Fans of #theBand take note: Levon's barn studio lit up tonight for the 55th birthday of "Music from Big Pink," played live in its entirety by young #SteelyDan guitarist Connor Kennedy and illustrious others. [via IG: connorfkennedy]
One of Steely Dan's engineers' daughters have just found a DAT tape of the infamous song that got accidentally destroyed - and it's gorgeous #SteelyDan
OK, I'm done with my tour of Steely Dan albums. As I expected, there was a big stylistic gap between the first 7 albums and the last 2. The top 3 or 4 are all nearly tied still, and 5 and 6 are also very close. My final rankings:
Countdown to Ecstasy
Can't Buy a Thrill
The Royal Scam
Aja
Katy Lied
Everything Must Go
Gaucho
Pretzel Logic
Two Against Nature
I was surprised by how much I liked Everything Must Go as an album. It swings throughout, and it has a nice Walter Becker main vocal on "Slang of Ages" that makes me wonder why he didn't sing more - he's got a good blues tone. Two Against Nature was also very much a jazz/jazz-rock album, and "Jack of Speed" is great, but it just doesn't move me overall. The less cohesive but more exciting Pretzel Logic edged past. #SteelyDan#MastoDan
Brilliance or blasphemy? In 2012 Toronto alternative rock duo #TheDarcys reinterpreted one of the greatest albums of all time, #SteelyDan's #Aja. They made a short film. Love it.
Starting a relisten of the Steely Dan discography, and of the first three albums, I'd rank them thusly:
Countdown to Ecstasy
Can't Buy a Thrill
Pretzel Logic
The first two are very close, with not a lemon on them, and they could easily swap places depending on my mood. The full album ranking may have those two still at the top. Pretzel Logic is much more varied; half the songs are among my favorite by anyone, but I don't think "Night by Night" holds up, the title song is boring, and the jazz cover/ jazz tribute twins are not to my taste. #SteelyDan#MastoDan
Steely Dan — aka Walter Becker and Donald Fagen — were once considered toxically uncool. Now, they're enjoying a "Danaissance." In a new book of essays, pop-culture critic Alex Pappademas looks into why the band-that-wasn't-really-a-band is having a moment. Is it their themes of wry disillusionment, endless presence in sample-based hip-hop or famously precise approach to making music?
Professional musician most of my life and never heard the connection between Van Morrison’s “Domino” and Steely Dan’s “My Old School” until today. #VanMorrison#SteelyDan#Music
#TheMetalDogArticleList #guitarworld
“I blew up. I had tears in my eyes because I was so upset. I grabbed the guitar, and I just ripped through it”: Elliot Easton on the emotional rollercoaster that helped him record one of his most iconic guitar solos
The Cars guitarist was particularly proud of the part he wrote, but was reduced to tears by his bandmates' initial reaction
Listening to Billy Joel's “52nd Street“ album and suddenly wonder... “what's this Steely Dan track doing here, am I on some weird shuffle? Doesn't really sound like Fagen vocals though…”
Turns out I was listening to track 4, “Zanzibar” - clearly inspired by the west coast dudes 🎹
This old favorite is back again on my mental soundtrack, ever since I unearthed one of my Steely Dan concert swag shirts while unpacking (see previous toot for photo).
And then an old friend from my college radio days who I told about the youngun who didn't know from Frank immediately responded with this song, so now it's on my mental soundtrack as well. TBH I think it's a safe bet the youngun wouldn't know from Steely Dan either. Or maybe even Aretha. Ah well, time flies when you're having. ("Typo" intended.)
Josie - Steely Dan (www.youtube.com)