Groove, Voice, and Mystery: Reflections on Steely Dan’s Cool

ABSTRACT The distinctive experience of listening to Steely Dan lies in the friction between their impeccable musicianship, lush jazz-soaked harmonies, tight-pocket rhythm sections, plush-deluxe recording techniques, and an acerbic vocal tone delivering enigmatic shards of stories about colorful and creepy characters. This beguiling alchemy of groove, voice, and mystery – what I am calling “Steely Dan cool” – comes from Walter Becker and Donald Fagen’s deep immersion in black music; the soulful Jewish resonance of Fagen’s voice; and a literary sensibility drenched in irony, incongruity, and obliqueness. I explore the intricacies of Becker and Fagen’s cross-racial appropriation; position Steely Dan in relation to the racialized landscape of 1970s popular music; and ponder why Steely Dan cool still resonates despite being relegated to yacht rock playlists.

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