Of course, The Nightfly still recalls Steely Dan more than anything. The arrangements are less exotic than Aja, less moody than Gaucho, now minus the extended guitar solos and intoxicating bass lines that Walter Becker brought to the table. (International Geophysical Year)” take a comic look back at a forward-thinking time, while “Walk Between Raindrops” is a fine re-creation of American optimism. The Nightfly straddles these two styles remarkably well: “New Frontier” and “I.G.Y.
The songs are based on Fagen’s own recollections of his youth, at a time when Tin Pan Alley celebrated the past and jazz looked to the future. While stylistically similar to Gaucho (many of the same session players appear on both), The Nightfly is lighter on its feet a sense of optimism (!) also pervades the record. Kronomyth 1.0: Gaucho, harp and tongue-in-cheek.ĭonald Fagen released The Nightfly two years after Steely Dan’s last record, Gaucho, quelling for the moment questions of whether there would be life after Dan. It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s the man of Steely!
