Made under a variety of pressures, Gaucho was the final album by Steely Dan for almost twenty years. This long unauthorized release reveals an albums side worth of hits that would intrigue well past die hard-Danners. Inclusive in this recording is several skeletal demos of released songs (Time Out of Mind, an instrumental of the title track (Gaucho), and an early demo of "Third World Man" entitled "Were You Blind That Day," the titularly themed refrain), as well as several unreleased gems."Kulee Baba," (a version with Donald Fagan playing piano and singing and one with a small band) is the standout of the record with smooth, extended jazz chords. The song narrates images of an ambitious television executive shooting the allusive "Kulee Baba,":
"Brightly colored dancers on-screen
Are no more than a prelude to the ritual unfolding
No white man's eyes have ever seen
The cruel primeval rite that you're beholding!"
Not secondary is the "Second Arrangement" famous for not appearing on Gaucho due to being accidentally half erased by an engineer. Reminiscent of a more tender"Royal Scam"-esque cuckold-romantic endeavors it contains a sweetly bridged-bass line and lyrics not far removed in essence from "Time Out of Mind".
Finally, "The Bear;" a seemingly finished track is a stellar performance all around. "There's a bear that walks like a man, you better shake him fast."
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