Steely Dan - The Royal Scam - 180g Vinyl

STEELY DAN’S GUITAR-DRIVEN CLASSIC, THE ROYAL SCAM, RETURNS TO VINYL FOR FIRST TIME IN FORTY-FIVE YEARS!

Led by the songwriting and virtuoso musical duo of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, Steely Dan released an extraordinary run of seven albums on ABC Records and MCA Records from 1972 through 1980. Filled with topline musicianship, clever and subversive wordplay, ironic humor, genius arrangements, and pop hits that outshone the Top 40 of its day, their records, which were as sophisticated and cerebral as they were inscrutable, were stylistically diverse, melding their love of jazz with rock, blues, and impeccable pop songcraft.

Released in 1976, The Royal Scam marked a pivotal moment in Steely Dan’s evolution toward studio perfectionism, delivering a darker, more cynical tone wrapped in complex jazz-rock arrangements. This album features some of the band’s sharpest songwriting and introduces legendary drummer Bernard Purdie to the fold—his first appearance on a Steely Dan record—bringing his signature groove to tracks like “Kid Charlemagne” and “Green Earrings.” Guitarist Larry Carlton delivers searing solos throughout the album, particularly on “Don’t Take Me Alive,” while Dean Parks adds talk box flair to the reggae-influenced “Haitian Divorce.” The album also includes standout cuts like the funky, offbeat “The Fez” and the epic title track, “The Royal Scam,” a scathing portrait of shattered American dreams. With contributions from bassist Chuck Rainey, keyboardist Paul Griffin, and the soaring background vocals of Michael McDonald, The Royal Scam combines biting social commentary with masterful musicianship, making it a cult favorite and a testament to Steely Dan’s uncompromising artistic vision.

This 33 1/3 RPM 180-gram black vinyl version has been remastered and cut by Joe Nino-Hernes at Sterling Sound from high-resolution digital files and pressed at Precision. The album is housed in a reproduction of the original artwork.

TRACKLIST:
Side A
1. Kid Charlemagne
2. The Caves of Altamira
3. Don't Take Me Alive
4. Sign In Stranger
5. The Fez

Side B
1. Green Earrings
2. Haitian Divorce
3. Everything You Did
4. The Royal Scam