Steely Dan is worthy of a DEEP dive. Try Peg, Deacon blues, Hey 19, Reeling in The Years. Cant really go wrong when you have some of the best musicians and song writers of the 20th century.
Danny Dias on Electric Sitar, Walter Becker on guitar and bass, Jeff [PENTAGON National Defense planner] Baxter on guitars, Fagan on “plastic” combo organ and vocals, and Victor Feldman playing congas. Their drummer is in there someplace, and Baxter fils Maraca's. Baxter went from amazing session guitarist and Doobie Brothers plater to security clearances well above top secret in the decades after.....
70s was my time of getting into music people who could sing and play instruments, they met at school or college and formed bands, Im sad its so many manufactured groups now hardly play any instruments and your in if your good looking we will teach you to sing
So true...we were definitely spoiled by the sheer volume of exquisite sounds & musicianship during the 70s, via the radio or vinyl. I don't think we realized at the time just how lucky we actually were! I'm so grateful to have been around then to have experienced it. Even today, 90% of the music I listen to is from this era.
The sweetie girl on this reaction is reaching for the "New York" sound. During these times (70s-80s) so much was gifted to us from the Melange of the The Big Apple. Check out some of the early Deborah Harry/Blondie and others. Just wow.
These guys were some of the most talented songwriters and studio musicians to ever put on a set of headphones. This earlier stuff is a bit psychedelic and the would get a little jazzier the "Aja" LP, which is my fave. Been a faithful listener for many years and they never get old. Try "Peg" or "Deacon Blues" from Aja. You won't be disappointed. Cheers, guys!
Steely Dan is not a person. It’s just the name of the band. They started out as a band and toured for a few years. In 1974, the band stopped touring and Fagen and Becker turned Steely Dan into a studio band using only the best session musicians to record every album from Katy Lied through Gaucho. The guitar solo is an electric sitar played by Denny Dias. Good reaction.
@@c.e.anderson558 No, what? It is just the name of the band. Fagen and Becker got the name from William Burroughs novel Naked Lunch. Steely Dan was a dildo.
Steely Dan isn't one person but rather basically i think a duo of two guys who brought in amazing session players. They were arguably groundbreaking in combining jazz chords and elements with harmonized vocals. They're an amazing artist. I was fortunate to see them twice in concert some years ago.
Fun fact: In Eagles "Hotel California" the famous lyric "They stab it with their STEELY knives, But they just can't kill the beast". That's a nod to Steely Dan. 🎵❤
Do you know why it’s a nod to SD Becker’s Girlfriend at the time was a huge Eagles fan and every time they had an argument she would turn up the volume on an Eagles record so people couldn’t hear them argue which pissed B off even more. So on the Royal Scam album on the song tell me everything you did the line is turn up the Eagles the neighbors are listening. So when HC was released they asked Felder who wrote the best lyrics and he said Steely Dan they are a BEAST; so they stabbed it with their steely knives but they could not kill the beast.
@danabuch324 Steely Dan's 1976 song “Everything You Did” included the sardonic line, “Turn up The Eagles, the neighbors are listening.” The Eagles answered - on “Hotel California,” released later that year - with “They stab it with their steely knives but they just can't kill the beast.” -wiki Get ur mind out of the gutter 😂
The solo isn't a guitar, it's a Danelectro Coral Electric Sitar, an electric version of a classic Indian instrument, which has a really unique tone. It's played by Denny Dias. The keyboard solo right after it is played by the lead singer Donald Fagen. The rest of the group on this song is Jeff "Skunk" Baxter on guitar, Walter Becker on bass, and Jim Hodder on drums.
@@peacefulpossum2438 Fagan and Becker answering an ad by guitarist Denny Dias actually started what became Steely Dan. Denny was a member at the time of this album and until Fagan and Becker broke it up with the plan to use session musicians. Then he continued to work with them on an as-needed basis for a long time, as well as with others. Being a founder of Steely Dan doesn't hurt your rep. However, he worked other jobs as well, principally computer programming. He was one of the designers of Nantucket Clipper 5 xBase compiler, if you remember that. Among other guitar gigs, he toured with Toto in 1991. In 1999 he recorded a CD of his original tunes titled "Matter of Time." In 2012 he was part of a tour group supporting Spanky McFarlane, whose 1960s group "Spanky and Our Gang" made a bit of a splash when I was in high school. I don't know if they have done that since. Apparently they had fun though. In 2014 he gathered people for a similar tour as "Denny Dias and Friends" doing mainly early Steely Dan tunes he was originally part of. Again, not sure of current status but you can find some of these performances on TH-cam, notably from a 2016 gig at the Iridium, such as: m.th-cam.com/video/VxsjEccHEwU/w-d-xo.html It's just a loose, good-time performance, not an attempt to duplicate Steely Dan.
Steely Dan is worth a deep dive. Probably my favorite rock band. The musicianship and production are second to none. Then there’s the writing. Worth a deep dive for sure. As they move towards the disco era, their sound changes and yet it’s always unmistakably Steely Dan, which is a band btw, not a dude. Named after a marital aid from William S. Burroughs’ novel Naked Lunch, Steely Dan is one of a kind. These two songs you reacted to are their earliest stuff. I know you guys like horns. Steely Dan’s later stuff is filled with horns. They are also heavily sampled in hip hop and are beloved by so many hip hop producers and really all music producers who know how good and innovative they were. I know that feeling like there’s this deep well there when you first listen to them. Indeed there is.
Danny Dias on Electric Sitar, Walter Becker on guitar and bass, Jeff [PENTAGON National Defense planner] Baxter on guitars, Fagan on “plastic” combo organ and vocals, and Victor Feldman playing congas. Their drummer is in there someplace, and Baxter fils Maraca's. Baxter went from amazing session guitarist and Doobie Brothers plater to security clearances well above top secret in the decades after.....
Steely Dan were obsessive perfectionists. Every note your hear is precisely where they placed it. They're so precise, their album Aja is used by major auto makers to evaluate car stereos. Sound engineers worship these guys.
Hey Rob and Amber, I just watch to give a “shout out” to you two. First……for playing my music. Second……for doing it with style, class, and humility. Third…and most importantly…….for trying to spread love, peace, harmony and unity. At a time when a great many people are all about, hate, division and discord. You give me hope that there is an America that is still worth saving. I am 69 years young and love watching your reactions to the best music ever made. Thank you, you are good people.😍
Amen Raymond all this music I/we listen to Growing Up never grows old it's soothing peaceful informative they don't make music like that no more or I can't find it
Great comment. I'm 34 and I got into music like this from playing guitar hero believe it or not. Regardless I'm very appreciative and so happy that i heard this song young. Steely Dan is amazing
Hey that was my suggestion 🙂 Don't know for sure, but when Fagan says "nice" it's just after the drummer added a funky accent on the hi-hat. Great song.
Rob & Amber when you do this song - catch the story in it. It's about a older guy meeting this younger girl and they don't have any thing in common because of age difference. Ahhhh... but "The Cuervo Gold The fine Colombian" always make things work out. 😉
My all time favorite song! This song takes me back to 1973. My parents bought me a transistor radio for Christmas. I would lay in bed every night and fall asleep with the ear piece in my ear. The song was in heavy rotation at that time and it would always play around the same time every night. This song NEVE gets old and whenever I hear, it transports me back to great memories. Thanks Rob and Amber for playing my jam! You two are a Blessing!
There are so many good Steely Dan tunes: Peg and Josie are musts. Also Time Out of Mind, Aja, Kid Charlemagne, Babylon Sisters, Black Friday, FM, Black Cow, My Old School, Deacon Blues, Dirty Work. Like someone else said, you could do one Steely Dan tune a week and have great songs for months.
Absolute genius band. Rikki Don't Loose That Number, Don't Take Me Alive, Caves of Altamira....the list of great songs is almost endless. Best record production along with the Beach Boys and Brian Wilson. So complex, tight and clear.
Looked it up, the solo 'guitar' on this track is actually an electric sitar, played expertly by a fellow named Denny Dias. Not familiar with DD, but he sure rips it up on this track. The synth-sounding organ solo just after is played by Donald Fagan, who is also singing lead. I've always loved this track! Gives me hope that people your age can dig it too...:)
I love the idea of a Steely reaction channel.. Every single time I see a new reaction channel, I find myself wondering when they’re gonna get around to Steely, and then I always wish they would hurry up and go down that rabbit hole like Jamal did with Steely and the Dead and so many others. Steely always gets em though, I haven’t seen a single react to them where people were just blown away by their genius, precision, and smooth swagger.
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"not a person" and we won't speak of *what* Dan was… ;-)
This band is pure genius. Journey with every single song. 💕 I love the reaction. They will leave you wanting more. You should definitely go down the rabbit 🐇 hole.
Steely Dan is an amazing "rabbit hole" to go down. Basically, the group is Walter Becker & Donald Fagen and the very best drummers and guitarists that are brought in to play for what they are specifically trying to accomplish. Creative and crazy good.
Hearing this when I was 7 years old in 1973 and then the GUITAR SOLO completely mesmerized me , I realized how much I TRULY LOVED music and I was different from that day forward 😊
I must have heard this song at least 1000 times plus in my lifetime. Never read the incredible lyrics before. You guys are helping me appreciate the ‘music from the soundtrack of my life’. Yes, steely Dan is a band. The name has an interesting backstory, so do look that up. #robSquad rules! 🥰😍🥰❤️❤️❤️
THE STEELY DAN CHALLENGE: Find a track you don't like. With their catalog, you could do a track a week for YEARS. For Amber, the album is "AJA". Horns kiddo, horns.
I am almost positive that back in 1979, some company was running commercials advertising Pink Floyd The Wall, Steely Dan Aja, and Toto's debut album all in one ad. But the weird thing is that The Wall was 79, Aja was 77, and Toto was 78. I was only 12 so I know I wasn't high. Maybe it's just a testament to how albums would chart for weeks, months, and even years back then.
The greatest guitar solo in rock, Kid Charlemagne, Larry Carlton. So many great guitar solos though, a true collective of the greatest session musicians.
SUCH a good jam! “I don’t think I’ve heard the keyboard played like that” Yeah we’re still waiting for a Yes reaction lol “Roundabout” to start off with 😊🙏🏼
Having listened to this song for decades, I can tell you that it's about recidivism - swearing off the stupid things that are ruining your life, and then turning around and doing those same stupid things again. I do think that the first verse is best thought of in an Old West setting - someone steals your water while you're riding the trail, you catch up to him and shoot him, etc. The other two verses can easily take place in modern times. I'm really enjoying your reactions to the music that I grew up with - and especially the lack of profanity. Thank you for that.
Steely Dan is the name of a band not a person And man they sure know how to occupy themselves into the music it's very admirable , pleasant & very contagious .....please don't stop do some FM also by them
Steely Dan is unique and timeless. I was chilling on an air mattress in the pool this past Sunday, a little high on legal cannabis and listened to a Steely Dan playlist for hours. Never gets old. Love your channel & reactions!!
Steely Dan's (i.e. Donald Fagen and Walter Becker) compositions, chord progressions, chord variations, etc. are some of the most complex in rock history.
It's also about the wheel of suffering concept in buddhism and reincarnation; that's the turning wheel. When you're enlightened, you get off the repeating wheel of suffering that is human life.
Steely Dan has got to be my all time favorite 70s band, bar none. They're just incredible!! And yes, that's the name of the BAND. Made up of two talented musicians, Walter Becker(now deceased) and Donald Fagen, plus a whole slew of session musicians.
What’s crazy is they haven’t done any RECENT remastered vinyl releases in quite a long time. I can’t think of too many bands who earnestly deserve such treatment for their entire catalogue. 🤷 I mean, I would be snatching up 180g remasters and paying double even for some limited edition colored vinyl remasters if they ever got the notion to press em. A couple of other bands I’ve noticed haven’t been remastered or reissued in ages are Journey and Heart too.. I’m sure there’s quite a few more I can’t think of now, but wish this would happen with all of these great classic rock bands.
You make this old lady SO happy with your song choices! I get to re-live my youth almost every day. Your enthusiasm for all the music puts a big smile on my face and I feel like I am introducing you to my music. Thanks again. The unboxing from earlier was fun and getting to see Luca was definitely a bonus.😎😎😎😎
Steely Dan, one of the best bands to ever hit their airwaves. They blended funk, jazz, R&B, Blues and every other genre you can imagine. Great musicianship, great songwriting. The entire Aja album is on fire.
This band is actually just two guys. In the early years, like this song, they had a set band so to speak to play on the record and tour. But they then moved on to just hiring different studio musicians to play on their album and that gave the music a totally different feel. And the big thing for them was the production. The album Aja is lauded as being sonically one of the most sophisticated records ever. Its almost like the studio was an instrument iteself with this band. Their music had such a specific crispness. Many classic hip hop producers credit this band for lots of inspiration and samples.
Those studio musicians were by and large amazing, like Larry Carlton. Many of them deserve songwriting credit, they were so involved. Bernard Purdie brought his “Purdie Shuffle” to Babylon Sisters and Home at Last. Groovy stuff.
Here's a bit of obscure trivia: Walter Becker (ETA NOT the guitarist you went crazy for) and founding partner Donald Fagen got the name Steely Dan from a sex toy mentioned in the novel Naked Lunch. 😂 They're one of my all-time favorite bands. I saw them in concert about four years ago, and even short Becker, who died from esophageal cancer in 2017, just before that concert, they were still absolutely amazing. RIP, Walter Becker.
Becker did not play the solo here. He played bass on the first 3 albums, then played several guitar solos later on when Steely Dan became a studio band.
One of Steely’s earlier pieces. Denny Dias played that amazing solo on an electric sitar and Fagan followed up on the keyboard solo on a plastic organ with a pitch bending control.
They were quite cool. For some reason I grabbed the 1st release/debut album hot off the shelves in '72. Like them so much that I had to get my best bud stoned out of his mind to get him to accompany me to a corner tavern ( what I think might be the Cask & Flagon) next to Fenway Park to see this group, no one had heard of before. There was no stage, they played on the floor surrounded by maybe 10 tables. There couldn't have been more than 30 people there. We chewed the fat with the guys in between sets. I remember Becker and Fagan as being very quiet , shy and rather up tight. I don't remember the organ make, but it was a small portable unit. They were familiar with Boston, I think one of them went to Berklee for a time and another to BU. One also mentioned having worked with Jay and the Americans. Palmer and the Skunk were cool and very approachable. Skunk actually had worked once in a music shop in Boston. I bought them beers. Great 1st album.
So many great songs FM " no static at all" one of my favorites! Steely Dan is Donald Fagan, and Walter Becker, and revolving studio musicians over the years! The best!
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*was, sadly, since Walter has left us. But what an oeuvre he left us!
The thing about steely Dan that I really appreciate is the way they layer their intros. They start out simple and then just slowly but surely adding just little bits and pieces of other instruments. I like the chimes that come in for just a little bit. They know how to color with music.
Great choice! They sing "you go back Jack, do it again." Each verse is about someone who keeps repeating bad behaviors, even though they lead to misery. Violence in the first verse, getting involved with women who will two-time you in the second verse, and gambling in the third verse. Great song! Btw, yes, Steeley Dan is the name of the group.
One of Steely Dan favorite song! Those instrumentals solo were outrageous. Can’t go wrong with the phenomenon talents that this band has. Yes they were using Maracas and Congo 🪘 drum.
Two guys writing all the songs, best studio work ever, from musicians to engineers. All about vibe. Often the lyrics give you a time and place, but based on the content, you hope they are all completely fictitious. Every album is great. Every song is great. Some of my favorites , Kid Charlemagne, Deacon Blues, Josie, Haitian Divorce, Hey Nineteen
Donald Fagen is a genius composer. One of the best. Hey Nineteen is another great one. Thanks you guys!! (Band) Walter Becker, Donald Fagen and usually Skunk Baxter on guitar.
One of the things I love about this song is the Marianna-Trench deep pocket the rhythm section lays down. Fagan and Becker could do anything on top of that pocket because it ain't goin' nowhere. Just satisfies my soul.
Musicians' musicians. Production level all around one of the most talented and sophisticated you will ever hear. Been enjoying them for over 45 years. Never tire of them. Do "Peg" and "Babylon Sisters."
Has anyone suggested Lou Reed "Take a Walk on the Wild Side," or Iggy Pop "Lust for Life?" The latter has been used in ads for a cruise line, don't recall which.
So much ear candy in the production on this one (maracas, chimes, things that catch/tickle your ear. Flava.) Man, I love Steely Dan. I loved them in the 70's and still do. Next dive should definitely be "Peg", my favorite pop song of all time. Peg. Peg. Peg. Peg. Peg.
My favorite version of "Brass in pocket" is from the VH1 fashion awards, and i would add their acoustic version of "Creep" from the Jacob street studios. and "Middle of the Road."
Every Steely Dan song is like a Faberge egg. Exquisitely crafted, intricate and possessing a timeless elegence.
Amen Brother!
This does however, mean they're no good for omelettes.
This!
Well said
Well-put!
Steely Dan is worthy of a DEEP dive. Try Peg, Deacon blues, Hey 19, Reeling in The Years. Cant really go wrong when you have some of the best musicians and song writers of the 20th century.
“Peg” is one that NO TH-cam reacter can resist.. gets em every. single. time.
Reeling in the years
Yall already did reading in the years oops sorry
Kid Charlemagne, Bad Sneakers, Josie, My Old School, Haitian Divorce, Black Cow
Danny Dias on Electric Sitar, Walter Becker on guitar and bass, Jeff [PENTAGON National Defense planner] Baxter on guitars, Fagan on “plastic” combo organ and vocals, and Victor Feldman playing congas. Their drummer is in there someplace, and Baxter fils Maraca's. Baxter went from amazing session guitarist and Doobie Brothers plater to security clearances well above top secret in the decades after.....
Man, we were spoiled in the 70s!
We could tune in to ANY AM or FM station and find great music! 🎶
🔥🔥🔥🔥
Amen to that…,grateful and sad!
70s was my time of getting into music people who could sing and play instruments, they met at school or college and formed bands, Im sad its so many manufactured groups now hardly play any instruments and your in if your good looking we will teach you to sing
So true...we were definitely spoiled by the sheer volume of exquisite sounds & musicianship during the 70s, via the radio or vinyl. I don't think we realized at the time just how lucky we actually were! I'm so grateful to have been around then to have experienced it. Even today, 90% of the music I listen to is from this era.
Oh yeah!
Great music of all types on the same station.
Talent not heard in today’s music. Steely Dan being one of the most sophisticated and groups of the 70’s with their own sound.
Todays excuse for music SUCKS!
Absolutely!
@@johnlevison9552 what's on the radio, sure. There's lots of killer indie music today. Check out the Warning, Liliac, Greta Van Fleet, etc.
The sweetie girl on this reaction is reaching for the "New York" sound. During these times (70s-80s) so much was gifted to us from the Melange of the The Big Apple. Check out some of the early Deborah Harry/Blondie and others. Just wow.
One of their albums took 6 months to record and they called it a rush job. These guys were the absolute perfectionists.
These guys were some of the most talented songwriters and studio musicians to ever put on a set of headphones. This earlier stuff is a bit psychedelic and the would get a little jazzier the "Aja" LP, which is my fave. Been a faithful listener for many years and they never get old. Try "Peg" or "Deacon Blues" from Aja. You won't be disappointed. Cheers, guys!
Peg is my favorite!
Deacon Blues is fantastic!
Totally agree!
Aja...
My favorite 2 Steely Dan songs.
Let’s not forget, Skunk Baxter, the lead guitarist, was also the Doobie Bros lead guitarist for many years. Excellent in either group!
Boy, you said it.
He's a great bass player also...
Jeff is his name.
Wasn’t he the 7th guitarist they auditioned before deciding on him?
Denny Dias plays that first "electric sitar" solo. I don't think there's any Baxter lead on this song.
Steely Dan is not a person. It’s just the name of the band. They started out as a band and toured for a few years. In 1974, the band stopped touring and Fagen and Becker turned Steely Dan into a studio band using only the best session musicians to record every album from Katy Lied through Gaucho. The guitar solo is an electric sitar played by Denny Dias. Good reaction.
In fact the name of the band was actually the name of a dildo
@@danlindberg7681 right you are
No.
Came from out a classic novel.
Thename escapes me.
@@c.e.anderson558 No, what? It is just the name of the band. Fagen and Becker got the name from William Burroughs novel Naked Lunch. Steely Dan was a dildo.
Steely Dan isn't one person but rather basically i think a duo of two guys who brought in amazing session players. They were arguably groundbreaking in combining jazz chords and elements with harmonized vocals. They're an amazing artist. I was fortunate to see them twice in concert some years ago.
so jealous omg
Exactly right!
Great ending to this song. The Dan is/was great at ending songs ❤
You don't want it to end
Donald Fagen and the late Walter Becker (R.I.P. 🌹)
Fun fact: In Eagles "Hotel California" the famous lyric "They stab it with their STEELY knives, But they just can't kill the beast". That's a nod to Steely Dan. 🎵❤
Yes indeed. Well noted! 🍻
Now I feel enlightened! 😃 Coool
Do you know why it’s a nod to SD Becker’s Girlfriend at the time was a huge Eagles fan and every time they had an argument she would turn up the volume on an Eagles record so people couldn’t hear them argue which pissed B off even more. So on the Royal Scam album on the song tell me everything you did the line is turn up the Eagles the neighbors are listening. So when HC was released they asked Felder who wrote the best lyrics and he said Steely Dan they are a BEAST; so they stabbed it with their steely knives but they could not kill the beast.
I don't think so. "Steely Dan" refers to and is the name of a silver steel sex toy for the ladies.
@danabuch324 Steely Dan's 1976 song “Everything You Did” included the sardonic line, “Turn up The Eagles, the neighbors are listening.” The Eagles answered - on “Hotel California,” released later that year - with “They stab it with their steely knives but they just can't kill the beast.” -wiki
Get ur mind out of the gutter 😂
The solo isn't a guitar, it's a Danelectro Coral Electric Sitar, an electric version of a classic Indian instrument, which has a really unique tone. It's played by Denny Dias. The keyboard solo right after it is played by the lead singer Donald Fagen. The rest of the group on this song is Jeff "Skunk" Baxter on guitar, Walter Becker on bass, and Jim Hodder on drums.
I used to hang with Dan Electro at his bar in Houston!
@@lucasroth7922
😄
I wonder whatever happened to Denny Diaz
@@peacefulpossum2438
Fagan and Becker answering an ad by guitarist Denny Dias actually started what became Steely Dan. Denny was a member at the time of this album and until Fagan and Becker broke it up with the plan to use session musicians. Then he continued to work with them on an as-needed basis for a long time, as well as with others. Being a founder of Steely Dan doesn't hurt your rep.
However, he worked other jobs as well, principally computer programming. He was one of the designers of Nantucket Clipper 5 xBase compiler, if you remember that.
Among other guitar gigs, he toured with Toto in 1991.
In 1999 he recorded a CD of his original tunes titled "Matter of Time."
In 2012 he was part of a tour group supporting Spanky McFarlane, whose 1960s group "Spanky and Our Gang" made a bit of a splash when I was in high school. I don't know if they have done that since. Apparently they had fun though.
In 2014 he gathered people for a similar tour as "Denny Dias and Friends" doing mainly early Steely Dan tunes he was originally part of. Again, not sure of current status but you can find some of these performances on TH-cam, notably from a 2016 gig at the Iridium, such as:
m.th-cam.com/video/VxsjEccHEwU/w-d-xo.html
It's just a loose, good-time performance, not an attempt to duplicate Steely Dan.
and Victor Feldman on Kongos, and probably numerous other thing's.
Steely Dan is worth a deep dive. Probably my favorite rock band. The musicianship and production are second to none. Then there’s the writing. Worth a deep dive for sure. As they move towards the disco era, their sound changes and yet it’s always unmistakably Steely Dan, which is a band btw, not a dude. Named after a marital aid from William S. Burroughs’ novel Naked Lunch, Steely Dan is one of a kind. These two songs you reacted to are their earliest stuff. I know you guys like horns. Steely Dan’s later stuff is filled with horns. They are also heavily sampled in hip hop and are beloved by so many hip hop producers and really all music producers who know how good and innovative they were. I know that feeling like there’s this deep well there when you first listen to them. Indeed there is.
Yes, Jesse!
Danny Dias on Electric Sitar, Walter Becker on guitar and bass, Jeff [PENTAGON National Defense planner] Baxter on guitars, Fagan on “plastic” combo organ and vocals, and Victor Feldman playing congas. Their drummer is in there someplace, and Baxter fils Maraca's. Baxter went from amazing session guitarist and Doobie Brothers plater to security clearances well above top secret in the decades after.....
Gotta do more Steely Dan! Rikki Don't Lose That Number, FM, etc.
Yes - FM, it's got sax!
Peg, Black Cow, Aja...
Love “Rikki”… one of my faves by them!
Steely Dan were obsessive perfectionists. Every note your hear is precisely where they placed it. They're so precise, their album Aja is used by major auto makers to evaluate car stereos. Sound engineers worship these guys.
Indeed
AND HOW COOL WAS THAT !!??
Steely Dan were the absolute peak of sound production quality, for sure!
Hey Rob and Amber, I just watch to give a “shout out” to you two.
First……for playing my music.
Second……for doing it with style, class, and humility.
Third…and most importantly…….for trying to spread love, peace, harmony and unity. At a time when a great many people are all about, hate, division and discord.
You give me hope that there is an America that is still worth saving. I am 69 years young and love watching your reactions to the best music ever made.
Thank you, you are good people.😍
Cheers!
The best 10 years ever EASY THE 7DZ
Amen
Amen Raymond all this music I/we listen to Growing Up never grows old it's soothing peaceful informative they don't make music like that no more or I can't find it
Great comment. I'm 34 and I got into music like this from playing guitar hero believe it or not. Regardless I'm very appreciative and so happy that i heard this song young. Steely Dan is amazing
‘Hey Nineteen’ is another great Steely Dan hit.
I remember hearing that song as a kid and not getting any of the references. Listened again as an adult, and...
Fast time at ridgemont high classic.
Hey that was my suggestion 🙂 Don't know for sure, but when Fagan says "nice" it's just after the drummer added a funky accent on the hi-hat. Great song.
MY FAVORITE!!
"The Cuervo Gold
The fine Colombian
Make tonight a wonderful thing"
Rob & Amber when you do this song - catch the story in it. It's about a older guy meeting this younger girl and they don't have any thing in common because of age difference. Ahhhh... but "The Cuervo Gold
The fine Colombian" always make things work out. 😉
Steely Dan is your favorite band’s favorite band. They are peak musicians and song writers.
often said, never backed by evidence
The founders of Steely Dan Fagen & Becker surrounded themselves with the world's best studio musicians. Music doesn't get any more sophisticated.
Donald Fagen . His solo lp Nightfly AMAZING
@@conniehodges3848 the Nightfly is incredibly good
They're intriguing because they ARE FREAKING INCREDIBLE MUSICIANS...so many intricacies....those bass lines were crazy good...
My all time favorite song! This song takes me back to 1973. My parents bought me a transistor radio for Christmas. I would lay in bed every night and fall asleep with the ear piece in my ear. The song was in heavy rotation at that time and it would always play around the same time every night. This song NEVE gets old and whenever I hear, it transports me back to great memories. Thanks Rob and Amber for playing my jam! You two are a Blessing!
There are so many good Steely Dan tunes: Peg and Josie are musts. Also Time Out of Mind, Aja, Kid Charlemagne, Babylon Sisters, Black Friday, FM, Black Cow, My Old School, Deacon Blues, Dirty Work. Like someone else said, you could do one Steely Dan tune a week and have great songs for months.
Peg is my favorite!
To me you can start and finish with Babylon Sisters, just a cool vibe and deep groove.
So true!
@@5yearsout Agree, I just LOVE that track!
Don't forget Doctor Wu, Bad Sneakers
Absolute genius band. Rikki Don't Loose That Number, Don't Take Me Alive, Caves of Altamira....the list of great songs is almost endless. Best record production along with the Beach Boys and Brian Wilson. So complex, tight and clear.
I second Rikki Don't Lose That Number! Classic!
Green Earings
Really just pick any SD album and then select any song - you'll be fine. There are no wrong answers.
I LOVE Caves of Altamira. One of my favorite S.D. songs.
@@7gelis
And great horns for Amber to get into
The entire album Aja is one of the few perfect albums ever.
Yup 👍
My "desert island" album.
And Gaucho, and Katy Lied, and Countdown to Ecstasy, and most of Can't Buy a Thrill, and most of The Royal scam... Just saying
Yes! "Josie" is my 'happy song'.
Looked it up, the solo 'guitar' on this track is actually an electric sitar, played expertly by a fellow named Denny Dias. Not familiar with DD, but he sure rips it up on this track. The synth-sounding organ solo just after is played by Donald Fagan, who is also singing lead. I've always loved this track! Gives me hope that people your age can dig it too...:)
One of the greatest atmospheric songs of all time. The instrumentation of this song is stupendous.
Steely Dan (not a person) was my all time favorite band. There should be a reaction channel just for their work alone.
I was thinking something similar for Chicago. Jay could do all the songs before Terry Kath dies and Amber gets all the stuff after.
@@chetstevens4583 That is an awesome idea!! Did you hear that Rob Squad? 😁
Yup 👍
I love the idea of a Steely reaction channel..
Every single time I see a new reaction channel, I find myself wondering when they’re gonna get around to Steely, and then I always wish they would hurry up and go down that rabbit hole like Jamal did with Steely and the Dead and so many others.
Steely always gets em though, I haven’t seen a single react to them where people were just blown away by their genius, precision, and smooth swagger.
"not a person" and we won't speak of *what* Dan was… ;-)
This band is pure genius. Journey with every single song. 💕 I love the reaction. They will leave you wanting more. You should definitely go down the rabbit 🐇 hole.
Steely Dan is an amazing "rabbit hole" to go down. Basically, the group is Walter Becker & Donald Fagen and the very best drummers and guitarists that are brought in to play for what they are specifically trying to accomplish. Creative and crazy good.
If only a shade overproduced...
NO...Crazy Crazy Good!
@@jazzyboy7784 Not really disputing that.
They even had Michael Mc Donald before he joined the Doobie Brothers
@@cainealexander-mccord2805 I'm sure they would have benefitted from your expertise.
Steely Dan will always be one of the coolest bands ever. I listen to their music often. Great road music.
Hearing this when I was 7 years old in 1973 and then the GUITAR SOLO completely mesmerized me , I realized how much I TRULY LOVED music and I was different from that day forward 😊
You will never regret going down the Steely Dan rabbit hole. One of the greatest bands of all time.
I must have heard this song at least 1000 times plus in my lifetime. Never read the incredible lyrics before. You guys are helping me appreciate the ‘music from the soundtrack of my life’. Yes, steely Dan is a band. The name has an interesting backstory, so do look that up. #robSquad rules! 🥰😍🥰❤️❤️❤️
2000 for me
THE STEELY DAN CHALLENGE: Find a track you don't like. With their catalog, you could do a track a week for YEARS.
For Amber, the album is "AJA". Horns kiddo, horns.
Came here to say the same - Amber would love Aja.
I am almost positive that back in 1979, some company was running commercials advertising Pink Floyd The Wall, Steely Dan Aja, and Toto's debut album all in one ad. But the weird thing is that The Wall was 79, Aja was 77, and Toto was 78. I was only 12 so I know I wasn't high. Maybe it's just a testament to how albums would chart for weeks, months, and even years back then.
Steely Dan is all about the vibe.
My only regret (musically) was never getting to see the Dan. The two most technically gifted musicians I've ever heard. Thanks STEELY
The greatest guitar solo in rock, Kid Charlemagne, Larry Carlton. So many great guitar solos though, a true collective of the greatest session musicians.
“Is there gas in the car?”
Yes there's gas in the car
I think the people down the hall know who you are!
Careful what you’re saying.
One of the greatest for sure...
This is THE most sophisticated music you will ever hear ~ Take a Dive into The Dan!!!
SUCH a good jam! “I don’t think I’ve heard the keyboard played like that” Yeah we’re still waiting for a Yes reaction lol “Roundabout” to start off with 😊🙏🏼
Yes!!
Yes🙂
Absolutely.
Yes!
Having listened to this song for decades, I can tell you that it's about recidivism - swearing off the stupid things that are ruining your life, and then turning around and doing those same stupid things again.
I do think that the first verse is best thought of in an Old West setting - someone steals your water while you're riding the trail, you catch up to him and shoot him, etc. The other two verses can easily take place in modern times.
I'm really enjoying your reactions to the music that I grew up with - and especially the lack of profanity. Thank you for that.
Steely Dan is the name of a band
not a person
And man they sure know how to occupy themselves into the music it's very admirable , pleasant & very contagious .....please don't stop do some FM also by them
Actually a reference to a dildo in a book....
Steely Dan is unique and timeless. I was chilling on an air mattress in the pool this past Sunday, a little high on legal cannabis and listened to a Steely Dan playlist for hours. Never gets old. Love your channel & reactions!!
You sound alot like me LOL I'm an old guy living in Washington state getting high right now 🚬🚬💨💨
Love that it’s legal now, about damn time!! and Kenneth, bong for me😵💫
Steely Dan 'are'
just a quick but heartfelt THANK YOU for letting the instrumental bridge run its course before y'all stopped it. interrupting it would be a crime! :)
That look on Amber's face is priceless! THAT'S the way to enjoy Steely Dan! Let their music take you...
I don't know why but I really love this song's lyrics, it paints such a great story of how we can tend to repeat our mistakes in life.
Steely Dan's (i.e. Donald Fagen and Walter Becker) compositions, chord progressions, chord variations, etc. are some of the most complex in rock history.
This song is about basic human behavior. Even though we realize our actions are wrong or a mistake, we go back Jack and "Do It Again". 🤔🤔🤔😎🤗
It's also about the wheel of suffering concept in buddhism and reincarnation; that's the turning wheel. When you're enlightened, you get off the repeating wheel of suffering that is human life.
A dog turns around to eat its own vomit
Prov 26:11
Yep!
Steely Dan has got to be my all time favorite 70s band, bar none. They're just incredible!! And yes, that's the name of the BAND. Made up of two talented musicians, Walter Becker(now deceased) and Donald Fagen, plus a whole slew of session musicians.
This was the first "hit" by Steely Dan. Definitely a rabbit hole you want to go down. Trust us SD fans.
Another great organ sound.try ron argent with the Hof zombies. I know you'll like that name amber .
100% agree with this statement
One of the most mind-blowing guitar solos in a Steely Dan song ever
So Much More Of Steely Dan To Enjoy….
Every album Steely Dan did is good. You can't say that about too many bands.
^^^ Facts ^^^
No Cap
What’s crazy is they haven’t done any RECENT remastered vinyl releases in quite a long time.
I can’t think of too many bands who earnestly deserve such treatment for their entire catalogue. 🤷
I mean, I would be snatching up 180g remasters and paying double even for some limited edition colored vinyl remasters if they ever got the notion to press em.
A couple of other bands I’ve noticed haven’t been remastered or reissued in ages are Journey and Heart too.. I’m sure there’s quite a few more I can’t think of now, but wish this would happen with all of these great classic rock bands.
Zeppelin, Chicago, Journey, Karen Carpenter
Other bands I can think of who do too are The Beatles, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, The Police and Maybe Rush
Still my favorite Dan tune is "Kid Charlemagne", Larry Carlton put one of the tastiest solos ever recorded down on that track.
Larry Carlton is the man! His solo intro to Don't Take Me Alive is legendary. It’s as good as it gets.
Steely Dan was one of the most successful group to fuse a lot of jazz elements into their rock arrangements.
Sign In Stranger, Fire in the hole, and Your Gold Teeth are a few of my fav Steely Dan keyboard solos.
Steely Dan is as much of a variety as Chicago yet every song is their own unique creation
You make this old lady SO happy with your song choices! I get to re-live my youth almost every day. Your enthusiasm for all the music puts a big smile on my face and I feel like I am introducing you to my music. Thanks again.
The unboxing from earlier was fun and getting to see Luca was definitely a bonus.😎😎😎😎
Steely Dan, one of the best bands to ever hit their airwaves. They blended funk, jazz, R&B, Blues and every other genre you can imagine. Great musicianship, great songwriting.
The entire Aja album is on fire.
The Guitarist is Denny Dias
This band is actually just two guys. In the early years, like this song, they had a set band so to speak to play on the record and tour. But they then moved on to just hiring different studio musicians to play on their album and that gave the music a totally different feel.
And the big thing for them was the production. The album Aja is lauded as being sonically one of the most sophisticated records ever. Its almost like the studio was an instrument iteself with this band. Their music had such a specific crispness. Many classic hip hop producers credit this band for lots of inspiration and samples.
Those studio musicians were by and large amazing, like Larry Carlton. Many of them deserve songwriting credit, they were so involved. Bernard Purdie brought his “Purdie Shuffle” to Babylon Sisters and Home at Last. Groovy stuff.
@@1dkappe yup couldn't agree more
Impeccable musicians who were perfectionists and it shows(or sounds)!!
Please go down the Steely Dan rabbit hole! You know you want to, so just do it!
Here's a bit of obscure trivia: Walter Becker (ETA NOT the guitarist you went crazy for) and founding partner Donald Fagen got the name Steely Dan from a sex toy mentioned in the novel Naked Lunch. 😂
They're one of my all-time favorite bands. I saw them in concert about four years ago, and even short Becker, who died from esophageal cancer in 2017, just before that concert, they were still absolutely amazing. RIP, Walter Becker.
Becker did not play the solo here. He played bass on the first 3 albums, then played several guitar solos later on when Steely Dan became a studio band.
Think that was Denny Dias on electric sitar.
I thought about mentioning where the band name came from, but didn't want to shock the kids. :D
@@lisaarmato6911 Yeah, I'm with you on that one. The lyrics are enough.
Definitely Denny Diaz playing the electric sitar
"Peg" is another definite Steely Dan to react to, while "Bodhisattva" is a wild ride
One of Steely’s earlier pieces. Denny Dias played that amazing solo on an electric sitar and Fagan followed up on the keyboard solo on a plastic organ with a pitch bending control.
Thank you for answering those questions..for me.
Never really knew..how they were making some of these sounds.
One of the best songs ever came out the year I was born!
Steely dan was just so funky, hip and unique. Truly one of my favorites all time.
The solos were done by an electric SITAR and a PLASTIC organ.
Thanks for not pausing in the middle of that solo!!!
The "plastic organ" solo by Donald Fagen was performed on a Yamaha YC-30 with a sliding pitch-bending control
@@Straydogger artists today would stare at that and wonder WTF???
I came here to say exactly this!
They were quite cool. For some reason I grabbed the 1st release/debut album hot off the shelves in '72. Like them so much that I had to get my best bud stoned out of his mind to get him to accompany me to a corner tavern ( what I think might be the Cask & Flagon) next to Fenway Park to see this group, no one had heard of before. There was no stage, they played on the floor surrounded by maybe 10 tables. There couldn't have been more than 30 people there. We chewed the fat with the guys in between sets. I remember Becker and Fagan as being very quiet , shy and rather up tight. I don't remember the organ make, but it was a small portable unit. They were familiar with Boston, I think one of them went to Berklee for a time and another to BU. One also mentioned having worked with Jay and the Americans. Palmer and the Skunk were cool and very approachable. Skunk actually had worked once in a music shop in Boston. I bought them beers. Great 1st album.
So many great songs FM " no static at all" one of my favorites! Steely Dan is Donald Fagan, and Walter Becker, and revolving studio musicians over the years! The best!
*was, sadly, since Walter has left us. But what an oeuvre he left us!
@ one of my favs is Fagan solo New Frontiers
The thing about steely Dan that I really appreciate is the way they layer their intros. They start out simple and then just slowly but surely adding just little bits and pieces of other instruments. I like the chimes that come in for just a little bit. They know how to color with music.
They sang truths that many people live in a way no one else could.
There music and lyrics are TIMELESS
Great choice! They sing "you go back Jack, do it again." Each verse is about someone who keeps repeating bad behaviors, even though they lead to misery. Violence in the first verse, getting involved with women who will two-time you in the second verse, and gambling in the third verse. Great song! Btw, yes, Steeley Dan is the name of the group.
Steely Dan, like many 60s/70s bands, had their own 'sound'. That's what was so great about the music from that era.
So glad you're listening to the album version. The radio version is shorter and doesn't have the wonderful organ solo.
Perhaps the greatest sitar solo in rock history, if not the only one. Just magic.
One of Steely Dan favorite song! Those instrumentals solo were outrageous. Can’t go wrong with the phenomenon talents that this band has. Yes they were using Maracas and Congo 🪘 drum.
You could strand me on a deserted island with "Josie", "FM", and "Don't take me alive" to listen to and I probably be ok with that.
Two guys writing all the songs, best studio work ever, from musicians to engineers. All about vibe. Often the lyrics give you a time and place, but based on the content, you hope they are all completely fictitious. Every album is great. Every song is great. Some of my favorites , Kid Charlemagne, Deacon Blues, Josie, Haitian Divorce, Hey Nineteen
Every time I hear a Steely Dan song, I regain a lost brain cell.
Next recommended Steely Dan song:
“FM (No Static at All)”
You have to dig deeper into this amazing group. So many top-shelf albums. Look up the origins of the name.
One of the greatest bands of all time...no joke!
Donald Fagen is a genius composer. One of the best. Hey Nineteen is another great one. Thanks you guys!! (Band) Walter Becker, Donald Fagen and usually Skunk Baxter on guitar.
Love Hey Nineteen.
One of the things I love about this song is the Marianna-Trench deep pocket the rhythm section lays down. Fagan and Becker could do anything on top of that pocket because it ain't goin' nowhere. Just satisfies my soul.
Jeff Pacaro played on a bunch of early Dan before Toto was formed.
He was the pocket master
Denny Dias played the solo on Electric Sitar. He was a frequent contributor to the band. Walter Becker played guitar, seldom played the solos.
Whenever l hear this song on the radio which is not often enough l crank it up as loud as l can.
I grew up in this era. Steely Dan was always one of my favorites.
Great choice, tons of great songs. I saw them live opening for Chicago at Tampa Stadium back in the 70's. What an amazing day.
Musicians' musicians. Production level all around one of the most talented and sophisticated you will ever hear. Been enjoying them for over 45 years. Never tire of them. Do "Peg" and "Babylon Sisters."
Has anyone suggested Lou Reed "Take a Walk on the Wild Side," or Iggy Pop "Lust for Life?" The latter has been used in ads for a cruise line, don't recall which.
Both are great suggestions!
Steely Dan with a good system!! Amazing
Go down the rabbit hole. Its a wondrous place and speaks truly for a lot of people
"Bodhisattva" "Aja" "Deacon Blues" "Black Cow", plus do many other great songs.
Y'all know Jamel, ask him about Steely Dan. I bet he laughs. 😉
Peg and Black Cow are great songs by them also.
So much ear candy in the production on this one (maracas, chimes, things that catch/tickle your ear. Flava.) Man, I love Steely Dan. I loved them in the 70's and still do. Next dive should definitely be "Peg", my favorite pop song of all time. Peg. Peg. Peg. Peg. Peg.
LOVE TIIS SOUND AND THE TOTAL VIBE! GREAT BAND!!
Peg is my fav. Steely Dan song. I love it. Never get tired of hearing it.
"Can't buy a Thrill" has to be the greatest debut album ever.
Donald was 24 when it came out. Walter 22. Crazy. Imagine being that young and you put that album out?
Dug them when it came out when I was 10!
Right up there with Aja and Royal Scam
I was 7 years old when this came out, but remember hearing it on the radio when I was a pre-teen. It had some staying power in the music world.
Suggest THE PRETENDERS "Back On The Chain Gang", "Brass In Pocket" "Don't Get Me Wrong". Dig it! Good stuff.
My favorite version of "Brass in pocket" is from the VH1 fashion awards, and i would add their acoustic version of "Creep" from the Jacob street studios. and "Middle of the Road."
Yes back on the chain gang!!!
Pack it Up is one of their best for me!
One of my favorite songs of all-time!
I was 18 when this album was released. They have dozens of great songs. Instrumentals are second to none. Ah memories...