It’s pure coincidence that we reach this song about enticing young boys to go watch a porno flick shortly after a child molestation scandal broke open at Penn State University, and nothing about this topic is any laughing matter. But Becker and Fagen have long treated the topic of human degradation with their usual acerbic wit, as with the relatively recent “Cousin Dupree” and they’ve done this right at the beginning, too, with “Everyone’s Gone To The Movies.”
Yes, the beginning. This song was originally recorded pre-Can’t Buy A Thrill in 1971, with Flo & Eddie (Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan of the Turtles) supplying backup vocals. Intended as just a demo, it finally appeared with the release of the SD boxed set compilation Citizen Steely Dan in 1993. The standout feature of that version isn’t Flo and Eddie, but rather a couple of funky rhythm guitars mixed up front in the mix. It gives the song more punch than the vibes-led version that you hear on Katy Lied. Then again, the later recording sports more of that typical Steely Dan polish.
So which performance is better? Decide for yourself:
FROM 1971:
FROM 1975:
- Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock + Paul Motian – ‘The Old Country’ (1992; 2024 release) - November 7, 2024
- Devin Gray – ‘Melt All The Guns II’ (2024) - November 5, 2024
- David Cain – ‘Variations’ (2024) - November 1, 2024
