God! I love Steely Dan.

Keefy · September 2023

Rick Beato made an interesting video about the change in their sound:

https://www.youtube.com/live/TxaxHYxnY9o?si=OPXVVVqIcHPuIGH9

Kebabkid · September 2023

guitars4you said:

Kebabkid said:

I've seen them live a few times, both with Becker and without and with Wayne Krantz and Jon Herrington. Whilst I didn't get to see them when they came back and had Drew Zingg in the mid-90s, he's my favourite and more like Larry Carlton in approach and sound.

On all occasions, they were ok and as has been said, Fagen's voice wasn't quite there. In fact the last time was a double-header with The Doobies and they blew Fagan & Co away. As such, I now prefer to go see the Dan tribute bands like Simply Dan and Stanley Dee who do a great job and have fine players but for quite a few years, I used to go watch Nearly Dan.

If you learn 'Steely Dan chords', you'll probably have chords for life!

Never seen Nearly Dan - Surprised in many ways as a) I've heard they are very good and b) Rob, the guitar player is a regular customer of mine

They are good and their singer is too good to be a Fagen and is closer in voice to Don Henley or Paul Carrack. Cracking musicians who inject fun and they've played a Glastonbury tent in the past and in London, their venue of choice is The Jazz Cafe.

Rob's a good player and always has good gear (Tom Andersons, the Fender Robben Ford Elite & a rack) but when it comes to the solos, he either does his own thing or plays the weirder, live solo versions that were offered up by players such as Wayne Krantz. For me and others that I've spoken to, that's not what we want to hear and I prefer to hear things like the Kid Charlemagne solo played as it was. The fabulous guitarist in Stanley Dee (now in Simply Dan) is worth checking out.

The Yacht Rock scene is on the rise with a few bands moving slightly away from the Toto, Hall & Oates etc thing and more towards the Steely Dan style like The State Cows and the UK's Young Gun Silver Fox.

EricTheWeary · September 2023

SRich said:

EricTheWeary said:

Rock music with a beret on.

Raspberry?.......................surely not

More the kind that goes with a gauloise and some round spectacles.

distressed · September 2023

TheBigDipper said:

They probably don't like the Jaco/Metheny era Joni Mitchell, either.

I love that era, and find it superior compared to SD, more organic, soulful and personal.

Blueingreen · September 2023

I’m a big fan. If I had to list my 20 favourite rock guitar solos I think somewhere between a third and a half would be on SD records. Yet none of those guitarists have done anything else that really grabs me. SD seem to have been able to provide the context and the QC for these players to do their best work.

JezWynd said:

Really like their early albums but the later stuff leaves me cold.

I felt that way for a long time. I used to play in a band that covered several SD songs. But they were all pre Aja, which at first I thought was a move into soul-less perfectionism. I liked Deacon Blues and not much else.

For years I more or less avoided Gaucho based on its reputation as "like the next instalment of Aja but not as good" - I think I'd only heard Babylon Sisters (which should have been a clue, because I loved it). What changed things for me was a long piece by Ian McDonald, a critic whose taste often chimed with my own, arguing that Gaucho wasn't Aja 2 but a far weirder and more interesting thing and an underrated masterpiece. I finally gave it a listen, loved it, and ironically also sent me back to Aja with more sympathetic ears.

I still don’t quite swallow these albums whole - the jazz-funk elements still leave me cold at points. I don't like Peg (apart from the guitar solo). And for some reason the magic dust they sprinkle on guitar solos doesn’t work for sax solos - even Wayne Shorter sounds bland. But there's enough that’s great on both albums for me to now consider them classics.

I've seen the band once, not very long ago - it might have been the last tour Walter did. Also 2 high end tribute bands, a French one called Dr Wu. who regularly sell out some of the jazz clubs in Paris, and an American one who toured the UK in the 90s. Both were excellent (and played the solos from the records).

TheBigDipper · September 2023

distressed said:

TheBigDipper said:

They probably don't like the Jaco/Metheny era Joni Mitchell, either.

I love that era, and find it superior compared to SD, more organic, soulful and personal.

Well, one out of two ain't bad! :-) I prefer the direct personal nature of Jonis material, too, but I do admire the cleverness of Steely Dan. In some ways, because they aren't as endearing as Joni I can look at the musicality rather than the honesty of the performance (if that makes any sense at all).

thisisguitar · September 2023

Kebabkid said:

guitars4you said:

Kebabkid said:

I've seen them live a few times, both with Becker and without and with Wayne Krantz and Jon Herrington. Whilst I didn't get to see them when they came back and had Drew Zingg in the mid-90s, he's my favourite and more like Larry Carlton in approach and sound.

On all occasions, they were ok and as has been said, Fagen's voice wasn't quite there. In fact the last time was a double-header with The Doobies and they blew Fagan & Co away. As such, I now prefer to go see the Dan tribute bands like Simply Dan and Stanley Dee who do a great job and have fine players but for quite a few years, I used to go watch Nearly Dan.

If you learn 'Steely Dan chords', you'll probably have chords for life!

Never seen Nearly Dan - Surprised in many ways as a) I've heard they are very good and b) Rob, the guitar player is a regular customer of mine

They are good and their singer is too good to be a Fagen and is closer in voice to Don Henley or Paul Carrack. Cracking musicians who inject fun and they've played a Glastonbury tent in the past and in London, their venue of choice is The Jazz Cafe.

Rob's a good player and always has good gear (Tom Andersons, the Fender Robben Ford Elite & a rack) but when it comes to the solos, he either does his own thing or plays the weirder, live solo versions that were offered up by players such as Wayne Krantz. For me and others that I've spoken to, that's not what we want to hear and I prefer to hear things like the Kid Charlemagne solo played as it was. The fabulous guitarist in Stanley Dee (now in Simply Dan) is worth checking out.

The Yacht Rock scene is on the rise with a few bands moving slightly away from the Toto, Hall & Oates etc thing and more towards the Steely Dan style like The State Cows and the UK's Young Gun Silver Fox.

Dude... I can't stop listening to Young Gun Silver Fox, I downloaded their latest album and am really enjoying it. Thank you.

Aidanspaghetti · September 2023

Robben Ford recorded some solo's for them that were never used - I wonder would his career have kicked off a tad earlier had they used them? Big SD fan - awesome band.
Babylon sisters opening bars - just sublime! Has to be LOUD

Cranky · September 2023

You might also like Blue Jean Committee.

. . .

A good “would you rather” for me is being in a room full of Steely Dan fans or a room full of Insane Clown Posse fans.

I mean, I guess I’m in less physical danger with the Dan fans.

Good musicians. But it’s neither jazz nor rock. Nor funk (I’ve heard that one, too).

equalsql · September 2023

Rose Darling is a real favourite of mine that few people seem to know.

equalsql · September 2023

And Your Gold Teeth II is also just a bit special..

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God! I love Steely Dan.

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