Countdown to Exegesis

King of the World (Christmas Special)

'Tis the night before Christmas, and our exegetes are gathering round the Bo Tree to swap gifts and make merry. (Or as merry as one can be when discussing a song about nuclear apocalypse.)
This is our first episode recorded IN PERSON (hooray!) and is even more NSFW than usual, as you might expect when you put two Brits in a kitchen with copious booze. Give this one a miss if you tend to wince at the Anglo-Saxon "C" word.
"Donald, remove the last vestiges of emotion from your voice."
Further listening…
Joe Jackson - King of the WorldHench - King of the WorldEtch - King of the WorldPegleg - Dance of the King of the World of MayaPanic in Year Zero trailerCaravan - In the Land of Grey and PinkThe Beach Boys - God Only KnowsCrosby, Stills & Nash - Wooden Ships

Pearl of the Quarter

Voulez voulez voulez-vous un autre épisode de Countdown to Exegesis? Drift along, dear listener, to the plaintive strains of Pearl of the Quarter, and learn about Andrew's strange encounter in a Chinese takeaway. Ooh la la.
"Fuck off Don; let's get Michael McDonald."
Further listening…
Nearly Dan's website
Mark Winkler's story about auditioning for Steely Dan
The Band - In a Station
Spoiler-free show and tell link

My Old School (feat. Pen Jones)

Ben "Pen" Jones once again joins our Danizens to talk horns and sex maths. DUM-DUM-DUM-DIDDLE-DUM-BAH-DAH-DUM.
"Skunk was next to arrive, wearing some kind of viking helmet."
Further listening…
Ben "Pen" Jones on Instagram
Steely Dan performs "My Old School" on TV
Moonpie - My Old School
Boogie by Boogie (album cover)
Steely Dan - What a Shame About Me

Show Biz Kids (feat. Chris Butler)

The boys are joined by The Waitresses and Tin Huey guitarist Chris Butler for a lesson in American geo-cultural relations.
Apologies for the audio quality on this one. Technical issues meant we had to resort to a safety copy.
"A sort of dirty sprinter."
Further listening…
Chris Butler's Bandcamp
Mark Masters Ensemble - Show Biz Kids
Hannah Boel - Showbizz People
Rickie Lee Jones - Show Biz Kids
Super Furry Animals - The Man Don’t Give a Fuck
The Band - King Harvest (“…don’t judge me by my shoes”)

Your Gold Teeth

An episode of strange and macabre things, including a visit to a spooky horror circus and more unsettling correspondence from the Rasiermesserjunge. Some discussion of Steely Dan's "Your Gold Teeth" is also attempted.
"Hats off, Fagen"
Further listening…
Your Gold Teeth, the band
Gil Scott-Heron - Lady Day And John Coltrane
Cathy Berberian - Stripsody

The Boston Rag

Andrew and Oli sweep the playroom and swallow up all they find. In this episode, we learn the identity of Lonnie, why he was the kingpin, and why Andrew doesn't care.
Also revealed: Andrew's dad's opinion of Countdown to Exegesis.
"Like an angry haiku."
Further listening…
Hit-Boy feat. John Legend - WyW
Joni Mitchell - Edith and the Kingpin
Joni Mitchell - In France They Kiss on Main Street
Ted Chippington, for the sake of comparison
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young - Ohio
Neil Young - Revolution Blues
The Band - King Harvest
Tom Waits - Hoist That Rag
Elvis Costello - American Gangster Time
Donald's interview with Ennio Morricone

Razor Boy

Is this… jazz? Bouyed by the sound of vibes and acoustic bass, our exegetes attempt to catch the Razor Boy and make him explain himself. Meanwhile, Andrew receives a suspicious package…
"We've dissected the frog and the frog is dead."
Further listening…
Billy Goodrum - Razor Boy
The Left Banke - Pretty Ballerina

Bodhisattva

It's the start of a new series, and Oli is excited. Andrew, however, is not.
In this episode, our fact-finding inebriates discover the answers to the following: "is Countdown to Ecstacy Steely Dan's punk album?", "how is Bodhisattva like kedgeree?", and "what does it take to bring Andrew out of a bad mood?".
"There's a single almond on my staircase."
Further listening…
Brian Setzer Orchestra - Bodhisattva
Toto - Bodhisattva
The Late Era episode about Honkin' On Bobo
Denny's story about the synth

Turn That Heartbeat Over Again

A bumper episode to froth all over Turn That Heartbeat Over Again, and try to navigate its labyrinthine lyrics.
Plus, we wrap up on album one, review our slams and scams, and - most importantly - answer the burning question: "has Can't Buy a Thrill turned Andrew into a Steely Dan fan?"
"Extremely measured fun."
Further listening…
Brooklyn Charmers - Turn That Heartbeat Over Again
Prefab Sprout - Cue Fanfare

Change of the Guard (feat. Pen Jones)

The Danboiz are joined by caricaturist and Pretzel Logic aficionado Ben "Pen" Jones to discuss Change of the Guard. They're ready to sandwich, but is there any meat in this filler?
Also discussed: David Palmer, salmon farmer.
"Donald Fagen is my fursona."
Further listening…
Passport - Change of the Guard
Stanley Dee - Change of the Guard