Pretzel Logic

Steely Dan holds the title as one of the most quietly subversive pop bands of the 20th century. They managed – on their first two albums and, especially, on Pretzel Logic – to combine breezy, ear-pleasing accessibility with an immensely sophisticated sensibility that upended most pop conventions. On Pretzel Logic that combination is perfected, even as band masterminds Donald Fagen and Walter Becker moved deeper into jazz-influenced territory. “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number”, the album’s lead off track, is a case in point. A sinuous slice of jazz-pop that merges piano balladry with a samba-esque groove, the song became a Top Ten hit.