Steely Dan’s fifth studio album, The Royal Scam, known for classic cuts like “Kid Charlemagne,” “The Fez,” “The Caves of Altamira,” and the gripping title track, is slated to return to vinyl format for the first time in over 40 years. Available on June 6 via Geffen/ UMe, the collection represents the final piece in an extensive reissue program of the band’s classic ABC and MCA Records, which began in 2022 with the band’s esteemed debut, Can’t Buy A Thrill.
Founding member Donald Fagen helms the undertaking, which has reissued the group’s initial seven studio albums on vinyl. Following the path of renewal, The Royal Scam was remastered from the original analog tapes by Bernie Grundman to Ultra High-Quality Recordings (UHQR) via Analogue Productions, in association with Acoustic Sounds, to maximize the listening experience.
As a part of the update, UMe’s standard 33 1/3 RPM 180-gram version has been remastered by Joe Nino-Hernes at Sterling Sound from high-resolution digital files and pressed at Precision. Nino-Hernes’ modified LP edition will be available to stream beginning on June 6, joining Steely Dan’s already remastered archive: Can’t Buy A Thrill, Countdown To Ecstasy, Pretzel Logic, Katy Lied, Aja, and Gaucho.
Regardless of the album’s gold record status [surpassing the 500,000 unit threshold], peaking at No. 15 on the Billboard 200, the LP never received the proper praise, particularly due to the rollout of the critically acclaimed Aja in 1977, which dimmed The Royal Scam‘s status.
Steely Dan’s contributions helped define the sound of the ‘70s, with an expansive range of classics that touch on their pristine repertoire of pop-infused rock favorites.
Pre-order The Royal Scam now.
THE ROYAL SCAM (33 RPM Vinyl)
Side A
1. Kid Charlemagne
2. The Caves of Altamira
3. Don’t Take Me Alive
4. Sign In Stranger
5. The Fez
Side B
1. Green Earrings
2. Haitian Divorce
3. Everything You Did
4. The Royal Scam
Content shared from relix.com.