I'm forever complaining about how music documentaries are almost never about the music, so the massive detail and technicality in these clips is just glorious
I know all this stuff; I just can't write songs. I guess I just lack practice analyzing all the music I hear by ear. I guess I spend too much time just enjoying the sounds emotionally, not mentally. This was fantastic. Being a serious guitar or keyboard player really does help your analytical and composition skills.
We are truly privelidged to witness this genius at work, especially the overhead camera showing the hands of the maestro, wonderful stuff, thanks for posting
Over 300+ years of the same 85-88 keys on the "pianoforte" yet the unique compilations and grace note nuances of a multitude of players still keep us coming back for more. My teenage fandom of SD compositions has evolved as a musician to great respect for the unassuming riches in the textures of this music.
Donald is one of the few song writers over the last 40 yrs or so (Brian Wilson and Burt Bacharach being the others) who can articulate exactly what he's doing. He's like a chef talking about the ingredients in his cake.
Watch Paul Simon basically composing Still Crazy After All These Years live on the Dick Cavett show and talking about the chord progression choices as he goes.
How well I remember the time when musicians in Toronto, my hometown, would simply hang out and listen to Steely Dan records. The genius lies in the rich musical complexity of the music and its accessibility at the same time. That kind of songwriting ability is a rare gift.
His name is Warren Bernhardt who has been steely Dan's musical director on several of their tours over the years. Warren is also an accomplished pianist who was a personal friend of the late Bill Evans.
Just discovered Little Feet a few years ago, and man Bill Evans was a monster! I always wondered who this guy was with Fagen here. Thanks for the info!
I never cease to be amazed by Donald Fagen's genius. He and Becker gave so many wonderful classics that were light years ahead of our time. It's really great to see and hear him in person discussing his creation, Peg.
Quite frankly, if you value the overall Steely Dan contribution to music as I do, and you study music theory as a hobby, this is somewhat of a Rosetta Stone to the underlying mechanism of their genius.
This is wonderful. Peg is my favorite song by Steely Dan. So great to hear Donald talk about the technical aspect of it, and he and Warren did such a great job playing it at the end. I've never heard it with just keys. I love the acoustic and electric piano sounds together. Fantastic.
@Talkin Bout Nawlins Dear idiot, "from the Steely Dan biography by Brian Sweet (page 118): "Despite the fact that Larry Carlton's solo [for Peg] was one of those rejected, he later borrowed the opening chords to 'Peg' for his own composition, 'Room 335' and when playing this song live would introduce it by saying, "This is the tune that I stole from Steely Dan." In fact Carlton hadn't stolen it, but had obtained Becker and Fagen's permission to use their chords beforehand."
@Talkin Bout Nawlins You can actually look up videos of Larry Carlton introducing Room 335 with that story here on RU-vid, but continue to be an idiot, I guess.
on~top of everything ELSE, Donald's generous-enough to `accompany' his guests who just want to bathe in the warm glow for a few minutes. What a guy...what a wizard...
This is pretty much the only music lesson I’ll ever need. Seeing a real genius at work, he giving away the secrets that make steely dan so unique in music.
I'd love to know what pioneers like Gershwin and Cole Porter would have thought of Steely Dan. Even though it's modern, the songs still have the sensibility and complexity of the old school.
Dude you are right - the style is unique and laudable and the greats would most definitely have agreed but it would be interesting to hear their perspective - on the other hand the comments here can come close - I can't wait to turn some of my piano playing friends onto this...
Right on Knucklehead...and Michael Cullen. I personally think the "greats" are looking down and appreciating the fact, their legacy and mastery is being upheld by modern-day artists, such as Fagen and Becker. What concerns me, especially after reading the "negative" replies on this string...Becker is gone, guys like Fagen aren't too far behind....when guys like this are gone, whose gonna carry the torch? I don't see any prospects...certainly not the Justin Beeber's of the world!
good point, I have often wondered how the "masters" in whatever genre, what would they think of all the music we have now? Joe Bonamassa been my fav for past few years..
A rare treat in the universe to be privy to the inner workings of how one of the best song was arranged. Steely Dan will always be the best and years later that title still holds true. 💙
This just makes me so happy to watch! So enthralled by his (and the great Walter Brecker’s...R.I.P❤️) brilliance. A great breakdown of musical IQ constructed into work of art. Still one of my favorite songs ever written. That’s saying something👌🏾🥰
Just what I wanted and just the way l hoped it would be. This song forever changed... No, this album (Aja) forever changed what I thought great popular music could be. "Smart music". I became hooked. I started hearing studio musicians and recognizing their sounds and I started recognizing music producers. My interests shifted from radio rock (which I still love today) to knowing your guys like Skunk and Michael or the very deep pool of talent Frank Zappa drew from like Billy Cobham or jean luc ponte or another exceptional artist like lowell george (RIP) and so many more. My own music changed by picking up licks from talent I had no idea existed. All in the early to mid 70s and your band was in the center. Just great music I will always love! Thanks guys (and especially you Donald, I have only rarely if even ever seen you in this element)👍
D.A.: For real---I'm snapping my fingers to them both playing this---this was the very first Steely Dan song I ever heard back in their heyday, so I've always liked it, just about. I actually heard a remix of "Peg" one night in 2004 or so, on a pop music station during their Saturday night dance music show. Not hard to see why De La Soul sampled it for one of their own hits.
I've all but given up on guitar solos to concentrate on chords. DF is the latest in a long line of great songwriters, and it's he who gives me the inspiration to continue in this direction.
Casually recreating a masterpiece with such ease and elan is both depressing and uplifting. Thank god this music was captured on tape. Thank god this guy here will demonstrate for our viewing pleasure. Thank the devil for rock'n roll.
love both the conversation about the structure of the song as well as how we get the birds' eye view so we can see for ourselves (big treat for me as I'm a strictly play-by-sight guy). what a hidden gem of a video this was for me, extremely grateful to them for doing it and you for posting
In awe at the sheer genius of musicianship, production, recording, arranging that went into the making of the sublime “Aja”. No other contemporaries come close. A once in a lifetime phenomenon
Hearing Donald explain the structure of his music is like hearing Matisse talk about one of his paintings and why he used 'this' or 'that' color. Donald should sit down with a videographer and document every song that he and Walter did so that future generations can enjoy the process of the making of their wonderful music.
Velvet-Starship-NOW I can tell you know very little about Prince. The guy is an absolute musical genius. Most musicians worth their salt agree wholeheartedly.
I guess you can tell I worked with his original manager in the early '80s, and know several musicians who worked for "The Great Gazoo", back then, too. Can you tell that I know you're nothing but a clueless consumer, bedazzled by the hype, and the record label myth (because that was what the old label system was good for: making the product resemble a "genius")? Can you tell that I know that The Great Gazoo wasn't the sole author of several hits he takes credit for? Bonus question: Have you ever visited Moon Sound, where they used to (maybe they still do) display, prominently, the photo of The Great Gazoo that was taken before he started lightening his skin...? At least he was smarter than MJ and didn't take *that* too far...
Velvet-Starship-NOW It's even more obvious now how little you know. Just because I've never physically been to Chris Moon's studio doesn't mean I'm a 'clueless consumer'. I'm far from it. Prince is absolutely a genius and no one can take that away from him. I know perfectly well that Prince didn't pen every single song on his earlier albums. Moon himself probably pushed for Prince to take sole credit because that's the image they wanted to market him with; another Stevie Wonder, writing producing and performing everything. To be honest, he was only kid around at this time and I've never called his earliest work 'genius'. From 1980 to 1988 however his work is utterly incredible. Purple Rain, Sign O The Times, Dirty Mind, 1999 are unquestionably works of a genius.
Can you imagine the anxiety a new studio musician felt when Fagen runs through the chords the first time. "ok it goes like this" (music) "...well what do you think?" (the the sound of studio door slamming shut). It's almost like he was looking for the most complex chords, and then figured out how to make them friendly to the popular music listener. Pure genius. Can't wait until his/their next album.
Luckily they weren’t so stringent all the time. In fact on Peg they asked the bassist to play the chorus straight with no slapping. Instead he snuck some slapping in by turning his body so they couldn’t see his fingers. Once they heard the recording Fagen and Warren liked it despite their original written part. That’s the sign of good leadership and musical genius imo.
A maestro his chord structure is unique only to him its his musical DNA identity. A musical genius of a 70s generation that will definitely influence future generations. Thanks Donald for the great musical memories of my lifetime!
I have been fulfilled. I heard Peg when it first came out on the radio. In my top ten songs of all time. The album is on the top ten as well. All of Donalds music is top class.
Best bit is when Donald and Walt talk about how difficult it was to get the guitar solo that nailed it till Jay Graydon arrived on the scene. If you look at the list of famous guitarists performing on "Aja", that is quite amazing!
The classic albums doc of Aja actually has an instrumental live in the studio version of Peg with Becker, Fagan, Chuck Rainie, Purdy on drums, and a few other players. It’s wonderful. Also has a version of another song from Aja I just can’t remember which one right now.
As an observer, not a musician, I am just amazed at how much thinking and planning went into the creation of the music that lives inside of this song. Powerful stuff!!!
Billy, I understand what you are saying...and yes, I'd agree to an extent, it is much easier to look back "after the fact" and say "we did this and that"...but, Tom McGarrity is dead-on with his comments...Fagen and Becker worked EACH instrument and vocal to this level of detail...took MONTHS of studio time to perfect it. Listen to interviews of musicians who performed with them, like Jeff "Skunk" Baxter. They don't like to "break bad" on Fagen and Becker, and typically skirt around the questions, but, I am sure it was a test of "wills" at certain points. It probably also explains the revolving door of musicians as well...however, it was what kept the music Steely Dan created fresh and different, and, I think I can say, that is one of the things I appreciated and why I was such a fan from the beginning, still am. And, you look at the talent Becker and Fagen brought in for recordings...of all types, drummers, guitar, vocals, I don't think there is another group out there who has worked with so many hugely talented, successful musicians...let alone, to look at the production qualities. It's truly "one of a kind".
tom mcgarrity When you are in a place where you’ve learned a lot about harmony, the sheer number of choices becomes daunting. Part of the genius is he making those choices from the huge number available. That’s where artistry comes in. To Call it organic is to oversimplify a very intense thought process. I just thank God that there have been a few people in popular music who bothered to learn the stuff.
Brilliant to watch him just go over how the song was built up. There's a similar documentary of Fagan and Becker discussing the whole "Aja" album, and their section on this song (along with the musicians who made it) is wonderful. True masters make it seem effortless.
These two videos about Peg offer wonderful insight into the Steely Dan musical process, how they tweak standard harmonic conventions like the basic blues, to create something we haven't heard before. This vid also reveals Fagen's best skill, which is as a composer. A great improviser he's not. But that's ok, he hires the best people to improvise on the great tunes he and Becker write. Works out just fine.
Part of this man's genius is .....patients and perfection. It's hard to get that sound in your head on tape. But this man ....doesn't give up til....mission accomplished.even when it's years. Genius.
I'm only 15, and I love Steely Dan. I also love Queen and the Beatles and Rush and so many more fantastic bands. My peers influence me, but I also influence my peers.
I float back to this video every few months. The interplay of how you both know the theory to come up with the magic. Hope there are others who’ll teach me in the future.
Of the chorus, Fagen says "It kind of takes you out of the groove that's been happening... it's based on a... strange grouping of notes..." In other words, "This is just me being effing BRILLIANT."
Growing up I wanted to be Hetfield, or Hanneman, and not to shit on their legacies, but my Tastes have changed immensely. When I first heard Steely Dan I thought they sounded somewhat goofy and devoid of aggression. I couldn’t digest their music with one listen. Now I find myself wanting to be Donald Fagen, with a volume of musical knowledge that takes multiple listens to understand, or grasp what is happening in the realm of pop rock music. Just beautiful work from the man, and great work to sus out what made this tune so fantastic. Steely Dan is the greatest band I’ve had the pleasure of listening to and probably always will be.
