Steely Dan blather

[varwoche]

Their most recent cd Everything Must Go is truly a tour de force. Three tracks in particular are as good as "pop" music gets -- Green Book, the title song, and especially Pixaleen.

Unique harmonic sense; brilliant song-writing/hooks; the coolest horn & vocal arrangements, hip, funky, subtle and {snob alert} over the head of 98% of listeners (speaking musically).

Their lyrics are are a fun puzzle, wicked and literary. But this isn't the reason I think they are so great -- it's the music.

As a point of reference, I consider Aja a masterpiece.

[Nigel]

I bought Everything Must Go several weeks ago, along with Steve Winwood's About Time. I was in the mood for some jazzy stuff, and like both. I think Blues Beach is my favorite on Everything....the horns just kick it.

Relatively speaking, has Steely Dan put out a bad album?

[AmateurScientist]

Good points, both of you. I bought "Everything Must Go" when it was released as a DVD-Audio disc. It has a terrific 10 minute short clip of the guys wandering around Vegas in a mini "Taxicab Confessions" episode. There is a great scene where some stupid but cute chick gets in and spouts earnest but nonsensical crap about "Reelin' in the Years." She completely misses the point of the lyrics, but Becker and Fagan graciously humor her, while simultaneously laughing inside, as the expressions on their faces clearly indicate.

Anyway, I agree about the album--it's great. I also agree that SD has never produced anything resembling a bad album. "Aja" probably is their masterpiece.

Incidentally, I caught their show on the Everything tour last September. It was even better than I was expecting. The music, atmosphere and mood were tight as ever and loads of fun.

Don Henley once said about SD that "These guys will say anything in their lyrics." He's right. He was explaining the lyric "they stab it with their steely knives" from Hotel California. He admitted that it was a tip of the hat to SD for mentioning The Eagles in "Haitian Divorce" ("turn up The Eagles; the neighbors are listening").

Fagan and Becker are brilliant. Jazz rock works very well.

AS

[michaellee]

From other threads, all I have read concerning Steely Dan is that they are overrated, etc...

It is truly refreshing to read this thread, albeit only 3 posts, but all in agreement about the new album, AJA, and the still kicking it down Becker and Fagan.

How long will it take for someone with less appreciation for truly great music to slam the Dan while cooing over one of the many talentless, ear piercing "musicians" so popular today?

I predict a run of 10 positive posts, then some tone deaf nutcase will provide us with an instance of stupidity. And no, multiple postings don't count....

..Drink your big black cow and get out of here...

[chrisberez]

I have yet to hear "Everything Must Go" although I love Steely Dan. It's certainly top on my list now, especially after this thread. But yes, Aja is simply a masterpiece. But I'm although rather partial to "Countdown to Ecstacy."

[T'ai Chi]

I just like em because in their song that goes "you know I'll love you betta", was sampled in a De La Soul song. :)

[Nigel]

Okay, so far, we're all in agreement, that Steely Dan is always in order. When did you first start listening/liking them?

For me, it was when I heard "Rikki don't lose that number" in '74.

[michaellee]

Ah, memories of the days that were pre cool electronics, when an 11 year kid recorded cassette tapes by placing the recorder 's microphone next to the speaker of a static filled, AM radio tuned to 610 KFRC.

Many years later, and the kid, now 42 years of age, still has those tapes in his possession, even though they have not been played for over 25 years.

One thing for certain is that there are 3 songs on those tapes that were recorded more times(in attempts), and partial and complete successes than any other songs played on the radio in all of the 70's.

The first was "Do it Again", which forever implanted the words "Going Back Jack" into my brain's music memory bank. That was in November of 1972.

The tape recording frenzy occurred next in October of 1973 when "Reeling in the Years" hit the airwaves. That song's words of "You've been tellin me you're a genius since you were seventeen. In all the time I've known you I still don't know what you mean." are permantly burned into memory.

Then the kid had to purchase extra tapes when "Rikki don't lose that Number" came out in November of 1974. Unlike today, back then the goal was to be able to record a song, IN FULL, with every word and note audible without loss of signal during the recording, and without your brother or parents blowing the whole thing by talking loud or barreling into your room during taping.

It was tough, because you had to be sitting next to the radio with the cassette deck in the record position but paused by using the little switch on the microphone. After a song ended, you had to be ready for that first note, and if the next song was the one you wanted to record, you released the pause button, held the microphone perfectly still next to the radio speaker, and prayed.

Prayed the signal would hold throughout the entire song, prayed for the rest of the entire animal kingdom to not make one sound for the next 5 minutes or so, and prayed that your arm and hand would not tire from holding that microphone like a statue.

In the case of "Rikki", being that the song was the longest one played in the history of radio, the odds of successfully recording a perfect copy were minimal at best. But I could not be faulted for lack of effort. Sometimes I would get a perfect recording for the first 4 minutes, then some mishap would occur. If I recorded the whole song, I would then play it back to hear the quality and decide if I should record over it, or be satisfied with the one I got. But this was "Rikki", so instead of ever recording over any copy I had made, I left them all on the tapes. So to this day, those cassette tapes contain about 7 copies of "Rikki", all in different quality, encompassing 3 or 4 tapes. "I hear your leavin, thats OK" joined the lyric festival in my mind.

A truly magical time for me, and this is the first time I have ever mentioned this since, and it is all due to Becker and Fagen.

[varwoche]

Originally posted by Nigel
Okay, so far, we're all in agreement, that Steely Dan is always in order. When did you first start listening/liking them?

For me, it was when I heard "Rikki don't lose that number" in '74.
Back in the day I was too busy being a jazz snob to listen to pop music, then I heard Aja, obsessed ever since.

Listen to Becker's solo album per chance? It's also brilliant, and a different sort of sound. (Though if pressed to say something complimentary about his vocal ability, I'd say he sings a little bit better than Dan Akroyd.;) )

[varwoche]

Originally posted by michaellee
Ah, memories of the days that were pre cool electronics, when an 11 year kid recorded cassette tapes by placing the recorder 's microphone next to the speaker of a static filled, AM radio tuned to 610 KFRC.

Ah yes, I remember KFRC. Surely KSAN(?) existed by that time. (No static at all!)

[michaellee]

originally posted by varwocheAh yes, I remember KFRC. Surely KSAN(?) existed by that time. (No static at all!)
FM?
I was living in the mountains, nestled among the redwood trees, a place where the television got one snowy channel, and the FM reception was non-existant. It was hard enough to get a good signal even from a strong AM station tower, like KFRC. I only had the most basic of equipment, too.

[bignickel]

If ever you need to explain to someone what the essense of "film noir" is,

just play them "Deacon Blues", which captures it better than any song on the planet:

This is the day of the expanding man
That shape is my shade
There where I used to stand
It seems like only yesterday
I gazed through the glass
At ramblers, wild gamblers
That's all in the past

You call me a fool
You say it's a crazy scheme
This one's for real
I already bought the dream
So useless to ask me why
Throw a kiss and say goodbye
I'll make it this time
I'm ready to cross that fine line

I'll learn to work the saxaphone
I play just what I feel
Drink Scotch whiskey all night long
And die behind the wheel
They got a name for the winners in the world
And I want a name when I lose
They call Alabama the Crimson Tide
Call me Deacon Blues

My back to the wall
A victim of laughing chance
This is for me
The essence of true romance
Sharing the things we know and love
With those of my kind
Libations
Sensations
That stagger the mind

I crawl like a viper
Through these suburban streets
Make love to these women
Languid and bittersweet
I'll rise when the sun goes down
Cover every game in town
A world of my own
I'll make it my home sweet home

(refrain)
This is the night of the expanding man
I take one last drag
As I approach the stand
I cried when I wrote this song
Sue me if I play too long
This brother is free
I'll be what I want to be

[RSLancastr]

Originally posted by bignickel
If ever you need to explain to someone what the essense of "film noir" is,

just play them "Deacon Blues", which captures it better than any song on the planet:Gotta disagree.

First, I've heard that song a bajillion times, and never knew that it had any connection with film noir.

Besides, Elvis Costello's "Watching the Detectives" does a better job of projecting a filmoniresque mood, to my way of thinking.

[bignickel]

Connection to film noir? No.

The song is film noir.

"It seems like only yesterday
I gazed through the glass
At ramblers, wild gamblers"

Our hero, down on his luck


"You call me a fool
You say it's a crazy scheme
This one's for real
I already bought the dream
So useless to ask me why
Throw a kiss and say goodbye
I'll make it this time"

Right there, Harry Fabian, from "Night and the City"


"They got a name for the winners in the world
And I want a name when I lose"

The doomed protagonist from just about every film noir.


"My back to the wall
A victim of laughing chance"

Our hero almost makes it, but fate is cruel.


"I'll rise when the sun goes down
Cover every game in town"

Harry Fabian, the con artist again, on the prowl with his schemes


Make love to these women
Languid and bittersweet

Our femme fatale.

Sure, the song might be about some sax musician somewhere, but I think the lyrics point more to so many elements of film noir. After watching "Night and the City", how can you not think of this song?

[chrisberez]

I have to admit I've given up trying to understand what Stelly Dan songs are about. The lyrics are very often cryptic, so I just enjoy the songs. "Deacon Blues" is probably my favorite SD song- no idea what it is actually about, but the noir connections suggested here are interesting. Then there's my second favorite SD song, "Barrytown." Could be about anything, although I have theories that it's about observing changing times and trends and not understanding them. Who knows though.

[varwoche]

I like how they write about losers. Everything Must Go reminds me of Deacon Blues in a sense.
------------------

It's high time for a walk on the real side
Let's admit the bastards beat us
I move to dissolve the corporation
In a pool of margaritas
So let's switch off all the lights
And light up all the Luckies
Crankin' up the afterglow
'Cause we're goin' out of business
Everything must go

Talk about your major pain and suffering
Now our self-esteem is shattered
Show the world our mighty hidey-ho face
As we go sliding down the ladder
It was sweet up at the top
'Til that ill wind started blowing
Now it's cozy down below
'Cause we're goin' out of business
Everything must go

We gave it our best shot
But keep in mind we got a lot
The sky the moon good food and the weather
First-run movies -- does anybody get lucky twice?
Wouldn't it be nice...

Tell me can you dig it Miss Fugazy
Now it's gone from late to later
Frankly I could use a little face time
In the service elevator
And if Dave from Acquisitions
Wants to get in on the action
With his Handicam in tow
Well we're goin' out of business
Everything must go

Can it be the sorry sun is rising
Guess it's time for us to book it
Talk about the famous road not taken
In the end we never took it
And if somewhere on the way
We got a few good licks in
No one's ever gonna know
'Cause we're goin' out of business
Everything must go

[CWL]

Then there's my second favorite SD song, "Barrytown." Could be about anything, although I have theories that it's about observing changing times and trends and not understanding them. Who knows though.

Becker and Fagen went to Bard Collage in Annandale-on-Hudson. Barrytown is a small town nearby which is home to a center of Sun Myung Moon’s controversial Unification Church (i.e. "Moonies"). Members of the church would sell flowers and carry pamphlets. One might imagine that Messrs. Becker and Fagen (having an outspoken contempt for hippie lifestyles) would be less than amused for such visits by the good people of Barrytown...

[applecorped]

Steely Dan.



:bigclap

[Astreja]

I've bought Can't Buy a Thrill three times: Once on vinyl, and twice on CD (Most of my CD collection "mysteriously vanished" in the course of a messy divorce.) It's one of about a dozen albums that will always get replaced if the current copy malfunctions or goes missing.

On CBaT, I find the song "Midnite Cruiser" particularly moving:
The world that we used to know
People tell me it don't turn no more
The places we used to go
Familiar faces that ain't smilin' like before
The time of our time has come and gone
I fear we've been waitin' too long...