I just heard Josie on the radio and always seem to forget just how badass this group is. Unlike our Prince, they still do great new albums, and their brand of pop jazz always is top notch and lyrically eclectic or bohemian cool. Prince needs to hear their deft grooves and musical imagination, so that his own music could improve. Deacon Blues, indeed.

I looooove Steely Dan. Fagen's playing solo in Chicago next month. The guitar at the beginning of Hey Nineteen still kills me!!!!

What about the opening to Josie--mysterious and mezmerizing.

2freaky4church1 said:

It is incredible!!! I find a lot of their stuff mysterious and mesmerizing.

Well we're on the same page here.
As a matter of fact, I just picked off the intro to Josie not long ago.
This was right after I saw Larry Carlton play it live on the Eric Clapton Crossroads Guitar Festival DVD.

I've been a SD fan since Can't Buy A Thrill.
Although I dig all their material, my favorite era is from The Royal Scam forward.
This is where they found and then perfected (Aja) the sophisticated groovy sound that is now their signature.

"No static at all"


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

Didn't Larry Carlton play on that album?

theAudience said:

And I'm only really familiar with their pre-Aja stuff. I love all of that. I gave Gaucho a listen a few weeks back and really liked it, but I don't own anything from that era.

2freaky4church1 said:

Yes. And it was he that played the stellar guitar intro on Josie.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

RipHer2Shreds said:

Well you'd better get on the stick...Rip.

After that you've got the 2 Donald Fagen solo albums (with a 3rd on the way) to contend with.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

Fagan only has one solo album.

theAudience said:

I listened to Nightfly (actually on the same day I first gave Gaucho a listen) and liked it. It sounded like, well, Steely Dan. I'm scurred to listen to later stuff. What if I don't like it? It could taint my image of them.

2freaky4church1 said:

You're disagreeing with the Steely Dan master? tA knows his stuff. Kamakiriad is the second solo Fagan album.

Damn, I forgot about that one..lol

RipHer2Shreds said:

If you liked Gaucho and The Nightfly, you'll like everything after those.

Trust me.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

theAudience said:

Oh, Aja.

When all my dime dancing is through, I run to you.....


I think that album is perfect. Named my daughter after it.

Romera said:

You picked a goodie.

One of my favorite set of lines from that album...

This is the night
Of the expanding the man
I take one last drag
As I approach the stand
I cried when I wrote this song
Sue me if I play too long
This brother is free
I'll be what I want to be

...Perfect.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

theAudience said:

I believe Aja to be the perfect SD album but that's just me. Gaucho and Pretzel Logic are pretty kickass too.

Romera said:

Can't argue with you there.

I've been running Two Against Nature and Everything Must Go pretty regularly.

Can't wait for Fagen's Murph The Cat to be released.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

theAudience said:

March 7, right?

RipHer2Shreds said:

tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

theAudience said:

Bad Steely Dan fan I am. I just picked up Everything Must Go two weeks ago.

Romera said:

Hey, you got it that's all that matters.

All the songs kill on that disc.
Let me know your favs once you've really dug into it.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

theAudience said:

What's really bad is that I listened to the album on their site when it first came out and then told everybody else to buy it.

steely dan rocks.

Then there is the beautiful Aja, a song with the greatest sax solo I have ever heard.

2freaky4church1 said:

tom scott's solos on deacon blues and black cow have always been aja's arch nemises 2 me... but we can't leave out reelin in the years or home at last 'cause the musicianship on them 2 are fuckin gorgeous.....
[Edited 2/16/06 23:21pm]

definitely one of the best bands ever

years ago I never would have thought it to be possible.. but now it has come to this.. I'm much more excited about the upcoming Donald Fagan album than about the new Prince CD ...dayum

Steely Dan. What can I say?

Romera said:

Pixeleen is my cut!!! the vocals!.....the vocals....





...

Pali -- were you the one that put me on to Carolyn Leonhart, who sings background on "Pixeleen"?

Anyways, Steely Dan is one of my favorite bands on the strength of A Decade of Steely Dan, Aja, Two Against Nature and Everything Must Go.

I've been buying a lot of the Dan's back catalogue, and I still feel that way. But I must say a couple, like Pretzel Logic, are very challenging. I'm really liking The Royal Scam.

Like Prince, they melded many influences into a distinct sound. And their arrangements are flawless.

Few bands, on their best day, could make an album composed of "Black Cow," "Aja," "Deacon Blues" and "Peg."

Then, late in their careers, make great songs like "Almost Gothic" and "Pixeleen."

Fagen's new joint drops next month.