Just who the hell is 'Steely Dan'???
- Thread starter UNCjigga
- Start date
old 70's rock band.
remember "Are you reelin' in the yeeeeeeeeeeeaaarrrs... stowin' away the tiiiiiiiiiiiimee.." or some crap like that?
remember "Are you reelin' in the yeeeeeeeeeeeaaarrrs... stowin' away the tiiiiiiiiiiiimee.." or some crap like that?
I'd tell ya to hit Napster, but that's a buggar right now with the load. Not to mention legal issues *yawn*.
Popular jazz-rock-fusion band. Been around 30+ years. Highly regarded by fans and critics alike. Band member list reads like a "Who's Who List" of famously talented musicians.
Thank goodness, some actual musicians won a Grammmy ...
Thank goodness, some actual musicians won a Grammmy ...
Can you believe people that actually write and play instruments actually being recognized in this day and age? What everrrrrrrrr... humph :|
squirrel dog
Diamond Member
- Oct 10, 1999
- 5,564
- 48
- 91
<< Can you believe people that actually write and play instruments actually being recognized in this day and age? >>
Yep! Sad thing is they're the real musicians, not some goosed up sex idol that dances and tries to sing around sampled instruments!
Cheers!
The questions should almost be
"What the hell is Steely Dan"?
The band took their name from a device.
"What the hell is Steely Dan"?
The band took their name from a device.
<< Yea uhhh I like it when 30 year old artists win an award for an album that most people don't even know existed.... >>
Just because some 16 year old pimple face kid never heard of a band, does that mean that nobody has heard of them? I think not. There's a lot more to the music world than your precious boy bands.
Deeko
Lifer
- Jun 16, 2000
- 30,213
- 12
- 81
1) I didn't say a boyband should have won
2) I didn't say people haven't heard of THEM, I said people haven't heard of the album
3) Who was referring to "pimple faced 16 year kids"? And I said my parents didn't know of it, and they listen to that music. Are they 16 year old pimple faced kids
4) When are you IDIOTS going to realize that I listen to more music than boybands? I have said it so many times now. You idiots are just idiots who have "selective reading", your mind must not register when i say something good about a group that isn't a boyband.(sorry about calling people idiots, but, you guys really deserve it, and you've called me alot worse, so)
2) I didn't say people haven't heard of THEM, I said people haven't heard of the album
3) Who was referring to "pimple faced 16 year kids"? And I said my parents didn't know of it, and they listen to that music. Are they 16 year old pimple faced kids
4) When are you IDIOTS going to realize that I listen to more music than boybands? I have said it so many times now. You idiots are just idiots who have "selective reading", your mind must not register when i say something good about a group that isn't a boyband.(sorry about calling people idiots, but, you guys really deserve it, and you've called me alot worse, so
)
BigSmooth
Lifer
- Aug 18, 2000
- 10,484
- 12
- 81
They have made some great music, listen to 'Peg' and 'Hey Nineteen', it's just good stuff.
<< I didn't say people haven't heard of THEM, I said people haven't heard of the album >>
Deeko, I think it's almost gone platinum, so a lot of people listen to it. Maybe it didn't sell 2 million in the first week, nobody compares to *NSYNC as far as sales go.
<< I didn't say people haven't heard of THEM, I said people haven't heard of the album >>
Deeko, I think it's almost gone platinum, so a lot of people listen to it. Maybe it didn't sell 2 million in the first week, nobody compares to *NSYNC as far as sales go.
<< Chevy Chase played in Steely Dan when they first got started if I am not mistaken >>
I'll bet you were thinking of when Chevy played with Paul Simon.
Zenmervolt
Elite member
- Oct 22, 2000
- 24,514
- 44
- 91
<<I wouldn't doubt they have greater musical talent than Eminem, but I still have this nagging feeling. Like isn't it true that every album they record has different band members? Like they're the constantly evolving band...it just doesn't seem real!>>
About the different band members, yes and no. The two front men are always the same, so the music is always written and sung by the same two men. However, any additional talent (and I really do mean talent) that may be needed for additional instruments is basically "leased" from the studio. As Midnight Rambler said, this list of "leased" musicians reads like a Who's Who of musicians. I don't think that Steely Dan ever really stopped working on albums, it was just that their output slowed.
Valhalla, the 1970's are only thirty years back; hardly "old". (Yes, some people born in the early 1980's such as myself are able to recognise that simply because something predates their own birth does not make it "old".) Also, 'Deacon Blues' and 'Hey Nineteen' are much better examples of Steely Dan than is 'Reeling in the Years' IMO.
Deeko, in my experience, people who listen to classic rock are generally disinterested in music released past a certain date. Because your parents listen to Classic Rock (or "all that 70's stuff" as you so eloquently call it) it would actually make them less likely to have heard about Steely Dan's new album unless they happened to be hardcore Steely Dan fanatics. Besides, who the hell cares if the general public has heard of the album? I thought the Grammys were at least ostensibly about the quality of the music. If it were merely a popularity contest then there would be no point to the awards, because everything would be determined by sales figures, which are determined by millions of nouveau teeny-bopper lemmings that buy music because it either pisses off their parents (Eminem) or because the "singer" has a surgically altered chest and/or dresses like a street walker (name any girl band).
OK, time for me to get re-acquainted with an old friend called sleep.
Zenmervolt
About the different band members, yes and no. The two front men are always the same, so the music is always written and sung by the same two men. However, any additional talent (and I really do mean talent) that may be needed for additional instruments is basically "leased" from the studio. As Midnight Rambler said, this list of "leased" musicians reads like a Who's Who of musicians. I don't think that Steely Dan ever really stopped working on albums, it was just that their output slowed.
Valhalla, the 1970's are only thirty years back; hardly "old". (Yes, some people born in the early 1980's such as myself are able to recognise that simply because something predates their own birth does not make it "old".)
Also, 'Deacon Blues' and 'Hey Nineteen' are much better examples of Steely Dan than is 'Reeling in the Years' IMO.Deeko, in my experience, people who listen to classic rock are generally disinterested in music released past a certain date. Because your parents listen to Classic Rock (or "all that 70's stuff" as you so eloquently call it) it would actually make them less likely to have heard about Steely Dan's new album unless they happened to be hardcore Steely Dan fanatics. Besides, who the hell cares if the general public has heard of the album? I thought the Grammys were at least ostensibly about the quality of the music. If it were merely a popularity contest then there would be no point to the awards, because everything would be determined by sales figures, which are determined by millions of nouveau teeny-bopper lemmings that buy music because it either pisses off their parents (Eminem) or because the "singer" has a surgically altered chest and/or dresses like a street walker (name any girl band).
OK, time for me to get re-acquainted with an old friend called sleep.
Zenmervolt
Dude, Deeko, walk into any Borders or Barnes & Noble and look under the rock\pop or even new releases section. Shouldn't be too hard to find. Also, I thought it was OK, but didn't have any really strong songs. The older albums were much stronger in the sense of lasting appeal and catchiness (I always thought the radio songs were some of their worse, they could of put out some better songs than that. Like Doctor Wu or Any Major Dude Would Tell You).
<< Valhalla, the 1970's are only thirty years back; hardly "old". (Yes, some people born in the early 1980's such as myself are able to recognise that simply because something predates their own birth does not make it "old".) >>
uhhh.. yeah, I was born in 81 thank you, and Steely Dan is OLD.
him winning was pretty lame. i havnt even heard one of his songs all year and i listen to a rock station in the morning.
Zenmervolt
Elite member
- Oct 22, 2000
- 24,514
- 44
- 91
<<uhhh.. yeah, I was born in 81 thank you>>
Exactly my point. I was born in 1982, and I notice a disturbing trend among others my age to dismiss anything predating their own birth as old. Another screwed up result of the disposable generation of which I am an unwilling part. Really now, 30 years is quite far from being old, especially considering that there is a large amount of good music that is hundreds of years old. Your opinions, of course, are your own.
This time I really am going to sleep. Honest.
Zenmervolt
Exactly my point. I was born in 1982, and I notice a disturbing trend among others my age to dismiss anything predating their own birth as old. Another screwed up result of the disposable generation of which I am an unwilling part. Really now, 30 years is quite far from being old, especially considering that there is a large amount of good music that is hundreds of years old. Your opinions, of course, are your own.
This time I really am going to sleep. Honest.
Zenmervolt
dennilfloss
Past Lifer 1957-2014 In Memoriam
"With the core band recruited, Donald and Walter need a name for their group. Since both of them were avid readers of 1950's "Beat" literature, they decided to name the band "Steely Dan" after a dildo in William Burrough's "Naked Lunch."
Steely Dan's rejected names
Steely Dan detailed history
From the All Music Guide:
Major Contributors to the Group: Rick Derringer Michael McDonald Larry Carlton Victor Feldman Don Grolnick Plas Johnson Steve Khan Bill Perkins Tom Scott Chuck Rainey Clydie King Elliott Randall Wilton Felder Venetta Field Steve Gadd Jay Graydon Paul Griffin Jimmie Haskell Jim Horn Gary Katz Rick Marotta Shirley Matthews Hugh McCracken Michael Omartian David Paich David Palmer Jeff Porcaro Dean Parks Bernard "Pretty" Purdie Timothy B. Schmit.
Most rock & roll bands are a tightly-wound unit that developed their music through years of playing in garages and clubs around their hometown. Steely Dan never subscribed to that aesthetic. As the vehicle for the songwriting of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, Steely Dan defied all rock & roll conventions. Becker and Fagen never truly enjoyed rock ? with their ironic humor and cryptic lyrics, their eclectic body of work shows some debt to Bob Dylan ?preferring jazz, traditional pop, blues and R&B. Steely Dan created a sophisticated, distinctive sound with accessible melodic hooks, complex harmonies and time signatures, and a devotion to the recording studio. With producer Gary Katz, Becker & Fagen gradually changed Steely Dan from a performing band to a studio project, hiring professional musicians to record their compositions. Though the band didn't perform live after 1974, Steely Dan's popularity continued to grow throughout the decade, as their albums became critical favorites and their singles became staples of AOR and pop radio stations. Even after the group disbanded in the early '80s, their records retained a cult following, as proven by the massive success of their unlikely return to the stage in the early '80s.
Walter Becker (bass) and Donald Fagen (vocals, keyboards) were the core members of Steely Dan throughout its variety of incarnations. The two met at Bard College in New York in 1967 and began playing in bands together shortly afterward. The duo played in a number of groups ? including the Bad Rock Group, which featured future comedic actor Chevy Chase on drums ? which ranged from jazz to progressive rock. Eventually, Becker and Fagen began composing songs together, hoping to become professional songwriters in the tradition of the Brill Building. In 1970, the pair joined Jay & the Americans' backing band, performing under pseudonyms; Becker chose Gustav Mahler, while Fagen used Tristan Fabriani. They stayed with Jay & the Americans until halfway through 1971, when they recorded the soundtrack for the low-budget film You Gotta Walk It Like You Talk It, which was produced by the Americans' Kenny Vance. Following the recording of the soundtrack, Becker and Fagen attempted to start a band with Denny Dias, but the venture was unsuccessful. The pair then moved to New York City with hopes of becoming professional songwriters. Though Barbara Streisand recorded "I Mean to Shine," the duo was unsuccessful. During their stint in New York, they did meet producer Gary Katz, who hired them as staff songwriters for ABC/Dunhill in Los Angeles, where he had just become a staff producer. Katz suggested that Becker and Fagen form a band as a way to record their songs, and Steely Dan ? who took their name from a dildo in William Burroughs' Naked Lunch ? was formed shortly afterward.
Recruiting guitarists Denny Dias and Skunk Baxter, drummer Jim Hodder, and keyboardist/vocalist David Palmer, Becker and Fagen officially formed Steely Dan in 1972, releasing their debut Can't Buy A Thrill shortly afterward. Palmer and Fagen shared lead vocals on the album, but the record's two hit singles ? the Top 10 "Do It Again" and "Reeling in the Years" ? were sung by Fagen. Can't Buy A Thrill was a critical and commercial success, but its supporting tour was a disaster, hampered by an under-rehearsed band and unappreciative audiences. Palmer left the band following the tour. Countdown to Ecstasy, released in 1973, was a critical hit, but it failed to generate a hit single, even though the band supported it with a tour.
Steely Dan replaced Hodder with Jeff Pocaro and added keyboardist/backup vocalist Michael McDonald prior to recording their third album, Pretzel Logic. Released in the spring of 1974, Pretzel Logic returned Steely Dan to the Top 10 on the strength of the single "Rikki Don't Lose That Number." After completing the supporting tour for Pretzel Logic, Becker and Fagen decided to retire from live performances, and make Steely Dan a studio-based band. For their next album, 1975's Katy Lied, the duo hired a variety of studio musicians ? including Dias, Pocaro, guitarist Elliot Randall, saxophonists Phil Woods, bassist Wilton Felder, percussionist Victor Feldman, keyboardist Michael Omartian and guitarist Larry Carlton ? as supporting musicians. Katy Lied was another hit, as was 1976's The Royal Scam, which continued in the vein of its predecessor. On 1977's Aja, Steely Dan's sound became more polished and jazzy, as they hired jazz-fusion artists like Wayne Shorter, Lee Ritenour and the Crusaders as support. Aja became their biggest hit, reaching the Top Five within three weeks of release and becoming one of the first albums to be certified platinum. Aja also gained the respect of many jazz musicians, as evidenced by Woody Herman recording an album of Becker/Fagen songs in 1978.
Following the release of Aja, ABC was bought out by MCA records, resulting in a contractual dispute with the label that delayed the release of their followup album until 1980. During the interim, the group had a hit with the theme song for the film FM in 1978. Steely Dan finally released Gaucho, the followup to Aja in late 1980, and it became another Top 10 hit for the group. During the summer of 1981, Becker and Fagen announced that they were parting ways. The following year, Fagen released his solo debut, The Nightfly, which became a critical and commercial hit.
Fagen didn't record another album until 1993, when he reunited with Becker, who produced Kamakiriad. The album was promoted by the first Steely Dan tour in nearly 20 years, and while the record failed to sell, the concerts were very popular. In 1994, Becker released his solo debut, 11 Tracks of Whack, which was produced by Fagen. The following year, Steely Dan mounted another reunion tour, and in early 2000 the duo issued Two Against Nature, their first new studio album in two decades. ? Stephen Thomas Erlewine
--------------------------------
Sign In, Stranger (Steely Dan)
Steely Dan's rejected names
Steely Dan detailed history
From the All Music Guide:
Major Contributors to the Group: Rick Derringer Michael McDonald Larry Carlton Victor Feldman Don Grolnick Plas Johnson Steve Khan Bill Perkins Tom Scott Chuck Rainey Clydie King Elliott Randall Wilton Felder Venetta Field Steve Gadd Jay Graydon Paul Griffin Jimmie Haskell Jim Horn Gary Katz Rick Marotta Shirley Matthews Hugh McCracken Michael Omartian David Paich David Palmer Jeff Porcaro Dean Parks Bernard "Pretty" Purdie Timothy B. Schmit.
Most rock & roll bands are a tightly-wound unit that developed their music through years of playing in garages and clubs around their hometown. Steely Dan never subscribed to that aesthetic. As the vehicle for the songwriting of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, Steely Dan defied all rock & roll conventions. Becker and Fagen never truly enjoyed rock ? with their ironic humor and cryptic lyrics, their eclectic body of work shows some debt to Bob Dylan ?preferring jazz, traditional pop, blues and R&B. Steely Dan created a sophisticated, distinctive sound with accessible melodic hooks, complex harmonies and time signatures, and a devotion to the recording studio. With producer Gary Katz, Becker & Fagen gradually changed Steely Dan from a performing band to a studio project, hiring professional musicians to record their compositions. Though the band didn't perform live after 1974, Steely Dan's popularity continued to grow throughout the decade, as their albums became critical favorites and their singles became staples of AOR and pop radio stations. Even after the group disbanded in the early '80s, their records retained a cult following, as proven by the massive success of their unlikely return to the stage in the early '80s.
Walter Becker (bass) and Donald Fagen (vocals, keyboards) were the core members of Steely Dan throughout its variety of incarnations. The two met at Bard College in New York in 1967 and began playing in bands together shortly afterward. The duo played in a number of groups ? including the Bad Rock Group, which featured future comedic actor Chevy Chase on drums ? which ranged from jazz to progressive rock. Eventually, Becker and Fagen began composing songs together, hoping to become professional songwriters in the tradition of the Brill Building. In 1970, the pair joined Jay & the Americans' backing band, performing under pseudonyms; Becker chose Gustav Mahler, while Fagen used Tristan Fabriani. They stayed with Jay & the Americans until halfway through 1971, when they recorded the soundtrack for the low-budget film You Gotta Walk It Like You Talk It, which was produced by the Americans' Kenny Vance. Following the recording of the soundtrack, Becker and Fagen attempted to start a band with Denny Dias, but the venture was unsuccessful. The pair then moved to New York City with hopes of becoming professional songwriters. Though Barbara Streisand recorded "I Mean to Shine," the duo was unsuccessful. During their stint in New York, they did meet producer Gary Katz, who hired them as staff songwriters for ABC/Dunhill in Los Angeles, where he had just become a staff producer. Katz suggested that Becker and Fagen form a band as a way to record their songs, and Steely Dan ? who took their name from a dildo in William Burroughs' Naked Lunch ? was formed shortly afterward.
Recruiting guitarists Denny Dias and Skunk Baxter, drummer Jim Hodder, and keyboardist/vocalist David Palmer, Becker and Fagen officially formed Steely Dan in 1972, releasing their debut Can't Buy A Thrill shortly afterward. Palmer and Fagen shared lead vocals on the album, but the record's two hit singles ? the Top 10 "Do It Again" and "Reeling in the Years" ? were sung by Fagen. Can't Buy A Thrill was a critical and commercial success, but its supporting tour was a disaster, hampered by an under-rehearsed band and unappreciative audiences. Palmer left the band following the tour. Countdown to Ecstasy, released in 1973, was a critical hit, but it failed to generate a hit single, even though the band supported it with a tour.
Steely Dan replaced Hodder with Jeff Pocaro and added keyboardist/backup vocalist Michael McDonald prior to recording their third album, Pretzel Logic. Released in the spring of 1974, Pretzel Logic returned Steely Dan to the Top 10 on the strength of the single "Rikki Don't Lose That Number." After completing the supporting tour for Pretzel Logic, Becker and Fagen decided to retire from live performances, and make Steely Dan a studio-based band. For their next album, 1975's Katy Lied, the duo hired a variety of studio musicians ? including Dias, Pocaro, guitarist Elliot Randall, saxophonists Phil Woods, bassist Wilton Felder, percussionist Victor Feldman, keyboardist Michael Omartian and guitarist Larry Carlton ? as supporting musicians. Katy Lied was another hit, as was 1976's The Royal Scam, which continued in the vein of its predecessor. On 1977's Aja, Steely Dan's sound became more polished and jazzy, as they hired jazz-fusion artists like Wayne Shorter, Lee Ritenour and the Crusaders as support. Aja became their biggest hit, reaching the Top Five within three weeks of release and becoming one of the first albums to be certified platinum. Aja also gained the respect of many jazz musicians, as evidenced by Woody Herman recording an album of Becker/Fagen songs in 1978.
Following the release of Aja, ABC was bought out by MCA records, resulting in a contractual dispute with the label that delayed the release of their followup album until 1980. During the interim, the group had a hit with the theme song for the film FM in 1978. Steely Dan finally released Gaucho, the followup to Aja in late 1980, and it became another Top 10 hit for the group. During the summer of 1981, Becker and Fagen announced that they were parting ways. The following year, Fagen released his solo debut, The Nightfly, which became a critical and commercial hit.
Fagen didn't record another album until 1993, when he reunited with Becker, who produced Kamakiriad. The album was promoted by the first Steely Dan tour in nearly 20 years, and while the record failed to sell, the concerts were very popular. In 1994, Becker released his solo debut, 11 Tracks of Whack, which was produced by Fagen. The following year, Steely Dan mounted another reunion tour, and in early 2000 the duo issued Two Against Nature, their first new studio album in two decades. ? Stephen Thomas Erlewine
--------------------------------
Sign In, Stranger (Steely Dan)
I've been a Steely Dan fan since I was about 14 (NOT telling my age) If you haven't listened to any of their music, check it out. Good stuff.
Their recent music has a "jazzy" feel to it but it's hard to describe their old stuff. Just good.
My fave album/cd...ROYAL SCAM...I highly recommend it.
ENJOY!
Their recent music has a "jazzy" feel to it but it's hard to describe their old stuff. Just good.
My fave album/cd...ROYAL SCAM...I highly recommend it.
ENJOY!
Steely who?? J/K,I know who they are but not to many people at the Grammies knew,that among other things lead me to believe the record companies set those award shows up.
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