I bought a grey Just Be a Good Human t shirt for myself for my 55th birthday coming up. I love the phrase and also like that I think whatever profit there might be helps you to continue making these videos that make me feel a little better about life. I thank you for that and hope that all good always comes for you and yours.
Still all these years after first hearing this song and the rest of their catalogue, I'm just as amazed. The musical sophistication, innovation is just above anything. The down to earth yet extremely multilayered lyrics. The Dan was just something else man.
I learned to play drums by playing along with this album a gazillion times. Great stuff on this album - all of it!!! The guitarists on this album are just incredible!!!!
Try this: Gaucho was made when Walter was going through his heroin addiction and basically checked out, leaving Donald to produce most of the record. Every so often Walter would occasionally show up with his 'enabler' (Gaucho). This occurred when they were about to sign a major contract with Warner Brothers (the Custer dome) that Donald really wanted, but was in danger because of Walters drug abuse ("Just when I say boy we can't miss. - You are golden, then you do this")... Seen this way, all of the lyrics fall into place.
That's Tom Scott on Saxophone(s). Aja was recorded in LA and is stories about characters in New York. Gaucho, is stories about characters in LA and was recorded in New York.
Steely Dan is a different level of music genius! Complex lyrics and only the BEST studio musicians. Walter Becker passed a few years ago the night before we had tickets to see them perform live. Luckily, we had seen them live several times before. If there is music perfection? Steely Dan personifies it!
Saw them like 6 times between '93 and '08, starting with the 1993 comeback show in Detroit. Got to see them do this in '96. They came back from their intermission, opened with East St. Louis Toddle-oo, and then launched into Glamour Profession. 15,000 people just f-ing LEVITATED for the following 8 minutes.
It is beyond amazing that so much of our mid 60s through early 80s music.is still relevant and able to transport you back to those wonderful days and bring joy like it did then
It was recorded in 1978 actually (partly even in 1977, such as "Third world man" from the "Aja sessions"). The album was delayed a couple of years, due to some dispute with the "label".
the story of that album's release is quite interesting actually!. It involves a change of record labels before the release in 1980. You should check out the history of that it's very interesting. Also, radio stations had a strict rule of 3 minutes per song. steely Dan and said "no we'll make them as long as we want! "Almost all the songs on gaucho are about 5 minutes long!
You sorta hint at what I love most about this band and how fantastic they were. They go to their label in the 70s. The SEVENTIES when you HAD to tour to sell records/albums and they go yeah no. We don't want to tour. Label goes uhh gulp ok. THEN, after Gaucho they take 20 years off and the next album wins multiple Grammys. 😄 Just absolutely insanely brilliant. Nobody else can touch that imo.
Steely Dan is called a dad band by some, and yeah I guess they are. Old school, old time. But nobody today make's music of this standard and quality. No one!
Forget today, nobody else even then, or ever has made music like Steely Dan. They exist in their own dimension. I’m 55 now, a father of 3 and I’ve been seriously listening to them since 1975, when I was 10. What Fagen & Becker and all of the brilliant studio musicians brought to the world is nothing short of pure genius. Peace my Steely Dan brother!!
I have gone to hifi shops with Aja and Gaugo and night fly for 45 years. and now I have a 5.2 system Klipshorns in the front Cornwall in the center and soon Heresy's in the rear
Jamel, Steely dan has been my number one band, I got to see them once at the end of their career. They were incredible, "live" at the garden state arts center in NJ. I went to see them with my son's mother, she was a tall strawberry blonde. A very beautiful woman, she took me by the hand and lead me to the elevated dance platform and we started to dance a slow dance. We caused a domino effect, the whole place started to dance, it was magical.
@@GFOXist I must respectfully disagree. The “too precise” churning out of rhythms you hear (you say “mechanical”) is actually a great example of the genius of Donald and Walter. This song is so complex, yet still so sweetly pleasing to the sophisticated ear. As Ryan perfectly stated- every note is accounted for.
My karaoke software company just released "Gaucho". When it's okay to go back out to karaoke bars, I am chomping at the bit to sing one of my very fave Steely Dan tracks.
My interpretation of this song has always been a warning call from Donald to Walter. At the time Walter had a hard drug problem. Walter and Donald went to college together thus the school boy reference. The Gaucho is Walter’s drug buddy (I don’t care what you do at home - get stoned at home but come to work aka studio straight) doesn’t the Gaucho have a home? No he can’t sleep on the floor is Donald saying keep the stuff and his influence out of the studio. The expensive kiss off is reference to the disputes they were having with their record label at the time. In the song they reference the big shots’ building as the cluster dome. After this album steely Dan broke up for over a decade and Walter moved to Hawaii and got clean. Such a fabulous song! I stop what ever I’m doing when I hear this it is a song of friendship and a beautiful one at that. Just my interpretation but it fits them to a t.
That's an interesting take, I think it is a song about a quid pro quo homosexual relationship between the narrator and the younger "golden boy"/"nasty school boy" that is unravelling.
I think it's about a homosexual love triangle, but a couple songs on the album definitely seemed like they hinted at Walter's drug problem... Glamour Profession and Time out of Mind.
I get a similar sense to that. However I suggest the Gaucho is in fact walter. The narrator is a record company exec, the amigo is donald, being called on to sell out his friend.
@@stevenbown5101 oh wow! That ties in beautifully. It makes so much sense, I always thought the ‘try again tomorrow’ line was Donald to Walter but it could have been ABC/MCA to Donald And it is consistent with the conflicts that were brewing at the time. Thank you for that point of view. You have to love a song that can conjure up so many different narratives; and Steely Dan has so many songs that do that.
Such a tight sound from an all-star cast. Aside from Becker & Fagen, on this track alone, there's also: Randy Brecker on Trumpet, Tom Scott on Sax, Jeff Porcaro (of Toto) on drums, Patti Austin & Valerie Simpson amongst the backing vocalists, Co-written by Keith Jarrett Magic in, magic out.
Watching your reaction to your first Steely Dan brought me back home to their great music. I took them for granted back in the day because they had so many great songs. Listening back through their catalog I now appreciate the feat it was to create so many wonderfully crafted unique songs. The lyrics, the musicianship, and the vocals were so clean, time after time WOW.
I think you would really like the groove of Steely Dan's "Doctor Wu" or "Glamour Profession". But even the most "mediocre" of Steely Dan songs are superb compared to the catalogues of most other acts.
@@crazyorcfoot Nope. He has yet to get to Caves of Altamira. You can check his playlists which are grouped by artist. I would love to hear that one and Night By Night!!
This for me is the most underrated Dan album. This is just one of the many BANGERS on Gaucho. It just gets better with the passing years. The harmonies, the chords, the lyrics and the horns. Absolutely immaculate.
My understanding of this song's story is that there is a relationship between an older man, established in the music business, perhaps as a record producer or chief engineer, and a younger man who is dependent on him. The younger man brings in someone he has met, with whom he is obviously intimate (he's dressed in the younger man's clothes). The older man is embarrassed in front of his very important clients ("heavy rollers") and hurt by the way the younger man is flaunting his dalliance in front of him, in public. The intruder is gauche (unsophisticated and awkward, i.e., "snapping his fingers like a fool", which is seriously uncool in a recording session), which also a word that is very similar to "gaucho". Intentional? The older man tries reason with his boyfriend, and then tries increasingly harsh pressure, ("you're a nasty schoolboy, with no place to go!"). The most telling line, in my opinion, is "why is he standing in your spangled leather poncho, with THE STUDS THAT MATCH YOUR EYES". This tells me that, for all the older man's coolness, he is deeply hurt by the betrayal, as this was a gift to the young man from his heart. And now the young man has dressed his new lover in that gift, showing that the young man doesn't appreciate the gift in the same way, and that he is using the older man for a place to live and money. The entire album is about growing older, and recognizing the loss of one's youth and the fun, carefree and drug enhanced times that are now fading into the past.
Jamal, thank you for the Steely Dan vids. I love seeing you enjoying the music some of us grew up on. Many famous musicians have said Steely Dan is the best band ever. RIP Walter Becker.
Been listening to your Steely Dan videos for a couple hours. Discovered the Dan in 1980 when I was 20 years old and even that young I knew to collect their albums. Hands down, these guys are the best. Now I'll spend the rest of the afternoon listening to my Steely Dan albums. Thanks Jamal!
One of the charming hypnotic addictions to Steely Dan's music is after exhausting their harmony, lyrics, special blends of instruments that are really a sound that is unique to them, you put it aside and listen to other music. Eventually you decide to listen to one particular song you liked from Steely Dan and your addiction has returned. Their melodies and style are their own. When I was young we use to call smoking a bone an attitude adjuster. That's what Steely Dan's music does. Especially hearing for a first time or not listening to Steely Dan for awhile, and reliving how the music brings a mood of easy energy. ☮️
SD is the most sophisticated rock act ever. Fagan is a great musician and producer who set the highest standards and used the very best studio musicians.
I just love your reactions to this wonderful band.. it brings an old light up to a new surface for sure.. Steely Dan has and always will be the best soul feeding music..and to think we had this in a way different era... i grew up with this music that we were so blessed with.. Perfect gift of the times indeed..
To get the full impact of these songs a really clean, audiofile quality PA system is a must. When experienced at 100+ dB with a couple of 18s on the bottom and the efficiency of horn loaded comp driver up top and plenty of extra power. With this kind of system the dynamics are off the charts. The sound is effortless, smooth, punchy, even guttural, all at the same time. Amazing. Goose bumps just thinking about it. The attention to detail is impeccable. The best production quality/mix in the industry, even 41 years later. There is so much going on in these songs that you hear new things on every listen. On that note, its off to the music room for a session.
Love your Steely Dan reactions, but you haven't done any Donald Fagan solo reviews. You need to do Fagan's solo record Nightly. There isn't a bad song on the record and is just as good as his Steely Dan records. I am sure you will love it.
I just read my liner notes for "Gaucho". That was Tom Scott on the sax, Michael Brecker on the trumpet, and their backup vocalists on this song include Patti Austin and Valerie Simpson. They all have decades long solo careers in R&B and jazz.
The complexities and intricacies in Steely Dan’s music is incredible. It is mind blowing to think about how precise each musician must be and how in sync they must be with one another in order to put these songs together!
Donald Fagan produced two collections that, for me, bookend my east coast - west coast travels. "Gaucho" is totally Los Angeles vibe in every way. "The Night Fly" is totally East Coast. Both modern masterpieces. So different and unique. Brilliant from start to finish, top to bottom. God bless you, Jamel.
Robert estoy totalmente de acuerdo contigo, “Gaucho” es West Coast y “the Night Fly” East Coast lo explicas perfecto 👌 esas diferencias de estilo de una costa a otra, simplemente los Steely son para mi Obra Maestra!
Love your shirt and this song is just unbelievably good........SD made some fabulous music and this is just about the finest recording they ever made. Drums, sax, keyboards, guitars, vocals....all of it.....Absolutely great......
JJ! I've read various explanations, but the most compelling is that Gaucho is actually Walter Becker, who had significant personal problems that stressed the musical relationship between him and Donald Fagen...not sure if it's true, but compelling nonetheless! I marvel at how Steely's lyrics frequently belie darker subjects! There will never be another Steely Dan! Peace JJ!
My man! Caught this one right off the bat! Good on ya', Jamal! Our young Grasshopper is learning the Way of The Dan. 🀄🙏🏽🐉☸ BTW: That was Blues Brother Tom "Triple Scale" Scott on tenor...same cat who brought the sax on "Black Cow" -- pure soul. Dude got the name "Triple Scale" because of his worth as a master session musician -- it's what the man gets paid.
Look into New York Rock and Soul Revue!!! There is some kickass music there. A couple of Steely's and a number of guests. The concerts were great. The album is legend. You'll lose it over Phoebe Snow.
My God, dude - I LOVE your reaction to this at the beginning! This band had a massive influence on me, and so many people have no idea how complicated - musically and lyrically - they actually were. Unfortunately, they often get dismissed as "soft rock". I reacted precisely the same way you did here the first time I heard Wayne Shorter's solo on Aja. One of the many beautiful things this band did is introduce me to jazz - a life-changing moment. You've hooked me - I'll be following your channel!
@@IsleofWightBushcraftABSO. LUTELY. ... and so are the drums on Cousin Dupree, or the Woodwinds on Almost Gothic, or the Guitar on Gaslighting Abbie, or the Synth on Lunch with Gina... or or or!
I am a Jazz Lover and my nature is the Music and not so much the Lyrics But after first listening to SD, I first fell in Love with their Music and this attracted me to buy more of their Music. As I purchased more and more of their albums, I really started to understand and enjoy Donald Fagan and the Great Lyrics of His Music! Love the Band and I have all their Albums!
Thank you for giving so much love to Steely Dan! Imagine listening to this song as well as the entire album in 5.1 DTS. It’s out there and it is what your ears need!
I have been waiting for the longest time for "Gaucho". Let me tell you how much I love "Gaucho": I flew to NYC during their 2016 Beacon Theatre residency. I specifically chose the Gaucho LP night, that way I knew the Dan would play the title track. It was pure musical bliss. Now the Good Lord can take me away when He sees fit.
There's still so many great Steely Dan songs you haven't done yet. "I Got the News," "Here at the Western" World," "The Caves of Altamira," "Change of the Guard," and "Midnight Cruiser " come to mind.
I've been waiting for "Black Friday" which was a radio song. One my other personal favorites is "Fire in the Hole". It could happen if everyone requests more Steely Dan.
I had just bought this album on cassette tape and also bought a very first model of the Sony walkman, an expensive piece of kit in those days. I was driving to work along a small backroad listening to this song and suddenly hit a wet piece of the road and the spun and ended up with the back end in a field. I took the headphones off and got back on the road and made it to work. I never listened to music on headphones again after that.
‘JUST BE A GOOD HUMAN’ Shirts and More, Enter Promo Code ‘Jamel’ jamel-aka-jamal-youtube-store.creator-spring.com
The most expensive album ever produced up until that time. The production quality is so pure!
Please react to the Royal Scam
Check out Donald Fagens The Night fly that whole album is good watch the vid New Frontier its good.
I bought a grey Just Be a Good Human t shirt for myself for my 55th birthday coming up. I love the phrase and also like that I think whatever profit there might be helps you to continue making these videos that make me feel a little better about life. I thank you for that and hope that all good always comes for you and yours.
Do Black Friday by Steely Dan or The Royal Scam.
It's always a good day when Steely Dan is involved.
For Sure!
RIGHT??
Any day is better with a Jamal reaction to Steely Dan!!!
Still all these years after first hearing this song and the rest of their catalogue, I'm just as amazed. The musical sophistication, innovation is just above anything. The down to earth yet extremely multilayered lyrics. The Dan was just something else man.
Well said my thoughts too. Oh to hear a new Steely Dan song again would be so nice but not to be!
Hear hear. Took the words outta my mouth.
The closest you can get to musical perfection.
This song in particular is very emotional IMO
One of the smoothest drum tracks ever recorded. RIP JP.
I learned to play drums by playing along with this album a gazillion times.
Great stuff on this album - all of it!!! The guitarists on this album are just incredible!!!!
‘Bodacious cowboys such as your friend will never be welcome here’...the cool-funk vibe literally oozes from Fagan’s keyboard work...
Saw Jamel. Saw Steely Dan. I clicked. Just the end to a good day.
Same here, brother.
The end to a perfect day, distant lights from across the bay.
Try this: Gaucho was made when Walter was going through his heroin addiction and basically checked out, leaving Donald to produce most of the record. Every so often Walter would occasionally show up with his 'enabler' (Gaucho). This occurred when they were about to sign a major contract with Warner Brothers (the Custer dome) that Donald really wanted, but was in danger because of Walters drug abuse ("Just when I say boy we can't miss. - You are golden, then you do this")... Seen this way, all of the lyrics fall into place.
This is brilliant! So fitting
Fuckin wow!
Yep. Sounds about right.
"Nasty school boy with no place to go."- yep.
That's Tom Scott on Saxophone(s). Aja was recorded in LA and is stories about characters in New York. Gaucho, is stories about characters in LA and was recorded in New York.
Steely Dan is a different level of music genius! Complex lyrics and only the BEST studio musicians. Walter Becker passed a few years ago the night before we had tickets to see them perform live. Luckily, we had seen them live several times before. If there is music perfection? Steely Dan personifies it!
The line "bodacious cowboys such as your friend will never be welcome here" has cracked me up for 40 years.
"GLAMOUR PROFESSION" OFF This Album is a Must.
Best track on the album 👌🏻
@@cbmx1x1 agree
Saw them like 6 times between '93 and '08, starting with the 1993 comeback show in Detroit. Got to see them do this in '96. They came back from their intermission, opened with East St. Louis Toddle-oo, and then launched into Glamour Profession. 15,000 people just f-ing LEVITATED for the following 8 minutes.
I went to Mr. Chows because of this song
@@cletusbeauregard1972 Incredible...wish I was there (with Hoops, Jive, and the Eurasian Bride)!
Go ahead and call me a Boomer we had AND have the best music ever it will never die .It is forever and will forever affect those who listen
I'm from gen Z and I can agree with this statement modern music pales in comparison
GenX is dialed in to SD bro.
I'm BOOMER proud 😎
Guess I, PROUDLY, qualify; born in '54.
Agreed. Once in a while I hear a new song I like, but most of it is garbage. And none of it has the depth and talent that 70s music had!
Gosh, that was 1980 and I love this album as much today as the day I bought it. I can’t believe that was 40 years ago.
It is beyond amazing that so much of our mid 60s through early 80s music.is still relevant and able to transport you back to those wonderful days and bring joy like it did then
Yes, I was 18 when I bought this album, my mother always played it when I had school... 😅
It was recorded in 1978 actually (partly even in 1977, such as "Third world man" from the "Aja sessions"). The album was delayed a couple of years, due to some dispute with the "label".
This song would blow anybodies mind. They crammed more musicality in one song than what's been produced in the last 10 years.
Hard to believe that something so sophisticated was ever released commercially. Wow.
...Top 40 hits to boot!
the story of that album's release is quite interesting actually!. It involves a change of record labels before the release in 1980. You should check out the history of that it's very interesting. Also, radio stations had a strict rule of 3 minutes per song. steely Dan and said "no we'll make them as long as we want! "Almost all the songs on gaucho are about 5 minutes long!
released? they played this on the RADIO
ok on the FM stations, but still...
Yes, I guess it wasn't as commercial when Keith Jarrett released it ;).
You sorta hint at what I love most about this band and how fantastic they were. They go to their label in the 70s. The SEVENTIES when you HAD to tour to sell records/albums and they go yeah no. We don't want to tour. Label goes uhh gulp ok. THEN, after Gaucho they take 20 years off and the next album wins multiple Grammys. 😄 Just absolutely insanely brilliant. Nobody else can touch that imo.
There's not a bad song on that album ..... One of the all-time greats in my opinion ..........
Totally agree. It may be the best Steely Dan album, and that's saying a lot.
My favorite Dan album!!
Just imagine how much better it would be if The Second Arrangement had made it onto the album.
Gaucho is the most cohesive album the Dan made, largely due to the consistent "LA Losers" concept they had for the whole thing.
@@panthercheDidn’t they ran with this concept on all of their records during their initial run
The talent and creativity of Steely Dan is amazing.
Yip!
Steely Dan is called a dad band by some, and yeah I guess they are. Old school, old time. But nobody today make's music of this standard and quality. No one!
Forget today, nobody else even then, or ever has made music like Steely Dan. They exist in their own dimension. I’m 55 now, a father of 3 and I’ve been seriously listening to them since 1975, when I was 10. What Fagen & Becker and all of the brilliant studio musicians brought to the world is nothing short of pure genius. Peace my Steely Dan brother!!
You are soooo right! Nobody!
I have gone to hifi shops with Aja and Gaugo and night fly for 45 years. and now I have a 5.2 system Klipshorns in the front Cornwall in the center and soon Heresy's in the rear
@@kristdodaro7926 Try State Cows
Steely Dan: Your favorite band's favorite band.
Jamel, Steely dan has been my number one band, I got to see them once at the end of their career. They were incredible, "live" at the garden state arts center in NJ. I went to see them with my son's mother, she was a tall strawberry blonde. A very beautiful woman, she took me by the hand and lead me to the elevated dance platform and we started to dance a slow dance. We caused a domino effect, the whole place started to dance, it was magical.
Jeff Porcaro nailing the Perdie Shuffle. The rhythm section and percussion bring this one home
* Purdey
* Purdie
“I’ll drop him near the freeway, doesn’t he have a home???”
It doesn't get more precise than this. Every note is accounted for.
Almost too precise, mechanical
@@GFOXist I must respectfully disagree. The “too precise” churning out of rhythms you hear (you say “mechanical”) is actually a great example of the genius of Donald and Walter. This song is so complex, yet still so sweetly pleasing to the sophisticated ear. As Ryan perfectly stated- every note is accounted for.
My karaoke software company just released "Gaucho". When it's okay to go back out to karaoke bars, I am chomping at the bit to sing one of my very fave Steely Dan tracks.
"I don't care what you do at home, would you care to explain?"
They kill me. I died 40 years ago. This is just my hollowed out husk.
My interpretation of this song has always been a warning call from Donald to Walter. At the time Walter had a hard drug problem. Walter and Donald went to college together thus the school boy reference. The Gaucho is Walter’s drug buddy (I don’t care what you do at home - get stoned at home but come to work aka studio straight) doesn’t the Gaucho have a home? No he can’t sleep on the floor is Donald saying keep the stuff and his influence out of the studio. The expensive kiss off is reference to the disputes they were having with their record label at the time. In the song they reference the big shots’ building as the cluster dome.
After this album steely Dan broke up for over a decade and Walter moved to Hawaii and got clean.
Such a fabulous song! I stop what ever I’m doing when I hear this it is a song of friendship and a beautiful one at that.
Just my interpretation but it fits them to a t.
That's an interesting take, I think it is a song about a quid pro quo homosexual relationship between the narrator and the younger "golden boy"/"nasty school boy" that is unravelling.
I think it's about a homosexual love triangle, but a couple songs on the album definitely seemed like they hinted at Walter's drug problem... Glamour Profession and Time out of Mind.
I get a similar sense to that. However I suggest the Gaucho is in fact walter. The narrator is a record company exec, the amigo is donald, being called on to sell out his friend.
@@stevenbown5101 oh wow! That ties in beautifully. It makes so much sense, I always thought the ‘try again tomorrow’ line was Donald to Walter but it could have been ABC/MCA to Donald And it is consistent with the conflicts that were brewing at the time. Thank you for that point of view. You have to love a song that can conjure up so many different narratives; and Steely Dan has so many songs that do that.
@@Azzlad thank you so much. There is a live version on Walter singing this song. Can’t help but think how far he came when I hear it.
It’s one of those songs that just keeps getting better with each passing minute.
Sometimes this song gets stuck in my head...for days! But I don’t mind.
Such a tight sound from an all-star cast.
Aside from Becker & Fagen, on this track alone, there's also: Randy Brecker on Trumpet, Tom Scott on Sax, Jeff Porcaro (of Toto) on drums, Patti Austin & Valerie Simpson amongst the backing vocalists, Co-written by Keith Jarrett
Magic in, magic out.
He sued for the writing credit.
Jarrett copyrighted the plagal cadence 🤬
@@VallejoBrawler Have you heard the Jarrett original?
Watching your reaction to your first Steely Dan brought me back home to their great music. I took them for granted back in the day because they had so many great songs. Listening back through their catalog I now appreciate the feat it was to create so many wonderfully crafted unique songs. The lyrics, the musicianship, and the vocals were so clean, time after time WOW.
Everything just changes when Steely Dan is on 🎶
"Babylon Sisters" is the second best song on the album IMHO ,that one needs to be next....
Yes it is the bomb!
He's already done it!
"Time Out of Mind" is solid also, but also reacted to already
He reacted to that one, see here ua-cam.com/video/ua7gX9LZLpA/v-deo.html
This one is an under the radar classic. Overshadowed by Aja, Gaucho, the song and album, is a smooth track, magnificent.
I think you would really like the groove of Steely Dan's "Doctor Wu" or "Glamour Profession". But even the most "mediocre" of Steely Dan songs are superb compared to the catalogues of most other acts.
He did "Doctor Wu".
@@elipolonsky4235 Thanks, Eli. I must have missed it. Time to go to the wayback machine.
"Glamour Profession" is in my top-10 of Steely Dan tracks... wonderful song.
@@sipesthebest128 everytime I listen to it I discover something new in the bass line
Such a clean recording by Roger Nichols and Elliot Schreiner.
I LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE this song, this whole album is just sooooo good. Thank you Jamel!
Best background music for those intimate nights of dinner and conversation
Jamel, I was waiting patiently for this song to enter your ears. Finally it came along. I knew that sax would grab you!
Can we get “The Caves of Altamira” by Steely Dan? Chorus is funky as hell, you’ll dig it no doubt!
Don't Take Me Alive too, if he's not already reacted to that. Great album Royal Scam.
He's done both
@@crazyorcfoot Nope. He has yet to get to Caves of Altamira. You can check his playlists which are grouped by artist. I would love to hear that one and Night By Night!!
PLEASE DO CAVES OF ALTAMIRA!!
that's my favorite SD song ever.
Glamour Profession, off this album is pure ear candy.
Nose candy
This for me is the most underrated Dan album. This is just one of the many BANGERS on Gaucho. It just gets better with the passing years. The harmonies, the chords, the lyrics and the horns. Absolutely immaculate.
Thanks Jamal, here's a few more from Steely Dan: Any Major Dude Will Tell You, The Caves of Altamira, West of Hollywood
I second this
And third this
And fourth this!
Get it done Jamel....love ya
Yeah Caves
Yeah man caves of altamira is a great tune
Night by Night
Jamel brings sunshine into my world
This has been my favorite Dan song since the first time I heard it years and years ago.
You can never go wrong with any Steely Dan tune
My understanding of this song's story is that there is a relationship between an older man, established in the music business, perhaps as a record producer or chief engineer, and a younger man who is dependent on him. The younger man brings in someone he has met, with whom he is obviously intimate (he's dressed in the younger man's clothes). The older man is embarrassed in front of his very important clients ("heavy rollers") and hurt by the way the younger man is flaunting his dalliance in front of him, in public. The intruder is gauche (unsophisticated and awkward, i.e., "snapping his fingers like a fool", which is seriously uncool in a recording session), which also a word that is very similar to "gaucho". Intentional?
The older man tries reason with his boyfriend, and then tries increasingly harsh pressure, ("you're a nasty schoolboy, with no place to go!").
The most telling line, in my opinion, is "why is he standing in your spangled leather poncho, with THE STUDS THAT MATCH YOUR EYES". This tells me that, for all the older man's coolness, he is deeply hurt by the betrayal, as this was a gift to the young man from his heart. And now the young man has dressed his new lover in that gift, showing that the young man doesn't appreciate the gift in the same way, and that he is using the older man for a place to live and money.
The entire album is about growing older, and recognizing the loss of one's youth and the fun, carefree and drug enhanced times that are now fading into the past.
Thank you... 😗
This is precisely how I've always interpreted this track.
You gotsta do Steely Dan Night By Night. We love seeing your shoulders swingin, my brother.
Night by Night is by far the Dan’s most underrated song
FUCKING BANGER OF A SONG!!
This song is huge with so nasty groove! With a young drummer of 18years old....
one of the deepest bass pockets of all time
And drums...
@@pbaker7160 Absolutely right. Porcaro and Becker, RIP to them both, and many thanks too.
@@missbelled6700 Anthony Jackson bass!
@@davidnorman4923 Wikipedia has it as Becker, but to my ears it might indeed be Jackson
Jamal, thank you for the Steely Dan vids. I love seeing you enjoying the music some of us grew up on. Many famous musicians have said Steely Dan is the best band ever. RIP Walter Becker.
My brother, How many times do I have to ask....?
"ANY MAJOR DUDE WILL TELL YOU"....!
I just typed the same thing.😁
@@sassymessmess9110 He just don't know...!
I've been asking for quite a while.
Yessss!!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
I'm not sure, but seem to think, he gets most of his suggestions/recommendations, from his Instagram account.
Night by Night!!!
Been listening to your Steely Dan videos for a couple hours. Discovered the Dan in 1980 when I was 20 years old and even that young I knew to collect their albums. Hands down, these guys are the best. Now I'll spend the rest of the afternoon listening to my Steely Dan albums. Thanks Jamal!
One of the charming hypnotic addictions to Steely Dan's music is after exhausting their harmony, lyrics, special blends of instruments that are really a sound that is unique to them, you put it aside and listen to other music. Eventually you decide to listen to one particular song you liked from Steely Dan and your addiction has returned. Their melodies and style are their own. When I was young we use to call smoking a bone an attitude adjuster. That's what Steely Dan's music does. Especially hearing for a first time or not listening to Steely Dan for awhile, and reliving how the music brings a mood of easy energy. ☮️
SD is the most sophisticated rock act ever. Fagan is a great musician and producer who set the highest standards and used the very best studio musicians.
I just love your reactions to this wonderful band.. it brings an old light up to a new surface for sure.. Steely Dan has and always will be the best soul feeding music..and to think we had this in a way different era... i grew up with this music that we were so blessed with.. Perfect gift of the times indeed..
Steely Dan 🎧🎶 now THAT’S great music!...man, the wall is looking spectacular Jamel!
As with any SD song, listen to it 20 times and you'll hear something new, a new layer if you will, every single time.
To get the full impact of these songs a really clean, audiofile quality PA system is a must. When experienced at 100+ dB with a couple of 18s on the bottom and the efficiency of horn loaded comp driver up top and plenty of extra power. With this kind of system the dynamics are off the charts. The sound is effortless, smooth, punchy, even guttural, all at the same time. Amazing. Goose bumps just thinking about it. The attention to detail is impeccable. The best production quality/mix in the industry, even 41 years later. There is so much going on in these songs that you hear new things on every listen. On that note, its off to the music room for a session.
Got to see the DAN live in North Carolina years ago.... a genuine privilege to this day. One of my favorite songs.
This is probably my favorite song by the Dan. So funny how much they hate this dude! LOL
The Dan always delivers no question about it! It’s such a comfortable place to be listening to them
Love your Steely Dan reactions, but you haven't done any Donald Fagan solo reviews. You need to do Fagan's solo record Nightly. There isn't a bad song on the record and is just as good as his Steely Dan records. I am sure you will love it.
Nightfly, George.
Kamakiriad as well. Morph the Cat!
Yep - the Nightfly is sublime! I think he should start with “Maxine”
Nightfly! It’s epic stuffs
Jamal already did "New Frontier" on his Vimeo channel. He loved it.
Jamel you hit this one on the head! You're absolutely right on the story for this one.
Even Steely Dan's deep tracks are worth listening to, aren't they? Never heard a bad Steely Dan song.
@Terry Eugene Why do you say that? Steely Dan had alot of hits on the radio back in the day.
@@KawaTony1964 I think he's defining "deep" in a different way, as in "emotionally/intellectually deep", 'cuz even their hits were "deep". Peace!
@@-Cinderman Oh. Well, there's no question about that. Their lyrics are super-deep.
The song is really about a gay casino owner and his jealous relationship with is boyfriend, at the custerdome/casino. Gotta keep it professional!!
Absolutely LOVE this song! Humorous, yet very groooooovy.
Your face was a picture when the song started. Great reaction to a great song. 😂🎶
I just read my liner notes for "Gaucho". That was Tom Scott on the sax, Michael Brecker on the trumpet, and their backup vocalists on this song include Patti Austin and Valerie Simpson. They all have decades long solo careers in R&B and jazz.
Appreciate your taste level and willingness to go deep into the Dan. Thank you for the openness, Jamel!
The complexities and intricacies in Steely Dan’s music is incredible. It is mind blowing to think about how precise each musician must be and how in sync they must be with one another in order to put these songs together!
Donald Fagan produced two collections that, for me, bookend my east coast - west coast travels. "Gaucho" is totally Los Angeles vibe in every way. "The Night Fly" is totally East Coast. Both modern masterpieces. So different and unique. Brilliant from start to finish, top to bottom. God bless you, Jamel.
Robert estoy totalmente de acuerdo contigo, “Gaucho” es West Coast y “the Night Fly” East Coast lo explicas perfecto 👌 esas diferencias de estilo de una costa a otra, simplemente los Steely son para mi Obra Maestra!
There was a song that was supposed to have been on the Gaucho album called The Second Arrangement. Interesting back story to it.
One of my favorite songs of all time. Thank you for keeping good music alive!!
Jamel, you are a national treasure!!!!
Love your shirt and this song is just unbelievably good........SD made some fabulous music and this is just about the finest recording they ever made. Drums, sax, keyboards, guitars, vocals....all of it.....Absolutely great......
Another Staple in my household! Thank you for appreciating great music!
JJ! I've read various explanations, but the most compelling is that Gaucho is actually Walter Becker, who had significant personal problems that stressed the musical relationship between him and Donald Fagen...not sure if it's true, but compelling nonetheless! I marvel at how Steely's lyrics frequently belie darker subjects! There will never be another Steely Dan! Peace JJ!
...should have said " about Walter Becker," the "gaucho' was a protagonist in the whole scenerio.....
My man! Caught this one right off the bat! Good on ya', Jamal!
Our young Grasshopper is learning the Way of The Dan. 🀄🙏🏽🐉☸
BTW: That was Blues Brother Tom "Triple Scale" Scott on tenor...same cat who brought the sax on "Black Cow" -- pure soul.
Dude got the name "Triple Scale" because of his worth as a master session musician -- it's what the man gets paid.
That was smooth Jamel , great reaction can't get enough Steely Dan have a great day.
Steely Dan is my #1 studio band or just band! They are truly awesome...sounds never get old.
This has to be my favorite tune by Steely Dan to listen to. It falls into a groove that just grabs you.
My all time favorite Steely Dan song. So so good.
Look into New York Rock and Soul Revue!!! There is some kickass music there. A couple of Steely's and a number of guests. The concerts were great. The album is legend. You'll lose it over Phoebe Snow.
My God, dude - I LOVE your reaction to this at the beginning! This band had a massive influence on me, and so many people have no idea how complicated - musically and lyrically - they actually were. Unfortunately, they often get dismissed as "soft rock". I reacted precisely the same way you did here the first time I heard Wayne Shorter's solo on Aja. One of the many beautiful things this band did is introduce me to jazz - a life-changing moment. You've hooked me - I'll be following your channel!
Ok Jamal, I’d like to “ just be a good human, to be humble, kind, and to spread some joy peace and lurve, by suggesting “JACK OF SPEED”
By steely Dan.
This and basically the whole album except maybe the title track.
@@kaustik185 the bass line in jack of speed is mmm mmm mmm
@@IsleofWightBushcraftABSO. LUTELY. ... and so are the drums on Cousin Dupree, or the Woodwinds on Almost Gothic, or the Guitar on Gaslighting Abbie, or the Synth on Lunch with Gina... or or or!
@@IsleofWightBushcraft man the rhodes intro🤤🤤🤤
Yes yes yes yes yes.
Their lyrics are loaded with subtext and symbols, hints of things. They really are poets
I am a Jazz Lover and my nature is the Music and not so much the Lyrics But after first listening to SD, I first fell in Love with their Music and this attracted me to buy more of their Music. As I purchased more and more of their albums, I really started to understand and enjoy Donald Fagan and the Great Lyrics of His Music! Love the Band and I have all their Albums!
Thank you for giving so much love to Steely Dan! Imagine listening to this song as well as the entire album in 5.1 DTS. It’s out there and it is what your ears need!
Man, you express the joy that I experienced discovering Steely Dan perfectly. Watching your videos lets me relive those days again. So much fun.
I have been waiting for the longest time for "Gaucho". Let me tell you how much I love "Gaucho": I flew to NYC during their 2016 Beacon Theatre residency. I specifically chose the Gaucho LP night, that way I knew the Dan would play the title track. It was pure musical bliss. Now the Good Lord can take me away when He sees fit.
Wow! I bet that was amazing!
LOL! I had to laugh when you were playing the "Air Saxophone". Reminded me of John Candy in "Planes, Trains and Automobiles".
There's still so many great Steely Dan songs you haven't done yet. "I Got the News," "Here at the Western" World," "The Caves of Altamira," "Change of the Guard," and "Midnight Cruiser " come to mind.
Same...so many....
Night by Night!!!!!
Love midnight cruiser actually that whole album
I've been waiting for "Black Friday" which was a radio song. One my other personal favorites is "Fire in the Hole". It could happen if everyone requests more Steely Dan.
@@HyzersGR I've been requesting that one for quite some time!
I had just bought this album on cassette tape and also bought a very first model of the Sony walkman, an expensive piece of kit in those days. I was driving to work along a small backroad listening to this song and suddenly hit a wet piece of the road and the spun and ended up with the back end in a field. I took the headphones off and got back on the road and made it to work. I never listened to music on headphones again after that.
Steely Dan has been my fav band since 1972.
The best music. I love Steely Dan.❤
Whether or not you like Steely Dan, you can't deny the musical talent.
It's a shame to think that people exist that do NOT like Steely Dan.
THIS is my FAVORITE Steely Dan song.
I love to hear how the meaning comes to you. And mix that with the music - superb!
The whole album is a masterpiece!🎶👌👌
I just love watching you fall in love with the music I was lucky enough grow up on, rocking! Subbed.
Clicked so fast to get here as I, like many, have been requesting Gaucho! Such a brilliant tune!
That face Jamel makes 3 seconds into it and he knows it's gonna be a banger!