# ...Steely Dan



## ethan417 (Jun 10, 2020)

Hi
I recently watched a short documentary about Steely Dan and the making of Aja.
I can't remember the last time I listened to Steely Dan - but it's been a while.
I own Aja.
Listened to it and listened to it.
Love it.
Interesting story about the solo for Peg - Faigan and Becker brought in about 6 different guitars to solo on the tune.
Jay Gradan who was one of the man to record a solo had no idea that his solo was selected until he heard it on the radio - go figure.

Now I'm considering buying some of the individual albums.
Which ones?
All is not a good answer - too much $$$.
Which would you buy?

warm wishes
- E


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

There were only seven original albums so it's not that big of an investment. You might want to skip their first album unless you want Reeling In The Years, and Do It Again. I'd recommend The Royal Scam, Countdown To Ecstacy, and Katy Lied. If you like a polished sound like Aja, Gaucho is even more slick but I don't like it as much as Aja. I'd also recommend Donald Fagen's first solo album, The Nightly. You can pick up the CD for 5 bucks and it's a great album.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Definitely get The Royal Scam!


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## Dulova Harps On (Nov 2, 2018)

Pretzel Logic! í ½í¸€


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

I prefer the earlier albums when they were an actual band (albeit a somewhat undemocratic one) rather than a two-man art project.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

_Katy Lied_, _Pretzel Logic_ and _Royal Scam_ along with _Aja_ as the ones I keep returning to. In 1977 I was going through a divorce and _Aja_ was something that remained on my turntable almost constantly, so it has a very special place in my heart.

I watched that same documentary; excellent film, highly recommended for anyone interested in these guys.

I also echo the endorsement of *Donald Fagen*'s first solo record, _Nightfly_. There are some lyrics from "New Frontier" that I have always thought to be brilliant, especially the line I've bolded:

_Yes, we're gonna have a wingding
A summer smoker underground
It's just a dugout that my dad built
In case the reds decide to push the button down
We've got provisions and lots of beer
The key word is survival on the new frontier

Introduce me to that big blonde
*She's got a touch of Tuesday Weld*
She's wearing Ambush and a French twist
She's got us wild and she can tell
She loves to limbo, that much is clear
She's got the right dynamic for the new frontier_

Having grown up during the '50s and '60s the period described rang true, one of our neighbors had an underground shelter ... although we never had a party in it.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

elgars ghost said:


> I prefer the earlier albums when they were an actual band (albeit a somewhat undemocratic one) rather than a two-man art project.


Countdown To Ecstasy is a classic.


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## Belowpar (Jan 14, 2015)

I'm with the herd here. Definitely they got diminishing returns the more time they allocated to the studio. 

It was an exciting time in the mid 70's with them, Joni and a few others interacting with Jazz musicians to bring something extra to the music.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

"She's got a touch of Tuesday Weld."

Ahhh, Tuesday Weld. There's a name from a Certain Age--one of a line of teen temptresses that stretches back in my own consciousness to include, of course, Brigitte Bardot, b. 1934

Terry Moore, b. 1929
Carroll Baker, b. 1931
Tuesday Weld, b. 1943 : "I didn't have to play Lolita; I was Lolita."
Sue Lyon, b. 1946
Brooke Shields, b. 1965

Who am I missing?


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## Tallisman (May 7, 2017)

I saw that documentary. That Jay Graydon solo is such an original, natural piece of soloing. Seems like he completely understood what the track needed, unlike the other guys whose takes were much more strained. A real pro.


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

One of my favorite bands... though I won't pretend to have been around during their heyday, it seems that Steely Dan has experienced a revival in popularity among my generation (Millennials); they're just about every 20-to-30-something music lover's favorite classic rock band, in my experience. Not sure to what I can attribute that, but it is interesting.



starthrower said:


> There were only seven original albums so it's not that big of an investment. You might want to skip their first album unless you want Reeling In The Years, and Do It Again. I'd recommend The Royal Scam, Countdown To Ecstacy, and Katy Lied. If you like a polished sound like Aja, Gaucho is even more slick but I don't like it as much as Aja. I'd also recommend Donald Fagen's first solo album, The Nightly. You can pick up the CD for 5 bucks and it's a great album.


Never! Can't Buy a Thrill is one of the best! Outside of that I can stand firmly behind all of your other recommendations.


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## ethan417 (Jun 10, 2020)

Wow!!
When I originally created this thread, I never imagined that there were so many Steely Dan fans on this site.
I actually saw Steely Dan live in 73/74 - not sure exactly when.

It was a Loggins and Messina concert.
There were 2 opening acts: Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers.

Finally, Tallisman brought up the Jay Gradan solo.
Here's a link to him talking about it, how he thought about it, played it etc.


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## ethan417 (Jun 10, 2020)

He is a mini documentary of Jay Graydan talking about and playing the solo for Peg.


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## Jay (Jul 21, 2014)

elgars ghost said:


> I prefer the earlier albums when they were an actual band (albeit a somewhat undemocratic one) rather than a two-man art project.


+1, though the next few albums were good, if a bit patchy.



Strange Magic said:


> Terry Moore, b. 1929
> Carroll Baker, b. 1931
> Tuesday Weld, b. 1943 : "I didn't have to play Lolita; I was Lolita."
> Sue Lyon, b. 1946
> ...


Sherry Jackson
Diana Rigg
Edy Williams


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

And let's not forget Annette Funicello........


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## Belowpar (Jan 14, 2015)

The reference I had to look up.

"Even Cathy Berberian knows / There's one roulade she can't sing."


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Interesting discussion and demonstration of the construction of their music and the interesting harmonies they borrowed from jazz tunes.


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

Great stuff.

I think I enjoy their earlier stuff more than their later stuff . . . the later stuff is far too "perfect", and doesn't measure up to the earlier stuff when the music had more of an edge to it.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

One of the good things about my project to compile a list of my favourite pop/rock albums (around 550 now) is that I re-appreciated the Steely Dan oeuvre after re-listening. Five of their albums made it to my list:

Pretzel Logic 
Katy Lied
The Royal Scam
Aja
Gaucho


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

There's something too cerebral about their music that is a turn-off for me. _Aja_ is the only album of theirs that I bought at the time of release and remains the only one that I listen to. But SD has never been in my top rotation.


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## WNvXXT (Nov 22, 2020)

That documentary was a great watch. It was included in Amazon Prime when I watched it last July.

I remember growing up that they put out an album a year for the longest time - I and scooped them up as they were released. Then came the long wait in 78, and it was worth it. The last great one was Gaucho, and anything after that was discounted.

So get these:

1972 Can't Buy a Thrill *
1973	Countdown to Ecstasy *
1974	Pretzel Logic *
1975	Katy Lied *
1976	The Royal Scam *
1977	Aja *
1980	Gaucho *

* essential


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

WNvXXT said:


> That documentary was a great watch. It was included in Amazon Prime when I watched it last July.
> 
> I remember growing up that they put out an album a year for the longest time - I and scooped them up as they were released. Then came the long wait in 78, and it was worth it. The last great one was Gaucho, and anything after that was discounted.
> 
> ...


I would agree except for the last two. Too smooth by far for me.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

In that video I posted the keyboard player points out the similarity between So What, and Bodhisattva which I never noticed. Sure, their music is sophisticated but so is bebop and other modern jazz which was a huge influence so the cerebral thing doesn't bother me. They have a lot of blues and visceral guitar work to balance things. It's the latter day slickness since Gaucho that makes it less attractive for many listeners.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

starthrower said:


> In that video I posted the keyboard player points out the similarity between So What, and Bodhisattva which I never noticed. Sure, their music is sophisticated but so is bebop and other modern jazz which was a huge influence so the cerebral thing doesn't bother me. They have a lot of blues and visceral guitar work to balance things. It's the latter day slickness since Gaucho that makes it less attractive for many listeners.


If I want jazz, I listen to jazz. But if I want to hear rock, I don't want jazz-rock.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Yeah, you've made that clear many times but Steely Dan is not jazz/rock. They are songwriters who incorporate sophisticated harmony into their music. If you don't like it that's fine. Others do enjoy it. At the very least America had one million selling band who celebrated the accomplishments of our jazz legacy. And yes there were a few others but mostly the jazz tradition is anonymous to pop rock listeners so thanks to SD for turning some people on to our heritage.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

starthrower said:


> Yeah, you've made that clear many times but Steely Dan is not jazz/rock. They are songwriters who incorporate sophisticated harmony into their music. If you don't like it that's fine. Others do enjoy it. At the very least America had one million selling band who celebrated the accomplishments of our jazz legacy. And yes there were a few others but mostly the jazz tradition is anonymous to pop rock listeners so thanks to SD for turning some people on to our heritage.


Yeah, after that post I realized that they are not really a jazz-rock band. But their sound is still a little flaccid for my taste, and their earlier period is even worse, IMO. _Aja_ I enjoyed, and some individual songs, but mainly for the lyrics.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

The chord voicings in their music are beautiful. Anybody in the pop/rock world who can write like that has my admiration. They did start to get a lot better by their third or fourth album.


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## Jay (Jul 21, 2014)

Arguably, the best American band of the 70s.



elgars ghost said:


> I prefer the earlier albums when they were an actual band


+1


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## WNvXXT (Nov 22, 2020)

Barbebleu said:


> I would agree except for the last two...


I distinctly remember putting Aja on the turntable for the first time and it sure was different. But it grew on me like kudzu. So I was more than ready for Goucho.


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## Chilham (Jun 18, 2020)

Gaucho was one of the backing tracks of my life on the early to mid-80s. Diamond Life by Sade, Eden by Everything But the Girl, Café Bleu by The Style Council being some of the others.


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## Mark Dee (Feb 16, 2021)

When I was at Comprehensive School in the early 80's I asked a friend to record Aja onto cassette for me. I borrowed a vinyl copy from the local library and had no means of making a decent recording of it. I was really excited when I got the cassette back, and asked my mate what he thought of the album. 'Crap' was his succinct reply ....


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

^
^

Reminds me of the bad old days when some of my schoolmates could never figure out why I liked the Sensational Alex Harvey Band.


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## Chilham (Jun 18, 2020)

elgars ghost said:


> Reminds me of the bad old days when some of my schoolmates could never figure out why I liked the Sensational Alex Harvey Band.


They never saw the light?

On the night that I passed by her window.

Da, da, da, daaaa

I'll get my coat.


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## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

Classic performance - sorry for going off at a tangent but some things just have to be shared :tiphat:


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Chilham said:


> They never saw the light?
> 
> On the night that I passed by her window.
> 
> ...


Bdddum-Tshhhhh...


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

Jay said:


> Arguably, the best American band of the 70s.
> 
> +1


*Kansas*. Quintessentially American. Completely different stylistically.


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## golfer72 (Jan 27, 2018)

The Royal Scam is their best


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## Chibi Ubu (11 mo ago)

I always liked playing my drums to a number of different Steely Dan albums


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