too bad Fagan’s a big lib, very talented
Just call me ‘Deacon Blue..’ Still love that song...
They left off the best story of that album…Steve Gadd and the drums on Aja.
After a little while, Steve said to Joe and Chuck, “Just play it so I can hear how the song goes and I’ll make some notations on the chart for myself.” Donald went out as he usually did and stood in some corner and would sing a scratch vocal low, so the guys could hear it while they are playing. Walter and I were in the control room with Bill Schnee, a very famous engineer and producer at Producer’s Workshop, which was really his studio and he was the only one who knew how to make it work. He said, “Okay, let’s do one.” The track you hear is the only time he played it.
Once. As it’s going on, both Walter and I [are looking at each other]. For whatever reasons each of us had, we had never hired Steve [before this session]. And as we got to the end, it was just so fantastic, Walter turned to me and he said, “Maybe we’ve made a mistake.” That’s the only time he played that track, was the first time. Months go by and we were mixing in New York because we’re not particularly fast about how we do things. We were just about finished with the mix of “Aja” at A&R with Elliot Scheiner. It’s as good as you can imagine something sounding on those speakers in the control room. It was magically great. Someone walked in and said, “Hey, you know Steve is down the hall, he’s playing with Michael Franks.” I said, “Oh, cool, Donald, I’ll go down and let him know we’re here.” I did that and he was finishing up. When he was done, he came in and said [his greetings].
He was feeling good. I said, “Sit down, I want to play you something.” We played him “Aja,” which was finished. He sat right between the Altec 604 Utility [speaker] cabinets. It was great sounding. The track ends and he said, “Wow, who is playing drums?” Donald, Walter and I, Roger Nichols and Elliot, are just looking at each other. Because he wasn’t kidding. I say, “You are, stupid!” He went, “Really? I’m a motherf%5555!” It’s the best laugh we had in all of the years.
Read More: The Steely Dan Song Steve Gadd Didn’t Remember Playing On | https://ultimateclassicrock.com/gary-katz-steely-dan-aja-interview-2022/
I played that album non stop for weeks when I first got it.
The older I get the more I like Steely Dan
Excellent. But still partial to “The Royal Scam”.
I was lucky to have acquired the MFSL release of this LP.
Funny coincidence. I just mentioned that album in a post over an article about some jealous WNBA player named Aja.
https://freerepublic.com/focus/chat/4237624/posts?page=46#46
I don’t claim to have listened to all of every album ever, but for my money, the Greatest Album I Ever Heard.
Perfection is only in The Bible, The Constitution falls a bit short, and bringing up the rear is Aja.
/HURL!
Always hated Steely Dan.
Can’t Buy a Thrill
Gaucho
Katy Lied
Countdown to Ecstasy
Aja
Pretzel Logic
Royal Scam
and they’re all great
One of my all time favorites (and I have many), still have the vinyl and it’s in great shape. Larry Carlton was relatively unknown at the time, but he gave some outstanding licks on this album. I’ve been a fan of Carlton for many years now, and of course with all of the various band members. A truly outstanding album, as was most of their work.
The drum solo in Aja is Steve Gadd. Probably the best living drummer. He also played drums on “50 Ways to Lose Your Lover”
I not a fan of Michael McDonald (or any singer who’s voice is so high pitched he sounds like he snagged his wedding tackle in the zipper of his trousers). S’why I prefer Russian choral music to Italian opera. Give me the thunder of bass baritones over the ear-piercing screech of tenors any day. Or to put it another way, Men (with a capital “M”) over castratos or contratenors.
I even cooled on the Doobies when McDonald joined the band. However, his vocals on “Peg” are one of the most extraordinary vocal performances of all time. He’s singing 4-part harmony -— with himself. The four parts are at half-step intervals, and he sang each part cold, not listening to any of the other parts for reference. All overdubs, all natural, no autotune or other electronic trickery, just perfect pitch. And it took about a thousand takes to get it right (by Fagen & Becker’s standards).
And the result is glorious.
Everyone should watch “the making of Aja”. It’s on prime.
Lyrics are like wine in the music
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
And
On the counter by your keys
Was a book of numbers and your remedies
One of these surely will screen out the sorrow
But where are you tomorrow
I can’t cry anymore
While you run around, while you run around
Break away
Just when it seems so clear
That it’s over now
Drink your big black cow
And get out of here
I used to be a huge fan of SD. I even saw them live in the 70s in Long Beach Cal. Great show.
Anymore, their music just bores the hell out of me.
Never cared for the jazzy turn Aja was