Ron, these guys have such a vibe. Very jazzy. This wasn't one of their radio hits, per se. Their popular songs were " hey 19", "peg", " fm", " bad sneakers" many others including "reeling in the years". I prefer their deeper, jazzier cuts. Like this one. Thank you, Ron, for another great reaction, and for the shout out. Looking forward to more...
@rjjsreactions-rk7zh personally I like "kid Charlemagne ", "Babylon sister" and "aja", but all their radio hits like "peg" and " hey 19" or "fm" were bangers. "Reelin in the Years" , although popular, is my least favorite.
This song is full of NYC references. Rudy's is a bar in hell's kitchen. Greene st is down in SoHo. Fagan and becker were geniuses. Jazz musicians made up most of the studio musicians.
Welcome to the world and rabbit hole that is Steely Dan. IMO, SD is America's greatest band of the R&R/R&B era. When you listen to Steely Dan you should have the lyrics handy. Even the way they came upon their name is clever. So, let's start at the top. What is a Black Cow? It's basically a root beer float using Kahlua. The adult version however uses bourbon. Rudy's (Bar and Grill) still exists here in NYC on 9th ave between 44th and 45th. Then and now it is essentially a dive bar. In the 70's 42nd St was a hub for pro's and johns, and Rudy's was often where pro's, musicians, artists, and actors would mingle. On the bar when he sees her are her remedies (alcohol and drugs), and her book of numbers, so she was more a high priced pro. The pros also strolled from 26th and 11th ave to the Javits Center on 34th and 11th Ave down to 42nd, down to 7th Ave. There were many on the east side on Greene St from Houston to Spring St as well. He is a man who was hopelessly in love with a prostitute that cannot change her ways, and his many attempts to change her have proven fruitless. This is now perhaps his goodbye to her. My favorites by them are "Kid Charlemagne", "Aja", "Deacon Blues", the entire "Aja" album, "Hey Nineteen", "Peg", “The Fez”, “Green Earrings”, "Do It Again", "Reelin' In The Years", "Babylon Sisters", "Dirty Work", "Rikki Don't Lose That Number", "Don't Take Me Alive", "My Old School", "Any Major Dude Will Tell You", and "Doctor WU. There are more because there's really no bad Steely Dan song. You will find that SD is a band that likes to tell stories from a collection of losers, malcontents, disenfranchised, and societal outcasts...and the musicianship and the production level is always at a very high level. Try "Peg" next and go from there.
Hi! Thank you for all the information. I am just seeing your message now. Most times messages pop into my e-mail, but now and again, they seem to get lost. When someone sends a new message, I scroll down and that's how I found your missing message! I have printed the message for future reference. Thank you, again, and have an amazing day. 🙂
You should be begging for Steely Dan suggestions 😋 What a band!! I find it amazing that so many people don't know. Their run of brilliant LPs up to Fagen's Nightfly from 1972 onwards, with nary a mediocre song. The LP this is on; Aja is unimpeachably top platinum tier. It's not generally my favourite. Do more if you want - the title track Aja should turn you into a fan, if this one hasn't already.
Thank you for commenting. Unfortunately, some messages seem to get lost in RU-vid or my e-mail for some reason. Most do come into my mail, but there are escapees - lol. More Steely Dan to come. 🙂
