History
By the time the sessions for the album were in full swing, David Palmer had left the group, leaving Donald Fagen to assume full lead vocalist duties.
The album was originally released in two-channel stereo and also in a special four-channel quadrophonic mix. There are some significant musical differences between the two mixes.
A live version of the song "Bodhisattva" was used as the B-side for both "Hey Nineteen" and "Babylon Sisters", released as singles in the 1980s.
"Bodhisattva" is a playable track in the video game Rock Band 2, while "My Old School" is featured as downloadable content.
The cover art to the album originally included only the three pink figures seated up front, but because there were five members of Steely Dan, the two ghostly figures to the left were added by the record company to "balance" it out.
Read more about this topic: Countdown To Ecstasy
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“Well, for us, in history where goodness is a rare pearl, he who was good almost takes precedence over he who was great.”
—Victor Hugo (1802–1885)
“Perhaps universal history is the history of the diverse intonation of some metaphors.”
—Jorge Luis Borges (1899–1986)
“Every literary critic believes he will outwit history and have the last word.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)