Steely Dan... What Do You Think???

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Psychedelic Good Trip, Apr 5, 2016.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Arkay_East

    Arkay_East Forum Resident

    Location:
    ATX
    Oh look a Steely Dan thread ....

    Lots of love for the Dan around these parts. Myself included. Countdown was my favorite SD album for a long time but Aja has been on the table quite a bit over the past few months.
     
    OptimisticGoat likes this.
  2. HfxBob

    HfxBob Forum Resident

    To me one of the great beauties of Pretzel Logic is the compactness of the whole affair - all these short little nuggets that say their piece and get outta there...
     
  3. Kossoff is God

    Kossoff is God Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicagoland
    In my humble opinion, the only band where the lyrics are as equally essential to the music. Out of all the bands I listen to, Fagan and Beckers lyrics are the only ones I make a point to observe. Every song is like a noir short story.
     
  4. dkmonroe

    dkmonroe A completely self-taught idiot

    Location:
    Atlanta
    I'm not a huge Steely Dan fan, but I really like what I have. I have their Greatest Hits, Aja, and The Royal Scam. I've never felt moved to get all the rest of their albums but I probably will eventually.

    I've gone through seasons with them. One of my first favorite songs was "Rikki Don't Lose That Number", which just captivated me when it was a hit single. I was all of 10 at the time. Four or five years later, when I was really into rock music, I pretty much hated the Dan and thought they were just some easy listening group for people with shag haircuts and Polo shirts. I HATED Gaucho when it came out, "Hey Nineteen" was on the radio constantly and I just despised it. Several years later I got Aja and The Royal Scam and together they have redeemed the Dan in my eyes. I also picked up the Greatest Hits and it's just as fantastic as people say it is. Aja in particular is compelling album - I listen to it often and never tire of it.

    As is often the case with music, since I avoided the group during its prime, their albums are particularly nostalgic. Since I haven't been carrying them on my shoulders for 30 years, they sound perfectly of their time. Everything about the 70's is encoded in these tracks - the shine, the sleaze, the cynicism, the progressive musical approach and the skillful use of technology. They are artifacts of a time when analog recording was really at its peak.
     
  5. bibijeebies

    bibijeebies vinyl hairline spotter

    Location:
    Amstelveen (NL)
    And the arrangements, plus lots of great piano.
     
  6. gregorya

    gregorya I approve of this message

    Well, at least you could buy one thrill... that's better than nothing... ;)
     
  7. Wombat Reynolds

    Wombat Reynolds Jimmy Page stole all my best riffs.

    Location:
    Atlanta, GA, USA
    I like them all, but especially fond of the earlier stuff, Thrill to Gaucho... have all of it and always liked it. Great recordings and great playing!
     
    OptimisticGoat and Joti Cover like this.
  8. Mother

    Mother Forum Resident

    Location:
    Melbourne
    I tried hard, but never did it for me.
     
  9. Monosterio

    Monosterio Forum Resident

    Location:
    South Florida
    What makes Pretzel Logic their best album for me is the flow of the songs. Other Dan albums have individual songs that are just as good or even better, but the way the tunes fit together on this album is exceptional, IMO. (Even side one's "East St. Louis Toodle-O" followed by the side two opener, "Parker's Band," is killer.)
     
  10. somnar

    somnar Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC & Amsterdam
    I get this when I click on the link (using a PC with Chrome):

    Your connection is not private
    Attackers might be trying to steal your information from www.porkchopsjar.com (for example, passwords, messages, or credit cards).
     
  11. Hokeyboy

    Hokeyboy Nudnik of Dinobots

    I'll never tell you!


    No but seriously, Katy Lied is probably one of my favorite all-time albums.
     
    Joti Cover likes this.
  12. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    Doesn't that make them a top two band? :shh:
     
  13. Mr Sam

    Mr Sam "...don't look so good no more"

    Location:
    France
    Steely Dan twice a week for me. 25+ year-old prescription, auto-renewed every decade.
     
    OptimisticGoat likes this.
  14. Mr Sam

    Mr Sam "...don't look so good no more"

    Location:
    France
    Same here.
     
  15. veloso2

    veloso2 Forum Resident

    frankly: steely dan is one of the best band ever but i don't really like them live now. sounds too mechanical where they should sound loose and cool!
     
  16. The Bishop

    The Bishop Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dorset, England.
    No. Steely Dan tied for second with Pink Floyd, Yes, and Led Zeppelin.
     
    WapatoWolf, 905 and Joti Cover like this.
  17. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    Well, that's just cheating, isn't it? ;)
     
  18. Mr Sam

    Mr Sam "...don't look so good no more"

    Location:
    France
    The only weakness in "Pretzel Logic" is that "Katy Lied" is even better: I can listen to Katy every week, while I can live 2 or 3 months without Pretzel. The 'weaker' moments for me include "Rikki", "With A Gun" and "East St. Louis" - a cool tribute on the year of Ellington's passing, but in the end it adds nothing to the legacies of Duke, Walt and Don.
     
  19. misterdecibel

    misterdecibel Bulbous Also Tapered

    "What do you think"? Since you asked, I hope it's not threadcrapping if I say I can't friggin' stand 'em.
     
    rocknsoul74 likes this.
  20. dkmonroe

    dkmonroe A completely self-taught idiot

    Location:
    Atlanta
    Well, there'll be no Cuervo Gold nor fine Colombian for you, my fine fellow. :laugh:
     
  21. Scott S.

    Scott S. lead singer for the best indie band on earth

    Location:
    Walmartville PA
    Katy Lied has always been a fave. Some of the songs on Aja were played so much I just won't listen to them anymore.
     
  22. There are times when I think The Dan are the last word in intelligent rock music. Ive been a huge fan for as long as I can remember. But to be honest I think Im more interested in people who say they dont like them. Thats cool, no one has to like anything, and if you could expand on why you cant friggin stand them, I, for one, would welcome that. How is having an opposing opinion thread crapping?
     
  23. Monosterio

    Monosterio Forum Resident

    Location:
    South Florida
    Yeah, it had been a longtime dream of mine to see them live, and that finally happened in the mid-'90s, but once was enough for me.
     
    veloso2 likes this.
  24. RichC

    RichC Forum Resident

    Location:
    Charlotte, NC
    Got turned onto them my freshman year in college by a drummer I'd just met in jazz band. (Go figure.) He worshipped Steve Gadd and Neil Peart.
    Remember the CD-only "A Decade Of Steely Dan?" That was my gateway drug. Within a year I'd picked up all the studio albums and my best friend and I would spend hours trying to decipher the lyrics (and those deeper meanings and weird in jokes).
    I've never really fallen out of love with them, especially once I got back into vinyl and tracked down the original presses. (The double RL of Greatest Hits. Nuff said.) The comeback albums didn't grab me, but I did love the reunion show we caught back in... 1994? Before they started recording again? We were the youngest folks there by at least a decade. THAT will never happen again. Good times....
     
    Joti Cover and Dave's SG2k like this.
  25. PJayBe

    PJayBe Forum Resident

    You can't beat an honest answer to the question!!!!
     
    Fender Relic likes this.
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine