Geffen's 2006 release The Definitive Collection is a mere 16 tracks long, which is a bit short for covering Steely Dan's career. They may not have landed many singles within the Billboard charts -- only 15 between their 1973 debut, Can't Buy a Thrill, and their 2000 comeback, Two Against Nature -- but they had plenty of standards on album rock radio, giving the impression that they had more charting hits than they actually did. This can make compiling a Dan hits collection a little difficult, since concentrating on either the chart singles or the radio staples will wind up giving a misleading impression. The Definitive Collection attempts to negotiate the two: it has the biggest singles -- "Do It Again," "Reeling in the Years," "Rikki Don't Lose That Number," "Deacon Blues," "Peg," "Hey Nighteen" -- and it has such radio favorites as "Bodhisattva," "My Old School," "FM," and "Babylon Sisters." This disc does take into account their new-millennium comeback, pulling "Cousin Dupree" from Two Against Nature and "Things I Miss the Most" from 2003's Everything Must Go, which leaves less space for such Steely Dan standards as "Josie," "Time Out of Mind," "Show Biz Kids," "Any Major Dude Will Tell You," and "Aja." While those songs are missed, listeners wanting a more exhaustive compilation always have the option of purchasing 2000's excellent double-disc set Showbiz Kids: The Steely Dan Story 1972-1980 instead. For those who just want a sampler of many, but not all, of Steely Dan's biggest and best songs, this will suit them fine. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
The Definitive Collection
08/01/2006 | Geffen Records
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CD
$12.99DEFINITIVE COLLECTION (RMST)
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CD
$31.99DEFINITIVE COLLECTION (JPN)
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CD
$31.99DEFINITIVE COLLECTION (JPN) (SHM)
All Music Guide Review
Track Listing
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Credits
- Johnny Mandel
- String Arrangements
- George Marge
- Clarinet (Bass)
- Rick Marotta
- Drums
- Myrna Matthews
- Vocals (Background)
- Hugh McCracken
- Guitar, Piano, Soloist
- Lew McCreary
- Personnel
- Andy McKaie
- Compilation Producer
- Leslie Miller
- Vocals (Background)
- Ollie Mitchell
- Personnel
- Roger Nichols
- Special Effects, Engineer, Mixing, Executive Engineer, Sequencing, Overdubs
- Michael Omartian
- Piano, Keyboards, Personnel, Rhythm Arrangements
- David Paich
- Piano, Keyboards, Personnel
- Joseph M. Palmaccio
- Mastering
- David Palmer
- Vocals, Vocals (Background)
- Jeff Porcaro
- Percussion, Personnel, Drums, Dorophone
- Dean Parks
- Guitar, Personnel, Rhythm Arrangements
- Barney Perkins
- Mixing
- Bernard "Pretty" Purdie
- Drums
- Lee Ritenour
- Guitar
- James Rolleston
- Vocals (Background)
- John Rotella
- Saxophone
- Elliot Scheiner
- Engineer, Mix Down, Tracking, Mixing
- Al Schmitt
- Engineer
- Timothy B. Schmit
- Vocals (Background), Personnel
- Bill Schnee
- Engineer, Tracking
- Ernie Watts
- Saxophone, Personnel
- Toni Wine
- Vocals (Background)
- Snooky Young
- Flugelhorn
- Phil Burnett
- Engineer
- Denny Dias
- Guitar, Soloist, Electric Sitar
- Slyde Hyde
- Horn, Brass
- Ted Baker
- Piano, Fender Rhodes
- Jerry Garszva
- Overdubs
- Chuck Raney
- Personnel
- Jon Herrington
- Guitar (Rhythm)
- Zack Saunders
- Vocals (Background)
- Michael Leonhart
- Trumpet
- Scott Hull
- Mastering
- Jeri Heiden
- Art Direction
- Darcy Proper
- Mastering
- Lou McCreary
- Brass
- Dave Russell
- Engineer
- Carolyn Leonhart
- Vocals (Background)
- Frank Floyd
- Vocals (Background)
- Keith Carlock
- Drums
- Beth Stempel
- Production Coordination
- Wendel
- Special Effects, Sequencing
- Amy Helm
- Whistle (Human)
- Ryan Null
- Photo Coordination
- Ryan Corey
- Design
- Jay Grayeon
- Soloist
- Yusuf Tuvi
- Cover Photo
- Sherlie Matthews
- Vocals (Background)
- Walt Weiskopf
- Vocals (Background)
- Michael Fennelly
- Vocals (Background)
- Clydie King
- Vocals (Background)
- Elliott Randall
- Guitar, Soloist
- Jim Gordon
- Personnel
- Gordon Grody
- Vocals (Background)
- Walter Becker
- Bass, Harmonica, Guitar, Personnel, Soloist, Compilation Producer, Horn Arrangements, Producer, Vocals, Bass (Electric), Arranger
- Irving Azoff
- Management
- Jeff Baxter
- Guitar, Pedal Steel, Soloist
- Ben Benay
- Guitar (Acoustic), Personnel
- Crusher Bennett
- Percussion
- Randy Brecker
- Trumpet, Soloist, Flugelhorn
- Ed Caraeff
- Photography
- Leroy Clouden
- Drums
- Gary Coleman
- Percussion
- Henry Diltz
- Photography
- Wilton Felder
- Bass, Personnel
- Venetta Fields
- Vocals (Background)
- Bob Findley
- Horn
- Chuck Findley
- Horn, Horn Arrangements, Brass
- Steve Gadd
- Percussion
- Gordon Gottlieb
- Percussion
- Diva Gray
- Vocals (Background)
- Jay Graydon
- Guitar
- Paul Griffin
- Keyboards, Piano (Electric), Vocals (Background), Rhythm Arrangements
- Lani Groves
- Vocals (Background)
- Patricia Hall
- Vocals (Background)
- Jimmie Haskell
- Orchestration, Saxophone Arrangement
- Jon Herington
- Piano
- Jim Hodder
- Percussion, Drums, Vocals
- Jim Horn
- Flute, Horn, Saxophone
- Royce Jones
- Vocals (Background)
- Walter Kane
- Clarinet (Bass)
- Gary Katz
- Producer
- Jackie Kelso
- Flute, Saxophone
- Patti Austin
- Vocals (Background)
- Rick Derringer
- Guitar
- Donald Fagen
- Organ, Wurlitzer, Compilation Producer, Horn Arrangements, Fender Rhodes, Producer, Vocals (Background), Vocals, Piano (Electric), Keyboards, Personnel, Soloist, Arranger, Piano, Synthesizer
- Michael McDonald
- Vocals (Background)
- Larry Carlton
- Guitar, Rhythm Arrangements, Soloist
- Pete Christlieb
- Flute, Sax (Tenor), Soloist, Saxophone
- Victor Feldman
- Percussion, Keyboards, Marimba, Vibraphone, Personnel, Soloist, Piano (Electric)
- Don Grolnick
- Keyboards, Clavinet, Rhythm Arrangements, Piano (Electric)
- Plas Johnson
- Flute, Personnel, Saxophone, Horn
- Steve Khan
- Guitar
- John Klemmer
- Horn
- Rob Mounsey
- Horn Arrangements, Rhythm Arrangements
- Bill Perkins
- Flute, Saxophone
- Jerome Richardson
- Sax (Tenor), Soloist, Personnel
- Tom Scott
- Flute, Clarinet (Tenor), Horn Conductor, Horn Arrangements, Saxophone, Lyricon, Clarinet (Alto)
- Wayne Shorter
- Flute, Saxophone
- Lanny Morgan
- Saxophone
- Chuck Rainey
- Bass














