I've listened to this song a thousand times and I still pick up on subtle things I've never heard before. The compositions of steely dan are just on another level.
Steely Dan are musicians' musicians. So glad I grew up with this music. One of my fav bands. Walter Becker, the guitarist, recently passed, but, man, was he talented. So many more songs from this band.
The instrument in the beginning that’s sounds like bubbles 🫧 is a “flapamba”. It looks like a xylophone with wooden key heads, and the sound is resonated via wooden bases, or tubes, the mallets are usually tipped soft mallets, or even finger tips. It’s a very rare instrument, and recent in its creation, dating back to only 1960.
I love how they add a voice to each Chorus. Sometimes it's a harmony, sometimes just an additional voice, (doubling, if you will). Little tricks like this I find to be genius level.
Back in '74, my dad had gotten a very good job after having retired from the military. About ten years ago, I found a shoe box that had every check receipt he had gotten from that job. The very first check he got had his base pay listed. It was a bit over $5 an hour. In the '70s 15 cents didn't come easily...
I grew up, listening to Steely Dan. I fucking love this band so much and I mean so much. I love every song they’ve done, but this is my absolute favorite, the musicality lyrics. Everything about this song is genius.
This is country blues and Jazz. There's no one better than Steely Dan I am 64 and grew up with them first hand..The band plays all the genres' of music. It's hard to pin them down..
The Rikki in the song is Rikki Ducornet, an older classmate of Fagen's at Bard College. Not only was she an older woman, she was already married. He saw her at a party, tried some lines on her, which she ignored for obvious reasons. She was later amused by the song immortalizing her. She became a published novelist later in life and probably didn't recall their meeting until people kept asking her about the song.
Sadly, most people have never heard of or know who the Wrecking Crew are and how THEY created 90% of the music we all know and love. Every big hit, be it rock n roll, R&B, pop, country, television theme songs, commercial jingles, they did all them. It didn't matter how talented a band was, record labels and producers wouldn't let the band members play on the recordings. They hired the Wrecking Crew to come in and make the songs hits.
I'm a gigging bassist, been doing it for five bands over 30 years, a big portion of set lists in two of them from the SD catalog. Point being that I want to highlight that the bassist for "Ricki" was (RIP) Walter Becker. His "signature" bass playing is marked with innovative and complex bass lines. Not difficult in themselves, but the bass lines are so unique that I think most bassists, including top-notch hired guns (greats like Chuck Rainey, Marcus Miller, and Anthony Jackson), as superb as they played, wouldn't have ever put together a groove/bass line like Walter's. It's difficult to describe how/why his style was so different, but when learning his bass lines--the most iconic being the mysterious (?) bass in "Deacon Blues"--only then could I appreciate his style, his thought process for creating a unique, yet perfectly suited bass line. He carried on with his unique playing when he transitioned to electric six-string guitar: mysterious, sensual, distinctive smooth soloing is Walter's trademark.
Another great guitar solo from Jeff "Skunk" Baxter. I think this was his last album with Steely Dan. He went on to join the Doobie Brothers after this.
Steely Dan is so deep - you will find at least 20 great songs in their catalog. Most reactors love "Peg", so I guess I'll suggest that one for your next Dan Dive.
"You tell yourself you're not my kind But you don't even know your mind" My favorite line. Not my fav SD song, heard way too many times as a kid but that line always stuck with me.
You cant predict this band cause your listening to the greatest band of all time!!! So many brilliant songs!! I was so lucky to be brought up in the 70s and getting all their great albums when they were released
I was lucky enough to see them on this tour and they did play this. The title track from this album, Preetzel Logic is one of my very favorite tracks by the Dan.
Steely Dan is a band that grew on me. I remember when Rikki Don't Lose that Number and Reelin' in the Years came out. They weren't my favorite songs, but I enjoyed them. I think the one that really hooked me was Deacon Blues. And then I began listening to an Album Oriented Rock station back in the mid-1970s, and they played deeper cuts such as My Old School, and then Gaucho came out. I've been a fan ever since.
I absolutely LOVE Donald Fagen’s enunciation on this hit! “Numbah”, Lettah, and that line… “you tell yourself you’re not my kind, but you don’t even know you’re MINE!”🔥🔥🔥🔥. I’ve been to many Steely Dan concerts and I do not recall them ever playing this song! I’m enjoying these Steely Dan reactions🥰
Steely Dan was so unique!! Loved all of their music. I was 14 when this song was a huge hit on the radio. This started a wonderful ride for us 70’s teens!!❤️
I love hearing stuff fresh from your ears. I was a teenager when this came out; music like this was all around, just in the air. It was a wonderful time for music 🎶.
Fagen and Becker were great songwriters and as many do, they "borrowed" ideas from others. Listen to the opening to Horace Silver's Song for My Father then listen to this opening. Something similar happened with their song Gaucho from the album of the same name. Listen to the opening to Keith Jarret's song "Long As You Know You are Living Yours" from his album Belonging, then listen to the opening to Gaucho. Jarrett did, took them to court and won and is now credited with co-writing Gaucho. This song was a big radio hit for them.
Listen to Jethro Tull "We Used To Know" and then The Eagles "Hotel California". Hotel California was written after Tull's song, but there's no denying the similarities are more than coincidence. But Ian Anderson of Tull gives his take in this video: ua-cam.com/video/xny0Uj4--tk/v-deo.html
Steely Dan is best know as Your Favorite Band's Favorite Band. People didn't really know t hem, but knew the music, but ask any musician in the 70s - 2000 and that was it.
Love Steely Dan… my favorite is Hey Nineteen. Donald Fagan also had a popular solo song called I.G.Y. What a beautiful world… I absolutely love that song!
I want to hear and see reactions to these groups: Montrose 1. Bad Motor Scooter 2. Space Station #5 Fastway 1. Stand Up 2. Don't Stop the Fight Blues Image 1. Take Me 2. Fugue U/Parchman Farm/Wrath Of Daisey 3. Clean Love 4. Reality Does Not Inspire Ten years after 1. I'd Love To Change The World 2. Love Like a Man Especially Blues Image, such a vigorous mixture
This band is the epitome of what great musicians can do. They come and go, but every musician contributed something great to the collective. My love of Steely Dan keeps growing year by year.
You guys always keep it real, you allow one another the freedom of differing opinions. I respect you guys for being open to so many genres of music, especially music that for the most part was probably before you were born. You are keeping the music alive!
Steely Dan is Donald Fagen (keyboards, vocals) and Walter Becker (Lead Guitar). Becker passed away a while back. The others are different studio musicians and they change somewhat from album to album. But the core duo is Becker and Fagen.
@Views From The 502! The opening piano riff is taken from jazz pianist great, Horace Silver from his 1965 album title track "Song For My Father"! Peace guys!!!
Love Steely Dan ❤! Great reaction! Was it know that Jeff Porcaro played drums on Black Friday and Bad sneakers? Lee Ritenour and Larry Carlton have played guitar. Guys so many songs FM, Deacon Blues, Babylon Sisters, hey 19, Peg with Michael McDonald on backup vocals! ❤ Grew up on this incredible music through my father who had a scholarship at University of Kentucky for trumpet. Incredible time in the world for music 🎵.
I bet if Ryan heard this as a small child he'd of loved it. That was the case with me, I was hooked. It wasn't until years later that I learned it was Steely Dan, as my first boyfriend brought the album Aja for us to listen to. It was like a light bulb moment when I realized that that was the group from my childhood that I'd loved so much. Gentleman, please continue to react to Steely Dan. They're such an intellectual band with a huge catalogue. IMO they don't have a bad or even mediocre song.
For me, this was Summer or even end of Summer music. I think of driving near the beach or on vacation. My first day at college someone was blasting Steely Dan out of their dorm room window. You could hear across the whole campus.
I've listened to this song a thousand times and I still pick up on subtle things I've never heard before. The compositions of steely dan are just on another level.
Like peeling an Onion.👏👏👏
Steely Dan. .... Your favorite bands favorite band.
this is my favorite steely dan song
That's what is so great about Steely Dan. Every song is different and amazing!
The opening bass line was a homage to jazz master, Horace Silver's "Song For My Father"
Exactly 😊
I love watching a budding Steely Dan fan, and three at once is just the cherry on top.
Steely Dan are musicians' musicians. So glad I grew up with this music. One of my fav bands. Walter Becker, the guitarist, recently passed, but, man, was he talented. So many more songs from this band.
The instrument in the beginning that’s sounds like bubbles 🫧 is a “flapamba”. It looks like a xylophone with wooden key heads, and the sound is resonated via wooden bases, or tubes, the mallets are usually tipped soft mallets, or even finger tips. It’s a very rare instrument, and recent in its creation, dating back to only 1960.
The instrument in question is a flapamba, a variant of the marimba.
Thank you 👍..
I love how they add a voice to each Chorus. Sometimes it's a harmony, sometimes just an additional voice, (doubling, if you will). Little tricks like this I find to be genius level.
BTW, Ryan will like "The Gaucho." The sax baby!
My favortite Steely Dan song!
PLEASE play "Don't Take Me Alive," and "Kid Charlemagne."
Yes and yes!
Two of their best!!
Yes do!
It just warms my heart how the younger generation with ears on get how great they were.
Great to see the younger generations keeping this music alive❤
Back in '74, my dad had gotten a very good job after having retired from the military. About ten years ago, I found a shoe box that had every check receipt he had gotten from that job. The very first check he got had his base pay listed. It was a bit over $5 an hour. In the '70s 15 cents didn't come easily...
This song brings me back to being 17yrs old. I can smell it, taste it.
"Dirty Work", "Don't Take Me Alive", "The Caves of Altamira"!!!!!
On the same album the track Night by night masterpiece. CAPOLAVORO 🔝🔝ciao 🇮🇹
The incomparable studio drummer, Jim Gordon. R.I.P. July 14, 1945 - March 13, 2023.
Lettah, numbah, bettah.... this is how I knew it was Steely Dan when I was a little kid. As an adult I cannot live without them!!!
Steely Dan is a third of my top three band catalogues while stranded on an island.
They are completely original and so versatile ! All their songs sound like Steely Dan but none of their songs sound like the others
This is a great song. Period.
From the request box. Still waiting on Billy Squire. Every song on his first album were a huge hit.
Night by Night from this same album is pretty darn funky. Great guitar work by Skunk Baxter.
A HUGE hit in the summer of 1974. Almost banned from the radio because people thought it was about a joint. This song made me a SD fan for life..
I grew up, listening to Steely Dan. I fucking love this band so much and I mean so much. I love every song they’ve done, but this is my absolute favorite, the musicality lyrics. Everything about this song is genius.
My favorite Steely Dan song ever!!
This is country blues and Jazz. There's no one better than Steely Dan I am 64 and grew up with them first hand..The band plays all the genres' of music. It's hard to pin them down..
I'm 64 too!!
I would dispute country.
The Rikki in the song is Rikki Ducornet, an older classmate of Fagen's at Bard College. Not only was she an older woman, she was already married. He saw her at a party, tried some lines on her, which she ignored for obvious reasons. She was later amused by the song immortalizing her. She became a published novelist later in life and probably didn't recall their meeting until people kept asking her about the song.
I thought she was the wife of a professor at the college
I heard these songs on the radio as a pre teen and they blew my mind now I appreciate the musicianship
This is Steely Dan's highest charting single, peaking at #4 in 1974.
More hooky than a fishing tackle shop.
Great great song , one of the best guitar solos
Skunk Baxter
This song was it😊. I was 10 years of age
Great song, definitely on the radio all the time back in the day
The late, great, Wreaking Crew drummer, Jim Gordon.
Sadly, most people have never heard of or know who the Wrecking Crew are and how THEY created 90% of the music we all know and love. Every big hit, be it rock n roll, R&B, pop, country, television theme songs, commercial jingles, they did all them.
It didn't matter how talented a band was, record labels and producers wouldn't let the band members play on the recordings. They hired the Wrecking Crew to come in and make the songs hits.
I've heard this song a thousand times and never knew what it was about. Thanks for the lesson.
Don’t tease us with Steely Dan this far in advance!😂❤
Flashbacks 😂❤
I'm a gigging bassist, been doing it for five bands over 30 years, a big portion of set lists in two of them from the SD catalog. Point being that I want to highlight that the bassist for "Ricki" was (RIP) Walter Becker. His "signature" bass playing is marked with innovative and complex bass lines. Not difficult in themselves, but the bass lines are so unique that I think most bassists, including top-notch hired guns (greats like Chuck Rainey, Marcus Miller, and Anthony Jackson), as superb as they played, wouldn't have ever put together a groove/bass line like Walter's. It's difficult to describe how/why his style was so different, but when learning his bass lines--the most iconic being the mysterious (?) bass in "Deacon Blues"--only then could I appreciate his style, his thought process for creating a unique, yet perfectly suited bass line. He carried on with his unique playing when he transitioned to electric six-string guitar: mysterious, sensual, distinctive smooth soloing is Walter's trademark.
More STEELY DAN plz!😁
Please keep going with the Dan, you will not regret a moment of it.
So love Steely Dan ❤
Another great guitar solo from Jeff "Skunk" Baxter. I think this was his last album with Steely Dan. He went on to join the Doobie Brothers after this.
The Doobies are awesome too
That one of more from Steeley Dan went to the Doobies makes total sense. The two groups have a lot of similarities and cross over.
Steely Dan is so deep - you will find at least 20 great songs in their catalog. Most reactors love "Peg", so I guess I'll suggest that one for your next Dan Dive.
🔥🔥🔥
A really fun and overlooked song by Steely Dan is Show Biz Kids. So great. Haitian Divorce too. But Steely Dan’s catalog is truly amazing.
Their best song, their biggest hit and my favorite by them.
I need you to listen to the Bee Gee's. TO MUCH HEAVEN this music is from my times.
It the harmonizing in the chorus for me
You guys got me at big crunchy pretzel - I'm all in now 😄
Back then they am. Radio played at over and over, we got burnt out. Radio did that to great songs. But it was nice to hear it again.💃💃🍀🍀
Marimba, probably. Anyhow, teenage drummer learning Zepp, Rush, etc, heard this, there was always more to learn . Love it. Those harmonies.
"You tell yourself you're not my kind
But you don't even know your mind"
My favorite line. Not my fav SD song, heard way too many times as a kid but that line always stuck with me.
The music of my youth. So good… thanks guys
Huge hit in the summer of '74.
I'm supposed to be doing dishes, but I'm dancing in the kitchen instead. Arguably my favorite Dan song, love the piano and the guitar solo.😊🥰
Jeff "Skunk" Baxter was the guitarist on this piece............he is SO recognizable and the whole piece is ultra-memorable. LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!
This song is a Time Machine, It's like a stomach punch, then I'm back there.
You cant predict this band cause your listening to the greatest band of all time!!! So many brilliant songs!! I was so lucky to be brought up in the 70s and getting all their great albums when they were released
That intro always makes me think I' 'cleaning my palette", like when tasting wines or whiskeys.
Peg peg peg peg........
The flapamba (a variant of the marimba) is the instrument in intro
I was lucky enough to see them on this tour and they did play this. The title track from this album, Preetzel Logic is one of my very favorite tracks by the Dan.
The opening rhythms of the song was lovingly taken from jazz musician Horace Silver's Song For My Father.
The way you all are moving & grooving, heads bopping, is just the way we were doing it back in the day. Classic song.
Yes, indeed 😊
Crunchy "Pretzel Logic"...😂
Steely Dan is a band that grew on me. I remember when Rikki Don't Lose that Number and Reelin' in the Years came out. They weren't my favorite songs, but I enjoyed them. I think the one that really hooked me was Deacon Blues. And then I began listening to an Album Oriented Rock station back in the mid-1970s, and they played deeper cuts such as My Old School, and then Gaucho came out. I've been a fan ever since.
I absolutely LOVE Donald Fagen’s enunciation on this hit! “Numbah”, Lettah, and that line… “you tell yourself you’re not my kind, but you don’t even know you’re MINE!”🔥🔥🔥🔥. I’ve been to many Steely Dan concerts and I do not recall them ever playing this song! I’m enjoying these Steely Dan reactions🥰
FWIW, the lyric is "you don't even know your mind" (as in, you don't even know how you really feel)
Steely Dan was so unique!! Loved all of their music. I was 14 when this song was a huge hit on the radio. This started a wonderful ride for us 70’s teens!!❤️
You don't know how many people were late to work because this song was on the car radio while in the parking lot.
I love hearing stuff fresh from your ears. I was a teenager when this came out; music like this was all around, just in the air. It was a wonderful time for music 🎶.
Fagen and Becker were great songwriters and as many do, they "borrowed" ideas from others. Listen to the opening to Horace Silver's Song for My Father then listen to this opening. Something similar happened with their song Gaucho from the album of the same name. Listen to the opening to Keith Jarret's song "Long As You Know You are Living Yours" from his album Belonging, then listen to the opening to Gaucho. Jarrett did, took them to court and won and is now credited with co-writing Gaucho. This song was a big radio hit for them.
Listen to Jethro Tull "We Used To Know" and then The Eagles "Hotel California".
Hotel California was written after Tull's song, but there's no denying the similarities are more than coincidence. But Ian Anderson of Tull gives his take in this video:
ua-cam.com/video/xny0Uj4--tk/v-deo.html
This band was led and played by absolute perfectionists. I'm sure you guys can tell.
Steely Dan is best know as Your Favorite Band's Favorite Band.
People didn't really know t hem, but knew the music, but ask any musician in the 70s - 2000 and that was it.
Love Steely Dan… my favorite is Hey Nineteen. Donald Fagan also had a popular solo song called I.G.Y. What a beautiful world… I absolutely love that song!
I want to hear and see reactions to these groups:
Montrose
1. Bad Motor Scooter
2. Space Station #5
Fastway
1. Stand Up
2. Don't Stop the Fight
Blues Image
1. Take Me
2. Fugue U/Parchman Farm/Wrath Of Daisey
3. Clean Love
4. Reality Does Not Inspire
Ten years after
1. I'd Love To Change The World
2. Love Like a Man
Especially Blues Image, such a vigorous mixture
Smooth perfection.
That is the sound of the 70”s. 1974 I was 10yrs old
I'd like to see a future episode where you each share your top 5 songs that you have found since doing this.
This band is the epitome of what great musicians can do. They come and go, but every musician contributed something great to the collective. My love of Steely Dan keeps growing year by year.
A real Masterpiece. I'm glad I grew up with the music from the sixties and seventies. 🎶🎶🎶
Always loved this song 😊
The drumming on this track is sublime.
Jim Gordon
You guys always keep it real, you allow one another the freedom of differing opinions. I respect you guys for being open to so many genres of music, especially music that for the most part was probably before you were born. You are keeping the music alive!
Steely Dan is Donald Fagen (keyboards, vocals) and Walter Becker (Lead Guitar). Becker passed away a while back. The others are different studio musicians and they change somewhat from album to album. But the core duo is Becker and Fagen.
@Views From The 502! The opening piano riff is taken from jazz pianist great, Horace Silver from his 1965 album title track "Song For My Father"! Peace guys!!!
Jazz 'great' Horace Silver is 100% accurate. Fantastic musician.
Don't matter how you spell it, a pretzle is a pretzel is a pretzel is a pretzle .... pretzel logic!
How "clean" is that track? Impeccable on the headphones and stood out at 16 and became a FAN.
master musicians... composers maxxxx 💥🎸💯
Love Steely Dan ❤! Great reaction! Was it know that Jeff Porcaro played drums on Black Friday and Bad sneakers? Lee Ritenour and Larry Carlton have played guitar. Guys so many songs FM, Deacon Blues, Babylon Sisters, hey 19, Peg with Michael McDonald on backup vocals! ❤
Grew up on this incredible music through my father who had a scholarship at University of Kentucky for trumpet. Incredible time in the world for music 🎵.
Love you guys!!
Big condolences and love out to the 502 today. Thanks for making us smile a bit with some Dan. ♥️
Condolences?May i ask what for?
@@clairejohnson6522 Mass shooting in Louisville (502 area code) on the day that this video was posted.
My absolute favorite Steely Dan song! Thank you 😊
I used to have the refrain as my ring tone.
I bet if Ryan heard this as a small child he'd of loved it. That was the case with me, I was hooked. It wasn't until years later that I learned it was Steely Dan, as my first boyfriend brought the album Aja for us to listen to. It was like a light bulb moment when I realized that that was the group from my childhood that I'd loved so much. Gentleman, please continue to react to Steely Dan. They're such an intellectual band with a huge catalogue. IMO they don't have a bad or even mediocre song.
Reeling in the Years got me hooked at 9 years now old! Blew my head apart❤😂
So damn cool. Thanks
My favorite Steely Dan song ... 8th grade summer, two-week-long girlfriend at the beach, I'll always associate this song with her.
The DAN is your favorite band's favorite band!
The opening riff (after the marimba) is the same riff as "Song For My Father" by jazz great Horace Silver.
DIRTY WORK 👍👍👍👍👍👍
For me, this was Summer or even end of Summer music. I think of driving near the beach or on vacation. My first day at college someone was blasting Steely Dan out of their dorm room window. You could hear across the whole campus.
They had some great songs. A timeless classic. Thank you guys, hope you enjoyed.
Some??!! Start over and listen again.