Steely Dan – Pretzel Logic (180g)

180-gram vinyl

Pretzel Logic — Steely Dan's gold-selling third studio album

UMe is releasing seven titles — from the classic Steely Dan MCA Records catalog — on 33 1/3 RPM, 180-gram vinyl. Led by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, these albums — Can't Buy A Thrill, Countdown to Ecstasy, Pretzel Logic, Katy Lied, The Royal Scam, Aja and Gaucho — were released from 1972-1980. The vinyl series will kick off with Can't Buy A Thrill, now in its 50th anniversary year, with breakthrough hits "Do It Again," "Reelin' in the Years" and the recently viral "Dirty Work."

Lacquers for UMe's standard 180-gram versions were cut by Alex Abrash at his renowned AA Mastering studio from high-resolution digital files of Bernie Grundman's new masters and pressed at Precision.

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.

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

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.