"Gaucho" by STEELY DAN – November 1980 Seventh Studio Album on MCA Records featuring Donald Fagen and Walter Becker of Steely Dan with Guests Mark Knopfler, Jay Graydon, Steve Khan, Larry Carlton, Tom Scott, Randy Brecker, Michael McDonald, Joe Sample, Steve Gadd, Jeff Porcaro, Valerie Simpson, Patti Austen and many more (August 2003 UK/EUROPE Universal/MCA Records SACD/Hybrid Reissue – Features Super Audio Tracks in both DSD Stereo and 5.1 Surround Sound and a Standard 2000 CD Remaster Layer – Plays On Standard CD Players Also – Andy McKaie SACD and Elliott Scheiner 5.1 Remasters) – A Review by Mark Barry...

 

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"...All Aboard The Carib Cannibal..."

 

In the late Seventies (and as we waited for 1980 to start a new decade) - old fart Rawk Music geezers like me were going through serious musical changes. For those of us that loved the intricacies of Prog Rock, the exploratory playing in Jazz Fusion and on into Blue Note Jazz Funk, UK Punk and Indie and Two Tone and Topic Folk and Blue Sky Blues and every other good musical point in-between - there were few of us who didn't worship at the Soul-Rock sophisticated feet of Steely Dan's masterclass "Aja" in 1977. Everything about the "Aja" album oozed innovation and event. And coming as it did after the sensation of 1976's "The Royal Scam" - for many of us major dudes, Becker and Fagen's Steely Dan had created a perfect catalogue run to date. In fact after three solo albums, it would not be until February 2000's underwhelming "Two Against Nature" that Becker and Fagen would return as 'Steely Dan'.

 

So - the three year wait until November 1980's sixth Steely Dan album "Gaucho" on MCA Records was tortuous - but man did they deliver. The session-musician list to make your eyes bleed in admiration - the sideways caustic lyrics - the pitch-perfect vocals and gorgeous soloing - the tunes that revealed every time you revisited. In truth, I play "Gaucho" more now in 2023 than I do "Aja" (and I own seven different vinyl variants of that beast). And when I do my Jolly Rogers, I reach for this round-cornered American Super Audio CD brute in all its Direct Stream Digital master tape precious archive pure simplicity (blah blah blah) brilliance. And that's just the Sisters from Babylon baby. Much to discuss - music to fuss...

 

UK/EUROPE released August 2003 - "Gaucho" by STEELY DAN on Universal/MCA Records 0602498605103 (Barcode 602498605103) is a SACD Reissue and Remaster (Super Audio CD). It features Super Audio Tracks in both DSD Stereo and 5.1 Surround Sound and a Standard 2000 CD Remaster Layer. 

 

This disc plays on Standard CD Players, but to get SACD and Surround Sound, you need encoded equipment with those elements built it. This disc also boasts an ANDY McKAIE SACD Remaster with ELLIOTT SCHEINER handling the 5.1 Remastered Surround Sound. Its total playing time is 38:12 minutes: 

 

1. Babylon Sisters [Side 1]

2. Hey Nineteen

3. Glamour Profession 

4. Gaucho [Side 2]

5. Time Out Of Mind

6. My Rival

7. Third World Man

 

The album was released November 1980 in the USA on MCA Records MCA-6102 and November 1980 in the UK on MCA Records MCF 3090 - Produced by GARY KATZ and Engineered by ROGER NICHOLS - it peaked at No.9 in the USA on the Billboard Rock LP charts (No. 27 in the UK). All songs written by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker.

 

STEELY DAN was:

Donald Fagen - Keyboards, All Lead Vocals

Walter Becker - Bass (Guitar Solo on Track 4)

 

Guest musicians included:

Steve Khan on Electric and Acoustic Guitars (Tracks 1, 3, 4, 6 (Solo) and 7)

Walter Becker and Hugh McCracken on Guitars (Tracks 2 and 5)

Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits on Guitar (Track 5) 

Hiram Bullock on Guitar (Track 6)

Rick Derringer on Guitar (Track 6)

Larry Carlton on Guitar (Solo on Track 7)

Rob Mounsey on Keyboards (Tracks 3, 4 & 5), Horn Arrangements (Track 5), Synth (Track 7)

Patrick Rebillot on Electric Piano (Track 6)

Joe Sample of The Crusaders on Electric Piano (Track 7)

Tom Scott on Tenor and Alto Sax and Clarinet (Track 1), Tenor Sax, Lyricon and Horn Arrangements (Track 3), Tenor Sax (Track 4), Horn Arrangements (Track 4), Tenor Sax and Lyricon (Track 6)

Randy Brecker on Trumpet and Flugelhorn (Track 1), Trumpet (Tracks 4 and 5), Flugelhorn (Track 6)

Michael Brecker on Tenox Sax (Tracks 3, 5 and 6)

Dave Tofani on Tenor Sax (Track 5)

David Sanborn on Alto Sax (Track 5)

Ronny Cuber on Baritone Sax (Track 5) 

Wayne Andre on Trombone (Track 6)

Chuck Rainey on Bass (Tracks 1 and 7)

Anthony Jackson on Bass (Tracks 3 and 6)

Bernard Purdie on Drums (Track 1)

Rick Marotta on Drums (Tracks 2 and 4)

Steve Gadd on Percussion (Track 2), Drums (Track 3, 6 and 7)

Jeff Porcaro of Toto on Drums (Track 4)

Crusher Bennett on Percussion (Tracks 1 and 4)

Victor Feldman on Percussion (Track 2)

Ralph McDonald on Percussion (Tracks 3 and 6)

Nicholas Marrero on Timbales (Track 6)

 

Backing Vocals: 

Leslie Miller, Patti Austen, Toni Wine, Lani Groves, Diva Gray and Gordon Grovy (Track 1)

Frank Floyd and Zack Sanders (Track 2) 

Leslie Miller, Valerie Simpson, Frank Lloyd and Zack Sanders (Track 3) 

Leslie Miller, Valerie Simpson and Patti Austin (Track 4)

Michael McDonald of Doobie Brothers, Leslie Miller, Patti Austin & Valerie Simpson (Track 5)

Valerie Simpson, Frank Floyd and Zack Sanders (Track 6)

The foldout inlay keeps to the Becker and Fagen 2000 Remaster liner notes on one side while the lyrics and myriad musician credits are on the other (the LP artwork too). There is a separate foldout inlay explaining how you should 'prepare yourself for an overwhelming experience...' and on the evidence hammering my ears with almost clinical clarity - the buggers would be right. This is an astonishing audio listen - the kind of player, songs, production, engineering fandango that doesn't come along in the Rock World that often. 

There are so many highlights - the double-whammy of having Michael 'Golden Throat' McDonald of The Doobie Brothers and Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits backing and soloing on "Time Out Of Mind" is a combo that never gets old for me. The astonishing togetherness and delivery of the five-strong vocal posse on "Babylon Sisters" as they 'shake it baby' towards the fade out. Both Donald Fagen and Rob Mounsey put in brilliant keyboard Funk and trip the light fantastic ping notes throughout "Glamour Profession" (local boys spend a quarter) while Larry Carlton practically steels the show with yet another groundbreaking and deeply gorgeous guitar solo on "Third World Man" - the closest Steely Dan has ever gotten to what you might call a traditional ballad. Not to be outdone on axes, both virtuoso Steve Khan and Walter Becker show serious chops on the title track "Gaucho" which for me is one of their richest melodic experiences - Randy Brecker and Tom Scott with those fabulous horn parts. Seven tracks - seven gems - seven constant rediscoveries. I know this SACD is now deleted and I've seen the sucker upwards of seventy quid - but there's a reason for such a luxurious tag - the damn thing delivers.

Jive Miguel is in from Bogota, Hoops McCann is reeking of Brut and charisma and there's bodacious cowboys high in the Custer Dome - you know it make sense my peeps (and it's illegal fun too). Own this version of "Gaucho" and Rest In Peace Walter Becker and Joe Sample - two of my Seventies heroes in a better place giddily discussing Jazz charts like it's all new again...