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STEELY DAN "PRETZEL LOGIC" ORIGINAL EARLY ABC GERMAN PRESSING
STEELY DAN "PRETZEL LOGIC" LABEL: ABC RECORDS ABCD-808 EDITION" 70's GERMAN PRESSING ~ LAMINATED JACKET ~ NON GATEFOLD RECORDED: THE VILLAGE RECORDER ~ SANTA MONICA OCT. 1973-JAN. 1974 RELEASED: FEBRUARY 20, 1974 PRODUCER: GARY KATZ ENGINEER: ROGER NICHOLS MATRIX (SIDE A):  ̷K̷E̷R̷E̷  ABCD 808A
CONDITION: VINYL & JACKET BOTH EX- (SEE DETAILS BELOW)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I've been going thru my massive vinyl record collection these past few weeks and pulling out some LPs that I thought that someone else would want for their collection. I've been collecting records for over 45 years and it's time to pass some of them on to the next generation of collectors.
This week on EBay I am offering up this early German ABC Pressing of Steely Dan's great 3rd album "Pretzel Logic."
This is my original copy, purchased back in the late 70's, that I've taken great care of for many years. See details on Condition below.
This early German ABC Pressing reveals just how deeply layered, dynamic and intense Steely Dan's music is. The instruments are well separated, vocals are crisp & clear, and there's a good sense of space and depth. The overall sound is warm, intimate, vibrant and dynamic.
These early ABC pressings are the ultimate way to enjoy this music. The German pressing adds a little extra as well. From what I've seen and heard, these ABC pressings sound better than some recently released, expensive, boxed Audiophile pressings.
This early German ABC pressing stills sounds amazing. All analog and crisp.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Steely Dan was three years into their professional career and already a successful and critically-acclaimed act before they started to work on 'Pretzel Logic.' 
'Pretzel Logic' was the band’s third album, released in February 1974, and remains a standout album in Steely Dan's discography. 
Back in 1974, it was an incredibly fresh mixture of pop, jazz and rock, with strange thought-provoking lyrics. There was nothing like it at the time. It wasn’t 'classic' rock, and wasn’t quite jazz, blues, pop or soul either, but it contained elements of all that and more. It was Steely Dan at their best.
It’s the last album to feature the original 'classic' Dan lineup, including guitarist Denny Dias, drummer Jim Hodder and Jeff “Skunk” Baxter. 
Walter Becker (Bass, guitar, backing vocals) Donald Fagen – (Lead Vocals, Keyboards, Saxophone) Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter (Lead guitar, pedal steel guitar)   Denny Dias (guitar)  Jim Gordon (drums)
Over 15 other session studio musicians were also involved in the making of this record, many of whom would become regular staples in the band’s future records. Some of the other key 'studio' musicians on this album include
Bass – Chuck Rainey, Timothy B. Schmit, Wilton Felder Drums – Jeff Porcaro, Jim Gordon, Jim Hodder Guitar – Ben Benay, Denny Diaz, Jeff Baxter Keyboards – David Paich, Michael Omartian Percussion – Victor Feldman Saxophone – Ernie Watts, Jerome Richardson, Plas Johnson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just after this album's release, Donald Fagen & Walter Becker gave up active touring, retreated into the studio, and started their practice of employing scores of session musicians to record just the right part, phrase or note, so that each song reflected exactly what they heard and imagined in their minds.
On this album, the classic lineup is still intact, but fleshed out with some of L.A.’s best session musicians. Becker & Fagen were starting their quest for sonic perfection. This album also marks the beginning of Becker & Fagen being Steely Dan's principal members, no longer a group collaboration.
The band's intricate arrangements and skilled musicianship are on full display throughout the album. The album blends catchy hooks, fantastic musicianship, and thoughtful lyrics. A very concise album.
'Pretzel Logic' reached the Top Ten on the album charts and remains one of the group’s most critically acclaimed releases. Critics and fans loved it, and still do. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Steely Dan's 2nd album "Countdown To Ecstasy" didn't get the critical acclaim that their first album did.
Fagen and Becker weren't happy with it either, because they felt they didn’t have the time between hectic tour dates to record, mix, and develop the tracks properly. 'Countdown to Ecstasy' was rushed and incomplete. “That album was written hastily when we were on the road,” Fagen admitted later.
Touring and travelling were interfering with their artistic vision, so the live touring had to go. It was time for Steely Dan to move on. 
The songs on the first 2 albums were written with possibility of performing them live. With this album, Fagen and Becker were over the whole realistically-reproducible thing and would subsequently use every studio tool and every musician at their disposal to create their complex, intricate music going forward.
Exhausted and jaded from touring, Becker and Fagen decided to make Steely Dan a studio-only outfit. They proceeded to retreat from the stage and set up camp in The Village Recorder studios in L.A. in the Fall of 1973. 
Here they laid down the basic tracks with what remained of the 'band' but also hired the cream of L.A.'s session musicians to try to recreate the perfect sounds in their heads.
The stories about their compulsive perfection and their 'torture' of hired studio musicians, performing numerous takes for each song, are legendary.
In the summer of 1974, shortly after the release of this album, Steely Dan announced their retirement from the road to focus on studio recording exclusively.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Now with the band dissolved, the stress of touring behind them, a modern fully-equipped studio at their disposal, and their choice of any musicians they wanted, Becker & Fagen went about creating 'Pretzel Logic.'
This album set the template for their innovative and unparalleled mixing of the genres of pop/rock and jazz. It marks a transition in sound, delving even deeper into the band’s jazz influences.
Becker and Fagen seemed to have found their perfect niche, fusing blistering rock, smooth pop, unexpected jazz, and everything in-between, into a unique sound no one else was doing at the time.
On 'Pretzel Logic' they manage to synthesize all the things that made them great—observant storytelling, wryly humorous lyrics, great musicianship, inventive instrumental breaks and sleek production, all in a radio-friendly package.
The lyrics are witty, sarcastic, skeptical, cynical, and obtuse yet incisive. The themes involve lost love, loneliness, social isolation, outcasts, and the shady low-lifes that inhabit dark city streets.
One of the defining characteristics of 'Pretzel Logic' is its use of unusual chord progressions and unexpected musical twists and turns. By expertly mixing pop, rock, and jazz influences into perfect album tracks, the duo found a sonic sweet spot for the mid seventies. It’s easy to hear why critics and fans love this album. 
"Pretzel Logic' contains 11 twisted, but tightly formed, pop nuggets that contain elements of jazz, rock and everything else, to create what many Steely Dan fans consider the band’s first masterpiece.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  Fagen and Becker wanted to get the groove and feel of their songs just right, so Drummers were a special obsession for them. 
This album has 2 fantastic drummers on it; Jim Gordon and Jeff Porcaro, but Gordon does most of the drumming.
Gordon was a fantastic drummer, played on countless albums, and influenced the careers of many other greats including Jim Keltner, who became THE session drummer after Gordon's unfortunate journey into mental illness.
Jim Gordon was capable of playing most anything, and he contributes a fantastic overall feel to this album. This album wouldn't be as great as it is without Gordon's groove.
Giving 'Pretzel Logic' another interesting dimension is Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter, whose fantastic pedal steel and electric guitar adds so much to the songs. After this album, the 'dominance' of Becker & Fagen, caused Baxter to jump ship and he hooked up with the Doobie Brothers.
Fagen and Becker's decision to use 'outside' Los Angeles-based studio musicians led to the departure of the remaining “band” members.
Jim Hodder, the band's full-time drummer, got replaced by two session drummers and was relegated to being a backup singer. He would show up on later Steely Dan albums, but sporadically.
The band's lineup is the biggest difference with this album, compared to their first 2 releases. This was the last time we’d get to hear Steely Dan as a full band, before they were reduced to the team of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen starting with their next album 'Katy Lied'. 
Becker and Fagen continued their formula of using the best possible musicians on several more excellent albums through the 1970s.
Long term Steely Dan producer, Gary Katz, doesn't get enough credit for giving this album a beautiful, unified, warm sound. It was nearly impossible work to assemble all the different takes, musicians and styles to make a perfect concise album. Everyting blends together seamlessly, yet every instrument and voice has it's place and purpose.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The 11 great songs on this album include:
Rikki Don't Lose That Number Night By Night Any Major Dude Will Tell You Barrytown East St. Louis Toodle-Oo Parker's Band Through With Buzz Pretzel Logic With A Gun Charlie Freak Monkey In Your Soul
The album starts out strangely, with silence and waiting. The first minute or so is silent, and you tend to want to turn the volume up, to hear what's going on. Then those gurgling low notes, played on a percussion instrument called a flapamba, followed finally by that catchy bass and piano figure, 'borrowed' from Horace Silver's 1964 "Song for My Father." “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” has an irresistible, light, Latin vibe.
Becker & Fagen's obscure lyrics tend to add to the overall mystique of the song. Like most Steely Dan songs, you have no idea what it's about, and yet you know exactly what it's about.
Before you realize it, Steely Dan has sucked you in to their world of freaks, creeps, lost love and suspended time.
“Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” is a tightly packed, four-minute, perfect, smooth, bite-sized. pop song. The song got Steely Dan back on the radio after some time away, and the song became Steely Dan’s highest-charting single. Notably, the single chops off that great introduction.
“Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” is a fantastic mix of jazz, Latin, rock and funk influences, a perfect upbeat album opener, and sets the perfect tone for the rest of the album.
Then we get “Night By Night,” a tight and funky arrangement with horns, a precise bass riff, and Jeff “Skunk” Baxter’s note-perfect, shredding, screaming, guitar work. It features a very young Jeff Porcaro on drums, who would soon go on to fame with Toto.
The lyrics are about the kill-or-be-killed world of the streets.
“Any Major Dude” is one of the more uplifting and sweetest songs in the Steely Dan canon. It's a ray of light on an otherwise dark album. It offers a gentle message of honest heartfelt sympathy from one friend to another.
The song starts with brightly strummed acoustic guitar, rare on a Steely Dan record, before settling into an electric piano and electric guitar groove. One of my favorite songs on the album.
Next up, Fagen's vocals shift into a Dylan-like drawl for “Barrytown,” a song written in their pre-Steely Dan days, shopped around, but never recorded.
“Barrytown” is a song about society’s outsiders, and cultures that exist within other cultures. The song is about the “Moonies,” Rev. Sun Mung Moon’s Unification Church, which was located Tarrytown, NY, very close to where Fagen and Becker went to College in upstate NY.
Surely Becker and Fagen would have seen the Moonies at Bard, with their shaved heads, monk-like robes and carrying Poppies to sell.
“I see my friend by what you carry you come from Barrytown...By what you wear and how you cut your hair, I see you come from Barrytown". 
The song is a satirical commentary on class, social differences, and acceptance in small towns, but could apply anywhere in America.
It has jangling pedal steel, piano, guitar over a nice melody and arrangement. 
The end of side One and the beginning of side Two are bridged by Becker and Fagen's nod to their love of Jazz and the great jazz masters Duke Ellington and Charlie Parker.
Side one ends with Ellington's “East St. Louis Toodle-Oo”, one of Duke's first hits way back in 1927. It's the only instrumental and the only Cover on 'Pretzel Logic'
Skunk Baxter’s pedal steel takes the place of Bubber Miley’s knockout muted trumpet solo, Becker’s wah-wah guitar emulates the muted trombone slide sound, and Fagen not only shows off his Ellington-like stride piano chops, but also contributes amazing saxophone. A terrific song, and I'm glad they included it on this 'Rock' record.
The Jazz nod continues on side Two's lead off track “Parker’s Band."
It's a tight, upbeat, funky, rock tribute to the legendary saxophonist Charlie Parker. The Sax playing is fantastic and the funky drumming is just right.
This track features punchy horns, great guitar, and potent, funky and flawless twin drumming by Jim Gordon and Jeff Porcaro. This is the first Steely Dan appearance of legendary drummer Jeff Porcaro, who would be all over their next album "Katy Lied"
The lyrics recall Parker's band playing at the Savoy, Bird's drug habits, and his stay at Camarillo mental hospital. Fagen builds the titles of several classic Charlie Parker tunes, into his own strange, angular, weaving lyrics.
Then the Jazz nods ends, and they go into the short, odd song “Through With Buzz.” 
It's a short, biting, critique of the music industry and the pressure to conform to commercial expectations. It's another Steely Dan character study, an inside joke, with their observations about unsavory people.  
It's very short, barely 90 seconds, almost psychedelic in feel, has some nice piano and a very strong string presence. 
It's many people's least favorite track on the album, but I think it fits perfectly after their two odd 'Jazz' pieces on this pop-rock album. I think it's their comment on what NOT to put on a Rock record. 
It perfectly sets up the next song, which is exactly what you SHOULD put on a Steely Dan record. The album's title track, "Pretzel Logic", is many people's favorite Steely Dan song and a strong Fan favorite.
The band obviously like this song as well, as it's been a staple of their live shows, in various configurations, over the decades.
'Pretzel Logic' is a slow, bluesy, electric piano groove, with driving rhythm and plenty of swagger. The song just churns along and burns with a low, cool flame. 
Like the best Steely Dan songs, it's lyrics are both cryptic and cool.
The song's protagonist seems to be teleported back thru time and meets Napoleon, some other odd characters, visits strange places, and experiences a travelling minstrel show. Very strange and very odd, in the best possible Steely Dan kind of way.
The last 3 songs on the album are perfect examples of the way Becker and Fagen were able to write about the darker and shadier aspects of life, but give the characters in the songs real identity, real emotions and make them seem like people we know, or could have become, if life turned out differently. 
“With a Gun” is an upbeat Country-rock song, with fast, strummed acoustic guitar, Tex-Mex style electric guitar riffs, and Jim Gordon's strong country rock shuffle beat.
It's a song about a character along the southern border trading guns for drugs, which doesn't end well.
“Charlie Freak” is perhaps the darkest song on the album, but also a song about the fact that even Steely Dan's unsavory, desolate, underground characters can be human and show some compassion. It's a touching story. 
It's another character study, that Becker & Fagen do so well, about 'Charlie Freak', a heroin addict.
It's told from the point of view of the guy who bought Charlie’s last remaining posession, his gold ring, for cheap, so that a desperate Charlie could buy more heroin. It turns out that it was a fatal dose and Charlie OD's on the drug. The buyer then gives the gold ring back when he runs across Charlie's dead body on the street. ("Poor kid, he overdid") 
The music fits the song perfectly. It's cryptic lyrics, odd chord changes, and minor-key melodramatic feel, suggest a certain detachment from normalcy.
Although it’s terribly dark, “Charlie Freak" is a beautifully crafted song and arguably the album’s most moving moment.
The drug references continue with “Monkey In Your Soul,” the album closer, but it's a much more upbeat song.
It features an uptempo cool groove, with great interplay between electric piano and clavichord, all accented by smooth, slinky, funky horns.
It's like an old Motown dance number gone horribly, but brilliantly wrong, and even has a retro Motown era hand-clap in the background.
It's the funkiest song on the album and end "Pretzel Logic" on an upbeat note.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The album cover
'Pretzel Logic' has a great cover that is as odd and mysterious as the music and lyrics inside. It's a Black & White photo, taken by Raeanne Rubinstein, of an older, tough, gritty New York City pretzel vendor.
The photo was shot along cold, snowy, Central Park West at what locals call 'Miners' Gate', the entrance to the 79th Street Transverse, one of the few roads to cross the park. It's a location that native New Yorkers, like myself, instantly recognize and it was a common place to hook up with friends from across town, as well as a very popular place to score drugs.
The vendor's sign has the word "Pretzle" misspelled, and he looks like he's likely selling more than just Pretzels, Chestnuts and Cracker Jacks. A classic New York character.
This German pressing has a glossy laminated cover which makes the photograph just pop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CONDITION: I tried to show good hi-resolution photos of the cover, labels and vinyl in my pictures. I purchased this copy back in the late 70's, nearly 45 years ago, on one of my regular vinyl digs in those days, and have taken great care of it since. I loved this album when it first came out and when I found this German pressing in a Greenwich Village shop a few years later, I had to have it, despite the princely price of $3.17.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ VINYL: The vinyl looks great. Clean and bright. No significant scuffs, dings or scratches. Fantastic looking. Possibly a couple of very light hairlines, depending on the lighting, but quite nice.
The Deadwax has the original simple German ABC matrix markings, with the crossed out 'kere' and ABCD 808-A/B. Not much more information there.
I tried to show some close-up pictures of the vinyl to show how good it looks. 
LABELS: This has the mid 70's 'sunburst' or concentric circles ABC labels. The labels are clean and bright. No marks or damage. No mention of Germany, just the catalog numbers. The spindle holes are still sharp and clean, suggesting minimal playing and my careful handling over the years.
JACKET: As you can see from my pictures, this still looks very nice for a nearly 45 year old copy.  Clean and bright with sharp corners. The cover artwork is amazing and still bright and clear. Little to No ringwear.
The only 'flaw' is the record shop price sticker in the front top corner.
This is a German pressing, with slightly thinner cover stock, typically used on European pressings. It has a very shiny, glossy cover, front & back, which I beleive is laminated. The lamination is clean, tight and intact. This is NOT a gatefold cover, like the original US pressing. I guess they thought that the dull picture of a band that didn't still exist, wasn't worth recreating.
Overall, I'll call the whole record EX-, not perfect, but a fantastic, clean early ABC copy. This record has been sleeved and stored properly for decades.
You can see from my pictures it's still quite nice, a real gem. I'm sure you'll love it.
Much cooler, much rarer, and, from what I've seen online, much better sounding than the latest expensive boxed Audiophile pressing. These original early ABC pressings are the way to hear these albums, and the import pressing adds a little extra.
I haven't messed with this record or cleaned it, other than my trusty 'Disc-Washer' brush, in nearly 50 years, since Nixon was in ofice. It could use a good deep cleaning to make it even better looking and better sounding, but it's in fantastic condition.
~~~~~~~~~~~~ ** NOTE: I'm selling this rare 'Collector' record "AS IS" and "NO RETURN". It's rare and as described and I'm sure you'll be very happy with it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I’m recently retired and downsizing and letting go some gems and rarities from nearly 45 years of vinyl record collecting. Check out the many other fantastic 45s and 33s coming soon to my page!
All records have been carefully evaluated and graded by me. I visually inspect all records under bright light, personally gently clean them with a soft cloth and then, if unsure, play them on a modern high-end turntable to get a true picture of condition. Please look at all the high-resolution pictures I added. They are all my own and are of the actual record being sold. The pictures are part of the description and can show small details, label variations, and condition better than I can put into words. 
My grading is fair and honest. I have had over 3,400 happy and satisfied EBay customers over the years, with 100% positive feedback, and I have been buying/selling on EBay for well over 25 years, so please bid with confidence!
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THANK YOU for looking and reading if you got this far.  -- JOHN