Aja Poll

1977 was an off year for the mu major chord.

they wrote masterfully about ennui, dessication, and despair on Gaucho. I'm not sure what "Black Cow" and "Home At Last" are about beyond their instrumental virtuosity. I mean, they're pretty, I don't skip the tracks, but so what?

How about buying a collection of good poems instead then?

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

I like Geir when he's saucy.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

drink scotch whiskey all night long

So when's the "Pretzel Logic" one? (my favourite by them besides "Aja")

I'm pleasantly shocked by the landslide for Deacon Blues. Well done, ILM.

Also, Steely Dan totally rocked the Beacon yesterday, great show.

Surprised that "I Got the News" and "Josie" did so poorly. Those would be my 3rd and 4th picks.

Hey- I was at that Beacon show too. Good show - would have liked to hear a few more pre-Royal Scam tunes, but good stuff.

I saw the tuesday night show at the beacon... I wish becker didn't sing on gaucho or do that narrative bit on hey nineteen. both were a little embarrassing. maybe fagen felt he had to throw him a bone since they played one of his solo tracks?

anyway, great show otherwise! and they played more gaucho material than aja, if memory serves. so the dan like gaucho better too!

Beacon Duels

According to my faulty memory this is what they played off each album on Saturday:

Can't Buy: nada
Countdown: Showbiz Kids
Pretzel: Parker's Band
Katy Lied: nada
Royal Scam: Kid Charlemagne, Don't Take Me Alive, The Fez (instrumental bit only), Green Earrings, Royal Scam
Aja: Peg, I Got the News, Josie
Gaucho: Babylon Sisters, Hey Nineteen, Glamour Profession, Gaucho

And they also played "New Frontier" off of Fagen's Nightfly and "Two Against Nature".

how was "Glamor Profession"?

Sounded great. The band was in fine form.

Oh, I forgot they played one non-album track: "FM".

"home at last" way underrated

I'm somewhat surprised at the lack of love "I Got the News" got. Personally I'd take it over "Aja" or "Home at Last."

LOVE "Home At Last"

I was just singing along to Deacon Blues on my way back from the supermarket. It would be my ideal karaoke song if it didn't have such a long sax solo.

I think I missed voting on this poll, probably would have chosen the title track for that sweet Steve Gadd beat during the fade-out.

Alfred if we ever have a few hours to kill together I will explain to you why this is a better album than Gaucho and you will agree by the time I get done.

Deal. As long as we meet in a bar much like the one where The Gaucho hangs out.

Anyone besides me old enough to remember this commercial?

no but I am going to sample "welcome to the land... of Steely Dan" and edit it into the beginning of every single song of theirs

splendid find.

I looked for it a few months ago but didn't find it until last night. I know that by the time of Gaucho ABC Records no longer even existed. But those were the boom years, and I can recall several high-profile LPs getting television advertising.

(First time I'd heard of Steely Dan, incidentally, altho I was familiar with "Do It Again" and "Reelin'" and "Rikki".)

I just realized what that announcer's voice sounds exactly like: Asian Correspondent Tricia Takanawa from Family Guy!

lol I am an ILMer now in every sense of the word XD

lol

ok whoa I think I get "Home At Last" now, and I don't mean the Odyssey references. Have you ever had a funeral for yourself while you're still alive? You thought that you were allowing yourself to be bound just to avoid a passing danger on your way home, but now that the danger is past, you recognize you'd rather be bound: you recognize that this is now your home. You aren't who you were when you set out; in a way you've been ruined. Drugs aren't the only thing that work this way.

Life works that way.

the 33 1/3 on this album is amazing so far

OMG WANT.

Although what I want even more is an entire book about each album written by SD themselves along the lines of their reissue liner notes.

yeah ideally. the author of this book got to interview Fagen, though, so there's plenty of his voice in there too.

I've read mixed reviews -- too "muso" (lots of discussion of diminished chords, etc)

it was way too dry for me but i know very little about music theory so ymmv.

weird, I think it's very engaging and well written and that the theory stuff, which pretty much all goes over my head, is doled out pretty sparingly.

Although what I want even more is an entire book about each album written by SD themselves along the lines of their reissue liner notes.

― Tim F, Thursday, February 4, 2010 10:49 AM (Yesterday)

i only have the "can't buy a thrill" reissue but the shit they wrote there was awesome

i just flicked through the Aja book again and it wasn't quite as technical as i'd remembered, although the line-by-line lyrical analysis and the part where he lists how many bars there are in each section of each song are brutal.

would love to read a book by either of the guys themselves. it's amazing how little has been published about the band really. the Aja book and the Reelin' In The Years biog (which is also very dry) and that's pretty much it i think?

poor show for Josie.

Woulda voted "Black Cow."

me too probably. so bummed i didn't have the $$ to see at least one of the shows last year.

i'm bummed that that '77 tv ad is no more

DRINK YOUR BIG BLACK COW AND GET OUTTA HERE

BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITCHES!

wheres option "it was alex in nyc"

― and what, Sunday, June 15, 2008 5:40 PM (1 year ago)

SO OUTRAGEOUS

wow, without even reading the recent revive posts, and scanning the results of this, wz about to come here and post that "Josie" got absolutely robbed. piscesx OTM

poor show for Josie.

― piscesx, Monday, April 5, 2010 5:28 AM (2 weeks ago) Bookmark

Green Earrings is much better

broadway duchess you monsters

why they always gotta give McD the weirdest lines to sing in his weird voice

This is the Dan album I never feel like listening to but it's still fine

brimstead otm what is this madness. I Got the News is incredible

BLAAAAAAAAAAH - tss-pa-tss-oom-pa-tss-oom-papa - BLAAH BLAAH - tss-pa-tss-oom-pa-tss-oom-pa papatapa

Steve Gadd karaoke

*ed greene karaoke.

fun fact, each track on aja has a different drummer

Doesn't Purdie play on both "Deacon Blues" and "Home at Last"?

you’re right, six drummers for seven songs

not really backing vocals, are they? he only turns up during the bridge and sings lead on a couple of lines

The Michael McDonald backing vocals on “I Got the News” are the best and worst thing on the album.

ha i did listen to the song a couple times to see if i could catch any stray mcdonald harmonies during the verses