Today we have Steely Dan's third studio album Pretzel Logic. Released in 1974, the album was widely praised by critics and, with two hit singles, was a commercial success. With only two songs over 4 minutes long, the songs have fewer instrumental breaks and the album is only 33 minutes long. The album is the first to feature Walter Becker on electric guitar instead of bass.
Where Can't Buy a Thrill was a bit all over the place--the three different singers didn't help with that in retrospect--and Countdown to Ecstasy was Steely Dan without time to perfectly polish their songs--no one would ever notice without listening to this album of course--, Pretzel Logic is Steely Dan at their most pure and focused, without impurities or fat in songs, but also at their most fun. "Parker's Band" is dedicated entirely to convincing people to listen to jazz musician Charlie Parker, the band covers the instrumental "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo," written by some of their jazz heroes, and I'm sure they enjoyed writing "Any Major Dude Will Tell You." Steely Dan makes room for some tragic lyrics too like "Charlie Freak," where a homeless man sells his gold ring for drugs, which he overdoses on, but as always, thematically, they aren't without purpose. I'm sure the lyrics on "Pretzel Logic" aren't without purpose either, but I still haven't figured out what they mean. A [Later: A+]
