Steely Dan’s 1973 album, Countdown to Ecstasy, will soon be reissued as a part of a year-long series that will see the band’s classic albums make their return to vinyl.
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The iconic fusion rock band amassed a number of classic albums with ABC and MCA Records–seven, to be exact, initially released between 1972 and 1980– and that catalog will be remastered and released to vinyl over the course of a year.
The first in the installment saw a reissue of Steely Dan’s impressive 1972 debut, Can’t Buy a Thrill, which was reissued this past November. Now, Countdown to Ecstasy follows, set for release on May 26. The hit-riddled sophomore release was home to standout tracks, like “My Old School,” “Bodhisattva,” and “Show Biz Kids.”
Pretzel Logic from 1974, featuring the massive hit, “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number;” Katy Lied; The Royal Scam of 1976; the 1977 masterpiece Aja; and their final MCA release, Gaucho, in 1980 will all get the same treatment in the months to come.
The albums have been lovingly remastered by audio engineer Bernie Grundman from their original analog tapes.
2022 saw the band embark on a North American trek, dubbed the Earth After Hours 2022 Tour. Several of the dates in Florida and South Carolina, however, were abandoned because of COVID health and safety protocols.
Providing few specific details, Steely Dan released a statement on social media saying, “The Steely Dan concerts scheduled to play Hollywood, FL on 7/28; Ft Myers, FL on 7/30; Orlando, FL on 8/1 & 8/2; and North Charleston, SC on 8/4 have been canceled due to COVID and health and safety protocols. Tickets refunded at point of purchase. Tickets purchased online will be automatically refunded.”
The tour had been met with controversy at the beginning when artist Aimee Mann was unexpectedly dropped from the bill as a supporting act. Again, no reason was given and Mann was left to assume it had been a decision based on gender.
Steely Dan’s Donald Fagan later apologized to the singer-songwriter, saying in a statement to Variety, “There was a communication problem on our end. I was misinformed as to how firm the commitment was to any particular opening act. And, although I have the greatest respect for Aimee as a writer and performer, I thought it might not be the best matchup in terms of musical style.
“But I can’t pass the buck,” he added. “I’ll take the blame for the screwup. I apologize for any distress this has caused Aimee and her fans.”
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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