Kid Charlemagne

The Zoo Crew is spinning "Kid Charlemagne" by Steely Dan, a standout track from their 1976 album The Royal Scam, and the Zoo Freaks are in for a treat with this jazz-rock gem. The song is loosely inspired by Owsley Stanley III, a legendary figure in the 1960s counterculture known for mass-producing high-quality LSD. In a 2000 BBC interview, Steely Dan's Walter Becker and Donald Fagen revealed that the track captures the rise and fall of an "outlaw-acid-chef" whose services became obsolete as the cultural tide shifted. Becker described the character as an "Owsleyesque figure" existing in their imagination, with the narrative spanning 1968 to 1976, reflecting Stanley’s real-life journey, including his imprisonment in the early 1970s. The song’s lyrics, like “On the hill the stuff was laced with kerosene / But yours was kitchen-clean,” nod to Stanley’s reputation for pure LSD, earning him clients like Jimi Hendrix and the Beatles.

Musically, "Kid Charlemagne" is a masterclass, featuring Larry Carlton’s iconic guitar solo, which ranked #80 on Rolling Stone’s 2008 list of the 100 greatest guitar solos. Becker praised Carlton’s virtuosity, noting that the solo was crafted from two takes, with parts of both used for the final cut. Drummer Bernard Purdie’s infectious groove, paired with Chuck Rainey’s bass, creates a funk-meets-reggae vibe that’s a drummer’s delight, as one fan noted on Classic Song of the Day, crediting Purdie’s hi-hat chirps for influencing their own style. A fun anecdote comes from Synyster Gates of Avenged Sevenfold, who shared on the Synner Official Website that his father, Brian Haner Sr., once played a version of the solo that young Syn initially preferred over Carlton’s. After immersing himself in the album, Syn grew to revere Carlton’s work, though he humorously lamented never hearing his dad’s “dogshit” version again.

The song’s cultural impact extends beyond its release, with Kanye West sampling the line “Did you realize that you were a champion in their eyes” for his 2007 hit “Champion.” On Reddit’s r/SteelyDan, fans give the track near-perfect scores, calling it “sonic perfection” and praising its live rendition on the Northeast Corridor album. The song’s dark humor and cryptic storytelling, typical of Steely Dan, make it a fan favorite, with one user joking, “Is there gas in the car? Yes, there’s gas in the car,” quoting its memorable lyrics. The track’s blend of jazz harmonies, rock energy, and witty wordplay has kept it a staple of album-oriented rock playlists, as noted by American Songwriter.

Steely Dan began in the late 1960s when Donald Fagen and Walter Becker met as students at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. Bonding over their love for jazz, blues, and pop, they played in various bands, including one called Leather Canary, which briefly featured Chevy Chase on drums. After college, they worked as songwriters in New York’s Brill Building before moving to Los Angeles, where they formed Steely Dan in 1971, named after a fictional device from William S. Burroughs’ novel Naked Lunch. Their debut album, Can’t Buy a Thrill (1972), featured hits like “Do It Again” and “Reelin’ in the Years,” establishing their signature sound. By The Royal Scam, Fagen and Becker had shifted from a traditional band to a studio-focused project, relying on top-tier session musicians like Carlton and Purdie to realize their meticulous vision.

You can keep up with Steely Dan through their official website, Facebook, Instagram, and X accounts, where they share updates on tours and reissues, like the recent vinyl release of The Royal Scam announced by ThatEricAlper on X. Fans gather on platforms like r/SteelyDan on Reddit and the Steely Dan Fans Facebook group, where they discuss everything from lyric interpretations to favorite live performances. Tribute bands like The Royal Scam, a New York-based group, also keep the band’s legacy alive with performances of their classic catalog.