donald fagen, "the nightfly" -- c or d?

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Listen to Kamakiriad, it's just as immaculate, if different in style and evocation. I can't remember how it sold; it's either out of print or massively discounted by now. Track down a copy.

derrick (derrick), Friday, 22 October 2004 04:53 (nineteen years ago) link

I think my favorites are "I.G.Y.," "New Frontier," and "The Goodbye Look"

jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 22 October 2004 04:58 (nineteen years ago) link

I think I agree, with a nod to 'Maxine'.

derrick (derrick), Friday, 22 October 2004 06:25 (nineteen years ago) link

What of Becker's "11 Tracks of Whack"? Anyone heard that?

A Million Talking Hot Dogs (AaronHz), Friday, 22 October 2004 06:43 (nineteen years ago) link

yeah. it's kinda great, but it's kinda only great if you listen with the whole walter becker backstory in mind -- the aloof, sarcastic, richer-than-god muso freak studio hound who does too many drugs and fucks off to hawaii for detox/early retirement and spends the ensuing decade-and-change surfing and raising a kid and laughing his ass off at the absurdity of it all.

paranoia is the hipster's disease (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 22 October 2004 06:51 (nineteen years ago) link

Special shout out to the title track and 'The Goodbye Look'. Great, great album...
Been meaning to pick up 'Kamakiriad' but it's indeed pretty hard find these days

Baaderoni (Fabfunk), Friday, 22 October 2004 07:08 (nineteen years ago) link

yeah. it's kinda great, but it's kinda only great if you listen with the whole walter becker backstory in mind -- the aloof, sarcastic, richer-than-god muso freak studio hound who does too many drugs and fucks off to hawaii for detox/early retirement and spends the ensuing decade-and-change surfing and raising a kid and laughing his ass off at the absurdity of it all.

-- paranoia is the hipster's disease (theundergroundhom...), October 22nd, 2004.

And producing China Crisis.

Marcello Carlin, Friday, 22 October 2004 07:25 (nineteen years ago) link

The first two tracks and the last one are pure gold...the rest is okay. I'm talking about Becker, of course -- The Nightfly is 24 carat.

Jesse Fuchs (Jesse Fuchs), Friday, 22 October 2004 13:26 (nineteen years ago) link

It seemed outrageously clean and smooth by comparison, like of the pair, Fagan was the real obsessive compulsive when it came to studio technique.
I watched the documentary about the making of Aja last week
(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/6305772649/qid=1098456054/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl74/104-3659107-1279138?v=glance&s=dvd&n=507846)

Really really interesting - just to hear all of the parts broken down...

dave225 (Dave225), Friday, 22 October 2004 13:39 (nineteen years ago) link

MC FAGEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111111111111

Jesse Fuchs (Jesse Fuchs), Friday, 22 October 2004 14:09 (nineteen years ago) link

There are some really great songs on Becker's album, but a lot of the production leaves me cold. Only three songs, I believe, used live drums, and the drum machine songs(esp. Girlfriend, Hard Up Case) suffer. His guitar sound is GREAT.

search 'Junkie Girl', 'Book of Liars', 'This Moody Bastard', 'Down In The Bottom', 'Lucky Henry'. Destroy 'Cringemaker', 'Girlfriend'.

If people seriously can't find Kamakiriad, i'll put it up on slsk myself; if you're serious about the Dan, you should hear it.

derrick (derrick), Friday, 22 October 2004 16:26 (nineteen years ago) link

And producing China Crisis.

and the rosie vela album!

paranoia is the hipster's disease (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 22 October 2004 16:31 (nineteen years ago) link

and rickie lee jones!

derrick (derrick), Friday, 22 October 2004 16:32 (nineteen years ago) link

five months pass...
"I.G.Y."

Best song ever? I rather think it might be.

retort pouch (retort pouch), Saturday, 2 April 2005 02:48 (nineteen years ago) link

love it

jody von oy (Jody Beth Rosen), Saturday, 2 April 2005 02:52 (nineteen years ago) link

I can't stop listening to it. HELP ME

retort pouch (retort pouch), Saturday, 2 April 2005 02:55 (nineteen years ago) link

who says you have to stop?

jody von oy (Jody Beth Rosen), Saturday, 2 April 2005 02:57 (nineteen years ago) link

retort pouch,

If you get really desparate, you could listen to Howard Jones' cover of IGY, that would probably put you off it for a while.

Paul in Santa Cruz (Paul in Santa Cruz), Saturday, 2 April 2005 03:10 (nineteen years ago) link

Good point, well made.

Actually I did stop listening to it, now I'm onto "Snowbound" and "Pixeleen"

Becker & Fagen should be given the Keys to the fucking City. They have improved my life beyond measure. God DAMN this is a wonderful world. [falls face down onto keyboard]

retort pouch (retort pouch), Saturday, 2 April 2005 03:16 (nineteen years ago) link

If you get really desparate, you could listen to Howard Jones' cover of IGY, that would probably put you off it for a while.
Oh my god.

retort pouch (retort pouch), Saturday, 2 April 2005 03:17 (nineteen years ago) link

boy, this is fucked up. i was just thinking about this record today, on the train.

i saw an ad for two morning-show DJs who were conspicuously ugly. so i thought, "haha, 'a face made for radio.'" then i thought of the cover of this album.

Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Saturday, 2 April 2005 03:19 (nineteen years ago) link

My copy was stolen years ago -- haven't re-bought it. Liked the record then, not so much the drum sound.

Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Saturday, 2 April 2005 05:22 (nineteen years ago) link

Best song ever? I rather think it might be.

i just listened to this on the way home from work! that tower records online sale had the nightfly for $7.99 so i picked it up, wanting to hear new frontier. walk between raindrops is pretty great too!

fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Saturday, 2 April 2005 05:59 (nineteen years ago) link

"I.G.Y."

Best song ever? I rather think it might be.

Wow.

Wow.

We are from such completely different worlds. "I.G.Y." is not only one of my least favorite songs ever, but hearing it actually makes me feel slightly ill. And, no, I'm seriously not being hyperbolic. It sounds utterly soulless to my ears.

But then I'm most assuredly not in any way a Steely Dan fan, which would appear to make my opinions very unpopular in this thread.

Deric W. Haircare (Deric W. Haircare), Sunday, 3 April 2005 21:22 (nineteen years ago) link

I really don't understand how "IGY" could make anyone feel ill - unless it's an innate allergy to sequencers and the 80s drum sound. It's a perfect song on its own terms - I think I'll go listen to it now.

o. nate (onate), Monday, 4 April 2005 04:47 (nineteen years ago) link

marcus miller on bass! YES PEOPLE! WHAT A BEAUTIFUL WORLD WE LIVE IN!

charleston charge (chaki), Monday, 4 April 2005 04:55 (nineteen years ago) link

I was actually specifically checking this thread to see if you were on it!

Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 4 April 2005 05:01 (nineteen years ago) link

hey if jeff pocaro is on drums...im there

charleston charge (chaki), Monday, 4 April 2005 05:03 (nineteen years ago) link

eleven months pass...
who's got the dvd-audio verion of this?

what else is on it extras-wise, just the NEW FRONTIER video?

how soes it sound?

piscesboy, Monday, 13 March 2006 19:52 (eighteen years ago) link

The cover of "Ruby Baby" is wondrous.

Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Monday, 13 March 2006 19:58 (eighteen years ago) link

Haven't heard this in years but see it all the time cheap on vinyl -- I should pick it up.

Mark (MarkR), Monday, 13 March 2006 19:58 (eighteen years ago) link

engineering-wise it was(is?) supposedly as close to perfect as one could hope to get.

Will (will), Monday, 13 March 2006 20:46 (eighteen years ago) link

according to wikipedia:
The Nightfly is widely considered to be one of the best engineered albums ever made. Some audio engineers use it to evaluate the quality of playback equipment.

Will (will), Monday, 13 March 2006 20:46 (eighteen years ago) link

>Some audio engineers use it to evaluate the quality of playback equipment.

The guy I studied engineering under, for one.

pdf (Phil Freeman), Monday, 13 March 2006 21:41 (eighteen years ago) link

Steely Dan released several great albums, but "The Nightfly" was better than any of them. Donald Fagen is one of those rare cases of major group leaders who break up the group and then go on to release an even better solo albums.

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 13 March 2006 22:54 (eighteen years ago) link

one year passes...

God, there's nothing QUITE like "Ruby Baby" for getting ready to leave for a great dinner and the company of friends on a Saturday night.

Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Saturday, 2 June 2007 21:44 (sixteen years ago) link

geir otm

tremendoid, Saturday, 2 June 2007 22:01 (sixteen years ago) link

According to the Brian Sweet bio the group used to warm up their vocal chords with 'Ruby Baby' before their live shows in the early 70s.

calstars, Sunday, 3 June 2007 02:21 (sixteen years ago) link

five months pass...

MAN what a record.

pisces, Thursday, 15 November 2007 19:11 (sixteen years ago) link

Have had a casette copy of it for years. Don't listen too often to it though.

And afetr reading this thread I'm now belatedly getting this weird image of JBR -- sitting in a fridge and listening to "Maxine".

t**t, Thursday, 15 November 2007 19:26 (sixteen years ago) link

according to wikipedia:
The Nightfly is widely considered to be one of the best engineered albums ever made. Some audio engineers use it to evaluate the quality of playback equipment.

Out of curiosity, which other records were used for this purpose? Part of what got me into listening to Steely Dan in the first place was curiosity stemming from this very subject, but I can only remember hearing it come up w/r/t Aja and the Nightfly.

jamescobo, Thursday, 15 November 2007 20:53 (sixteen years ago) link

hey, maybe I can use the word "curiosity" a few more times

jamescobo, Thursday, 15 November 2007 20:53 (sixteen years ago) link

five months pass...

heard today (in a "taco del mar") a cover of THE FAGEN/NIGHTFLY ARRANGEMENT of "Ruby Baby"

clearly impossible

Bangelo, Thursday, 8 May 2008 02:11 (fifteen years ago) link

dude, taco del mar is disgusting!

jaxon, Thursday, 8 May 2008 15:57 (fifteen years ago) link

Anyone check this out?
http://www.amazon.com/Nightfly-Trilogy-3-MVI-DVD-4-CD/dp/B000M06SVS

Jazzbo, Thursday, 8 May 2008 16:06 (fifteen years ago) link

I think i first heard "Ruby Baby" (and prbly "The New Frontier" as well) at a Wendy's.

C. Grisso/McCain, Thursday, 8 May 2008 16:07 (fifteen years ago) link

I heard "IGY" at a Denny's last month.

o. nate, Thursday, 8 May 2008 16:29 (fifteen years ago) link

God, I wanted to be the kid in "New Frontier," minus the design-learning part.

Terrible Cold, Thursday, 8 May 2008 16:51 (fifteen years ago) link

according to wikipedia:
The Nightfly is widely considered to be one of the best engineered albums ever made. Some audio engineers use it to evaluate the quality of playback equipment.

Out of curiosity, which other records were used for this purpose? Part of what got me into listening to Steely Dan in the first place was curiosity stemming from this very subject, but I can only remember hearing it come up w/r/t Aja and the Nightfly.

Interesting question. I've read this about Dark Side of The Moon, altough i think engineers preferred it as an example of using the full range of the stereo field.

C. Grisso/McCain, Thursday, 8 May 2008 17:00 (fifteen years ago) link

for the second time in less than two weeks I just have heard a car go past on my street blasting "I.G.Y."

jamescobo, Friday, 9 May 2008 04:28 (fifteen years ago) link

lolz

tylerw, Friday, 15 October 2021 21:47 (two years ago) link

Trying to imagine how differently The Nightfly would have been received if that shot above had been the cover. People would have reviewed it like it was Fagen's version of The Idiot.

but also fuck you (unperson), Friday, 15 October 2021 23:52 (two years ago) link

Straight to VHS slasher vibes

calstars, Saturday, 16 October 2021 00:15 (two years ago) link

Does Don ever smile?

calstars, Saturday, 16 October 2021 00:19 (two years ago) link

five months pass...

His lips sometimes curl up to show his teeth, does that count ?
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xytRyW-HpC4/TxDDY2DV2QI/AAAAAAAAHjI/yeQw3oeq5ns/s1600/donald.jpg

Nabozo, Wednesday, 16 March 2022 15:54 (two years ago) link

four months pass...

lou chang/her brother/he's burning with rage
louuu chaaang buuurns wiith rage

flopson, Friday, 29 July 2022 23:03 (one year ago) link

one month passes...

hey we saw you from across the bar and really dig your vibe. can we buy you a drink? pic.twitter.com/YAFRQ8FZwV

— boss (@bosscrood) September 6, 2022

creepy af

calstars, Saturday, 10 September 2022 00:17 (one year ago) link

nine months pass...

With all due respect to Walter, some days this is my favorite Steely Dan album.

o. nate, Friday, 23 June 2023 20:39 (nine months ago) link

And tonight they're arranging
A small reception just for me

immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Friday, 23 June 2023 20:42 (nine months ago) link

I like it a lot too. I like all of Steely Dan's albums, but I do favor their first four - The Nightfly is not far behind.

birdistheword, Friday, 23 June 2023 23:07 (nine months ago) link

I really really love “true companion” from the (year before’s) heavy metal soundtrack too. Gorgeous chord progression

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9wbumIKJJ0

brimstead, Saturday, 24 June 2023 00:06 (nine months ago) link

Steve khan going hard

brimstead, Saturday, 24 June 2023 00:08 (nine months ago) link

Never heard this! Thank u brim

calstars, Saturday, 24 June 2023 00:44 (nine months ago) link


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