Steely Dan

The Soundwaves Vinyl of the Week is Gaucho by Steely Dan.

 

1980 marked a great year for Donald Fagen and Walter Becker of Steely Dan as they released their platinum-selling seventh studio album Gaucho on the tails of their highly-successful album Aja. This album took over two years to finish due to numerous personal issues, including Walter Becker getting hit by a car.

 

The band had a number of great session musicians who took part in the recording process that included Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits and legendary jazz/fusion guitar player, Larry Carlton. One key element was a custom-built drum machine that was used on the track “Hey Nineteen”, which showcased their embrace of new technologies.

 

This album is seen as one of their most polished, and a defining album in what is known as the “yacht rock” genre (even though Fagen would tell you to "Fuck Off” if you mentioned that). The band took a 20-year hiatus after this album to concentrate on solo projects before getting back together. 

 

Side note: The cover art is a painting that is based on a public wall sculpture by Israel Hoffman called Guardia Vieja Tango, in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

 

Key tracks include: 

“Hey Nineteen”

“Babylon Sisters”