TGIF Rock-n-Roll Oldies: STEELY DAN

Reaganite Republican ^ | May 27, 2011 | Reaganite Republican

[Reaganite Republican]

"Sue me if I play too long..."

Steely Dan is an American pop band who developed refined and highly-original compositions blending elements of rock, funk, blues, jazz, and R-n-B, among other influences. Executed to perfection by founders Donald Fagen and Walter Becker -along with the finest studio musicians on the planet- there simply never was a band like Steely Dan before, and it's unlikely there ever will be, not like this...

The music that they brought was complex and well orchestrated, with most songs displaying a significant jazz influence. Fagan's unique voice backed by sweet harmonies and irresistible musical hooks made the sound beautiful and timeless, and the cerebral and ironic lyrics were hip, sarcastic, and witty- touching on topics such as international crime, affairs, personal demons, regrets, society, and lost love.

Initially -pre Steely Dan- the two played in a handful of bands together, including Bad Rock Group, featuring comedic actor Chevy Chase on drums (!). They also performed under pseudonyms in Jay and the Americans' backing band, but a real break came when Babara Streisand chose to record the Fagan/Becker-penned "I Mean to Shine" in 1971.  

Interestingly, Donald Fagan initially lacked confidence in his voice and suffered from substantial stage-fright... it took some effort to convince him that he could -and should- sing lead later in the newly-formed band.

Steely Dan also strove to go against the prevailing late 60s/early 70s hippy culture, seeming to think they were above the earthy San Francisco scene- in fact, they despised it. The two had become fast friends at college in upstate NY after Fagan heard Becker playing guitar at a coffee shop he was strolling by, and after some collaboration had a whole other take on what was cool, musically: they then proceeded to go out and create it.

In contrast to hippy icon Janis Joplin falling-down drunk at Woodstock, Fagan and Becker are known for near-obsessive perfectionism in the recording studio, very difficult to work with... they really took their business and art seriously.

The Dan toured for a couple years in the early 1970s, but by 1975 had gone studio-only. After seven albums the pair disbanded in 1981, leaving the music world for a decade. But in the early 90s, the group (surprisingly) resumed playing live concerts: since, they've released two albums of new material, the first of which earned a Grammy Award for Album of the Year. As it stands, Steely Dan has now sold more than 30 million albums worldwide. 

And in my humble opinion, the songs below are nothing short of musical masterpieces- but not unusual for Steely Dan, pretty much the only kind of stuff they ever did, including Fagan's solo album The Nightfly.

Yeah, in case you can't tell: I absolutely adore this band, always have: can't imagine ever getting sick of listening to such towering greatness... what a class act.

Steely Dan: Deacon Blues [video]

Steely Dan: Black Cow [video]

Video/more at Reaganite Republican

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Previous Rock n Roll Oldies features -here-

Steely Dan.com   Allmusic  Wikipedia

[ZirconEncrustedTweezers]

"I own exactly one Steely Dan album - Aja."

I own two, if you count the complilation A Decade of Steely Dan, but if not I only own one. In my case, it's The Royal Scam.

[manic4organic]

Love them! I can listen to any of their stuff and it never gets old. Saw them several years ago in Dallas.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Seems that every Steely Dan LP sounds like the next...

[240B]

SD—Mix compilation, just click and chill, very nice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsrI_mIT6PQ

[Disambiguator]

Never have I heard a band that could play their music so closely to the original studio versions. They were amazing!

I had a similar experience back in early 1980. The band, interestingly enough, was Styx. They were actually unbelievable in concert, and I don't even like them that much (which begs the question, why did I go to the concert in the first place? To be honest, I don't really remember.).

[dfwgator]

Barrytown is my favorite...especially now with the current WH occupant... “Barrytown people got to be from another world....”

[jobim]

I posted this not more than a week ago on another Steely Dan thread:

Taipei, Taiwan June 1977:

Walked with my Chinese doll into a record store. No copywrite, so all new albums were 50 cents US. Didn't know Steely Dan other than the top 40 stuff - reeling up the rears - bought Aja.

Returned to her family's noodle shop and had a listen. 45 minutes later, in shock, speechless, I told Ling I was gonna take a walk.

That was some kind of rock album. Few had the immediate, and long-lasting, impact of that one.

[dfwgator]

Probably the closest thing they ever did to a love song

Pearl of the Quarter

Some great Skunkster pedal steel on this one.

[ZirconEncrustedTweezers]

“I saw Steely Dan live in 1974 in Long Beach Calif on their Pretzel Logic tour. Never have I heard a band that could play their music so closely to the original studio versions. They were amazing!”

I’ve seen Rush twice. They are also quite good at reproducing the studio versions of their songs in concert, although they do have to tune the guitars down a step so Geddy can sing some of the older ones. :)

[Reaganite Republican]

I haven’t seen one, just went through dozens on YouTube in the compilation of this piece, fwiw

Got to be one out there, or so you’d think

[CholeraJoe]

“They got a name for the winners in the world,
I want a name when I lose.
They call Alabama the Crimson Tide,
Call me ‘Deacon Blues.’”

[Interesting Times]

Amen.

Like a castle in his corner
in a medieval game
I foresee terrible trouble
And I stay here just the same....

Dirty Work

Any Major Dude Will Tell You

The Royal Scam

Kid Charlemagne

[Reaganite Republican]

Not many bands that put out albums with so little filler as Steely Dan... like none, not a second

[Trajan88]

“New Frontier” from that album... who doesn’t have a crush on Tuesday Weld or Ruby?

[dfwgator]

My favorite from "The Nightfly"

Walk Between the Raindrops

[Erasmus]

Great band - Fagen’s solo album The Nightfly is one my all time favorites.

(Jingle:)
"
An independent station
W-J-A-Z
With news and information
From the foot of Mt. Belzoni
"

Pretty much everything on that album's a sardonic gem, including the above-quoted title song, and the album cover (depicting a time and place where I misspent part of my youth).

[Erasmus]

“
I hear you’re mad about Brubeck
I love your hair I like him too
He’s an artist, a pioneer
We’ve got to have some music on the new frontier
“

[rhoda_penmark]

The Cuervo Gold
The fine Colombian
Make tonight a wonderful thing.

[moehoward]

It was shows like the 73/74 Santa Monica Civic that was largely credited with them stopping to tour. IIRC their first number immediately following a severely inebriated announcer, who kept referring to “Mr Steeley Dan, whatever” was Bodhisattva.

[Reaganite Republican]

Uh... that was in my PRE Republican days lol