The Goodbye Look from Donald Fagen’s The Nightfly Live reinforces how good the original is

After living with Donald Fagen’s original 1982 version of The Nightfly for decades, it has become difficult to accept even slightly altered versions of the classic songs. For instance, the in-concert update of “Green Flower Street” from 2021’s The Nightfly Live is my least-favorite live version, mostly due to the favoring of Fagen’s melódica over the guitars of Jon Herington and Connor Kennedy.

“The Goodbye Look,” my second favorite song from the studio album, fares a little better – but just a little. The performance selected for inclusion on The Nightfly Livedoesn’t feature the guitars as prominently as studio producer Gary Katz did back then. The initial combination of Larry Carlton’s lead work with Steve Khan’s acoustic guitar is pure magic.

Jon Herington and Connor Kennedy seem to be given less space in this mix. Jim Beard’s synthesized marimba is interesting but tries too hard to inhabit Greg Phillinganes’ original role. Vocally, Fagen and the Dannettes are powerful – as is Keith Carlock, who recreates Toto drummer Jeff Porcaro’s old part with the power and precision you expect from the master drummer.

The 2006 version of the song, played by many of the very same musicians and including guitarist Wayne Krantz, had a more powerful feel – partly due to the end-of-the-song guitar jam. “The Goodbye Look” from The Nightfly Live just tries too hard to recreate perfection.