David Crosby names his favourite albums by Steely Dan
In terms of countercultural icons, David Crosby is one of the more fascinating figures. His life and times are the stuff of rock music lore and one begging to be made into a biopic as there are many outlandish anecdotes to be told.
Crosby first broke through in one of the most influential bands of all time, folk-rock heroes The Byrds, and after being fired in 1967, he became a vital cog in CSN alongside Stephen Stills and Graham Nash before they evolved into CSNY with the introduction of Neil Young.
Arguably, they are the ultimate countercultural act, with their small body of work so esteemed that it cemented all four members’ place in history, even though there was so much brilliance still to come from them all. From then on, Crosby enjoyed a busy solo career and has given us many memorable moments in his extra-musical life.
From public spats with his former CSNY bandmates to labelling Neil Young’s wife Daryl Hannah a “purely poisonous predator”, Crosby is brimming with opinions that range from the compelling to the controversial. Due to his reputation as an artist, his arguments are essential, whether you agree with them or not. Crosby always offers up interesting starting points for debate, despite it often seeming as though he takes the polemical standpoint purely for a reaction.
However, one of his opinions we can all get behind is his thoughts on one of the most vital bands of all time: Steely Dan. It is no secret that Crosby is their biggest fan, as in July 2020, he tweeted: “Steely Dan is my favourite band in the world, period”. It is also well-known that one of Crosby’s musical idols is Steely Dan’s resident anti-hero Donald Fagen.
When listing the five albums he can’t live without for SPIN in 2021, Crosby outlined his distaste for conformity, which explains his love for the indefinable Steely Dan. He said: “I resist the idea of genres and labels as being really significant”.
Duly, Crosby’s first two picks came courtesy of Donald Fagen and Walter Becker’s band, and he listed their two most lauded efforts, 1977’s Aja and 1980’s Gaucho. Crosby raved about the former, “Stunning writing. Stunning production, stunning singing, outstanding playing, but songs. Unbelievable goddamn songs. It’s too good. They’re all fantastic”.
However, he saved his best praise for Gaucho, claiming that it is the best album ever released. He said: “Best goddamn writing anybody was doing, or has done. Nobody’s topped it”.
