Kamakiriad would be notable if only for the fact the album marks a full-on reunion of the two Steely Dan cohorts more than a decade after they splintered. For all the creative sparks that result from the long-awaited regrouping of Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, the 1993 record remains significant for many other reasons —from the hopeful narrative to the sharp playing and adventurous arrangements. Ostensibly an eight-song concept album based in the future, Kamakiriad loosely chronicles the journeys of a protagonist touring in his state-of-the-art roadster — a steam-driven Kamakiri equipped with its own vegetable garden and radio link with a then-unheard-of satellite navigation system. Imaginative, colorful, and zany, Kamakiriad demands repeat listens by always seeming to reveal something new.

Sourced from the original masters, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing, and strictly limited to 4,000 numbered copies, Mobile Fidelity’s UltraDisc One-Step 180g 45RPM 2LP box set presents Kamakiriad with expansive soundstages, deep-black backgrounds, pinpoint details, and full-range dynamics. Playing with exceptional transparency, this is the first audiophile version of Fagen’s sophomore effort apart from an out-of-print DVD-A — a disc this release surpasses in all critical areas. Those include the definition and imaging that highlight the contributions of a lineup that includes a Who’s Who of session players. Drop your needle on this UD1S edition and let the ride begin.