{"product_id":"quantum-criminals-9781477324998","title":"Quantum Criminals","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA literary and visual exploration of the songs of Steely Dan.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWeird and wondrous...\u003ci\u003eQuantum Criminals\u003c\/i\u003e fairly drips with information…and I have drunk it in eagerly...The writing in \u003ci\u003eQuantum Criminals\u003c\/i\u003e is often arresting and always engaging pop-music journalism...\u003ci\u003eQuantum Criminals\u003c\/i\u003e is a reminder that one can be massively fulfilled by language one doesn’t fully comprehend. * New York Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eQuantum Criminals\u003c\/i\u003e is one of the sharpest, funniest, and best books ever about any rock artist.\u003c\/p\u003e * Rolling Stone *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003ePappademas offers a lively series of ruminations about individual songs, loosely pegged to the characters who populate those songs and who are rendered in playfully detailed and colorful portraits by LeMay. The result is both a celebration and an artifact of the current Steely Dan moment...In sharp and funny chapters, Pappademas riffs on [Steely Dan's] cast of characters in ways that capture the band’s cultural context and musical debts.\u003c\/p\u003e * The Atlantic *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e[\u003ci\u003eQuantum Criminals\u003c\/i\u003e] uncovers the vast constellation of lyrical references, artistic influences and social and political contexts surrounding the band and its music.\u003c\/p\u003e * NPR Music *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eWry, playful but deeply incisive...Fagen, Becker...and Pappademas are kindred spirits, smartass, sharp-eyed observers of life’s El Supremos—a description that suits other Dan fans as well. \u003ci\u003eQuantum Criminals\u003c\/i\u003e is like a secret handshake between two covers. The best part is that it illuminates details the rest of us may have glossed over for years.\u003c\/p\u003e * Los Angeles Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn one fell swoop, [\u003ci\u003eQuantum Criminals\u003c\/i\u003e] has become the essential Steely Dan book. And you should absolutely be reading it right now...Pappademas and LeMay leave no stones unturned in their quest to unlock every mythological quadrant of Steely Dan’s immense, decades-long artistic conceptions.\u003c\/p\u003e * Paste *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eA whimsical plunge into one of America’s most unconventional rock bands...[A] delicious deep dive into the many protagonists in the 'Steely Daniverse'...LeMay’s vibrant paintings—more than 100 of which are included in the book—provide yet another kaleidoscopic lens through which to consider the duo’s wild imaginations. Any major dude will tell you that this is a solid and highly entertaining take on Fagen and Becker’s 'platonic love story.'\u003c\/p\u003e * Kirkus *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e[An] engaging and illuminating way to tell the band's history...\u003ci\u003eQuantum Criminals\u003c\/i\u003e is undoubtedly the best thing I’ve ever read about this endearingly strange and endlessly fascinating band.\u003c\/p\u003e * The Forward *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn engrossing series of essays that innovatively chart the cosmology of Donald Fagen and Walter Becker’s musical universe…[A] terrific and irresistible book.\u003c\/p\u003e * Talkhouse *\u003cbr\u003eRemarkable...we finally have a book about Steely Dan in which the writing and art fully measure up to the sophistication and beauty of Becker and Fagen’s music...Pappademas’s incisive, elegant prose poetry pairs perfectly with LeMay’s colorful hand-painted portraits that offer humorous and empathetic glimpses of the Dan’s menagerie of luckless pedestrians. * Expanding Dan *\u003cbr\u003eWonderfully weird and insightful...the Steeliest of all the Steely Dan books out there. And it’s wholly refreshing...There have been a number of fine books on Steely Dan, but \u003ci\u003eQuantum Criminals\u003c\/i\u003e is the one whose spirit, vivacity, and off-kilterness matches its subjects and their body of work. * Houston Press *\u003cbr\u003eSteely Dan fans should love this book. And if you’re not a fan of that non-band band, but love good writing about rock music, \u003ci\u003eQuantum Criminals\u003c\/i\u003e is still worth reading. * Milwaukee Shepherd Express *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eThese song-based essays are part band biography, trenchant culture criticism, poignant ‘70s history, and psychedelic tone poems. Like Steely Dan’s tunes, they toe the line between an unbridled reverence for the music and esoteric sensibilities. I read it in a day and came out with an even deeper respect for their catalog.\u003c\/p\u003e * No Expectations *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is the finest piece of rock journalism that I have read in a long time.\u003c\/p\u003e * Religion News Service *\u003cbr\u003eAlex Pappademas reveals the stories behind many of [Steely Dan's] songs and, in the process, gives us a book that shows what the right kind of obsession leads to—joyful, contagious passion. Featuring terrific illustrations by Joan LeMay, this is a fascinating, fun, and deep dive into the stories behind the music and the men who created it...After you read this book, you’ll never be able to forget the genius of these two writers. * Air Mail *\u003cbr\u003eFor those who are anywhere from casual listeners to hardcore Dan Fans, this book is an unceasing delight from cover to cover…Engrossing, well-written, with vivid, whimsical illustrations, \u003ci\u003eQuantum Criminals\u003c\/i\u003e is the literary equivalent of a Steely Dan album: vibrant, a little strange, and nearly perfect. * Spectrum Culture *\u003cbr\u003eWriter Alex Pappademas and painter Joan Lemay...go beyond explanation to produce the definitive Danomicon with this expansively argued and vibrantly illustrated survey of the songs, lyrics and characters populating the whole Steely Dan catalog. * Tertulia *\u003cbr\u003eWhether you count the current Danaissance as something entirely new or another turn in a recurring cycle, and even if you’re among those who find the band too weird or jazzy, it’s undeniable the Dan endures. \u003ci\u003eQuantum Criminals\u003c\/i\u003e is an entertaining and insightful account of why. * The Washington Free Beacon *\u003cbr\u003eThe book is as smooth and intriguing as Gaucho, a combination of sophisticated thinking, clear language, and a calm view of the dark interior of this band. All of it is told through a series of connected biographies that are based on each song that the band recorded . . . and that give the musicians involved, the cultural views accumulated, and Pappademas’s own journey, significant roles in what is a great and complex story. The book will be terrifically satisfying to any and all Dan fans in the way that having one’s own experiences and perceptions acknowledged and validated is, but it goes far beyond hagiography. * The Brooklyn Rail *\u003cbr\u003eThe new book, \u003ci\u003eQuantum Criminals: Ramblers, Wild Gamblers, and other Sole Survivors From the Songs of Steely Dan\u003c\/i\u003e, is the delightful result of an author not only understanding their subject, but emotionally bonding with it. In this case, it’s the two co-authors, Alex Pappademas (who writes the words) and Joan LeMay (who paints the pictures). . . \u003ci\u003eQuantum Criminals\u003c\/i\u003e understands the paradoxical nature of Steely Dan, and the book embraces that chaos. It’s not a paean to “great men” of classic rock, nor is it a fan service love letter. But it is most definitely the right book about the correct band. * The Daily Beast *\u003cbr\u003eThere have been a number of fine books on Steely Dan, but \u003ci\u003eQuantum Criminals\u003c\/i\u003e is the one whose spirit, vivacity, and off-kilterness matches its subjects and their body of work. * Classic Rock Bob *\u003cbr\u003e[An] ultra-cool hybrid of music criticism and pop art...For older fans, who remember when 'Rikki Don't Lose That Number' owned the airwaves in spring 1974, \u003ci\u003eQuantum Criminals\u003c\/i\u003e is like a tour guide with a music geek friend whose fresh outlook about songs you've heard hundreds of times enables you to experience elements of their greatness for the first time. * New Hampshire Union Leader *\u003cbr\u003eThe best music book of 2023…From Rikki to Hoops McCann to Kid Charlemagne, Pappademas’ prose and LeMay’s paintings pair together to give Donald Fagen and Walter Becker’s band the vivid, unforgettable context it has always deserved. It’s an essential mapping of Steely Dan’s wild and wonderful world, told straight from two Danheads. * Paste Magazine *\u003cbr\u003eSteely Dan’s stock is even higher today than it was in the 1970s, when they were having hit records. Critic Alex Pappademas and illustrator Joan LeMay deliver the perfect celebration of Donald Fagen and Walter Becker’s unique hermetic grandeur, honoring their oblique mystique while also getting at the real human beings lurking beneath the pristine tunes and cynical worldview. Each chapter is a revelatory riff on a different character in a Dan song — from Peg to Rikki to Mr. LePage to the Gaucho — with LeMay’s artwork just as smart and fun as the writing. They get into topics like the band’s secret hip-hop influence, their ‘famously overdetermined guitar solos,’ and the dialectical nature of their relationship with fellow El Lay rock royals the Eagles. People have been trying to untangle the riddle of Steely Dan’s greatness for decades. No one’s ever done it better. -- Jon Dolan * Rolling Stone *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eQuantum Criminals\u003c\/i\u003e is such an unusual, funny, and creative work of criticism that it should inspire anyone who loves pop music but feels tired of the forms into which the market hems writers who want to tell its stories. * Slate *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eQuantum Criminals: Ramblers, Wild Gamblers and Other Sole Survivors from the Songs of Steely Dan\u003c\/i\u003e (University of Texas Press) by Alex Pappademas and Joan LeMay has been described as the quintessential Steely Dan book. As part of the project, LeMay, a native Houstonian, created 109 whimsical portraits of characters that sprang from the musicians’ lyrics and legends. In a review, fellow artist Melissa Messer wrote: 'Looking at Joan’s oeuvre makes me feel tipsy, or like I’ve drunk Wonka’s Fizzy Lifting Drink and I’m swimming through the air after her, searching for the same vision.' * Texas Observer *\u003cbr\u003eThis book not only dissects Steely Dan’s lyrics and dives deep into the imagery of their discography, it also steps back and provides helpful context about how the band’s music was written. * New York Magazine: The Strategist *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 1. Jack \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 2. Walter \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 3. Donald \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 4. King Richard\/King John \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 5. Lady Bayside \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 6. Chino \u0026amp; Daddy Gee \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 7. Michael\/Jesus \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 8. The Charmer \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 9. The Fella in the White Tuxedo \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 10. Dan \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 11. David \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 12. Mr. Whatever \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 13. Louise \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 14. Cathy \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 15. The El Supremo \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 16. The King of the World \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 17. Rikki \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 18. The Major Dude \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 19. Mr. Parker \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 20. Buzz \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 21. Napoleon \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 22. The Archbishop \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 23. Dr. Wu \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 24. Mr. Lapage \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 25. Owsley \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 26. A Bookkeeper’s Son \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 27. The Eagles \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 28. Babs \u0026amp; Clean Willie \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 29. The Old Man \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 30. Pepe \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 31. A Wooly Man without a Face \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 32. Peg \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 33. Sayoko \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 34. The Expanding Man \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 35. Broadway Duchess \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 36. Josie \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 37. The Babylon Sisters \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 38. Hoops McCann\/The Dread Moray Eel \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 39. The Dandy of Gamma Chi \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 40. The Gaucho \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 41. A Jolly Roger \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 42. Third World Man \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 43. Abbie\/Dupree \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 44. Franny from NYU \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 45. Lizzie \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 46. Jill \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 47. Gina \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 48. Dave from Acquisitions \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e 49. Daddy \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e Acknowledgments \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e Notes \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"University of Texas Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48867283829079,"sku":"9781477324998","price":26.59,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781477324998.jpg?v=1722282587","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/quantum-criminals-9781477324998","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}