Steely Dan – Two Against Nature 2LP (Crystal Clear Vinyl)

Steely Dan – Two Against Nature

"Two Against Nature" was a commercial success for Steely Dan. Their first studio album after a 20-year hiatus was released on February 29, 2000. On Metacritic.com, which rates reviews from professional critics on a scale of 100, the album received a "generally positive" average score of 77, based on 13 reviews.

Robert Christgau, writing for The Village Voice in March 2000, praised the music as an excellent "rock comeback" and a "bouncier and faster, more acidic and trickier and less soothing" version of the jazz-pop heard on Steely Dan's 1977 album "Aja," calling it "postfunk." Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic appreciated the "sharp humor" in the lyrics, but was particularly impressed by the "depth and character" of the music, observing "almost endless permutations within their signature sound."

Formed by core members Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, Steely Dan's popularity soared in the late 1970s, and their seven albums during this period blended elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B and pop. Steely Dan created a polished, distinctive sound with accessible melodic hooks, complex harmonies and time signatures, and a penchant for the recording studio. Together with producer Gary Katz, Becker and Fagen gradually transformed Steely Dan from a live band into a studio project, hiring session musicians to record their compositions. Between 1974 and 1993, the duo no longer performed live. Nevertheless, their popularity grew in the 70s as their albums became critically acclaimed and their singles became staples on Adult Oriented Radio and pop radio stations.

Becker (bass) and Fagen (vocals, keyboards) were the core members of Steely Dan throughout their career. Since their reunion in 1993, Steely Dan have toured regularly and released two new albums. The first, Two Against Nature (2000), won the 2001 Grammy for Album of the Year and went on to win three more Grammys: Best Pop Vocal Album, Best Engineered Album - Non-Classical, and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal (for the single "Cousin Dupree"). The album reached #6 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, sold more than 1 million copies, and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

After a brief battle with esophageal cancer, Walter Becker passed away on September 3, 2017 at the age of 67. Steely Dan have sold more than 40 million albums worldwide and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2001. VH1 placed Steely Dan at number 82 on their list of the 100 greatest music artists of all time. Rolling Stone listed them at number 15 on its list of the 20 greatest duos of all time.

Tracklist:
1. Gaslighting Abbie 5:53
2. What a Shame About Me 5:18
3. Two Against Nature 6:18
4. Janie Runaway 4:09
5. Almost Gothic 4:10
6. Jack of Speed 6:17
7. Cousin Dupree 5:29
8. Negative Girl 5:34
9. West of Hollywood 8:22

Label: Rhino
Released: 2000/2026