GAUCHO

Steely Dan's Aja was such a stunning album it would obviously be hard to follow. But Gaucho was hardly a let down for fans. It was similar to Aja, but not the same. The songs and playing are great, though the mood is a bit darker. There's the obvious Becker and Fagen ability to take commonplace subject matter and make it a bit surreal. My favourite tune here is Glamour Profession, though it doesn't show up on the multitude of Steely Dan collections. If you're a bass player you'll love Anthony Jackson's groove on the song, and it's a great workout for technique. The song fades out on a Steve Khan guitar solo that seems like it could float on forever. Great jazz fusion! Steely Dan broke up (for a few years) after Gaucho. But Donald Fagen's solo album The Nightfly was a good followup, also produced by Steely Dan producer Gary Katz.