Two Against Nature

2000年通算8作目のアルバムが、ANALOGUE PRODUCTIONSよりHYBRID SACDリイシュー!!

アメリカではプラチナ・ディスクに輝き、グラミー賞を4部門で受賞するなど、商業的にも批評的にも大成功を収めた傑作として知られていますが、本作が有名なのはアナログ盤のレア度でしょう。2000年というリリース時期もあってプレスが非常に少なく、中古市場では常に高額で取引されてきました。ANALOGUE PRODUCTIONS STEELY DANシリーズの各ハイブリッドSACDは、バーニー・グランドマンによってオリジナルのマスターテープからDSDに直接リマスタリングされています。その結果、よりパンチの効いたサウンドとテープから取り込まれた表現力が実現されているとのこと。

Notorious for shunning concert performances, Steely Dan's improbable live reunion in the mid-'90s eventually turned into a full-fledged reunion album. Since Steely Dan fans went two decades without even the hope of a new record, the very prospect was a delight, but it was also a little worrying, since a botched comeback would tarnish the band's legacy. Fortunately, Two Against Nature is as seductive and alluring as the best of Steely Dan's later work, with a similar emphasis on classy atmosphere and groove. Pitched halfway between Gaucho and the immaculate production of Fagen's solo album Kamakiriad, it's a graceful, intricate record that works its subtle charms at its own pace. While that means it isn't a knockout on the first listen, it's a real grower -- a quietly addicting album that slowly works its way into the subconscious. It's also an uncannily natural extension of the duo's previous work, but surprisingly, it never sounds nostalgic or dated. It's clear that Becker and Fagen re-teamed because they simply enjoy working together: crafting the songs and arrangements, designing the production, shoehorning in-jokes into the lyrics, finding the exact performances that fit their specifications. In this sense, Two Against Nature is no different than any past Steely Dan effort; that's exactly why it's welcome, since they find nearly endless permutations within their signature sound. Lyrically, the album isn't quite as malicious as their '70s work, but they haven't lost their sharp humor, even on some mere throwaway lines. The real payoff, however, is musical. Each song gradually reveals its own identity through small, thrilling touches, giving the record depth and character, and fitting it comfortably into Steely Dan's acclaimed body of work. And that's as delightfully unexpected and peculiarly beautiful as anything else in their career. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine