NEW LP
New sealed copy. 2025 reissue.
Released in May 1976, The Royal Scam is Steely Dan’s fifth studio album and one of their most overtly cynical records. At this point in their career, Donald Fagen and Walter Becker had fully embraced the studio as their primary canvas, pushing their jazz-rock fusion into darker, more satirical territory. The lyrics across the album paint bleak portraits of desperation, fraud, and disillusionment, pairing complex chord changes with sardonic storytelling.
The album opens with “Kid Charlemagne,” a funk-driven standout loosely based on LSD chemist Owsley Stanley, that weaves a tale of rise and fall with studio precision. “The Caves of Altamira” reflects on lost innocence through ancient imagery, while “Don’t Take Me Alive” introduces a fugitive narrator backed by soaring guitar work. Even the relatively upbeat “The Fez” has an undercurrent of unease, and stands out for including a co-writing credit to keyboardist Paul Griffin—one of the few times outside contributors received formal credit on a Steely Dan track.
Like much of their work from this era, the musicianship is immaculate, with a rotating cast of seasoned session players shaping the sonic palette. Though some critics initially felt it lacked the musical progression of its predecessors, The Royal Scam has since been reassessed as one of the band’s sharpest and most underrated albums. It peaked at number 15 on the Billboard chart and has been certified Platinum in the US.
In retrospect, it marked the end of a certain period for the band—before they pivoted to even more intricate studio work on Aja—and stands as a key entry for listeners drawn to the group’s more biting and surreal side.
TRACKLIST:
A1 Kid Charlemagne
A2 The Caves Of Altamira
A3 Don’t Take Me Alive
A4 Sign In Stranger
A5 The Fez
B1 Green Earrings
B2 Haitian Divorce
B3 Everything You Did
B4 The Royal Scam
