Kamakiriad would be notable if only for the fact the album marks a full-on reunion of the two principal Steely Dan cohorts, Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, more than a decade after they splintered. Yet the 1993 record remains significant for many other reasons, from the hopeful narrative to the sharp playing and sophisticated grooves. Ostensibly an eight-song concept album based in the future, Kamakiriad loosely chronicles the journeys of a protagonist touring in his state-of-the-art roadster: a steam-driven Kamakiri equipped with its own vegetable garden and radio link with a satellite navigation system. Cruising with inescapably funky grooves, the album demands repeat listens by always seeming to reveal something new or nudge you to consider an alternative perspective.
The UltraDisc One-Step 180g 45RPM 2LP box set is mastered from the PCM digital master to an analog console to the lathe, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing, and strictly limited to 4,000 numbered copies. On this collectible reissue, the key contributions of a lineup that includes a Who’s Who of session players, several of whom have Steely Dan ties, are rendered with proper scale, tangible presence, and superb separation. Pianist Paul Griffin, guitarist Georg Wadenius, trumpeter Randy Brecker, trombonist Birch Johnson, and saxophonist Lou Marini emerge with spectacular clarity and dimensionality. Experienced on UltraDisc One-Step with deep-black backgrounds, this box set is a showcase for the album’s extraordinary production.
The album unfolds as an unforgettable road trip, beginning on “Trans-Island Skyway” before winding through the external pressures of “Countermoon,” old romances in the safety of virtual reality on “Springtime,” the chilly climes of “Snowbound,” which offers a glimpse of brightness before fortunes fade in the topsy-turvy environs of “Tomorrow’s Girls.” From the warming sun and romantic infatuation of “Florida Room” to everything appearing to shatter into a million pieces during “On the Dunes,” Kamakiriad trades more in optimism than cynicism as bleakness and loss fade amid the promise of “Teahouse on the Tracks.” We’re lifted up by finger-popping rhythms, front-line horns, and the chance to dance.
Anchored by Walter Becker‘s fastidious production and slippery bass lines, the toe-tapping music on Kamakiriad takes off in similarly brilliant fashion. Sophisticated, snappy, nuanced, considered, a touch atmospheric: Fagen and company’s combinations fit the songs like a custom-tailored jacket. They accent the personality and temperament of each tune, with the delicious array of horns, keyboards, organs, and percussion complementing Fagen’s singing and a choir of co-ed backing vocalists. A critical and commercial triumph, Kamakiriad helped spawn the first Steely Dan tour in almost 20 years and sparked the resumption of Fagen and Becker’s partnership until the latter passed away in 2017.
The premium packaging of the UltraDisc One-Step pressing befits its elevated status, housed in a deluxe slipcase featuring thick foil-stamped jackets and faithful-to-the-original graphics. Sourced from the original masters and playing with exceptional transparency, this marks the first time Fagen’s sophomore effort is available in an audiophile treatment that surpasses the long out-of-print DVD-A and SHM-CD formats in key areas of definition and imaging. The Hybrid SACD edition is housed in a mini-LP-style gatefold package.
Vinyl Track Listing:
Side One:
Trans-Island Skyway
Countermoon
Side Two:
Springtime
Snowbound
Side Three:
Tomorrow’s Girls
Florida Room
Side Four:
On the Dunes
Teahouse on the Tracks
ABOUT MOBILE FIDELITY SOUND LAB:
The world’s leading audiophile reissue label, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MoFi) is renowned for its commitment to maintaining uncompromising quality and preserving the artist’s original intent. Since its inception in 1977, MoFi has released the definitive-sounding versions of many of the greatest albums in history. Recognizing the importance of getting every detail right, MoFi sources its Original Master Recording releases from the original master tapes. That hallmark, along with a horizontal Original Master Recording stripe on the front cover and numbered-edition stamp on the back, has helped make MoFi recognized around the globe. MoFi’s singularity extends to its incessant efforts to push the limits of sound reproduction via innovations like the UltraDisc One-Step LP. To achieve its goals, the label established its own mastering studio allowing its engineers to execute the cutting process in-house and ensure no artifacts are added to the final product: the best-sounding vinyl LPs and SACDs available.