I love, love, love Steely Dan and I just treasure their albums. Soul nourishing stuff. Acca Dacca September 5, pm. They were superficially goofy and very eclectic, but I quite enjoy their music myself. Gumslasher September 5, pm. Gena R. September 5, pm. Erik North September 6, am. And just to get this on the record, yes, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen were the frontmen of Steely Dan, but the musicians they had with them came from a wide swath of the L.
Steely Dan never was my bag, but I will readily admit they were supremely talented, as were the musicians who backed them. Perhaps I should go back and give them another listen. Lord knows I dig a shit-ton of music now that I never could have seen myself listening to once upon a time. Yep, this was me also. Not sure if that is normal or a sign of the quality of new music or a combination of the two. As a consequence I find myself taking deep dives into classic artists of many genres in a search for something fresh, strangely enough.
Ron September 6, am. I can relate. Brett September 5, pm. Im in my early 30s and as a teenager, i couldnt stand this music, but as ive grown older, i appreciate it more. One reason ive grown to like bands like this is how their songs are very open to interpretation. Are they trippin on drugs or is it something more?
It can be as simple or complex as we want it. Best part is though, its just dang good music. Love the other comment about listening to guys like these with Keith Whitley, cause we can! Gerry Rafferty of Stealers Wheel is another cool 70s act.
Cool you mentioned him cause Waylon covered Bakerstreet on Hangin Tough. Your right, the sax is killer on that one! These mellower 70s rock acts and classic country had a respect for one another certainly. You must be like me, on satelite radio im constantly switching between Willies Roadhouse, Outlaw Country, and the Bridge.
BrushHawg September 8, pm. Don September 9, pm. RD October 18, am. With Steely Dan, I similarly found myself enjoying them more as I got older. Just my theory but I think it is common with someone like Steely Dan.
As I got older and started appreciating more music including jazz, I found their music much more interesting. Another group I enjoyed more as I aged was Moody Blues for similar reasons. Grew up with them, though admit they were not a particular favorite until many years later. They dab at you with a somewhat haunting, simple, obtuse, plain sound, and that all at once. Saturate before using. Rest in peace, Walter. RD September 5, pm. My parents had all their records and I own all their albums on cd or digital.
Extremely talented song-writers and musicians. That being said, I loathe them for their snarky, unabashed hatred of middle America, and the South specifically. Corncaster September 5, pm. Flying J September 5, pm. I grew up with classic rock radio and I know my way around a SD tune.
But when I look around the crowd of 20 and something yuppies, it always looks like they lose the crowd every time they launch into a SD song.
Their recordings are awesome! Good speakers and a subwoofer are essential. Tight might be the best description. Great drums. Great horns. Do It Again — Track 1 from album 1, and it still holds up brilliantly today. The moments for this song are right at the get go second mark when the keybaord drops in and then at the min mark when the keyboard solo overtakes the guitar solo. FM — the title track to some piss-poor movie of the same name in , it ended up being one of the best songs they ever wrote.
Show Biz Kids — From their rushed, poorly selling, and utterly brilliant sophomore record Countdown to Ecstasy. King of the World — Another from Countdown to Ecstacy, that guitar part in the beginning and the build up at the 3 min mark, Jesus! So good! Haitian Divorce — this song, also off The Royal Scam, never gets much love, but that talk box work throughout is like a Steely Dan fans wet dream. Probably the best album to pick up first actually.
Pretzel Logic — Title track to the classic album. This is where the critics realized there was more to this band than radio hits, and Becker and Fagen decided they hated playing live. The Caves of Altamira — another fan favorite from The Royal Scam, the guitar solos on this record are out of control.
The best moment is where everything goes nuts at To their credit though, Becker and Fagen have done the impossible. Steely Dan has simply ignored everybody in the music industry. Becker and Fagen have followed their own muse. The brilliant writers have refused to cash in on trends. Walter Becker and Donald Fagen have made a decent living and still maintained a level of viability by virtue of catchy hooks and infectious, danceable grooves. The music on Steely Dan albums sort of seeps into your subconscious and clings tight to your inner ear whether you want to remember it or not.
Their non romantic, cryptic, name dropping and superbly ironic lyrics induce memories that you did not know you even had. There were little touches of subtle ear candy you caught when you least expected it. And then there are the chords; the fluid that lubricates the inner workings of their songs. Those luscious unpredictable chords derived somewhere between Debussy and Thelonious Monk. They are able to get away with such harmonic twists because the foundation of what they compose is based in the blues.
People seem to be naturally drawn to the blues. The predictability of which is in our DNA. Subconsciously or not Becker and Fagen seemed to have realized this at a young age and applied it to their varied musical interests.
With the blues they could have their cake and eat it to. Of course, Steely Dan is sometimes superficially recognized as a smooth jazz outfit. And the clock work precision to their pristine productions that on the surface may feel sterile, eventually emotes a sense of warmth and sly humor after a few listens.
Their music can sit in the background at a party or provide an intense personal listening experience. Their standards are ridiculously high and even the songs they never released are of top notch caliber.
It could be easily argued that after the Beatles split, Steely Dan carried the musical torch in regards to taking pop and rock songwriting to the next level. Nonetheless, Becker and Fagen were able to distill all of those musical catalysts into a stew that was uniquely their own.
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