EMINENT HIPSTERS

Donald Fagen, half of the quirky classic-rock duo Steely Dan, has written an equally quirky memoir, short on tell-all revelations and long on philosophical insights. Narrating in the same deadpan tenor as his vocalizing, Fagen presents a series of vignettes sure to please many an aging Boomer. Growing up in New Jersey in the 1950s, Fagan, a nascent jazz fan, was in the right place at the right time to experience all the ripples of social upheaval that characterized the post-war era—from Cold War paranoia to psychedelic experimentation. At Bard College he crossed paths with guitarist Walter Becker, and together they created Steely Dan. Not surprisingly, Fagen delivers his wry memoir with perfection. J.S.H. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2013]