Ten Favorite Debut Albums: Can't Buy a Thrill (#6)

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Happy Thursday! My playing was great last night....for one round, then I fell apart. I still came in third, earning me the last cash spot. (Before you think "wow, she's swimming in dough," I won eight bucks.) From there I move on to the next album on my list of favorite debut albums. #6: Can't Buy a Thrill - Steely Dan When I used "Dirty Work" I told you that you'd be seeing this album some more in the near future. And here it is! Back in the "superstar" days of Steely Dan and the early days of SNL it was common knowledge that the founders of Steely Dan, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, had a band in college, and their drummer was Chevy Chase. He was the drummer, and you're not! (Old folks will get that. ) On my personal chronology of Dan albums, this was the third one I bought (after Aja and The Royal Scam). It's still in the top two of favorite Steely Dan albums for me (alternating with the aforementioned Royal Scam...don't make me do it without the fez on!), although I think the overall body of work Steely Dan released in the 70s stands as one of the finest total discographies in rock and roll. There's simply no weak albums there, anywhere. Whether you got this album when it was released or "look back on it" (as I did) later in Steely Dan's career, it's obvious that this is a start-to-finish, blow-the-boat-out-of-the-water great album. The fact that it's their first album makes it that more impressive. Can't Buy a Thrill Recorded by Steely Dan Produced by Gary Katz Released on ABC Records, 1972 Favorite cuts: "Reelin' in the Years," "Dirty Work," "Midnight Cruiser," "Kings." Such a solid album! Here's a song with a great "Skunk" Baxter (later of the Doobie Brothers) guitar solo: