Lately I've been playing this record a lot again. I think it is a fantastic album, there are some very good songs on there and the production still sounds incredible 30 years after it was recorded!

Apparently this is one of the very first digital recordings, and it was widely used by hifi salesmen and live sound engineers to demonstrate/test their systems.

My favorites are IGY, Green Flower Street and New Frontier, but there is not a bad track on the album in my opinion. It is still my favorite DF album.

Does anyone know of any interesting trivia concerning (the recording of) The Nightfly? And what are your DF favorites?

Hearing this played at trade show after trade show for years almost burnt me out on the album.
The saving grace was that the songs and the recording is so good, it never got old.


If I had to pick two as favorities...



...Maxine & The Nightfly


I never understood why Art Bell didn't adopt The Nightfly as the theme song for Coast to Coast.
Probably the closest song to accurately describe his show.




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Tribal Records

I don't think it is a masterpiece, but it does have some great songs on it. Ruby, Ruby is a great remake.

Steely Dan, as a band were untouchable. I wish Prince was as consistant as these cats.

Donald is an iconic genius. A real new yoke bohemian, that one.

CLASSIC!

Some favorites from the rest of the Fagen Trilogy.

Kamakiriad...



...On The Dunes & Tomorrow's Girls




...The making of Kamakiriad


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=


Morph The Cat...



...The Great Pagoda of Funn & The Night Belongs to Mona


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Random Fagen track from the movie Heavy Metal...



...True Companion




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First album of the triolgy and my favorite of the three...

Apparently there is a new DF album finished (recorded and mastered) and could be released perhaps as soon as this year!

funkaholic1972 said:

Apparently there is a new DF album finished (recorded and mastered) and could be released perhaps as soon as this year!

REALLY!! This is good news, can't wait!

I really enjoy this album but I must disagree on the merits of it's sound quality.

Yes it was one of the first digitally recorded albums, and yes it is pristine... but for me that translates as sterile tone.

Much MUCH prefer the tone of all previous Steely Dan albums. The drums and bass are so fat and round, it's delicious. The Nightfly sound thin and edgy in comparison.

nd33 said:

The Nightfly sound thin and edgy in comparison.

Possibly overcome with the acquisition of a 180 gram vinyl version of the release.

I was stunned that there was such a great improvement in Morph the Cat on vinyl since the CD sounds good on its own.

Part of the reason has to do with the fact that it was cut from a 15 ips master which gives the vinyl version incredible low end.

I think it originally sold for around $30. Since it's out of print, sealed copies are selling for over $100.

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My mom still bumps this-one of the few records in her collection she listens to still

nd33 said:

I really enjoy this album but I must disagree on the merits of it's sound quality.

Yes it was one of the first digitally recorded albums, and yes it is pristine... but for me that translates as sterile tone.

Much MUCH prefer the tone of all previous Steely Dan albums. The drums and bass are so fat and round, it's delicious. The Nightfly sound thin and edgy in comparison.

If I didn't find about this info couple of years ago, I probably wouldn't tell the damn difference. Thing is, all of Steely Dan's albums(save for the 1st two) were mixed so properly, I don't even think remastering is that necessary.

Off-topic, but what exactly was the first digitally recorded album?

theAudience said:

nd33 said:

The Nightfly sound thin and edgy in comparison.

Possibly overcome with the acquisition of a 180 gram vinyl version of the release.

I was stunned that there was such a great improvement in Morph the Cat on vinyl since the CD sounds good on its own.

Part of the reason has to do with the fact that it was cut from a 15 ips master which gives the vinyl version incredible low end.

I think it originally sold for around $30. Since it's out of print, sealed copies are selling for over $100.

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Tribal Records

Kick, snare & cymbals are dead give aways for me. They sound much richer cut to tape rather than digital.

That "Morph The Cat" vinyl would have benefitted greatly from being mastered to 15ips tape IMO.

Cut to tape:

Cut to digital:

Check out how the kick/snare are pounding on the tape!

^^I'm not sure that Youtube is a good source to judge sound quality, since that depends on the uploader, and Youtube also tends to alter the sound & video.

MickyDolenz said:

^^I'm not sure that Youtube is a good source to judge sound quality, since that depends on the uploader, and Youtube also tends to alter the sound & video.

You're absolutely right.

But my point was kinda like, it's so obvious, you can even hear it on youtube!

Obvious to me anyway

MotorBootyAffair said:

MotorBootyAffair said:

MotorBootyAffair said:

I read somewhere that Stevie Wonder called up Donald regarding the recording, and the possibility that the first pressings of the cd sounded "funny" and may have been taken from third and forth generation masters-and they were proven right. This I read from the book, Reelin In The Years: Steely Dan, quite the definitive read. Longtime fan, solo material included. Don't get me started.

...and while I also have all the best comps and such, ShowBiz Kids (2cd) is the most definitive, well tracked collection. My favorite is between Gaucho and Aja. Royal Scam is a great "sounding" album. I consider it their Funk tribute.

Agreed. It's killer in every way!

shorttrini said:

funkaholic1972 said:

Apparently there is a new DF album finished (recorded and mastered) and could be released perhaps as soon as this year!

REALLY!! This is good news, can't wait!

Yeah I was surprised to find out about it

http://radiodupree.blogsp...tered.html

nd33 said:

MotorBootyAffair said:

MotorBootyAffair said: ...and while I also have all the best comps and such, ShowBiz Kids (2cd) is the most definitive, well tracked collection. My favorite is between Gaucho and Aja. Royal Scam is a great "sounding" album. I consider it their Funk tribute.

Agreed. It's killer in every way!

The Royal Scam is probably my favorite SD album!

nd33 said:

I really enjoy this album but I must disagree on the merits of it's sound quality.

Yes it was one of the first digitally recorded albums, and yes it is pristine... but for me that translates as sterile tone.

Much MUCH prefer the tone of all previous Steely Dan albums. The drums and bass are so fat and round, it's delicious. The Nightfly sound thin and edgy in comparison.

I see what you mean, I do agree the hihats sound somewhat tinny and the kick and especially snare miss some fatness/punch. Still a great recording though, the mix is very good and it is easy to hear/separate all the parts on a good system.

'The Nightfly' is one of my all-time favorite albums. It's pretty flawless imo. Glad to see this thread posted!

theAudience said:

Some favorites from the rest of the Fagen Trilogy.

Kamakiriad...

Tomorrow's Girls

The shown eyes at 0:06 look somewhat like the ones from Carmen Electra?

I remember driving on a great sunny day to a family party with my brother, when Kamakiriad was just going to be broadcasted prime time on air. The dj selected the track "Florida Room" and hearing that was such a good feeling after having waited some years for Donald's new release. Pure enjoyment during the intro of horns, sax solo of Cornelius Bumpus, and other arrangements/instruments + fun lyric details. Great memories.

"...We go out to lunch...with some Jamaican dude..."

other released videos:

Donald Fagen - Snowbound on Vimeo

Tittypants said:

'The Nightfly' is one of my all-time favorite albums.

I will happily co-sign this!

Shango said:

theAudience said:

Some favorites from the rest of the Fagen Trilogy.

Kamakiriad...

Tomorrow's Girls

The shown eyes at 0:06 look somewhat like the ones from Carmen Electra?

I remember driving on a great sunny day to a family party with my brother, when Kamakiriad was just going to be broadcasted prime time on air. The dj selected the track "Florida Room" and hearing that was such a good feeling after having waited some years for Donald's new release. Pure enjoyment during the intro of horns, sax solo of Cornelius Bumpus, and other arrangements/instruments + fun lyric details. Great memories.

"...We go out to lunch...with some Jamaican dude..."

other released videos:

Here too. The day after its' release, I grabbed a copy & my wife & I listened to it as our soundtrack for a trip to the Oregon Coast. Sunny, 75 degrees, crystal blue sky...in a brand new Nissan Z. Memories indeed.

Nice interview on The Nightfly sessions with Daniel Lazerus (Assistant engineer):
http://granatino.com/sdre...azerus.htm



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Tribal Records

nd33 said:

That "Morph The Cat" vinyl would have benefitted greatly from being mastered to 15ips tape IMO.

It was...

Mastered by Steve Hoffman and Kevin Gray at AcousTech, this pressing was done at RTI on virgin 180-gram vinyl!

Hoffman and Gray cut this album from the 15-inches-per-second, half-inch analog tape. "The reason it was done at 15," Hoffman said, "was to preserve the tremendous bass response."

Personally approved by Donald Fagen himself! "We're all gratified that he's so enthusiastic about vinyl," Hoffman said of Fagen. "Warner Bros. is also very enthusiastic about the medium." Morph The Cat comes in a deluxe, thick cardboard gatefold jacket and the vinyl is packaged in rice paper inner sleeves.

...http://www.elusivedisc.co...P49975.htm


Btw, Elusive Disc has 180g vinyl versions of The Nightfly available for $27:
http://www.elusivedisc.co...WEALP95223


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Tribal Records

theAudience said:

nd33 said:

That "Morph The Cat" vinyl would have benefitted greatly from being mastered to 15ips tape IMO.

It was...

Mastered by Steve Hoffman and Kevin Gray at AcousTech, this pressing was done at RTI on virgin 180-gram vinyl!

Hoffman and Gray cut this album from the 15-inches-per-second, half-inch analog tape. "The reason it was done at 15," Hoffman said, "was to preserve the tremendous bass response."

Personally approved by Donald Fagen himself! "We're all gratified that he's so enthusiastic about vinyl," Hoffman said of Fagen. "Warner Bros. is also very enthusiastic about the medium." Morph The Cat comes in a deluxe, thick cardboard gatefold jacket and the vinyl is packaged in rice paper inner sleeves.

...http://www.elusivedisc.co...P49975.htm


Btw, Elusive Disc has 180g vinyl versions of The Nightfly available for $27:
http://www.elusivedisc.co...WEALP95223


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tA

Tribal Records

Hey dude, yeah I realised that from your previous post

I should have said "your vinyl copy will have benefitted greatly from being mastered to tape, whereas my CD copy lacks that benefit of tape saturation".

That is, unless the CD copy was transferred ftom the tape master too?

Which would mean I'd be still of the opinion that the previous SD albums are superior sounding. But who knows...

theAudience said:

Nice interview on The Nightfly sessions with Daniel Lazerus (Assistant engineer):
http://granatino.com/sdre...azerus.htm



Music for adventurous listeners


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Tribal Records

Thanks!!!

JamFanHot said: Here too. The day after its' release, I grabbed a copy & my wife & I listened to it as our soundtrack for a trip to the Oregon Coast. Sunny, 75 degrees, crystal blue sky...in a brand new Nissan Z. Memories indeed.