Steely Dan Sunday: “On The Dunes” (1993)

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On every Donald Fagen album, there’s inevitably a track or two that particularly brings to mind Steely Dan’s Aja and on Kamakiriad, that “Aja” track would be the smooth lounge-y jazz-pop number “On the Dunes.” It’s not a dead ringer for any certain song on that album but the sophisticated harmonic progression, tasteful piano and the richly euphonious rhythm guitar are some of the sonic markers that evoke the slick mystique of the classic Steely Dan record.

In an album full of action and/or optimism, “On the Dunes” is the dour moment of Kamakiriad, about a heartbreak, a “kind of homicide,” as our hero “stood and watched (his) happiness drift outwards with the tide.” The slow pace and minor chords match the sentiment of these lyrics, something that Fagen is probably even better at doing by himself than he is in collaboration with Steely Dan bandmate Walter Becker.

I like that darkened, piano-led chord progression that serves as the intro for the tune, it actually outshines the basic melody of the song. Fagen must have been pretty proud of it, too, as it also serves as the song’s coda … a very extended coda that presumably represents the sound of waves crashing against the beach and stretches out the track out past eight minutes long. That’s longer than it really needs to be but thankfully, Cornelius Bumpus’ soulful sax soloing makes it somewhat more bearable.

So, I’d like “On the Dunes” more if the length was tightened up. It still sounds good, though, and that’s a more critical test that it passes.

S. Victor Aaron