Kari S Posted March 26, 2003 Report Posted March 26, 2003 'Aja' is their finest hour but I also enjoy 'Gaucho', 'Two Against Nature' and to a lesser extent, 'Katy Lied'. Any word on the next album yet? I was just watching the Two Against Nature concert DVD the other day, "Steely Dan's Plush TV Jazz-Rock Party In Sensuous Surround Sound". Phew! Dig the pompous title . The concert's excellent. They play tracks from 2AN plus "hits" like Josie, FM, Peg, Bad Sneakers. It's a thirteen-piece band with Chris Potter on 2nd sax, for example. In between the tracks there's some footage of rehearsal's and interviews. There's also mock-up "talk show" segments which are hilarious! Becker & Fagen "interview" fellow band members and display their witty humour to the fullest. I just wish the camera would've shot the background singers more - they are fine! Quote
Harold_Z Posted March 26, 2003 Report Posted March 26, 2003 I dig the Dan. Over at the old board we went into this topic and it seems like a lot of us like them and to me it's not surprising that jazzers would dig them. The music is grooving, good chord changes, interesting lyrically, features good players. etc etc. My favorites are from THE ROYAL SCAM forward, with a special nod to GAUCHO. It seems I did hear something about a new cd coming out in the not too distant future...was it October 2003? Quote
Parkertown Posted March 26, 2003 Report Posted March 26, 2003 Two thumbs, way up, on the backup singers!!! Well, specifically, Mrs. Leonhart, or however you spell it. What a knockout! Hubba, hubba... It's a really good set; great sound...performances...IMHO... Quote
Jad Posted March 26, 2003 Report Posted March 26, 2003 What's not to like? I've got a hard time picking a favorite, but I went on a Dan binge a few years ago when someone dumped all their old vinyl at a local record store and I was able to pick up all their albums dirt cheap. I was really surprised at how much I liked "Two Against Nature". I don't expect much from bands that reform and record after an extended hiatus, but that album exceeded my expectations. Now I'm definatly looking forward to their new stuff (and a new tour!). Quote
Green Dolphin Posted March 26, 2003 Report Posted March 26, 2003 It was the likes of the Dan and Joni Mitchell got me into jazz in the first place.Aja's always been a favourite but apart from the odd reservation about the debut there ain't a dud set in the pack. The new one,"Everything Must Go",is out in May,featuring Bill Charlap and Keith Carlock-don't know who else is on it,any more info anyone? Quote
ralphie_boy Posted March 26, 2003 Report Posted March 26, 2003 I pulled out some of the old vinyl this past weekend and listened to Pretzel Logic and The Royal Scam for the first time in a long while. Both great sessions, but I especially love The Royal Scam. Dark, satirical lyrics and some of the best guitar solo work ever commited to record IMHO (e.g., Kid Charlemange, solo#2 by Larry Carlton). On another note, I never realized what a tremendous guitar player Walter Becker is until I watched the Two Against Nature set. He pulls off one intricate solo after another with great ease. Quote
Jim Alfredson Posted September 7, 2004 Report Posted September 7, 2004 I've been on a major Dan kick lately. I listened to all their classic 70s releases this weekend while tuning my recording monitors. Some people find them too slick but they've always been hip as hell to me. How is the newest one? I have not heard it yet. I liked "Two Against Nature" a lot. Quote
sidewinder Posted September 7, 2004 Report Posted September 7, 2004 'Katy Lied' and 'Royal Scam' are probably my favourites. I've got some of the vinyl but also the green boxed CD set, which includes most of their older stuff plus a neat booklet. Recommended ! They were way ahead of the pack when most of this stuff came out - using some really hip jazz players on the sessions. Wayne, Victor Feldman etc. Quote
wesbed Posted September 7, 2004 Report Posted September 7, 2004 (edited) How is the newest one? I have not heard it yet. I liked "Two Against Nature" a lot. I own every Steely Dan album. Ninety-nine percent of my listening time, these days, is devoted to jazz. Steely Dan is the only popular music band I return to over and over. Walter & Donald are always there when you need them. To my ears, they have not made a 'bad' album. However, they have made certain albums that are better than others. 'Aja' is easily their best. I thought 'Two Against Nature' was very, very good. And, a fantastic 'comeback' album after not making a new studio album for 20 years. With this said, I believe the newer Steely album, 'Everything Must Go,' is superior to 'Two Against Nature.' As much as I enjoyed 'Two Against Nature' when it was first released, since the release of 'Everything Must Go,' I listen to 'Everything' more often that 'Nature.' So, yeah, make sure you purchase 'Everything Must Go.' It's vintage Dan. More depravity, more deception, more hooks and quirky lyrics. The album presents an extremely enjoyable ride on the shady side of life. Things may get a whole lot worse before suddenly falling apart. Edited September 7, 2004 by wesbed Quote
Guest ariceffron Posted September 7, 2004 Report Posted September 7, 2004 ARICS TOP STEELY ALBUMS: #1:: GAUCHO #2:: EVERYTHING MUST GO #3:: THE ROYAL SCAM #4:: 3-20-74 (Record Plant, Los Angeles) [live set- m. mcdonald takes the lead vocal on a lot of songs and they sound fucking awesome that way- ie. any maj. dude, showbiz kids] Quote
Jim Alfredson Posted September 7, 2004 Report Posted September 7, 2004 Wow. I didn't know it ranked better than "Two Against Nature". I'll definately have to go pick it up.... maybe tomorrow! Thanks! Quote
BruceH Posted September 7, 2004 Report Posted September 7, 2004 Pretzel Logic!!!!! (That's my all-time favorite.) Everything Must Go makes great driving music. Anybody else here love Fagan's first solo album, The Nightfly? Personally it ranks right up there with the best Steely Dan albums, and better than some. I must have listened to it about a billion times. Quote
Bright Moments Posted September 7, 2004 Report Posted September 7, 2004 Anybody else here love Fagan's first solo album, The Nightfly? Personally it ranks right up there with the best Steely Dan albums, and better than some. I must have listened to it about a billion times. love this album. how about that line "we've got to have some brubeck on the new frontier" Quote
Guest ariceffron Posted September 7, 2004 Report Posted September 7, 2004 YES I FULLY AGREE E.M.G IS **GREAT** DRIVING MUSIC!!!!!! Quote
tjobbe Posted September 7, 2004 Report Posted September 7, 2004 got them ALL (excluding the stupid compilations).... , do I need to say more Cheers, Tjobbe Quote
neveronfriday Posted September 7, 2004 Report Posted September 7, 2004 got them ALL (excluding the stupid compilations).... , do I need to say more Cheers, Tjobbe Same here. Also all the various solo recordings. Plus the "Two Against Nature" DVD. Plus, err, whatever else there is to have. Just great stuff. Cheers! Quote
GregK Posted September 7, 2004 Report Posted September 7, 2004 EMG didn't do much for me the first few times I listened to it, unlike 2vNature. I'll have to go back and check it out again after reading some of the responses here. I would like to say that my favorite Dan period is still the earliest, the first 3 records especially. Just some great songwriting, and that guitar on Reelin' in the years!!! Wow!!! I read somewhere that Jimmy Page named that song as having the best guitar solo that he'd heard. I also like a lot of Katy Lied Quote
Z-Man Posted September 8, 2004 Report Posted September 8, 2004 I'm a Steely Dan nut. It doesn't get much better for guitar playing: Jeff Baxter, Elliott Randall, Larry Carlton, Dean Parks... I like the earlier stuff better; from Gaucho forward it gets a little too slick for me. Katy Lied is a desert island disc for me. It's all about bad sneakers and a pina colada my friend. Quote
connoisseur series500 Posted September 8, 2004 Report Posted September 8, 2004 Steely Dan was my favorite band right before I went to college in 1978. Maybe I should go out and get their cds again. I bet I'll still like em... "Royal Scam" and "Aja" were definitely my favorites back then. Quote
connoisseur series500 Posted September 8, 2004 Report Posted September 8, 2004 (edited) And those are about the only two that I would look to try out again. The other cds have some songs which would still hold up for me (after having listened to them a thousand times as an 18 year old) but there are only a few which would, I think. Edited September 8, 2004 by connoisseur series500 Quote
Guest ariceffron Posted September 8, 2004 Report Posted September 8, 2004 have any of you NOT got the new cd yet......if you havent you need to-- some would say its their best album Quote
Parkertown Posted September 8, 2004 Report Posted September 8, 2004 Aric, What format do you have the 3/20/74 show in? Quote
catesta Posted September 8, 2004 Report Posted September 8, 2004 Aric, What format do you have the 3/20/74 show in? I bet you can play it in this thing.... Quote
wesbed Posted September 15, 2004 Report Posted September 15, 2004 I was reading the lyrics to the songs on Everything Must Go. One of the lines in 'Blues Beach' says, "We could rent a paranymphic glider..." This might be another example of the Steely play on words. But, what is a paranymphic glider? Whoops! Using Google I found the answer to my own question here. Quote
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