Donald Fagen, co-founder of Steely Dan, called the album "essentially just a big trash-out for Miles" in 2007: "To me it was just silly, and out of tune, and bad. I couldn't listen to it. It sounded like Davis was trying for a funk record, and just picked the wrong guys. They didn't understand how to play funk. They weren't steady enough."[21]
― Losing swag by the second (Dan Peterson), Thursday, 19 February 2015 19:37 (nine years ago) link
not enough guys named Skunk
― Dominique, Thursday, 19 February 2015 19:43 (nine years ago) link
i've read fagen knocking fusion in general, which seems odd.
― tylerw, Thursday, 19 February 2015 19:45 (nine years ago) link
kind of feel like part of the album's strength is that the players "didn't understand how to play funk"
what does fagen have to say about OTC i wonder
― a drug by the name of WORLD WITHOUT END (Jon Lewis), Thursday, 19 February 2015 19:47 (nine years ago) link
BB is the opposite of sure-footed and slick, and Fagen not liking it tells me pretty much everything I need to know about Steely Dan. Except I already knew it.
― Dominique, Thursday, 19 February 2015 19:50 (nine years ago) link
Yeah I don't know much about Steely Dan at all really, but I just thought this was odd and funny. And wrong.
― Losing swag by the second (Dan Peterson), Thursday, 19 February 2015 19:51 (nine years ago) link
Fagen also despised the new music (which is maybe less surprising than him not digging BB); I seem to recall him saying snarky shit about Sun Ra.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Thursday, 19 February 2015 19:57 (nine years ago) link
I'm not convinced that Steely Dan ever "understood how to play funk"
― i ain't marchant anymore (unregistered), Thursday, 19 February 2015 20:31 (nine years ago) link
well they certainly hired people who did.
― mizzell, Thursday, 19 February 2015 20:35 (nine years ago) link
People who played on Bitches Brew, even.
― austinato (Austin), Thursday, 19 February 2015 20:55 (nine years ago) link
i mean, it would be pretty disappointing and out-of-character if Steely Dan was really into Bitches Brew.
― lil urbane (Jordan), Thursday, 19 February 2015 20:56 (nine years ago) link
released 50 years ago yesterday
― mookieproof, Tuesday, 31 March 2020 16:04 (four years ago) link
still sounds like 50 years tomorrow
― A rat done bit my sister Nell with Biden on the nom (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 31 March 2020 16:07 (four years ago) link