I appreciated Steely Dan a lot more after Nightfly. Went back to listen to more of their less popular music… also gained an appreciation for Brubeck and 60’s jazz.

"Blissful subjects"????? Just goes to show you most people don't hear the lyrics I guess

​@@JimAllen-Persona He's an artist...a pioneer

​@@starving_autist Agreed - Just about the largest quantity of irony you'll hear in any lyrics ever!

“Everything Must Go” in 2003 was the true end of their catalog now that Walter has died. It didn’t receive nearly the same amount of recognition as “Two Against Nature” but in my opinion (and the opinion of most Steely Dan superfans) it’s easily as good as “Two Against Nature” and remains the most underrated album in their history. The songs on EMG are more carefully crafted and concise than on TAN, the playing is of course equally as good just like with anything these guys release, but it also has some edge to it that I feel TAN was lacking. It also saw a return of Becker and Fagen being more involved in the actual playing on the album whereas on Aja and Gaucho and to a lesser extent Two Against Nature, they were both perfectly happy to put down their instruments and have a seasoned studio pro or jazz player track the parts. The song in this video, “Babylon Sisters” is a perfect example because if you look at the credits, neither Becker or Fagen play an instrument on the song. They wrote it of course but other than Donald’s vocals they don’t participate. On “Everything Must Go” Walter plays bass on every song, something he hadn’t done on a Steely Dan album since the very first one way back in ‘72. He also plays all of the guitar solos on the songs that have one and even makes his debut as a lead vocalist on one tune. Donald participates in every song playing a wide variety of keyboards (organs, acoustic and electric pianos, etc) and takes of ton of solos himself, all on synthesizers. He’s even credited with percussion on a few tracks and he also arranged the horns on the album, a task that was usually left to a pro arranger like Tom Scott, Michael Omartian, or Rob Mounsey on all of the previous albums. I’m not sure what the impetus was for them wanting to be more involved with the playing but whatever the reason, it resulted in a really great album that not enough people seem to dive into. Sorry for the long post, I got on a roll there and just kept going

Absolutely agree

Although I suspect they're a lot harder to play than most Great American Songbook tunes: not so many of those easy, convenient ii - V7 - I changes or hummable melodies. Or, for that matter, any straightahead "I love you" lyrics at all. For Don + Walt, I think, it was always more about Beat Poetry set to the Great American Real Book than anything in the Great American Songbook.

You're absolutely right 👌

It was a crying disgrace.

@@rthepunk a ha. You got the Dan

Was he Pretty? I'll bet he is still Pretty. (And lucky you meeting the man!)

@@raywalsh9152 he is so effervescent! When you talk with him you know his is genuine. He and his wife are just delightful people.

You done it! You done hired the hit maker, Bernard Pretty Purdie

I love when Dan commentary vids show up on KZfaq as well as the fine comments by the watchers. They were so great. Lots of good memories.

I agree. No band quite sounds like them or ever will imo. Are they more rock? Jazz? Fusion? I dunno. They just ARE. Still one of my favorites!

@@aarongoff1111 Yep. Great music.

Your interpretation is way closer than the narrator’s.

Self realization in writing lyrics is so important to a songwriter

@@thehypnoticdog6682uh, that’s why Becker/Fagen are songwriters who paints imaginary characters with their lyrics. No one seriously believes JR Tolkien was writing about himself with LOTR and Hobbit, right? Unless you’re listening to what they say is a autobiographical work (eg Becker’s solo album, “11 tracks of whack”, which also has fantasy characters (Hat Too Flat), but mostly features personal episodes in his life, eg Surf &/or Die, a lyric based on a family friend who died in a hang gliding accident in HI. Little Kawai, Cringemaker, This Moody Bastard, Junky Girl, Down at the Bottom, are also more personal, if not self-reflective).

This is exactly what I thought as well (not that it matters). Song about age gap among other things. Candy = younger ladies, not drugs IMO

That's bang on exactly how I interpret those lyrics.

So TJ is Tijuana I assume?

@@maddierosemusicyes

Best album ever made? For me.....yes.

That was my first Dan album and _is_ indeed a perfect record. 👍 Yet it's more of a spectator piece that I stand in awe of; it doesn't have a distinctive "feel" to me the way the considerably flawed _Can't Buy A Thrill_ does. It haunts me _days_ after hearing.

Sounds amazing. I, however, find myself cranking up the Dan either on my 40 minute drive to work or home, through corn and soybeans, in North Central Indiana. Not nearly as glorious a drive as Sunset to the Sea, but the music is still phenomenal!

@@raywalsh9152 I hear ya, I actually live in western Ohio surrounded by corn and soybeans. I was stationed close to LA in the 80's, have a son that lives out there so I visit a lot. Nice place to visit but I don't miss living there.

I did that in 2020!

I grew up just a mile north of Sunset (West of the 405), so ‘West on Sunset’ was the way to get to Jr. High, High School, or snag a ride to the beach. 60’s West L.A. was pretty awesome. Much different these days…

I had to do the very same thing when I was last in LA. From Sunset Boulevard at UCLA to the ocean. The languid feel of the song with an almost reggae back beat perfectly complements the snake like shimmying following the winding road down. Have loved SD from the mid 70s. The langu

Wow, thanks! Since this got such a good response I think I’m gonna do more steely dan videos in the future!

It's off base and inaccurate.

@@15centsmedia85 PLEASE DO!!

"I have seen them in 4 states over 30 times!" In the immortal word of Napoleon Dynamite ... "Luuuuuckyyy!"

I agree with you! LA was very underwhelming when I visited. And wow what a great story, always love hearing from people what it was like when the music was first released. Great to share those memories!

@@15centsmedia85 Cheers! It was Sept. 1981 first time round. I managed to visit the studio where Gaucho was recorded and had a nice chat with the engineer who was in there - lovely room!

People think LA is the beach. The real LA is the mountains.

I suspect only Donald Fagen and Walter Becker know the true meaning to all the lyrics.

I think that’s the idea, you try to understand the references and make you own decisions, they are unique

There is (or possibly was) a class at Berklee dedicated solely to the lyrics of Steely Dan. I would have LOVED to been in it!

I can remember back in the '70s being in high school trying to figure out what the songs meant fast forward a couple of decades and they released two against nature which is probably my favorite steely Dan album ever and the first time I heard it I was listening to the words trying to figure out what they mean and it occurred to me I've been doing this for 50 years

Always thought Steely Dan lyrics could be a college elective class.

Well Redrock was over the hill and Henry's Beach was the place. Lived there right after the B of A was left burning in I V.

@@tixximmi1 Hendry's, as I recall. I got to SB a lot later than you. I.V. was just a rec room for the college kids. Prolly then, too.

@@danieljulian4676 I moved there a week out of High School in '71. Parents had a furniture store there for many years. We lived across the street from Sam Basttistone. Even helped out at his place down by Stearns wharf. (Sambo's)

@@tixximmi1 That Sambo's may even have still been there when I first got to SB, but it was gone by the time I left. During my days, there was a great breakfast spot, The Cajun Kitchen, with several restaurants around the area. Top notch chile verde 'n' eggs with flour tortilla. It may still be a thing, there.

God I LOVE Glamour Profession! Absolute perfection to a noir/trash lit narrative.

when i first herd Glamour Profession it reminded me of that HOLLYWOOD ERA rediscoverd again by the La hippies in mid 70s. here in Phx az. it gave an excuse mostly women to go Babylon and get into the film and modeling but most of them got stuck slinging hash or being ask to do porn. Yes such a dreamy tune, yet we still no glamure existed only for the lucky few even in the 70s.

Thank you so much for your wonderful story and advice. I also count myself as one of the lucky ones to have seen Babylon sisters live but had I experienced what you did I probably would’ve missed some of it too! And as to more videos about the Dan… well I guess to that I’ll say I may have to Do It Again

@@15centsmedia85 hahaha...yes! Go back, Jack! Do it again! ...Good one. 😁

Absolutely love this idea as well. I hope in my video I don’t come across as selling my interpretation as the right one. The songwriting is so rich that there are so many ways to take it.

I believe your interpretation of 'cotton candy' being drugs is not correct. Given the context, it's pubic hair.@@15centsmedia85

You can't listen to the music while reading, QC. There is too much to be distracted by. The music, story in the song, text of analysis, and contemplating the images in the song. It's too much for the mind.

Thank you! Hope you are enjoying the book though, I need to read it soon.

I've been wanting to order it but every time I check Amazon it's out of stock. Glad someone got a copy at least.

Agree

I am one of those Dan Fans that prefer Gaucho to Aja. Both are spectacular and neck and neck quality wise, but Gaucho just feels special to me.

@@89Firegod My favorite of their albums is The Royal Scam. If you sort of squint, you can detect a loose concept about the Caribbean on some the songs. My favorite song of all time is on it, "Kid Charlemagne." That being said, Aja is probably their masterpiece. It's funny, but just yesterday I listened to Gaucho all the way through. Steve Kahn's solo on the ending of "Glamour Profession" is fantastic.

the lost it after Pretzel Logic. Gaucho is a classic also. Aja was to polished. No heart. And then by then they were doing 1000's of edits.. which is at that level the same as todays programmed music.

Gaucho is my fave Dan album. I prefer it to Aja. And I actually prefer Royal Scam to Aja. Nothing wrong with Aja, but Gaucho has something extra imo. It was a great way for Fagen and Becker to sign off and take a break for a few years. Even if Becker wasn't all that involved with the album.

Like a Sunday in TJ

Thank you. The great thing about their songwriting is how the lyrics could be perceived in many different ways. Just my take on it but I’m glad people have responded warmly to it.

What?

Especially 'Janie Runaway'.

That was because of Roger Nichols, and Ben Schnee. Aja is the finest engineered album ever created on vinyl. It is as close to sound perfection as you can get.

Also, Have you heard new release of 'The Second Arrangement' tape from Cimcie Shares All??

Thanks!

thank you sir

Thank you!