@AirplayBeats reacts to Steely Dan’s Reelin In The Years Like comment and subscribe Join our Patreon for exclusive videos and to get your requests done faster: patreon.com/user?u=81569817
"You've been telling me you're a genius since you were seventeen In all the time I've known you I still don't know what you mean" this may be the best lyric in rock
Thank you! It's been one of my personal favs, for many years. Another is Zappa's, from Wonderful Wino - I went to the country and while I was gone, I lost control of my body functions on a roller-headed lady's front lawn. Lyrics used to be major. I notice that most young reviewers like to nod their heads first and listen to the words either later, or not at all. Years of mainly meaningless lyrics effect, I suspect.
Another classic Dan tune! Jimmy Page has said that the guitar solo by Elliot Randall is his favorite rock solo. Elliot Randall did some other killer solos for Steely Dan (and other artists) over the years. I had done a Facebook friend request to Elliot Randall a few years ago without realizing he was at the maximum number of friends. Instead of simply ignoring the request from the dummy who couldn't read numbers, he sent me a personal message apologizing that he couldn't accept the request because he was already at the max # of friends, but that he was starting a fan page where an unlimited amount of people could join....that seemed pretty down-to-earth and nice to me.
@@jhamler1 I can tell you that Page called Randall’s solo a “12 out of 10.” There’s a video on YT of Page saying this. I don’t know if that makes it his favorite solo but he sure does like it.
Ok, I'm going to give you guys a little advice, if you don't mind. Instead of doing Gaucho next, hold off on that for a while and do their 2nd album, Countdown to Ecstasy, released in 1973. The reason I make this suggestion is that as a musician, (I made my living playing for many years) and as yourself, producers, it is really fun and interesting, especially if you are new to the Dan, to listen to their albums in chronological order rather than jumping around with them. By listening to them in order you really get to see and hear the progression and the growth in the maturity of their songwriting and arrangements as they progress from on album to the next. It's almost like a master-class in the growth of a songwriter and arranger from one album to another in their career. I know I'm just one voice, but I hope you do give this approach consideration. I promise you will not regret the journey. Thanks for letting an old guitar player share his opinion with you. ... by the way, you guys are doing a fantastic job!
Me too. Gaucho isn't as strong an album as Aja, and the early albums had more impact in their time. Also, when a new Steely Dan appeared, I expected terrific guitar work, and the later albums diminished that.
Yeah, I heard this on WQAM in Miami in '72, when i was 10, and the Guitar Blew My Mind. This song is why I started playing Guitar, and Steve Howe, from YES, is why I never gave up.
Hey guys from Ned in Spain again. An incredible song with a finger bustin solo, Jimmy Page's favorite BTW by hired gun Elliott Randall. The SD guitarists took a whack at a solo but couldn't quite make the magic. Randall came in and blew this out in ONE TAKE. That killin bass is by the awesome tasty Walter Becker, RIP. Jim Hodder was the original drummer and sang some too. For a 1st album this had some big singles, Do It Again, Reelin in the Years, Dirty Work, Midnight Cruiser were all over the radio when I was a kid in 1972
@@AirplayBeats Right back at you fellas. I see a lot of reactions and you guys have a great approach or way of listening to new things. Keep it up and I'll keep in touch.
This song was an FM radio hit when new, played in "heavy rotation". Working night stock at Kroger, we put the radio on the store's speakers LOUD! This song played about once every hour. Never got old. Thanks
It's an altered blues shuffle. Jim Hodder was the drummer on the first two Steely Dan albums. Jim Gordon and Jeff Porcaro on Pretzel Logic. Jeff Porcaro on Katy Lied. Purdie and Rick Marotta on Royal Scam. Multiple drummers on Aja, Gaucho, Two Against Nature. Keith Carlock on Everything Must Go. The singles: Do it Again, Reelin' in the Years, Dirty Work.
This was their first big radio hit. All over AM radio in 1973, and played ever since. A more straight ahead guitar rock song, with that iconic guitar solo. Remember this was the original real 6 man band. Jim Hodder on drums, although the iconic guitar solos were done by a session player, Elliott Randall. I for years thought it was Jeff Skunk Baxter. Hit #11 on Billboard 100 in 1973. Do it Again, the lead off song was the other big hit, Dirty Work a minor hit. This album obviously not as jazzy or horn driven as what would come. They started out more as a traditional rock band, then slowly moved toward jazz and funk. But they always had those witty sardonic lyrics from Fagen and Becker as you noted, which immediately set them apart. I think there is a YT video with them playing Reelin live on Midnight Special, you guys would get a kick out of that. When they started playing live again in 1993, they jazzed up and slowed down this song a bit. Obviously to hear this live after 2 decades was very nostalgic for those of us who were now 30 somethings!! The 2nd album, COUNTDOWN TO ECSTASY, is a significant step forward imo, after Gaucho, PLEASE do the WHOLE Countdown album in order. Its a gem.
I heard this one a lot growing up and I always loved how catchy it was and of course the guitar work in it is fantastic. I don't know how he does it but he perfectly blends jazz and rock and country for a unique Steely Dan sound and it's wonderful. The lyrics are written as a one-sided dialogue and it feels so real and the writing is just so damn good. Just in case you haven't heard this before, I remember on the playground as a kid and Steely Dan would come up and people would always say that the band was named after a dildo. I'm not sure I really believed that until I got older and it turns out that is exactly the case, laugh.
I remember buying this album in 1973 right after it first came out and thought wow this is different but in the best way and I still have the album to this day if I’m not mistaken Do It Again and Reeling In The Years were the singles released on both AM and FM radio but I also remember the song Dirty Work got a lot of radio play but mostly on FM radio or maybe just FM it’s always amazed how their music evolved over the years the genius of Fagan and Becker is nothing short of a work of art
It's Jim Hodder, the original drummer in the band, playing a shuffle beat with ghost notes. Hodder left the group after their 3rd album in 1974. Becker & Fagen had already started bringing in studio drummers on many of the tracks on that 3rd album, Pretzel Logic.
Again if you listen to Fagen's interview with Paul Schaeffer, he explains the early stuff was written for mass appeal, not necessarily the music he and Walter had in their pocket and wanted to do, but you do what you gotta do to get it going. You can see their progression with the release of their music through the years as they gained more control and say
In case nobody mentioned it, the title of the album Can’t Buy A Thrill comes from a line in the Bob Dylan song “It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry”
The only singles were Reelin' in the Years (#11) and Do It Again (a B-side that went to #6). But other songs were hugely popular on AOR (album-oriented radio) stations, and have sold a ton over the years (like Dirty Work).
Every family-vacation mixtape that my mom made always had to have this song on it at my dad's request. Never a bad song to listen to while tearing ass town the highway loaded into the family Volvo.
@@AirplayBeats That's hilarious. We had a 1988 navy blue Volva 740. Great memories and trips in that thing. And I'm Really enjoying the reactions. Very thoughtful and interesting takes on the Floyd but on other groups as well. Keep 'em coming.
Fun fact: The name Steely Dan is borrowed from William S. Burrough's controversial 1959 novel "Naked Lunch". It refers to a series of steam-powered strapon dildos (Steely Dan I, II & III from Yokohama) used by the female protagonist in a chapter entitled "A.J.'s Annual Party".
Great exploration of Steely Dan and there is so much more wonderful music to find: albums Pretzel Logic, Katy Lied- songs Any Major Dude, Charlie Freak, Doctor Wu, Your Gold Teeth.
Love this song it’s a clash of rock and swing….. I played the drums in a community stage band and we did a lot of big band. I love the drums in this one. 7:09 the drumming is an offshoot of classic swing style with a syncopated triplet
While I'm a major SD fan, this (and 'Dirty Work') is one of the few SD songs they play on FM classic rock station, and they play each about 4-5 times a day!
In the early years, they were required by contract to write POP ROCK songs. Later they got to come out with music they liked. Jazz, Jazz Fusion, R&B, etc.
I thoroughly enjoy your reactions. I can feel the love that you have for music and for each other as brothers! I like how you break down the each element of the song. I’m curious if you are familiar with Van Morrison? I’d love to see you react to his music. My top 5 songs of his are: “Into The Mystic” “Tupelo Honey” “It Stoned Me” “Moondance” “Crazy Love” Van’s voice is an instrument in its self. Plus he’s one of the greatest songwriters to ever do it. Please give him a reaction or two. Thanks!
Denny Diaz put an ad in the the newspaper back in the day looking for musicians it read "must have jazz chops..No A**hles !"...So Fagan and Becker answer the ad and went out to Long Island and took over Dennys band..lol...The rest is history..
This was SD's first big radio hit. It was allover AM radio. When the under ground FM stations started picked up on the deep album cuts, they really took off.
I am world renowned for my air guitar on this song. I rock it every time. I think you guys are getting a great example of how diverse the sounds of these bands were back in the day. They could not be pigeonholed for style. I would like to agree with the person that suggested holding off on Gaucho & teeing up Countdown To Ecstasy. It was their 2nd album & really should be heard before jumping so far ahead.
At the start they were guitar heavy with Denny Dias and Jeff (Skunk) Baxter. Walter Becker was on bass. When they decided to stop touring and become a studio band the guitar players left. Walter moved to guitar and they started to use session musicians as their sound evolved.
You guys should do Donald Fagan's solo album "The Nightfly" - one of the earliest fully digital recordings. From Sound on Sound magazine :The Nightfly was "for years a popular demonstration record in hi-fi stores across the globe." You won't be dissappointed.
In my 45 years in the local Atlanta scene I’ve only met maybe 5 guitarists that could pull this off well. Have heard a bunch of bands try, but rarely hear it done right. And your second guitarist can’t be a slouch either. Cool rhythm guitar part that has to pull harmony on that quick hook riff.
Have a little fun and look up Skunk Baxter and see his story plus watch him at the 2016 music award show play the Dan whom he was a part of in the beginning. Reeling in the years was on American Bandstand in the 70s early
Everybody can understand where to find two and four that’s why I so much popular music is simplify like that you make it easy for everybody understand then everybody can consume it. Other music which doesn’t do simple rhyming, but those complex rhyming schemes complex meter is hard to understand for the masses. Therefore less palatable. Just like in food, some people are happy with white bread and baloney and there’s nothing wrong with it because it taste good, but some people go for gourmet food . A lot of people that have the pallet for white bread and bologna might think that a five star restaurant gourmet food taste bad and that’s because their taste buds in their sensibilities can’t understand it is the same thing with music . When I was a kid, my musical tastes were a lot more white bread and bologna and therefore I never liked Steely Dan. They were too complicated for me, but as I got older, they slowly became one of my very favorite bands. They never changed I just matured. Don’t get me wrong I still love my white bread and bologna bands that I grew up on lol but I also like gourmet music lol And just to be clear I was in no way saying that you guys didn’t understand the music I don’t want any misunderstandings you know how texting lacks emotion and facial expression, etc. I think you guys are great !
You guys should react to the live version of Reelin' in the Years off the Live in America album from about 1995 as a contrast to the studio album. It's a totally different arrangement- way more jazzy feel to it. I love both versions.
I sang this in cover bands for years, and it took me a while for the cadence of his vocals to settle in and become auto. He’s stuffing a lot of syllables into a small amount of space, with a balance of rhythmic and a-rhythmic. That was a process that took many performances and years to get comfortable with.
Guys I love the channel and your knowledge of the music and the production aspect is entertaining to watch but your appreciation for the music is very cool. Thanks for your time.
Before you move on to Gaucho, a must do is Pretzel Logic song from the Album of the same name 1974....oh yeah!(you'll understand when you hear...lol) very bluesy! Doing a great job gentlemen!
You fellas are doing God's work and so I wanna know what you think of Baby Huey. HARD TIMES. It's an R&B song from the early Seventies but for some reason I think it's a banger that nobody knows about anymore. Anyway, cheers!
The solo guitarist Elliot Randal - says he did it in two takes only because the Engineer forgot to hit record on Take 1. Everyone in the band says Take 1 was better and even more natural sounding ... Insanity ...
Just a request that I think you will love. A group that's been around a long time. From the UK Down to the Bone. They are R&B, Funk and Jazz. A great representation of that is a cut titled Black Choice. You owe it to yourself to react to this. As always I appreciate your reactions.
There's another Doobie Brothers connection besides Michael McDonald .the guitar on this is by Jeff ""Skunk "Baxter who is on their first two albums then was a Doobie Brother
Not only is frank one of the greatest guitarists but also the Mothers guitarist Steve Vai, and drummer Terry Bozio, who has the largest set I've ever seen. Ever....
There's a video on YT of the band performing this on "The Midnight Special": while Elliot Randall isn't present, it's an opportunity to see "SD 1.0", when they were an intact unit. There's not much "rock star" charisma going on, but there's plenty of talent on display - including the rarely-seen band where every member is contributing vocals (and the sadly less-rare '60-'70s video director who doesn't know which instrument should be getting camera time, at a given moment).
I was pretty sure that you had heard this song before. Unless you were living off the grid. Great song from a great debut album. Another, albeit different jam coming up. Still riding shotgun on this journey, and enjoying the double down on SD albums.
