Recorded over eight months at various studios between New York City and Los Angeles, the album is an early example of a fully digital recording in popular music. Many of the songs relate to the cautiously optimistic mood of his suburban childhood in the late 1950s and early 1960s and incorporate such topics as late-night jazz disc jockeys, fallout shelters, and tropical vacations. Unlike most of Fagen's previous work, The Nightfly is almost blatantly autobiographical.
Although The Nightfly includes a number of production staff and musicians who had played on Steely Dan records, it was Fagen's first release without longtime collaborator Walter Becker. The band separated in 1981, leading Fagen to pursue a solo career. Fagen is best known for his work in the group Steely Dan, with whom he enjoyed a successful career since the 1970s.
Produced by Gary Katz, it was released October 1, 1982, by Warner Bros. The Nightfly is the debut solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Donald Fagen.
