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Pretzel Logic - UHQR Clarity Vinyl 45RPM - Sealed

STEELY DAN Pretzel Logic (2023 UHQR limited edition 45RPM 11-track 2xLP from Analogue Productions, the definitive Ultra High Quality Record pressed at Quality Record Pressing on two 200-gram Clarity Vinyl® records, mastered directly from the original master tape by Bernie Grundman. Purest possible pressing housed inside a most visually stunning presentation package, with gold foil individually numbered jackets, housed in a premium slipcase with a wooden dowel spine. Brand new & factory sealed. Highly recommended)

Price Info
$251.99, £199.99  
Product Availability In stock. Order now for shipping on Wednesday 27th November
Release Date 28th Jul 2023
Release Year 2023 - 1 years ago
Condition Unless stated otherwise in the description above, all items are in at least excellent condition - so please read our descriptions carefully. We try to sell items as close to Mint condition as possible, and many will indeed be close to brand new and/or unplayed. Others may be 'used' - and all will meet our strict grading and are 100% guaranteed.
Shipping Cost Add item to your basket to see shipping quote
Format 2-LP vinyl record set (Double LP Album)
Record Label Analogue Productions
Complete Stock List Go to Steely Dan
Product Catalogue No UHQR0011-45
Music Genre 70s Rock
Country Comes from USA Comes from 'USA'
 
Tracklisting & More Information

Steely Dan's gold-selling third studio album Pretzel Logic, charted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and restored the group's radio presence with the single "Rikki Don't Lose That Number," which became the biggest pop hit of their career and peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. The 1974 album was produced by Gary Katz and was written primarily by Walter Becker (bass) and bandleader Donald Fagen (vocals, keyboards). The album marked the beginning of Becker and Fagen's roles as Steely Dan's principal members.

They enlisted prominent Los Angeles-based studio musicians to record Pretzel Logic, but used them only for occasional overdubs, except for drums, where founding drummer Jim Hodder was reduced to a backing singer, replaced by Jim Gordon and Jeff Porcaro on the drum kit for all of the songs on the album. Steely Dan's Jeff "Skunk" Baxter played pedal steel guitar and hand drums.

Pretzel Logic has shorter songs and fewer instrumental jams than the group's 1973 album Countdown to Ecstasy. Steely Dan considered it the band's attempt at complete musical statements within the three-minute pop-song format. The album's music is characterized by harmonies, counter-melodies, and bop phrasing. It also relies often on straightforward pop influences. The syncopated piano line that opens "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" develops into a pop melody, and the title track transitions from a blues song to a jazzy chorus.

Other standout tracks include "Any Major Dude Will Tell You," a reflective ballad with lush harmonies, and "Parker's Band," a playful ode to the jazz great Charlie Parker.

Lyrically, the album explores themes of nostalgia, lost love, and the struggles of the creative process. In "Barrytown," the band reflects on their early days as struggling musicians, while in "Through with Buzz," they offer a biting critique of the music industry and the pressure to conform to commercial expectations.

One of the defining characteristics of Pretzel Logic is its use of unusual chord progressions and unexpected musical twists and turns. The band's intricate arrangements and skilled musicianship are on full display throughout the album.

Rolling Stone praised the album, calling Steely Dan the "most improbable hit-singles band to emerge in ages."

"When the band doesn't undulate to samba rhythms (as it did on 'Do It Again,' its first Top Ten single), it pushes itself to a full gallop (as it did on 'Reelin' in the Years,' its second). These two rhythmic preferences persist and sometimes intermingle, as on 'Rikki Don't Lose That Number,' which jumps in mid-chorus from 'Hernando's Hideaway' into 'Honky Tonk Women.' Great transition." — the review said.

AllMusic gave the album 5 stars, with reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine noting that "instead of relying on easy hooks, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen assembled their most complex and cynical set of songs to date." Dense with harmonics, countermelodies, and bop phrasing, Pretzel Logic is vibrant with unpredictable musical juxtapositions and snide, but very funny, wordplay.

The album's cover photo featuring a New York pretzel vendor was taken by Raeanne Rubenstein, a photographer of musicians and Hollywood celebrities. She shot the photo on the west side of Fifth Avenue and 79th Street, just above the 79th Street Transverse (the road through Central Park), at the park entrance called "Miners' Gate."

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.

This stereo UHQR reissue will be limited to 20,000 copies, with gold foil individually numbered jackets, housed in a premium slipcase with a wooden dowel spine.

Overall, Pretzel Logic is a standout album in Steely Dan's discography. The album's blend of catchy hooks, complex arrangements, and thoughtful lyrics has made it a favorite among fans of classic rock and pop music.

Side One
1. Rikki Don't Lose That Number
2. Night By Night

Side Two
3. Any Major Dude Will Tell You
4. Barrytown
5. East St. Louis Toodle-Oo

Side Three
6. Parker's Band
7. Through With Buzz
8. Pretzel Logic

Side Four
9. With A Gun
10. Charlie Freak
11. Monkey In Your Soul


DOUBLE LP  
Recording Artist Steely Dan
Product Title Pretzel Logic - UHQR Clarity Vinyl 45RPM - Sealed
Product Information Steely Dan Pretzel Logic - UHQR Clarity Vinyl 45RPM - Sealed USA 2-LP vinyl record set (Double LP Album).
Language All tracks are sung in English, unless otherwise stated in our description.
Additional info
Artists Related To Donald Fagen, Terence Boylan, The Big Wah-Koo, The Original Sound Track, The Quinaimes Band, Walter Becker
Product Barcode 753088114571
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Alternatively Known As None
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