"Reelin' In the Years" is a song by jazz rock bandSteely Dan, released as the second single from their 1972 album, Can't Buy a Thrill. It reached No. 11 in the Billboard charts.
Writing and performance
The song was written by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker and features Fagen on vocals. In 2009 Rolling Stone describe the track as "a prime early example of what would become the Dan’s trademark vibe, marrying a sardonic kiss-off to an ex to a bouncy shuffle groove, and adding on some white-hot guitar dazzlement courtesy of Elliott Randall to bring the whole thing home." In the same interview, Fagen said "It’s dumb but effective," and Becker said "It’s no fun."
Guitar solo
The guitar solo on the original recorded version, by session player Elliott Randall, was recorded in one take. It has reportedly been rated by Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page as his favorite solo of all time, and he scored it 12/10. The solo was ranked the 40th best guitar solo of all time by the readers of Guitar World magazine. The four-channel quadraphonic mix of the recording has extra lead guitar fills not heard in the more common two-channel stereo version.
Reception
On its release in 1973, Billboard said: "Easy sounding guitar solos lead into an easy sounding piano break which supports the voices extolling about culling life's experiences from tears to time." The song was a No. 11 hit on the Billboard Singles Chart in May 1973. In March 2005, Q magazine placed the recording at No. 95 in its list ofthe 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.
Donny and Marie Osmond covered "Reelin' In the Years" for their variety show on January 13, 1978. This rendition of the song was more ebullient than the original, and included the introduction of the shows guests, Ruth Buzzi, Buddy Hackett and Suzanne Somers. The performance also featured a chorus line of ice-skating dancers.
In 1993 the song was featured in The Wonder Years Season 6 Episode 14, "Unpacking".
The song is featured in Rob Zombie's 2005 movieThe Devil's Rejects.
The song was also used as the theme for the RTÉ television series Reeling In the Years, an Irish historical film reel documentary, covering one year per episode.
