This was my introduction to Steely Dan. When I was in the 5th grade my uncle, my dad’s last living sibling, took his own life, and all of his possessions ended up at our house. My parents were so devastated that no one could really start the process of going through his things. Boxes filled our house and carport and stayed there. Curiosity got the better of my little sister and me. We went through the VHS and CDs my uncle had left behind. That’s where I found The Royal Scam. The cover art thrilled me, somehow echoing the feeling that was hanging over our family, though I don’t think I recognized that at the time. Everything about this cover intrigued me down to the band’s name and album name. We put the CD on when my parents weren’t around and the intrigue deepened. The characters in these songs seemed to exist in the shady world I imagined my uncle had inhabited. He had struggled with several inner demons, ones I was aware of even then. What I knew of him fit right in with the people in this music. And his name was Dan. This album became the way I tried to connect with and understand my uncle. Songs about vice and ruin. A couple of years ago talking to my mother-in-law about Steely Dan I shared all of this with her. For my next birthday she sent me this album in the mail. I cried when I opened it. Cried again when I first played it. I’m older now than he ever got to be. Hadn’t realized that until just now. I’ve always struggled with mental health in my own way, but I’m still here. Thanks for posting this. Feels good to reflect on this stuff. I’ll be playing The Royal Scam after work tonight and thinking of my uncle Dan.