Product Description

Talk about reeling in the years! The first Steely Dan recording in 15 years is culled from their series of sold-out concerts in 1993 and 1994.
No Track Information Available
Media Type: CD
Artist: STEELY DAN
Title: ALIVE IN AMERICA
Street Release Date: 10/17/1995
Domestic
Genre: ROCK/POP

Track Listing

1. Babylon Sisters
2. Green Earrings
3. Bodhisattva
4. Reelin' in the Years
5. Josie
6. Book of Liars
7. Peg
8. Third World Man
9. Kid Charlemagne
10. Sign in Stranger
11. Aja

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15566 in Music
• Brand: STEELY DAN
• Released on: 1995-10-17
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Live
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

Amazon.com
The eagerly awaited return of the Becker/Fagan axis was widely viewed as an anticlimax in concert, and the same faults that dogged these 1993/94 tour dates--predictable repertoire, play-it-safe arrangements--are reprised here. It's fine as a tour memento, but these dozen classics sound tired and lackluster next to their still-potent studio counterparts. Nice choice, though, as an Christmas present for the pony-tailed dad on junior's shopping list. --Jeff Bateman

Customer Reviews

A Studio Band Shines on Stage
This record seems to be a litmus test for some listeners- particularly those who cannot bear hearing a band peform a tune any way other than *exactly* as they did on the record. That group will be severely dissapointed; Becker and Fagin are first and formost jazzers, and on this album they flex their jazz chops to bring some new color and style to their best known songs.

"Reelin' in the Years" is probably the cut that will bug the inflexible listeners the most; gone is that classic (Elliot Easton?) guitar riff, replaced by a horn section, and at a slower tempo, too. But it still swings, in a more sophisticated way. The first time I heard it I thought gee, they've taken away the best part of the tune, but now it's my favorite cut on the album.

"Babylon Sisters" is perhaps the closest to the recorded arrangement, but it too benifits from a slightly slower tempo and a jazzier feel. "Green Earrings" is still the ultimate in cool hipster music, and "Boddhisatva" loses nothing, even without the original guitar pyrotechnics.

In fact, the entire album swings in a way no Steely Dan studio album ever did. I love it.

What a Find!
I was looking around in a used music shop for some Donald Fagan albums a couple of months ago when I happened upon this little gem. Being a devoted Steely Dan fan, I decided to give it a try, and boy am I glad I did. I've now listened to it a number of times and it just gets better every time I hear it. That cool, jazzy sound that is inevitably Steely Dan is wonderfully accomodating for a live album such as this, with subtle variations on old favorites like "Reelin' In The Years", and a delightfully spontaneous drum solo in "Josie". Steely Dan generates a cool energy for this live album, and Walter Becker proves that Fagen is not the only one who can tear the roof off the sucker in his vocal performance of "Book Of Liars", my personal favorite.
This album is not just for the hardcore Steely Dan listeners. I would recomend it to anyone brand new to the funky, arcanic world of Steely Dan. And for those who already own every album, well, you can never have too much Steely Dan. A welcome new addition to any collection

Excellent
This CD captures the skill and talent of Steely Dan and the band members in their mastery of their instruments. Very entertaining to listen to and compare with their studio works. The only reason I gave it a 4 star is not enough songs. They could have added more since it was a compilation of their live performance over a period of time.