GAUCHO

It was 1980 and my girlfriend at the time was sitting right up next to me on the old Holden ( HT model) bench seat and what comes on the radio but Steely Dan singing Hey Nineteen the single off their new album Gaucho.I was horrified not because they were on the radio but for me then when I was 21 I thought what happened. Gone was any thing that resembled the bands music form early days and I thought this is too slick for its own good but over time I have grown to actually love the album but back then I said "see ya later" to the Dan and could someone please put on Bruce Springsteen in the car cassette.

Around the late nineties I actually purchased the album primarily it was in the bargain bin and even though I disliked the single and Babylon Sister there must be a couple of good tracks,it is Steely Dan. Well you betcha there was and that was called Gaucho once again the tilte track grabbed a hold of me and that was that, they were back and for me in the entirety. They had a dispute over the song writing of the tune and the album was plagued with Personal problems and Techinical as well. One completed track was practically erased by mistake and was dumped. Donald Fagen was not happy.

As you may have read my feelings on the first two tracks well I have grown to like them since and both really set the feeling for this album with funk influence but the 4th track Gaucho is maybe their best song, writing dispute or not that the Dan ever did. Glamour Profession is one great number as well Mark Knopfler makes an appearance in the following track Time Out of Mind and the core of the album seems to be within these three tracks.

With a cast of Jazz musicians and anybody else who worked in session music Steely Dan did it again but It was a long time coming for me.