RIKKI DON'T LOOSE THAT NUMBER

I have enjoyed the music of STEELY DAN since my teenage years (80's) without ever having considered them a prog or fusion band. I'd rather call it intelligent, jazzy pop. This doesn't mean I'd have anything in the world against them being in the Archives, and I know they are usually very highly respected by prog listeners. But there may be a difference in my Steely Dan liking compared to the proggers in general; I'm not so fond of their earliest, edgier albums such as Can't Buy a Thrill (1972) or Countdown to Ecstasy (1973), instead I prefer the poppier and lighter sounding albums that came after Pretzel Logic (1974), e.g. The Royal Scam, Aja and Gaucho, which many proggers probably find too commercial and easy.

That said, it comes as no surprise that 'Rikki Don't Lose That Number' is one of my favourite SD songs. It's very catchy on the chorus and it makes you feel happy, but it's oh so clever and charming. Somehow the certain soft sounds in this song make me think of the Peanuts animation films...?

It's originally the opening track of Pretzel Logic, and from the same album comes also the less catchy and less melodic 'Any Major Dude Will Tell You' that's put on the B-side of this single. (I don't know why in 1979 they released five years old material.)