Steely Dan Everything Must Go (180g 45RPM Vinyl 2LP) * * *

Steely Dan Everything Must Go on 180g 45RPM 2LP: Remastered from the Original Analog Tape by Bernie Grundman and Pressed at QRP

2003's Everything Must Go was the second album released by Steely Dan after they ended a 20-year studio hiatus and recorded and released 2000's Two Against Nature. The final album from the legendary duo, it bore a decidedly different sound than its predecessor, with Becker and Fagen taking things down a notch, sonically speaking, with the songs featuring arrangements that weren't quite as elaborate as their heyday. Additionally, the solos were more rock-oriented than jazzy, i.e. they were tighter, and the album felt more like it had been recorded live. It's also notable that the LP included the one and only Steely Dan song to feature Becker on lead vocals: "Slang of Ages." Although there were often rumors that Steely Dan would return to the studio again, it never happened, but at least the icons went out on a high note with another top-10 album.

This Analogue Productions reissue is remastered from the original master tape and cut at 45RPM. The dead-quiet double-LP, with the music spread over four sides of vinyl, reduces distortion and high frequency loss as the wider-spaced grooves let your stereo cartridge track more accurately. The result is more sonic punch and more expression captured from the tape. The Quality Record Pressings 180-gram vinyl ensures a virtually silent playing surface. Tip-on old style gatefold jacket by Stoughton Printing rounds out the proceedings.