How would you categorize Steely Dan?

Just like Primus!

 

You've Got to Walk It Like You Talk It or You'll Lose That Beat
You've Got to Walk It Like You Talk It or You'll Lose That Beat is a 1971 comedy-drama film directed by Peter Locke.[1]

It involves a young hippie and his search for the meaning of life while in Central Park. Its soundtrack includes some of the earliest released music by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, the duo who later formed the core of the group Steely Dan. The film also stars Richard Pryor in an early role playing his signature "wino" character, and actor/director Robert Downey Sr.

 

JAZZROC

 

Jazz rock seems to be the best description to me. I would like to know why some feel they don't fit into that category?

Soft rock might be the closest though especially if Toto or the Doobie Brothers(later) fit into that category.

 

Well, he said he likes them even though he apparently miscategorized them. I would say he's probably familiar with their music just not too familiar with what is meant by prog rock(but to be fair most people aren't).

 

And what is that?

 

Pop.

This isn't hard, guys.

Was the music written and recorded in order to be sold in exchange for money?

If it was, then it's pop music.

 

Absolutely. The smooth textures are deceptive. When I hear Steely Dan described as yacht rock
I think of a yuppie cruising in his BMW, nodding along to the neat rhythms and the silky background
singers, without hearing what they're singing:
"Learn to work the saxophone, and I play just what I feel,
Drink Scotch whiskey all night long,
And die behind the wheel!"

 

Past their prime acidity and snarkiness by this point, IMO. Not that I don't stop listening after ROYAL SCAM, of course

 

Labelling them as yacht rock is an insult, and has not read their lyrics (e.g. Razor Boy, Bodshisattva, Daddy Don't Live in That New York City No More). Their style touches upon different genres and is hard to pin down. In the end though, arm twisted and all, I agree with a fellow member that it's pop.

 

Steely Dan is sui generis. Nobody like them before or since.

"They sound like Steely Dan!".

Said nobody, ever.

 

I would classify Steely Dan as early stuff great later stuff maybe not so great

 

I think they're a pop band...but your description would cover just about all of secular music...and a fair amount of religious music as well.

Alls I know is, way back when I learned a teeny bit about jazz harmony in a class at school. I'd make up chord progressions on the train on the way home, intending to amaze the world by using jazz harmony in rock music. When I got home and played it on the piano, invariably, I was saddened to find it sounded like bad Steely Dan. I think of them as jazz but as songwriters rather than instrumental improvisers.

Simply being sophisticated does not make music "prog", imo.

A valuable description of Steely Dan would also include the word "beatnik".

 

Smart pop rock that often veers into a slick jazz fusion territory. But they're pretty diverse. They do have some songs such as Your Gold Teeth and Aja that are borderline prog.

 

Yacht Rock

 

I try not to categorize bands or musicians. Categories are supposed to help organize things. But nobody ever agrees on anything.

At this point in time, they are a solo project for Fagen.

 

I’ve never understood the term ‘jazz rock’ to have any meaningful musical sense. Rock is almost always in 4/4, jazz in one of a number of rhythms, and swung, syncopated, whatever, but free. Rock’s aesthetic might be one of freedom but an awful lot of the reality is shackled to its best.
Steely Dan are one of my favourite bands. As that era of expression recedes and society believes in error it has no need for intelligent pop art, their work stands out even more.

 

I would categorize Steely Dan as a songwriting team.

 

Clever but cold and arch music and lyrics that i don't really care for despite people who know me fairly well seeming to think that I would or should.

 

Yeah, I think if that's what a pop band is then that would account for pretty much everything you hear on the radio or even everyone who makes a record. Who doesn't make a record to make money. Isn't that kind of the point? Otherwise you may as well just sit in your room with your guitar and never let anyone else hear you play.

 

One of my favorite bands ever. As others said, it started off as sophisticated rock and later became more jazz like.

I saw them live 3 times since they reformed; once was really a Donald Fagen show billed as Steely Dan. The second time I saw them they played Aja all the way through (though not in album order).

 

Growing up in the NY/NJ/PA tri-state area in the 70’s the rock stations did play Steely Dan. Given US radio programming pigeon-holed music genres SD was considered a rock band.

 

Not sure what the right word would be... postmodern pop? Not so much concerned with one musical tradition, or grounding itself specifically in the abilities of its bandmembers, as using whatever resources are necessary to paint a musical picture to support lyrics so drenched in literary allusions, injokes, and self-deprecating humor that you can't possibly imagine who would write them or what they're on about.

 

My answer would be - pazz and jop.

 

Do they (or any other band/artist for that matter) need to categorised