Steely Dan: "Steely Dan's name has been popping up as a hip musical crush. Remember, this glossy bop-pop was the indifferent aristocracy to punk rock's stone-throwing in the late 70's. People fought

I'm serious -- half the time all I want to listen to is "glossy bop-pop."

I was gonna write a review for this on the Rock Discipline thread. Maybe I still will...

At work we have this really crappy radio station that plays nonstop; New York's "chill"-- whatever that's supposed to mean; but they play Deacon's Blues every once in a while and it's hugely refreshing.

That is all.

I find it doesn't really affect my enjoyment of the album--like nate said, they're still great songs.

-- Matos-Webster Dictionary (michaelangelomato...) (webmail), March 2nd, 2005 8:29 PM. (M Matos) (link)

haha!

in dave marsh's heart of rock and soul or whatever it's called, he reviews A RECORD ON WHICH DONALD FAGEN IS SINGING and writes something like "boy, this palmer guy sucks--he's no donald fagen!"

My sister said that some people can be really blind yet they believe they can see. Is this true?

Yours sincerely

Caitlin 

***

Dear Caitlin

It's true, though it's a very rare condition.

If a person is blind, of course they can't really see. But there is a part of the visual system in the brain that can make up pictures that aren't really there...like when you imagine things or dream.

There's another part of the brain that gives you a feeling that what you are experiencing or thinking is real, or true. If these two parts of the brain don't work together properly (which is very unusual) then you can believe you are seeing things when, physically, you aren't.

If a blind person has this problem then they will 'see' what they expect to see.

For instance, if they are in their living room they think they can see the lounge suite, the coffee table, the TV, etc. But it doesn't feel to them like they are imagining it. They really believe it. They can't help it. No amount of arguing about it with them will convince them, even if they make mistakes.

For instance, someone might have moved the coffee table and the blind person walks into it. They wouldn't think that they hadn't seen it. Instead they would make up (and believe) an excuse. 'I just kicked that coffee table to see if it was made properly. You can't be too sure about the quality of workmanship these days.'

There is a famous case of a woman who wasn't blind but who had a similar problem with the part of her brain to do with location. No matter where she was she always believed she was in her own home. Once she was taken to hospital for some tests. While she was waiting in the foyer she looked at the row of shiny stainless steel elevator doors in front of her. She was most upset. She complained about the workers who were doing the renovations in her living room. She hadn't ordered elevators. They would have to take them out again. She was damned if she was going to pay the extra cost for their mistake...etc.

You see, the poor lady had to make up a reason to explain to herself what felt to be true to her--that she was always at home in her own place.

It just goes to show that so much of what we think is real is actually happening in our brain.

Of course, most of the time it is real. At least it is for me!

Yours sincerely ,
Virginia R. Claire

I've noticed that the lyrics have gotten much less willfully obscure (I think they cited Pynchon as an influence early on) and tell a coherent story now. Musically they're completely unchanged from what they used to do.

funny, i was just thinking about this thread.

one of my favorite things anyone wrote about a record is Christgau on David Palmer, the other vocalist on Thrill: "He fits in like a cheerleader at a crap game."

who's more yacht rock, palmer or fagen?

nuff said huh?

LOGGINS!

Author: William Burroughs

“I’m a Steely Dan fan so naturally I wanted to read the book they thought compelling enough to name their band after an element of.”

they admitted once in an interview that "glamour profession" MIGHT have been a conspicuous ripoff of "cherchez la femme."