Steelin' In the Dan

Reviewing the works of Steely Dan and suspected fellow travelers

About the show

Joe McAlhany and Scott Beckett explore the enduring allure of Steely Dan, a band whose music has been described as "...among the most genuinely subversive ouevres in late 20th-century pop." Each week we advance chronologically through the band's discography and discuss one song by the Dan, and two related creative works as chosen by the hosts.

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Episodes

  • Episode 11: Can't Wrap an Album

    August 14th, 2020  |  Season 1  |  1 hr 36 mins

    This week - recapping Steely Dan's debut album, “Can't Buy a Thrill”

  • Episode 10: Love ‘Em Till They Run for Cover

    March 3rd, 2020  |  Season 1  |  1 hr 32 mins
    can't buy a thrill, good time, robert pattinson, safdie brothers, steely dan, the salton sea, turn that heartbeat over again, val kilmer

    This week’s Steely Dan track - “Turn That Heartbeat Over Again”; Scott’s pick - “The Salton Sea” (2002); Joe’s pick - “Good Time" (2017)

  • Episode 9: Dinner at Zabriskie Point

    January 20th, 2020  |  Season 1  |  1 hr 19 mins
    bob giraldi, can't buy a thrill, change of the guard, dinner rush, michaelangelo antonioni, steely dan, zabriskie point

    This week’s Steely Dan track - “Change of the Guard”; Scott’s pick - “Dinner Rush” (2000); Joe’s pick - “Zabriskie Point" (1970)

  • Episode 8: The Tao of a Brooklyn Landlord

    December 30th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  1 hr 9 mins
    beau bridges, brooklyn owes the charmer under me, can't buy a thrill, donal logue, hal ashby, steely dan, the landlord, the tao of steve

    This week’s Steely Dan track - “Brooklyn (Owes the Charmer Under Me)”; Scott’s pick - “The Tao of Steve”; Joe’s pick - “The Landlord"

  • Episode 7: Kings On Fire, Queen On the Bound

    December 16th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  1 hr 17 mins
    arnaud desplechin, can't buy a thrill, fiona apple, fire in the hole, kings and queen, on the bound, rois et reine, steely dan

    This week’s Steely Dan track - “Fire In the Hole”; Scott’s pick - “On the Bound”; Joe’s pick - “Rois et reine" ("Kings and Queen")

  • Episode 6: Like a Reelin’ Stone

    December 9th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  1 hr 38 mins
    bob dylan, can'tbuy a thrill, like a rolling stone, reelin' in the years, roger avary, steely dan, the rules of attraction

    This week’s Steely Dan track - “Reelin' In the Years”; Joe’s pick - “Like a Rolling Stone”; Scott’s pick - “The Rules of Attraction”;

  • Episode 5: Episode 5: Only a Fool Would Throw That Brick Through the Window

    October 24th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  1 hr 32 mins
    brick, can't buy a thrill, frank zappa, only a fool would say that, rian johnson, steely dan, trouble every day

    This week’s Steely Dan track - “Only a Fool Would Say That”; Scott’s pick - “Brick”; Joe’s pick - “Trouble Every Day”

  • Episode 4: Duets, Anti-Buddies, and Midnite Cruisers

    October 5th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  2 hrs 5 mins
    can’t buy a thrill, duets, midnite cruiser, mikey and nicky, steely dan

    This week’s Steely Dan track - “Midnite Cruiser”; Scott’s pick - “Duets”; Joe’s pick - “Mikey and Nicky”

  • Episode 3: “Kings” of New York, Princes of Thieves

    September 21st, 2019  |  Season 1  |  1 hr 39 mins
    can't buy a thrill, christopher walken, kevin costner, king of new york, kings, robin hood: prince of thieves, steely dan

    This week's Steely Dan track - "Kings"; Scott's pick - "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves"; Joe's pick - "King of New York"

  • Episode 2: Closer to That Most Important Thing: “Dirty Work”

    September 7th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  1 hr 27 mins
    andrzej aulawski, can't buy a thrill, clive owen, closer, dirty work, fabio testi, jacques dutronc, jude law, julia roberts, l'important c'est d'aimer, mike nichols, natalie portman, romy schneider, steely dan

    This week's Steely Dan track - "Dirty Work"; Scott's pick - "Closer"; Joe's pick - "That Most Important Thing: Love"

  • Episode 1: Inside the Ballad of “Do It Again”

    August 24th, 2019  |  Season 1  |  1 hr 45 mins
    coen brothers, do it again, inside llewyn davis, steely dan, the ballad of buster scruggs

    This week's Steely Dan track - "Do It Again"; Joe's pick - "Inside Llewyn Davis"; Scott's pick - "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs"

  • Episode 0: Steely Dan 101

    August 8th, 2019  |  Season 0  |  1 hr 17 mins
    episode 0, intro

    Scott and Joe initiate newcomers and skeptics into the cult of the Dan with their personal playlists of the band’s essential cuts.