Steely Dan, synonymous with perfectionist studio hibernation, wry jazz hipsterism and chemically charged surreal imagery, spoke volumes about musical possibilities in the 1970's. Alive in America, a cd culled from 1993-4 concerts, contains 70 minutes of well chosen songs some with new arrangements and lyrics which highlight their continued vitality in the 90's.

Steely Dan was first and foremost a genre busting outfit. Starting with Can't Buy a Thrill in 1972, they revealed a firm grasp of Ellington, latin rhythms, guitar texture, dramatic soloing, Brill Building pop, and a Borscht Belt meets Beat poet outlook. Fittingly, this is not really a reunion, but a whole new project as the band rarely toured in its heyday. Writers and fixtures, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen embellish their work with a revolving door of stellar supporting musicians who can take off on jazzy solos or provide a slinky backdrop to Fagen's vocals. The band's high production values and cool facade often distract listeners from the sardonic vision of the songs. Becker, who used to record guitar solos perched on a stool, recalled that the lyrics would sometimes cause him to laugh so hard he would fall on the floor.

For example on the subtle "Third World Man" Fagen reads his work well, "Johnny's playroom is a bunker filled with sand/He's become a Third World Man/Smoky Sunday he's been mobilized since Dawn/Now he's crouching on the lawn/ He's a Third World Man." Amidst casual horn and percussion buildups and a stylin' guitar line by Drew Zing, Fagen equivocally imagines childhood games, foreign affairs, and annoying neighbors with a hint of conquistador bravado. When you think about it, with its low visibility, purveyance of jazz to a rock audience, and nonsensical world view it's hard to believe that this band ever existed. Alive in America might just be the most convincing proof yet of our good fortune.

Alive in America refutes any dismissal of Steely Dan as studio hermits. Cool, detached and always sly, only Steely Dan could write a song ("Kid Charlemagne") about the death of the Sixties, focusing on the exploits of a drug dealer with so much style that "everyone stopped to stare at his technicolor motorhome." "Josie", "Sign in Stranger", "Babylon Sisters" and "Green Earrings" are among the late era album tracks being performed live for the first time on the tours that culminate in this cd. We anxiously await a studio follow up of new material.