As far as British musicians who don't like Steely Dan, there's Richard Thompson.
I love both RT and SD.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Steely Dan + Sklar?
- Thread starter ZenderBender
- Start date
As far as British musicians who don't like Steely Dan, there's Richard Thompson.
I love both RT and SD.
I guess everybody in this thread knows where my username comes from. 
Actually, I've never given the bassline in Deacon Blues a thought before Bruce's (?) post a few pages back. Dull? Perhaps, but it fits the song perfectly. Something fancier would likely have made the song worse. To me, the best food is when there ingredients are in perfect harmony with each other and only a few carefully selected spices are chosen to make it perfect... Wish I could apply this to my own playing as well... 
Despite my username I'm not a total SD geek, so I don't know all the facts, but I think it's likely that some other bassists recorded a bassline for the song as well. If that was the case, there must have been a reason why Becker's version was used. I believe his anonymous bassline lifts the rest of the music, especially the vocals.
Actually, I've never given the bassline in Deacon Blues a thought before Bruce's (?) post a few pages back. Dull? Perhaps, but it fits the song perfectly. Something fancier would likely have made the song worse. To me, the best food is when there ingredients are in perfect harmony with each other and only a few carefully selected spices are chosen to make it perfect... Wish I could apply this to my own playing as well... Despite my username I'm not a total SD geek, so I don't know all the facts, but I think it's likely that some other bassists recorded a bassline for the song as well. If that was the case, there must have been a reason why Becker's version was used. I believe his anonymous bassline lifts the rest of the music, especially the vocals.
Looking at the credits for Fagen's Nightfly "Walk Between Raindrops":
Synthesizer bass: Greg Phillinganes
Bass: Will Lee
(the following is not necessarily thread related)
Smooth maybe, but Boney James and Jeff Kashiwa redefine smooth on sax. Their tone, and "say more, with less notes" attitude is like butter on a biscuit.
If you haven't already, check out this "making of" clip about the song:I guess everybody in this thread knows where my username comes from.
Despite my username I'm not a total SD geek, so I don't know all the facts, but I think it's likely that some other bassists recorded a bassline for the song as well. If that was the case, there must have been a reason why Becker's version was used. I believe his anonymous bassline lifts the rest of the music, especially the vocals.
Invalid Link Removed
Becker says that he was overdubbing someone else's bass track, and that he felt like a simple bass line fit the song better.
Looking at the credits for Fagen's Nightfly "Walk Between Raindrops":
Synthesizer bass: Greg Phillinganes
Bass: Will Lee
But that's not playing with Steely Dan, is it - which was the original question...?!
I guess everybody in this thread knows where my username comes from.
Despite my username I'm not a total SD geek, so I don't know all the facts, but I think it's likely that some other bassists recorded a bassline for the song as well. If that was the case, there must have been a reason why Becker's version was used. I believe his anonymous bassline lifts the rest of the music, especially the vocals.
Well obviously Walter and Donald have 'final say' - that's what makes it Steely Dan!
I get the feeling that when they have too much control - as in the last album, it gets a bit dull - but where they give more freedom to the musicians and let them have more input as in 'Aja' that the whole thing is more exciting - I've seen all the making of documentaries and read many interviews over the years ...
So my feeling about that they had a great bunch of musicians for Aja and let them have more say - so it is the only album where musicians get a credit for 'charts' a far as I recall and to me this adds to the whole feel and level of musicanship on that album.
It may not have their best songs - but it certainly has the best playing! And although I like Deacon Blues it is a bit "ploddy" and I just fidn myself thinking that I can't wait for a track with Chuck Rainey to come on and liven it up!!
Deacon Blues- It is ploddy. How as a bass player could you liven it up. I really don't know how. We can all be metaphysical and say that the simplistic nature of the bassline relates to the theme of the song. One of going through life and it becomes a drudge as our Scotch drinker tells us his story.
Maybe some little pentatonics would not have gone astray.
But in hindsight Beckers plod suits this rather overrated song.
Maybe some little pentatonics would not have gone astray.
But in hindsight Beckers plod suits this rather overrated song.
Walter can play some bass. I don't know about plod or whatnot. But I did some sessions with him and myself, both of us playing slabs simultaneously, at his studio here, and he sounded just fine thanks.
hmm. The only generation of smooth jazz I can relate to is Sanborn and Washington. At least they play with SOME edge and soul. The guys you seem to dig are not my cup of tea....
Well you know, they didn't want Rainey to slap at all.. so on Peg he turned his back to them so they couldn't see what he was doing!
Maybe they wanted the parts simple.
I like the part in Deacon Blues. I think it's tasteful. It's a simple slowish tune. You don't need too much going on. He's nicely syncopated and throws in some tasteful simple fills. I like the trill he does.
I tend to over play, and I think this tune sounds good.
Royal Scam was the first SD album I had... on vinyl of course.
I never think of them as smooth jazz. Just laid back jazzy rock. Their lyrics are too edgy!
BTW, one of the first smooth jazz stations here in NYC, CD 101.9 is now an alternative rock station!
They said there isn't as much of a market for smooth jazz any more.
I do listen to the radio - but "Smooth Jazz" just never happened over here!! 
It was only by reading stuff on TB, that I was even aware such a phenomenon existed!
There is a great Jazz scene in the UK, mostly centred on London - but the players are all fantastic technically and tend to write their own unusual and interesting tunes - that may take in elements of other music like say Jim Hendrix,Olivier Messiaen,Palestinian Micro-Tonal Harmony,Schonberg etc. etc.
But it is certainly not "easy listening"!!
It was only by reading stuff on TB, that I was even aware such a phenomenon existed!
There is a great Jazz scene in the UK, mostly centred on London - but the players are all fantastic technically and tend to write their own unusual and interesting tunes - that may take in elements of other music like say Jim Hendrix,Olivier Messiaen,Palestinian Micro-Tonal Harmony,Schonberg etc. etc.
But it is certainly not "easy listening"!!
I think you're probably right - but that doesn't mean that I prefer it to the tracks with Chuck Rainey!!
He played some great stuff on Countdown to Ecstacy - but he's not Ray Brown or Chuck Rainey!!
And to his eternal credit - I think he knows that as well!!
I do listen to the radio - but "Smooth Jazz" just never happened over here!!
It was only by reading stuff on TB, that I was even aware such a phenomenon existed!
There is a great Jazz scene in the UK, mostly centred on London - but the players are all fantastic technically and tend to write their own unusual and interesting tunes - that may take in elements of other music like say Jim Hendrix,Olivier Messiaen,Palestinian Micro-Tonal Harmony,Schonberg etc. etc.
But it is certainly not "easy listening"!!
hmmm. I like Incognito, but I gotta say that they are borderline UK smooth jazz. Most stuff under that name sucks, though. And I'm really happy that you Brits don't have to deal with people who listen to sappy instrumental crossover R&B calling themselves "jazz fans."
Well I think Incognito are very different, as they use a lot of great vocalists as welll as some of the best Jazz horn players on the UK scene - like Gerard Presencer and Ed Jones who lead their own very challenging and original small Jazz groups.
I see Incognito as part of the "Acid Jazz" movement in the UK which was started by the record label of the same name and included bands like Brand New Heavies,Young Disciples,Jamiroquai etc.
This was really nothing to do with Jazz and more about a revival of old school R&B and Funk - into a more modern blend of live instrumentation that reflected the tastes of those who were sampling "old school" recordings but also wanted the excitement of a live band.
So - Incognito appeal to an audience that never heard that kind of music except as samples/loops and are blown away to hear that kind of thing live!!
I see Incognito as part of the "Acid Jazz" movement in the UK which was started by the record label of the same name and included bands like Brand New Heavies,Young Disciples,Jamiroquai etc.
This was really nothing to do with Jazz and more about a revival of old school R&B and Funk - into a more modern blend of live instrumentation that reflected the tastes of those who were sampling "old school" recordings but also wanted the excitement of a live band.
So - Incognito appeal to an audience that never heard that kind of music except as samples/loops and are blown away to hear that kind of thing live!!
Well, all in your "humble" opinion of course!
I consider myself somewhat musicianly, and i happen to be a big fan of their band and the music. But I guess as a result I couldn't be much one of one.
Yes, after all, what could be more corny than singing about pleasing a woman sexually and exactly how it is your going to do it?
Oh well, how magnanimous of you!
Now I can feel validated as I go back to join the masses of non-musicians (the only type of people who could possibly like DMB in the first place) who enjoy DMB and their bland, rambling, out-of-tune, poser performances.Yes he is.
