Reelin' in the Years

The Zoo Crew is spinning the classic track "Reelin' In the Years" by Steely Dan from their debut album Can't Buy a Thrill, and Zoo Freaks, you're in for some juicy trivia! This song, released in 1972, hit No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, but here's the kicker: Steely Dan's Donald Fagen and Walter Becker weren't exactly thrilled with it. In a 2009 Rolling Stone interview, Fagen called it "dumb but effective," while Becker bluntly said, "It's no fun." Despite their lukewarm feelings, the song's guitar solo by session musician Elliott Randall is legendary. Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin's guitar god, called it his favorite solo of all time, rating it a perfect 12/10 in a 2016 YouTube interview with Oliver Patrick Loughnan. What's wild is that Randall nailed it in one take—well, technically two, because the engineer missed the first one, thinking it was a practice run! Randall plugged his 1965 Strat into a bass amp, added a dash of salsa flair, and created a solo that’s still blowing minds.

Another tidbit Zoo Freaks will love: the recording of "Reelin' In the Years" had a happy accident. According to a 2023 Louder article, the engineer forgot to hit record during Randall’s first take, forcing him to do it again. Randall later told Guitar World that the lyrics inspired him, and he jazzed up the chorus for the iconic intro. The song’s sarcastic, kiss-off vibe—about a scorned lover reflecting on a failed relationship—fits Steely Dan’s cynical style perfectly. Posts on X highlight its mature perspective, noting that Fagen was just 24 and Becker 22 when they wrote it, as @baseballcrank shared in 2018. That youthful edge mixed with polished jazz-rock made it a standout, even if the band thought it was less representative of their later, more complex work.

Now, let’s rewind to how Steely Dan got started. Donald Fagen and Walter Becker met in 1967 at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, bonding over their love for jazz, blues, and offbeat literature like William S. Burroughs. Fagen recalled in his memoir Eminent Hipsters hearing Becker shredding electric blues guitar at the Red Balloon café and thinking he sounded “like a black person, really.” That sparked a friendship, and soon they were writing quirky songs together, cracking each other up with their dark humor. They played in local bands, including one called Leather Canary with Chevy Chase on drums—yes, that Chevy Chase! After college, they moved to Brooklyn, hustling as songwriters before landing in Los Angeles. There, they formed Steely Dan, named after a steam-powered dildo from Burroughs’ Naked Lunch, and recruited top-notch musicians like Jeff “Skunk” Baxter and Denny Dias. Their 1972 debut, Can’t Buy a Thrill, blended rock, jazz, and Latin vibes, with hits like "Do It Again" and "Reelin' In the Years" launching them to fame.

Zoo Freaks, you can keep up with Steely Dan on their official Facebook page, where they post tour updates and merch, or follow Donald Fagen’s personal Facebook page. There’s no official Instagram for the band, as a 2023 Reddit thread on r/SteelyDan noted, with fans pointing out that most accounts are either fan-run or fake, posting silly memes. On X, you’ll find fan accounts like @crockpics sharing release anniversaries, but no official band profile. For deeper dives, check out fan sites like The Steely Dan Reader, which archives decades of interviews and reviews, or join the vibrant r/SteelyDan community on Reddit. The Steely Dan Fans Facebook group is another hotspot for Zoo Freaks to connect, swap stories, and celebrate the Dan’s timeless grooves.