Why Did Steely Dan Change Their Sound?

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  • Опубліковано 24 чер 2022
  • In today's video I discuss the evolution of Steely Dan's sound from Can't Buy a Thrill (1972) to Aja (1977)
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КОМЕНТАРІ • 3,3 тис.

  • @jessedorsettii9988
    @jessedorsettii9988 Рік тому +480

    Steely Dan is one band I never get tired of listening to. Never get burned out on their stuff. Their jazzy beats, clean clean sound, amazing drum licks, wild lyrics, creme de la creme musicians, and quirky subject matter is off the scale.

    • @salimlapaix
      @salimlapaix Рік тому +6

      i agree, im drummer, i love play Steely Dan music

    • @kaustik185
      @kaustik185 Рік тому +4

      throwing feces at ther wall here, but try these:
      That Handsome Devil
      Ween
      Vulfpeck
      Which none of these guys's stuff i ever get burned out on. maybe vulfpeck sometimes.

    • @jerseyjim8365
      @jerseyjim8365 Рік тому +1

      Well said. My fav.

    • @glennyates2194
      @glennyates2194 Рік тому

      Spot on, Jesse. Same.

    • @rogerpayne7767
      @rogerpayne7767 Рік тому

      @@glennyates2194 Totally!

  • @abenbubbles
    @abenbubbles Рік тому +1009

    An interview with Donald would simply be amazing, Rick. Would love to see it.

    • @manclimbtree3622
      @manclimbtree3622 Рік тому +27

      Yes!

    • @TheMDJ2000
      @TheMDJ2000 Рік тому +34

      I suspect it’s on the way. One can only hope!

    • @carladean6117
      @carladean6117 Рік тому +24

      Wouldn't that be something?

    • @gembaguy6370
      @gembaguy6370 Рік тому +24

      That would be phenomenal

    • @saigawesnovember
      @saigawesnovember Рік тому +30

      My parents were neighbors of Don in Tennessee,on a lake in Winchester. Apparently he was a good dude,

  • @kitdatson1902
    @kitdatson1902 4 місяці тому +24

    "Don't Take Me Alive" intro gives me chills, still, everytime I hear it. And Steely Dan was there for me as a teenager.

    • @klinkov6393
      @klinkov6393 4 місяці тому +2

      Larry Carlton man, so damn good.

    • @tomahawkANDscopZ
      @tomahawkANDscopZ Місяць тому

      @@klinkov6393 The way he feels the rhythm on that intro is crazy. No beat behind him or tempo, just lays the arpeggio/slow rake out in a way where he feel a rhythm, then the space between the mute and bend that starts the song is ALMOST in the main tempo, just a little off to really give a build into the first beat of the track. Its insane levels of musician-ship and skill.

  • @MrPercussionPete
    @MrPercussionPete Рік тому +178

    Steely Dan was so unique, so original and so ahead of its time. If you play their music now, 50 years later, it still sounds fresh and new. Becker & Fagen wrote music history together.

    • @swinde
      @swinde 7 місяців тому +8

      Also 100 times BETTER than any current release of music.

    • @sub-jec-tiv
      @sub-jec-tiv 7 місяців тому +4

      If you want to hear a current form of music where people heard Steely Dan and have carried it on, listen to Japanese pop music. I know many people think the vocals are too twee for them. But musically, they completely paid attention to Steely Dan, jazz, classical. Japanese young people mostly now no longer listen to western pop music. They listen to Japanese and Korean music, because there’s no longer much music happening in most western pop music.

    • @Physics072
      @Physics072 5 місяців тому +2

      Maybe that is because todays music is so bad and bland in comparison. Manufactured vs old 70s not comparison.

  • @CARDINAL701
    @CARDINAL701 Рік тому +480

    I will always be, to my death, a hard core Steely Dan fan. Been listening to them for 45 years and I like them more and more as time goes by.

    • @viewer112358
      @viewer112358 Рік тому +19

      Yup, Steely Dan always right and never obvious.

    • @mjcs6399
      @mjcs6399 Рік тому +13

      There an amazing band with truly unique, hard-to-categorize music. HUGE fan.

    • @jerrystephenson1172
      @jerrystephenson1172 Рік тому +16

      They were so brilliant...I hear new stuff every listen. This music is so complex & at the same time, so relatable & funky that I think they were the cream of their time.

    • @MattyK-USA
      @MattyK-USA Рік тому +6

      Amen.

    • @LewdCustomer
      @LewdCustomer Рік тому

      Can't be helped.

  • @carladean6117
    @carladean6117 Рік тому +94

    I could listen to Mr Beato talking about Steely Dan for hours and hours and hours and hours.
    I learned so much in 41 minutes. Phenomenal

    • @billiondollarbaby3276
      @billiondollarbaby3276 Рік тому +4

      Did you know that Steely Dan "broke up" because Walter Becker's girlfriend (Karen Stanley) OD'd in their NY Apartment during the making of Gaucho? After the Gaucho sessions Walter moved to Hawaii to clean himself up off of drugs and that was the end of the band. I have Karen Stanley's RIAA Gold Record for Pretzel Logic from 1974 hanging on my wall.

    • @LS-kg9dq
      @LS-kg9dq Рік тому

      @@billiondollarbaby3276 wow!

  • @sanseiryu
    @sanseiryu Рік тому +88

    That unmistakable sound, the syncopated, la dah... di di dah, phrase. Steely Dan opened my eyes to jazz, fusion, intelligent songwriting, to immaculate musicianship. I will go to my grave believing that Steely Dan's music is some of the greatest music ever recorded

    • @Seballs666
      @Seballs666 11 місяців тому +2

      I couldn't agree more, phenomenal music.

    • @jeffkilgore6320
      @jeffkilgore6320 10 місяців тому +1

      Simply nothing like it.

    • @jimshipp7776
      @jimshipp7776 8 місяців тому

      Yep

    • @curly_wyn
      @curly_wyn 8 місяців тому

      I hate it. It’s too overproduced and the mix is sooo over-separated.

  • @andrewmcfarlane335
    @andrewmcfarlane335 Рік тому +94

    I worked in London in 2002, transport for a hospital.A elderly woman we where transporting asked us if we had heard of Walter Becker.
    We said yes.She said ,That is my son.I have just read on internet that his parents separated and his mother moved back to the UK
    Just remembered this after watching this episode.Weird

  • @markgriskey
    @markgriskey Рік тому +116

    Steely Dan's sound is timeless... These gentlemen knew how to write a song and then hire the perfect musicians to create the sound they wanted.

    • @markgriskey
      @markgriskey Рік тому +11

      "Thelonious my old friend ... for one more time, let your madness run with mine" Steely Dann are Story tellers first and foremost. They later figured out that their stories could be better told with greater harmonic complexity.

    • @Bob-of-Zoid
      @Bob-of-Zoid Рік тому +6

      They actually gave the musicians a lot of leeway and welcomed their input, often hiring them to put their spin on it.

    • @rikd5452
      @rikd5452 Рік тому +3

      @@markgriskey Drummer Jim Hodder, sang that song, so that makes three songs on the first Steely Dan album that were not sung by Donald Fagen
      I believe he is actually saying "Felonious"

  • @michaelmoore7975
    @michaelmoore7975 Рік тому +413

    I wouldn't call Fagan the best singer in the world, but he has such a unique timbre and vocal phrasing. Slightly nasally, he comes up from the "bottom" to grab the note. His voice is instantly recognizable, and I think it matches perfectly with the Steely Dan style, which is also instantly recognizable

    • @reverb.deluxe
      @reverb.deluxe Рік тому +31

      His multi-tracked harmonized vocals - such as in the chorus of Pretzel Logic - are some of my favorite male vocal recordings. He sings some of the parts in his "verse" voice, and some in a higher register, almost up in Geddy Lee territory. The mix is sublime though, so many listeners may never really notice how many voices there are.

    • @rockingbirdey
      @rockingbirdey Рік тому +32

      I love Fagen's voice. Honestly, on their debut, I wished he had sung all the songs.

    • @michaelmoore7975
      @michaelmoore7975 Рік тому +13

      @@rockingbirdey Yup. When you 1st start listening to SD and become accustomed to hearing the signature Steely sound, of _any_ song, you _expect_ to hear Fagan.
      And when you don't, it's kinda weird on the ears. Sorta like takin' a big slug of what you think to be your ice cold fresh soft drink, but turns out you grabbed the one that has been there for 3 days with 2 cigarrette butts in it.

    • @RogerBarraud
      @RogerBarraud Рік тому +4

      Absolutely the best for the job - fitness for purpose is perfection. Kinda tautological I guess.

    • @ronmercer7766
      @ronmercer7766 Рік тому +22

      Fagan has excellent phrasing and great control. He also has character and instant recognition. You hear him sing a phrase and you know it's him (if you're previously familiar with his voice). Take that in your band over technical excellence that has no feel any day of the week.

  • @mathdcarter
    @mathdcarter Рік тому +168

    Aja may be a masterpiece. Gaucho will always be my favorite. It’s so quirky but refined at the same time. And the sound quality is unreal.

    • @davidwollpert5276
      @davidwollpert5276 Рік тому +6

      Certainly agree on the sound quality of Gaucho!

    • @seamusdelahunty1615
      @seamusdelahunty1615 Рік тому +10

      As a s d fan
      Always though gaucho was their masterpiece

    • @thomassicard3733
      @thomassicard3733 Рік тому +8

      The guitarists and their musicianship on Gaucho are astounding.

    • @patsfan4life
      @patsfan4life Рік тому +4

      Really? My least fav of the 6

    • @davidwollpert5276
      @davidwollpert5276 Рік тому +2

      @@patsfan4life your 6 may be upside down. Or are there 3 of their studio albums that are just off your list for some reason?

  • @drumsurfdump
    @drumsurfdump Рік тому +80

    Hello, just a note: Jimmy Hodder (drums) sang Midnight Cruiser. I subbed for Jimmy in his own band on Maui for six weeks in 1977 and the last two weeks of our engagement, Jimmy flew in from England (having recorded and toured with David Soul) the day we opened for George Benson's 'Breezin' tour at the Lahaina Amphitheater. Pressure? I was 22 years old and Jimmy and Benson's drummer, Denny Davis gave me some good-natured ribbing as my "how bad do you want this" sort of thing. Jimmy came up to jam on the drums but mostly liked singing with us as he had been a lead-singer back in his Long Island/Boston early years. A very sweet guy, powerful and skilled drummer, he was generous with his time, lessons, and career advice, so much so that I moved to California 6 months after they went back home. RIP, Jimmy...a really terrific guy.

    • @61moonshine
      @61moonshine Рік тому +20

      Nice story. Great to hear what kind of guy Jim Hodder was from someone who really knew him. It's always been disappointing to me how this guy who drummed on some of the band's classic tracks--Reelin' in the Years, Do It Again, Show Biz Kids, Bodhisattva, My Old School--never really got the credit he deserved. Once Jeff Porcaro came along, Hodder became an afterthought, if that. Of course Porcaro was a legend. But Jim Hodder's drumming holds up as solid, tasteful, and always musical. He never overplayed. He was an integral part of Steely Dan's early sound. He deserves more respect for his contribution to their legacy.

    • @drumsurfdump
      @drumsurfdump Рік тому +17

      @@61moonshine Jimmy really liked Jeff Porcaro and saw him as a real comer. He said that they called him, "The Kid". Jeff and I are exactly the same age which blew me away and made me work harder. On Pretzel Logic, they bought in Jim Gordon (another favorite) and I believe it's Jeff and Jim playing together on Mr. Parker's Band. I'm sure Jimmy was disappointed when they got rid of him and the rest of the band but he didn't show it. His bona-fides are on tape for all the world to hear and he did an excellent job, IMHO. Steely Dan is one of my favorite bands and Jeff spoke of the sessions with them as "playing some of the most prestigious music in my history of doing sessions". I heartily concur. Peace.

  • @jamespardue3055
    @jamespardue3055 Рік тому +117

    Rick's enthusiasm for the music is so freaking contagious. I laughed, I cried, I put on an album!

    • @Jiv_Ing57819
      @Jiv_Ing57819 Рік тому +2

      I was just hearing reelin in the years in my head for first few minutes and then he plays it first, interesting connection.

    • @MrNamePerson
      @MrNamePerson Рік тому +3

      😆 Great line! And Rick is a terrific musician with the heart of a kid.

    • @CadeCYC
      @CadeCYC Рік тому

      Yessss

  • @TheRagingPlatypus
    @TheRagingPlatypus Рік тому +235

    I never really considered Steely Dan a rock band. Steely Dan is...well, Steely Dan. They're their own genre.

    • @Hogprint25
      @Hogprint25 Рік тому +12

      Amen! Second that wholeheartedly!

    • @herrbonk3635
      @herrbonk3635 Рік тому +7

      I always regarded them a pop band, with heavy influences from rock&roll, blues, country, soul, gospel, funk, jazz, and singer songwriter styles.

    • @sblack48
      @sblack48 Рік тому +1

      But their first album was pretty straight ahead poppy RnR

    • @pat5882
      @pat5882 Рік тому +6

      They were something along the lines of an aesthetic. Becker and Fagen wrote the music/lyrics. There are a few songs, I believe, and it’s only Fagen on vocals. Becker sitting in the booth working the board, studio musicians handling the music.

    • @analogkid4957
      @analogkid4957 Рік тому +14

      @@herrbonk3635 when you declare Steely Dan a pop band it humbles them. I know many people view Steely Dan as iconic and deservedly so. The album “ Aja” is a masterpiece similar to to Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. I always thought of Steely Dan as fusion. Aja and Gaucho seem jazzy fusion to me. But labeling them as just a pop band seems like they were also radio friendly and commercial as well as innovative.

  • @shermcat1
    @shermcat1 Рік тому +190

    Katie Lied is their most underrated album - and it gives hints to how they would evolve and do Aja.

    • @rixvspinner
      @rixvspinner Рік тому +12

      It is under-rated as is Countdown To Ecstasy. Still, although I love the song Everyone's Gone To The Movies, it reminds me of Steely Dan's fellow label (ABC Records) mate, Jimmy Buffet. It does a bit and I'm not a Buffet fan.

    • @jorozco13yearsago40
      @jorozco13yearsago40 Рік тому +12

      I mean if you listen to the Katy Lied demos a demo version of Black Cow is on there

    • @countdown2xstacy
      @countdown2xstacy Рік тому +2

      I agree.

    • @stevemd6488
      @stevemd6488 Рік тому +24

      Before the song "Aja" there was "Your Gold Teeth II"

    • @Ryan-mn7gm
      @Ryan-mn7gm Рік тому +1

      100%

  • @katygrischy1642
    @katygrischy1642 Рік тому +170

    When people ask me for my fave all time band and I reply The Dan, I usually get puzzled looks or, "Oh, yeah, I remember them." Finding true Dan Fans isn't that easy, but when you meet one, conversational sparks fly. I've been listening to them daily for at least 50 years.

    • @wheatonna
      @wheatonna Рік тому +8

      I was surprised a couple of years ago to learn that some people can't stand Steely Dan.

    • @Veaseify
      @Veaseify Рік тому +5

      @@wheatonna Yep, I was one of them but its music for grown ups so when I got older I could appreciate it

    • @Laylasoja
      @Laylasoja Рік тому +3

      I know an 60ish year old 80's rocker type guitarist who doesn't think SD should have ever made it, I figure that's because he has no idea on how to play their styles!

    • @chumgrinder25
      @chumgrinder25 Рік тому +1

      Yes, but how many of them just never trust you? ("Katy lies...")

    • @ikkenhisatsu7170
      @ikkenhisatsu7170 Рік тому +1

      I'm a Dan fan. Good to meet you!

  • @jimhart1959
    @jimhart1959 Рік тому +93

    "Don't Take Me Alive" always my favorite Steely Dan song. But it was the Aja album that was my gateway to jazz and greatly expanded my musical universe.

    • @fsinjin60
      @fsinjin60 Рік тому +2

      I was already "onto" jazz, but I thought it meant popular music was heading in that direction. 50 years later, pop still has not. Every once in a great while...

    • @philipStClair-mm4jq
      @philipStClair-mm4jq Рік тому +8

      I love “Don’t Take Me Alive” but not sure it’s my favorite. Thinking back to Aja, I gave a copy to my girlfriend of a little over year when Aja came out for Christmas. She is now my wife of 38 years and our love of Steely Dan music has not only expanded our musical universe but our grown children’s musical universe as well! I also own one of Walter Beckers guitar amps now.

    • @stanleycostello9610
      @stanleycostello9610 Рік тому +3

      With the current mass shootings, l wonder what goes on in murderers people's heads. Agents of the law. Luckless pedestrians. I know you're out there with rage in your eyes and your megaphones...

    • @ronkopald
      @ronkopald Рік тому +1

      ORAGONE

  • @jackstrada5263
    @jackstrada5263 Рік тому +45

    I was born in 76 “we’ll be a ok” in Hanalei, Kauai. My mom was the lead singer/songwriter of a 9 piece jazz all girl band. My dad shaped surfboards and fished. Steely Dan was always on the radio and playing in peoples houses at that time. Their music was the backing track to my early life in Hawaii in the 70’s, and in the early 80’s when we moved to San Diego. Steely Dan is n my DNA, and I could listen to you talk about their music for days. Thank you Rick for all the amazing content you gift us with 🤙🏽

    • @kualua6612
      @kualua6612 Рік тому +2

      I bet it brings back your Kauai days! Too bad you had to move.

    • @JJJJJVVVVVLLLLL
      @JJJJJVVVVVLLLLL Рік тому +2

      sounds like awesome life

    • @markgriskey
      @markgriskey Рік тому +5

      I was born in 1963... I grew up in a world with the greatest music ever... Then it got shittier and shitter ;} lol ...

    • @jackstrada5263
      @jackstrada5263 Рік тому

      @@kualua6612 It does. I moved back in 2008 for a year. It’s not the quite the same place these days

    • @jackstrada5263
      @jackstrada5263 Рік тому +3

      @@JJJJJVVVVVLLLLL It has been, aside from my Mom getting MS and dying slowly, bedridden in a hospital for 20 years, never being able to play music again. Having to drop out of highschool to care for her, then ending up doing heroin with my Dad on and off for 20 years till he died on 4/20 age 69. Finally got my sh together, starting a business I built over 5 years from being homeless. Then the pandemic shut down my business, ended up homeless and on drugs again. Doing much better now 😁

  • @moetrymwm7807
    @moetrymwm7807 10 місяців тому +54

    It truly baffles me when people don't "get" The Dan. Their version of Rock is timeless and so tunefull. Their music connects to a place in me that sparkles pure joy and exaltation.

    • @podlou9939
      @podlou9939 8 місяців тому +10

      I just leave them to it. The complexity is too much for their brains...

    • @jeffsirname
      @jeffsirname 8 місяців тому +5

      @@podlou9939 I've thought about why people mightn't like Steely Dan, the only valid criticisms I have heard is that some of their mixes are a little too "thin", or "sterile", I don't completely agree, but it's interesting to hear critique. To me, Steely Dan are THE perfect band.
      The worst takes are the "It's elevator music", those people can go you know where!

    • @liraloo
      @liraloo 7 місяців тому +6

      ​@@jeffsirnameSteely Dan elevator music?! Them's fighting words!!😄

    • @sub-jec-tiv
      @sub-jec-tiv 7 місяців тому +3

      It’s the same reason many people dislike good classical music. Often these are people who don’t care as much about music as a whole, and the impact of colorful chords. Either they’re casual listeners who have never been exposed to ‘colorful’ chords through classical/jazz/classic pop, or they’re musicians who love punk/basic rock, who legitimately dislike anything that isn’t power chords. The latter category may come around to more colorful music later in life, the former may never.
      Nothing wrong with people liking what they like. I do get annoyed when they act like Steely Dan empirically is bad music, some of the top musicians in the world in a diversity of styles are obsessed with Steely Dan, has been like that for a couple of generations now. I don’t like Taylor Swift’s songs but I wouldn’t say she just sucks, because clearly she’s doing the work to do her own thing. People should enjoy what they enjoy, but man do people say some stupid things about Steely Dan.

    • @lcd2426
      @lcd2426 5 місяців тому

      The responses to this question are a big reason why people dislike “The Dan”. It’s snob rock or the perception of that especially when they stoped functioning as a rock band. I love their first three albums because they were a band and that’s important when it comes to rock. When they stopped being a rock band, while the music was good/great, to me it was just a bunch of session guys nothing organic like a band going in and making that music. Aja is a great album but it doesn’t register as a rock album for me. I just can’t shake the penny loafer Volvo driving polo shirt wearing guy driving around playing later era Steely Dan. It can be snobby just like classical music.

  • @jimmycrackcorn99
    @jimmycrackcorn99 Рік тому +38

    I remember when CDs first arrived on the scene and just about EVERY music equipment store had SD on repeat because it sounded so clean and perfect.

  • @TruthNBible
    @TruthNBible Рік тому +64

    Steely Dan is like that 100 year old scotch that you keep on the top shelf. It’s like fine wine that improves over time. It’s like no other music, no other band.

    • @jeffkilgore6320
      @jeffkilgore6320 10 місяців тому +4

      Precisely.

    • @yeety853
      @yeety853 5 місяців тому +2

      And you can drink it every day!

  • @davidkieltyka9
    @davidkieltyka9 Рік тому +94

    I remember after Aja came out the local Detroit area rock stations played Deacon Blues a lot. I had the album and loved that song in particular. At first I didn’t think there was anything odd about hearing it in-between, say, Aerosmith and AC/DC. But then I started teaching myself guitar and soon realized, “Hey, one of these things is not like the others!” ☺️ Still amazes me that the late ‘70s rock format was flexible enough to allow such a tune to hang with the stadium fillers. We didn’t know how good we had it.

    • @crungefactory
      @crungefactory Рік тому +2

      We do now, though, that's for sure!

    • @seekingwisdom8
      @seekingwisdom8 Рік тому +7

      Wait, I knew how good we had it! In 1973, Elton John was a headliner for one of the grandstand shows during the Iowa State Fair. The show included 3 groups before Elton, with the 3rd group being Steely Dan. Elton was riding high on his "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road tour", and "Countdown to Ecstacy" had been released only a month before. I wanted to see Steely Dan, though Elton sold the place out. Steely Dan didn't play!!! I recall the reason was due to the previous acts playing longer than planned. Shows at the Fairgrounds had to end by 10:00 pm due to residential neighborhoods not even 1/4 mile from the stage. However, commentary over the years on other SD videos claim the 2nd act used SD equipment and blew out their amps. Even though I was thoroughly impressed by Elton's show, especially with how hard he rock and rolled, to this day, I'm still disappointed I didn't get to see Steely Dan.

    • @timn9446
      @timn9446 Рік тому +3

      WABX was dope!

    • @stvitalkid7981
      @stvitalkid7981 Рік тому +2

      This also took place in Winnipeg on 92 CITI-FM in the summer of 78. It had just adopted a rock format in the spring of that year. Even as a high school kid, I picked up on the magnificent world-weariness in Deacon Blues.

    • @RealTJS
      @RealTJS Рік тому +3

      I heard Peg a lot on Detroit radio back then as well.

  • @markmendlovitz9033
    @markmendlovitz9033 Рік тому +48

    Steely Dan has been my favorite musical act since I was a kid. There has never been another that produced the quality or quantity of stunning, complex, gorgeous, brilliant music. There also aren't adjectives to describe how great they were. The pinnacle of music of any genre and era.

  • @johnrichardson1796
    @johnrichardson1796 7 місяців тому +5

    I always come back to Steely Dan for music that always sounds fresh , as a musician I just love all this , Thankyou 🎸👍

  • @emanuelmota7217
    @emanuelmota7217 Рік тому +197

    Steely Dan's style did evolve over those 7 years, but their catalogue is brilliant from the very beginning, up to and including Fagen's solo work.

    • @meatwad61
      @meatwad61 Рік тому +12

      And Becker’s! 11 Tracks of Whack is criminally underrated

    • @lancesabin4114
      @lancesabin4114 Рік тому +1

      Pay anything to see that!!!

    • @DANTEANDOLINI
      @DANTEANDOLINI Рік тому +5

      @@meatwad61 i love the lyrics on 11 tracks. circus money is good too. so glad you mentioned Walter

    • @ih8suvs
      @ih8suvs Рік тому +18

      The Nightfly is flawless. To this day one of the best albums I've ever heard.

    • @better.better
      @better.better Рік тому +3

      there are more and more "creepy" songs the more current the albums get, though. almost the entire album Two Against Nature, in fact. in the past steely Dan songs have a sarcastic twist to them, but these sound like they're written from personal experience, not a sarcastic parody of somebody

  • @rogerfurer2273
    @rogerfurer2273 Рік тому +66

    I remember hearing "Do It Again" on the radio when it first came out. I was blown away. I bought the single (anyone else remember 45's?) and the B-side was "Reeling In The Years" and I was like Whoa! These guys are great! So different from everyone else at the time.

    • @RTDF516
      @RTDF516 Рік тому +9

      As much as I looked forward to hearing SD's tunes on the local rock radio stations back then, the obvious sophistication in the writing and lyrics suggested the music was intended for an audience somewhat older than me and my mid-teens friends- we loved the music but the lyrical references and contexts were largely lost on us. I do appreciate Steely so much more now!

    • @rogerfurer2273
      @rogerfurer2273 Рік тому +5

      @@RTDF516 I was 20 when I first heard them. My drummer was a DJ at the FM station and he was playing stuff from Thelonious Monk, Dave Brubeck, Howling Wolf, Muddy Waters, as well as various obscure and famous rock bands. More variety than anything a few years later (when more FM stations followed and program directors started getting told what "the station's format" had become). At the time, the music was up to the DJs. A much more interesting approach.

    • @ue4058
      @ue4058 Рік тому +6

      Excellent comment. I'm grateful to be "of an age" where Steely Dan's music has always been in my life. Those early singles were like nothing else on the radio in the early '70s, and I got to follow along as they got even more sophisticated and arguably even better, if that's possible. They're utterly unique.

    • @tomp538
      @tomp538 Рік тому

      Yup! and Yup!

    • @ricopetrilli1084
      @ricopetrilli1084 Рік тому

      I thought it was Santana when I first heard it.

  • @sassulusmagnus
    @sassulusmagnus Рік тому +56

    Love the way Denny Diaz ends his solo in Do it Again. Nobody else would have chosen to do it that way. Likewise Elliott Randall with his solo work on Reeling in the Years and Jay Graydon's solo on Peg. Highly original, quirky approaches from all of these players. Then there is the jaw dropping work of Larry Carlton on Kid Charlemagne. Mind numbingly great stuff.

    • @bramposthumus9300
      @bramposthumus9300 Рік тому +6

      All carried by the inimitable Purdie shuffle....

    • @jimshipp7776
      @jimshipp7776 8 місяців тому

      Yes, they are one of a kind.

    • @DP-kt5wr
      @DP-kt5wr 6 місяців тому

      Denny is pure perfection. His phrasing and timing is exquisite.

    • @zabaleta66
      @zabaleta66 5 місяців тому +1

      All these years, I didn't know Larry Carlton worked with Steely Dan! I loved Larry's solo work back in the day.

    • @granthurlburt4062
      @granthurlburt4062 3 місяці тому +1

      Kid Charlemagne & Dont Take me Alive are my two favourite for music. Caves of Altamira for the lyrics and feel.

  • @BobNSuch
    @BobNSuch Рік тому +44

    I love all of Steely Dan's work. However my favorite album has to be The Royal Scam, Larry Carlton's work on some of those songs was just flawless. It was their best guitar album out of the bunch in my opinion.

    • @snit22
      @snit22 Рік тому +5

      Yes. However, not just guitar: the music, the lyrics, all of the musicians. Royal scam is the album (of any album) I would choose on an island if I could only have one album

    • @rickwithasilentp7549
      @rickwithasilentp7549 Рік тому +6

      Royal Scam, the song, plays in rotation at a restaurant I frequent. I pointed it out to the 23 year old waitress, and told her what the song was about. Her response of disinterest did not bridge our 40 year difference in age; however, I do know youngsters who do appreciate great music. I won't give up with sharing my appreciation and the pleasure I derive from music with anyone interested.

    • @Mouse2113
      @Mouse2113 24 дні тому +1

      Totally agree, the best

  • @Speedo2550
    @Speedo2550 Рік тому +51

    It was 1977 and I was 7 years old and going through my moms record collection which was in several wicker baskets. I got to Aja- it was still in the wrapper - the cover was fascinating to me and elicited much curiosity. I unwrapped it and put it on the turntable. I knew I was hearing something special. My obsession with recording started that day.

    • @kemlay2451
      @kemlay2451 Рік тому

      had same experience but album was Desolation Angels

  • @boomerdell
    @boomerdell Рік тому +16

    Steely Dan’s entire catalog is absolute treasure. Love all their fascinating incarnations.

  • @jimbintz2424
    @jimbintz2424 Рік тому +17

    Steely Dan's sonic landscape was undiscovered country in the 70s. Nothing like it had ever been heard. The keys, the rhythms, 50 years on it still sounds fresh.

  • @smondello
    @smondello 7 місяців тому +8

    Jim Hodder’s lead vocals on Midnite Cruiser is beautiful. One of my favorite tracks.

  • @Phoebedumplings
    @Phoebedumplings Рік тому +33

    Last year I finally got around to learning the chords to a Black Cow, I’m a better man for it…the world is a better place because of that song….outrageous

    • @davidwhitney6394
      @davidwhitney6394 Рік тому +4

      My favorite off Aja

    • @carladean6117
      @carladean6117 Рік тому +8

      'In the corner . . . . of my eye' 👁

    • @seeburg10
      @seeburg10 Рік тому +3

      Rudy's is a real dive bar in the Hells Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan.

    • @Phoebedumplings
      @Phoebedumplings Рік тому +3

      @@seeburg10 yes! I made a little pilgrimage there back in 2018 , I couldn’t be in Manhattan and not go there, is that weird ? 😅

    • @seeburg10
      @seeburg10 Рік тому +2

      @@Phoebedumplings not at all! My local friend took me there for the same reason. I liked it on its own merits too.

  • @webexpertcharlie
    @webexpertcharlie Рік тому +21

    I love Rick’s enthusiasm. He’s a master of his craft and also a humble fan.

  • @jonathanfloming1045
    @jonathanfloming1045 7 місяців тому +6

    I've been a loyal fan since the debut album...they are all absolutely amazing...from beginning to end. RIP Walter Becker.

  • @bensanders1082
    @bensanders1082 Рік тому +41

    Rick is just one of the most interesting follows on UA-cam. Such a talented guy and brings so much info.

  • @paulmaynard408
    @paulmaynard408 Рік тому +21

    The joy of Steely Dan is that the music still excites you after all these years. It’s just beautiful.

  • @HyzersGR
    @HyzersGR Рік тому +27

    So glad you didn’t skip over Night by Night. Such an underrated gem of a song that usually gets overlooked even by long time Steely Dan fans

    • @icon1105
      @icon1105 Рік тому

      Hi. Congrats you've been choosen randomly for our today's Giveaway follow the instructions above to acknowledge your prize.🎉🎉🎊🎊!!!... ❤️‍💯💯!!!

    • @JohnHancotte
      @JohnHancotte Рік тому +2

      They played it at Chastain Park in Atlanta this past month June 2022. Loved hearing it as the opening Dan tune of the show.

    • @DANTEANDOLINI
      @DANTEANDOLINI Рік тому +2

      the song that made me an sd addict. making pretzel logic the first album i bought when i left home to join the military and lost access to my familys record collection. next day i went and bought the lot. that was over 25 yrs ago. now i've seen them 3 times (i live in england. lol. if american i'd follow them round. i got all my girlfriends into them. crowbar them in with a tune you know they'd like. my last g/f got really serious into music and i woke one morning to her actually listening to one of my charlie parker albums. can't help but love them. best lyricists ever with music that makes your body move. love home at last. charlie parker was the sound track to heroin. steely dan finished it off with music and lyrics. love home at last. love em all. literally saved my life. their music got me through countless detox's. daddy don't live in that new york city no more. larry carlton.

    • @jamesreding6336
      @jamesreding6336 Рік тому +1

      It could be a scam don't trust it

    • @JohnHancotte
      @JohnHancotte Рік тому

      @@jamesreding6336 that's quite a name, I must say

  • @georgemarie2049
    @georgemarie2049 Рік тому +13

    Rick, you take our enjoyment of this music to another level. Much appreciated.

  • @Porsche996driver
    @Porsche996driver 5 місяців тому +4

    I was about 16 and just started driving.
    We had a giant Buick Riviera cruiser with a great stereo for the time. It was perfect harmony whenever an Aja song came on the FM radio. ✨

  • @BayouMaccabee
    @BayouMaccabee Рік тому +24

    This was really cool. Steely Dan is the only group I know where every one of their albums is different than the rest, yet they are the same at the same time.
    Meaning that each is stylistically different, but they all sound like Steely Dan.

    • @leeadickes7235
      @leeadickes7235 Рік тому +2

      Give Ween a listen. Start with quebec or white pepper. Then their 12 golden country greats. Song to song album to album they touch every genre and keep changing. Very creative, very underated, but always recognizable. I thInk Rick don't like them. I've never heard him mention them once. SD, black sabbath, ween, the Beatles and Jethro tull is my top 5 go to bands.

    • @BayouMaccabee
      @BayouMaccabee Рік тому

      @@leeadickes7235 I gave Ween a bunch of listens many many years ago and they weren't really up my alley then, but I'm older now and my musical tastes have evolved & matured, so Ween probably deserves a deeper investigation now on my part.
      Which 3 Ween albums should I start with and in what order should I listen to them?

    • @MaxPaws
      @MaxPaws Рік тому

      Study The Beatles… same… they broke new ground with every album and took us to a new place every time… and yet there was no mistaking who the band was.

  • @coachnd8139
    @coachnd8139 Рік тому +23

    Aja was a monumental album. I would put it in my top 10 along with the Beatles Abbey Road.

  • @philweight3480
    @philweight3480 9 місяців тому +9

    'Do It Again' off the first album has big pre-echoes of Aja, the cool jazz-Latin vibe, quirky instrumentals, and obtuse lyric. Masterpiece.

    • @72seeker72
      @72seeker72 8 місяців тому +1

      Do It Again might be my favorite Dan song of all time. It's Genius!

  • @RobertTempleton64
    @RobertTempleton64 Рік тому +57

    Congratulations on reaching 3M, Rick! Rick, don't lose that number. Here's to the day that they pay YOU to play their music instead of demonetization. :)

    • @same.7939
      @same.7939 Рік тому

      We see what you did there!

  • @kevinmccarthy4088
    @kevinmccarthy4088 Рік тому +20

    This is such a wonderfully self indulgent video. I could listen to analyses of Dan material for weeks on end. Great job, Rick!

  • @FelizardoBojorquez
    @FelizardoBojorquez 6 місяців тому +3

    I just love how rock bands were so rich on vocals back in the 70s. Never get tired of that, and I was born in '85.

  • @davidrichards3872
    @davidrichards3872 9 місяців тому +5

    Thank you Rick. and .. Thank you Steely Dan for not blocking their amazing work you are recalling for the one's who need to know this music history.

  • @tonystone8584
    @tonystone8584 Рік тому +104

    Learning steely Dan on guitar took my guitar playing to an entire different level. If you’re a guitarist who’s in a rut, learn those songs. Peg is a great one to start off on.

    • @ChrisIn2010
      @ChrisIn2010 Рік тому +5

      I’ll bet that’s true with piano too

    • @emanuelmota7217
      @emanuelmota7217 Рік тому +4

      @@ChrisIn2010 Not to mention song composition, lyrics, sound engineering, scouting studio talent ...

    • @mrt3959
      @mrt3959 Рік тому +1

      Tony,me too, I forced myself to do it for that very reason...and I love Steely Dan! Also was the same for piano, made me a totally different musician...never thought I'd play jazz chords. They taught me!

    • @gazmasonik2411
      @gazmasonik2411 Рік тому +6

      I got the entire tombe OF their chords ,music and lyrics.,, i thought RUSH were difficult!!. 3 months later our mostly covers band 1 hour set at nearby pubs managed to add Josie & pretzel logic. The latter easier but few songs without more chords than bars! The mind melting Bb major 9 add 11 or... hard to believe inventions/inversions or "dislocations" to be medically apt. While attempting vocal harmonies..??. haha! Fun. Not for the main(drinking) audience Certainly great memories. Serious Respect to any guitarists or bands able to pull it off👍😎

    • @pridgeondesigngroup1479
      @pridgeondesigngroup1479 Рік тому

      I had a similar experience learning God Only Knows on guitar. Many of those chords are difficult to play on guitar and I had to learn them of a couple weeks. Once I learned them they became part of my routine when trying to find new progressions. There are so many layers to the GOK record, sometimes the chord progression gets under appreciated.

  • @ursafan40
    @ursafan40 Рік тому +26

    I was a Freshman in high school when "Can't Buy A Thrill" came out.
    It seemed a very important album.
    Like there were great things ahead.
    There were.

  • @marcbentel4129
    @marcbentel4129 Рік тому +31

    I Respect Aja and Gaucho and I enjoy them but I just love the rawness of "Pretzel Logic" and all the earlier albums They're just so unique , Steely Dan is the best band I have ever listened to " My Old School" is prob my favorite the brass the solo the piano the arrangement the melody and ... I could just go on and on!

  • @kitrichardson2165
    @kitrichardson2165 11 місяців тому +6

    My favorite band. On some days it’s the Beatles or The Beach Boys but most days if I had to take one bands catalog to the desert island, it would be this band- You just never get tired of the music. It’s so exultingly fresh!

  • @boogiecats
    @boogiecats Рік тому +12

    Walter Becker.. not mentioned much but definitely one half of the brain that forms Steely Dan.

  • @sdatch99
    @sdatch99 Рік тому +20

    The Denny Dias observation from "Do it Again" is dead on. The phrasing of that solo is incredible. Like, there's phrasing and then there's PHRASING...

  • @micdrop-jh3pf
    @micdrop-jh3pf Рік тому +6

    Aja was my introduction to jazz and I haven't left since. My musical preference is eclectic, but always fall back on jazz - it's a part of my soul and Aja helped me get there. Thank you for covering Steely Dan!

  • @nikkidehart4315
    @nikkidehart4315 Рік тому +35

    Wow. Haitian Divorce (my all time favorite song) on The Royal Scam (my all time favorite album). Even if you take away the mixed in talk box effect that guitar ride-out by Dean Parks STILL gives me goose bumps.

  • @ricboden4553
    @ricboden4553 Рік тому +74

    Keep in mind that Pretzel Logic is the transition point from the original band line-up to using the LA studio pros like Parks, Paich, Porcaro, Purdy because that’s when they moved from NYC. Katy Lied was all studio cats with Diaz, Becker and Fagen. I think the influence of using West Coast pros had a profound influence on their chord quality. Gary Katz is also the unsung hero of Steely Dan. He deserves as much kudos as George Martin has with the Beatles. Rick you missed the best part of Night By Night which is Skunk Baxter’s ripper guitar solo.

    • @davidzack8875
      @davidzack8875 Рік тому +18

      I’m surprised that Rick didn’t break down any songs from Katy Lied. I think there is a natural progression from songs like “Doctor Wu” to the material on Aja. I like The Royal Scam just fine, but to me it’s a step back into rock/blues/funk territory.

    • @jml-rj5re
      @jml-rj5re Рік тому +5

      The cats could play the chords.

    • @seeburg10
      @seeburg10 Рік тому +8

      @@davidzack8875 My thoughts exactly. And Michael Omartian's piano is the key connection between Katy Lied and Aja. When Royal Scam came out I thought, cool rock sound but kind of harsh. Where's the smooth complexity of Doctor Wu or Bad Sneakers? The former would fit on Aja as--is; Bad Sneakers with a slightly different arrangement would fit too.

    • @benvye4279
      @benvye4279 Рік тому +7

      They actually moved to LA to record their first album, Can't Buy a Thrill. They got a job at ABC Dunhill records as songwriters through Gary Katz, who was a staff producer at ABC Dunhill and eventually Katz told them to form their own band. So they sent for Dias, Baxter, Hodder and David Palmer, who were in New York. Their transition began during Pretzel Logic sessions when they started to use LA studio ace players.

    • @studiobencivengamarcusbenc5272
      @studiobencivengamarcusbenc5272 Рік тому +3

      Night by night is the cool smash hit - I get shivers even writing about - and I know there are so many 🤗😂💪🏼

  • @christheother9088
    @christheother9088 Рік тому +22

    First heard Aja back in my hang gliding days, usually while making the long drive home from the mountains. To this day I think of flying while listening to it. Pure magic.

  • @TheNamesJER
    @TheNamesJER Рік тому +19

    Idk how to explain it properly, but I feel like you can definitely hear the jazz influence all the way back from Can’t Buy a Thrill, but man does Aja just blow everything out of the water imo. Such an incredible album and nails the sound they had been building up over the albums.

  • @baselinesweb
    @baselinesweb 4 дні тому

    Your reactions to insane guitar licks are priceless. Makes me smile everytime. I'm right there with you.

  • @orion681
    @orion681 Рік тому +11

    Been literally listening to a ton of Dan lately. Simply the best musicians of a century combined with that smooth sound. Your interview with Purdie was top notch.

    • @LarreeHollywood
      @LarreeHollywood Рік тому

      I loved that band from the moment I heard the opening lick to Reelin' in the Years on an AM radio when I was a lad.

    • @AyeCarumba221
      @AyeCarumba221 Рік тому

      Literally? Like you put the music on a scale and weighed it, and it weighed a ton?

  • @hulldanfan
    @hulldanfan Рік тому +28

    Gaucho contains some of the best Dan songs ever.
    The title track, Hey 19, Babylon Sisters and the epic Third World Man.
    Ain't no filler here !!

    • @casparuskruger4807
      @casparuskruger4807 Рік тому +2

      I agree. Rick's assessment of Gaucho is bizarre. It's like he has never listened to the album. Maybe he hasn't.

    • @jamesrudd8705
      @jamesrudd8705 Рік тому +3

      it was a major drop in quality from Aja. is it a good album? Yes. Is it a great album like Aja? No.

    • @casparuskruger4807
      @casparuskruger4807 Рік тому

      @@jamesrudd8705 "Major Drop"? Hardly.
      Are you a musician perchance?

    • @a2ndopynyn
      @a2ndopynyn Рік тому +1

      Not a big fan of Hey 19, but Time Out Of Mind is one of their very best, IMO.

    • @johncelticbhoy1030
      @johncelticbhoy1030 Рік тому

      @@casparuskruger4807 no, actually Rick's assessment is right. the single best thing about Gaucho is the cover! Nice painting of a couple dancing a tango. The only musical highlight is Larry Carlton's guitar playing. The lyrics are pointlessly obscure and even juvenile. I wasn't surprised when they broke up after that awful album. It was so disappointing to me that when the Nightfly came out I almost didn't buy it. But I liked the single I.G.Y. so I went ahead and bought the Nightfly - and found it to be head and shoulders above Gaucho. Ever since i've wondered if Gaucho was a "contractual obligation" type of album. And now I know I'm not the only one who suspects that.

  • @arthurford829
    @arthurford829 7 місяців тому +3

    3.1k comments! Amazing! 50 years since Can’t Buy A Thrill! Incredible! It’s so cool to hear the stories behind the soundtrack of my life… Steely Dan!

  • @jimplummer4879
    @jimplummer4879 Рік тому +10

    The songwriting and musicianship is perfect

  • @pamelawatson2366
    @pamelawatson2366 Рік тому +39

    Yeah Ajah has to be one of the best albums ever composed. How were they ever expected to better that! But they still remain one of the best bands on the planet.

  • @rumsfield78
    @rumsfield78 Рік тому +55

    I just saw them on Father's Day near Chicago. Killer setlist and great show. Snarky Puppy opened.

    • @litashstrat
      @litashstrat Рік тому +1

      Cool

    • @chasechilcoate4476
      @chasechilcoate4476 Рік тому +2

      Saw them in cinci

    • @TremorBear
      @TremorBear Рік тому +1

      BOOM!

    • @jerrystephenson1172
      @jerrystephenson1172 Рік тому +3

      Yes, if you get a chance to experience a live show, It can be life changing. Absolutely the best live show ever, I have seen, & I have seen mostly all the greats of the classic rock era.

    • @jimyoung9262
      @jimyoung9262 Рік тому +1

      That must have been awesome

  • @richardlouis1284
    @richardlouis1284 Рік тому +4

    Steely Dan is one of those bands with their songs 🎵 that bring me back to driving late at night 🌉🌙 in my youth. Powerful

  • @jrodjohn
    @jrodjohn Рік тому +4

    I grew up listening to the Dan and Nightfly. Now 30 plus years later I still feel youthful because of this timeless music. So many fabulous tracks every single album just keeps on giving. Thank you Don and Walter x

  • @JosSliv
    @JosSliv Рік тому +3

    My favorite Steely Dan song...whichever one I'm listening to.

    • @icon1105
      @icon1105 Рік тому

      Hi. Congrats you've been choosen randomly for our today's Giveaway follow the instructions above to acknowledge your prize.🎉🎉🎊🎊!!!... ❤️‍💯💯🎁🎁

  • @xpicklepie
    @xpicklepie Рік тому +20

    Steely always had the best studio guys. They had a new band for every song, practically. Then they went to California for Aja & Gaucho had an all-star cast of L.A. heavyweights. Steve Khan and Mark Knopfler on Gaucho, Larry C on Aja & Royal Scam. Dave Grolnick on keys for Babylon, Pete Christlieb on sax for FM and Deacon Blues, Gadd, Marotta & J Keltner on Aja. Michael McDonald background vocals. Victor Feldman Black Cow solo. These individual performances are solid gold and Steely had them on every album. Engineer Roger Nichols has always been an unspoken hero in the Steely sound as well.
    My favorite Dan tune is off of CBAT it's Turn That Heartbeat Over Again. Great songcrafting.

    • @TheR6R6R
      @TheR6R6R Рік тому

      That one doesn't get enough recognition. It's actually pretty ambitious in its structure, and I think if it was arranged differently it could very well be a great fit for Aja.

    • @johnypitman2368
      @johnypitman2368 Рік тому +1

      These guys were engineers or architects of song writing. So technical i dont know anyone who aplies such perfection except maybe pink floyd

    • @frederickglasser5617
      @frederickglasser5617 Рік тому

      For CBAT I'd say midnight cruiser or dirty work.

  • @sfperalta
    @sfperalta Рік тому +3

    Every time I tune into a Rick video I never know what he's going to cover.... but I'm never disappointed. His breakdowns of music are endlessly fascinating.

  • @emiliog.4432
    @emiliog.4432 Рік тому +2

    Rick Beato is keeping the music alive 4 everyone.

  • @Snarkapotamus
    @Snarkapotamus Рік тому +28

    "Babs and clean Willy were in love they said, so in love, the preacher's face turned red!" - The Dan has such an eclectic mix of weird-ass lyricism and flat out brilliant musicianship that at times it seemed they were poking fun at just about everything else out there...

    • @222wylie
      @222wylie Рік тому +4

      Love the reggae vibe.

    • @reverb.deluxe
      @reverb.deluxe Рік тому +8

      The best lyricists pack more into a single line than others do in a whole song.

    • @emanuelmota7217
      @emanuelmota7217 Рік тому +4

      @@reverb.deluxe "Now we dolly back. Now we fade to black." The best directors always leave the nasty bits to the imagination.

    • @djmcconn1087
      @djmcconn1087 Рік тому +2

      They were poking fun at everything

  • @TheGreatBlackBird
    @TheGreatBlackBird Рік тому +71

    I heard Donald say in an interview that he and Walter prepared two notebooks with different songs when they were starting out. The first one had all the pop songs in it and it was the one they showed the record labels. The other one was called "dynamite".

    • @MiniShowProductions
      @MiniShowProductions Рік тому +3

      love the dynamite shout haha

    • @mtbness5028
      @mtbness5028 Рік тому +1

      I love that idea, and can totally see it! Clearly, they knew what they were doing. The whole time!🤟😎

  • @WilliamHBaird-eq2hp
    @WilliamHBaird-eq2hp Рік тому +9

    Steely Dan was the band in the 1970's that really blew my hair back as kid... The guitar work on "Katy Lied" was amazing, and then of course their ultimate Album "Aja" changed everything and opened my mind into new musical tastes and experiences,

  • @dansavik7137
    @dansavik7137 8 місяців тому +4

    It is incredible how popular they are, really special music. Really versatile.

  • @k8923
    @k8923 Рік тому +70

    They had to get us rockers hooked on the earlier stuff (you know, stuff we could actually play in our college band) so that we'd have a chance to get more sophisticated along the way and appreciate Aja and Gaucho for the musical masterpieces that they were. Have to admit though, my favorite section of any of Steely Dan's songs, the one that always cracks me up, is when the horns play California tumbling into the sea from My Old School.

    • @nigelthebald
      @nigelthebald Рік тому +2

      I love that bit too!

    • @moehammondmedia
      @moehammondmedia Рік тому +10

      The Royal Scam is thee masterpiece. 👍🏾👍🏾

    • @glencurtis2761
      @glencurtis2761 Рік тому +7

      Brilliant song My Old School. For that matter, I don't think there is a single band, including the Beatles, who produced less filler per album than Steely Dan. Every damn song they made was great.

    • @VallinSFAS
      @VallinSFAS Рік тому +7

      I do love that cynical verse "California...that'll be the day..."! I loved it when I was 11 years old and had no idea what he meant.

    • @ChrisIn2010
      @ChrisIn2010 Рік тому

      I always felt similarly, on top of their frankly being ‘allowed’ to

  • @wd-4034
    @wd-4034 Рік тому +17

    I love Jeff "Skunk" Baxter's bluesy guitar solo on "Rikki don't lose that number." Today's modern musicians don't even come close! I've been a SD fan since 1974.

    • @iluvj50
      @iluvj50 Рік тому +5

      Me too. To my ears it's Skunk's take on Jimi, especially "The Wind Cries Mary."

    • @MrDallman
      @MrDallman Рік тому

      Totally agree…also the solo on “Boston rag” from CTE is ,for me , mind altering…Skunk is right up with the best.
      Been a Dan fan forever and ever.

  • @flexjay87
    @flexjay87 Рік тому +12

    Dirty Work is such a good song all the way around, especially the story/ lyrics . Do it again was a song from my childhood, and so its a favorite of mine also. The Dan has such a great body of work, that even those of us who cannot read music can really appreciate their talent more and more, as time goes by !

    • @pgwphoto
      @pgwphoto 9 місяців тому

      Dirty Work chorus always reminds me CS & N.

  • @ChromaticHarp
    @ChromaticHarp Рік тому +1

    Rick, Larry’s solo on Everything You Did is incredible and never gets mentioned! It’s a lesson in perfectly in tune bending!

  • @koho
    @koho Рік тому +17

    Don't overlook the lyrics. Always great, evocative, insouciant. And they could tell a great story (Kid Charlemagne, Haitian Divorce).

  • @ronjon5386
    @ronjon5386 Рік тому +8

    Don’t take me alive is one of my favorite tunes. It’s just so damn grooving. As a drummer it’s a dream to play

  • @remusredbone1214
    @remusredbone1214 Рік тому +2

    I think I could listen to “Don’t Take Me Alive” a dozen times a day and not get tired of it.

  • @dylansmith3660
    @dylansmith3660 Рік тому +15

    Rick, you're just like me. I love to analyze root note movement and chord changes in a song. Steely Dan has DELICIOUS ear candy chord changes and inversions that makes me love their music from the get go. Their sus2, sus4, minor 7th, and major 9th chords are legendary - mu chord anyone? :) But, it's because of their jazz background that allows them to cleverly sub chords and add subtle substitutions throughout, not to mention to pepper their songs with countless enharmonic chords and inversions. Of course later on, their album 'Aja' became synonymous with tightly woven jazz harmonies - 2nds, 9ths, inversions, minor11 , 13 chords - along with brilliant musicianship. Those tight harmonies were made prevalent in the horn and guitar arrangements. I have a classical and jazz background and years of music training. Steely Dan feeds my audio soul and are fodder for the things I learned musically. Thank you for another GREAT video. This was wonderful.

    • @garyleming3820
      @garyleming3820 Рік тому +1

      Except jazz players don't put it together that way! I am a long time jazz and Steely Dan fan. I think SD has come up with a whole new vocabulary with it's own syntax, related to, but not really jazz.

  • @TheGarageRecordingSC
    @TheGarageRecordingSC Рік тому +3

    I can listen to Steely Dan anytime. I never get sick of them. The Royal Scam is my favorite.

  • @reddrockingeezer
    @reddrockingeezer Рік тому +8

    I was a sophomore at university when Can't Buy a Thrill was released. It is one of a very few "perfect" albums, in my opinion. There are no bad songs, nothing to ship. I still love playing it today.

  • @DreamsongsProductions
    @DreamsongsProductions Рік тому +1

    I saw Steely Dan on the title so I canceled my mix session, got me a drink, sat comfy on my chair and gave an instant "like" before pressing play.😎

  • @christophercarlimages9003
    @christophercarlimages9003 Рік тому +3

    I'm convinced that Rick's knowledge of AOR/Classic Rock from the 60-90s is UNPARALLELED! Love listening to him analyze songs!

  • @Thunder7ga
    @Thunder7ga Рік тому +5

    Steely Dan was so good.....many memories were created with my Dad listening to them.

  • @lonewolffullmoon
    @lonewolffullmoon Рік тому +31

    Donald Fagen is a genius!
    Rick you need to interview Donald
    Especially for his solo album The Nightfly

    • @jackstrada5263
      @jackstrada5263 Рік тому +3

      YES!!! PLEASE

    • @frederikmarohn6358
      @frederikmarohn6358 Рік тому

      I believe rick attempted to reach out to Donald Fagen but to no avail.

    • @wcgwcg9934
      @wcgwcg9934 Рік тому +2

      I believe Jeff Porcaro was drummer on most tracks of The Nightfly , along with Katy Lied Album

    • @danfromnewwie
      @danfromnewwie Рік тому

      Absolutely! I'd watch that!! 👍👍

  • @theageoftheawakening4806
    @theageoftheawakening4806 Рік тому +20

    They have so many songs in regular rotation on the radio. No artist has that many songs currently on radio. Not in NYC. There's gotta be 6 steely Dan songs you could hear any day of the week. I'm almost 50 and I don't own any of their albums but I like a Lot of their songs.

    • @philliesfan1971
      @philliesfan1971 Рік тому +1

      There are so many great songs on all of their albums.It's well worth listening to all of them.

    • @cfneal1459
      @cfneal1459 Рік тому

      @@philliesfan1971 and Rick gets it!
      And passes it along to us.
      ain't it a wonderful life?

    • @bustedflatpickr
      @bustedflatpickr 8 місяців тому

      I live in Florida, and unfortunately the band with that many songs on the rock stations (it after all, mostly nu-country) is The Eagles 😔

  • @garylove5475
    @garylove5475 Рік тому +3

    I can’t enough of Rick’s videos. His expertise is obviously off the scale but his enthusiasm and enjoyment of other’s talents shines through and never fails to cheer me up. I have played keys for near on 5 decades and my pals have found me a little odd when I listen to music as it is the subtle little changes and production elements that get me. .

  • @simonhodgetts6530
    @simonhodgetts6530 Рік тому +84

    The Royal Scam was the first Dan album I heard, then Don Fagen’s The Nightfly, which has New Frontier, probably my all time favourite song, and then I devoured them all! Gaucho has to be my most played album though! Had the privilege of seeing them play live in the early 2000s……

    • @rksnj6797
      @rksnj6797 Рік тому +10

      Love The Nightfly!

    • @oifvet7487
      @oifvet7487 Рік тому +4

      Gaucho is my favorite as well

    • @brennangoldman6661
      @brennangoldman6661 Рік тому +5

      Gaucho is my favorite SD album, Night Fly is one of my fav sings as well

    • @babylemonade2868
      @babylemonade2868 Рік тому +2

      When I bought a new cartridge for my record player the Nightfly was the record he used to demonstrate. That album sounds phenomenal and I love I.G.Y.

    • @pauldi7268
      @pauldi7268 Рік тому +2

      IGY is also a phenomenal song!

  • @ieldepiel
    @ieldepiel Рік тому +12

    My favorite band! Saw them live in Adam.
    Got their music for 15 yrs straight in my car.
    Their songs get greater and greater

  • @davidl.7317
    @davidl.7317 Рік тому +1

    I just got tickets for Steely Dan. I have never seen them live. I cannot wait.

  • @jeffthewhiff
    @jeffthewhiff Рік тому +19

    "Do It Again" by Steely Dan is definitely my favorite tune by them. Great song!

    • @berndlober8194
      @berndlober8194 Рік тому +1

      i played it often in Funk-Soul-Sets in Clubs and it works great...

    • @naj_z
      @naj_z Рік тому +1

      I like it, but mannnn they have so much more goodness. Do it again is a bit repetitive (but great great don’t get me wrong). They have songs with such cool chord progressions. Explore it!

  • @jpmojo
    @jpmojo Рік тому +11

    Aja is my go to record when I add or subtract speakers or other gear to my circa 1979 Technics receiver. It’s just sounds sooooo great.

    • @thomassicard3733
      @thomassicard3733 Рік тому

      Gaucho works equally well - especially for guitar work.

  • @frandeig66
    @frandeig66 Рік тому +4

    "Midnight Cruiser" was my FAVOURITE Steely Dan song for years! It was one of those tunes that always seemed to sum up my life at points. I'm so glad I'm not alone in appreciating its brilliance.

  • @paulvandergriendt950
    @paulvandergriendt950 Рік тому +3

    I have always been a big Steely Dan fan since their first hit on the radio and I admire your great wealth of knowledge and musicianship.
    I think it is more accurate to say that Steely Dan didn't change their sound so much as they evolved in their song writing skills, style and direction.

  • @UKSportsFan
    @UKSportsFan Рік тому +13

    Steely Dan had major crossover appeal. Even as a hard rock/grunge/metal guy, I always liked Steely Dan and had some of their records (CDs).

    • @mogsy2112
      @mogsy2112 Рік тому +1

      I'm a big metal head and I own every Dan CD. They're so good.

  • @tomg_2
    @tomg_2 Рік тому +5

    Their music just puts you in such a rocking, chill mood.