Steely Dan - Gaucho (1980)

Steve:

As Steely Dan's final hurrah before their self-imposed hiatus in 1980, Gaucho is often underrated. Although Aja was a hard act to follow, and various personal problems (Becker was battling drug addiction) made Gaucho a difficult album to complete, song for song it stacks up pretty well next to Aja. It may still be slightly inferior, but it's a dazzling record for its time nonetheless.

As with most Steely Dan records, the glossy arrangements often mask some very clever lyrical themes, making for a collection of songs that can be enjoyed as either chillin' background or incisive social commentary. The opener "Babylon Sisters" shows Becker and Fagen growing weary of the decadent LA/superstar lifestyle, acknowledging that they just might be getting too old for that kind of fun. "Hey Nineteen", a top-10 hit single in the US, also addresses aging, as the protagonist makes himself look foolish trying to impress younger girls who don't even recognize an Aretha Franklin song. Musically, it's got a groove so cool it couldn't help but be a hit, and when the bridge section of "The Cuervo Gold / the fine Colombian / Make tonight a wonderful thing" comes in, it's a moment of melodic beauty. 

When "Hey Nineteen" was a hit, roller skating rinks were popular hangouts for kids, and I remember roller skating to this song. Just before the "Cuervo Gold" section, Fagen quietly says "skate a little lower now", and I used to try to comply with this request, although I was never a very good skater.

The title track is a humorous portrait of another guy looking foolish and out-of-place, in this case a "gaucho" (roughly translated as "cowboy") making a scene in an unfamiliar area and needing his friends to cover for/apologize for his behavior. Some interpretations of this song refer to Becker's drug-impaired state, turning up for recording sessions and being laughed at by the session musicians for his erratic behavior. The closing "Third World Man" is an extremely moving song with sad musical stylings. The lyrics seem to describe a Vietnam veteran whose traumatic experiences have left him in a constant state of paranoia and alarm as he tries to live a normal life back home after the war. Becker and Fagen's sensitive portrayal of this character makes it clear how much they sympathize and lament his sorry state.

In conclusion, if you enjoy the other 70s Steely Dan albums, there's no reason you can't enjoy this one too. Becker and Fagen were still on the songwriting roll that brought us The Royal Scam and Aja, but only a touch of weariness and personal strife (making the subsequent hiatus understandable, once known) keep this one from being among their best work. Still, that added dimension of strife makes for interesting art in itself.

Dan:

I'm always intrigued by the various interpretations of Steely Dan songs. They're intentionally opaque, of course, which requires more creativity on the listener's part. I still have no definite concept of who Dr. Wu might be from their Katy Lied album, and my personal interpretation of "Gaucho" is different from Steve's. So be it. I'm sure the songwriters had particular actors in mind based on their own experiences; most songwriters do. It's part of the fun (or frustration if you're a literal thinker) to imagine who these odd people might be. Best not to work too hard at it, though; music is meant to be fun, or so I think.

As was the Dan's usual practice, top-shelf musicians were hired, sometimes only to play a few bars. I like to name-check the guest artists on their albums. Gaucho is graced by Tom Scott, Randy Brecker, Mark Knopfler, Joe Sample, Steve Khan, Hiram Bullock, Rick Derringer, Anthony Jackson, Rick Marotta, Ronnie Cuber, Michael McDonald, Rob Mounsey, Victor Feldman, Don Grolnick, Chuck Rainey, Bernard Purdie, among others that I haven't heard of. If those cats were actually on stage all at the same time, it would be a hell of a band!

As for the underlying theme of aging, it's something that everyone needs to deal with sooner or later. Even hip iconoclasts like Fagan (now 75) turn old and lose a lot of their mojo. Becker didn't make it that far, dying in 2017 at age 67. The songs in Gaucho that portray pathetic elders attempting to relive their past youth as cool dudes probably strike a bare nerve in many people. 

I heard once that the past was prologue to the future, which is an old but meaningful adage for me. In music, many jazz artists continue to perform and develop younger talent well past their 70s. As I get older myself, I try to use my experience to make a positive difference in the lives of other people, especially rising academics. I suppose blogging about prog is another way for me and Steve to "pay it forward" by sharing our experiences with our vast Internet audience.