Welcome to what you'll be listening to for the rest of your lives boys. ALL of Don's solo work is elite. He is our generation's Miles Davis, Gershwin, Mozart, etc. We need a reaction to Maxine. Keep it up.
"So you say there's a race of men in the trees You're for tough legislation Thanks for callin I wait all night for calls like these." So majestically snide! Only DF.
Steely Dan frontman’s solo debut had a whopping seven Grammy nominations. Every song is excellent and smooth. As you might expect, The Nightfly instantly garnered a reputation as an audiophile album par excellence, becoming “a popular demonstration record in hi-fi stores across the globe. Sony was so impressed with The Nightfly’s sound quality that it asked for permission to make it one of the first albums released on CD so that it could be used to demonstrate the then-new format at audio trade shows. I have the original release album, and it's one of my treasures. Give more of the tunes a spin - you won't regret it, believe me. IGY, NEW FRONTIER, MAXINE, AND RUBY BABY (all killer no filler).
The Nightfly album is a masterpiece, right up there with the best SD. About as perfectly recorded and sounding an album can get. The "theme" of the album is his days growing up in the late 50s listening to radio. The song Nightfly is kind of an homage to the late night jazz DJs he grew up listening to. Notice how the girl backups sing that "radio station tag line". This was one of the first all digital DDD recordings when it came out in 1982. I knew you guys would dig this. 😉
On top of the incredible music, the lyrics to this song is genius. He is a Jazz DJ in Baton Rouge and he gets annoyed at callers and sarcastically says "thanks for calling I wait all night for calls like these", In the 2nd verse he does a commercial break (spring for that new jar of Patton's Kiss and Tell) and then at the bridge, he opens up to the callers about his failed love life. Amazing!
@@debrabrabenec LOL! Wow.. misheard for years now, thanks for the update! Crazy.. makes good sense that way, I like it better now, cause considering the imagery, it feels much more intimate.
He's a NY DJ with a transmission tower in the hills.mountains north of NYC, "Hello Baton Rouge" refers to the caller from Baton Rouge who believe there is a race of men in the trees. In the 1950s, 1960s, into the 70s high wattage AM stations could transmit signals at night when the ionosphere lifts for >1000 miles of miles.
I heard as well that Fagen is tweaktastic in the studio--telling the mixer to take an instrument down by less than a dB. Now that you mention it, can you imagine how long Fagen worked on that keyboard sound, and how precisely he mixed it for it to hit like that? Heavenly.
That was a current picture of him in 1982. They were only in their 20s for for those amazing classic Steely Dan records in the 70s. Remember, none of the Beatles were even 30 when they broke up. Pretty amazing stuff
After you listen to all of Gaucho, you'll find that this album 2 years later is the natural followup soundwise. At least it is to my ears. Keep in mind the reason Fagen did this as a solo album is because Walter Becker unfortunately was going through some serious drug issues during this time, which is why they put a hold on "Steely Dan".
Donald is the GOAT.....FWIW, I drove through Belzoni, Mississippi coming back to Arkansas from Florida and there is no Mt. Belzoni (I did have this jam playing when I entered the city limits). Belzoni is deep in the delta region and flat as a pancake...LOL!
The Nightfly is an awesome album; Fagan's nostalgic auto-biographical look back at his childhood. It sounds like Steely Dan since it's the same musicians, engineers and producers. It was the first album released that was done all digitally. Roger Nichols started with both analog and digital equipment but went all digital after comparing the results. When you do "New Frontier" be sure to also watch the music video, it's an early MTV classic.
Donald Fagen musically is intensely exacting of his product and his musical and lyrical capabilities are literally astounding to witness, as this song exemplifies. Thanks for bringing this to your audience. Exquisite.
Yes Yes Yes! "An Independent Station, WJAZ"; so damn smooth. SO glad you are getting into Fagen's solo work! I highly recommend his song "SNOWBOUND" ; gives me goosebumps; the happy kind!!!
What else can you say y’all know it when you hear it and as producers it looks like Donald Fagan and the whole Dan band are making y’all rethink very thing y’all thought you knew Another great one by AirPlay Beats….great reaction guys !
While the sound of some of the songs are similar to that of Steely Dan, I find that this album is lyrically quite different. As this is a concept album about the life of a young man in the 1950s, you hear innocent, downright heartfelt sentiments you don't usually associate with SD songs. I'm really looking forward to your reactions to more songs from The Nightfly as it is one of my all time favorites.
True, lyrically its more "upbeat" and less cryptically sarcastic than the usual Dan album, although a few tunes like New Frontier are still biting social commentary that was ironically perfectly timed. It will be interesting to see their reaction to that gem.
Another excellent album! Fagen also has a solo piece he did for the movie 'Heavy Metal' soundtrack called "True Companion". It was added to the Steely Dan Gold (expanded edition 1991) album 10 years after movie soundtrack was released. Hope you see this comment and write it on your list of songs of Donald Fagen. Mostly instumental, but verse kicks in near end. Beautiful song.
Perhaps this is my favorite track on 'The Nightfly'. Marcus Miller on bass, killin' groove. Larry Carlton on lead guitar, melody and feeling. The music, whole band and arrangement is top shelf.
A sonic and lyrical masterpiece you must hear it all in sequence. Donald’s solo work of course has the Steely Dan sound because of the amazing vocal stylings of the originally reluctant and stage fright victim Donald. You have a long and fabulous journey ahead. After this recording Donald went on a break emotionally burned out and Walter was recovering from drug addiction. Donald’s 2nd solo album Kamakiriad is another concept album with the songs interlinked. It’s a Steely Dan reunion in that Walter Becker produced it and plays lots of guitar and bass and they finish a song Snowbound together. After this Walter gets back in the studio and releases 11 Tracks of Whack, his first solo record. He made an effort for it not to sound like Stephen Dan and of course it wouldn’t because he sang the tracks and nobody sings like Donald except Donald. When you listen to Walter‘s music you can see the role he played in their music especially the lyrics and arrangements . They are both eccentric geniuses and you just don’t get Steely Dan without the two of them. RIP Walter Happy Travels dudes. I love your heartfelt reactions. As suggested in other comments do the Album Countdown to Ecstasy when they were a touring playing band, before they camped out in the studio. My favorite deep cut is Your Gold Teeth. 👍
Great song guys. This is a special album. The song 'Maxine' off this album is his most beautiful love song. Put it on and slow dance with your Lady. It works lol.
Mount Belzoni is a reference to an Italian man who wrote his name in the Chefren pyramid in Egypt (it is the only writing in that great and important pyramid). Years ago, when I entered that pyramid and read the name Belzoni I soon remembered the reference in the song and I began to smile. Everyone asked himself why I was laughing. In my inside I had a good reason to do that!
Nice story but Belzoni is a town in Mississippi that was named after the archaeologist. Fagen's reference is not to the man but a nod to the Civil Rights movement in the late 50's-early '60s. Belzoni was the site of the murder of an early civil rights pioneer. The Rev. George W. Lee, an African American minister who was seeking voting rights for the disenfranchised blacks of the Mississippi Delta and registered to vote, was murdered in 1955 in "Bloody Belzoni" by white residents committed to upholding segregation. Many consider Lee the first martyr of the modern civil rights movement. Musically, Belzoni is important as well: it's the birthplace of blues legends Elmore James, Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller), and Pinetop Perkins.
Despite the reference given by Mr. Chu, I really dig the fact that you found that, and the irony of a pyramid being like a rudimentary mountain form. Weird.. This whole thread is great, now I gotta go sit down outside and think a while.
Amazing album. You are so lucky that you can hear it for the first time. I can still remember how wonderful the experience was. Have fun. Love your vids
Every time I play some Steely Dan or Donald Fagen for someone who hasn't heard it before or heard very little, the first thing they mention is how smooth, then how complex, how fantastic the arrangement must be, followed by some comment about perfection... so very pleasing.. It's always such a fantastic effort...
I’ve listened to both Steely Dan and Fagen solo for years and my first comment is still how smooth/complex/fantastic it is, followed by how perfect it is!
Love seeing your reaction to DF's first solo effort. Us SD fans were just like you. What's it gonna sound like? Unmistakable sound that we all loved from SD with its fantastic grooves, Don's voice, funky bass and silky female background singers. Walter was definitely missing but we got another wonderful record to add to our collection!
If you were a large-venue concert-goer in the 80's, you heard this record in its entirety at EVERY show while the soundman tweaked the house system. It was the production standard by which all other records were measured. For that reason this album will always transport me back to that singular feeling of anticipation and excitement before a concert starts. Green Flower Street with its killer groove and Maxine with its nostalgic close-harmony backing vocals are my faves from The Nightfly. The vocal harmonies on Florida Room from Kamakiriad should also be right up your street. Side note: It is really uplifting to see young people branch out, explore and genuinely appreciate unfamiliar genres of music, and you are two of the most sincere reactors on YT. Please keep it up!
Great reaction as always, gents. The record album on the cover art is Sonny Rollins and the Contemporary Leaders, released in 1958, and as you'd expect, one of Fagen's favorite jazz records. Rollins is legendary and prolific, still alive in his 90's, and is always in the "GOAT" conversation among tenor sax players. Fagen and Steely Dan have been touring fairly consistently since 1993 (RIP Walter 2017) with a 13 piece band filled with top notch session players, and the current band is mind-blowingly good. I've seen them 19 times, including this past July at Woodstock, and it NEVER grows old.
Welcome to The Nightfly, a treasure from beginning to end. I put it right up there with my favorite SD albums: Royal Scam, Aja, and Gaucho. The change Fagen brings to this album is his relative sincerity and lack of irony. Relative, I said. ;) Fagen shares the experiences, dreams, culture, and innocence of his late-50s youth. He said that it was hard for him to be so vulnerable, and after this album he had something of a breakdown, and it took him a couple of years to start recording again. Regardless, this album is a masterpiece. If you don't watch out, I'll join you on patreon, and request The Goodbye Look. Or maybe New Frontier, or Maxine., or Ruby Baby.. Thanks for your observations and your delight. Great stuff.
Fagen is genius. They never actually broke up..In 97-99 they recorded Two Against Nature which was released in 2000 with 4 Grammy awards including the song Cousin Dupree. Becker was ill for many years prior to his passing and just couldn't feel it, though they remained attached at the hips as friends. Fagens solo albums Sunken Condos, and Morph the Cat are excellent...I truly enjoy our channel and your reactions..Thank you.
Fagen's reference to Belzoni is a nod to the Civil Rights movement in the late 50's-early '60s. Belzoni, Mississippi was the site of the murder of an early civil rights pioneer. The Rev. George W. Lee, an African American minister who was seeking voting rights for the disenfranchised blacks of the Mississippi Delta and registered to vote, was murdered in 1955 in "Bloody Belzoni" by white residents committed to upholding segregation. Many consider Lee the first martyr of the modern civil rights movement. Musically, Belzoni is important as well: it's the birthplace of blues legends Elmore James, Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller), and Pinetop Perkins.
Thanks guys! I.G.Y next please. Simply the best and in my top 10 of everything! They never broke up. Like a Dan album without Walter Becker. Rick Derringer, Larry Carlton guitars. Brecker Brothers horns. A wonderful album.
1 year on, and this remains one of my all time favourite reactions of yours. You're in the exact appropriate amount of awe of the greatness you're hearing in every detail, and it comes through completely on this video. True heads know, but for the rest of the world this remains one of the all time underrated songs, off one of the all time underrated albums.
Haha you guys were sufficiently blown away You are going to LOVE this record and all of Fagen's other records too....Don't forget about "Only a Fool Would Say That" from Cant Buy a Thrill!
I didn’t know it at the time but I was introduced to this as a young child in the 80’s. Going back and realizing how good and perfect this album is eye opening. Good to see someone else seeing what I’m seeing.
this record took home some grammy awards and is tremendous work when i first heard this record i had similar reaction..like" what the heck is this? like the best thing i heard" every song on this record is up to the level ..carry on
This album is a hidden gem. It never got the attention it deserved and is likely unknown to most people today. But those of us who know, really know how great it is. Outstanding in every way. The lyricism, the composition, the production values. Totally genius. Listen to the entire album or you will never know how much incredible music you never got to hear. (no I am not biased at all...lol)
Hmm, it wasn't THAT unknown. Certified platinum in the US and UK. 2 popular hit singles and early MTV video favorite with New Frontier, and was nominated for 7 Grammys>Album of the Year, Nichols for Producer of the Year, Best Engineered Recording, IGY for Song of the Year etc. Didn't win, but stiil...someone was paying attention.😃 I know what you mean though, its so good you're amazed everyone doesn't have this in their collection and play it constantly.
Hmm. Certified platinum in the US and UK. 2 popular hit singles and early MTV video favorite, and was nominated for 7 Grammys>Album of the Year, Nichols for Producer of the Year, Best Engineered Recording, IGY for Song of the Year etc. Didn't win, but stiil...someone was paying attention.😃
Not too long ago, Steely Dan toured and Fagen included this album in the tour when they played a different album every night. It was great to see this done live. Probably the best thing he did under his name.
Y'all have had me listening to Steely Dan, Dukes Of September, Boz, Michael, and Donald individually....I have enjoyed hearing all again with a new appreciation.
Brilliant album. Been listening to The Nightfly regularly since it was released. Glad you’re hitting it. Great reactions fellas! You’ll have to listen to the whole thing 👍🏻
YES! My first CD ever purchased from Wherehouse records, remember that place or Tower records! Over 40 years later and this Donald Fagen first solo album is still my favorite go-to collection of the best music packed into one album. Thanks!!
It was an odd thing, over all those years I never owned a Steely Dan album even though I liked them but for some reason I bought 'The Nightfly' CD when it came out. I like his solo work more. Thanks for this reacting to this!
I see your other reactions to music I listen to also but none get me feeling better then when you react to Steely Dan and now Donald Fagen. Keep the reactions coming
So glad you've hit this one! There's not a bad track on this album. It came out in my 1st year of college and I've never stopped listening to it since. You are right on the money about how hard this all is to play. They loved the freedom that the rock-based musicians would play with in the studio, but they couldn't always hit the jazzy chord changes. And they loved how easily the jazz-based musicians could deal with their chord changes, but didn't always find that they could get with the more pop-oriented back-beat style of rhythm they loved. Luckily, they had a label that let them rotate guys in and out until they finally got the sound they wanted. As time went on and musicians knew about how they worked, they would come in to play the gig, but not even expect that they'd hear themselves on the album when it came out! I think it was Pete Christlieb who played sax on the track" FM" say later that for him it was just a recording gig like any other, and it surprised the hell out of him that he ended up hearing himself playing "in every airport bathroom" from then on!
Recording with Donald and/or Walter was not for the faint of heart. I love how Marcus Miller stepped up to the plate on this track and nailed the bass line, as well as on Maxine.
This was my very first DVD-Audio 5.1 disc (2002). Been hooked on them ever since. Not a lot of titles, and not all of them are first-rate, but those that are are wonderful!
You're gonna love this album - I believe it was the first all digitally recorded pop / rock album , taking full advantage sonically of what CD's were able to deliver back then . The sound is so clean / crystaline that it almost sounds artificial , triggering a slightly odd reaction in me whenever I listen to it - I bought the CD the day it was released . In spite of this 'oddity' , I love the work - a fun , brilliant listening experience . Enjoy the rest of it
2 of the first cds I bought when I got a CD player in the mid 80s were Nightfly and Security by Peter Gabriel, also all digital and recorded in 1982, also stunning sound.
@@kbrewski1 Did you ever watch the Making of Security video? It is really fascinating, (and made me think a future PG biopic should star Freddie Highmore as young Peter!) I love the scene in the junkyard!
Great pick guys but, don't forget about the musicians who played on this: Donald Fagen - lead vocals, synthesizers, piano, background vocals Frank Floyd, Zachary Sanders, Valerie Simpson - background vocals Jeff Porcaro - drums Marcus Miller - bass Michael Omartian - electric piano Rob Mounsey - synthesizers Rick Derringer, Hugh McCracken - guitars Larry Carlton - lead guitar ...Really, you can't get any higher than that with those guys playing on this track. Listening to this after a long time, it really made a tear rolled down my face and also made me happy to see young guys like you, appreciate such an amazing Award Winning Album such as The Nightfly. God bless you both and keep rocking. Carus Alambra 😀😀😀👍👍👍 PS .....Of course nowadays standards is Justin Bieber. I mean: Why can't they create a time machine so I could go back in 1982 right now?😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
FINALLY !! Fagen’s solo work is phenomenal !! So many greats but my fave might be What I Do off of the Morph the Cat lp. Can’t wait for ya’lls reaction to Mr. Fagens solo work !!
I've been trying to think of one word to describe Donald Fagen's and Steely Dan's work. That word is impeccable. Every note, every bit of mixing is perfect. It's impeccable.❤
LOL. Love seeing your reaction. When this album dropped, my mouth dropped as well. Check out the musicians and you will be impressed. Every cut on this album smokes! Oh ... Katy Lied is my favorite album by the Dan.
In a jazz appreciation class, the instructor got ahold of this album and was hooked. He said it was put together like a classic jazz album. He loved it.
