EVERYTHING MUST GO

Everything Must Go is the ninth and for now last studio album from US pop/ rock act Steely Dan. Three years have passed since their comeback album Two Against Nature. I didn´t much enjoy Two Against Nature even though it had its moments and I can´t say it´s gotten better with Everything Must Go. On the contrary.

The music is still laidback jazzy pop/ rock but this time totally without bite and attitude. None of the songs stand out IMO and Steely Dan´s music is almost reduced to easy listening background music. There are a few parts here and there that is out of the ordinary compared to other pop/ rock artists but that doesn´t neccessarely make the music on Everything Must Go much better than your average pop/ rock act.

The musicianship is excellent as always but we´ve gotten use to that by now, so no extra plusses there.

The production reminds me of the sound on Two Against Nature and of course it´s excellent but again this is not where they need to improve.

The songwriting is below average compared to other releases from the band and it´s obvious why Steely Dan hasn´t released anything in the last 5-6 years. They simply don´t have more to offer. A very weak release from a once interesting act. 2 stars is deserved.

My conclusion after reviewing all studio albums from Steely Dan is that Countdown to Ecstasy ( 1973), The Royal Scam ( 1976) and Aja ( 1977) are the three albums for progheads to get if they have any interest in trying out Steely Dan. I find those three albums great allthough not excellent. Just remember that Steely Dan is in the Crossover catagory for a reason. Their music is only borderline progressive, so don´t expect anything else. Personally I´m very happy that I took my time to listen to Steely Dan´s discography and widen my horizon a bit.