steel
Ben Benay - Guitar
Denny Diaz - Guitar
Ray Brown - Bass
Victor Feldman - Percussion, Keyboards
David Palmer - Keyboards, Background vocals 
John Rotella - Saxophone
Ernie Watts - Saxophone
Bill Perkins - Saxophone
Lanny Morgan - Saxophone
Michael Fennelly - Background vocals 
Pam Hall - Background vocals 
Patricia Hall - Background vocals 
Jim Hodder - Percussion, Drums, Background vocals 
Royce Jones - Background vocals 
Myrna Matthews - Background vocals 
Sherlie Mathews - Background vocals 
Shirley Matthews - Background vocals 
James Rolleston - Background vocals