Editing Countdown to Ecstasy (section)

==Musical style==
Like Steely Dan's 1972 debut album ''[[Can't Buy a Thrill]]'', ''Countdown to Ecstasy'' has a [[rock music|rock]] sound that exhibits a strong influence from [[jazz]].{{sfn|Valdez|2006|p=380}} It comprises uptempo, four- to five-minute rock songs,<ref name="Logan"/> which, apart from the [[blues]]y [[vamp (music)|vamps]] of "Bodhisattva" and "[[Show Biz Kids]]", are subtly [[texture (music)|textured]] and feature jazz-inspired [[Break (music)|interlude]]s.<ref name="Erlewine"/> Commenting on the album's style and production, music critic [[Tom Hull (critic)|Tom Hull]] said it is "clean, almost slick", with "no [[Consonance and dissonance|dissonance]], no clutter", reminiscent of 1940s [[Bop music|bop]] and "the [[overproduction (music)|overproduced]] early 60s [[pop rock]]".<ref name="Hull">{{cite magazine|last=Hull|first=Tom|author-link=Tom Hull (critic)|date=April 1975|url=http://tomhull.com/ocston/arch/rekord4.php|title=The Rekord Report: L'Objet Rèpris|magazine=Overdose|access-date=July 12, 2020|via=tomhull.com}}</ref> ''Countdown to Ecstasy'' was the only Steely Dan album written and arranged for a live band.

Bop-style jazz soloing is set in the context of a pop song on "Bodhisattva".{{sfn|Chapman|Clapton|2000|p=202}} "The Boston Rag" develops from a jazzy song to unrefined playing by the band, including a distorted guitar solo by [[Jeff Baxter|Jeff "Skunk" Baxter]]. "[[My Old School (song)|My Old School]]" features reverent saxophones and aggressive piano riffs and guitar solos.<ref name="Blashill"/> [[Jim Hodder (musician)|Jim Hodder]]'s drumming on the album eschews rock music for [[pop music|pop]] and jazz [[groove (music)|grooves]].<ref name="Billboard">{{cite magazine|date=July 14, 1973|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MQkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA62|title=Billboard's Top Album Picks|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|page=62|access-date=April 12, 2013}}</ref>