Again, like my other recent upload...just the clip discussing the fantastic accompaniment to the chorus of this song is not on here. Felt like I'd excerpt it from the documentary so that it can be easily found. Enjoy and relish!
When studio perfectionists like Fagen and Becker take the time to isolate someone's vocal harmonies for the sake of 'embarassment', that has to be one of the highest compliments ever.
That’s insane… *and* makes the song what it is… McDonald is so recognizable that his vocals charge into front and center for me. It’s great to hear these tracks isolated so we can truly appreciate what he and Donald/Walter accomplished.
I remember hearing this for the first time. It was 1977, I was 17. I had just bought the cassette and was giving it the test drive in my car. At dawn on Lower River road, where I went to drive fast and see what it took to make me lose my nerve, and crank the stereo as loud as it would go. When this part came on, I had to pull over. Never heard anything like it before. Soul/gospel…barbershop? At 17, there was no way any of that could sound cool to me but it did. Dug into the album credits as soon as I could and found out who Michael McDonald was. Bought “Katie Lied” soon after, also in the process figured out how McDonald caused the sea change of the Doobie bros at “fault line”. McDonald’s career was starting to go stellar by the time Aja came out, and his voice became ubiquitous at the end of the 70’s. He seems to have become a target for criticism in some circles, which, I don’t get. Consider the source I guess….
@@michellerjackson5776 true. Tons of comedians made fun of him including Jimmy Fallon. I loved the three Michael McDonald skit that they did with himself, Justin Timberlake, and of course the man himself Michael McDonald. I have to remember probably at four or five years old I guess I must’ve been hungry I said michael McDonald’s and my mother had to correct me and say no it’s Michael McDonald not Michael McDonald’s. As I look back on it, I thought it was hilarious for me to say michael McDonald’s at the time. This was the early 80s since I was born in 78.
He has been one of my FAVORITE MUSICIANS since I was 8 or nine. I was born in Gen X. Late 60's baby born to a studying Young Classical Pianist. M.M. has one of the BEST VOCALS ABILITIES EVER!!!! A REAL MUSICIAN AND VOCALIST! A GREAT OF ALL TIMES! There are NONE with his ability!
Truly one of the greatest vocals of all time, and Peg is certainly one of the greatest things to come out of the 1970s. Kinda perfectly distills the era for me, the whole Aja album, in fact. Utterly iconic.
Michael McDonald you are an AWESOME VOCALIST ! Fell in love with your vocals when I saw my very 1st Concert at Notre Dame in in South Bend In in the early 80"s.. I believe the Baby's opened for the Doobies. Love and many good times ahead for you. God bless you💞💖p
If anybody knows what it means 2 stack vocals...Michael does, only I'd wish Don & Walt coulda brought up his 'back to you' in the hook a bit more, the stack worked.... 🏆
I really am having a hard time matching his speaking voice with his singing voice. They sound COMPLETELY different, not alike at all. Peg is my most favorite song ever.
Becker and Fagan were a brilliant team and overall they appeared to get along quite well and enjoyed each others company -- there was a time you had to have the rock star looks, the rock star perfect hair, etc - but with them it was two nerds against the world - and they came out victorious - shame Walter passed away at a relatively young age - my mom is 96 and has all her marbles and is still breaking balls with the best of them - so its a crap shoot, ya' never know -- even super athletic, healthy eating folks keel over way before their time!
Fagen said he wanted Macdonald to be the permanent lead singer for Dan but was voted down. I love MM but Donald Fagen , although not the vocal talent of the powerhouse MM, has a voice that's unique and wonderfully special and is a major part of what made SD.
