Reelin' In the Years explained

Reelin' In the Years
Cover:Reeling In The Years 45.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Steely Dan
Album:Can't Buy a Thrill
B-Side:Only a Fool Would Say That
Released:March 1973[1]
Recorded:August 1972
Studio:The Village Recorder, Santa Monica, California
Genre:Jazz pop[2]
Length:4:37
Label:ABC
Producer:Gary Katz
Prev Title:Do It Again
Prev Year:1972
Next Title:Show Biz Kids
Next Year:1973

"Reelin' In the Years" (sometimes entitled "Reeling In the Years") is a song by American rock band Steely Dan, released as the second single from their 1972 debut album, Can't Buy a Thrill. It peaked at No. 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and at No. 15 in Canada.

Writing and performance

The song was written by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker and features Fagen on vocals. In 2009, Rolling Stone described the track as "a prime early example of what would become the Dan's trademark vibe, marrying a sardonic kiss-off to an ex to a bouncy shuffle groove, and adding on some white-hot guitar dazzlement courtesy of Elliott Randall to bring the whole thing home." In the same interview, Fagen said "It's dumb but effective", and Becker said "It's no fun."[3]

Guitar solo

The guitar solo on the original recorded version, by session player Elliott Randall, was recorded in one take.[4] It has reportedly been rated by Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page as his favorite solo of all time,[5] [6] and he scored it 12/10.[7] In 2016 the solo was ranked the 40th best guitar solo of all time by the readers of Guitar World magazine.[8] [9]

The four-channel quadraphonic mix of the recording has extra lead guitar fills not heard in the more common two-channel stereo version.

Reception

On its release in 1973, Billboard said: "Easy sounding guitar solos lead into an easy sounding piano break which supports the voices extolling about culling life's experiences from tears to time."[10] Cash Box called it a "winner highlighted by some expert guitar playing."[11] Record World said that "Another winner from their Can't Buy A Thrill LP should reel in whopping sales."[12]

The song was a No. 11 hit on the Billboard Singles Chart in May 1973. In March 2005, Q magazine placed the recording at No. 95 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1973)Peak
position
Australia KMR62
Canada RPM Top Singles[13] 15
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[14] 11
U.S. Cash Box Top 100 [15] 7
US Record World [16] 6

Year-end charts

Chart (1973)Rank
Canada[17] 90
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[18] 68
U.S. Cash Box Top 100[19] 87

Personnel

Steely Dan

Additional personnel

External links

Notes and References

  1. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 -
  2. Book: Precious and Few - Pop Music in the Early '70s. Don. Breithaupt. Jeff. Breithaupt. October 15, 1996. Play Misty for Me: Jazz Pop. 128. St. Martin's Griffin. 031214704X.
  3. Web site: Steely Dan: 10 Essential Songs . RollingStone.com . 3 September 2017 . 2018-10-18.
  4. Web site: How Elliott Randall Nailed Steely Dan's "Reelin' in the Years" Recording in One Continuous Take. Damian Fanelli. April 23, 2021. Guitarplayer.com. 2021-06-10.
  5. Web site: Steven Wheeler. The Led Zeppelin In-Frequently Murmured Trivia List v1.1. Led-Zeppelin.org. https://web.archive.org/web/20120216005812/http://www.led-zeppelin.org/reference/index.php?m=assorted3. 2012-02-16. usurped. 1995-06-11.
  6. Web site: Classic Rock Magazine Interview – 1999 . Elliott Randall . 2014-06-20 . 2016-10-08.
  7. Web site: Jimmy Page Grades other Guitarists out of 10.. https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211219/wtEXfEwJf4M . 2021-12-19 . live. 2021-06-10. YouTube.
  8. Web site: The 100 Best Guitar Solos of All Time - Page 4 . Guitar.about.com . 2016-10-08.
  9. [((none)) Rare Cuts, Big Hits: Steely Dan Dig Deep]. 24. Scaggs. Austin. RollingStone. 2009-09-17. 1087. https://archive.org/details/rolling-stone-1087-2009-09-17-stephen-colbert/page/n23/mode/2up. unfit. 2023-09-28. 2022-05-25.
  10. News: Radio Action & Pick Singles. Billboard. 2020-07-29. March 3, 1973. 102.
  11. News: CashBox Record Reviews. March 10, 1973. 20. 2021-12-11. Cash Box.
  12. Record World. March 10, 1973. 2023-03-23. Hits of the Week. 1.
  13. Web site: Item Display - RPM Top Singles - Volume 19, No. 18, June 16 1973 - Library and Archives Canada . Collectionscanada.gc.ca . 2016-10-08.
  14. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 -
  15. Web site: Cash Box Top 100 5/26/73. Cashboxmagazine.com . 2016-06-25 .
  16. Book: Whitburn, Joel. The Comparison Book Billboard/Cash Box/Record World 1954-1982. Sheridan Books. 2015. 978-0-89820-213-7.
  17. Web site: Item Display - RPM Annual - Volume 20, No. 20, December 29 1973 - Library and Archives Canada . Collectionscanada.gc.ca . 2017-07-14.
  18. Web site: Top 100 Hits of 1973/Top 100 Songs of 1973 . Musicoutfitters.com . 2016-10-08.
  19. Web site: Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1973. Cashboxmagazine.com . 2016-06-25 .