Can't Buy a Thrill
Encyclopedia
Can't Buy a Thrill is the first album
by Steely Dan
. Originally released in 1972
, the album was a huge success. It went gold, and then platinum, peaking at #17 on the charts. In 2003, the album was ranked number 238 on Rolling Stone
magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
. Two songs were left out from the album and released as a single ("Dallas" and "Sail the Waterway"), but to date they have not been released on CD.
The album was originally released in two-channel Stereo
and also in a special four-channel Quadrophonic mix. There are some significant musical differences between the two mixes, such as extra lead guitar fills in the Quad mix of "Reelin' in the Years
".
The album cover features a line of prostitutes standing in a red light area waiting for clients, an image which was chosen because of its relevance to the album title. The cover was banned in Franco
's Spain and was replaced with a photograph of the band playing in concert. The title is taken from a lyric in the Bob Dylan
song "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry
" on Highway 61 Revisited
. Becker and Fagen themselves commented on the album art in their liner notes to the reissued The Royal Scam
, saying the aforementioned album possessed "the most hideous album cover of the seventies, bar none (excepting perhaps Can't Buy a Thrill)."
Reissue
Pop Singles
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by Steely Dan
Steely Dan
Steely Dan is an American rock band; its core members are Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop...
. Originally released in 1972
1972 in music
-Events:*January 17 – Highway 51 South in Memphis, Tennessee is renamed "Elvis Presley Boulevard"*January 20 – The début of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon at The Dome, Brighton, is halted by technical difficulties,...
, the album was a huge success. It went gold, and then platinum, peaking at #17 on the charts. In 2003, the album was ranked number 238 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is the title of a 2003 special issue of American magazine Rolling Stone, and a related book published in 2005.Related news articles:...
. Two songs were left out from the album and released as a single ("Dallas" and "Sail the Waterway"), but to date they have not been released on CD.
The album was originally released in two-channel Stereo
STEREO
STEREO is a solar observation mission. Two nearly identical spacecraft were launched into orbits that cause them to respectively pull farther ahead of and fall gradually behind the Earth...
and also in a special four-channel Quadrophonic mix. There are some significant musical differences between the two mixes, such as extra lead guitar fills in the Quad mix of "Reelin' in the Years
Reelin' in the Years
"Reelin' In the Years" is a song by jazz rock band Steely Dan, released as the sixth track on their 1972 album, Can't Buy a Thrill.The song was written by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker and features Fagen on vocals. The song was also a #11 hit on the Pop singles chart in 1973. In March 2005, Q...
".
The album cover features a line of prostitutes standing in a red light area waiting for clients, an image which was chosen because of its relevance to the album title. The cover was banned in Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
's Spain and was replaced with a photograph of the band playing in concert. The title is taken from a lyric in the Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
song "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry
It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry
"It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry" is a song written by Bob Dylan that was originally released on his seminal album Highway 61 Revisited, and also included on the compilation album Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits 2 that was released in Europe. An alternate version of the song appears on...
" on Highway 61 Revisited
Highway 61 Revisited
Highway 61 Revisited is the sixth studio album by singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. It was released in August 1965 by Columbia Records. On his previous album, Bringing It All Back Home, Dylan devoted Side One of the album to songs accompanied by an electric rock band, and Side Two to solo acoustic numbers...
. Becker and Fagen themselves commented on the album art in their liner notes to the reissued The Royal Scam
The Royal Scam
The Royal Scam is the fifth album by Steely Dan, originally released by ABC Records in 1976. The album went gold and peaked at #15 on the charts. The Royal Scam features more prominent guitar work than other Steely Dan albums...
, saying the aforementioned album possessed "the most hideous album cover of the seventies, bar none (excepting perhaps Can't Buy a Thrill)."
Side one
- "Do It AgainDo It Again (Steely Dan song)"Do It Again" is a song by American jazz-rock group Steely Dan, which was released as a single from their debut 1972 album Can't Buy a Thrill...
" – 5:56- Solos by Denny Dias and Donald Fagen
- Vocal by Donald Fagen
- "Dirty Work" – 3:08
- Sax solo by Jerome Richardson
- Vocal by David Palmer
- "Kings" – 3:45
- Solo by Elliot Randall
- Vocal by Donald Fagen
- "Midnite Cruiser" – 4:08
- Solo by Jeff Baxter
- Vocal by Jim Hodder
- "Only a Fool Would Say That" – 2:57
- Solo by Jeff Baxter
- Vocal by Donald Fagen and David Palmer
Side two
- "Reelin' in the YearsReelin' in the Years"Reelin' In the Years" is a song by jazz rock band Steely Dan, released as the sixth track on their 1972 album, Can't Buy a Thrill.The song was written by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker and features Fagen on vocals. The song was also a #11 hit on the Pop singles chart in 1973. In March 2005, Q...
" – 4:37- Lead guitar by Elliot Randall
- Vocal by Donald Fagen
- "Fire in the Hole" – 3:28
- Steel guitar by Jeff Baxter
- Vocal by Donald Fagen
- "Brooklyn (Owes the Charmer Under Me)" – 4:21
- Steel guitar by Jeff Baxter
- Vocal by David Palmer
- "Change of the Guard" – 3:39
- Solo by Jeff Baxter
- Vocals by Donald Fagen and David Palmer
- "Turn That Heartbeat Over Again" – 4:58
- Vocal by Donald Fagen, Walter Becker and David Palmer
Personnel
Steely Dan- Donald FagenDonald FagenDonald Jay Fagen is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the co-founder, lead singer, and the principal songwriter of the rock band Steely Dan ....
- pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, electric pianoElectric pianoAn electric piano is an electric musical instrument.Electric pianos produce sounds mechanically and the sounds are turned into electrical signals by pickups. Unlike a synthesizer, the electric piano is not an electronic instrument, but electro-mechanical. The earliest electric pianos were invented...
, plastic organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, vocals - Walter BeckerWalter BeckerWalter Carl Becker is an American musician, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the co-founder, guitarist, bassist and a co-writer of Steely Dan.-Career:...
- electric bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Jeff "Skunk" BaxterJeff BaxterJeff "Skunk" Baxter is an American guitarist, known for his stints in the rock bands Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers during the 1970s...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, pedal steel guitarPedal steel guitarThe pedal steel guitar is a type of electric guitar that uses a metal bar to "fret" or shorten the length of the strings, rather than fingers on strings as with a conventional guitar. Unlike other types of steel guitar, it also uses pedals and knee levers to affect the pitch, hence the name "pedal"... - Denny DiasDenny DiasDenny Dias is an American guitarist, most known for being a founding member of Steely Dan.- Career :Dias was working with his own band out of his basement in Hicksville, Long Island, when he placed an ad in The Village Voice that read: "Looking for keyboardist and bassist. Must have jazz chops!...
- guitar, electric sitarElectric sitarAn electric sitar is a kind of electric guitar designed to mimic the sound of the traditional Indian instrument, the sitar. Depending on the manufacturer and model, these instruments bear varying degrees of resemblance to the traditional sitar... - Elliott RandallElliott RandallElliott Randall is an American guitarist, most known for being a session musician with popular artists. Randall has played the well-known guitar solos from Steely Dan's hit "Reelin' in the Years" and Fame. Legendary Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page has reputedly said that Randall's solo on...
- guitar - Jerome RichardsonJerome RichardsonJerome Richardson was an American jazz musician, tenor saxophonist, and flute player, who also played alto sax, baritone sax, clarinet and piccolo...
- tenor saxophoneTenor saxophoneThe tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble... - Snooky YoungSnooky YoungEugene Edward "Snooky" Young was an American jazz trumpeter. He was known for his mastery of the plunger mute, with which he was able to create a wide range of sounds.-Biography:...
- flugelhornFlugelhornThe flugelhorn is a brass instrument resembling a trumpet but with a wider, conical bore. Some consider it to be a member of the saxhorn family developed by Adolphe Sax ; however, other historians assert that it derives from the valve bugle designed by Michael Saurle , Munich 1832 , thus... - Jim HodderJim Hodder (musician)Jim Hodder was an American drummer, best known as the original drummer for Steely Dan.He was born in Boston in 1947. As drummer/vocalist, he was a member of the band Bead Game, which released one album titled "Welcome" in 1970 on Avco/Embassy...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, vocals (lead vocal on "Midnite Cruiser") - Victor FeldmanVictor FeldmanVictor Stanley Feldman was a British jazz musician, best known as a pianist.-Early history:...
- percussion - David PalmerDavid Palmer (vocalist)David Palmer is an American vocalist and songwriter, most noted for his lead vocals on the Steely Dan song "Dirty Work" and as lyricist of the Carole King #2 hit, "Jazzman". Palmer was born and raised in Warren Township, Watchung, New Jersey....
- vocals (lead vocals on "Brooklyn" and "Dirty Work") - Venetta FieldsVenetta FieldsVenetta Fields is an American singer best known as session musician for leading rock and pop acts of the 1970s including Pink Floyd, Barbra Streisand, Steely Dan and the Rolling Stones...
- background vocals on "Brooklyn" and "Kings" - Clydie KingClydie KingClydie Crittendon is an American singer, best known for her session work as a backing vocalist....
- background vocals on "Brooklyn" and "Kings" - Sherlie MatthewsSherlie MatthewsSherlie Matthews is an American singer, songwriter and record producer, best known as a backing vocalist for Pop, R&B and Rock groups from the mid 1960s to the present time.-Early life:...
- background vocals on "Brooklyn" and "Kings"
Production
- Producer: Gary KatzGary KatzGary Katz is an American music producer, best known for his work with Steely Dan.-Steely Dan:Katz is most famous for his work as a producer on every Steely Dan album recorded during the first run of their career, from Can't Buy A Thrill in 1972 to Gaucho in 1980, as well as the Donald Fagen solo...
- Engineer: Roger Nichols
- Assistant engineer: Tim Weston
- Cover Design: Robert Lockart
Reissue
- Reissue producers: Walter Becker, Donald Fagen
- Remastering: Roger Nichols
- Art direction: Vartan
- Liner notes: Walter Becker, Tristan Fabriani, Donald Fagen
- Reissue design: Red Herring Design, New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
- Consultant: Daniel LevitinDaniel LevitinProfessor Daniel J. Levitin, Ph.D. is a prominent American cognitive psychologist, neuroscientist, record producer, musician, and writer...
Charts
Album| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Pop Albums | 17 |
Pop Singles
| Year | Single | Label & number | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | "Do It Again" (3:57 edit) (B-side: "Fire in the Hole") | ABC 11338 | 6 |
| 1973 | "Reelin' In The Years" (B-side: "Only A Fool") | ABC 11352 | 11 |