Two Against Nature
Steely Dan
(Giant Records/Warner Bros)
Reviewed by Beth Hannan Rimmels
The longer the absence from the recording studio, the
more trepidation surrounds a release. Does the band still "have it"?
If it sounds too much like their previous work, it’s a rehash. Too different,
and they might alienate hardcore fans.
So after a 19 years of recording silence from Steely Dan, is it any wonder that fans have been holding their breath? You can breathe now. Two Against Nature is wonderful.
Donald Fagan and Walter Becker have always worked better together than solo, but Nature makes their trademark sound fresh. The infectious jazz-influenced licks are all seductively there. The lyrics are even more cynical and biting while still showing the glint of hope that saves them from being bilious.
"Cousin Dupree" is the perfect choice for the CD’s first single. Witty and lively, any discomfort over the fact that the title character wants to seduce his cousin is mitigated by the fact that she can instantly put him in his place with lines like "your mind has turned to applesauce." I only wish more reunion CDs were this perfect.
Review © 2000 Beth Hannan Rimmels