Can't Buy a Thrill became an unexpected hit, and as a response, Donald Fagen became the group's full-time lead vocalist, and he and Walter Becker acted like Steely Dan was a rock & roll band for the group's second album, Countdown to Ecstasy.
The loud guitars and pronounced backbeat of "Bodhisattva," "Show Biz Kids," and "My Old School" camouflage the fact that Countdown is a riskier album, musically speaking, than its predecessor.
Each of its eight songs have sophisticated, jazz-inflected interludes, and apart from the bluesy vamps "Bodhisattva" and "Show Biz Kids," which sound like they were written for the stage, the songs are subtly textured.
"Razor Boy," with its murmuring vibes, and the hard bop tribute "Your Gold Teeth" reveal Becker and Fagen's jazz roots, while the country-flavored "Pearl of the Quarter" and the ominous, skittering "King of the World" are both overlooked gems.
Countdown to Ecstasy is the only time Steely Dan played it relatively straight, and its eight songs are rich with either musical or lyrical detail that their album rock or art rock contemporaries couldn't hope to match.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BodhisattvaWalter Becker, Donald Fagen | Steely Dan | Play | 05:19 | 12 MB | 35 MB |
| 2 | Razor BoyWalter Becker, Donald Fagen | Steely Dan | Play | 03:11 | 7 MB | 19 MB |
| 3 | The Boston RagWalter Becker, Donald Fagen | Steely Dan | Play | 05:39 | 12 MB | 35 MB |
| 4 | Your Gold TeethWalter Becker, Donald Fagen | Steely Dan | Play | 06:59 | 15 MB | 43 MB |
| 5 | Show Biz KidsWalter Becker, Donald Fagen | Steely Dan | Play | 05:26 | 12 MB | 35 MB |
| 6 | My Old SchoolWalter Becker, Donald Fagen | Steely Dan | Play | 05:48 | 13 MB | 35 MB |
| 7 | Pearl of the QuarterWalter Becker, Donald Fagen | Steely Dan | Play | 03:49 | 8 MB | 22 MB |
| 8 | King of the WorldWalter Becker, Donald Fagen | Steely Dan | Play | 05:00 | 11 MB | 31 MB |
| 41 mins | 94 MB | |||||
| 41 mins | 259 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeff Baxter | Guitar, Guitar (Steel), Member of Attributed Artist, Pedal Steel, Pedal Steel Guitar |
| 2 | Walter Becker | Bass, Bass Instrument, Composer, Guitar, Guitar (Bass), Harmonica, Liner Notes, Member of Attributed Artist, Reissue Producer, Vocals |
| 3 | Ben Benay | Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic) |
| 4 | Ray Brown | Bass, String Bass |
| 5 | Ed Caraeff | Photography |
| 6 | Rick Derringer | Engineer, Guest Artist, Guitar, Slide Guitar |
| 7 | Denny Dias | Guitar, Member of Attributed Artist, Mixing |
| 8 | Donald Fagen | Composer, Keyboards, Liner Notes, Member of Attributed Artist, Percussion, Piano, Piano (Electric), Reissue Producer, Synthesizer, Vocals |
| 9 | Victor Feldman | Guest Artist, Keyboards, Marimba, Percussion, Vibraphone |
| 10 | Michael Fennelly | Vocals, Vocals (Background) |
| 11 | Pam Hall | Vocals (Background) |
| 12 | Patricia Hall | Vocals, Vocals (Background) |
| 13 | Jimmie Haskell | Arranger, Saxophone Arrangement |
| 14 | Jim Hodder | Drums, Member of Attributed Artist, Percussion, Vocals, Vocals (Background) |
| 15 | Royce Jones | Vocals, Vocals (Background) |
| 16 | Gary Katz | Audio Production, Producer |
| 17 | Daniel Levitin | Consultant |
| 18 | Sherlie Mathews | Vocals (Background) |
| 19 | Myrna Matthews | Vocals, Vocals (Background) |
| 20 | Sherlie Matthews | Vocals, Vocals (Background) |
| 21 | Lanny Morgan | Saxophone |
| 22 | Roger Nichols | Audio Engineer, Engineer, Remastering |
| 23 | David Palmer | Keyboards, Vocals, Vocals (Background) |
| 24 | Bill Perkins | Saxophone |
| 25 | James Rolleston | Vocals, Vocals (Background) |
| 26 | John Rotella | Saxophone |
| 27 | Steely Dan | Primary Artist |
| 28 | Ernie Watts | Guest Artist, Saxophone |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |