In Praise Of: Steely Dan

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JAM!: I love the line in "Janie Runaway" where the older guy says to the young girl: "Who gets to spend her birthday in Spain/POSSIBLY you - Janie Runaway".

Becker: Yeah, well, there's a little blackmail there. Not blackmail, just a really attractive ...

Fagen: ... travel opportunity. There's not much nobility happening in "Janie Runaway", I guess.

Becker: It all depends on how you look at it (laughs).

Fagen: An opportunity for young people?

Becker: Yes. I'd like to think that a suave man of the world offering to help a young, recently arrived visitor to this fair city ...

Fagen: .. kind of a May-December kind of thing.

Becker: Well, not necessarily. I always kind of imagined this guy as being somewhere in his thirties or something. You know, you go to some restaurant downtown and there's a bunch of guys at the next table and what's left of their pinstriped suits after a hard day's arbitrage, and somewhere towards the middle of the meal, you want to fling your mustard at them, after overhearing them.

Fagen: Yeah, exactly.

Becker: I always imagined him as one of those kinds.

- http://www.granatino.com/sdresource/010229%20jam.htm

― Brakhage (brakhage), Friday, 11 November 2005 15:16 (eighteen years ago) link

Weird, I more hear 40s or 50s. The whole "Who makes me feel like painting again" thing sounds like an older guy.

― Hurting (Hurting), Friday, 11 November 2005 16:46 (eighteen years ago) link

Authors are not always right about about their own work.

― Hurting (Hurting), Friday, 11 November 2005 16:46 (eighteen years ago) link

I love reading interviews with these guys:

AikoAiko76 (PRODIGY Member): Hey Nineteen, where did that song originate from

Donald Fagen (Speaker): Hey Nineteen is a song about the problem a 30-something guy has picking up near-jailbait.

Walter Becker (Speaker): Donald and I are no longer concerned with the problems of 30-something individuals... unfortunately. Jailbait, however, is a subject of enduring interest.

Donald Fagen (Speaker): If only in our minds.

- http://www.granatino.com/sdresource/prodigy.htm

peter asks: Donald, I remember reading in an interview 10 or 12 years ago that you said you wanted to be a "dirty old man" when you grew up? Still aspiring?

Steely Dan: DF - I am proud to say I have achieved my goal.

- http://www.granatino.com/sdresource/cis.htm

― Brakhage (brakhage), Friday, 11 November 2005 17:57 (eighteen years ago) link

The whole bit at the beginning of the song about her father being some sort of rioter/looter is an odd but inspired touch, isn't it?

― Hurting (Hurting), Friday, 11 November 2005 21:48 (eighteen years ago) link

I also like "A hearty gulping wine" -- as ready-to-be-plucked as she may be, it's still a good idea to get her drunk, so buy something she'll drink.

― nickn (nickn), Saturday, 12 November 2005 01:09 (eighteen years ago) link

'Who makes the traffic interesting' gives rise to certain speculation

― Brakhage (brakhage), Saturday, 12 November 2005 01:47 (eighteen years ago) link

two months pass...

According to the Reelin in the Tears bio, the "Who makes me feel like painting again" line is a nod to Fagen's "favorite song", Talking Heads' 'Artists Only'..

― Baaderonixx, born again in Xixax (baaderonixx), Thursday, 9 February 2006 11:35 (eighteen years ago) link

I'm gonna have to go on a Dan spending spree tonight, aren't I?

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 9 February 2006 15:26 (eighteen years ago) link

fraid so.

― having fun with stockholm cindy on stage (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 9 February 2006 15:33 (eighteen years ago) link

I'm bummed that I can't seem to find Everything Must Go in the bargain bins anymore. It's back to premium price for some reason

― Baaderonixx, born again in Xixax (baaderonixx), Thursday, 9 February 2006 16:29 (eighteen years ago) link

do you need a YSI?

― having fun with stockholm cindy on stage (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 9 February 2006 16:53 (eighteen years ago) link

Who makes the traffic interesting' gives rise to certain speculation

-- Brakhage (cognitivebia...), November 11th, 2005.

Ho snap! I just got it!

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Thursday, 9 February 2006 17:02 (eighteen years ago) link

Thanks that's nice, but I'm a bit anal about my Dan so I'll keep scouting the bins...

― Baaderonixx, born again in Xixax (baaderonixx), Thursday, 9 February 2006 20:18 (eighteen years ago) link

Best Steely Dan Album?

Katy Lied

― Cameron Octigan (Cameron Octigan), Thursday, 9 February 2006 20:51 (eighteen years ago) link

Is Donald's new song "H Gang" any good?

― enjoy bell wood, Thursday, 9 February 2006 21:07 (eighteen years ago) link

it is pretty good.

― having fun with stockholm cindy on stage (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 9 February 2006 21:27 (eighteen years ago) link

i gotta get a copy of reelin in the years. i wonder if the library would have it?

― Special Agent Gene Krupa (orion), Thursday, 9 February 2006 21:45 (eighteen years ago) link

do we have a ysi of H Gang, per chance?

― Baaderonixx, born again in Xixax (baaderonixx), Thursday, 9 February 2006 22:18 (eighteen years ago) link

i can't find it on limewire

― team jaxon (jaxon), Thursday, 9 February 2006 22:20 (eighteen years ago) link

i don't have an mp3 of it but you can stream it here:
http://glitchbrowser.com/page_handler.php?http://www.mp3.com/albums/20090517/summary.html

― having fun with stockholm cindy on stage (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 9 February 2006 22:20 (eighteen years ago) link

the only place you can d/l it is from itunes and it's in that stupid encrypted m4p format.

― having fun with stockholm cindy on stage (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 9 February 2006 22:22 (eighteen years ago) link

who is that on guitar, if anyone knows? hugh mccracken?

― having fun with stockholm cindy on stage (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 9 February 2006 22:24 (eighteen years ago) link

man, there's this extra thickness, bottom-end oomph that this track has that's been missing in all the post-nightfly dan related projects. sounds great

― team jaxon (jaxon), Thursday, 9 February 2006 22:32 (eighteen years ago) link

Funny, it sounds so ... 90's. His voice is a bit thin. Nothing too special on 1st listen, but it's giving me a good feeling about the album.

― Baaderonixx, born again in Xixax (baaderonixx), Thursday, 9 February 2006 22:38 (eighteen years ago) link

two years pass...

possibly you

― cool app (uh oh I'm having a fantasy), Thursday, 13 November 2008 16:46 (fifteen years ago) link

i just caught "the limey" on cable and i realized peter fonda in that movie is the classic steely dan archetype

― 'RAPPERS I WOULD NEVER DREAM OF PUNCHING IN THE FACE?' (M@tt He1ges0n), Thursday, 13 November 2008 16:51 (fifteen years ago) link

nine months pass...

'Who makes the traffic interesting' gives rise to certain ~~speculation~~ BONARZ
― Brakhage (brakhage), Friday, November 11, 2005 8:47 PM (3 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

sorry

― the kid is crying because did sharks died? (Hurting 2), Wednesday, 26 August 2009 04:24 (fourteen years ago) link

watchin' this on the youtubez

― jaymc, Wednesday, 26 August 2009 04:43 (fourteen years ago) link

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In Praise Of: Steely Dan - Janie Runaway