treeship if you're looking for next dan step, consider aja
― reggie (qualmsley), Monday, 18 September 2017 22:06 (six years ago) link
Try Can't Buy a Thrill next, save Gaucho for last.
― more Allegro-like (Turrican), Tuesday, 19 September 2017 12:36 (six years ago) link
(because it's the weakest of their original run)
― more Allegro-like (Turrican), Tuesday, 19 September 2017 12:37 (six years ago) link
Seeing as Gaucho was the first SD album I heard and it made fall in love with the band immediately, I don't think you need to worry about listening to it too much
― niels, Tuesday, 19 September 2017 13:56 (six years ago) link
treeship will love gaucho or I will eat my spats
― harbinger of failure (Jon not Jon), Tuesday, 19 September 2017 15:37 (six years ago) link
Treeship, I wish I could hear these records for the first time again. Hope you dig them!!!
Pretzel Logic is a really good one to start with, right in the middle of their career & a nice dividing line between the earlier rock-oriented records and later studio muso records.
imo Aja would be the one to check out next. and then Gaucho if you dig the smooth sound... Gaucho is antiseptic, in the best way!
― flappy bird, Tuesday, 19 September 2017 18:21 (six years ago) link
I started w/Pretzel Logic, bc according to what i was reading around the time (conventional wisdom + the RS 1992 album guide) it was their best album.
moved onto Countdown to Ecstasy from there and i think the Royal Scam was next.
the albums i came to a bit later were Can't Buy a Thrill and Katy Lied, for whatever reason. CBAT still seems like the least Dan of the Dan LPs, i mean it's a genuinely classic one, a ridiculously played and confident '70s rock album, but it's not fully instilled with the Fagen/Becker essence. Katy Lied, for some reason that one took a bit to grow on me.
i would go Countdown to Ecstasy next. Brilliant jams, some incredible singles, kind of the perfect combo of all the SD elements in one package.
― nomar, Tuesday, 19 September 2017 18:26 (six years ago) link
Countdown to Ecstasy and Gaucho are my favorites and they represent the opposite SD streams fully realized.
― gospodin simmel, Tuesday, 19 September 2017 18:33 (six years ago) link
Pretzel Logic is an amazing entry point into The Dan because of the strangeness and stylistic diversity. In terms of next steps, here's a handy guide
If you liked the title track, Parker's Band or Barrytown the most, listen to Countdown to EcstasyIf you liked Rikki the most, listen to AjaIf you liked the creepy character studies (Monkey, Buzz, Charlie Freak) best, move onto Katy LiedIf you loved "Night By Night," check out The Royal Scamif you preferred "Any Major Dude" or "With a Gun," check out Can't Buy a Thrill
And if you liked East St. Louis Toodle-Oo the most...congrats, you're a weirdo. Check out Gaucho
― rock and roll tucci coo (voodoo chili), Tuesday, 19 September 2017 18:34 (six years ago) link
I started with Katy Lied because duh minutemen
― harbinger of failure (Jon not Jon), Tuesday, 19 September 2017 18:40 (six years ago) link
Xp Eastside Toodle-oo maybe secretly my favourite Steely Dan track but don't tell
― Shat Parp (dog latin), Tuesday, 19 September 2017 22:01 (six years ago) link
so favorite you can't even remember what it's called?
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 19 September 2017 22:02 (six years ago) link
I mean no offense to East St. Louis Toodle-lovers, but picking the band's only ever instrumental and only ever cover as your favorite track is an unorthodox choice
― rock and roll tucci coo (voodoo chili), Tuesday, 19 September 2017 22:08 (six years ago) link
Gaucho is probably my favorite these days.
― Bee OK, Wednesday, 20 September 2017 00:09 (six years ago) link
― gospodin simmel, Tuesday, September 19, 2017 2:33 PM (six hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
SO correct
― J. Sam, Wednesday, 20 September 2017 01:10 (six years ago) link
listen to any album in any order it's all good
― Shart Dressed Man (kurt schwitterz), Wednesday, 20 September 2017 02:36 (six years ago) link
otm
― flappy bird, Wednesday, 20 September 2017 03:53 (six years ago) link
people OTM - Pretzel is really the best entry point
― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Wednesday, 20 September 2017 08:09 (six years ago) link
― gospodin simmel, Tuesday, 19 September 2017 18:33 (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Gavin, Leeds, Wednesday, 20 September 2017 10:16 (six years ago) link
Can't Buy a Thrill is easily as good an entry point as Pretzel Logic is, IMO.
― more Allegro-like (Turrican), Wednesday, 20 September 2017 16:01 (six years ago) link
CBAT is a great album, but a total outlier. It's a good introduction but it's not really a roadmap
― rock and roll tucci coo (voodoo chili), Wednesday, 20 September 2017 16:19 (six years ago) link
yeah like "Brooklyn Holds the Charmer" is a wonderful song but kind of a fake-out for other 'sentimental' SD songs
― flappy bird, Wednesday, 20 September 2017 16:48 (six years ago) link
Y'see, aside from the presence of David Palmer I don't really get that way of thinking at all. It sounds as much a Steely Dan record as any other Steely Dan record - I don't think it could be mistaken for anything else!
― more Allegro-like (Turrican), Wednesday, 20 September 2017 16:52 (six years ago) link
tom
― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 20 September 2017 16:52 (six years ago) link
er, otm
― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 20 September 2017 16:53 (six years ago) link
I mean yeah it's basically Palmer. thinking of other overtly musically sentimental SD songs that are similar... Any World, Dirty Work, Deacon Blues obv...
― flappy bird, Wednesday, 20 September 2017 16:57 (six years ago) link
Palmer only sings lead on two songs, and you can hear why - as Christgau noted, he "fit in like a cheerleader at a crap game." Even on those tracks - and the one Jim Hodder sings - you can hear the way Donald would have sung them. And I wouldn't call Dirty Work or Brooklyn "sentimental."
― Futuristic Bow Wow (thewufs), Wednesday, 20 September 2017 17:10 (six years ago) link
Oh I guess you qualified that as "musically sentimental," though I'm not really sure what that means.
― Futuristic Bow Wow (thewufs), Wednesday, 20 September 2017 17:12 (six years ago) link
there's a nostalgic quality to the choruses of those songs especially
― flappy bird, Wednesday, 20 September 2017 17:14 (six years ago) link
Katy Lied is the best imo
― Universal LULU Nation (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 20 September 2017 17:17 (six years ago) link
Brooklyn Owes the Charmer is p sentimental - it's about how sweet his cranky old school NY neighbors are!
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 20 September 2017 17:23 (six years ago) link
re: Hodder singing lead - wtf I never even knew this "Dallas" single existed
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 20 September 2017 17:25 (six years ago) link
Palmer only sings lead on two songs, and you can hear why
Yeah. I mean could you imagine him on 'Showbiz Kids' or 'Everyone's Gone to the Movies'!?
― more Allegro-like (Turrican), Wednesday, 20 September 2017 17:39 (six years ago) link
I should probably reread the lyrics before arguing these points in the future. SD's lyrics are so much fun to read, too.
xxp
― Futuristic Bow Wow (thewufs), Wednesday, 20 September 2017 18:00 (six years ago) link
I've spun Dallas a few times, catchy tune
― calstars, Wednesday, 20 September 2017 20:37 (six years ago) link
Like a Sunday in T.J.That it's cheap but it's not freeThat I'm not what I used to beAnd that love's not a game for three
xpost
― Bee OK, Thursday, 21 September 2017 02:36 (six years ago) link
Palmer singing lead adds to the creepiness!
― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 21 September 2017 02:37 (six years ago) link
with Fagen there's never any question that he's in on the joke
That "It's cheap but it's not free" is just such a fucking brilliant line.
― in twelve parts (lamonti), Friday, 22 September 2017 16:37 (six years ago) link
Collective ILX lost weekends in Tijuana bear this out as undeniable truth.
― Moodles, Friday, 22 September 2017 16:55 (six years ago) link
That bit on the Aja documentary during the 'Black Cow' segment where Fagen suddenly starts rapping "uptown baby, uptown baby" cracks me up every time.
― more Allegro-like (Turrican), Saturday, 23 September 2017 09:34 (six years ago) link
Also that yes, it's absolutely great.
― in twelve parts (lamonti), Monday, 25 September 2017 21:18 (six years ago) link
he seems to do that regularly, he did it in that clip of them driving around Vegas in a cab too
― Οὖτις, Monday, 25 September 2017 23:19 (six years ago) link
Babylon Sisters strikes me as sentimental and cynical but I attribute that more to the protagonist than SD.
― Uhura Mazda (lukas), Tuesday, 26 September 2017 03:39 (six years ago) link
"If john go and writes another book, why must I trudge through it? Let George do it."
― calstars, Friday, 29 September 2017 03:35 (six years ago) link
With words that just won't quit!
― calstars, Friday, 29 September 2017 03:36 (six years ago) link
DUD!
"Easy" by Jesse Green, from the expanded edition of Nice and Slow sounds a lot like the Dan, but i like it much better than anything Fagen and Becker put out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zjp3cpC_woQ
― bodacious ignoramus, Tuesday, 17 October 2017 19:53 (six years ago) link
Seeing them in a few weeks. Looked at setlists, saw they’re doing some Walter solo songs. Excited for the show, but I know it’s going to be sad. Saw them at the same venue 3 years ago.
― flappy bird, Tuesday, 17 October 2017 20:56 (six years ago) link
Damn... I had tickets so see him at a jazz festival a few weeks ago and he cancelled it citing fatigue. Granted it was halfway across the world but still. Is this current "Steely Dan" band the same as "The Nightfliers"?
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Tuesday, 17 October 2017 21:38 (six years ago) link
running the world's best unofficial steely dan lyrics twitter account@steelydanlyrics
i get some real interesting ats and replies
wkiw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FpOETPa458&app=desktop
― The Poppy Bush AutoZone (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 3 December 2018 21:15 (five years ago) link