The Royal Scam is the first
Steely Dan record that doesn't exhibit significant musical progress from its predecessor, but that doesn't mean the album is any less interesting. The cynicism that was suppressed on
Katy Lied comes roaring to the surface on
The Royal Scam -- not only are the lyrics bitter and snide, but the music is terse, broken, and weary. Not so coincidentally, the album is comprised of
Walter Becker and
Donald Fagen's weakest set of songs since
Can't Buy a Thrill. Alternating between mean-spirited bluesy vamps like "Green Earrings" and "The Fez" and jazzy soft rock numbers like "The Caves of Altamira," there's nothing particularly bad on the album, yet there are fewer standouts than before. Nevertheless, the best songs on
The Royal Scam, like the sneering "Kid Charlemagne" and "Sign in Stranger," rank as genuine
Steely Dan classics. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine