So, let's start at the top. What is a Black Cow? It's basically a root beer float using Kahlua. The adult version however uses bourbon. Rudy's (Bar and Grill) still exists here in NYC on 9th ave between 44th and 45th. Then and now it is essentially a dive bar. In the 70's 42nd St was a hub for pro's and johns, and Rudy's was often where pro's, musicians, artists, and actors would mingle. On the bar when he sees her are her remedies (alcohol and drugs), and her book of numbers, so she was more a high priced pro. The pros also strolled from 26th and 11th ave to the Javits Center on 34th and 11th Ave down to 42nd, down to 7th Ave. There were many on the east side on Greene St from Houston to Spring St as well. He is a man who was hopelessly in love with a prostitute that cannot change her ways, and his many attempts to change her have proven fruitless. This is now perhaps his goodbye to her.
😂 Broadway folks would hang out at Rudy's too after shows. 😏 Wasn't unusual to see "Famous People" go straight from Studio 54 down to Rudy's. 🤔 Also back in the day, it was where SNL did their after-parties. But then they started renovating Times Square, got rid of the Piers where kids could see Concerts after school, the pros & mobsters. "Disneyfied" became part of the lexicon as we watched Times Square stop looking like it did in the Classic Movie, Taxi Driver. 🙋🏿♀️ Native New Yawker here, saw the whole thing! I can bear witness to the fact, places the Dan (and my bands played) back in the 70's, 80's & 90's are all Taco Bells, Starbucks or unmemorable clothing stores now. 😔🥰🐰
Tenor sax solo by the incomparable Tom Scott who also did the soprano sax solo on Paul McCartney’s “Listen to What the Man Said”. Fagen and Becker made use of some stellar sax players who lent their signature sounds to solos. There were also elite session player/soloists in the horn sections that are indelible solo voices in many of the pop songs of the 70’s and 80’s. It’s an infinite number of rabbit holes with just the musicians they used on all of their tracks.
New sub here. The producer was Gary Katz and their long time engineer was Roger Nichols. I think Roger won eight Grammy awards, most of them for his work with Steely Dan. 👍
If you look online, you'll see several recipes for a Black Cow. I figure this is a "Boozy" Black Cow that has caffeine & booze, maybe coffee, cream, chocolate & bourbon. A hangover drink. She "staggers home" to her "precious one" after another night of carousing, booze and "remedies" (probably coke, given that this is the late '70's), and talks it out til daylight, crying on his shoulder. This scene has played out many times, he sings the same song about dumping her, and she charms her way back into his heart. No matter how many times I listen, I never, ever get tired of this song.
One of the things you'll enjoy about Steely Dan is their ability to place you right at the scene, in another time and place, into the middle of an interesting ongoing story. Their lyrics are smart and masterful, often darkly funny and sardonic. If you enjoy their horn arrangements, you have to listen to Babylon Sisters and Glamour Profession from Gaucho, the last album of their 1972-1980 period@@LegacyStudio
Before you finish with Steely Dan, hear Larry Carlton's great improvised guitar solos on "Kid Charlemagne" on the Royal Scam album. The "making of" DVD for the album Aja is great. Fagen and Becker dissect some songs using the multi-track tapes, and some of the musicians are interviewed.
By the way that is no doubt about it a fender Rhodes electric piano. Steely Dan got absolutely everything they could out of that instrument. Early on Fagen played a hohner pianet electric piano and then moved onto a Wurlitzer electric piano which was widely used in the early 70s but when the Rhodes hit the scene everyone in jazz started using them. Nothing sounds like that, just incredible
@@michaelbastraw1493oh yeah the electric pianos all sound pretty similar especially if they throw some phaser or other effect on them but organs are a totally different thing
@@rollomaughfling380 yes this is the amazing pianist/percussionist Victor Feldman with an amazing Rhodes solo. He’s the only person besides Becker and Fagen who played on all of the classic 70s Dan records
There is a documentary on UA-cam about the making of "Aja" a lot of your questions can be answered and it gives a look at the talent of Walter Becker and Donald Fagan,
Another great reaction Tim - thanks! Please keep going with Steely Dan (and I'm sure you'll get more subscribers as an extra bonus). Perhaps you want to check out "Kid Charlemagne" from Steely Dan's edgier but equal masterpiece to Aja album "The Royal Scam"
Horn arrangement provided by Tom Scott…he has great credits as a studio musician and also put out two albums - New York Connection and Tom Cat…give a listen to the title tracks of these two albums
a "root beer float".... "Aja" is considered to be the best technical produced album of the "Analog" era, I first heard Stelly Dan, in 1978, they are a deep dive worthy of your attention, I still have my stereo from 1978 vintage
Have fun going down the Steely Dan rabbit hole. Most hardcore fans will tell you Royal Scam is their best record so you gotta check out some songs from that one. “Don’t take me alive” might be my all time favorite song. “Haitian divorce”, “Caves of Altamira”, and of course “Green Earrings”. I’m sure people have already suggested those but you gotta hit some of them
What?! You don't think producers sit behind the desk at mixdown? "Record producer" is a pretty wide-open, fluid term, covering hands-off producers, producers who also engineer, or get heavily involved in the engineering/mixing, self-producers like Todd Rundgren, or even producers who get more involved in the song structure. It's as fluid a term as "movie producer," who might be on set for every shoot, or might just be lending their name to the film. It's just a title, as opposed to "engineer," which implies knowing the room, the desk, the signal chain, the backline, placement of mics, problem solving, etc. I don't think you know what you're talking about.
Whenever you are ready for some epic songs I'd suggest Yes. One of my favorite groups and they are excellent, a premium classic Prog Rock band. Their biggest and best song is Close to the Edge, an 18 minute masterpiece. So deep, experimental and an amazing roller-coaster of a ride.
I personally prefer the songs on this album, but I agree that Gaucho is somehow (impossibly) better sounding than this record, which is already perfect. How do you improve on perfect production?….. Gaucho.
Steely Dan was and remains one of my favorite bands. They combined jazz and rock, great and complex songwriting, and great studio artists to make some amazing music. If you want some completely different (but no less amazing) music from the same era, I think you should check out Rush. A three person band, and all three were virtuosos on their instruments as well as gifted composers. The drummer, Neil Peart, wrote almost all of their deeply-philosophical lyrics. Check it out!
Originally a "Black Cow" was merely a root beer float. There are adult variations. Has anyone told Tim the origin of Steely Dan. It's from Burroughs novel Naked Lunch. It's a dildo. Nobody cracks up Becker and Fagan quite like Becker and Fagan.
Great reaction Tim and I am subscribed. You have done Aja, Peg and Black Cow so far .. the rest of the is just as good. My favourite is Home at Last (pristine musicianship and top notch lyrics). Also, Deacon Blues is a masterpiece; the lyrics can be misconstrued so you may want to read them and decide ifor your yourself f you wish to react to it on your channel Here is a 5 minute video on the making of Aja that I don't think would spoil your first reaction by listening to it ua-cam.com/video/u9MusH-QijY/v-deo.html
Black Cow in the song refers to an adult beverage made with Kahlua, half-and-half, and Coca-Cola, or evaporated milk, root beer, and bourbon. The song itself is about Walter Becker's drug habit, and Fagen wrote the song to his friend, Becker. There is more to the meaning of the song but there are a lot of mid '70s NYC references. Greene St. is in Tribeca/West Village/Meatpacking district (lots of clubs) - in the '70s that area was full of hookers. Today your'e more likely to see Beyonce or Amy Poehler - that entire area is now one of the most expensive places in the USA to live - it's been completely gentrified.
4:00- I have my favorite reaction channels so I don’t usually add four onto my list, but I saw you were reacting to the Dan and just had to stop by. Really like your format and your style. 11:45- better not research the meaning of Steely Dan.
Thank you so much that is so kind! I'll be honest if you I know of something happening soon you will totally love. Someone is sending us a very special Steely Dan gift. Sit tight. And thanks for coming by it really does mean a lot!
Thanks for stopping by! This place is different, people who are different feel comfortable here ;0) There's a million other channels out there that support everyone else. We are here for the "different" folk.
So, let's start at the top. What is a Black Cow? It's basically a root beer float using Kahlua. The adult version however uses bourbon. Rudy's (Bar and Grill) still exists here in NYC on 9th ave between 44th and 45th. Then and now it is essentially a dive bar. In the 70's 42nd St was a hub for pro's and johns, and Rudy's was often where pro's, musicians, artists, and actors would mingle. On the bar when he sees her are her remedies (alcohol and drugs), and her book of numbers, so she was more a high priced pro. The pros also strolled from 26th and 11th ave to the Javits Center on 34th and 11th Ave down to 42nd, down to 7th Ave. There were many on the east side on Greene St from Houston to Spring St as well. He is a man who was hopelessly in love with a prostitute that cannot change her ways, and his many attempts to change her have proven fruitless. This is now perhaps his goodbye to her.
😂 Broadway folks would hang out at Rudy's too after shows. 😏 Wasn't unusual to see "Famous People" go straight from Studio 54 down to Rudy's. 🤔 Also back in the day, it was where SNL did their after-parties. But then they started renovating Times Square, got rid of the Piers where kids could see Concerts after school, the pros & mobsters. "Disneyfied" became part of the lexicon as we watched Times Square stop looking like it did in the Classic Movie, Taxi Driver. 🙋🏿♀️ Native New Yawker here, saw the whole thing! I can bear witness to the fact, places the Dan (and my bands played) back in the 70's, 80's & 90's are all Taco Bells, Starbucks or unmemorable clothing stores now. 😔🥰🐰
@@cityhonors1 Everyone should read your comments if they want a feel for our NY during that time.
DEACON BLUES is the most autobiographical song that Donald Fagen ever sung. It is HAUNTING.
I gotta go with Deacon Blues.
Tenor sax solo by the incomparable Tom Scott who also did the soprano sax solo on Paul McCartney’s “Listen to What the Man Said”. Fagen and Becker made use of some stellar sax players who lent their signature sounds to solos. There were also elite session player/soloists in the horn sections that are indelible solo voices in many of the pop songs of the 70’s and 80’s. It’s an infinite number of rabbit holes with just the musicians they used on all of their tracks.
Tom Scott also arranged the horns for the whole album and played on Gaucho as well.
Gary Katz - Producer
Roger Nichols - Engineer
I follow all "reactors" who listen to Steely Dan. And you are fantastic. Thanks, bruh
I appreciate that! Thanks man!
Thank YOU@@LegacyStudio
For one of the greatest drum grooves ever, listen to HOME AT LAST
Added it to my list to check out!
Eventually, down the road, check out the song GAUCHO. So unique.@@LegacyStudio
New sub here. The producer was Gary Katz and their long time engineer was Roger Nichols. I think Roger won eight Grammy awards, most of them for his work with Steely Dan. 👍
Back when Grammy Awards meant something
If you look online, you'll see several recipes for a Black Cow. I figure this is a "Boozy" Black Cow that has caffeine & booze, maybe coffee, cream, chocolate & bourbon. A hangover drink. She "staggers home" to her "precious one" after another night of carousing, booze and "remedies" (probably coke, given that this is the late '70's), and talks it out til daylight, crying on his shoulder. This scene has played out many times, he sings the same song about dumping her, and she charms her way back into his heart. No matter how many times I listen, I never, ever get tired of this song.
Thanks so much for the input on this one Rich! I agree with you that was the same vibe I was getting as well. Especially regarding the "remedies"
One of the things you'll enjoy about Steely Dan is their ability to place you right at the scene, in another time and place, into the middle of an interesting ongoing story. Their lyrics are smart and masterful, often darkly funny and sardonic. If you enjoy their horn arrangements, you have to listen to Babylon Sisters and Glamour Profession from Gaucho, the last album of their 1972-1980 period@@LegacyStudio
I worked at Baskin-Robbins during high school. Our Black Cow was a Root Beer float with vanilla ice cream and two shots of chocolate syrup
Niiiice sounds awesome! I miss Baskin Robbins...
@@LegacyStudio Yeah...me too. I ate a good bit of Ice cream in those 4 years. Luckily, I was a skinny teenager😄
"Home at Last"...😊
Before you finish with Steely Dan, hear Larry Carlton's great improvised guitar solos on "Kid Charlemagne" on the Royal Scam album. The "making of" DVD for the album Aja is great. Fagen and Becker dissect some songs using the multi-track tapes, and some of the musicians are interviewed.
By the way that is no doubt about it a fender Rhodes electric piano. Steely Dan got absolutely everything they could out of that instrument. Early on Fagen played a hohner pianet electric piano and then moved onto a Wurlitzer electric piano which was widely used in the early 70s but when the Rhodes hit the scene everyone in jazz started using them. Nothing sounds like that, just incredible
One may, on occasion, confuse a Rhodes with a Wurlitzer, but not with an organ...ever. Best. Mike.
@@michaelbastraw1493oh yeah the electric pianos all sound pretty similar especially if they throw some phaser or other effect on them but organs are a totally different thing
That's not Fagen playing the Rhodes; it's Victor Feldman.
@@rollomaughfling380 yes this is the amazing pianist/percussionist Victor Feldman with an amazing Rhodes solo. He’s the only person besides Becker and Fagen who played on all of the classic 70s Dan records
There is a documentary on UA-cam about the making of "Aja" a lot of your questions can be answered and it gives a look at the talent of Walter Becker and Donald Fagan,
Another great reaction Tim - thanks! Please keep going with Steely Dan (and I'm sure you'll get more subscribers as an extra bonus). Perhaps you want to check out "Kid Charlemagne" from Steely Dan's edgier but equal masterpiece to Aja album "The Royal Scam"
I appreciate that!
"Black Cow" is a root beer float with coffee. The line "drink your big black cow and get out of here" in this song meant to sober up and leave.
Horn arrangement provided by Tom Scott…he has great credits as a studio musician and also put out two albums - New York Connection and Tom Cat…give a listen to the title tracks of these two albums
a "root beer float".... "Aja" is considered to be the best technical produced album of the "Analog" era, I first heard Stelly Dan, in 1978, they are a deep dive worthy of your attention, I still have my stereo from 1978 vintage
Black Cow = Karlua & Milk
Have fun going down the Steely Dan rabbit hole. Most hardcore fans will tell you Royal Scam is their best record so you gotta check out some songs from that one. “Don’t take me alive” might be my all time favorite song. “Haitian divorce”, “Caves of Altamira”, and of course “Green Earrings”. I’m sure people have already suggested those but you gotta hit some of them
👍A great performance and reaction. 🖖❤
Fender Rhodes solo according to Wikipedia, played by Victor Feldman...same dude who played Marimba on Aja track
Dang it! I was really hoping I was right that it was an organ! LOL! Thanks for looking that up Perry!
@@LegacyStudio 😉
The guy behind the board doing the mixing is the engineer, not the producer. You should watch the documentary the making of Aja.
Actually, believe it or not, we are watching it in a watch party for channel members.
What?! You don't think producers sit behind the desk at mixdown? "Record producer" is a pretty wide-open, fluid term, covering hands-off producers, producers who also engineer, or get heavily involved in the engineering/mixing, self-producers like Todd Rundgren, or even producers who get more involved in the song structure. It's as fluid a term as "movie producer," who might be on set for every shoot, or might just be lending their name to the film. It's just a title, as opposed to "engineer," which implies knowing the room, the desk, the signal chain, the backline, placement of mics, problem solving, etc. I don't think you know what you're talking about.
Whenever you are ready for some epic songs I'd suggest Yes. One of my favorite groups and they are excellent, a premium classic Prog Rock band. Their biggest and best song is Close to the Edge, an 18 minute masterpiece. So deep, experimental and an amazing roller-coaster of a ride.
Well, you havent let me down so far. Lets do this thing ;0)
This is one of the best songs off of the Aja album. If you want to hear the most perfectly made album ever, then listen to their Gaucho album.
I personally prefer the songs on this album, but I agree that Gaucho is somehow (impossibly) better sounding than this record, which is already perfect. How do you improve on perfect production?….. Gaucho.
There’s really no such thing as a bad Dan song, there’s just varying degrees of good.
We have a DISCORD! Free to the public and we even have a Members Only Lounge! discord.gg/tRzUB566sW
Steely Dan was and remains one of my favorite bands. They combined jazz and rock, great and complex songwriting, and great studio artists to make some amazing music. If you want some completely different (but no less amazing) music from the same era, I think you should check out Rush. A three person band, and all three were virtuosos on their instruments as well as gifted composers. The drummer, Neil Peart, wrote almost all of their deeply-philosophical lyrics. Check it out!
Originally a "Black Cow" was merely a root beer float. There are adult variations.
Has anyone told Tim the origin of Steely Dan. It's from Burroughs novel Naked Lunch. It's a dildo.
Nobody cracks up Becker and Fagan quite like Becker and Fagan.
Has anyone told Tim? LOL! I'm right here brother :0)
Engineer Roger Nichols was a master... he mic'd the horns for enhanced midrange to keep them mellow....
Great reaction Tim and I am subscribed. You have done Aja, Peg and Black Cow so far .. the rest of the is just as good. My favourite is Home at Last (pristine musicianship and top notch lyrics). Also, Deacon Blues is a masterpiece; the lyrics can be misconstrued so you may want to read them and decide ifor your yourself f you wish to react to it on your channel
Here is a 5 minute video on the making of Aja that I don't think would spoil your first reaction by listening to it
ua-cam.com/video/u9MusH-QijY/v-deo.html
Loved the video, thanks for sharing it Steve!
Thanks for the reaction! I grew up on a farm and a black cow was a cow that was black.😁 Hope you can get to "My Old School"!
Electric piano solo by Victor Feldman!
Black Cow in the song refers to an adult beverage made with Kahlua, half-and-half, and Coca-Cola, or evaporated milk, root beer, and bourbon. The song itself is about Walter Becker's drug habit, and Fagen wrote the song to his friend, Becker. There is more to the meaning of the song but there are a lot of mid '70s NYC references. Greene St. is in Tribeca/West Village/Meatpacking district (lots of clubs) - in the '70s that area was full of hookers. Today your'e more likely to see Beyonce or Amy Poehler - that entire area is now one of the most expensive places in the USA to live - it's been completely gentrified.
Tim is hooked !
Producer was Gary Katz
I play trumpet and the lips are the main thing. Not easy!
4:00- I have my favorite reaction channels so I don’t usually add four onto my list, but I saw you were reacting to the Dan and just had to stop by. Really like your format and your style.
11:45- better not research the meaning of Steely Dan.
Thank you so much that is so kind! I'll be honest if you I know of something happening soon you will totally love. Someone is sending us a very special Steely Dan gift. Sit tight. And thanks for coming by it really does mean a lot!
Chillax with Steely Dan !
These horns are very reminiscent of the band Chicago. Probably because of the trombone.
Please let the music play!
Sounds exactly like a Rhodes to me.
It’s a Rhodes.
It’s a Rhode’s, not an organ.
definitly an alcoholic drink
too stop - too stop
Avoid their song "Kid Charlemagne" - he has an occupation you would find distasteful.
Dude way too many interruptions during the song.. Just let it play..Sheesh.
Dude, too many interruptions. Way too many. You missed a lot of the song - and so did we. Cut back on those if you want to succeed on UA-cam.
… aaah, that ol’ religeousity. If it suits you fine, but …. I find it an unsubscibable offence
You talk too much. Play the song, save your comments till the end. You just lost me. Bye Bye!
My videos aren't for everyone. Bye bye!
Stopping to many times dude
Stick around, I just reacted to the UHQR of this song and no pauses in that one ;0)
What IS "clean"??? You keep saying that. It's making me feel uncomfortable. I don't think I'm clean enough for this channel. Good bye.
Thanks for stopping by! This place is different, people who are different feel comfortable here ;0) There's a million other channels out there that support everyone else. We are here for the "different" folk.