Countdown To Ecstasy
by Steely Dan

"Countdown to Ecstasy" was the follow-up to Steely Dan's very successful debut album "Can't Buy a Thrill."

The album was partially recorded during rapid studio sessions between live performances and the group was initially not fully satisfied with all of the performances on the record.

The album contains the two singles "Show Biz Kids" and the "My Old School", which both made it close to number 60 in the charts. Especially "My Old School" is an unforgettable classic, which still appears on the group's live sets. So does the fast blues / rocker "Bodhisattva", which despite some energetic guitar has never been among my favorites - the melody is simply too monotonous

In contrast, the album contains one of my alltime biggest Steely Dan favorites, namely the beautiful melodic ballad "Pearl of the Quarter".

A little in the same vein are "The Razor Boy" and "Boston Rag", both songs that help making this album an undeniable classic.

The long funky and slightly monotonous "Your Gold Teeth" have some great improvisational piano and guitar, and its a number that is likely to grow on you.

The final number is "King of the World" sounds a bit like an outtake from the first album - a slight funky disco style - but a nice track, too.

Along with, aja, countdown to ecstasy, is my favourite Steely Dan album. The follow up to debut, can't buy me a thrill, the band quite rightly dispensed with the services of David Palmer. He's a good vocalist but he doesn't have that cynical sneer that Donald Fagen has. As for the songs, every one is a stunner. Bodhisatta, kicks off the LP, and the album never lets up. Razor boy, my old school, and, the Boston rag, are all excellent, but best is the ironic, showbiz kids. It's a brilliant song, probably my favourite Steely Dan song of all time. Countdown to ecstasy, is another quirky masterpiece from one of the best bands of the seventies.

A great record that blends the genres of jazz and rock brilliantly and is a very consistent listen in terms of quality. The maturing they have done since their first record is extremely evident here with them upping their game on several fronts. The instrumentals are superior and much more complex which makes for a far more grand and rich experience. The style is maintained throughout as well making the sound feel cohesive as they never really break stride so you can be properly immersed in the record. The lyrics have matured as well with more intelligent and cryptic lyrics such as on Bodhisattva and Your Gold Teeth. However, they do lack some stuff they had on the debut such as a bit of energy and that feel good atmosphere. They could do with the infectious songs they have on the first one to properly hype the listener up because this record can feel a bit flat in places. Overall, this and the debut are very close in ranking in my opinion with the debut being more enjoyable but this one being more mature and intelligent but either way they are both fantastic records.

My second favorite Steely Dan album. On the heels of Can't Buy A Thrill comes this glimpse of what would come. It's rougher around the edges than the Aja/Gaucho material, but the framework is here: set up a good song structure, give it a cynical east coast flair, and then give it a west coast polish. "Razor Boy" and "King of the World" stand out for me.

Countdown to Ecstasy is a terrific follow-up to Steely Dan's first record. The group digs into the avante garde, with songs like Bodhisattva and my personal favorite Show Biz Kids. The lyrics are cryptic and the feel-good nature of the debut is gone, save for the upbeat My Old School. A real leap in maturity!

Track Pick: Show Biz Kids