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 just love royal scam. how people rate that below katy lied boggles my mind.

I'm kind of unsure of this myself, despite my stated choice. Some random impressions:

There's a certain low-down, ratty eclecticism to Katy Lied (beyond what characteristics the substandard production gives it). While the songs on Royal Scam aren't much longer, the lyrical content is more focused and some of these songs become epic, drama-packed mini-movies*. Now, on their own, following the protagonist of Kid Charlemagne, Don't Take Me Alive, or Haitian Divorce is awesome, but altogether maybe it's a little much for me.

The lyrics on Katy Lied are on the whole more disjointed and impressionist. They're character sketches. They convey a mood. Some tell stories, but about just a moment or two. They leave me asking questions as a listener, filling in the blanks. They feel more personal to me.

This is based only on my recollections of TRS; I haven't had a copy for over ten years but I know the hits. I definitely don't have any problems with the music and would love to get my hands on it again.

*"and we dolly back / and we fade to black..." - Fucking brilliant. One of my favorite Steely Dan lines : )

yeah that thing just takes off. so good with the spacey synths

xpost

I think this:

"I crawl like a viper down these suburban streets/make love to these women, languid and bittersweet"

is one of my favorite couplets in any song.

yeah totally! i tried this song on karaoke night at an awful west hollywood gay bar and relished that section with my best/worst squeak. disaster.

and the rest of that section too, especially how it ends with 'a world of my own / i'll make it my home sweet home.'

like the caricature gets real? comes home to suburbia? i just know that last line always gets me.

i just might drink scotch whiskey all night long and die behind the wheel tonight! got the first half of that covered. where are my keys?

But stgn, have you learned to work the saxophone? I believe this is integral.

I'm fairly proud of my ability to karaoke Reelin' In The Years, but I haven't quite figured out a good stage act for it.

Haha, I can't believe I actually typed the phrase "Gadd grove." I sound like I should be working in the drum dept. at Sam Ash.

er "Gadd groove"

yeah yeah! that's the thing! i'm listening to 'home at last' and goddamn if the saxes under the verses don't sound so warm and subtle at the same time. that break at around 3:00 with the hissing brass/woodwinds then synth! taking back sax comment upthread. maybe i'd get more ass if i finally took mr. halladay's advice from jr. high band and started working the keys.

x-post.

it's funny, my jazzbo friend keeps hearing from his jazzbo professors who are totally sam ash types that he should check out steely dan. and i'm like ya!

Last time I talked to a Guitar Center drum dude he was like "Are you a Vinnie Collaiuta man? Or more of a Dave Weckyl guy?" And I was like "I dunno, I like Jack DeJohnette" and he got this "whuh?" look on his face and I was like "DUR!"

on Bonnie Raitt's 'Streetlights', he is credited as Stephen Gadd. he doesn't sound as good as Earl Palmer did on 'Takin My Time' tho.

'Royal Scam' is my least fave alb of theirs ... still like it, but it's never the one I want to pull out on a whim.

going to see them this Wednesday!! 23rd row. not *super* close, but it should still be awesome..

i have a huge stoner friend who is known, to me, for pronouncing 'jack dejohnette' with a lot of flair. usually after sitting me down to watch a 60 min. keith jarrett dvd lol

It's rare that anyone sounds as good as Earl Palmer, although I can't say I'm vr familiar with the work of Bonnie Raitt. That's mom music. (so was Steely Dan until not too long ago, is she next?!)

sorry, x-post.

sounds fantastic! please report back

a friend sold me on a bonnie raitt song which i haven't heard in forever. i think i would like her if i gave her a chance. i need more mom music.

Still debating on whether to go see them. Going on my own to a seated concert is a major turn-off.

hey what happened to the title of this thread??

Steely dan was bopping the 70s. People fought

Still debating on whether to go see them. Going on my own to a seated concert is a major turn-off.

-- baaderonixx, Friday, June 22, 2007 7:59 AM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Link

GO

I CANNOT BELIEVE THEY ARE NOT COMING TO LOS ANGULUS

Still debating on whether to go see them. Going on my own to a seated concert is a major turn-off.

-- baaderonixx, Friday, June 22, 2007 7:59 AM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Link

GO

Alright!

I'll make it this time, I'm ready to cross that fine line

yes

Still debating on whether to go see them. Going on my own to a seated concert is a major turn-off.

OTM! Also, I'm not sure I wd enjoy The Dan live.

Katy Lied is sadder and darker, that's why I prefer it to the harsher Royal Scam

I saw the Dan live a few years ago -- they put on a pretty huge show and they sounded great, but if you have a low tolerance for crowds singing along it may not be for you.

I first saw them back in '93 or '94 -- whenever it was they did that "coming out of retirement"/"first tour in 20 years" thing ... and I was definitely disappointed in the show, frankly. It was a big outdoor arena and we were on the lawn, they had the whole 10-piece band with backup singers thing goin on but Becker/Fagen seemed kinda bored and not really into it.

but this show is in a beautiful auditorium space and should be pretty intimate. I'm pretty psyched -- probably will end up being the last time I see them live and what the heck, it's been thirteen years so I'll give it another shot.

yeah I'm not really a fan of their live shows of that era if Alive In America is any indication of what they were like. for some reason I get the feeling they'd be better to see now, though. I wish they'd played somewhere closer than Philly or Virginia on this tour.

What's on their setlists now? I saw some pretty adventurous selections on YouTube.

i saw them on this tour and it was a pretty great show, actually -- prepare to be annoyed to hell by the crowd, i guess, but as long as they keep the singing along to a minimum (and odd song selections by SD help) it's not so bad.

uhh and you'll prob want to grab another drink when they let the backup singers take a song themselves.

their band is pretty great, though -- "aja" sounded incredible. becker was funny and in good spirits, fagen danced around in a v humorous fashion while playing his melodica for the first quarter of the set.

they played like 90% of my very favorite songs, too, which helped. i mean, hearing FM live can't be beat.

Does anyone have 'Dallas' or 'Sail the Waterway?'

i've been waking up with "riki" and "deacon blues" in my head every night for the past week! I don't even like Steely Dan!

Every time I see this thread I imagine Fagen as the source of the titular quote.

I had "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" in my head this moring I think, and it's not something I had listened to or had in my head for a while. (I like Steely Dan though.)

i always read it as "hip musical crutch"

Royal Scam. That's the one for me. Although I like them all to varying degrees.

It's easy to hate them if you don't bother to go back and actually listen carefully. Same goes for Rush.

When I listen to Vampire Weekend, I keep thinking of "My Old School" and how much more fun and decadent that school sounds.

has it been discussed somewhere that skunk baxter works for the department of defense?

yes

"look, they were studio dudes. there is a *reason* they were studio dudes. they lacked the imagination and spark to do anything truly great. they are an energyless study in basic competence".

this is why they're so good, if you ignore the vitriol.

orbit was such a dumbshit

she's still alive.

*plop*

plolp

Dallas

I always thought this was written for Poco, had no idea the Dan had recorded it. You can here it on youtube, 'ts not bad.

HAVE YOU ANY IDEA HOW GREAT "CHANGE OF THE GUARD" SOUNDS ON A MUGGY MIAMI MORNING?

Steely Dan is the 70's version of Ween

get out.

back in high school, a friend of mine lived in a house way out in the woods in northern illinois. we used to all hang out there during the summers and drink and listen to steely dan, fleetwood mac, war, etc, and go swimming. can't buy a thrill was pretty perfect for those days.