"Reelin' In the Years" (sometimes entitled "Reeling In the Years") is a song by American rock band Steely Dan, released as the second single from their 1972 debut album, ''

Can't Buy a Thrill ''Can't Buy a Thrill'' is the debut studio album by American rock band Steely Dan, released in November 1972 by ABC Records. The album was written by band members Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, recorded in August 1972 at the Village Recorder ...

''. It peaked at #11 on the US '' Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and at #15 in Canada.

Writing and performance

The song was written by Donald Fagen and

Walter Becker Walter Carl Becker (February 20, 1950 – September 3, 2017) was an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He was the co-founder, guitarist, bassist, and co-songwriter of the jazz rock band Steely Dan.Russonello, Giovanni,Listen t ...

and features Fagen on vocals. In 2009, ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' described the track as "a prime early example of what would become the Dan's trademark vibe, marrying a sardonic kiss-off to an ex to a bouncy shuffle groove, and adding on some white-hot guitar dazzlement courtesy of

Elliott Randall Elliott Randall (born June 15, 1947) is an American guitarist best known for being a session musician with popular artists. Randall played the well-known guitar solos from Steely Dan's song "Reelin' in the Years" and Irene Cara's song " Fame". The ...

to bring the whole thing home." In the same interview, Fagen said "It's dumb but effective," and Becker said "It's no fun."

Guitar solo

The guitar solo on the original recorded version, by session player Elliott Randall, was recorded in one take. It has reportedly been rated by

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...

guitarist Jimmy Page as his favorite solo of all time, and he scored it 12/10. In 2016 the solo was ranked the 40th best guitar solo of all time by the readers of '' Guitar World'' magazine. The four-channel

quadraphonic Quadraphonic (or quadrophonic and sometimes quadrasonic) sound – equivalent to what is now called 4.0 surround sound – uses four audio channels in which speakers are positioned at the four corners of a listening space. The system allows for th ...

mix of the recording has extra lead guitar fills not heard in the more common two-channel stereo version.

Reception

On its release in 1973, '' Billboard'' said: "Easy sounding guitar solos lead into an easy sounding piano break which supports the voices extolling about culling life's experiences from tears to time." '' Cash Box'' called it a "winner highlighted by some expert guitar playing." '' Record World'' said that "Another winner from their ''Can't Buy A Thrill'' lp should reel in whopping sales." The song was a No. 11 hit on the Billboard Singles Chart in May 1973. In March 2005, ''

Q magazine ''Q'' was a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1986 by broadcast journalists Mark Ellen and David Hepworth, who were presenters of the BBC television music series '' The Old Grey Whistle Test''. ...

'' placed the recording at No. 95 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Personnel

Steely Dan

* Donald Fagen – piano, lead and backing vocals *

Denny Dias Dennis Dias (born December 12, 1946) is an American guitarist, best known for being a founding member of Steely Dan. Career Dias was working with his own band out of his basement in Hicksville, New York, when he placed an ad in ''The Village Vo ...

– rhythm guitar *

– bass * Jim Hodder – drums

Additional personnel

– lead guitar *

Jeff Baxter Jeffrey Allen "Skunk" Baxter (born December 13, 1948) is an American guitarist, known for his stints in the rock bands Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers during the 1970s and Spirit in the 1980s. More recently, he has worked as a defense cons ...

– rhythm guitar *

Victor Feldman Victor Stanley Feldman (7 April 1934 – 12 May 1987) was an English jazz musician who played mainly piano, vibraphone, and percussion. He began performing professionally during childhood, eventually earning acclaim in the UK jazz scene as ...

– percussion

References

External links

Music Notes Entry
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reeling In The Years 1972 songs 1973 singles Television drama theme songs Music television series theme songs Steely Dan songs Songs written by Donald Fagen Songs written by Walter Becker Song recordings produced by Gary Katz ABC Records singles