Steely Dan (Official Thread)

[glenn7623]

I found this on Wikipedia about Chevy Chase as drummer for the early days of Fagan and Becker "The two soon began playing in local groups. One of these bands, first known as The Bad Rock Group and later as The Leather Canary, included future comedy star Chevy Chase on drums. They played covers of songs written by The Rolling Stones ("Dandelion"), Moby Grape ("Hey Grandma"), and Willie Dixon ("Spoonful") along with a handful of originals.Terence Boylan, another Bard musician, remembered that Fagen immediately took to the Beatnik life while attending college: "They never came out of their room, they stayed up all night. They looked like ghosts — black turtlenecks and skin so white that it looked like yogurt. Absolutely no activity, chain-smoking Lucky Strikes and dope." Fagen himself would later remember it as "probably the only time in my life that I actually had friends.""

Glenn

 

[runningshoes]

"Can't Buy A Thrill" featured the vocals of David Palmer with a beautiful song called "Dirty Work".Then Elliot Randall with his smoking guitar work on "Reelin' In The Years".Fagan and Becker met in college in the Boston area.I read that one of their first drummers was Chevy Chase but that could be a rumor who knows...

Glenn

He did drum with them for a short while before they started calling themselves Steely Dan.

 

[Soot and Stars]

Listened to a double shot of the two albums I've bought within the last year:

Aja & Can't Buy Me A Thrill


I remember when I first checked these guys out in this thread I wasn't to excited by these guys. My criticisms have softened a bit. I've listened to Aja more and tonight was the first time Can't Buy Me a Thrill hit my ears. They are to the bands credit two different albums. I prefer Aja more personally which is weird as Can't Buy me a Thrill is the more accessible commercial album. Either way I wasn't put of by the albums but they don't leave me with much after I'm done with them.

 

[LG]

^^Steely Dan is one of those bands who "reveal" themselves after multiple listenings...I can get a first impression playing any record, but I could never make any kind of serious evaluation until playing a record a few times. Unless you just hated it, which has happened to me over the years but not very often. Can't by a Thrill is SD at their most accessible, it was and still is one of my favorite party albums. The band line-up changed right after that album was released and over time SD basically became Fagen/Becker's vehicle.

Aja is coming out in a new vinyl release in a few weeks, I haven't pre-ordered it yet because I have a vinyl copy already...but it needs some TLC and if it's in poor condition I'll have to get the new one.

 

[StarThrower]

I just bought the Aja remastered CD last week. Sounds great! I can't say I'm a big fan of Thrill or Gaucho, but the other five are right up my alley.

 

[LG]

^^I think Fagen and Becker consider "Gaucho" their most perfect record...at least as far as the production/engineering side of things go.

I'd have a hard time rating them in order, except The Royal Scam will always be my favorite, Steely Dan at it's grittiest.(Puts me at odds with many of their fans which is fine.)

 

[Rantanplan]

^^

Steely Dan is one of those bands who "reveal" themselves after multiple listenings...I can get a first impression playing any record, but I could never make any kind of serious evaluation until playing a record a few times.

Totally agree! One of the songs, I can still find fine details in it, is the "Third world man". I've heard this song so many times over the years...

 

[Squidbilly]

Say LG,I have The definitive collection disc that I got a few yrs ago.
Do It Again
Dirty Work
Reelin' In the Years
Bodhisattva
My Old School
Rikki Don't Lose That Number
Black Friday
Bad Sneakers
Kid Charlemagne
Deacon Blues
Peg
F.M.
Hey Nineteen
Babylon Sisters
Cousin Dupree
Things I Miss The Most

Sadly it doesn't have-
Pretzel Logic
Black Cow
Josie
With a gun

I make this Proclamation here&now(New years resolution) Im gonna Quit buyin these compilation discs as im missing out on alot of good tunes.
(edit) Unless I get my grubby mits on Lennons Shaved Fish

 

[LG]

^^I'm with you Squidbilly, it's been a long time since I bought a compilation. For newer fans who may have a passing interest in a band or artist they are fine, but as you pointed out so many of the best songs are never hits to begin with.

Have to get a new vinyl copy of "Aja", the album I inherited side one is okay but side two is noisy which just won't do.

 

[architect]

Loving this song lately