The last hit song the enigmatic and reclusive Dan duo charted was the lecherous anthem, "Hey 19." Hey that was 19 years ago. You'd have to imagine that a goodly number of Dan-fans that tapped their toe along with that one are dead now: and the nubile 19 year old that our boys were serenading, is pushing forty. And yet, thankfully, On Two Against Nature, Donald Fagan and Walter Becker, not only demonstrate that lust never sleeps, but it's also aging disgracefully. Steely Dan reminds me of Jack Nicholson--full to the eyebrows with mischief and all the more irresistable for it.

Two Against Nature sounds like it could've been released 19 days after Goucho (1980) Their chops are as crisp and wicked as ever, and Fagan's skewed tales of jaded urban players and jaunty lechery are as twisted and funny as ever. In short--"Ricki hasn't lost that number," I'm very happy to report that this reincarnation is the best thing that's come down the pike for the 30-50 year old set since Jerry Garcia died.

Steely Dan is certainly among the most fascinating success stories in the history of rock and roll. One of the first bands to ever fuse jazz and rock into radio friendly pop songs, they rarely performed live and were seldom the same band twice. Fagan and Becker are Steely Dan and the roster of ace session-men that have graced their recordings read like a who's who of modern jazz. Unlike most of their previous work, Fagan and Becker play much of what you hear on Two Against Nature and it's none the worse for it. Becker's lead work is particularly tasty and Fagan's distinctive vocals are amazingly solid.

As with almost any great album--you don't quite get it, on the first few spins. It's like putting together a puzzle of a picture you haven't seen for years. You have to connect quite a few pieces before you go "oh yea." My first thought was that they'd ladled on the jazz a little too thick, but after listenening to it pretty much non-stop since I bought it, I understand. The overall sound is a bit more akin to Fagan's solo record The Nightfly, than Gaucho--but the more you listen, the more you recognize their masterful signature. Before long you'll find yourself bouncing in the drivers seat, singing along like a fool "Reeling In The Years," back to the wondrous days when your record collection was one of the most important things in your life.

My faves so far are "Almost Gothic," wherein Fagan is smitten with a milky-white Noire-clad youngster, who's almost gothic in a natural way. "This dark place so thrilling and new /It's kind of like the opposite of an ariel view." And the truly titillating, "Cousin Dupree" an ode to misguided male conduct, that's absolutely inspired. My only complaint is that the album doesn't have what I'd call a stand out tune--a classic that just tips you over--but it's all good

For those of you who think of "Do It Again," when they think of Steely Dan, this record is more of a 3. But for those who were perhaps turned onto Jazz by Steely Dan, and know of their music beyond their hits, this one goes to eleven.