Steve Gadd: The DRUM SOLO That Changed Popular Music
Рет қаралды 2,167,530
4 жыл бұрынIn this episode I discuss how Steve Gadd changed Pop music with his drum solo on Steely Dan's Aja.
#stevegadd #drumsolo #steelydan
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@jashton8710 3 жыл бұрын
Steely Dan was a genre of music and they were the sole occupants. A brilliant collaboration of rock, jazz and blues.
@letty5515 3 жыл бұрын
Um hmm.
@lesmoore6912 3 жыл бұрын
I agree!
@romo2674 3 жыл бұрын
@@letty5515 hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
@letty5515 3 жыл бұрын
@@romo2674 what r you doing? Nin com poop. I don't feel like spell checking. Eat your milk and cookies and go to bed. Night night.
@romo2674 3 жыл бұрын
@@letty5515 "Nin com poop"
@soyounoat 2 жыл бұрын
I remember when Aja was released in late 1977. I was 16 years old, and was surrounded by people with great musical taste, and so Aja was being cued up often. Being young, I just accepted that music like this was *normal*. As years passed and I ventured into learning about music and playing instruments, the majesty and complexity of Aja, and Steely Dan in general, was gradually revealed to me. My respect and awe has grown for it ever since.
@johnjill3900 2 жыл бұрын
same here, same age as you. Took years to really appreciate if fully. It still grows to this day.
@libertyvilleguy2903 Жыл бұрын
Agreed - I was 14 when Aja was released, and liked it a lot. But wasn’t old enough to appreciate how truly other-worldly it is. A work of art.
@fredgien 11 ай бұрын
I am from 1951. In my teen years I have been spoiled, wonderful music was everywhere. Little did I know that would come to an end. Luckily we now have Tailor Swift 🥹….
@jeffw2228 7 ай бұрын
@@fredgien I couldn’t even tell you the name of any of Taylor Swift’s songs. I’m not upset either. 😑
@lbowsk 7 ай бұрын
I was hooked by Steely Dan the first time I heard Reeling in the Years on Can't Buy a Thrill.
@samgoldsmith3759 2 жыл бұрын
Rick is one of the true greats of air drumming
@fishheds 7 ай бұрын
Like Jeff Goldblum playing jazz piano
@masonaxenty4869 Жыл бұрын
Aja is hands down the greatest album of all time. The amount of pure talent and musicianship put into these 7 songs is absolutely phenomenal!
@walterstevens3874 Жыл бұрын
Yes, the greatest! It’s been my favorite album for some 40+ years.
@user-xi2jm8gx8u 11 ай бұрын
Very much agree ..😊 yes from the phils
@Owen_S. 11 ай бұрын
I can't even imagine the number of times I've listened to that album over the decades. Put it this way, my wife isn't really a Dan fan at all, and she still knows the words to every track on the album haha!
@masonaxenty4869 11 ай бұрын
Being only 18 years old, it’s quite a lot for me to have written this comment, but most of my family is the same way. I grew up to my dad listening to this album, and he did the same. I’ve never fallen for modern music, but stuck to older 70s and 80s music instead.
@JonahHertzman 11 ай бұрын
@@masonaxenty4869 I used to feel much the same way (I'm also 18), but there's a lot of really good music being made these days if you're willing to try listening. As a Steely Dan fan, I found there's a good amount of overlap with today's RnB/pop songs. I pretty quickly got into a couple new artists -- Benny Sings, Anderson .Paak, and Mayer Hawthorne to name a few.
@tomfisher9353 3 жыл бұрын
Best thing about this video is seeing how happy Rick is throughout it. ✊🏼
@jarenpwatson 3 жыл бұрын
I agree fully. His passion is so contagious. Even when he's analyzing a song I don't care for, I find myself incredibly moved by his excitement.
@chrisparker7027 3 жыл бұрын
Well. The BEST thing is bringing awareness to the stunning achievements of Steve Gadd. But Bless Rick Biato for generating this and recognizing the genius.
@trexkiller3904 3 жыл бұрын
Same energy that you see in Gadd's performances!
@aprilguittar9658 3 жыл бұрын
I was just about to say that. Watching his joy as he listens to this is so uplifting!😄👌👍
@BretAllen1 3 жыл бұрын
Well said! Pure bliss! Kinda like the first time I heard the Dixie Dreggs or The Golden Apple with Jeff Beck & Carmine Appice. 😁
@oaktadopbok665 4 жыл бұрын
Rick has the uncanny ability to get me excited about music that I've been listening to since it first came out, and played hundreds of times, and give it a new meaning, a new twist, and show me things I never knew or heard before, and get me all overjoyed again, and it's like I'm hearing for the first time after all these years I feel young again. Not many people on earth can do that for you, my friends.
@MarkSmith-js2pu 4 жыл бұрын
OÄKTA DOPBOK you said it better than I did yesterday for another review Rick did.
@1999bmwm3baby 4 жыл бұрын
I feel the same way. Rick's analysis rocks.
@kittyhooch1 4 жыл бұрын
I started playing music before I heard Steely Dan. I remember hearing on the radio that they were taking forever on the Aja album. When it came out I didn't listen critically. I treated it like candy. It was pure pleasure. So you're right, thousands of plays later I heard it for the first time.
@flywheel56 4 жыл бұрын
What he said!
@U2Bfamilypage 3 жыл бұрын
OÄKTA DOPBOK - Well said O.D. I had just finished my second year of high school when I first got Aja (on cassette). Zeppelin, Frampton and Aerosmith were my foundation in music at that time. This masterpiece of an album thrusted me into another dimension! Agreed, this segment with Rick revived all that joy, freshness of discovery and eagerness of our youth!! I’m pumped that Rick started to explain Fagan’s spacey synth work a little bit, but there’s so much that could be said about that subtlety in this song. Especially that other synth that sounds like a sign-wave of tiny bubbles in the background. An insane traffic jam of music genius with an enthusiasm that’s unequalled.
@WhizMitchell Жыл бұрын
Steely Dan's Aja is undoubtedly IMO the greatest Jazz/Pop/R&B record ever made. In fact, I was highly influenced by this album as a musician. It was innovative for it's time. I highly recommend it to anyone with open ears when it comes to musical development. The title track itself is an absolute masterpiece. When I listen to the title track, to this day after all these years, it gives me chills when I hear both steve gadd and wayne shorter's solos....it's so damn good.
@briantlougan810 3 жыл бұрын
Aja, the whole album, is a masterpiece. You can listen to it casually indefinitely. If you dig deeper, it's so much richer. You're right: who is going to bring together all those top quality elements on an album of popular music? Wayne Shorter and Steve Gadd really injected killer solos in that circumscribed but fertile Steely Dan space. Thank you for calling attention to the song, the drum solos and the album. Brilliant!
@davidryan7386 2 жыл бұрын
just watched the SD official AJA documentary and they skip over this solo altogether - maybe cause they had purdee shufflin on the kit.
@jazzafly257 2 жыл бұрын
@@davidryan7386 According to an interview I heard with Donald Fagen, he had contacted Steve Gadd about the impending doco on Aja for the Classic Album series, and the discussion came up over how much Gadd was to be remunerated for appearing on the show.... needless to say, he DOESN'T appear and sadly, nor does the entire song! They have Rick Marrotta on there, who played on Peg, and Bernard Purdie who played on Home At Last and they also mention Jim Keltner, who played on Josie, but to miss out that AWESOME Gadd solo.... over MONEY.... it's almost criminal.... so sad really!!
@jazzafly257 2 жыл бұрын
And I'm a MASSIVE Steely Dan and Donald Fagen fan, so I almost hope I misheard the facts.....
@davidryan7386 2 жыл бұрын
Prob true. Gadd may have gotten a simple pay in the past. Like Claire tory waiking on Floyd. Probably wanted a bonus for that epic solo. Hard to blame him if he merely got a recording wage the 1st time and Dan made .millions.
@FrankieBag0donuts 3 жыл бұрын
Steve Gadd's work on Aja never gets old.... the song itself belongs in the Smithsonian as a national treasure.
@LillyBunnyBoo 3 жыл бұрын
Excellent comment. :)
@mikehenson819 3 жыл бұрын
Here here! I second that emotion.
@750count 3 жыл бұрын
I foolishly thought I should try to replicate that drum solo I think I'll just listen
@bojangles6444 3 жыл бұрын
@@750count learn to play a perfect samba beat at that tempo first or you won’t get close. Then try adding the ride bell pattern but don’t use a bright obnoxious symbol. something not too thick and more dark/jazzy. Too loud (bright and Clangy) of a ride bell can be really annoying. I never really got the ride pattern down just did a samba pattern. Too much ambidextrous limb polyrhythms would take me a while to get.
@SELAHPAUSE 3 жыл бұрын
@@750count lol know one can do it
@jeffreyjordan5325 4 жыл бұрын
IMHO, the Gadd/Shorter solo is one of the greatest pieces of music ever recorded. It raises the hair on my arms every time I listen to it.
@quick6629 Жыл бұрын
Steve Gadd is a true player's player. His work on Al Di Meola's Elegant Gypsy is different, yet it is equally mind blowing.
@soujrnr Жыл бұрын
Al DiMeola is my all-time favorite for songwriting! His stuff is absolutely mind-blowing, as is his guitar playing. Legendary and second to none!
@kwpres 11 ай бұрын
@@soujrnr yea, discovered him when he joined RTF. Saw them in concert and was stunned. His work is underappreciated.
@bigbootyhunta 7 ай бұрын
Steve Gadd's drumming on the Chick Corea album My Spanish Heart is also amazing, especially on the track Spanish Fantasy Part 2.
@jamescassidy3995 3 жыл бұрын
Every Steely Dan song & album blew our minds - the playing, musicianship, arrangements, lyrics, imagery, melodies, tones, artwork… untouchable.
@digitalcthulhu143 2 жыл бұрын
Maybe not the artwork... some of them like Can't Buy A Thrill are downright ugly lol
@soujrnr Жыл бұрын
Absolutely right!! Couldn't have said it better!!
@thewebmaniacs 4 жыл бұрын
That is the track I use to compare speakers and sound equipment. One of my all-time favorites. RIP Walter!
@ralphwilliamsmusic 4 жыл бұрын
This is one of them for me too.
@drakedoragon3026 4 жыл бұрын
Right on🤘. “War Pigs” is another that is worth a listen to test speakers IMHO.
@michaelfitzurka5659 4 жыл бұрын
absolutely
@ronskopitz2360 4 жыл бұрын
Yep - Aja and Roundabout for me....
@wushock92 4 жыл бұрын
@AR-FRM That and cuts from Mannheim Steamroller's Fresh Aire I.
@jjmalaprop9968 4 жыл бұрын
When Rick says, “I want you to listen to this with headphones”, I do what I’m told.
@Mickey_McD 4 жыл бұрын
Yep, I did the same
@TheWrestlingFamily 4 жыл бұрын
Lol yup
@mixerD1- 4 жыл бұрын
Same 😁
@ziccuj 4 жыл бұрын
Count me in. But there certainly was an apparent reason for that.
@anthonystrickland9870 4 жыл бұрын
Me too 😂🤣
@theshootindutchman 2 ай бұрын
That drum and sax soli is just pure joy, just one of the greatest of all time 😄🙏
@gingerdent Жыл бұрын
All these “hearing a song for the first time” videos are fun but seeing the enthusiasm for a song you’ve listened to 100+ times is so more uplifting. I share your joy of this song totally Rick!!
@steved932 5 ай бұрын
I agree. Love Rick's enthusiasm and eloquence.
@ishgumi44 4 жыл бұрын
Rick, I've followed you for a long time, this is my first comment. This is why we love you man. Like a kid in a candy shop, your enthusiasm, still after all these years, is contagious. We all know what a genius Steve Gadd is. Listening to it together and sharing your passion for the music, just takes it all to a new level. Cheers man!
@RickBeato 4 жыл бұрын
Thanks!!!!
@josephkarl2061 4 жыл бұрын
What he said 👍👍👍
@HiVoltish 4 жыл бұрын
Well said!!!
@weeyumzzz94 4 жыл бұрын
Totally agree!
@Boddissatva 4 жыл бұрын
It’s why we live. All those non hits.
@caseyriggleman5678 3 жыл бұрын
EVERY.DAMN.SONG.THEY.MADE.IS.A.GEM. PERIOD.
@jenl3162 3 жыл бұрын
Absolutely. I’m so bored with most other music. Never get bored with SD.
@bobkovach1426 2 жыл бұрын
No.....Question.
@shapshooter7769 2 жыл бұрын
If you listen to the outtakes, maybe not so much.
@pfdfcc 2 жыл бұрын
Rick this song and Gadd’s solos have given me goosebumps for decade’s. Absolutely drop-jaw stunning!
@corb555 3 жыл бұрын
I'd love to travel back in time to this recording session and tell them "Guys, 44 years from now people are still going to listen to this recording and love every minute."
@musikman43204 4 жыл бұрын
Rick Beato gets more excited about drums than any other instrument.
@darkraidersgaming7761 4 жыл бұрын
His name checks out.
@spacejack400 4 жыл бұрын
Can't spell Beato without the beat.
@numanuma20 4 жыл бұрын
spacejack lol
@jaylozier4083 4 жыл бұрын
Rick would come back as a drummer in his next life. I would come back as a guitarist.
@Requiredfields2 4 жыл бұрын
Rick Beato is not an instrument. :)
@bobd6711 4 жыл бұрын
Rick Beato is a bright ray of sunshine in an otherwise dark web
@joelonsdale 4 жыл бұрын
It might just be the light reflecting off his hair.
@kakarrot62 Жыл бұрын
Steve Gadd's drum performance on this song has always been my favorite drum playing to listen to. it is so energetic and if i can say a bit chaotic which adds to its greatness. I fell in love with this song as soon as i bought the record when it came out. i still play it and turn it WAYYYY up and feel it shake my bones.
@danluongo1423 4 жыл бұрын
Was having a beer with a friend and Aja comes on. He says, "All this Steely Dan sounds the same." He's no longer my friend.
@geoffwales8646 4 жыл бұрын
My best friend calls Steely Dan's music 'pastiche'. Urrr, no. It's a fusion of pop, jazz and rock, with latin highlights. He doesn't like Eric Clapton either. We're still best friends, though, and I forgive him - in case he reads this, LOL.
@DaveRucci 4 жыл бұрын
It’s been called “yacht rock” too. Lol
@marktoken6052 4 жыл бұрын
Steely Dan was "adult music" to we youngsters, too sophisticated for us to fully appreciate at the time.
@panorama4526 4 жыл бұрын
You have a point. Friendship is overrated, at least in this case.
@arkansoul 4 жыл бұрын
Fragile friendship....but I understand...lol
@johnpatitucci7919 3 жыл бұрын
I love your videos! You're doing something that schools lack today; teaching music appreciation. Not just "hey listen to this, it's awesome", you show us WHY it's awesome.
@Roostermania2010 3 жыл бұрын
Hi John ~ Just wanted to say "Thanx!" for playing on Roby Duke's albums back in the 80's, particularly "Down To Business" (my fave)... We'll see our Brother in glory soon :D
@jeffturner6698 3 жыл бұрын
...and PLAYS it too!!👍🏻 🎶
@peterdixon3475 3 жыл бұрын
let's not forget steve was off his rocker when performing this. Fagen played it back to him several months later to which Steve replied "who's the dummer?".
@ianchandley 3 жыл бұрын
Yup, his coke addiction really beat him up.
@antarcticorb9197 3 жыл бұрын
@@ianchandley and yet he produced a masterpiece...
@yankees29 2 жыл бұрын
Ahhh everyone was doing coke back then.
@wesboundmusic 2 жыл бұрын
There is a paragraph in Keith Richard's autobio LIFE that has me think they were using pretty much across the industry in those days to accommodate the brutal conditions they were exposed to (Keith Richards really consciously used because he knew from experience that he'd be able to stay productive for days without sleep, food or any other break in between). I mean, when you listen to the stories, it's like play the gig, get your gear, show up at the recording studio right after and lay down tracks without ever knowing beforehand, if sessions would run for 20 minutes as here or for days... (there is a similar anecdote about the late Jeff Porcaro, who was another of these super musicians on most producers' short dial. When he was too exhausted to stay awake, he's said to have excused himself outside for taking a phone call... and never returned until days later, when he must have MADE an opportunity to catch up on some much needed sleep). What I'm trying to say is: Let's cut them some slack, shall we? (In my best non-lecturing, non-pontificating tone of voice).
@swami19581 2 жыл бұрын
😂😂😂
@DanielBrophyMusic 3 жыл бұрын
Aja was definitely one of those game-changing, brain-rewiring albums that completely and forever changed my perspective and interests in music. I got to see Steely a few times at Red Rocks over the years. RIP, Walter!
@ClarenceHW 4 жыл бұрын
True, not just the drum solo, but a whole album which changed everything from production values to songwriting.
@brucewarner5284 4 жыл бұрын
Music like this is craftsmanship neither mass produced or even repeatable. This is a gift, Thank you
@chrisyelverton8107 4 жыл бұрын
Bruce Warner Preach .
@lantose 4 жыл бұрын
Well said! It was all about perfection! (And grace) :)
@ejb7969 4 жыл бұрын
@@lantose It sure puts a smile on my face ...
@johnsauls2425 4 жыл бұрын
"...or even repeatable." Well put Sir. I agree.
@raybraud1568 3 жыл бұрын
Greatest complete song ever. BLACK COW was also great!
@shannonyoung3465 2 жыл бұрын
There’s nothing better than watching someone who loves music… Loving music. The way you feel, listen, interpret & thoroughly enjoy the musicianship of whatever you’re listing to, is pretty awesome!!!
@eduf2000 2 жыл бұрын
Thank you for changing my life Rick! I found out about Aja after this video, and it completely redefined what drums meant to me
@thomashybiske5399 4 жыл бұрын
I'm 68, have lived and played through the greatest years of music, and in my collection, Aja sits atop; a masterpiece.
@siriusgd4753 4 жыл бұрын
I hear you brother.
@uluwatu3118 4 жыл бұрын
Agreed
@TOAOM123 4 жыл бұрын
Music is just as good today Ya just gotta know where to look
@davidbixler1263 4 жыл бұрын
TOAOM123 Fair enough, I’ll bite. Where would you have us look?
@TOAOM123 4 жыл бұрын
@@davidbixler1263 On most music streaming services you can put in preferences and they'll provide tons of suggestions There are also plenty of youtube channels dedicated to underground music Tell me what youre into ill be more than happy to provide sources
@mattpaul5389 4 жыл бұрын
that stick click fuckin blew my mind when i first heard it years ago. love this!
@Plydrms 3 жыл бұрын
Steve Gadd was a real game changer for contemporary drumming. He played in drum core growing up where he developed great snare technique. Most of his ideas for beats and soloing are based on the drum rudiments. He nails everything, plays perfectly. Every drummer should listen to Steve..
@oldbridgemaker2094 Жыл бұрын
Yes sir. Steve is an unbelievably creative musician, but the thing that really sets him apart is command of the rudiments. Many well respected drummers in the rock world couldn't play in a high school marching band.
@mynameisnobody3672 Жыл бұрын
Steve Gadd played on Jim Hall's "Concierto" in 1975 along with Ron Carter, Roland Hannah, Paul Desmond and Chet. No drum solos, no show off , it is all serious business, and all time masterpiece.
@yardism 4 жыл бұрын
I used to immerse myself in albums... listening to you has really gotten me back into REALLY listening to stuff again. Thanks Rick.
@pbrazor50 3 жыл бұрын
The look of joy on Rick's face when he begins playing air drums is worth the price of admission on its own.
@mannybusuttil4434 3 жыл бұрын
AJA is one of the Most Artistic Albums ever recorded in Rock History. The musicianship in this album is out of this world.
@billwalbek1911 2 жыл бұрын
I remember this albums debut. I was 16 years old. To this day it still gives me goosebumps. Nothing compares to it.
@mattpurvis927 4 жыл бұрын
"We're on a mission from Gadd."
@dasglasperlenspiel10 4 жыл бұрын
Exactly!
@cordellsenior9935 4 жыл бұрын
I wish I'd said that.
@mileyondrumz 4 жыл бұрын
I’m stealing that
@mattpurvis927 4 жыл бұрын
@@mileyondrumz - Well, since you were honest I'm cool with that. Lol
@playhooky 4 жыл бұрын
@@mattpurvis927 I've always been particularly enamored with the intro he/Gadd did on Simon & Garfunkle's 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover. Did he improvise that intro or was it written? I know that's probably a stupid question; I'm not a drummer.
@gblewz 4 жыл бұрын
As many times as I’ve listened to Aja since 1977, I’ve never heard that stick click before. Amazing.
@herrbonk3635 3 жыл бұрын
I was always bothered about it. Sounds like a mistake to me, just like the uneven triplets.
@philip6502 2 жыл бұрын
I guess my 70s stereo setup was OK... I always heard it. 😎
@321snoot 2 жыл бұрын
@@philip6502 Ditto. Did not sound like a mistake; this is Steve Gadd we're talking about! Reminds me a little of the "squeak" on the acoustic guitar at the end of Simon and Garfunkel's Mrs. Robinson; that wasn't intentional, I'm sure, but it's a tiny glitch that'll always be a memorable part of that recording.
@GRockBlues 3 жыл бұрын
Stevie Gadd...from our hometown eh Rick?...very lucky to have had him in our musical lives...greatest ever!
@PhillipLandmeier 2 жыл бұрын
It changed my life too. I was classically trained from childhood - piano, pipe organ, violin, and pretty into progressive rock, ELP. And then I encountered Aja, Heavy Weather (Weather Report), and Romantic Warrior (RTF) which literally expanded my mind. All the "rules" I had been accustomed to for years went out the window and I began exploring unusual harmonies, chords, and polytonality.
@MikeBixby 4 жыл бұрын
Another great video. As a pro drummer I appreciate you posting this...Steve's fills are the well from which we all drink.
@pinball1970 4 жыл бұрын
@Max BXB Damn I always wanted to be a drummer in a band. These days I would like to get into jazz but not many bands out there. Buddy Rich were me heros
@BarryWarne 4 жыл бұрын
skierpage Keith Moon's fills were often based on the vocal lines of the song
@randyduncan4004 4 жыл бұрын
You're a BLAST TO WATCH air drum. Props!! Love LOVE your videos. Do more on Chicago.. Seals n Crofts Great odd times unearthly harmonies.
@vmb371 4 жыл бұрын
Robert Sput Searight is a fucking beast probably the greatest drummer of all time
@jedidrummerjake 4 жыл бұрын
Couldn't agree more!
@keithharrison3622 4 жыл бұрын
Come for the air drumming, Stay for a lifetime of musical learning. The best dude on YT!
@AdamSmithNES 4 жыл бұрын
This channel is an absolute treasure trove of insight into the world of music and recording.
@martymcdermott67 4 жыл бұрын
Totally agree !!!
@denniswhite166 4 жыл бұрын
I came for the learning but am staying for the air drumming. LOL Rick is SO amazing.
@timsoundz 8 ай бұрын
46 years later, and this track is still outrageously brilliant. It will never sound dated.
@future62 2 жыл бұрын
My favorite Steve Gadd performance was "Samba Song" with Chick Corea. He absolutely went off. I feel like he got a lot of his impeccable timing playing with Chick
@robertsparkman8516 4 жыл бұрын
Gadd was part of a life changer for me also. Al DiMeola album Elegant Gypsy.
@PhilUKNet 4 жыл бұрын
Did I just write this comment? I could have done! Splendido Hotel was also a fabulous album.
@TLMuse 4 жыл бұрын
The album that hooked me on fusion. I loved it when it first came out, and I still listen to it fairly regularly today, over 40 years later. Yikes! -Tom
@monach_wm 4 жыл бұрын
Wow, I love that album. I never knew it was Gadd playing on it.
@PhilUKNet 4 жыл бұрын
@@monach_wm Along with Lenny White from DiMeola's 'Return To Forever' days.
@AfferbeckBeats 4 жыл бұрын
I got that record for free when I bought something else from a pawn shop. It's pretty kick ass
@feeberizer 3 жыл бұрын
Give me back the 70s any day. We didn't fully appreciate the musical genius we were being bathed in at the time....
@errm1913 3 жыл бұрын
@@indetigersscifireview4360 I concur. I soaked up every second of it I could. But have found equally amazing things from this century on u-tube. "Riverside", "Porcupine Tree", "Poets of the Fall", etc,etc,etc...
@tpatrick44 3 жыл бұрын
TRUE THAT!
@dumpygoodness4086 3 жыл бұрын
it's uncanny: i didn't listen to classic music for a decade...and then when I got a radio again and heard 1960s / 1970s pop and rock songs, and DAMN the arrangements and DETAILS. Today, everything is super-lazy! Un fun!
@normcook9335 3 жыл бұрын
Quite right. There was such a huge creative musical effort that we didn't appreciate it.
@CaptainRon1913 3 жыл бұрын
I certainly appreciated the music of the 70's. I lived it, breathed it daily, and knew it wouldn't or couldn't last. I consumed it in albums and concerts. Took every chance I could to see these bands live. The albums cost $4 dollars, and the concerts $8.
@jamesalllan7806 Жыл бұрын
Hard to believe this is 45 years old....where have the years gone...so many memories in this album. Immortal solo.
@jhandle4196 Жыл бұрын
When you're just 2 years old, a year is half of your life. When you're 50, it's just 2%. It's all relative.
@richnfamous59 Жыл бұрын
oh damn... now I feel old. it feels like yesterday
@TomStrahle 2 жыл бұрын
This song was one that brought my father, a drummer, and I, a guitarist, closer together. He appreciated my taste in music and I appreciated his openness to listen to music I liked.
@gsorge6968 2 жыл бұрын
You're a young guy, Rick. We were always anxiously awaiting the next Steely Dan album back then, and thought it would be hard to top The Royal Scam, but they did in a phenomenal way. It was the case with each new album from them pretty much, getting more and more sophisticated. Glad you got hooked by it. Not sure I'd call that one a pop song, though.
@tomalealso 3 жыл бұрын
Steely Dan, pure genius, like some have said, it still feels fresh and new, to think it has been nearly 45 years since it was recorded, it is transcendent
@charlesdahmital8095 4 жыл бұрын
Aja was the first album I ever purchased for myself. I was 12. I still have it.
@NelsonEh 4 жыл бұрын
It's like gold, isn't it? Were you really moved by it when you first listened to your first album?
@allosaurusfragilis7782 3 жыл бұрын
When i was 12 i like huckleberry hound and his friends
@Smudgie 3 жыл бұрын
Heck, where do you go from there??!! I think mine was Showaddywaddy.
@scottrowe533 3 жыл бұрын
Talk about a great first-round draft pick! Excellent taste, my man.
@tony.bickert 3 жыл бұрын
My first was Alan Parsons Project's "I Robot." But AJA was in top 5.
@jameslawlor7422 2 жыл бұрын
Rik, I never comment on any of these sites but this has brought back memories! I remember sitting in music appreciation in junior high school in 1978 and being completely blown away by every song on this record, I think it changed my life. As far as music goes this is it!!!
@ekayaniperforms 3 жыл бұрын
Ah Rick such a beautiful song 🎧. Can’t count how many times I listened to Aja on a real stereo as a teenager in San Francisco. What a year for music! I recall Fleetwood Mac Rumours, The Cars Best Friends Girl and Steely Dan’s Aja all flooding the airwaves .. so much diversity in music by skilled musicians. Thank you
@stewartanstead6857 2 жыл бұрын
KFRC? Me too.
@machtnichtsseimann 2 жыл бұрын
@@stewartanstead6857 - Dr. Donald D. Rose?
@jonathaningenhorst1941 4 жыл бұрын
Aja is the most chill yet proggy smooth jazzy album there is. Magic
@albertvaninwegen601 3 жыл бұрын
Aja was and is one of my if I could only have 10 albums list. Thanks for pointing out one of the remarkable musicians that contributed to just a unique work of art. Steve Gadd is one of those great musicians that use to play with eveyone everywhere back in the day and most people didn't even know who he was. Love your videos.
@cziarno1972 Жыл бұрын
One of the best albums of all time. I feel (and I mean no offense) that musicians nowadays just do not understand how hard this was to do and that Larry Carlton was playing RHYTHM is literally unbelievable. Definitely in the top ten of all time IMO.
@nwblack3 3 жыл бұрын
There are always two moments I look for in “Aja:” Wayne Shorter’s all to brief solo and Steve Gadd’s drumming. Much has been made of these drum parts by others, but I always appreciate the intensity of your joy and excitement about this kind of musicianship along with the way you break songs down into these very interesting examinations of their components, like the way in which he propels the song as it fades with the change to the samba rhythm.
@christopherkane2842 Жыл бұрын
Absolute joy
@mhacousticrenderings 3 жыл бұрын
When I met Steve Gadd (after sound check outside Wrigley Field for James Taylor & Bonnie Raitt) I started to cry. He came over and consoled me and invited me in to see the concert.
@jumpinjojo 3 жыл бұрын
Mark Hebert Get a grip, guy.
@markhebert5761 3 жыл бұрын
@@jumpinjojo stay amatuer where you belong, guy.
@jumpinjojo 3 жыл бұрын
@@markhebert5761 *amateur
@markhebert5761 3 жыл бұрын
@@jumpinjojo Yes... You would know how it's spelt.
@stevedriscoll2539 3 жыл бұрын
That's a touching story.
@bobbyfonts3486 4 жыл бұрын
The album defies aging. Eight perfect songs (the most perfect album of any in my humble opinion). An ensemble of some of the most talented musicians in the industry. Ingenious song writing and arrangement of both instruments and vocals. For me, one of the greatest bands ever.
@willyg2293 4 жыл бұрын
nice !
@erikavery9982 4 жыл бұрын
Totally agree!
@sergiosaunier 4 жыл бұрын
There's a Brazilian musician called Ed Motta, who has a vinyl collection of over 30 thousand records. The record he has most copies of? "Aja", eight exemplars. Steely Dan, musician's musicians.
@graceboxer2103 4 жыл бұрын
Apart from Gaucho?
@billhansen9 4 жыл бұрын
unbelievable stuff.
@stephenhemming6880 2 жыл бұрын
Loved this video and your enthusiasm (and air-drumming), Rick. My hometown is also Rochester, NY, and I too, went to Ithaca College. We used to crank "Aja" countless times when it came out in the fall of 1977, and yes, would play air-drums ourselves, when listening to Steve Gadd's 2 solos. Thank you, for all your videos, they are so interesting and informative!
@marcio3santos 3 жыл бұрын
Genius moments occured when Steely Dan brought session musicians into their studio!!!: 1) Bernard Purdie's Shuffle on Babylon Sisters and Home at Last 2) Elliott Randall's lead guitar on Reelin' in the Years -- completed in ONE take 3) Steve Gadd here on Aja
@klinkov6393 3 жыл бұрын
Don’t forget Larry Carlton’s solo on Kid Charlemagne :)
@rikiwroteasongthud 3 жыл бұрын
@@klinkov6393 And his solos on Don't Take Me Alive!
@roscoegarbonzo9966 3 жыл бұрын
You have distinctively great knowledge & good taste! Love Jim Keltner's Groove on Josie
@marcio3santos 3 жыл бұрын
@@roscoegarbonzo9966 Keltner was an amazing musician. Thanks man you too
@roguecheddar 3 жыл бұрын
Jeff Skunk Baxter on 'My Old School', 'nuff said.
@allthingsclassicrock 4 жыл бұрын
I knew what song it was before I clicked! Amazing track.
@badoocee1967 4 жыл бұрын
And I as well.😁👍
@allthingsclassicrock 4 жыл бұрын
420protoman agreed!
@Joe_Blow_ 4 жыл бұрын
I was gonna be MAD if it wasn’t Aja 😂😂
@taillefer1 4 жыл бұрын
Lol, me too!
@knarf_on_a_bike 4 жыл бұрын
Same here!
@GLAS63 3 жыл бұрын
OMG... This is the Album that made me fall in love with Steely Dan.. Still my favorite album by the group... Great video Rick!!
@GinoCento 4 ай бұрын
Listened to Aja for the first time on the way home during senior year soon after it was released. It's been with me ever since. Thank you Steely Dan and thank you Steve Gadd!
@johnyeremian2899 4 жыл бұрын
Aja is a great record, quality all the way through.
@Alex-lz7zx 4 жыл бұрын
It’s so enjoyable to watch Mr. Beato enjoying this phenomenal drums.
@AntonymesMusic 2 жыл бұрын
I love the 2 ride cymbal hits at the beginning of the last solo. It's so considered, and the ride on the fade out is euphoric. You absolutely could not reproduce this.
@thunderdrummerdude 2 жыл бұрын
Awesome solo! As another drummer, I’ve been a fan of Steve Gadd’s for a long time. Another great drum solo is the infamous “Toad” solo with Ginger Baker. I’ve heard it many times and it still amazes me every time.
@Formula-602 2 жыл бұрын
Yup......Do What You Like......same thing..listened to it again the other day.....Drums sound like cannons!
@therepublicofcynica Жыл бұрын
Never heard it before but just did....you're right....good spot fella. Engineering ain't good though....sounds 'muffled' to me.
@lcdat 4 жыл бұрын
Steve Gadd’s one-bar fill following the bridge in Rickie Lee Jones’ Chuck E’s in love still amazes me every time I hear it...
@michaelfitzurka5659 4 жыл бұрын
just went and reminded myself of the tune. really sweet😀
@1drummer2 4 жыл бұрын
Couldn’t agree more - one of those fills that when you hear it for the first time you remember exactly where you were - 16 years old in a studio, guitarist says “you have to listen to possibly the tastiest fill ever recorded” ! I agreed, an omg moment !
@lcdat 4 жыл бұрын
David Lee Exactly right! 👍🏼
@august829 4 жыл бұрын
That was a nine stroke roll, Steve Gadd style.
@RiggusPiggus 4 жыл бұрын
Same here Dude. That fill is killer!
@myworstenemy680 4 жыл бұрын
Is there a great session player that hasn't played on a Steely Dan Album? I watched a documentary where Fagan explained that during recording, they had several Bands of studio musicians on rotation, playing in the studio when called upon. There was almost a competitive atmosphere in the studio, and the results are in the songs. Mr. Beato's passion for music is infectious and inspiring! Love this channel.
@mikehotovy4222 Жыл бұрын
I'd heard that Fagan/Becker kept rehearsing these pros to the point they could play it perfectly - then they rolled tape and told them to just play naturally. Perhaps why Aja never sounded sterile, and has a flow to the the playing - albeit at a ridiculously high level!
@scentlessscents699 3 жыл бұрын
Totally addicted to this when came out, learned to play the drums with.. Still to this day one of my favorites.. Thank you Rick
@edwinearl4584 2 жыл бұрын
I was in a record store and they played Black Cow. I immediately bought the record on the spot. Great great album.
@GaryFox11000 4 жыл бұрын
Steve was incredible on this solo. My Brother was a drummer ; and he absolutely flipped out on this solo. Independent time drumming with each hand. one of the greatest , tastiest , drum solos ever recorded in the last 50 years ! AJA is 43 years old and still timeless music.; Donald , Walter . & musicians take a bow !!! My God .... Perfection .....
@brulat 4 жыл бұрын
Omar Hakim had the greatest drum solo ever on Burn For You by Sting and his super band.
@bigbuck3216 4 жыл бұрын
independent time drumming with each hand? Im guessing you read that phrase in a Modern Drummer article and couldnt wait to use it ... there are no polyrhythms in this solo ... you are a pedantic pompous ass
@johangambleputty7658 4 жыл бұрын
@@bigbuck3216 Pedantic defined as: referring to someone who is annoying for their attention to minor detail, or snobbish expertise. Oh the irony...
@markhayes100 4 жыл бұрын
Home at Last with Bernard Purdie on drums is another great one from the Aja album!
@Wolf-Spirit_Alpha-Sigma 4 жыл бұрын
Oh no. Purdie, the fourth, fifth and sixth Beatle. 🙁
@ronhochhalter3491 4 жыл бұрын
Home at Last is the best drum track one on the album IMO. The Gadd track is phenomenal, but nothing matches Bernards Groove.
@sonsauvage 4 жыл бұрын
The entire album has fire drums. Pretty much every SD track has sick drums
@raphaeldube7008 4 жыл бұрын
@@sonsauvage It was either Purdie, Gadd or Porcaro (among others). Can't be bad !
@cletusbeauregard1972 4 жыл бұрын
Rick Marotta did lots with SD; think that's him on Peg.
@dankline7091 3 жыл бұрын
One of my favorite of Rick's videos. Sheer joy, just a kid rockin' again out with a favorite song, air drumming with abandon!
@parkersmithphoto 2 жыл бұрын
Great job, Rick. My mom bought Aja when it came out. I was nine at the time and geeked out on it for weeks. I still have that vinyl copy, one of very few that survived through the years. Aja is a masterpiece.
@bretolson8484 4 жыл бұрын
I’m SO glad I have you to validate my OBSESSION with this song/album/Gadd. Thank you
@mikeyb6859 4 жыл бұрын
I hate making claims like the greatest album ever but if I was stranded on a desert island and I could have only one album, Aja would be my choice
@MrToddKa 4 жыл бұрын
@@mikeyb6859 Me, it would be Zeppelin 4 or 5. But I love "Aja" as well. Man if the music moves you, it moves you.
@pdshiff 4 жыл бұрын
Wow, I never picked up the stick click before. It's so on the money I can't believe it was done live.
@jefffeinstein1 4 жыл бұрын
Me either, lol.
@deniselogory8940 Жыл бұрын
I got my drum kit in 1978 and my sister had this album, well I couldn't play it then and still can't play it now, but the fun I've had playing drums for 40+ years from the inspiration of awesome drummers like this, just total joy, still play almost every day-Doug
@ianchandley Жыл бұрын
I heard a story that Gadd admitted to being so coked out of his mind that he had no memory of playin that session…..
@jeffreyhamilton8950 2 жыл бұрын
It’s amazing how many musical things I come across at random times, on random days, and then I find out Rick already made a video about it. I love music.
@sarojaband4664 4 жыл бұрын
YES ! YES!! YES!!! The first 3 tracks on Steely Dan's legendary AJA album are the deepest in their catalog! Black Cow, AJA, and Deacon Blues are epic!! Great analysis Rick! Thank you!!
@christopheryasus3666 4 жыл бұрын
Gold Standard. I saw an orchestra do lots of their stuff. Just an ordinary night in a park and they had me feel like I was in a MUSIC FESTIVAL
@chriskimballparent108 3 жыл бұрын
Aja is one of my top ten albums of all time! Head phones required. The track Aja is my absolute favorite on the album. Thanks for highlighting this!!
@dennisscoville7360 10 ай бұрын
That record is pure perfection! Gonna go listen to it now............for the 200th time!
@KevinODonnelltelebanger 3 жыл бұрын
My brother had the Aja cassette in my dad's truck we both drove. I always couldn't wait till I drove the truck and cranked the music.
@doctajuice 4 жыл бұрын
Rick says use headphones, I immediately run and grab the best headphones I own. No questions asked
@denniswhite166 4 жыл бұрын
I am new here. I'm going to have to buy a pair of headphones now that I've found this channel :)
@mateomembrila7115 4 жыл бұрын
Dennis Whiter buy bose headphones, not beats. Bose wireless are $100 cheaper and have much better build and sound quality
@denniswhite166 4 жыл бұрын
@@mateomembrila7115 Thanks Man - I'll look into them!
@doctajuice 4 жыл бұрын
@@denniswhite166 I personally use shure headphones but any respectable brand will work. There are quite a few - bose, shure, klipsch, sennheiser, audio technica, etc... Plenty to choose from. Just do some research and you'll be good to go
@denniswhite166 4 жыл бұрын
@@doctajuice Thanks.
@Diatonic5th 4 жыл бұрын
A drum teacher in the 80's gave me a cassette of Aja and it completely blew my little metalhead mind. It was the transition album that made me the jazz musician that I am today.
@Guilhermeabcd 4 жыл бұрын
Jazz pretty much killed my metalhead mind too hahaha i still like it, but all that arrogance metalheads have about their music was gone, along with some prog rock too, of course.
@jurgentrockenbau9321 4 жыл бұрын
@@Guilhermeabcd You definitely met the wrong people. Metalheads ---> arrogant about "their" music? That is a poor generalisation!
@Guilhermeabcd 4 жыл бұрын
@@jurgentrockenbau9321 not at all Jurgen. Take these typical Iron Maiden or Metallica fans. They keep trash talking about pop music all the time. Some may like jazz or blues, or even respect those genres, but for the most part they're just too edgy to pay attention to other genres.
@Guilhermeabcd 4 жыл бұрын
@@jurgentrockenbau9321 a little bit of shredding and lack of musical theory is all it get until they start babling about their elitist musical taste. I just hope i'm not biased enough, but there are plenty of vlogs and examples out there.
@legacyShredder1 4 жыл бұрын
@@Guilhermeabcd Most of the top notch shredders come from classical and jazz backgrounds. It's easy to tell a great player and musician from a guy who just likes to play notes. A bad shredder learns a scale shape and randomly bangs out what he can.
@bobziadie2988 2 жыл бұрын
Love that you love Steeley Dan. Aja and Hotel California are two favorite albums and Aja is my favorite Steeley Dan song ... eight minutes of musical perfection!!!!
@1000left Жыл бұрын
That recording is so perfect it blurs the edges between art and nature.... THANK YOU!!!!
@JonnyLipshamStudios 4 жыл бұрын
I was 2 years old when Aja came out. I was already hooked on Buddy Rich and was drumming along to Time Check on my tiny little drumset for hours at a time. My mother came home from the store with Aja tucked under her arm with all the other shopping. She took Buddy Rich off the turntable. I had a tantrum. That all stopped when the title song started. When it got to the first of Steve's solos I was sat still staring into the speakers. When it got to the end solo, I was playing along and loving it. We played that record so much, the grooves wore out. 42 years later and I am a professional drummer of some 30 years experience. Thanks Steve and Buddy. Thanks to you too, Rick, for bringing back those memories of my childhood. Who needs toys when you can play along to great musicians like that. I didn't!
@Nethanel773 4 жыл бұрын
Whoa, now there's a music story! I was only 4 when it came out. I was lucky my Dad was into Steely Dan, The Crusaders, and anything else that was fusion and/or fat-bottomed. I'm not a drummer, but man the 70s was THE time for fattening up percussion! What a blessing you're living out talent and dreams. Play on!
@ricardofranciszayas 4 жыл бұрын
Amen Rick, That Song was a big part of the soundtrack of my youth. I’m 68 and those solos brought me back to my days as a young musician. It’s amazing to me how music can bring you to the same emotional state as it did 42 years ago. Such a beautiful video, Rick. You pay so much reverence to those great musicians and the music they gave us.
@anthonyfisher5076 4 жыл бұрын
it is amazing how sonically we remember, or our 'HEART remember's sonically.
@ScotlandSword 3 жыл бұрын
With Steely Dan, there are volumes of breathtaking musical performances by some of the world's best players; Steve Gadd is definitely near the top of that list.
@oaklandstroke66 9 ай бұрын
Man, you speak from my soul...this album got me into drums and I still love the stuff today...as for you Rick, please don't stop with your posts - you're the reason I turn on KZfaq.🤩
@bassfingers 3 жыл бұрын
I love how animated Rick gets during this SD classic. ✌🏻❤️🇬🇧
@OrisStories 4 жыл бұрын
Seeing you so happy listening to this really made my day!!!
@DeltaRana4 Жыл бұрын
Always makes the hairs on my neck stand on end. It's a feast of joy for the ears and emotions. It really doesn't get any better than this. The craftsmanship of the song and the album is incredible. Would have loved to have heard Jim Keltner's interpretation of Aja though.
@tresleparqueproductions251 2 жыл бұрын
Gratitude, Rick. Having grown up with Steely Dan in Real Time, I felt the same sense of revelation at the arrival of these extraordinary solos. The sheer depth of it's predecessor, 'The Royal Scam' made it a hard act to follow but with 'Aja', the Dan did it with style and the greatest of finesse. Top that, 21st Century!
@jmad627 4 жыл бұрын
Years ago I worked with this Polish fella, one of the nicest persons I've ever known, anyways he was a heavy metal drummer. So one day at work I'm playing this CD and he was blown away by the drumming and asks, "who is this?"
@anthonyfisher5076 4 жыл бұрын
thats great.
Doug Helvering
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