(Credits: Far Out / Alamy)
Sun 26 October 2025 18:10, UK
He is one of the greatest guitarists the rock world has ever known, and yet his position as one of the best is often underrated. Jimmy Page‘s brilliance might well be forgotten.
While he could certainly rip a guitar solo as well as anyone, he knew a blues lick for every single scenario and was able to craft songs that defined generations of rock music lovers. Page’s real gift was in the studio. He had spent so many years behind mixing boards, watching producers weave their magic when he was just a session musician, that he became Led Zeppelin’s ultimate guiding light.
Jimmy Page has always had his finger on the pulse, with this open-minded attitude going a significant way in opening the doors to him becoming a rock music pioneer. Given that he is so accepting of the best new music, and how deeply he has always valued the mercurial work of the mixing board, one group Page has effused about is Steely Dan.
Driven by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, Steely Dan broke out in 1972 with their debut album, Can’t Buy a Thrill, which fused psychedelia, soft rock and jazz into a surreal mesh. Also noted for the pair’s sardonic lyrics, which add a completely distinct element to the sound, over the decade, they would grow in prominence, with their refined jazz-inspired twists becoming more astounding, culminating in 1977’s Aja, which is undoubtedly one of the most masterful offerings of the decade.
It says everything about the quality of Becker and Fagen’s work that Steely Dan continues to resonate with audiences when so many of their contemporaries have started to fade into the fog of history. Whether it be ‘Do It Again’, ‘Rikki Don’t Lose that Number’ or ‘Aja’, the list of classic tracks the misanthropic pair produced is astounding and shows that even when working within a distinct framework, variety can still be achieved without forgoing quality.
Jimmy Page also has his shout for Steely Dan’s best track. This is ‘Reelin’ In The Years’, from their 1972 debut. Coloured by the unique guitar tone of Elliott Randall and boasting his technically brilliant solo, his work on the song blew the Led Zeppelin guitarist away, which is no mean feat, given his position as one of the definitive rock players. Page loves the track so intensely that he scored it 12/10.
Speaking to Classic Rock in 1999, Page named Randall’s solo on ‘Reelin’ In The Years’ as his favourite of all time. Later, when speaking to Oliver Patrick Loughnan in 2016, he rated the guitar playing a “12”.
When the interviewer played the song for him, he replied: “Oh I know this, yeah, that’s cool. I really like that. Steely Dan. Yeah I really like that. That’s gotta be a 12 hasn’t it?” Considering ten was his upper limit, it is fair to say that Page rated the song as better than perfect, a tip he likely didn’t give without some serious thought.
Page continued, explaining his general love for the guitar: “The thing is, I really love all guitar playing. Hearing guitarists when I was a kid, and just really appreciating even then. It’s six strings and it’s an electric guitar but everyone’s whole take on it and their character is totally different. And that’s what’s so cool about it.”
Listen to ‘Reelin’ in the Years’ below.
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