Just picked up a Donald Bagen 'The Nightfly' CD at the Goodwill, Just Perfect like new condition, $1.60. Have the album in LP, 3 of them really, but never CD. It will be a fun 'listen'.
I'm a big fan of Little Feat & I am often told that I should like Steely Dan (I can't get into them) as they are sort of similar. The band I find most similar (but different) to Little Feat are The Amazing Rhythm Aces. Another great American band that are almost unknown.
A lot of ragging on Starbuck, but this tune has the dirty jazzy funk and sleezy lead vocal. It's in the Dan vibe.
IMHO 95% of all the suggestions so far have very little of the Steely Dan sound.. some are laughable. Having said that there is only one band who consistently have the Steely Dan "sound" and they are quite brilliant and are equal with their song writing. This band is "The 1957 Tail-Fin Fiasco".
I really don’t think they sound like The Dan at all, but when I was all over the XTC forum 20 years ago, there was a large contingent of XTC fans who were also nuts about SD. XTC were very “musicianly”, a bit arch, a little profit, a little jazzy at times, with great pop hooks. Even though they don’t sound similar, there are a lot of similar qualities between the two groups. The biggest difference, I’d say, is that XTC we’re world-peace hippies at heart whereas Becker and Fagan, er, not so much.
Nothing wrong with Starbuck. A nearly perfect hit song like Moonlight is something most bands never achieve, even if that’s their one hit legacy. And I know there is more to them then the one song. Great band they were in their day.
Without question, this is the band that sounds most similar especially the first album called "Private Jet Flashback"
That might be a joke, I don't know, but Jackson's voice does sound a bit like Fagen's sometimes. Musically not so much though
Last year, inspired by the other thread in SHF on this same subject, I came up with a wonderful playlist of Steely Dan sound-a-like songs.. usually just one off songs from artists who have no other material like this (though some do). For anyone interested I think you will like all of my choices: Far Cry - It's Not as Simple as That Larry Carlton - Room 335 Danny Wilson - Mary's Prayer Sneaker - Don't Let Me in Doobie Brothers - Depending on You David Crosby - She's Got To Be Somewhere Rosie Vela - Magic Smile Todd Rundgren - Tin Foil Hat Mayer Hawthorne - Stars Are Ours Monkey House - Nine O'Clock Friday The Tubes - Attack of The Fifty Foot Woman Frank Gambale - Faster Than an Arrow Azita - Wasn't in The Bargain The Norwegian Fords - Fit in Greg Phillinganes - Lazy Nina The High Llamas - Checking in, Checking Out Christopher Cross - Spinning Nerina Pallot - All Good People Destroyer - Chinatown Toy Matinee - Ballad of Jenny Ledge CPR - Morrison Was (Not Was) - Anything Can Happen Bamboo Brothers - The Nightfly Ween - Pandy Fackler Michael Franks - Vincent's Ear The Blue Jean Committee - Catalina Breeze The Knack - Dance of Romance The Zombies - Breathe in, Breathe Out The Bliss Band - Rio Mark Ronson - Summer Breaking Rupert Holmes - Brass Knuckles XTC - King For a Day The 1957 Tail Fin Fiasco - List Song Percy Hill - Door #5 Richard Clapton - High Society
This group came up in a past discussion about this topic. I'm not sure the resemblance, but I really do love this song and the album.
Steely Dan’s music is of its time. The lyrics, songwriting and point of view are them. Through and through. Beats, totally. But through their era’s lens. Always wanted a cover album record of Steely Dan by bluegrass and country musicians. That would kill. A heavy metal, cover album could kill too, if chosen well. Steely Dan have excellent songs. They travel.
Don’t know the rest of their material, but I bought an EP cd for a self produced instrumental “The Instigator” which I felt had an SD vibe to it, then I learned that WB produced the album prior, spooky.
Of course there have been imitators, but no one has come close. The partnership of Fagen-Becker is so unique that it would be impossible. Beyond that, Fagen's wit and lyrics are so true and so insightful that it is possible for the listener to open his eyes and see things that appear obvious, but most certainly are not obvious in any way. Those kinds of events based on ideas are known as Big Ideas.
