Gaucho
	Produced by Gary Katz
	Released on November 21, 1980
	US CHART POSITION #9 . . . GRAMMY FOR BEST ENGINEERING . . . 2x PLATINUM RECORD . . . UK CHART POSITION #27
	Find it at GEMM
MCA-6102 cover [high resolution scan]

T his always struck me as a pale imitation of Aja, but in the absence of anything else it’s gained some color in its cheeks with every listen. These days, I find the same rich colors, clinical precision and dripping sarcasm that were hallmarks of second-phase Steely Dan (from somewhere around Katy onward). Just another example of you don’t know what you got until you suffer through a spectral record like Kamakiriad and go running back to it with blandishments and a box of chocolates. The obvious attraction (and, honestly, nothing is obvious on Gaucho) is “Hey Nineteen,” the last really great hit they wrote. The only other lively track on here is “Time Out of Mind;” the rest of them creep along coolly in the shadows. I’d wave neophytes away from this with both hands. Gaucho is a mature, sophisticated album, which is what you say when a band that couldn’t possibly be less than interesting makes a dull album anyway. Tracks like “Glamour Profession” and “Babylon Sisters,” while excellent, require a studied, Steely ear to appreciate the subtle shifts and shades of color. Otherwise, Gaucho can seem a sere record; that’s how I first perceived it. Of course you can give them points for technical execution, but Fagen and Becker sound like they’re skating around their own legend. Even the title track is little more than “Doctor Wu” revisited. In 1981, I shrugged my shoulders and went back to listening to Aja. 25 years later, however, I find myself embracing the good Doctor in any guise. That said, the better follow-up to Aja is Fagen’s The Nightfly.

MCA-6102 back cover	MCA-6102 lyric sleeve

TRACK LISTING

1. BABYLON SISTERS    5:51
2. HEY NINETEEN    5:04
3. GLAMOUR PROFESSION    7:28
4. GAUCHO    5:32
5. TIME OUT OF MIND    4;10
6. MY RIVAL    4:30
7. THIRD WORLD MAN    5:14
   
   Music and lyrics by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen.
   Rhythm arrangements by Steely Dan with Rob Mounsey, Don Grolnick and Paul Griffin.
   

CREDITS

WALTER BECKER -- bass, guitar, solo guitar
DONALD FAGEN -- lead vocals, electric piano, synthesizer, organ
STEVE GADD -- percussion
STEVE KHAN -- electrc guitar, acoustic guitar, solo guitar
LESLIE MILLER -- backup vocals
ROB MOUNSEY -- horn arrangements, piano, synthesizer
TOM SCOTT -- tenor sax, alto sax, clarinet, lyricon, horn arrangements
VALERIE SIMPSON -- backup vocals
Wayne Andre -- trombone
Patti Austin -- backup vocals
Crusher Bennett -- percussion
Michael Brecker -- tenor sax
Randy Brecker -- trumpet, flugelhorn
Hiram Bullock -- guitar
Larry Carlton -- solo guitar
Ronny Cuber -- baritone sax
Rick Derringer -- guitar
Victor Feldman -- percussion
Frank Floyd -- backup vocals
Diva Gray -- backup vocals
Gordon Grody -- backup vocals
Don Grolnick -- electric piano, clavinet
Lani Groves -- backup vocals
Anthony Jackson -- bass
Walter Kane -- bass clarinet
Mark Knopfler -- solo guitar
George Marge -- bass clarinet
Nicholas Marrero -- timbales
Rick Marotta -- drums
Hugh McCracken -- guitar
Michael McDonald -- backup vocals
Ralph McDonald -- percussion
Jeff Porcaro -- drums
Bernard Purdie -- drums
Chuck Rainey -- bass
Patrick Rebillot -- electric piano
Joe Sample -- electric piano
David Sanborn -- alto sax
Zack Sanders -- backup vocals
Dave Tofani -- tenor sax
Toni Wine -- backup vocals
Roger Nichols -- executive engineer, overdub, sequencing and special effects
Elliot Scheiner -- tracking, mixdown
Bill Schnee -- tracking
Jerry Garszza -- overdub
Susanne Walsh -- album design & art direction
Rene Burri -- photography

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