Lee, thank you for doing steely Sundays! I have been watching your channel for quite a while. Your reviews are off the charts! It blows my mind that a young man, such as you can appreciate the music of Steely Dan. I also appreciate that you listen to the whole song before you give your review. Many music reaction channels start and stop the song and give a critique. Lee, I know life has its ups and downs. I have seen you struggle at times because of your situation. please keep your head up! I think you have one of the best music reaction channels on UA-cam. You are very articulate with your words and your reviews you’re very professional. You’re a very intelligent young man, and I see you becoming very successful in life. I also think that you have the skills to write music reviews for different music publications, such as Rolling Stones. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I am very proud of you. Keep up the good work! I know it’s going to pay off for you one day. God bless. ✌️🎵👏🙏
I can't listen to any tune on this album without my head immediately jumping into the next tune! Gotta finish with "My Rival" and then of course "Third World Man." All soo good! Thanks for the reactions!
The line "perfection and grace" always sends a chill up my spine. The way it is enunciated and emphasized is, well, perfection and grace. Great reaction as usual. You are an unusually perceptive young man.
If you haven't reacted to it already, Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits "Sultans of Swing" was a significant landmark for sure. I have seen a lot of reactions to this great live of them doing it, but to really appreciate it, I really think you should hear the studio cut; it was what exploded all over the radio for a while. I was just learning electric guitar after having played acoustic for a couple of years, and I got so many insights and ideas from listening to the 45 RPM single over and over. I don't think I really appreciated the lyrics at that age, but as I get older, I just think it's a brilliant piece of writing. And for someone who has played in bands a lot over the years like me, it just rings so true in certain ways.
One of the coolest recordings they ever did, soundwise. The lyrics are about getting a taste of hard drugs, but the music feels like a celebration of youthfulness, "perfection and grace": the groove is near weightless. With different lyrics it could almost have been a Beach Boys track... :)
Yacht rock for the win! 😎 Such a great song, and a killer recording. I've never thought about the link back to their earlier stuff, but I agree that it's there. Anyways, nice reaction. Think back to where you started Lee, and now you can hold forth about the intricacies of Steely Dan's studio sidemen. 😄
Great reaction Lee-especially when you say you’re mad because it’s about to end. I can never play this song just once, I put it on repeat for about 30 minutes. My fave Dan song.
Yes, if they had been a proper live band at the time and had toured for the album, I feel sure they would have spun out the solos considerably longer - both in the middle of the song and at the end. This is the kind of track that calls out to be extended... :)
Donald Fagen played some synthesizer for Rickie Lee Jones’ second album - Pirates which came out several months after Gaucho. You can hear his influence in the stellar “A Lucky Guy.’ Any track on that album is gold.
Walter had basically retreated into rehab/seclusion, and that was the end of SD. Yeah, "Chasing the Dragon" is basically running down whatever trips your trigger - your addiction - and eventually, vice versa, and if it's 'direct from Lhasa' (Tibet), no doubt an opioid. It's probably The Dan's best song - Mark Knopfler on guitar and unmistakable backing vocals of Michael McDonald.
Heroin + Time Out of Mind. The Happy Lyrics fool ya every time,,,, Water may turn to Cherry Wine.... Silver (spoon) turns to Gold. Could not decide to Needle or Base...
Perfect album. I urge you though to also check out Donald’s solo stuff. Here’s two tracks for you: Ruby Baby with such a dance feel it’s impossible not to drift away into paradise and Teahouse on the Tracks,a jazzy jam session with an irresistible beat and brilliant lyrics (as always)
Kick that gong around, chase the dragon, hop house, jazz cigarettes, hipster slang. Many a musician has used opiates, Walter was no exception. Dr. Wu? Lee, SD are kings of the outro. In some fade outs you'll hear some wild guitar or drum fills (Chain Lightning, Night by Night with Porcaro).
This would be the official last lyrically themed drug song. Dr. Wu, Here at the Western World, Kid Charlemagne, My Old School, Babylon Sisters, Hey Nineteen, just off the top of my head, are about, or involving some sort of drug, or alcohol. 😉
The double-layered rhythmic textures here is something Donald carried over to The Nightfly, I guess - if you listen to his vocal lines and the brass, the drums are hitting on the off beat...The keyboards and the drums are phased over each other too, not really in sync, and that's something that was going to return on Nightfly as well. Beautiful track!
Congrats on 3.5 years clean Lee. You've got this, my friend. It's OK to need a regular Steely fix too. 😅 After 40 some years of SD, the complexity is gone and it just sounds normal. But other ("pop/rock") music sometimes sounds over simple and boring... Don't sleep on their Grammy winning "Two against nature" album. Some giants their. Title track is a bayou blowtorch in 6/8 time. West of Hollywood is another gem. Enjoy.
Take the first seven Steely Dan studio albums from the seventies , add Gold , add Donald Fagen’s first solo album The Nightfly and that my friend is all you need .
I've heard that about half of this album were leftovers from the Aja sessions. Even so it doesn't take away from it's brilliance. I prefer Aja over this album but that's just me. Each of their albums offer great moments.
Very nice comments and such a joyful track, isn't it? I would love to hear what Brian Wilson might have thought of this - it just struck me there's a definite Beach Boys feel to this song (not the lyrics but very definitely the tune and the warm, airy clarity of the arrangements)
A little fun history with the lyric "Time out of mind" which is not original to this song. Some fans here will recognize that Bob Dylan named an album "Time Out of Mind" in 1997. (That album had the very heavily covered and pretty song, "Make You Feel My Love"). So one might think that Dylan was making an allusion to this 1980 song, but actually not so. Earlier, back in 1978, Warren Zevon released his debut eponymous album, containing a pile of good songs, but none better than the achingly sad "Accidentally Like a Martyr". (Lee, you HAVE to react to that... it'll get you!) The second verse ends with the line "time out of mind". Bob Dylan once said he wished he'd written the song and performed it many times after Warren's passing.
Many of their songs are drug related, they just kept it subtle, like even the album title I suspect derives from the slang term "gauching out" meaning totally high.
You mentioned Mark Knopfler- he’s the frontman and songwriter of Dire Straits. Here’s one of my favorite D.S. songs, which always makes me cry at the futility of war, Brothers In Arms- a beautiful version I really enjoyed from around 2009: ua-cam.com/video/tJgjf66klng/v-deo.htmlsi=MJctHqKuMx5UmLR8
Second best song from this album(Babylon Sisters is best). Mark Knopfler(Dire Straits) has a guitar solo...MK reportedly said about Donald and Walter's meticulous recording process and perfectionist nature(paraphrase): " And I thought I was a perfectionist "...
Yep, Babylon Sisters is a great song and a wonderful recording - top-notch musicianship on all hands. My favourite from the album would have to be Glamour Profession though... :)
I know I sound like an old fogey for saying this - and I LOVE Steely Dan, and this is one of my very favorite songs of theirs - but it's unfortunate that they glamorized drug use in so many of their songs. I've never done drugs, so I just don't get it - singing the praises of something that has ruined (and ended) so many lives.
Lee, if you put a filter over the screen of some kind it mostly appeases utube Gods i hear from other reactors ...but do what seems right for you. So much amazing music i will never ever get to hear from my upbringing in 60s 70s Lee. Seriously. Steely Dan is one to listen to more. Maybe on your own some prog group " Big Big Train" is so good. There are some lead vocal changes. One died years back in a car accident so they switched. To a new guy. Never to replace him. But it is different but so good still.
You said Walter, when in fact that outro was Mark Knopfler. They hired him, paid him a boatload of money and only included that sliver at the end. Somewhat disappointing, despite how ambrosial. Actually, Walter was dealing with a lot more than just the car accident.
Mark Knopfler from Dire Straits plays the guitar solo
Listening to Steely Dan since the 70's and Gaucho is the album I return to most today.
Always enjoy these Steely Sundays!
I am 27+ Years Clean/Sober dude Congrats, One day at a time is no joke!
I wasn't aware of all that!Great song ❤ It's the groove... gets me every time. I was in the hospital over the weekend and this was stuck in my head.
Lee, thank you for doing steely Sundays! I have been watching your channel for quite a while. Your reviews are off the charts! It blows my mind that a young man, such as you can appreciate the music of Steely Dan. I also appreciate that you listen to the whole song before you give your review. Many music reaction channels start and stop the song and give a critique. Lee, I know life has its ups and downs. I have seen you struggle at times because of your situation. please keep your head up! I think you have one of the best music reaction channels on UA-cam. You are very articulate with your words and your reviews you’re very professional. You’re a very intelligent young man, and I see you becoming very successful in life. I also think that you have the skills to write music reviews for different music publications, such as Rolling Stones. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I am very proud of you. Keep up the good work! I know it’s going to pay off for you one day. God bless. ✌️🎵👏🙏
Congrats on your sobriety! It ain't easy man!
I can't listen to any tune on this album without my head immediately jumping into the next tune! Gotta finish with "My Rival" and then of course "Third World Man." All soo good! Thanks for the reactions!
A dichotomy… ?
Such a catchy beat!
The line "perfection and grace" always sends a chill up my spine. The way it is enunciated and emphasized is, well, perfection and grace. Great reaction as usual. You are an unusually perceptive young man.
.... the smile on my face 😊
Happiest drug song ever
You mentioned Mark Knopfler. Check out his band Dire Straights. Their song Sultans of Swing is a classic
The groove is alive
If you haven't reacted to it already, Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits "Sultans of Swing" was a significant landmark for sure.
I have seen a lot of reactions to this great live of them doing it, but to really appreciate it, I really think you should hear the studio cut; it was what exploded all over the radio for a while. I was just learning electric guitar after having played acoustic for a couple of years, and I got so many insights and ideas from listening to the 45 RPM single over and over.
I don't think I really appreciated the lyrics at that age, but as I get older, I just think it's a brilliant piece of writing. And for someone who has played in bands a lot over the years like me, it just rings so true in certain ways.
Lee would do well with the entire Dire Straits discography IMO (hint hint).
Perfection and grace. So tight, and their last single.
One of the coolest recordings they ever did, soundwise. The lyrics are about getting a taste of hard drugs, but the music feels like a celebration of youthfulness, "perfection and grace": the groove is near weightless. With different lyrics it could almost have been a Beach Boys track... :)
Yacht rock for the win! 😎 Such a great song, and a killer recording. I've never thought about the link back to their earlier stuff, but I agree that it's there. Anyways, nice reaction. Think back to where you started Lee, and now you can hold forth about the intricacies of Steely Dan's studio sidemen. 😄
Great reaction Lee-especially when you say you’re mad because it’s about to end. I can never play this song just once, I put it on repeat for about 30 minutes. My fave Dan song.
Yes, if they had been a proper live band at the time and had toured for the album, I feel sure they would have spun out the solos considerably longer - both in the middle of the song and at the end. This is the kind of track that calls out to be extended... :)
Doctor Wu was Walter’s name for his heroin habit .
Third World Man from this album is so good! It’s simple yet complex and deep at the same time.
I agree
Third world man was originally a cut from the royal scam sessions called were you blind that day. Cool listen :)
Donald Fagen played some synthesizer for Rickie Lee Jones’ second album - Pirates which came out several months after Gaucho. You can hear his influence in the stellar “A Lucky Guy.’ Any track on that album is gold.
I LOVE this one too!!! Perfection and Grace!! ♥
Great song.
You are re-introducing me to music I’ve forgotten existed, and I truly appreciate it!
Carol, I'm so glad to hear it! Thank you for watching!!
It’s the happiest heroin song you’ll ever hear
Wow. You had a good morning today with lots of great tracks. Sorry I missed it.
Mark Knopfler is another music genius. Check out his solo stuff.
Roger Nichols invented Wendel, (the first? sampled drum machine) used on this album.
Walter had basically retreated into rehab/seclusion, and that was the end of SD. Yeah, "Chasing the Dragon" is basically running down whatever trips your trigger - your addiction - and eventually, vice versa, and if it's 'direct from Lhasa' (Tibet), no doubt an opioid. It's probably The Dan's best song - Mark Knopfler on guitar and unmistakable backing vocals of Michael McDonald.
Another fantastic drug song ❤❤❤❤❤❤
Grover Washington Jr did a terrific cover of this .
Steely always you move :)
LOVE this tune, have since it came out! If you want to have some fun, watch Rick Beato with Dean Parks and Jay Grayden, si so good!
Dude you nailed it !! When you said
why is it so good? Same thing I would say after every fix. Many years ago. Made me smile. Thanks for your share
Glad you enjoyed Julie! I was always happy the second the money hit my hand. I was like pre-high every time I knew shit was gonna work out 😆
Heroin + Time Out of Mind. The Happy Lyrics fool ya every time,,,,
Water may turn to Cherry Wine....
Silver (spoon) turns to Gold.
Could not decide to Needle or Base...
Perfect album.
I urge you though to also check out Donald’s solo stuff.
Here’s two tracks for you: Ruby Baby with such a dance feel it’s impossible not to drift away into paradise and Teahouse on the Tracks,a jazzy jam session with an irresistible beat and brilliant lyrics (as always)
Kick that gong around, chase the dragon, hop house, jazz cigarettes, hipster slang. Many a musician has used opiates, Walter was no exception. Dr. Wu?
Lee, SD are kings of the outro. In some fade outs you'll hear some wild guitar or drum fills (Chain Lightning, Night by Night with Porcaro).
A Great cool album for sure. 🙏😍
This would be the official last lyrically themed drug song.
Dr. Wu, Here at the Western World, Kid Charlemagne, My Old School, Babylon Sisters, Hey Nineteen, just off the top of my head, are about, or involving some sort of drug, or alcohol. 😉
The double-layered rhythmic textures here is something Donald carried over to The Nightfly, I guess - if you listen to his vocal lines and the brass, the drums are hitting on the off beat...The keyboards and the drums are phased over each other too, not really in sync, and that's something that was going to return on Nightfly as well. Beautiful track!
Hard not to groove when hearing this one. I was surprised it charted as high as "Hey Nineteen," which seemed to get a lot more airplay at the time.
You’re right-I never once heard this on FM much less AM radio (SF Bay Area)
Congrats on 3.5 years clean Lee. You've got this, my friend. It's OK to need a regular Steely fix too. 😅 After 40 some years of SD, the complexity is gone and it just sounds normal. But other ("pop/rock") music sometimes sounds over simple and boring... Don't sleep on their Grammy winning "Two against nature" album. Some giants their. Title track is a bayou blowtorch in 6/8 time. West of Hollywood is another gem. Enjoy.
Lee you need to check tunes from the Bre jersey brothers. They had some awesome jazz and fusion music!
Take the first seven Steely Dan studio albums from the seventies , add Gold , add Donald Fagen’s first solo album The Nightfly and that my friend is all you need .
I suspect they were doing dope to help them with their creativity.
I've heard that about half of this album were leftovers from the Aja sessions. Even so it doesn't take away from it's brilliance. I prefer Aja over this album but that's just me. Each of their albums offer great moments.
The Gaucho album had to live up to one of the best albums ever made ,Aja , thats why it was so difficult to make
Very nice comments and such a joyful track, isn't it? I would love to hear what Brian Wilson might have thought of this - it just struck me there's a definite Beach Boys feel to this song (not the lyrics but very definitely the tune and the warm, airy clarity of the arrangements)
Walter's girlfriend actually died of an overdose during (or shortly before) Gaucho.
Geez. That's brutal. Sadly I've been there. Terrible feeling.
Never eat more than you can lift.
Great reaction to a fabulous track Lee 👍🏼 have a listen to Third World Man when you can!
Mike McDonald on back up
A little fun history with the lyric "Time out of mind" which is not original to this song. Some fans here will recognize that Bob Dylan named an album "Time Out of Mind" in 1997. (That album had the very heavily covered and pretty song, "Make You Feel My Love"). So one might think that Dylan was making an allusion to this 1980 song, but actually not so. Earlier, back in 1978, Warren Zevon released his debut eponymous album, containing a pile of good songs, but none better than the achingly sad "Accidentally Like a Martyr". (Lee, you HAVE to react to that... it'll get you!) The second verse ends with the line "time out of mind". Bob Dylan once said he wished he'd written the song and performed it many times after Warren's passing.
It's specifically about smoking and shooting heroin.
Many of their songs are drug related, they just kept it subtle, like even the album title I suspect derives from the slang term "gauching out" meaning totally high.
Michael.
You mentioned Mark Knopfler- he’s the frontman and songwriter of Dire Straits. Here’s one of my favorite D.S. songs, which always makes me cry at the futility of war, Brothers In Arms- a beautiful version I really enjoyed from around 2009: ua-cam.com/video/tJgjf66klng/v-deo.htmlsi=MJctHqKuMx5UmLR8
Sorry you're confused.. Mark Knopfler is from Dire Straits. He guested on this song. Brothers in Arms is Dire Straits
@@Johan-ew3ot Of course you’re right! I twisted the facts somewhere between my brain and my keyboard again! 🥰
Second best song from this album(Babylon Sisters is best). Mark Knopfler(Dire Straits) has a guitar solo...MK reportedly said about Donald and Walter's meticulous recording process and perfectionist nature(paraphrase): " And I thought I was a perfectionist "...
Wild. Babylon Sisters is my least favorite on Gaucho.
Yep, Babylon Sisters is a great song and a wonderful recording - top-notch musicianship on all hands. My favourite from the album would have to be Glamour Profession though... :)
And his son years later OD’d, was in coma and died young😞
Big big train with David Longton. Wassil( sp) and try one after 2021 without David but real good
I know I sound like an old fogey for saying this - and I LOVE Steely Dan, and this is one of my very favorite songs of theirs - but it's unfortunate that they glamorized drug use in so many of their songs. I've never done drugs, so I just don't get it - singing the praises of something that has ruined (and ended) so many lives.
Lee, if you put a filter over the screen of some kind it mostly appeases utube Gods i hear from other reactors ...but do what seems right for you. So much amazing music i will never ever get to hear from my upbringing in 60s 70s Lee. Seriously. Steely Dan is one to listen to more. Maybe on your own some prog group " Big Big Train" is so good. There are some lead vocal changes. One died years back in a car accident so they switched. To a new guy. Never to replace him. But it is different but so good still.
Coz it sounds like the Michael Jackson song. What is it?
You said Walter, when in fact that outro was Mark Knopfler. They hired him, paid him a boatload of money and only included that sliver at the end. Somewhat disappointing, despite how ambrosial.
Actually, Walter was dealing with a lot more than just the car accident.
Listen to David Sandborns sax solo on the eagles Sad Cafe.