For this guy, this album plops right in the middle of the seven albums Steely Dan released during their "classic era" (1972-80), right behind Aja, Gaucho, and Katy Lied. I can't complain about any of the material (especially the white boy funk tunes that include a Clavinet part) and Larry Carlton brings his 'A' game throughout, it just doesn't grab me like the three other SD albums mentioned above. That don't mean it's bad, though. To my ears, there's only one misstep and that's the weak reggae arrangement of an otherwise decent track, Haitian Divorce. Still, that's not enough to make me skip it. And the kink-funk of The Fez is easily worth the price of admission.
Press of the time:
- Rolling Stone: "contains some of their most accomplished and enjoyable music"
- Billboard: "a generally satisfying package."
- CashBox: "A strong release."
- Record World: "The group sound is well-defined by now and the level of consistency is high."
- Stereo Review: "Junk music for a junk culture"
Album chart peaks:
- US Billboard 200: #15
- CashBox: #19
Tracks: ...and while I'm ranking Steely Dan discography:
- The Fez
- Kid Charlemagne
- Green Earrings
- Sign In Stranger
- Don't Take Me Alive
- The Caves of Altamira
- The Royal Scam
- Everything You Did
- Haitian Divorce
Previously revisited for the blog:
| Everything Must Go (2003) | Aja (1977) |
| Two Against Nature (2000) | Katy Lied (1975) |
| Alive In America (1995) | Pretzel Logic (1974) |
| A Decade of Steely Dan (1985) | Can't Buy A Thrill (1972) |
| Gaucho (1980) |
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