Steely Dan Perform Entire 'Royal Scam' Album in New York

Posted on Aug 12th 2009 1:30PM by Joanne Schenker
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Steely Dan are now at the end of their eight sold-out shows at the Beacon Theatre in NYC, with each night focusing on a different album. On Monday night, 'The Royal Scam' was the featured album but fans got a double dose with the band performing almost the entire 'Aja' album, as well.

If you closed your eyes, you might have thought it was 1976. Donald Fagen's voice still sounds exceptionally young -- he can't hold the notes as long, but he's still got that sensual twang and three outstanding female vocalists backing him up are a good help. Walter Becker's low-profile presence mimicked that of a professor, but with guitar in hand, he rocked out clean, crisp leads with the greatest of ease.

Highlights from 'The Royal Scam' included 'The Caves of Altamira,' with a complex harmony of horns from the four-piece section, and 'Don't Take Me Alive,'featuring a passionate performance from Fagen. The single, 'Hey Nineteen' was perfectly in sync, right down to Fagen's melodica (the keyboard/harmonica instrument) and drummer Keith Carlock's imposing presence. But the true standouts were the 'Aja' cuts, from the title song to 'Home At Last' and encores 'Josie' and 'Peg.'

Steely Dan gave the fans everything they wanted and then some, closing off the evening with their rarely-performed hit, 'Reelin' in the Years.' By the time the lights came up, the crowd was certainly reeling too.