ABOUT THIS ITEM

Two names in particular spring to mind in connection with Steely Dan: Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The two men discovered while at college at the end of the 60s that they shared musical tastes, although they played in different bands. They subsequently formed a songwriting duo before making their breakthrough in 1972 under the name Steely Dan with their debut album "Can't Buy A Thrill". This LP remained for over a year in the Billboard charts, and the single taken from the album, "Do It Again", leapt into the Top Ten. "Can't Buy A Thrill" is not as polished as later albums such as "Aja" or "Gaucho", but their inimitable mixture of melodic rock, shot through with soul, jazzy rhythms and ambitious instrumental solos made Fagen and Becker stand out from the rest of the soft rock pack at the time.