Katy Lied, Steely Dan's fourth studio album, originally released in 1975 by ABC Records, was certified gold-selling and peaked at No. 13 on the U.S. charts. The single 'Black Friday' also charted at No. 37. Pitchfork noted '(Katy Lied) captures Steely Dan in the thick of it all, still hungry and energized by their early burst of creativity but not taking anything for granted. Before Katy Lied, Steely Dan was a rock band, but this is the record where they became something else.'Founded by core members Walter Becker (bass) and Donald Fagen (vocals, keyboards), Steely Dan's popularity rose throughout the late 1970s on, and their seven albums throughout that period of time blended elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop. Steely Dan created a sophisticated, distinctive sound with accessible melodic hooks, complex harmonies and time signatures, and a devotion to the recording studio. Becker and Fagen, with producer Gary Katz, gradually changed Steely Dan from a performing band to a studio project, hiring session musicians to record their compositions. The duo didn't perform live between 1974 and 1993. But their popularity nevertheless grew throughout the '70s as their albums became critical favorites and their singles became staples of Adult Oriented Radio and pop radio stations.Katy Lied was notable for Becker and Fagen being intially unhappy with the album's sound quality owing to an equipment malfunction with the then new dbx noise reduction system. Working with engineers at dbx, the sound was corrected and the album ultimately became successful, but Fagen and Becker still refused to listen to the completed version.Katy Lied also marks the first appearance of singer Michael McDonald on a Steely Dan album. Best known for his soulful voice as a member of the Doobie Brothers, McDonald is a five-time Grammy winner and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a

Japanese only SACD-Hybrid pressing. Warner. 2011.

Chicago Chicago II on Numbered Edition Hybrid SACD. Mastered from the Original Master Tapes Longtime Audiophile Favorite Now Possesses Reference-Caliber Separation, Tonalities, Balance. Chicago shortened it's name on it's second album but altered little else. Improving upon the creative synthesis shown on it's debut, the ensemble ups the ante for pop, rock, and jazz fusion on it's 1970 sophomore set, introducing classical signatures as well as a penchant to delve even deeper into unchartered waters. Ambitious arrangements and brazen interplay remain, yet further addition of multifaceted melodies and seamless syncopation finds the group stepping up it's songwriting. Witness '25 Or 6 To 4' and 'Make Me Smile,' smashes that resonated with the mainstream. Pulling back the curtain on the recordings, this collector's version exponentially expands the soundstaging dimensions, imaging proportions, and dynamic information, allowing the songs to breathe and enjoy a roominess that enhances the stellar performances and interwoven structures. In particular, the harmonic vocals naturally carry and possess lifelike decay, never in competition with but always in sympathy with the telepathic instrumentation. As reflected by the 7-part, 13-minute 'Ballet for a Girl in Buchanan' suite, Chicago II draws from classical as well as traditional rock and jazz influences in presenting an experience that eviscerates 'disparate' when pertaining to musical styles. Paired amidst progressive rhythms, a surfeit of driving horns and gritty R&B vocals again affords the band the privilege of rocking as hard as any of their contemporaries. And yet, due to the collective's diversity and prowess, Chicago also lends poignant sensitivity to ballads such as the prom favorite 'Colour My World.' The septet's command of switching between aggressiveness and intensity, softness and sensuality, defines Chicago II