Steely Dan – Katy Lie

Steely Danが1975年に発表した『Katy Lied』は、バンドの進化を象徴する重要な作品。ロックとジャズを巧みに融合させたサウンドが洗練され、従来のバンド形態からスタジオ・プロジェクトへと移行する転換点となった。ライヴ活動をやめたことで、Walter BeckerとDonald Fagenはスタジオ制作に専念。Jeff "Skunk" Baxterの脱退を機に、一流のセッション・ミュージシャンを起用し、Jeff PorcaroのタイトなドラミングやMichael McDonaldのヴォーカルが楽曲に深みを加えている。  

オープニングの“Black Friday”は、陽気なロック・ナンバーに鋭い社会風刺を忍ばせたSteely Danらしい一曲。カオスの中で一儲けを狙うというテーマをFagenの飄々とした歌声で描き、ユーモアと冷めた視点が交錯する。さらに“Bad Sneakers”や“Doctor Wu”では、謎めいたストーリーと極上の演奏が絡み合う。“Doctor Wu”は、恋愛とドラッグ依存が交錯する歌詞にPhil Woodsのサックス・ソロが加わり、甘美で切ない余韻を残す名曲。  

『Katy Lied』は、後の『Aja』や『Gaucho』へと続く精緻な音作りの前兆を感じさせながらも、まだ粗削りな感情が滲む過渡期の作品。スタジオにおける葛藤や不満をエネルギーに変え、研ぎ澄まされた楽曲へと昇華させた、Steely Danの中でも特に興味深い一枚。

A1. Black Friday
A2. Bad Sneakers
A3. Rose Darling
A4. Daddy Don't Live In That New York City No More
A5. Doctor Wu
B1. Everyone's Gone To The Movie
B2. Your Gold Teeth II
B3. Chain Lightning
B4. Any World (That I'm Welcome To)
B5. Throw Back The Little Ones

Steely Dan's Katy Lied, released in 1975, marks a pivotal point in the band's trajectory. Known for their meticulous approach to recording and their increasingly complex fusion of rock and jazz, the album sits at the crossroads of their evolution, representing both the height of their creative powers and the growing dissatisfaction of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen with their work. This album sees Steely Dan's transition from a traditional rock band to a more sophisticated, jazz-inflected studio project. The departure of guitarist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, and their decision to stop touring, freed Becker and Fagen to focus entirely on studio work. Without the need to accommodate a touring lineup, Katy Lied became a playground for an array of top-tier session musicians, including drummer Jeff Porcaro and vocalist Michael McDonald, who would go on to define yacht rock's lush sound. The album's opening track, 'Black Friday', encapsulates Steely Dan's knack for blending lyrical wit with biting social commentary. It's a jaunty rock tune about apocalyptic scenarios and cashing in on chaos, with Fagen's sly delivery making it unclear whether he's advocating rebellion or simply observing it with a smirk. This tension between cool detachment and grim humor runs throughout Katy Lied, lending the album its disorienting charm. Tracks like 'Bad Sneakers' and 'Doctor Wu' mix cryptic narratives with immaculate musicianship. 'Doctor Wu', one of Steely Dan's most beloved tracks, balances between a love triangle and drug addiction with a saxophone solo from jazz great Phil Woods that ties the song's knot of ambiguity into a gorgeous, bittersweet bow. While Katy Lied features some of Steely Dan's most intricate compositions, it also hints at the moral ambiguity that would become a hallmark of their later albums. Katy Lied holds up as one of Steely Dan's most interesting records, a liminal album that bridges the gap between the rockier early years and the slick perfectionism of later efforts like Aja and Gaucho. It captures Becker and Fagen still in the process of refining their vision, grappling with the frustrations of the studio, but channeling that tension into songs that remain sharp, enigmatic and unflinchingly human.