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Originally released in May ], '''''The Royal Scam''''' was an album by rock group ]. The album went ] and peaked at #15 on the charts. ''The Royal Scam'' is the most ]-friendly of Steely Dan's albums, featuring guitar work by Walter Becker and studio musicians including ], ], ] and ]. '''''The Royal Scam''''' is an album by ] group ], originally released in ]. The album went ] and peaked at #15 on the charts. ''The Royal Scam'' is the most ]-friendly of Steely Dan's albums, featuring guitar work by Walter Becker and studio musicians including ], ], ] and ].


The song ''Kid Charlemagne'' is partially inspired by ]. The song ''Kid Charlemagne'' is partially inspired by ].


With ]-leaden verses about ], ], and hardships faced by ]s, ''The Royal Scam'' is arguably Steely Dan at their most ]. The album cover, which shows a well-dressed, possibly ] man sleeping underneath (or perhaps dreaming of) mutating ]s, is a ] take on the ] (although Fagen and Becker claim to have hated the cover design when it was released). The cover was designed by Zox, and at least a portion was originally created for a ] album from ]-] that was never released . The mood of the album stands in contrast with the band's mellower and hugely successful follow-up, '']''. With ]-leaden verses about ], ], and hardships faced by ]s, ''The Royal Scam'' is arguably Steely Dan at their most ]. The mood of the album stands in contrast with the band's mellower and hugely successful follow-up, '']''.
==Album artwork==
The album cover, which shows a well-dressed, possibly ] man sleeping underneath (or perhaps dreaming of) mutating ]s, is a ] take on the ]. The cover was designed by Zox, and at least a portion was originally created for a ] album from ]-] that was never released . In the liner notes for the 1999 ] of the album, Fagen and Becker claim it to be "the most hideous album cover of the seventies, bar none (excepting perhaps ])."


==Track listing== ==Track listing==

Revision as of 21:22, 2 July 2006

Untitled

The Royal Scam is an album by jazz rock group Steely Dan, originally released in 1976. The album went gold and peaked at #15 on the charts. The Royal Scam is the most guitar-friendly of Steely Dan's albums, featuring guitar work by Walter Becker and studio musicians including Larry Carlton, Denny Dias, Elliott Randall and Dean Parks.

The song Kid Charlemagne is partially inspired by Owsley Stanley.

With irony-leaden verses about drug dealers, safe sex, and hardships faced by immigrants, The Royal Scam is arguably Steely Dan at their most cynical. The mood of the album stands in contrast with the band's mellower and hugely successful follow-up, Aja.

Album artwork

The album cover, which shows a well-dressed, possibly homeless man sleeping underneath (or perhaps dreaming of) mutating skyscrapers, is a satirical take on the American Dream. The cover was designed by Zox, and at least a portion was originally created for a Van Morrison album from 1974-75 that was never released . In the liner notes for the 1999 remaster of the album, Fagen and Becker claim it to be "the most hideous album cover of the seventies, bar none (excepting perhaps Can't Buy A Thrill)."

Track listing

All songs by Becker and Fagen, except where noted

  1. "Kid Charlemagne" - 4:38
  2. "The Caves of Altamira" - 3:33
  3. "Don't Take Me Alive" - 4:16
  4. "Sign in Stranger" - 4:23
  5. "The Fez" (Becker, Fagen, Paul Griffin) - 4:01
  6. "Green Earrings" - 4:05
  7. "Haitian Divorce" - 5:51
  8. "Everything You Did" - 3:55
  9. "The Royal Scam" - 6:30

Personnel

Production

  • Producer: Gary Katz
  • Engineer: Roger Nicholas
  • Mixdown engineer: Barney Perkins
  • Sound Consultant: Dinky Dawson
  • Horn arrangements: Walter Becker, Donald Fagen, Chuck Findley
  • Art direction: Ed Caraeff
  • Cover art: Zox
  • Typography: Tom Nikosey

Charts

Album

Year Chart Position
1976 Pop Albums 15

Singles

Year Single Chart Position
1976 "Kid Charlemagne" Pop Singles 82
1976 "The Fez" Pop Singles 59

External link

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