I didn't know this box set existed until I googled "interesting vinyl box sets" one day late last year and stumbled across it. And I love Donald Fagen, so it was pretty much a no-brainer, especially considering I once-upon-a-time possessed the original Kamakiriad LP but for some stupid reason sold it, which on reflection was a mistake. It's so rare and hard to find it that commands somewhere between $100-$200 these days. But it's included in this box set, which is one of several really good reasons to buy it.
I also had the Mobile Fidelity pressing of The Nightfly, which I thought sounded absolutely amazing until I heard the version included in this box, which to my ears sounds even better based on a blind A-B listen my wife and I conducted. So I sold the MoFi, as I don't need two of anything. I had that version for about 30 years and got $250 for it.
In addition to The Nightfly and Kamakiriad, Cheap Xmas also contains Morph The Cat, Sunken Condos (first time on black vinyl) and an additional LP titled 10 Extras, which contains - you guessed it - 10 extra tracks that are not on any of the four solo albums.
While listening to these records it’s hard not to draw comparisons to Steely Dan. But then so many of the same musicians appeared both on Steely Dan and Fagen's solo records it's virtually impossible to avoid noticing the similarities.
All of the LPs in this set were pressed at Record Industry. The Nightfly was cut by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Master, Sunken Condos by Scott Hull at Masterdisc, Morph The Cat by Kevin Gray and Steve Hoffman at AcousTech Mastering, and Kamakiriad and 10 Extras at Abbey Road. These are some of the best places and people for this kind of set and the attention to detail and quality shines through. The sound is superb.
Fagen spent countless hours in the studio recording 1982’s The Nightfly, which is probably why it is to this day used as a demonstration record in so many high end stereo shops. The title track is all about an old-school jazz DJ, and I.G.Y depicts suburbia in 1950s America. It's just oozes a smokey cool, front to back. It's one of my all time favourite albums.
When Kamakiriad was released over a decade later, critics (and almost everybody else, too) were stumped. Me, too, and that's probably why I sold my original copy. I didn't know what I had. I didn't get it, just like so many other people. We were probably expecting The Nightfly Vol. 2. But I do get it now, and although I regret selling my original copy I sure am glad to have it back in my vinyl collection via this box set.
Definitely …
I didn't know this box set existed until I googled "interesting vinyl box sets" one day late last year and stumbled across it. And I love Donald Fagen, so it was pretty much a no-brainer, especially considering I once-upon-a-time possessed the original Kamakiriad LP but for some stupid reason sold it, which on reflection was a mistake. It's so rare and hard to find it that commands somewhere between $100-$200 these days. But it's included in this box set, which is one of several really good reasons to buy it.
I also had the Mobile Fidelity pressing of The Nightfly, which I thought sounded absolutely amazing until I heard the version included in this box, which to my ears sounds even better based on a blind A-B listen my wife and I conducted. So I sold the MoFi, as I don't need two of anything. I had that version for about 30 years and got $250 for it.
In addition to The Nightfly and Kamakiriad, Cheap Xmas also contains Morph The Cat, Sunken Condos (first time on black vinyl) and an additional LP titled 10 Extras, which contains - you guessed it - 10 extra tracks that are not on any of the four solo albums.
While listening to these records it’s hard not to draw comparisons to Steely Dan. But then so many of the same musicians appeared both on Steely Dan and Fagen's solo records it's virtually impossible to avoid noticing the similarities.
All of the LPs in this set were pressed at Record Industry. The Nightfly was cut by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Master, Sunken Condos by Scott Hull at Masterdisc, Morph The Cat by Kevin Gray and Steve Hoffman at AcousTech Mastering, and Kamakiriad and 10 Extras at Abbey Road. These are some of the best places and people for this kind of set and the attention to detail and quality shines through. The sound is superb.
Fagen spent countless hours in the studio recording 1982’s The Nightfly, which is probably why it is to this day used as a demonstration record in so many high end stereo shops. The title track is all about an old-school jazz DJ, and I.G.Y depicts suburbia in 1950s America. It's just oozes a smokey cool, front to back. It's one of my all time favourite albums.
When Kamakiriad was released over a decade later, critics (and almost everybody else, too) were stumped. Me, too, and that's probably why I sold my original copy. I didn't know what I had. I didn't get it, just like so many other people. We were probably expecting The Nightfly Vol. 2. But I do get it now, and although I regret selling my original copy I sure am glad to have it back in my vinyl collection via this box set.
Definitely …
The title tune on The Nightfly - expressed on the cover - shows Fagen flying solo as the WJAZ all-night DJ back when being an FM DJ was really cool. The microphone is the iconic RCA 77DX and there's a Sonny Rollins LP cover next to the old turntable.
This record was recorded back in 1981-82 at Soundworks Digital Audio/Video Recording Studios and Automated Sound in New York City, and at Village Recorders in Los Angeles at a time when cheesy synths were ruining so many otherwise excellent recordings, although Fagen avoids that trap here.
The producer was Gary Katz, the album engineer was Roger Nichols and the mixer was Elliot Scheiner. All three had worked on most of the Steely Dan recordings, as had many of the musicians, including Jeff Porcaro, Rick Derringer and Larry Carlton. The bass guitar duties were spread among several excellent players: Anthony Jackson, Chuck Rainey, Abe Laboriel, Marcus Miller and Will Lee. The rest of the musical roster is just as impressive. Thirty-one musicians in all.
The Nightfly is one of the earliest examples of an all digital recording in popular music. Katz and Fagen had previously experimented with digital recording for Gaucho, but it ended up entirely analog - not a bad thing!
The party noises in Ruby Baby were captured using a microphone that was suspended from the ceiling of Studio 54, which was right next door to the studio, during a party hosted by Jerry Rubin.
In the end, the album took eight months to record. I love this record, even though it's a digital recording. It sounds so luxurious! Definately one of my all-time favourites!
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