I reached into my vinyl collection and pulled out the 1982 gem THE NIGHTFLYthis weekend and put it on the turntable. Since I put it down for The Dan earlier this year in a thread, I'd thought I'd whip up a thread for this album. Nominated for a grammy for Album Of The Year(but lost to Toto's album TOTO IV in 1983, this album is a collection of suprisingly straightforward songs. Steely Dan was known for their obtuse lyrics. This was one of the best albums the 80's offered and it has worn very well over the years. The album has a theme: the album is about a male (about Fagen's height and build) growing up in the late 50's and early 60's during the Kennedy era.

***IGY...The first song on the album and the one that was released as a single. The chorus has a very optimistic feel to it..."What a beautiful world this will be...what a glorious time to be free".

***Green Flower Street...Nice uptempo track to just vibe off of. Fagen's vocals are infectious.

***Ruby Baby...Nice tune in which Valerie Simpson leads her vocal talents. Fagen lays down nice background vocals on this number as well.

***Maxine...A stunner and one of my favorite tracks on this record (well I like ever song on this one). Nice chord changes and an overall jazzy vibe to it. Excellent instrumental section in the middle of this song with saxophone work provided by Michael Brecker (I think). Great song.

***New Frontier...This song had a nice animated video to it(that received substantial play on video station outlets). Another great track in which Fagen prepares for another realm of life. It's just him and his buddies in a "dugout that his dad build...in case the refs decides to push the button down".

***The Nightfly- The title track is another winner. Fagen is Lester The Nightfly...a DJ who finds release through jazz music and pleasant conversations with radio listeners "until the sun comes through the skyline". Fagen known for funny eccentric lyrics comes up with another one.."so you say there's a race of men in the trees..you're for tough legislation..thanks for calling, I wait all night for calls LIKE THOSE". Valerie Simpson lays down vocal assistance again.

***The Goodbye Look...Excellent song with beautiful melodies sprinkled throughout. Fagen delivers another amusing twisted lyric..."won't you pour me a cuban breeze Gretc'hen"?

***Walk Between The Raindrops...Nice uptempo tune as Fagen remembers a rainy day spend with his sweetheart.


The whole album is a winner and certainly one of my favorite albums of all time. The black and white album cover with Fagen sitting over a turntable with a Chesterfield Kings cigarette in his hand is classic. This album is a beautiful piece of work. I fell in love with the record the moment I bought and still get great pleasure from listening to it{and picking up some new things with each listen}. If you don't have it get it and if you have it and haven't played it in a while, you might want to bring it back out and play it. You're be gratified all over again.
Psst Pssst...don't you think that Steve Porcaro and the rest of the Toto guys should mail that 1982 Grammy Album Of The Year trophy to Donald?

Larry Carlton play's great guitar on the whole CD.

always really liked New Frontier.

I also have that vinyl...but alas..no working turntable. "NightFly" is a great album, and I am a big Dan fan, or is it Dan fam? Either way...I'm happy I have the box set, with every Steely Dan album within the collection, now I just need 2 get "NightFly" 2 round out the collection. Thanks 4 reminding me of that classic...funny...I had Toto IV as well...Peace and Love!

IGY... International Geophysical Year, 1958, the year Prince was born..., Donald Fagen is a great "blue eyes soul" singer imo, the only Steely Dan album that I know is the one with "hey 19" , I forgot the title... haven't listen to it for maybe 10 years ..

JNOEL...the title is "Gaucho", also included in the box set

thank you, I'm afraid I lost this tape..

I remember hearing a Stevie Wonder interview, in the 80s, in which he said that Donald Fagen was a great perfectionnist artist

Great Thread Man.I have many of Steely Dan's Albums&the two Solo Albums by Donald Fagen.this Album is truly BAddd!!! the Vocals&Instrumentation really hit the spot.the cool things about Albums like these is that they were Gems without all the Hype&Promotion.this reflects a time when a Great Album was right there&you could go back&Appreciate it 100 times more in hindsight.also shows how deep the Playing Field was then.you make a Album like this today&you'd have it Compared to Louis Armstrong's Works.a Classic IMHO.

cranshaw62 said:

Yes I concur, he did.

A great album, both musically and technically. For a very long time, this filled the void for those of us who desperately needed a Steely Dan fix post-GAUCHO, plus the vinyl was a audiophile standard in the early days of digital recording.