Welcome aboard shipmates; you're going to lurve Steely Dan. Enjoyed you both digging this one, Here's 3 more I know you'll freak to. Kid Charlemagne - > Champion - Kanye West Peg -> Eye Know - De La Soul Green Earrings -> Walk Into A Sun - Organized Konfusion They have insane quality control/musicianship/engineering and literally no duff songs. America's Beatles in the 1970s - criminally overlooked these days.
A "Black Cow." A drink popularized in New York. "Black Cow"= Vanilla Ice Cream, Kahlua and Chocolate Syrup. Donald Fagen is writing about seeing a heroin addicted girlfriend come into "Rudy's" (a famous after hours diner in New York) ordering a "Black Cow." "I saw you at Rudy's, you were very high...with your book of Novels and your 'remedies'" ("remedies"= a syringe spilling out of her purse along with a "Novella" (cheep paperback love novel). He is watching his 'girlfriend' loaded on heroin, ordering a sweet, sugary drink (sugar sweet is a craving following a heroin binge). And he is just tired of it all.... "And get out of here." Cheers!! 🍄🌲🍄✨💥🌈
@@laapache1our parents played a lot of other stuff in the house. My dad actually said he heard steely Dan all the time at work so by the time he got home, he played other things.
Same here ! Love watching my people broaden their horizons !!! I'm a 57 yr old music lover. I got turned onto all this music when my family moved from NYC to Los Angeles in 1972. You guys have so much to hear and experience !! It's cool seeing the revelation !!! Carry on fellas !!!✊🏾💯
Oh god yes! At that time all of the popular music was on some other journey completely unrelated to anything Steely Dan was doing and they were putting this out. I mean, the top songs of the year when this was released were "Dancing Queen" by ABBA, "Hotel California" by the Eagles and whole lot of disco.
👍 Dudes and Chicks not giving up until they had it as close to perfection as possible. They're a band, but Steely Dan is almost like an entity if that makes any sense. Anywho, one of my favorites ✨
Saw them in VA beach in 2017 or 18. Was one of 5 black people in the whole amphitheater and one of the youngest. Was saying all day that I hope this was the first song they played…. And it was, I sat next to an older white lady and sang arm in arm with her the whole night. It was one of best nights of my life
@@williamcabell142 do some research you're the f****** moron they're hanging out in a bar you don't think there's alcohol in it they're not at a f****** soda shop you f****** douche
There were several drummers on that album, Steve Gadd played on the song Aja and did all that soloing at the end in ONE TAKE!! Steely Dan could demand the best in the business... legendary musicians, all of em!
I'm an old lady (70) & I love watching your reactions to Steely Dan. If you haven't done a reaction to the song. "Show Biz Kids" it would a good choice for you. You can't put a label on them. They are just Steely Dan - just listen & chill.
No sampling, no Auto-Tune at all. These guys would stay in the studio until they got it right., until you could not tell the difference between what you heard in live performance and what you heard on vinyl. In fact Steely Dan albums are used by high-end stereo manufacturers to actually test the systems as part of quality control, to this day.. and also they would call in multiple Studio musicians to play one specific part of a song and whatever sounded best they would use and they would hire that musician. The musicians that were selected to play for Steely Dan were to music what test pilots are to Aviation., you had to be that good.
Forget that judgement claim on sampling. These guys, these artists arrived in that studio full and I mean FULL of history and following and taking notes and listening and re-listening to all the others that went before them. Each one. Creative bending and applying and twisting of what went before us (sampling) is nothing new. It is, the way it works. All arts.
@AirplayBeats Becker and Fagen just used the best session musicians of the time like a sample board. Look up their studio sessions, as producers you'll love it
Steely Dan used to be a group in the beginning, but by the time this album came out Walter Becker and Donald Fagen were the only members left, the song writers and the lead singer. Joe Sample playing the piano. Steve Gadd on Drums and the great Chuck Rainey on bass. A black cow is a drink made with milk and chocolate liqueur.
Im a 70 yo young at heart dude..in the 80s i was part of a Steely Dan cover band cos we loved those 2 geniuses and boys and girls who play with them...i gotta say i love to see you fellas enjoy the musice i carry in my heart! Keep it up fellas!🫶🏼
After recently learning the chords to Black Cow, I think I can safely say that these are "adult chords" that aren't commonly used in pop/rock music. These Steely Dan compositions are deceptively complex, and just plain brilliant.
In some places, a black cow was what we now call a "black and tan" a blend of Guiness and Bass ale. In Boston and New England (where the boys were from originally) a black cow is a root beer float with chocolate sauce in a soda glass. I think this meaning is correct for this song.
I have been a Steely Dan fan for 40 years. The upper echelon of musicians. I will fall into Steely Dan holes for long periods of time because their catalog is huge and they are all works of art. I am currently in a 6 month hole and I am currently obsessed with deep cuts like Everything Must Go,, Gaucho, Glamour Profession, and The Last Mall. I have decided that it is impossible to listen to Steely Dan and not be happy and grooving.
The core of Steely Dan is Donald Fagan and (now deceased) Walter Becker. They used session musicians and the sax player on this track is Wayne Shorter. The album "Aja" is an absolute masterpiece. It was produced by Gary Katz and is considered to be an iconic recording. The mixing and the production is stellar. A "Black Cow" is a drink containing bourbon or Kahlua. It can also be a "root beer float".
The great thing about reaction channels is seeing younger people discover and enjoy the music I grew up with. There's a little bit of jealousy because I can no longer hear it for the first time like they are but also nostalgia and anticipation knowing the greatness they're about to experience.
7:52 LOL. Steely Dan sold a lot of records and got FM radio play, but a lot of people thought it was over-produced for rock, and too commercial for jazz. I think a lot of their critics were too caught-up in allegiance to one genre or another. Aja is a great showcase for a lot of performers (Chuck Rainey's bass! Man!) and people keep coming back to it.
Steely Dan is a sort of a funk/Jazz fusion Band. Man, you are in for a wild ride, if you go on this Steely Dan journey. So many great songs, it never ends.
Steely Dan = FINESSE From the inflection, the rise and fall of the vocals and how the instruments are soft as feathers and just brush against the song.. The Black Cow is a drink..he’s telling her “bottoms up and be gone”
Steely Dan is one of the premier bands of the 70s! So much info to relay. Walter Becker and Donald Fagan are the two progenitors of Steely. They have recruited the best studio musicians throughout the years, but were meticulous re: production and song arrangement. Steely's style and recordings evolved over the years and the band was touring together until 2017 when Walter died. You're right, Steely's "style" defies characterization...so many killer tunes! This album, Aja is a classic! The Black Cow of the song is a drink similar to a white Russian (at least the alcoholic version). For a rock emphasis, try Reelin in the Years, or Bodhisattva. I LOVE Green Earrings, My Old School...H. I love most of their tunes! This is a worthy Rabbit hole fellas! Peace
Agreed. The difference between a White Russian and a Black Cow is that the Black Cow is made with dark creme de cacao, vodka, and cream or milk, the White Russian uses Kahlua instead of the creme de cacao.
This is the comment I was looking for. Every album seems like a different ride because the majority of musicians are session musicians. They meticulously pick people for an album. There is an excellent documentary about the album "Aja", of which this song is on, that goes into the production of the album, which I think you would find interesting, even if not recorded.
The lead singer and organ player Don Fagan his uncle use to get him into Birdland and all the top Jazz clubs in NYC when he was only 16 years old, that was his ton of influence from the greats in the Jazz world Thank You both I Love your reaction on music I grew up on.new subscriber.🎸🎼🎹👍😉😎
What's also really dope about Steely Dan is the production level and they would hire legendary musicians to come and do solos or play percussion etc and make it work. They are rock, jazz, fun, R&B and everything in between. They are a truly unique band. It reminds me of being a kid in the 70's listening to them on the radio.
You are exactly right. Steely Dan, Led Zeppelin,The Allman Brothers, Traffic, and several more from that era were most certainly fusion bands. Rock, Jazz, Blues, Soul, Funk. They incorporated it all into their music.
I was a restaurant kid. I was raised by twenty people of all color and culture. I was listening to this when it came out when I was 8. I got to hear it all!
These guys were PERFECTIONISTS. That’s why it is quality jam. These guys combed and combed over all their songs until they felt it was right. Watch some of their reflection videos about AJA and how scrupulously they worked on this music to reach this level of perfectionism. They outsourced from some of THE BEST MUSICIANS OF THEIR TIME. I bought this album when I was 13 and it was the first. You can’t beat STEELY DAN !!!
Oh I forgot to mention. Even the way Donald Fagan sings the words he intones them ON PURPOSE. He emphasizes some parts of the lyric to give it an even higher level of quality. Like I said, these guys were/are DA SHIT !!😎
They sounded just as good live as the album. One of the best musical groups ever. They had trumpets, saxaphone, the works live. The backup singers were amazing, and carried alot of the vocal heavy lifting. They were a jazz/rock fuzion band. Alot of that going on in the 70's
That effortless sound was anything but that! Steely Dan was notorious for bringing in several session players for a particular part of a song before they settled on a particular musician. This was especially true for the solos on this recording.
Steely Dan consists of Donald Fagen and Walter Becker (RIP) and a number of very talented session musicians. BTW, since you really like the female background vocals of this track, check out "Lowdown" by Boz Scaggs. It's fire. 🔥
This album is crazy. Production is super crisp, harmonies out of this world, musicianship unrivaled, endless opportunities for samples. Uptown Baby got me into Steely Dan so shout out to Peter Gunz & Lord Tariq 🤣
Steely Dan is Rock-Jazz-group I guess you could say but, back then Rock music could cover a lot of ground. They would mix in different musical elements and it was just GOOD! You are right, music was so much better then.
I remember Saturday mornings cleaning the house with Steely Dan’ jazzy sound playing in the background. My favorites are Hey Nineteen, Black Cow and Peg. Love ❤️ this reaction video!
Steely Dan had two permanent members, one since Walter Becker died. Becker played rhythm guitar. Donald Fagen plays keyboard and does the lead vocals. They bring in studio musicians to fill out the sound including horns when they want them. They were notorious for going through guitarist after guitarist until they get the sound they want. I think they used 5 or six different guitarists on this album. They blur a lot of lines between rock, jazz, and blues. Great band.
The piano solo is the lead singer Donald Fagen. He and Walter Becker (guitar) were founding members and heavy jazz influenced. A British friend of mine who was a sound engineer for a number of bands in the 70's, 80's and early 90's said that Steely Dan had the reputation of the methodical bands of the time. They would spend hour after hour recording until they got it right by their standards. We saw them live one time and they were incredible. The backup singer and brass section was so explosive. Truly legendary band. RIP Walter Becker.
"Dope Ass song" yeah!! Well, that's Steely Dan. Not a bad song in their entire discography; and in the RRHOF. The only band in history that can blend rock, jazz, and blues into their music.
One of my favourite bands of all time. I heard them referred to as your favourite band's favourite band for their musicianship and writing, There is no locking this band into one category. If you like Black Cow then you love Peg, Home at Last, AJA, Deacon Blues, Josie, Babylon Sisters, Gaucho would appeal to you. If you want classic rock try Reelin in the Years .. if you want pop try Rikki Donl;t lose that Number .. if you want an acoustic song try Any Major Dude .. if you want Blues try Pretzel Logic , if you like a 40s swing song on steroids try Bodhisattva ..if you want funk try Night by Night, .. if you like killer guitar solos in your songs .. try Green Earrings, Don;t Take me alive, Kid Charlemagne. Enjoy the ride gents!
I was a senior in high school when this album came out. I had always loved their music, but this was a revelation. This album came out the same year as Weather Report's "Heavy Weather." Both albums were my "gateway drug" into jazz.
@@jimmoore8951 I had a different view of jazz at that young age, of it being somewhat boring, and a relic of my parent's generation. These albums made me open my eyes to the possibilities of what it could be.
You guys are Boss!! With your knowledge of music production and musicians yourself, it’s gives great insite to how great these artists are. Love your reactions, your music appreciation shows. Keep it going!!
Great stuff boys. SD are legends. Songs: Glamour Profession, Hey Nineteen, Kid Charlemagne, Aja, Green Earings, Haitian Divorce and dozens more. They were studio perfection. Donald Fagen and Walter Becker are genius.They used THE best studio musicians alive. Enjoy your journey...
Always have the lyrics handy for Steely Dan songs ! Each song is like a novella or character study of various down and outers. She’s hooked on drugs - and he’s tired of it. They used many great artists on their albums.
🙏🙏Thank you so much for helping me rediscover this. When I was in high school everyone had this cassette in their car / home. If not you than for sure your older brother or sister😊
Love hearing your reaction to this track - think it's the nearest I'll get to hearing it again for the first time ! Steely Dan were a real one off and Black Cow is a favourite among so many other great Steely Dan tracks.
So glad you are deep in the Steely Dan rabbit hole! in The late sixties and seventies, there was an explosion of writers/musicians mostly in LA and New York. This was the result of all the collaborations and cross-overs to create some of the best music. You had a similar event in the 40's and 50's, all blues based especially from the British bands. Some say heaven on earth for music lovers.
Steely Dan is essentially the two song writers Walter Becker and Donald Fagen and a host of top notch studio musicians who differ from track to track. The greatest pop/rock/jazz songwriters ever in my opinion. All their songs are great! Try “Peg” next. Loved your reaction by the way. You guys are discerning listeners!
Thank you for your insight. We have learned so much about Steely Dan. That’s why we love doing these reactions. Thanks for watching and we definitely have Peg on the list of reactions coming soon.
I grew up knowing a Black Cow as another name for a Coke float, but it’s regional. Some people add liquor. As for “are they a jazz group or a rock group?” The answer is yes. They have many, many musical influences. Hell, they’ll throw on calypso if they want.
“So outrageous….” The background vocals of Clydie King, Sherlie Matthews, and Venetta Fields, AKA the Blackberries, are like studio royalty. They got around, from Pink Floyd to the Supremes. If you were digging the BGVs on an album back in the day, you looked at the credits and invariably those 3 names would be there.
Y'all could do a whole channel of just reactions to Steely Dan. Their classic period (1972 to 1980) has more than 60 songs and every single one of them is on fire. They never made a bad song. If you love Black Cow then keep on diving into SD. Please!
from a sampling viewpoint, this song is pure gold (did a house remix of this years ago). And Donald Fagan has gone on record stating that he actually thinks sampling is art. However, in order to use one of Steely's samples comes with a hefty price tag (Ye paid insane amounts for Kid Charlemagne sample, but it was WELL worth it). EDIT: as a sidenote, those horns you were wondering on were, i believe: Trumpet, Trombone, and a French Horn. The Clavinet & Electric Piano (cant remember which type, either a Wurlitzer or a Fender Rhodes) make the track for me.
I’m glad to see young people breaking out these old tunes, and it’s especially satisfying to see you guys enjoying it like we did back in the day. Lots of fun. (I think there used to be an alcoholic drink called a black cow)
Saw these guys live at the "Rent Party Concert" in November, 2009. They were outstanding! My alltime favorite band! I just love them! This album came out in 1977. Their album from 1972, "Can't Buy A Thrill" is another great one!
Welcome aboard shipmates; you're going to lurve Steely Dan. Enjoyed you both digging this one, Here's 3 more I know you'll freak to.
Kid Charlemagne - > Champion - Kanye West
Peg -> Eye Know - De La Soul
Green Earrings -> Walk Into A Sun - Organized Konfusion
They have insane quality control/musicianship/engineering and literally no duff songs. America's Beatles in the 1970s - criminally overlooked these days.
Well said. Amen.
Props…not a lot of people know Peg - Eye Know.
I guess mostly cause De La’s still dealing with their copyright nonsense.
A "Black Cow." A drink popularized in New York. "Black Cow"= Vanilla Ice Cream, Kahlua and Chocolate Syrup.
Donald Fagen is writing about seeing a heroin addicted girlfriend come into "Rudy's" (a famous after hours diner in New York) ordering a "Black Cow." "I saw you at Rudy's, you were very high...with your book of Novels and your 'remedies'" ("remedies"= a syringe spilling out of her purse along with a "Novella" (cheep paperback love novel).
He is watching his 'girlfriend' loaded on heroin, ordering a sweet, sugary drink (sugar sweet is a craving following a heroin binge). And he is just tired of it all.... "And get out of here."
Cheers!! 🍄🌲🍄✨💥🌈
@@holysmokes5817 Walt Becker's girlfriend died of a drug overdose in 1980.
Green Earrings is a superb song.
this is real music with real musicians no auto tune
I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed this video guys…very interesting perspective and analysis
I’m an old man and I just love it when young people listen to the music I grew up with for the first time , great job fella’s….
Thanks for watching. If you have any suggestions of songs to react to, feel free to send them on over.
I Blame the parents
@@laapache1our parents played a lot of other stuff in the house. My dad actually said he heard steely Dan all the time at work so by the time he got home, he played other things.
This old man wholeheartedly agrees with you, Charles
Same here ! Love watching my people broaden their horizons !!! I'm a 57 yr old music lover. I got turned onto all this music when my family moved from NYC to Los Angeles in 1972. You guys have so much to hear and experience !! It's cool seeing the revelation !!! Carry on fellas !!!✊🏾💯
Steeley Dan has no category in genre, They are their own thing. An anomaly in music in their time.
Oh god yes! At that time all of the popular music was on some other journey completely unrelated to anything Steely Dan was doing and they were putting this out. I mean, the top songs of the year when this was released were "Dancing Queen" by ABBA, "Hotel California" by the Eagles and whole lot of disco.
listening to steely dan is like taking a master class in music production and engineering.
👍 Dudes and Chicks not giving up until they had it as close to perfection as possible. They're a band, but Steely Dan is almost like an entity if that makes any sense. Anywho, one of my favorites ✨
Saw them in VA beach in 2017 or 18. Was one of 5 black people in the whole amphitheater and one of the youngest. Was saying all day that I hope this was the first song they played…. And it was, I sat next to an older white lady and sang arm in arm with her the whole night. It was one of best nights of my life
❤❤❤👍👍👍
As a black woman I was blessed to see Steely Dan perform at the Mt View Shoreline Amphitheater in 1991.
Guessing you didn't see Becker. Still a great show, but not the same for us Dan fans.
@@fourhorseman7081 Walter was there. This was before he passed. He was killing it too
@@khizz82 well worth the $$ you paid then!
A Black Cow is a Root Beer float (root beer, vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup, whipped cream). Can add either bourbon or Kahlua for a kick.
Ordering a black cow for someone became the kiss of death for a relationship.... 'drink your black cow and GTFO'
Do you deliver ?
That sounds awesome, might have to try it out soon lol.
@@felixgutierrez993
Black cows are great.
A&W frosty rootbeer 👍✌️
Kahlúa and cream that was my weakness!!!!
A black cow is an alcoholic beverage An absolutely amazing album every song on it is smooth An amazing group of musicians
@@williamcabell142 who the f*** asked you dick head nobody said that keep your opinions to yourself you f****** jerk off
@@williamcabell142 do some research you're the f****** moron they're hanging out in a bar you don't think there's alcohol in it they're not at a f****** soda shop you f****** douche
Not necessarily. A Black Cow was originally a Cola and Chocolate Ice cream. Yeah, ya could put booze in it, usually Kahlua.
Thier best album
Black cow is root beer float.
Ikr. Steely Dan. Comfort Music indeed.👊💯♥
AGAIN, Steely Dan DOES NOT f*ck around. They are SERIOUS!
The Album "Aja" is considered the best technical produced album of the Analog era, you are hearing musical perfection!
There were several drummers on that album, Steve Gadd played on the song Aja and did all that soloing at the end in ONE TAKE!!
Steely Dan could demand the best in the business... legendary musicians, all of em!
I'm an old lady (70) & I love watching your reactions to Steely Dan. If you haven't done a reaction to the song. "Show Biz Kids" it would a good choice for you. You can't put a label on them. They are just Steely Dan - just listen & chill.
Aja is one of the greatest albums of all time.... ever..... Period!
I bought it on its release and it stayed on my turntable for ever!
Yes. They are musicians. No sampling, computers or theft from other musicians. Just playing, like people used to.
Some of the best musicians I’ve heard!!
No sampling, no Auto-Tune at all. These guys would stay in the studio until they got it right., until you could not tell the difference between what you heard in live performance and what you heard on vinyl. In fact Steely Dan albums are used by high-end stereo manufacturers to actually test the systems as part of quality control, to this day.. and also they would call in multiple Studio musicians to play one specific part of a song and whatever sounded best they would use and they would hire that musician. The musicians that were selected to play for Steely Dan were to music what test pilots are to Aviation., you had to be that good.
The female vocals are phenomenal, talk about smooth. I’ve been listening to this CD in my car for YEARS !!!!! BEST, BEST ALBUM 🥰
Forget that judgement claim on sampling. These guys, these artists arrived in that studio full and I mean FULL of history and following and taking notes and listening and re-listening to all the others that went before them. Each one. Creative bending and applying and twisting of what went before us (sampling) is nothing new. It is, the way it works. All arts.
@AirplayBeats Becker and Fagen just used the best session musicians of the time like a sample board. Look up their studio sessions, as producers you'll love it
"so steely dan, are you rock, jazz, r&b, counry, funk?". Yes
Exactly!😂
The last “and get outta here” is the smoothest dis of all time
Well put. Cheers
Steely Dan doesn't have a bad song, this is a deep rabbit hole, good luck gentlemen.
It's the one no one wants to leave...
Welcome. There's a ton of footage of them in the studio on UA-cam for you guys.
@@trumulletman They've been watching the Making of Aja on their movie channel. www.youtube.com/@airplay_movies
A black cow is like a root beer float...This is my favorite album....so good
This.
They are who they are and there is no other group like Steely Dan!!!!!!🎉😂 ❤
Love this reaction! "Is this a jazz group or a rock group?" Yes.
Steely Dan used to be a group in the beginning, but by the time this album came out Walter Becker and Donald Fagen were the only members left, the song writers and the lead singer. Joe Sample playing the piano. Steve Gadd on Drums and the great Chuck Rainey on bass. A black cow is a drink made with milk and chocolate liqueur.
Im a 70 yo young at heart dude..in the 80s i was part of a Steely Dan cover band cos we loved those 2 geniuses and boys and girls who play with them...i gotta say i love to see you fellas enjoy the musice i carry in my heart! Keep it up fellas!🫶🏼
One of the best American bands of all time
And the Dead
You two are digging Steely Dan, you’re hooked like many of us, been a fan since the early 70’s.
I could watch you guys jam to Steely Dan all day..
grab steely dans latest live album. All their albums are great.
Black Cow is a drink
Steely Dan is their own genre of music. They took great songs and made them timeless.
They’re amazing!!
@David Hooper
One of the best compliments I’ve ever read about SD that totally encapsulates who they are and why they exist. RIP WB 🎼
After recently learning the chords to Black Cow, I think I can safely say that these are "adult chords" that aren't commonly used in pop/rock music. These Steely Dan compositions are deceptively complex, and just plain brilliant.
Make my fingers hurt 😂
In some places, a black cow was what we now call a "black and tan" a blend of Guiness and Bass ale. In Boston and New England (where the boys were from originally) a black cow is a root beer float with chocolate sauce in a soda glass. I think this meaning is correct for this song.
Steely Dan is one of the most sampled bands around.
I have been a Steely Dan fan for 40 years. The upper echelon of musicians. I will fall into Steely Dan holes for long periods of time because their catalog is huge and they are all works of art. I am currently in a 6 month hole and I am currently obsessed with deep cuts like Everything Must Go,, Gaucho, Glamour Profession, and The Last Mall. I have decided that it is impossible to listen to Steely Dan and not be happy and grooving.
Here at the Western World 🤣
50 years for me
@@francisbowman8702
A little longer for me too !!!!!
Can’t get enough of them. !!!
I'm right behind you by this many months....there's all kinds of different periods in life when Steely Dan is all I wanted to listen to.
The core of Steely Dan is Donald Fagan and (now deceased) Walter Becker. They used session musicians and the sax player on this track is Wayne Shorter. The album "Aja" is an absolute masterpiece. It was produced by Gary Katz and is considered to be an iconic recording. The mixing and the production is stellar. A "Black Cow" is a drink containing bourbon or Kahlua. It can also be a "root beer float".
Thank you
Tom Scott played the sax on this track. Wayne shorter played on the title track "Aja".
Steely Dan is it’s own genre!
The great thing about reaction channels is seeing younger people discover and enjoy the music I grew up with. There's a little bit of jealousy because I can no longer hear it for the first time like they are but also nostalgia and anticipation knowing the greatness they're about to experience.
My Friends look online where their name Steely Dan came from you won't believe it. Stay the way you are your channel is going places.🎼🎼👍👍
Maybe my favorite SD song, ever. So much in here...
I'm from the U.K and this just sounds like......... America. Such a tune. A true classic
7:52 LOL.
Steely Dan sold a lot of records and got FM radio play, but a lot of people thought it was over-produced for rock, and too commercial for jazz. I think a lot of their critics were too caught-up in allegiance to one genre or another. Aja is a great showcase for a lot of performers (Chuck Rainey's bass! Man!) and people keep coming back to it.
Steely Dan is a sort of a funk/Jazz fusion Band. Man, you are in for a wild ride, if you go on this Steely Dan journey. So many great songs, it never ends.
We are loving this ride!!! Thanks for watching.
Steely Dan = FINESSE
From the inflection, the rise and fall of the vocals and how the instruments are soft as feathers and just brush against the song..
The Black Cow is a drink..he’s telling her “bottoms up and be gone”
"Aja" is one of the all-time great albums. Every track is fire and should not be missed.
This song is almost 50 years old?!! And it’s being appreciated by fans of hip hop artists and young people who haven’t heard this music.
Donald Fagen and Walter Becker were the hands on producers, but Gary Katz is credited. He corralled the session players, and bought them all food.
Thanks for your knowledge and insight. We enjoy learning about these bands we’ve never listened to.
Steely Dan is one of the premier bands of the 70s! So much info to relay. Walter Becker and Donald Fagan are the two progenitors of Steely. They have recruited the best studio musicians throughout the years, but were meticulous re: production and song arrangement. Steely's style and recordings evolved over the years and the band was touring together until 2017 when Walter died. You're right, Steely's "style" defies characterization...so many killer tunes! This album, Aja is a classic! The Black Cow of the song is a drink similar to a white Russian (at least the alcoholic version). For a rock emphasis, try Reelin in the Years, or Bodhisattva. I LOVE Green Earrings, My Old School...H. I love most of their tunes! This is a worthy Rabbit hole fellas! Peace
Agreed. The difference between a White Russian and a Black Cow is that the Black Cow is made with dark creme de cacao, vodka, and cream or milk, the White Russian uses Kahlua instead of the creme de cacao.
This is the comment I was looking for.
Every album seems like a different ride because the majority of musicians are session musicians. They meticulously pick people for an album. There is an excellent documentary about the album "Aja", of which this song is on, that goes into the production of the album, which I think you would find interesting, even if not recorded.
It’s jazzy as hell😉
The lead singer and organ player Don Fagan his uncle use to get him into Birdland and all the top Jazz clubs in NYC when he was only 16 years old, that was his ton of influence from the greats in the Jazz world Thank You both I Love your reaction on music I grew up on.new subscriber.🎸🎼🎹👍😉😎
Thanks for the reply👍👍
I wonder if he knew Billy Crystal who did the same thing. His Dad managed the jazz greats.
What's also really dope about Steely Dan is the production level and they would hire legendary musicians to come and do solos or play percussion etc and make it work. They are rock, jazz, fun, R&B and everything in between. They are a truly unique band. It reminds me of being a kid in the 70's listening to them on the radio.
A very interesting song about the music industry is "The Low Spark of High Heel Boys". If you like Steely Dan you will like this song.
We have to check that out. Thanks for watching!!
In the 70's, this was known as fusion. The combo of soft rock and jazz fused together.
You are exactly right. Steely Dan, Led Zeppelin,The Allman Brothers, Traffic, and several more from that era were most certainly fusion bands. Rock, Jazz, Blues, Soul, Funk. They incorporated it all into their music.
Love the “so outrageous!” at the end can really here how detested he/ she was
I was a restaurant kid. I was raised by twenty people of all color and culture. I was listening to this when it came out when I was 8. I got to hear it all!
This album...AJA.....is a must have for everyone! Steely at it's best!
These guys were PERFECTIONISTS. That’s why it is quality jam. These guys combed and combed over all their songs until they felt it was right. Watch some of their reflection videos about AJA and how scrupulously they worked on this music to reach this level of perfectionism. They outsourced from some of THE BEST MUSICIANS OF THEIR TIME. I bought this album when I was 13 and it was the first. You can’t beat STEELY DAN !!!
Oh I forgot to mention. Even the way Donald Fagan sings the words he intones them ON PURPOSE. He emphasizes some parts of the lyric to give it an even higher level of quality. Like I said, these guys were/are DA SHIT !!😎
They sounded just as good live as the album. One of the best musical groups ever. They had trumpets, saxaphone, the works live. The backup singers were amazing, and carried alot of the vocal heavy lifting. They were a jazz/rock fuzion band. Alot of that going on in the 70's
That effortless sound was anything but that! Steely Dan was notorious for bringing in several session players for a particular part of a song before they settled on a particular musician. This was especially true for the solos on this recording.
Listen to as much Steely Dan as possible…you won’t be disappointed!!
Steely Dan consists of Donald Fagen and Walter Becker (RIP) and a number of very talented session musicians. BTW, since you really like the female background vocals of this track, check out "Lowdown" by Boz Scaggs. It's fire. 🔥
This album is crazy. Production is super crisp, harmonies out of this world, musicianship unrivaled, endless opportunities for samples. Uptown Baby got me into Steely Dan so shout out to Peter Gunz & Lord Tariq 🤣
A Black Cow is a soda with ice cream. In Australia we call them a Spider. Great horn arrangement and a great solo by Victor Feldman (RIP)
Thank you for the kind words in regards to my father victor-all the best.
Love you dudes. Wait til you hear Reelin in the Years. Saw them this past summer. Rest In Peace Walter Becker
One of my favs....has the right amount of funk and jazz....their song FM has the same funk and jazz elements!❤️
Thanks for watching!!
Steely Dan is Rock-Jazz-group I guess you could say but, back then Rock music could cover a lot of ground. They would mix in different musical elements and it was just GOOD! You are right, music was so much better then.
Throughout the brilliant Aja album one could list this saxophone as A Voice in the album
I remember Saturday mornings cleaning the house with Steely Dan’ jazzy sound playing in the background. My favorites are Hey Nineteen, Black Cow and Peg. Love ❤️ this reaction video!
Steely Dan had two permanent members, one since Walter Becker died. Becker played rhythm guitar. Donald Fagen plays keyboard and does the lead vocals. They bring in studio musicians to fill out the sound including horns when they want them. They were notorious for going through guitarist after guitarist until they get the sound they want. I think they used 5 or six different guitarists on this album. They blur a lot of lines between rock, jazz, and blues. Great band.
The piano solo is the lead singer Donald Fagen. He and Walter Becker (guitar) were founding members and heavy jazz influenced. A British friend of mine who was a sound engineer for a number of bands in the 70's, 80's and early 90's said that Steely Dan had the reputation of the methodical bands of the time. They would spend hour after hour recording until they got it right by their standards. We saw them live one time and they were incredible. The backup singer and brass section was so explosive. Truly legendary band. RIP Walter Becker.
Nope. Fender Rhodes solo is by British jazz pianist and tuned percussionist Victor Feldman.
Victor Feldman played the solo on this particular track.
"Dope Ass song" yeah!! Well, that's Steely Dan. Not a bad song in their entire discography; and in the RRHOF. The only band in history that can blend rock, jazz, and blues into their music.
One of my favourite bands of all time. I heard them referred to as your favourite band's favourite band for their musicianship and writing, There is no locking this band into one category. If you like Black Cow then you love Peg, Home at Last, AJA, Deacon Blues, Josie, Babylon Sisters, Gaucho would appeal to you. If you want classic rock try Reelin in the Years .. if you want pop try Rikki Donl;t lose that Number .. if you want an acoustic song try Any Major Dude .. if you want Blues try Pretzel Logic , if you like a 40s swing song on steroids try Bodhisattva ..if you want funk try Night by Night, .. if you like killer guitar solos in your songs .. try Green Earrings, Don;t Take me alive, Kid Charlemagne. Enjoy the ride gents!
Steely Dan were perfectionists down to the last note.
I was a senior in high school when this album came out. I had always loved their music, but this was a revelation. This album came out the same year as Weather Report's "Heavy Weather." Both albums were my "gateway drug" into jazz.
True dat!!!
I’m a year older than you but with the same experience. I was already heavily into jazz but this album and Weather Report were the best of the best
@@jimmoore8951 I had a different view of jazz at that young age, of it being somewhat boring, and a relic of my parent's generation. These albums made me open my eyes to the possibilities of what it could be.
Its super hard to pick a favorite SD song, but this is mine! Killer jam!!
You guys are Boss!! With your knowledge of music production and musicians yourself, it’s gives great insite to how great these artists are. Love your reactions, your music appreciation shows. Keep it going!!
Great stuff boys. SD are legends. Songs: Glamour Profession, Hey Nineteen, Kid Charlemagne, Aja, Green Earings, Haitian Divorce and dozens more. They were studio perfection. Donald Fagen and Walter Becker are genius.They used THE best studio musicians alive. Enjoy your journey...
They are like Prince...their own thang, jazzy, yacht rock but it's smooth and original and got a solid groove
Always have the lyrics handy for Steely Dan songs ! Each song is like a novella or character study of various down and outers.
She’s hooked on drugs - and he’s tired of it.
They used many great artists on their albums.
Thank you for watching!! Definitely need to keep the lyrics close by next time.
🙏🙏Thank you so much for helping me rediscover this. When I was in high school everyone had this cassette in their car / home. If not you than for sure your older brother or sister😊
Love hearing your reaction to this track - think it's the nearest I'll get to hearing it again for the first time ! Steely Dan were a real one off and Black Cow is a favourite among so many other great Steely Dan tracks.
So glad you are deep in the Steely Dan rabbit hole! in The late sixties and seventies, there was an explosion of writers/musicians mostly in LA and New York. This was the result of all the collaborations and cross-overs to create some of the best music. You had a similar event in the 40's and 50's, all blues based especially from the British bands. Some say heaven on earth for music lovers.
Black cow is a drink they are rock fusion with jazz and they have more than 25 great songs
Yeah we know and we loved the samples. I for one grew up with this groove and it will forever remain a groove.
Steely Dan is essentially the two song writers Walter Becker and Donald Fagen and a host of top notch studio musicians who differ from track to track. The greatest pop/rock/jazz songwriters ever in my opinion. All their songs are great! Try “Peg” next. Loved your reaction by the way. You guys are discerning listeners!
Thank you for your insight. We have learned so much about Steely Dan. That’s why we love doing these reactions. Thanks for watching and we definitely have Peg on the list of reactions coming soon.
@@AirplayBeats excellent!
And they’ll get to hear pre-Doobies Michael McDonald singing backup. They were his first big gig.
Deacon Blues is epic!
@@modbyarturo
I LOVE DEACON BLUES !!!!
I grew up knowing a Black Cow as another name for a Coke float, but it’s regional. Some people add liquor.
As for “are they a jazz group or a rock group?” The answer is yes. They have many, many musical influences. Hell, they’ll throw on calypso if they want.
Coke or root beer
Uptown, baby! Uptown, baby! We down baby. On the crown baby!
“So outrageous….” The background vocals of Clydie King, Sherlie Matthews, and Venetta Fields, AKA the Blackberries, are like studio royalty. They got around, from Pink Floyd to the Supremes. If you were digging the BGVs on an album back in the day, you looked at the credits and invariably those 3 names would be there.
Y'all could do a whole channel of just reactions to Steely Dan. Their classic period (1972 to 1980) has more than 60 songs and every single one of them is on fire. They never made a bad song. If you love Black Cow then keep on diving into SD. Please!
Thanks for watching. We are definitely enjoying this Steely Dan dive. Their music is so pleasing to my soul.
i love when people try to figure out what kind of music sd is - to me, it's just sd - a unique meld of all kinds of genres :)
Love your take on Steely Dan…BTW…The piano music on CharlieBrown was Vince Guaraldi trio….his fantastic jazz trio has some great tunes!
I love the Guaraldi trio. It’s almost that time when we hear their music all over the place for the holidays. Thanks for watching!!
from a sampling viewpoint, this song is pure gold (did a house remix of this years ago). And Donald Fagan has gone on record stating that he actually thinks sampling is art. However, in order to use one of Steely's samples comes with a hefty price tag (Ye paid insane amounts for Kid Charlemagne sample, but it was WELL worth it). EDIT: as a sidenote, those horns you were wondering on were, i believe: Trumpet, Trombone, and a French Horn. The Clavinet & Electric Piano (cant remember which type, either a Wurlitzer or a Fender Rhodes) make the track for me.
You two are the best at this and I appreciate your reviews
Thank you so much!! We appreciate you!!
Trans island highway off kamakiriad
Is pure genius
Dudes, this is one of the best reactions I've seen. Your enthusiasm and love of music is awesome. Subbing now.
Thanks for rocking with us!!
I’m glad to see young people breaking out these old tunes, and it’s especially satisfying to see you guys enjoying it like we did back in the day. Lots of fun. (I think there used to be an alcoholic drink called a black cow)
I bought this album when I was fifteen in vinyl still have it
You are so right we had amazing music with no auto tune! We had so many great bands to listen too depending on the mood! Love the reaction ❤
Saw these guys live at the "Rent Party Concert" in November, 2009. They were outstanding! My alltime favorite band! I just love them! This album came out in 1977. Their album from 1972, "Can't Buy A Thrill" is another great one!
FM is a favorite of mine too.
It's everything. Let it play.
Trombone by one of the infamous Brecker Brothers. They are fusion for sure. We heard it all!!! No static at all!
That eye pop on the harmony earned my subscription. Y’all getting it. I’m on all of this. It’s dope just to watch y’all discover all this 🔥
I wish I'd had you guys with me in 1977 when this was new. I wore that vinyl out. BTW, Gary Katz produced Black Cow and other tracks on Aja.
Love from England... Top guys