Btw, that note you mentioned in Black Friday at 1:58...I always thought that was a bad "punch in" and they just kept it. Heh
My wife's name is Katy so I have always had a soft spot for this album and I sing a particular line from Doctor Wu when she is less than truthful with me. But Michael McDonald almost ruins it for me. Donald and Walter display exquisite taste with all their session musos expect for an appaling lapse in this case. I can't stand his voice even when he is in the background. Jeff Baxter committed an even greater error by bring him into The Doobie Brothers. Now he is fromt and centre and there is nowhere to hide from those hideous vocals. YMMV.
Woods was (he died a couple of years ago), an extremely capable player, starting out as a Bird obsessive but making some great recordings in all kinds of set ups. He played on Monk's big band recording At Town Hall, if I remember correctly. I don't have too many of his recordings but Musique Du Bois is one I'd recommend.
My mileage very much varies.. McDonald's vocals work perfectly on the tracks he sings on. 'Peg' without his harmonies would sound terribly flat in my opinion.
Yeah SD probably fits more into the Great American Songbook list than all of the other jazz genres. However, they did touch on be bop and some other jazz genres at times.
I really like Mingus as well and have around 10 of his albums. I listen to classical more than jazz and rock.
I apologize if this has been posted already...Denny Dias and the 'Katy" fiascos. Katy and The Gremlin Bern
Bad Sneakers As I said in another post, Donald Fagen used a lot of Major 6th chords in his compositions on KL. Many are used in this song..... the intro is all based on Major 6ths and so is the verse vamp. You can hear the A Major 6th at :16. The pre chorus at :32 has a trademark Fagen descending root line and leads into the chorus at :50. The chorus is fantastic and is pretty much straight Rhythm and Blues based. It is a real treat to hear familiarity in between all of the complex chords but that is what SD does so brilliantly....they never get too far out....well most of the time they don't. Some exceptions two albums from now. The guitar solo is another gem. The break is based around the verse chords with some variation. The solo is in A Major and one of my favorite lines starts at 2:20 thru 2:22 where Walter ends on the root being played on the B Major. Lots of amazing vertical playing here. Sorry @rednoise I respect your opinion but I don't agree that overall WB was a mediocre guitar player. This guitar solo is evidence of that.
This album didn't really come into focus for me until about 10 years ago. One weekend I was doing some household chores and decided to put on the Citizen box set. A lot of the tracks I was less familiar with really grabbed my attention, e.g. 'Turn That Heartbeat Over Again' from CBAT. It was the stuff on Katy Lied that really made me sit up. 'Rose Darling' and 'Chain Lightning' in particular. The vocals on the chorus of 'Rose Darling' seemed like a mini -homage to the Beach Boys, sweet and precise, there's also that little guitar lead-up to the chorus that builds the tension nicely before that vocal refrain. Pure magic. The lyrics are concerned with blackmail and/or sexual jealousy (it seems to me), but the singing is kind of uplifting. 'Chain Lightning' must be about the most laidback song they ever wrote, makes you want to lie in some long grass on a summer's day and fall asleep. After reading about the 'Hitler Rally' description in the liner notes on Citizen the song lyrics sound ominous. Bizarre, but it's a standout.
I wish I had that musical knowledge like this. From my geek perspective, Walter Becker more than served the sound and style of Steely Dan. His solos were always emotional, erudite and served as an indispensable part of SD. I love the chorus of "Rose Darling" all those years of listening to the other songs and this one just jumped out at me. Oddly "Chain Lightning" reminds me of a song the Manhattan Transfer could have covered, not a lot of words but it has that "old-timey" musicality and cool.
Hey, I'm claiming the Manhattan Transfer analogy, about 3 pages ago. I'd also like to sign up for the support group for those who are allergic to Michael McDonald's vocals.
Just noticed that disc 3 of the Citizen box set starts with the 3 KL tracks that I've cast aside, followed by all of The Royal Scam, which I've always instinctively rated as my least favourite of the big 7. Perfect. That's my listening for this week's commuting sorted.
Yikes, I couldn't disagree more and I trust Don and Walt's taste when it comes to musicians and singers. They use McDonald because they like his voice and, yes, McDonald changed the focus of the Doobies but when he first came on board with Takin' It To a The Streets, the band was moving in that direction. For those haters out there who can't stand the Eagles (this isn't up for discussion yet) Tim Schmitt, Don Henley and Glenn Frey provide backing vocals for "FM". Don and Walt always could pick the right folks to play the various parts.
Rose Darling Man, lots of fast harmonic rhythm in this one. That is a a geeky way of saying the chords change a lot. Most of the verses are in D Major except for one borrowed chord. Lots of great use of all of the chords in just the key of D. The chorus starts on a G minor chord and adds some passivity/pleading at the get go but then gets stronger rising out to the major. The vocals in the chorus chords provide a lot of the harmonic movement at it sounds amazing in the Beach Boys vein. Neat laid back short guitar solo. Another winner IMO from KL.
Wow I thought I was the only one who could take or leave his vocals on the albums. There is something about his vocals that at times sounds pretentious to me. His pronunciation sounds weird and unnatural to me. I like how he sings some of his songs though but not many. He is a good/great songwriter. We are in the minority.
Gave Musique Du Bois a "spin" on Spotify and glad I did, much obliged for the recommendation. The man had a terrific sound and vocabulary. "The Summer Knows" is a real showcase. So cool to have Jaki Byard in the combo here. Dug the nod to Miles on "Willow". Came out the year before Katy Lied, I see. Wouldn't be surprised if Becker and Fagen had it in rotation on the Steely turntable.
Count me in the pro-Mike McDonald camp. Maybe it's the heavy airwaves exposure I had to his voice in my formative years, but I just like that funky ol' singing style of his.
