I'm also going to vote up "FM - No static at all" as the next one to go for.. you can't believe how much of a difference that made to our listening experience...
"Skate a little lower now" Yes roller skating rinks were still a thing back in the 70s and 80s and you better believe this one got a lot of play there. Perfect groove for it.
There's some irony about two guys in 2021 listening to a song about a guy feeling nothing in common and too old for a 19-year-old girl in 1981 who doesn't even know who Aretha Franklin is.
Our hero, Don, writes about being over the hill, here. He was only 32-ish. We older guys can relate to the sweet young thing not knowing our musical heroes. Facts of life.
Moody Blues has somehow fallen in the cracks They deserve another listen soon because they have some gems and a unique sound - "The Story In Your Eyes," "Ride My See-Saw," "Gypsy," "Tuesday Afternoon," "The Question," etc.
I love that the beginning of the song was about a young person not knowing about earlier music and it makes the singer feel old, just like the comments you were talking about in the beginning of your review. I guess some things never change.
I was in a Music store picking up guitar strings about 6 years ago. Started to talking to a young couple. Somehow in the conversation REM came up and they had never heard of REM/ Kind of blew my mind.
Consider IGY from Donald Fagan's first solo album. An incredibly hook-laden, catchy, warm, upbeat song. The lyrics are dripping with sarcasm about a naive optimism about the future of the U.S. and the world in the late 1950s. A must listen.
I love IGY (International Geophysical Year). This and other songs on that album about what it felt to be alive in the late 1950's. I really dont think it is sarcastic-it is descriptive about the understandable hope of those times, recalled from a time when we know history. The IGY involved cooperation between the US and the USSR for the first time after years of a cold war-great reason for hope.
Babylon Sisters is one of the best songs theyve ever made and its on this album, with a killer groove and amazing backing vocals. Your next Steely Dan album should be The Royal Scam.
Another great song that starts w/ a solo is "House of Broken Love" by Great White. It starts with one, has one in the middle, and ends w/ one, and they're _ALL_ kick-ass.
"Dirty Work", "Show Biz Kids", "Rose Darling", "Daddy Don't Live In NYC No More", just so many more to go. I don't like Gaucho that much, but I don't think they've hit a single song from Katy Lied.
Props to you guys for listening to all this great music. So many from the post-boomer generations don't even bother. You guys are discovering the best music ever that we boomers listened to all our lives - it was everywhere on the radio. Every time you turned on the radio there is was. So thanks for exposing the post-boomers to it.
Born In early 70's...i got to experience all this wonderful music. I am thrilled you guys are seeking out and enjoying this music. You, Mr. Video and Jamal aka Jamel are just adorable to watch!
FM changed my world-both the Steely Dan song and actual access to FM radio. A Steely Dan song that's not mentioned much but that always punches me in the soul is "Charlie Freak". I second "Don't Take Me Alive". Your enjoyment and nuanced appreciation of music so many of us have loved for decades is a new joy in my life!
Andy and Alex both in their own "Lost in the Sauce" worlds during "Hey Nineteen". 🐈 Andy seems to be "rocking" to the song, and Alex was off into another world. Btw, gents, I'm SO GLAD you'll get a chance to check the band out! Cheers! 😺
Do it Again and Dirty Work are my top two SD songs hope you get around to Dirty Work now that you've done all the other big ones I can think of. Also hope you hit Beast of Burden by The Rolling Stones much love keep on guys.
I think it's time you guys hit Kansas again. They've got a goldmine of prog classics, and I think an essential song you need to hear at least 1 time in your life is "The Wall".
@@tmznt Really too many songs to get to. Such a great catalog, for most people i just tell them to do themselves a favor and just listen to their first 6 albums, saves them the trouble of having to choose a single song haha
I'm so glad you guys listened to this. Spoiler alert: someday YOU'LL be talking to a 19 year-old about your favorite music, and she'll look at YOU like you're a dinosaur! 🙂
Steely Dan was, is and always will be one of my top 5 favorite bands. Love their style, I don't know anyone that doesn't love them that grew up in the 60's and 70's
No Static At All would be a good groove… And yes, definitely see them in concert! Give us a review, but go in as fans and not with an official capacity/mindset. Just fully immerse yourself into the experience!
Yep, the melodica. Clapton has a live version of Wonderful Tonight (on RU-vid) that has an absolutely beautiful melodica solo in the back instrumental part of the song. Just spectacular.
Steely Dan are masters at making "complicated" songs seem not complicated. I believe it's mostly in the mixing and engineering that the real magic happens. Their studio work is legendary.
That is the best freaking analysis that I have heard. The “juggling” of the parts is a great way to describe what’s going on in the song. The guitar elements and the way they are inserted into the groove is genius!
Like I've said before, but you guys will be old and grey before you get through all the songs on the Steely Dan play list. The import is not necessarily the order, but that you get through it all. With that being said, Pretzel Logic. Hatian Divorce, Time Out of Mind, Chain Lightning, Glamour Profession, Any Major Dude and FM are just the tip of the iceberg. The guitar work on FM (so David Gilmouresque), Chain and Pretzel are off the charts, seriously.
I've seen Steely Dan in concert three times and have never been disappointed. You should definitely check them out if you have a chance. Love your stuff!
You know, if you picked a day -- call it Dan Day maybe -- you could go through the entire catalogue and make a lot of people happy (yourselves included!) for the next year and a half at least. Oh, and, toxic fans be damned! Carry on gentlemen!
Showbiz Kids and Time Out of Mind are my favorites. Both got heavy airplay when released for about a week when released, then just disappeared. But stuck with me forever.
DO NOT MISS Steely Dan live! No joke. I have attended over 50 live shows in my life and this band is in my top 5. Since I am over 60 years old, I was lucky enough to see the Best. Just as an example, 1st live show was Led Zeppelin. 1977 Minneapolis MN. You will both be treated to a Rare Concert Experience.
"Don't Take Me Alive " ( you'll probably love the opening guitar solo - its a playlist song ) and " King of the World " ( very underrated gem that will hook you right away )
“Here at the Western World” is a track they released on their greatest hits album Steely Dan Gold. When it came out, I had to buy it just for that song! Lyrically it is one of their best songs, and I can listen to it over and over on repeat for longer than one should be able to listen to a single song 😂
I don't think you have done Caves of Altamira yet. But my favorite is Show Biz Kids. Especially if you are going to a concert, because they got the Steely Dan t-shirts.
thanks guys. I so totally look forward to you when you're dropping something for us. and for me personally, talking about the cuervo gold and fine Colombian, what a flashback!!!
I actually think you know a lot more about music than this boomer -- at least as far as how music is put together. Your analysis is always interesting and enlightening.
ooooh this brings me back - little 8 year old me bopping around the skating rink to these gorgeous tunes (it took about 8 more years to understand what Cuervo Gold was :))
I’m a huge Steely Dan fan, but Hey Nineteen is not one of my favorites. If you haven’t heard it yet, arguably the best cut off the Aja album is Black Cow ( and the title track of course). But you should check out some tunes from earlier albums. One of the biggest bangers is called Boston Rag and it’s off their second album, Countdown to Ecstasy. Killer guitar solo!
At the end of this video Andy mentions they listened to the Aja album in their patreon, and most of the songs individually on different reactions. You should watch to the end to see their Steely Dan reactions list!
One of my SD faves, and there's sooo many of them! Irresistibly in-the-pocket groovy, shiny clean mirror clear, and such masterfully delicate melodic interplay between keys and guitar.
My favorite Dan song. The groove and the message. I was nineteen when this was released., I understand the message much more clearly today, the Cuervo Gold the fine Columbian…lol FM BLACK COW
The "harmonica synth" is actually exactly that, a synth programmed to sound like a harmonica. One of Donald Fagen's signature sounds. Also, you nailed it about the drum sound, afaik they combined real drums with a primitive drum machine/sampler ("Wendel") on this album
Nothing better than working at a conference August 2008 in Lake Tahoe, NV and the evenings Concierge Suite with a balcony and many available cocktails, was right above and over looking an outdoor venue with Steely Dan playing. We heard the entire concert and it was amazing. Nice perk!! Great reaction!!
Pulp Fiction? "Summer of Soul, now atreaming on Hulu(Questlove directed) opening with a very young Stevie Wonder. Closing with Sly and Family killing it!!! This film will win an,Oscar for best documentary!!
Of course, and rightly, so. Best thing dug up, in a long while. That Mahalia Jackson, and Mavis Staples, have anybody not weak in the knees? Powerful. Historic. Treasure.
The snare was generated by the very first drum computer called Wendel - built by SD engineer Roger Nichols (RIP). The solo instrument Fagen plays is not a synth, it’s called a melodium - very small analog keyboard.
When you don't tour ('74-'81) you can focus on the music, production and assembling the perfect people to play on it. Donald Fagen - electric piano, synthesizer (solo), vocals