I Got the News: The Tightest Pop on the Most Expensive Album
How Steely Dan's shortest and most conventional song on Aja demonstrates that perfectionism serves groove as much as grandeur.
After the extended jazz explorations of “Aja” and the philosophical weight of “Deacon Blues,” Aja the album needed something leaner. “I Got the News” delivers: the most conventionally structured track on the record, the closest thing to straightforward pop, and proof that Steely Dan’s perfectionism served economy as effectively as extravagance.
At just over five minutes, it’s the second-shortest song on the album. Every second counts.
The Rainey Foundation
Chuck Rainey’s bass line drives “I Got the News” with propulsive, almost aggressive energy. This is active bass playing—not the deep pocket of “Peg” or the locking groove of “Home at Last,” but a line that pushes the track forward with rhythmic insistence.
Rainey was one of the most recorded bassists of the 1970s, appearing on albums across genres. His work on Aja represents some of his finest playing, and “I Got the News” showcases a different dimension than his other contributions. He’s not laying back here; he’s driving.
The bass line is syncopated and melodic, almost competing with the vocal for attention. In a lesser production, this might create conflict. Under Becker and Fagen’s direction, it creates propulsion. The vocal rides on top of Rainey’s line, both elements pushing in the same direction.
Gadd Returns
Steve Gadd is back on drums after his legendary work on the title track. His approach here is completely different—no extended solos, no showcase moments, just tight, locked-in groove playing that serves the song’s energy.
This versatility was Gadd’s genius. On “Aja,” he played like a jazz drummer exploring a composition. On “I Got the News,” he plays like a funk drummer working a dance floor. Same musician, different application, both perfect for their contexts.
The drum sound is characteristically dry and present. Every hit is clearly defined. The snare cracks with authority. The hi-hat work is precise without being mechanical. Gadd understood that tight playing isn’t the same as stiff playing.
The Compact Argument
The song’s structure is simple by Steely Dan standards: verse, chorus, verse, chorus, solo section, chorus, out. No extended instrumental passages, no complex modulations, no philosophical diversions. It’s pop architecture.
But within that simple structure, the harmonic language is still sophisticated. The chord changes are still more complex than most pop songs attempt. Paul Griffin’s piano work is still voiced with jazz precision. The difference isn’t the vocabulary—it’s the brevity of the sentences.
This economy was a choice. Becker and Fagen could have extended “I Got the News” into a seven-minute exploration. They chose not to. The song makes its point quickly and exits, leaving space for the album’s closer to provide resolution.
The Horn Section
The horn arrangement on “I Got the News” is punchy and rhythmic, adding accents that punctuate rather than sustain. This is horn writing that serves groove rather than demonstrating sophistication—though it’s still sophisticated in its voicings and timing.
Each horn hit lands with purpose. There’s no padding, no extended passages, no moments where the brass is playing just to fill space. Like everything else on the track, the horns are edited down to essentials.
Lyrical Efficiency
The lyric matches the music’s economy. There’s a situation—a relationship where the narrator feels misunderstood or undervalued—but the details are sketched rather than painted. We get impressions rather than narrative.
This vagueness is strategic. A more detailed lyric would slow the track down, demand interpretation, compete with the groove. Instead, the words provide enough emotional context to justify the music’s energy without requiring close reading.
Fagen’s delivery is energetic and bright, matching the track’s propulsion. There’s none of the world-weariness of “Deacon Blues” or the resignation of “Black Cow.” This is Steely Dan in drive mode.
The Production Lesson
“I Got the News” demonstrates that perfectionism isn’t about maximalism. Becker and Fagen spent as much time crafting this lean track as they did on the album’s longer pieces. The efficiency is engineered, not accidental.
Every element on the track was subjected to the same scrutiny as every element on “Aja.” Is this the best possible drum take? Is this the right bass line? Is this horn voicing serving the song? The questions were the same; the answers happened to point toward economy rather than expansion.
Roger Nichols’ mix places the rhythm section front and center, with the vocal sitting clearly on top. There’s less depth than on some of the album’s other tracks—the sound is more in-your-face, more immediate. This serves the song’s energy and distinguishes it sonically from its neighbors.
Placement and Pacing
“I Got the News” appears sixth on the album, between the meditative “Home at Last” and the uptempo closer “Josie.” Its placement is deliberate: it re-energizes the album after the shuffle’s relaxed feel while setting up the finale’s celebration.
Album sequencing was taken seriously in the vinyl era, and Steely Dan was particularly attentive to flow. “I Got the News” serves a structural purpose, transitioning the listener from one emotional state to another. Its brevity prevents it from overstaying its welcome while its energy prevents the album’s second half from feeling sluggish.
Sometimes perfection means knowing when to stop.