Geffen
's 2006 release
The Definitive Collection
is a mere 16 tracks long, which is a bit short for covering
Steely Dan
's career. They may not have landed many singles within the
Billboard
charts -- only 15 between their 1973 debut,
Can't Buy a Thrill
, and their 2000 comeback,
Two Against Nature
-- but they had plenty of standards on
album rock
radio, giving the impression that they had more charting hits than they actually did. This can make compiling a
Dan
hits collection a little difficult, since concentrating on either the chart singles or the radio staples will wind up giving a misleading impression.
attempts to negotiate the two: it has the biggest singles --
"Do It Again,"
"Reeling in the Years,"
"Rikki Don't Lose That Number,"
"Deacon Blues,"
"Peg,"
"Hey Nighteen"
-- and it has such radio favorites as
"Bodhisattva,"
"My Old School,"
"FM,"
and
"Babylon Sisters."
This disc does take into account their new-millennium comeback, pulling
"Cousin Dupree"
from
"Things I Miss the Most"
from 2003's
Everything Must Go
, which leaves less space for such
standards as
"Josie,"
"Time Out of Mind,"
"Show Biz Kids,"
"Any Major Dude Will Tell You,"
"Aja."
While those songs are missed, listeners wanting a more exhaustive compilation always have the option of purchasing 2000's excellent double-disc set
Showbiz Kids: The Steely Dan Story 1972-1980
instead. For those who just want a sampler of many, but not all, of
's biggest and best songs, this will suit them fine. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine