Countdown to Ecstasy

…Becker finished their second album, Countdown to Ecstasy (1973), they had sacked vocalist David Palmer, leaving Fagen as sole lead singer. Gradually the duo dropped the pretense of being an actual band and ceased touring, preferring to nurture their eccentric ideas with a regular crew of studio musicians that included…

…hastily recorded their second album, Countdown to Ecstasy, released in 1973. Fagen and Becker were displeased with the quality of the album, and the following year—after the group’s third release, Pretzel Logic—various members were fired or left, leaving Fagen and Becker to focus on studio work.