Polled At Last: STEELY DAN - ILM Artist poll #50

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*Green Earrings*
From: The Royal Scam
Released: May, 1976
259 Points, 13 Votes, *1 Number One*

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*45. The Fez*
From: The Royal Scam
Released: May, 1976
264 Points, 13 Votes

On disc, the one-two punch of The Fez and Green Earrings is devastating.

looool at the Fez pic. Didn't vote for it, but in another Steely Dan poll syncronicity, my son asked me to buy him a fez for his birthday (a Doctor Who thing).

http://filmcrithulk.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/11-doctor-fez-570x321.jpg

love the fez.

fezzes are cool

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-eIs9f2Zossk/Uz4UStcbrZI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/75C7G4WZRe0/w578-h552-no/steely_dan-the_fez_s_1.jpg

Max Fischer agrees.

that image is from the single:

7" Single ABC 12222

1. The Fez 3:59
2. Sign In Stranger 4:22

It's early to be breaking out an A-frame!

The sheer contempt of "Daddy Don't..." is so great, especially when Fagen leans into "we know you're smoking wherever you are." I also have a soft spot for flagrantly rhyming "Hackensack" with "paper sack" - not even "paper bag!"

That font and that apartment are SO Woody Allen '78

This is totally facile but these guys are basically the closest rock equivalent to the New Hollywood types, right?

the fez! NTI otm, though green earrings ultimately was cut from my ballot.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-TT9ElBdL8gI/Uz4W9UWWEZI/AAAAAAAAARg/SKFnRSpW5qg/w640-h320-no/Charlie+Freak.jpg

44. Charlie Freak
From: Pretzel Logic
Released: February 20, 1974
268 Points, 12 Votes, 1 Number One

"Fez" and "Green Earrings" are so twinned in my mind, and on the album, it's funny to see them side by side here too.

Love Charlie Freak so much. Not sure if anyone will agree but something about it reminds me of Spoon. I think it'd be a great song for them to cover.

that's funny, i'm also doing the Spoon poll.

Love the sleigh bells on "Charlie Freak". Surprised "Throw Back The Little Ones" didn't place higher - hot licks & rhetoric don't poll much for nothing, &c.

What is that reedy instrument in the background? I always picture it as an old wind-up street organ, with a dancing monkey.

...in your soul?

yes.

is the number one voter going to reveal themselves?

it was iago, no?

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-oMdi8LOUOiE/Uz4bH6E48rI/AAAAAAAAASM/eZV_wac-APs/w640-h320-no/Everyone%2527s+Gone+To+the+Movies.jpg

43. Everyone's Gone To the Movies
From: Katy Lied
Released: March 1975
302 Points, 17 Votes

I only really got into Steely Dan earlier this year. It was fun playing spot the sample on The Royal Scam. The Fez being used by All Saints, Green Earrings used by Ice Cube and Kid Charlemagne (which will hopefully be a lot higher) which Kanye West sampled.

surprised that this isn't higher. this is my favorite off katy lied.

The guy in the image sure looks like a Mr. LaPage

it was iago, no?

― Belgian Flanders Albums Chart (Sufjan Grafton), Thursday, April 3, 2014 10:47 PM (6 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Not me. In my 20 though

Never liked EGTTM, it grates on me

only a couple of more for today, hope you have enjoyed this rollout.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/--GDtwY_JExU/Uz4gzT0vw2I/AAAAAAAAAS0/IndFk_R6hXM/w640-h320-no/The+Royal+Scam.jpg

42. The Royal Scam
From: The Royal Scam
Released: May, 1976
304 Points, 16 Votes

is the number one voter going to reveal themselves?

― Bee OK, Thursday, April 3, 2014 10:45 PM (32 minutes ago)

It was me! Charlie Freak has been my favorite Dan song since I picked up all their albums on vinyl in probably 1994/95. Some people wait until later to go through their Steely Dan phase...I had mine at 20, which might explain my lean towards the less ornate and more direct works.

cheers for Almost Gothic. would have made my top 20. went with a top 10 to preserve my sanity

amazing countdown!

That font and that apartment are SO Woody Allen '78

That font (Caslon, I think) will forever be the Barbra Streisand font, who used it on the cover of her first dozen albums.

http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_400/MI0002/037/MI0002037303.jpg?partner=allrovi.com

Is that David Cronenberg in the "Everyone's Gone to the Movies" graphic?

steely dan probably would've known it was barbra font! woody allen font is windsor

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-16kQstXP128/Uz4kRaMiJQI/AAAAAAAAATg/P5D0voKlwcE/w640-h320-no/Pearl+Of+the+Quarter.jpg

41. Pearl Of the Quarter
From: Countdown to Ecstasy
Released: July 1973
308 Points, 14 Votes

First track I'm excited about to place :)

43. 302 Points
42. 304 Points
41. 308 Points

I love "Pearl of the Quarter". Such a jam.

Beautiful song, pedal steel for days

steely dan probably would've known it was barbra font! woody allen font is windsor

― balls, Thursday, April 3, 2014 10:34 PM (44 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Of course! Babs was one of first (perhaps the first) major artist to record a Becker/Fagan track

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6eonE_qF08

Am I dumb for not getting the Fez gif? Is that a church? Or is it another abstruse dick joke?

so far:

308 Pearl Of The Quarter 14
304 The Royal Scam 16
302 Everyone’s Gone To The Movies 17
268 Charlie Freak 1-12
264 The Fez 13
259 Green Earrings 1-13
244 Here In The Western World 13
227 Daddy Don’t Live In That New York City No More 13
189 Sign In Stranger 10
179 Brooklyn (Owes the Charmer Under Me) 9

176 Jack Of Speed 1-8
171 Kings 9
156 My Rival 7
143 Through With Buzz 7
132 Throw Back The Little Ones 7
101 Everything You Did 5
90 Second Arrangement 5
79 Parker's Band 4
76 Almost Gothic 4
72 Monkey In Your Soul 3

"pearl of the quarter" is their warren zevon/randy newman dark west coast singer/songwriter moment. they were, technically, west coast singer/songwriters (new york expats, but still), but is there anything else in their catalog that's anywhere near as close to fitting the description as that one?

fire in the hole?

Just catching up, this is a good start - three of my 20 have placed so far but I'm not going to complain as I didn't really expect those tracks to place too high.

My albums ballot was:

Countdown to Ecstasy
Aja
Katy Lied
Can't Buy a Thrill
Pretzel Logic
Gaucho
The Nightfly

I didn't feel enthusiastic enough about the later stuff to rank it. My top two are set in stone but then it's a three-way tie for third place really, since voting closed I started thinking I might put Royal Scam there and I feel bad now it placed so low. As others have said though, they're all great.

Loving the images so far too!

Whoops, that should've been:

Countdown to Ecstasy
Aja
Katy Lied
Can't Buy a Thrill
The Royal Scam
Pretzel Logic
Gaucho
The Nightfly

fire in the hole?

hmm, don't get any particular west coast vibes from that one. though as soon as i hit send on the above, it did occur to me that "pearl" does sound very much of a piece with the first album, and i guess there is a bit of a west coast s/s thing hanging over the first album in general (along with a lot of other stuff). but the steel guitar in "pearl," the country-rock groove, the storytelling, the way fagen sings it, it all has a feel that i don't quite get from any other particular dan song.

The Fez:

A type of brimless hat, usually made from red felt with a tassel on top. Worn by men in the Middle East, or in the US by Shriners (a fraternal lodge organisation) during festivities. Islamic in origin, the hat is named after the holy city of Fez, Morocco. In an uncharacteristic bout of transparency, Becker and Fagen have admitted that "fez" in the context of the song is intended as a slang term for "condom" (and it's not too hard to imagine why).

love this "everybody here likes every song steely dan ever did, except for the one person who sort of doesn't like "dirty work,""

not entirely true but still, the Dan is the closest to filler-less any band ever got imo

I gave Charlie Freak my no.2 - was a whisker from giving it no.1 actually, but you can say that about half my ballot. I too like my Dan direct and relatively unadorned. And it's got such a sad sound.

hmm, don't get any particular west coast vibes from that one. though as soon as i hit send on the above, it did occur to me that "pearl" does sound very much of a piece with the first album, and i guess there is a bit of a west coast s/s thing hanging over the first album in general (along with a lot of other stuff). but the steel guitar in "pearl," the country-rock groove, the storytelling, the way fagen sings it, it all has a feel that i don't quite get from any other particular dan song.

I think 'Brooklyn' comes closest maybe. I do have a fascination in general with songs that sound like they could fit on a band's previous or subsequent album.

"Pearl" and "The Royal Scam" are both songs i adore but didn't quite have room for on my ballot, glad they got some love