Gary Katz names his favourite Steely Dan album
Naturally, the tale of Steely Dan mostly centres around the two men who founded the group and were central to it all, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. A pair of masterful songwriters who penned some of the finest compositions of their era and imbued them with a highly comedic, misanthropic edge established a fascinating oeuvre together.
Although the tale of Steely Dan rightly concentrates on the musical chops of its leaders, it is safe to say that their story would not have been the same without the extensive cast of characters that helped them bring their unique vision to life.
Whether this be their guitarists such as Jeff ‘Skunk’ Baxter and Denny Dias or the drumming legend Steve Gadd, who laid down some of the most impressive solos of all time of the 1977 track ‘Aja’, in many ways, one of Becker and Fagen’s greatest triumphs was drawing on the skill of others, despite the genius parameters of their own talent.
One man who was vital to the whole operation was producer Gary Katz. The American has worked with many other famous names, and he was incredibly instrumental in the rise of Steely Dan. Katz produced every record by the band in their first, most significant run, from the 1972 debut Can’t Buy a Thrill to 1980’s Gaucho. This collaboration would even see him nominated for four Grammy Awards and rightly regarded as a pivotal cog in the genius of the group.
Katz has enlightened fans about working with Steely Dan on numerous occasions. When speaking to Audiofanzine in 2014, he even named his favourite album by them. He said: “I’m proud of almost every track we did. Katy Lied is probably my favourite [album].”
This is an understandable take. The 1975 offering features some of the group’s best-loved material, including ‘Black Friday’, ‘Bad Sneakers’ and ‘Daddy Don’t Live in that New York City No More’. It also features the dynamic rhythms of the young drumming hero, Jeff Porcaro, who was only 20 years old at the time of recording.
Elsewhere in the interview, Gary Katz was asked if he was excited about new rock and pop music, given how far things have developed between his time with Steely Dan and the contemporary era. Espousing the kind of misanthropy that made his relationship with the duo tick, he said: “I’m definitely not excited about it. [laughs] I’m not even sure how to describe it. No, I don’t like the music very much now. It feels very repetitive, not creative. With exceptions obviously, there are always exceptions.”
Listen to Katy Lied below.
