Steely Dan – Everything Must Go [Stereo] (Analogue Productions 45 RPM Edition)

(AAA) — Lacquers cut from the original analog master tapes by Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering.

Everything Must Go — Steely Dan's last studio album with founding member Walter Becker!

The brilliance of Steely Dan remastered and reissued by Analogue Productions!

Newly remastered by Bernie Grundman directly from the original analog tapes!

180-gram 45 RPM double LP pressed by Quality Record Pressings!

Tip-on old style gatefold jacket by Stoughton Printing

"'Everything' appeared on vinyl in Europe shortly after its release, and Rhino put out a 2LP 'Two Against Nature' (with the fourth side blank) for Record Store Day in 2021. I haven’t heard the Euro pressing, but I have the Rhino. The Acoustic Sounds reissue is pressed from the same digital master (by Scott Hull), so its only distinctions are the QRP pressing and 45 RPM speed, but that makes a big difference. Fagen’s voice is clearer, the guitars are pluckier, the horns are brassier, the drums are more eye-blinkingly smacked, and the rhythm is more coherent. The improvement isn’t huge, but it’s obvious. (The improvement over the CD is fairly large.) The Rhino LP package is out of print and sells on Discogs for hundreds of dollars, so the Acoustic Sounds package, at $60, is a relative bargain. Everything Must Go was released on vinyl in Europe, and while it too is better than the CD (I have both), the Analogue Productions reissue, which is mastered by Bernie Grundman, is much better still. Here, too, comparisons are academic, as the Euro LP is out of print and selling for three-digit prices on the secondary markets. Both albums are also among AP’s handsomest productions, with a Tip-on gatefold jacket, lush color reproduction, and dead-quiet 180-gram virgin vinyl. If you missed these albums when they came out, at the start of the century, it’s time to catch up, since the times have caught up with them. There’s never been a better way to do so.” — Fred Kaplan, Revinylization, for Stereophile, September 2022. Order both albums here.

Everything Must Go was Steely Dan's second album after their 20-year studio hiatus spanning 1980 through 2000, when they released Two Against Nature. Everything Must Go is the last studio album with founding member Walter Becker before his death in 2017 and their most recent album to date.

The album features the signature jazz-rock fusion sound that's become synonymous with the band, but also explores new musical territories, incorporating elements of funk and pop music.

The album includes nine tracks, each showcasing Steely Dan's intricate instrumental arrangements, clever lyrics, and unique vocal stylings. The opening track, "The Last Mall," sets the tone with its driving bassline and catchy chorus. Other standout tracks include "Godwhacker," a funky, upbeat tune with a memorable horn section, and "Things I Miss the Most," a wistful ballad that showcases the band's softer side.

Lyrically, the album touches on themes of aging, regret, and the changing world around us. The songs are delivered with the smooth, polished sound that has become a hallmark of Steely Dan's music.

One notable aspect of Everything Must Go is the album's more pronounced use of drum machines and synthesized sounds, which add a contemporary edge to the band's traditional jazz-rock sound. This experimentation gives the album a fresh feel while still remaining true to Steely Dan's unique style.

Analogue Productions is honored to reissue these Steely Dan albums in a way that best shares the group's unmistakable sound with decades of devoted fans. This reissue is newly remastered by Bernie Grundman and cut at 45 RPM. The dead-quiet double-LP, with the music spread over four sides of vinyl, reduces distortion and high frequency loss as the wider-spaced grooves let your stereo cartridge track more accurately. The result is more sonic punch and more expression captured from the tape. The Quality Record Pressings 180-gram vinyl ensures a virtually silent playing surface.

Founded by core members Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, Steely Dan's popularity rose throughout the late 1970s on, and their seven albums over that period of time blended elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Steely Dan created a sophisticated, distinctive sound with accessible melodic hooks, complex harmonies and time signatures, and a devotion to the recording studio. Becker and Fagen, with producer Gary Katz, gradually changed Steely Dan from a performing band to a studio project, hiring session musicians to record their compositions. The duo didn't perform live between 1974 and 1993. But their popularity nevertheless grew throughout the '70s as their albums became critical favorites and their singles became staples of Adult Oriented Radio and pop radio stations.

Becker (bass) and Fagen (vocals, keyboards) were the core members of Steely Dan throughout its incarnations. Since reuniting in 1993, Steely Dan has toured steadily and released two albums of new material, the first of which, Two Against Nature (2000) earned a Grammy Award for Album of the Year

They followed up with Everything Must Go (2003). The album drew a 71 favorable review score on the review compilation site Metacritic.com, with Launch.com summing up their findings: "'Everything Must Go' is another great Steely Dan album, a hardy inclusion to their splendid canon." Blender said: "Though their restraint can be alienating, Steely Dan sound hungry, relevant and full of ideas."

After a brief battle with esophageal cancer, Walter Becker died on September 3, 2017 at the age of 67. Steely Dan has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2001. VH1 ranked Steely Dan at No. 82 on their list of the 100 Greatest Musical Artists of All Time. Rolling Stone ranked them No. 15 on its list of the 20 Greatest Duos of All Time.

Overall, Everything Must Go is a fitting final album for Steely Dan, showcasing the band's continued growth and evolution while staying true to the sound that has made them a beloved institution in the world of music. It's a must-listen for fans of the band and anyone who appreciates sophisticated, well-crafted music.

(Above description from AcousticSounds.com)