Steely Dan

lesclaypoolsob · #1 04-12-2008, 11:08 PM

So, I just finished listening to 'Pretzel Logic' in its' entirety and I am now a Steely Dan fan. I had heard about them for years, but never gave them a listen. Boy, am I sorry! What a great album. Please tell me their others are this good.

pandrew · #2 04-12-2008, 11:12 PM

steely dan is amazing
doctor wu is one of my favorite songs
and Kid Charlemane (sp)

doktorfeelgood · #3 04-12-2008, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lesclaypoolsob

So, I just finished listening to 'Pretzel Logic' in its' entirety and I am now a Steely Dan fan. I had heard about them for years, but never gave them a listen. Boy, am I sorry! What a great album. Please tell me their others are this good.

AJA, Countdown To Ecstasy, Katy Lied....All fantastic...
But especially AJA... )-(

fish slapper · #4 04-12-2008, 11:25 PM

Aja is one of my top three album faves of all time. They were a little more mature and it was studio greats (Chuck Rainey, Larry Carlton) along with Becker and Fagen. But Pretzel Logic is a good start. "Any Major Dude" has a special place in my heart. And all Jazz fans recognize how "Rikki don't loose that number" was lifted from "Song for my Father". But they were Jazz dudes before they joined Steely.

Woodchuck · #5 04-13-2008, 08:07 AM

Welcome to the cult! "The Caves of Altamira" is my favorite tune. The Fagen solo stuff is also great, IMO. They'll be here in Atlanta on June 11th.

Fnord Explorer · #6 04-13-2008, 08:22 AM

Aja is their best album in my opinion.

Here is a link to the making of "Peg" from that album where Chuck Rainey talks about the bassline (one of the coolest ones on the album along with "Josie"). You can find other "making of" vids of Steely Dan linked from there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6x6uoNqH-_A

fish slapper · #7 04-13-2008, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fnord Explorer

Aja is their best album in my opinion.

Here is a link to the making of "Peg" from that album where Chuck Rainey talks about the bassline (one of the coolest ones on the album along with "Josie"). You can find other "making of" vids of Steely Dan linked from there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6x6uoNqH-_A

I'll cop to being such an "Aja" freak that I own the DVD these clips come from. Chuck Rainey's comments regarding have to hide his popping and slapping from Fagen are fascinating. The documentary is interesting for interviews of the musician's but almost all the performances are partial takes from recent performances.

BassieMike · #8 04-13-2008, 11:24 AM

Fagen and Becker are masters at arrangements. Usually a dozen people in the band, everyone gets to take solos, and no one EVER steps on anyone else's toes. It just doesn't get any better.

DCOOPER · #9 04-13-2008, 01:56 PM

"The Fez" Gets me every time!!

markjazzbassist · #10 04-13-2008, 02:44 PM

steely dan is amazing. i have seen them live 2 times and have all their albums. they are one of my favorite bands of all time.

Aja is one of the best produced albums ever, Period.

Busker · #11 04-13-2008, 02:52 PM

Isn't "East St. Louis Toodeloo" on Pretzel Logic? That has to be one of THE best covers of a Duke Ellington song ever.

Give that song a good listen! These guys had chops to spare.

Steely Dan were awesome.

MikeBass · #12 04-13-2008, 02:58 PM

LOVE Steely Dan.
And this is the crazy part- We played Pretzel Logic as our prelude (walk in music) today in church!!!!!
No kidding -we did!!! LOL!!!!

Aja is the best IMO. Want to be a great "pop/jazz" player??? Learn that disc.

In fact, I'm putting back together my Steely Dan cover band- Steeling Dan.
I love playing their stuff.

knarleybass · #13 04-13-2008, 03:01 PM

Aja is the best!

scootron · #14 04-13-2008, 03:49 PM

Becker and Fagen always drew the best guys to play with them. In '74, this would have been considered an all-star set of session musicians that contributed to Pretzel Logic:

Steely Dan

* Donald Fagen - keyboards, vocals
* Michael Omartian - keyboards
* David Paich - keyboards
* Walter Becker - bass, guitar, vocals
* Timothy B. Schmit - bass, vocals
* Wilton Felder - bass
* Chuck Rainey - bass
* Denny Dias - guitar
* Jeff Baxter - guitar
* Ben Benay - guitar
* Dean Parks - guitar
* Plas Johnson - saxophone
* Jerome Richardson - saxophone
* Ernie Watts - saxophone
* Lew McCreary - horn
* Ollie Mitchell - trumpet
* Jim Hodder - drums
* Jim Gordon - drums
* Jeff Porcaro - drums

I never get tired of listening to them. IIRC, when they toured in the old days, Michael McDonald did the vocal part about "Where did you get those shoes?"

LowBSix · #15 04-13-2008, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lesclaypoolsob

So, I just finished listening to 'Pretzel Logic' in its' entirety and I am now a Steely Dan fan. I had heard about them for years, but never gave them a listen. Boy, am I sorry! What a great album. Please tell me their others are this good.

AJA is a MUST..... GAUCHO is awesome.... Serious grooves....
Chuck Rainey is amazing!!!!

whamonkey · #16 04-13-2008, 03:59 PM

Dudes!... I totally concur with all the posts, the band is one of my all time favorites. Aja, Gaucho, Countdown to Ecstasy.......yeah!

Also, check out the last album, Everything Must Go. The bass line on "Lunch with Gina" kills and the sax intro on "Everything Must Go" does too.

I can't pick a favorite album but could easily fall asleep to Aja every night of my life.

Entre Nous 2007 · #17 04-13-2008, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lesclaypoolsob

So, I just finished listening to 'Pretzel Logic' in its' entirety and I am now a Steely Dan fan. I had heard about them for years, but never gave them a listen. Boy, am I sorry! What a great album. Please tell me their others are this good.

the first one and Countdown to Ecstacy are so-so but yeah, it's all pretty damn slick, what with all those Larry Carlton and Jeff Skunk Baxster cameos... everything up to Gaucho is worth your time, and even Gaucho has a couple real smooth ones (Time Out Of Mind, Glamour Profession).

just get the box set and be done with it.

tonedeafmike · #18 04-13-2008, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Entre Nous 2007

just get the box set and be done with it.

+1. Ask 5 Steely Dan fans which is their favorite album, and you might get 5 different answers. My favorite is Pretzel Logic, but Aja and The Royal Scam are 1a and 1b. Citizen (the box set) is a great value.

jerry · #19 04-13-2008, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Entre Nous 2007

just get the box set and be done with it.

+1, you will probably end up wanting them all anyway.

Up there with the Beatles as having one of the best bodies of work in rock history. IMHO

MonetBass · #20 04-14-2008, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fnord Explorer

Aja is their best album in my opinion.

Here is a link to the making of "Peg" from that album where Chuck Rainey talks about the bassline (one of the coolest ones on the album along with "Josie"). You can find other "making of" vids of Steely Dan linked from there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6x6uoNqH-_A

On "Classic Albums" on VH1 Classic the other night, they played the making of the Aja album. I recorded it and watched it twice. I love Steely Dan, but now I have even more respect and admiration for those guys. They got some killer session guys on their albums.