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This isn't intended in any way as a criticism. For some reason I had always thought that, for many fans, The Royal Scam was the weakest link in the Steely Dan discography. In any event, this album vies for top spot together with Aja and Katy Lied. Any song from The Royal Scam would slide easily onto Katy and vice versa. The musical styles varied and the make-up of the band changed constantly yet Steely Dan never produced anything but top notch, brilliantly witty and innovative music. Judging from the opinions expressed at Amazon.com I am far from alone in my appreciation.
For me the style's the same but the material is slightly stronger. Perhaps it was Allmusic measly 3 ½ stars. I was delighted that the boys decided to make nine more acerbic, guitar-driven jazzy masterpieces along the lines of the songs on Katy. For once Steely Dan's music didn't "progress" from the immediately preceding recording. Fagen and Becker merely trod water. I loved Katy, so needless to say I adore Scam.Throughout the middle years of the 1970's Steely Dan released an unbroken string of memorable albums.
Other than The Beatles I can think of no-one else who had such a run as this band did from 1972 until 1980.
And even though this never got the recognition that what came after it did this is really the pair and the studio aces they surrounded themselves with at last finding their sound. That's exactly the effect you get on four of the albums strongest (and uptempo) cuts in the sharp,aggresive yet elegant funk stylings of "Kid Charlamagne","Don't Take Me Alive","The Fez" and the almost Songs in the Key of Life-period Stevie Wonder sounding "Green Earrings". By this time Becker and Fagan had settled firmly into the studio oriented ethic they were hoping for but didn't fully achieve with the previous album. To be said Katy Lied had it's definate moments but without any doubt this has to be Steely Dan's most creatively and musically satisfying since Countdown To Ecstasy several years earler. "Everything You Did" and the lightly Caribbean flavored "Haitian Divorce" are closer to the breezy jazz-pop of the earlier Steely Dan but again produced very differently. Interestly enough the guitars are used in a very jazzy funk way throughout as more of a textural sound element overall than just as soloing noise makers.
Yes true this album does feature a lot more guitars;Becker himself,Larry Carlton,Denny Dias,Dean Parks and Elliot Randell are all featured throughout this album and that's a pretty big guitar army for these guys.
What they really found is the funk.
Lyrically most of these songs are Steely Dan at their darkest:songs about misdirected anti heroes,youth bombers and domestic unrest are among the themese explored here and the good part is their presented in a wonderfully poetic and intelligent manner.
Musically however the music couldn't me more different.
The clavinets and keyboards used on these songs really add to the harmonic style as well.
Now Steely Dan had ALWAYS been funky but in terms of the technically demanding rhythms and harmonics of the music,which naturally suited Becker & Fagan's style anyway this album really finds them dipping into that area more than anything.
This was actually one of the earliest Steely Dan albums I owned and it was deep in my "funk period" so it worked pretty well.
"The Caves Of Altamira","Sign In Stranger" and the title song are all elaborate midtempo jazz-funk-fusion explorations that really look the most to their sound to come although the dynamics are a bit looser than they would be in the emmediate future.
Officially bidding farewell to their earlier band based sound this album finds Dan firmly on the way to Aja and if you listen to this album thoroughly you'll realize that album was really the logical follow up.
This is without a doubt my favorite Steely Dan album as Becker and Fagan let loose some gut emotions and revealed their "dark side." I call such albums "their White Album" as they played more to themselves than selling to an audience. Billy Joel's "Nylon Curtain" is such an album. I rate these as their best regardless of what pop critics might think.
My favorite album of all time. Not just Steely Dan, but of all known musical recordings.
The Royal Scam has a couple of the most catchy and commercial songs Steely Dan has ever recorded - "The Fez" and "Haitian Divorce" - both songs greatly influenced by reggae. Like all Steely Dan the playing and production is sheer perfectionism. The songs are generally - apart from the two aforementioned - not as melodic as the ones one the previous album "Katy Lied", and through there are great bits and pieces on all songs - especially some great guitar-parts - it may the the Steely Dan album that I have most difficulties to get really into.For me the standout song is "Haitian Divorce" - I know some find it light-weight - but it's a song that sticks with you - no surprise that it was among the few single-hits Steely Dan scored."The Fez", "Kid Charlemagne", "The Caves of Altamira", "Sign in Stranger" are all fine songs; in fact apart from "Green Earring", there are no songs I don't like.I guess you could call it a transitional album, linking the early melodic Steely Dan with the later more sophisticated side of the group.
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