This amused me, but then it made me think how sad it must be, to go more than half your life without having experienced the pleasure of this song. Three minutes of the purest joy.
Any major dude, with half a heart…
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I know how Stan feels, having come to the Dan pretty late in life (finally immersing myself around 2004), but far from feeling deprived it was a tremendously exciting ‘voyage of discovery’.
Most of the canon was brand new to me & therefore super fresh – also my tastes had changed quite a bit – my younger self probably wouldn’t have liked them anyhow (my introduction to the whole Dan thing was The Nightfly in 1981, but I didn’t make the connection).
Collymore is now in for a total treat- the lore is as fascinating as the music, IMO – opaque lyrics, very dark subject matters & obsessive perfectionism all add to the fun!
You make a persuasive case for the late Dan bloomer, Jim. From my perspective, the 70s SD albums, especially the first four, were such an important part of my adolescence. I can still recall Reelin’ In The Years coming on the radio for the first time. And being in a girlfriend’s bedroom listening to Dr Wu. Simon Le Bon singing Bad Sneakers in our sixth form common room (true). Almost every one of their songs carries a memory for me.
I can just imagine how strong an imprint music would have on a young chap & how notable the sense now that the music has comfortably stood up (I’m frequently seeing online talk of a Dan ‘revival & evidence of young cool music heads completely flipping over what they have discovered).
Oddly I can clearly recall as a pre teen seeing Pretzel Logic & Katy Lied in my older sister’s LP stack (amongst the James Taylors & a few Beefhearts) but finding
no reason to give them a spin on the sly. How different it might have been if I had!
While have zero interest in the later albums, love the Dan up to and including Gaucho to bits.
Was broken hearted when they pulled out of the last two gigs of their 74 UK tour and I had to
forego seeing the classic early line up with David Palmer, Denny Dias and Skunk Baxter in Birmingham.
Took me 42 years to get another chance – in Dublin 5 years back. Despite the sad lack of the
then recently departed DF, they were well worth the wait.
If you’re looking to scratch a Dan-sized itch and have not heart it, Ricky Lee Jones DF-produced
Flying Cowboys album is a thing of deep, deep joy
Never saw them in the 70s. First time was ‘93 in London. Their 2000 show at Hammersmith was the best sounding show I’ve ever been to. A kind soul among the old Word Massive sent me a recording of it, for which I remain extremely grateful.
Are you confusing DF with WB? I hope so coz if DF is no longer active there is no more SD!
You’re right!
One of those annoying senior’s/CRAFT moments there
Senior Craft Moment. TMFTL – I remember when John Peel championed that four piece from Hull.
When I read ‘Senior Craft Moment’ I had a flash vision of crocheted teapot cosies, usually in garish flouro yellows, greens and apricots. Rest In Peace Nana!
Here’s one I made earlier
Have I had my dinner yet?
Is that your duvet, Nick?
“they got the Steely Dan duvet”
Better not take it on your travels
lest all the threads unravel!
You’ll find this to be true
@Jaygee I had tickets for the same gig and recall walking to the Hippodrome and wondering why all the punters were walking n the opposite direction.
I got to see them twice in later life once with Becker and once without on their last UK tour.
Grew up in Cov so went to a lot of gigs at Brum Town Hall, Hippodrome and Odeon back in those days. Would imagine there were a fair few we must. have both been it.
Pity Eels cancelled a couple of weeks back as it would have been great to swap notes. Did you come over to Dublin in the end? Hope you enjoyed it. A lovely city and a great place to go on a pub crawl. Are you going to keep your Eels TX for next year or flog em?
@Jaygee here’s the Rainbow show from May 1974 – the crown jewel of all early Steely Dan recordings (it says here).
Steely Dan brought Stuart ‘Dinky’ Dawson, one of the pioneers in live sound technology, to be the sound engineer and to record the shows on the tour. Dawson was unaware of it, but he was mixing what turned out to be the final tour legs by the original band, now expanded to an eight piece. On board were a second keyboard player and singer, Michael McDonald, and a second drummer, Jeff Porcaro, in addition to the original musicians. Instrumentally, they were now capable of more complex arrangements and the vocal harmonies significantly improved with McDonald’s voice added to the mix. This was arguably the most compelling touring band Becker and Fagen ever assembled.
Wow, thanks for sharing that, Nick. Will burn and play later this am
Given how brilliant they apparently were on that tour, it’s ironic and more than a little sad that DF and WB retreated to the studio and didn’t play live again for something like 25 years
‘Doctor Wu’ from ‘Katy Lied’ has been my longest resident ear worm song.
I’ve been continually going back to their 70s and early 80s classics for over 40 years.
My chiro/acupuncturist is Dr Wu. I played it for him. Greatly amused.
Until this blog, I only ‘knew’ Talk Talk’s ‘Talk Talk’ and ‘Life’s What You Make It’. The rest had passed me by. Persistent mentions of their last three albums here prompted me to listen to them all in full.
I can’t imagine life now without Spirit of Eden, but especially The Colour of Spring.
I love Steely Dan, but oddly can’t hum a single tune off Katy Lied. No idea why.
@gcu-grey-area
I’m very very pleased you rate Colour of Spring. It is by far their best album.
No wonder you can’t hum a Steely Dan song, there’s no tunes!
Got to disagree there. I don’t know what it is about Katy Lied, but it just doesn’t stick. There are some mighty tunes on their others, and I can pretty much sing/hum everything else of theirs. XTC’s Go 2 is a similar void, their others being firmly lodged.
Isn’t music weird? Go 2 is probably my favourite of theirs, it being the first one I got possibly.
Might as well plug my favourite cover band, as the opportunity has presented itself.
http://www.stanleydee.co.uk/
Seven upcoming gigs in their book currently. I have no financial interest in them except as a punter.
I saw a brilliant SD tribute band in Sydney a few years ago. Stan Deely are clearly another one that pay close attention to the details. Instrumentation, solos, vocals, all done faithfully.
Nearly Dan are very good, too.
Yes I always go to see them when they play near me. Fun too. They stop dead at the right moment in “Kid Charlemagne” for the audience to scream “Yes there’s gas in the car”.
I’m always mighty impressed when musicians even attempt the Dan & confess to watching loads of tributes on YouTube- this lot are particularly good, though most of their vids are not as clean as this.
Bravo, say I!
There’s a slew of Steely at th’ Isle O’ Foam©, but you might have a look at this for starters. Very fine album.
https://falsememoryfoam.blogspot.com/2020/12/fred-macmurrays-stunt-double-explains.html
Talking of “The Dan” tribute acts, how about Leonid & Friends? I like it.
I posted this a few months ago to total indifference. Let’s see what happens this time!
You clearly need to improve your penetration on here!
I just keep plugging away and getting not much in the way of traction.
Liked it then. Like it now.
Some top notch kit being played properly there. Guitar and bass especially.
Very impressive band indeed, but the male vocalist is just wrong. As are most male vocalists who try to sing Steely Dan. Those rock-vocalist mannerisms just don’t fit The Dan’s music. That’s why David Palmer was dispensed with. As plain as possible (in tune, obviously) is best, to my ears.
I think he’s perfect for Dirty Work because he sounds like a wounded innocent. DF sounds like the gnarled lovechild of Waldorf & Statler already on that album, his voice is usually the grit that forms the pearl (of the quarter)
Choon! A very fine version too. As DF says, what’s not to like?
I think it’s fabulous. I’ve just played it 3 times in a row and shared it with friends. Do I gather it’s Russian and Ukrainian musicians playing in Kyiv? Poignant.
Russians, mainly, but recorded in Kyiv. They specialise in covering Chicago (the band) tunes. http://leonidandf.com/
I’m 51 and am quite happy with a Best Of.
I’ve tried – owning Can’t Buy A Thrill, Pretzel Logic and Aja. Plus Donald Fagen’s The Nightfly and Kamakiriad.
What have I missed, and am I a cloth eared idiot?
(Qualification: I do quite like Kamakiriad though)
All those and you like the wrong one. You are cloth-eared. I withhold the idiot.
Some interviews with Becker and Fagen from the mid 70s, here: https://bangnzdrum.blogspot.com/2017/05/steely-dan-interviewed-in-1975-1976-and.html?m=0
I’ve just tried to access the Dancast but hit a dead end. All these years on, I thought I might be able to tolerate my own voice.
I protest. You’ve got a really good, soothing “radio” voice, for that type of discussion anyway.
I know what you mean though, hell must be a place where you have to listen to recordings of your own voice forever. The one time our wedding video got played, during my speech I had to go down the end of the garden with my fingers in my ears until it was over.
Here you go @tiggerlion
Also the Beckercast which was also excellent.
Them’s the ones! Thanks
And Moose got us mixed up. You are the one with the soothing radio voice, Twang.
The Becker was the dream team – you, me, Nick and @feedback_file – I could sit and talk about the Dan with you for hours.
I’d forgotten about those, Twang. We also did a Jonicast around that time. Good fun!
@prodnose is right, too. Donald’s solo albums are all part of the SD legacy. I haven’t yet checked out the Nightfly live record, but this is a taster.
Anyone here got the DF Rock and Soul Review live album he did with the likes of Boz Scaggs and the late, great Phoebe Snow?
Yes, not listened to it for a while. From memory, the highlight – and the most Dan-like track – was Drowning In A Sea Of Love.
Bob Lefsetz just posted this on Twitter. Steve Winwood in fine form leading the line with the Dan.