@@jeffsirname I hear you but I think those songs that you mentioned would definitely be in everyone’s list of “best” Steely Dan songs but my list of “favorite” Steely songs is different than my list of their best songs.
@@jeffsirname Even though I'm not nearly as knowledgeable about SD as some, I fell more comfortable making a Top 20 list so I won't have to leave out so many favorites.
Right. I get it. If a person doesn't have the emotional reaction to this song that YOU think they should have then that person MUST be a soulless human being. Meanwhile if somebody were to say that about you not having the emotional response to a song that THEY think you oughta have,you'd bawl holy hell and tell them to go f%ck themselves. May God pity you and people like you.
Mark Knopfler did bugger all on Time Out of Mine reportedly about 10 seconds. Professionally a failure for him. My bet is Hugh McCracken a fine rhythm player, did most of the guitar work, although there is somebody else doing licks. To say Knopfler guitar work was of a high standard is incorrect. Plus as much as I like Gaucho, AJA was/ is superb.
Very entertaining video! My only major disagreement with you is on don't take me alive. That song blew my mind with the guitar solo intro and the super catchy chorus. I was very surprised on my first royal scam listen, not expecting a third absolute banger in a row after kid Charlemagne and caves.
Fagen should have used another town I believe Mexico or Florida Oregan doesn't seem to fit I never even knew it was a town he was talking about wayback
Glamour Profession is Steely Dan at their steeliest dannest. It’s got this sterile, almost alien detachment. The dense jazz harmony completely at odds with the relentless disco drum beat. A woozy, airless trip through the suffocating atmosphere they found themselves in in LA. All the hope and humanity of Aja behind them in the rear view mirror. The weirdness of the imagery. Name dropping fictional freaks and degenerates. So anxious. So smooth. Wonderful track.
It's just so atmospheric and pristine all together, it's so sneering and elusive. There's such a strong feeling of cruising or slithering within the driving bass and crisp hi hats.
Deacon Blues is my favorite song of all time, it's so beautiful and the second Steely Dan song I ever listened to, and ever since I heard it I fell for all their amazing music
As soon as you said Pretzel Logic was the worst album, you lost me. For me, it and Katy Lied are the perfect amalgamation of their jazz and rock. It’s the sweet spot.
@@BudSchnelker I would say it’s a very popular opinion, if you check out the Critical Reception part of the Wiki entry: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretzel_Logic Only two sources give it less than a perfect score, and they’re both still very high scores. Of course we can all agree and disagree on the best Steely Dan albums. I’m just saying Pretzel Logic *last*? Nay, sir!
I surprisingly agree with a lot of your choices. Major exception, the Royal scam album. After Kid C, my next 3 favs are HD, SIS, and Don’t Take Me Alive. You have every other song ranked above those 3, I would have strongly done the opposite.
Everytime, i ask my self, how people doesnt consider Do It Again as the best song of Steely Dan. The melody is a step higher, the originality is unmatched and it's just beautiful. It doesnt even feel long, it is the opposite.
Very high production value, top notch editing Dingus As someone whos not been in the SD community I'm surprised at all the "Dirty Work" hatred. That intro is one of my favorites but I agree it sounds more pop-y than their other work. For me "Fire in the Hole" and "Razor Boy" definitely crack into the S Tier, huge highlights of the early Dan
1) glamour profession 2) any major dude will tell you 3) here at the western world 4) caves of Altamira 5) Home at last 6) don’t take me alive 7) third world man 8) through with Buzz 9) The second arrangement 10) Rose Darling
You've done an awesome job with it! I agree with you on almost all points, except perhaps some songs that had to be put in a higher position, for example King of the world (for me it stands in one of the best three). But, in genrral, very good job. I appreciate also the fact that you said that their last album is a very good one, although it is generally seen as a minor album of theirs; I love Everything must go.
Excellent ranking vid! I probably would have given much higher marks to Rose Darliing and Your Gold Teeth II, but I appreciate your acknowledgment of their final two albums, which are oddly underrated. Found your channel through reddit, BTW!
Hot take but i think third world man is their best song. Between the sorrowful, regretful tone, the dark, cryptic lyrics, the instrumentals and the harmonies between the guitars and the electric pianos, the absolutely transcendent outro. One of the most beautifully tragic songs i’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to.
Yeah, it's a very good song indeed. Probably their most beautiful and tragic sounding ballad. It even tops "Deacon blues" on that level. It has some of the best vocals from Donald Fagen on any Steely Dan song IMO. Particularly the layered harmony parts in the chorus are really top notch! With the wonderful guitar playing, beautiful keyboard and synth parts, the overal production sounds superb.
I believe the Second Arrangement is within the S tier and is surrounded by "The Nightfly" , "Glamour Profession" , and "I.G.Y", it feels like a cousin to these tracks and is just if not even greater as a song.
Wow .. that took a lot of work to put together! Thank you for taking a stab at an impossible task and leading with your chin. I really enjoyed your review and reasons for your selections. I will have to give the last two albums more of critical listen as may top 20 SD songs would likely only have West of Hollywood and Jack of Speed in it. All the best!
Awesome video, I’m so glad I found this channel and someone else who feels the same way about Gaucho! Thanks for making these and thanks for the link in the description, I really appreciate that.
Razor Boy .. you missed it. Another in the Dan's tastefully Latin-tinged yet lyrically obfuscated offerings in CBAT and CTE. Very satisfying musically on repeat listenings.
FOr years and years, this song was filler that bridged Bhoddisatva to Boston Rag -- 4 decades later it is my current favorite SD song. That's what I love aobut this band - - those songs that I discounted early on come back and get me to relisten to albums again.
Missed it as in didn't include it? It was referenced around 19.40-20.40 mins, if missed it as in "missed the genius of it " I completely agree. Razor boy is an A tier for me.
Ah, perfect! After using your other videos and that Swedish site to create a complete SD discography, this one gives me an excuse to listen to them all in order. I greatly prefer this chronological tier approach to the countdown from worst to best approach. I'm pleasantly shocked how much material there is and how great it is.
I started by skipping to the end but I ended up watching just about all of it as every time I thought of a song, I went to the section with the corresponding album. Of course, there are many songs with which I might disagree with your tier placement, but instead of going through the subjective exercise of calling those out, I just want to appreciate the effort you put into this video and to thank you for an hour plus worth of entertainment!
TAN I could never get into either, but definitely give EMG a shot. It's a bit more jazzy and varied than TAN but still has very good grooves (and the title track is 👌)
Negative Girl is one of their most underrated, you have to give it 10 or 12 listens to start to 'get it', melodically it's a bit too complex, which is why we don't have a live version? It's a banger for sure.
The chord structures on many of the Two Against Nature and Everything Must Go songs have really complex and arcane chord changes. Too complex for most ears.
I think that's the best song on that album. It has a more classic and complex Dan sound which is lacking a bit on most of the other songs on the album.
I wish more fans appreciated the reunion albums like you do, but it’s definitely a generational thing. Id love to do a collab sometime, maybe a ranking or review video!
Can’t believe people sleep on two against nature. It was my intro to the Dan with me falling in love with Jack of speed and asking my dad to listen to the album on my CD player when I went to high school. I started with that, the everything must go, then the older stuff starting with countdown to ecstasy. 2 against nature would be my favorite album if it weren’t for Alive in America whose live version of songs from other albums kicks so much ass. Steely Dan was my favorite band in high school and over ten years since graduation, i have yet to find a babd that tops it
Some great takes here but Dirty Work is much better than D tier. Forget that it's very un-Steely Dan - it's a great track. I don't like Gaucho nearly as much as you do but Time Out of Mind is definitely up there for me. But Caves of Altamira is probably my favorite of all.
"Dirty Work" has always been low on my personal Dan tier ranking, but when I say Steely Dan last summer my appreciation for the song went up a few notches. I suspect Donald felt an expectation to include this big hit in the show, but knew it wasn't his to sing, so he gave it to his backup singers to feature those seriously talented women and they knocked it out of the park.
Interesting that you rate the comeback albums so highly. Myself and all the Dan (yes we call them the Dan) fans I know are of a certain vintage (60+) and all are in agreement that the last couple of of albums are by some distance the weakest. Moreover, of the the original seven albums Gaucho seems to be the least loved and this is the album you proclaim the goat! Amongst my peers the albums that seem to come out on top are Pretzel logic, Aja and probably top of the pile the Royale scam. For many of us the comeback albums seem to lack energy, variety and hooks (though I do love almost gothic and everything must go song). Steely Dan were a consistently brilliant band so there is a lot of scope for disagreement over their output and I very much doubt I’ll ever see eye to eye with someone who rates negative girl above Don’t take me alive !!!??? But we can all appreciate their unique contribution to pops rich pageant and that’s all that matters in the end
It's taking me forever to get through this, as I'm listening to the songs as we go. :) I also get a Jack Stratton vibe from the commentary. That's meant to be a good thing. I'm almost through Two Against Nature as I type this comment. Really enjoying the journey!
Let me reiterate, if you're not familiar with the early demo of Brooklyn, go listen to it, it's hauntingly beautiful, and the lyrics aren't nonsensical at all, they're deep and relevant to their love of New York City.
Exactly!! As a matter of fact: To all of you non-NewYorkers out there, keep your nonsense clueless comments about Broooklyn Owes The Charmer Under Me to yourself, especially if you didnt live in this city way back when.
Enjoyable and respect to you for doing it...I'm glad you say your opinion tends to change depending on what you're listening to at the time. It needs to! We all have our favourites but the police will be coming round shortly to arrest you for what you've done to Barrytown. A special lack of grace indeed!!!
Feldman’s eerie piano work is sensational as is Larry Carlton’s sneaky chord playing. Walter’s lead shows on AJA he was at the top of his game. What isn’t there to like about Home At Last.
Well done for making a stab at this; I enjoy your videos, even if I disagree with how you weigh quality; what I most certainly agree with is the statement that ratings are 'fluid' and subject to revision.
My favs: 1. Doctor Wu 2. Here At The Western World 3. Black Cow 4. Everyone’s Gone To The Movies 5. Midnight Cruiser 6. Chain Lightning 7. Gaucho 8. Aja 9. Babylon Sisters 10. Lunch With Gina
If Your Gold Teeth II is about gambling, it's more about the chances that you take in life, or perhaps being willing to take chances in your life. The answers they reveal, life is unreal. Yeah man, not nonsensical or hard to discern, it's about life, and not being afraid to shoot your shot.
Show Biz Kids .. underranked. Love the audacity of practically one-chord composition paired with Derringer's searing swampy slide guitar. Fagen and Derringer had their own music biz connection, see web page titled "Rick Derringer: Real McCoy"
Chain Lightning .. you missed it. Fagen reverse engineers the classic blues progression .. see an entire YT video where he explains to a jazz pianist interlocutor.
Was introduced to steely dan in the 70s , had pretzel logic on reel-to-reel tape that was played nightly, I very much agree with you comments on "Almost gothic", I would listen to it just to hear the horns part, it's a beautiful song, thank you and I must go and rediscover some of the other albums like "everything must go" , Ray Brown (Bass) is incredible and featured on "Razer Boy", I would have added a comment.
The first song of theirs i had heard thay stood out to me was Gaucho. I was shopping in a good will years ago and the guitar/horn solo was so angelic. I Shazam'd the song and listened to it on my drive home. The rest is history lol
Dallas and parts of Sail the Waterway sound like they'd been listening heavily to Tumbleweed Connection. The segment on Fire in the Hole was great, alerting me to a lot of stuff I'd missed. On Razor Boy, the part that goes "I guess only women in cages" is paraphrased from the instrumental middle 8 of the Beatles' Anytime at All. I hadn't noticed it as much in the past but SD really studied the Beatles, Dylan, Bacharach et al. On Pretzel Logic, Rikki is really puzzling. I loved it when I first heard it and it's packed with hooks, but unlike almost every other SD hit, it's easy to get tired of, and reading the book "The Nightfly", it was that way for them too. Whenever they complain about live audiences wanting to only hear hits, Rikki is the example they always give. Getting tired of songs with great hooks is usually due to absence of a bridge but this has a nice one (you tell yourself you're not my kind). I guess it's that there's so much repetition of the bossa nova bass figure. Actually bossa novas in general. It's the same thing with Jobim. I fell head over heels in love with every one of his songs, only to tire of it in relatively short order. I think that's the single biggest element of the Beatles' genius. They almost never repeat a hook exactly the same way and never let a song outstay its welcome (until Let It Be, when they got lazy). The best Steely Dan does this too, but it's much more challenging for them because their songs are so much longer in general. I think Morph the Cat is the best SD Christmas song though - listen to the vocal stem on the chorus. I think they left This All Too Mobile Home off of studio albums because of it being a bit too similar to Rock & Roll Woman by Buffalo Springfield.
Another Dingus video, God has decided to smile upon me today: - Dirty Work is easily the most overrated SD song, but it doesn't deserve D-Tier, rather on C-tier. - Turn That Heartbeat Over Again is easily one of the most underrated SD songs, and I believe it should be A-Tier, but would settle on B-Tier. - Show Biz Kids is easily the worst song on CTE, C-Tier at BEST. - Night by Night is pretty underrated, and definitely one of the standout tracks on the album but not S-Tier, should be A-Tier. - Any Major Dude is somewhat overrated, but should be B-Tier. - East St. Louis Toodle-oo is poopoo. - I'd say Charlie Freak is the 2nd most Christmas-sy song to Turn That Heartbeat Over Again. - Monkey In Your Soul is in an appropriate spot, but the 2000 version is worth a listen, and if it were on this list it'd be in A-Tier. - DDLITNYCNM is like Monkey In Your Soul, in that the 2000 version stomps it, but by itself is much better than Monkey In Your Soul. - Throw Back The Little Ones is an underrated, great song, but nowhere near S-Tier. I'd say B-Tier, maybe A-Tier. - The Caves of Altamira is good, but not that good. A-Tier. - Two Against Nature really is one of their best albums, glad someone noticed, but the only placements I disagree with are Jack of Speed and Cousin Dupree. Jack of Speed is great, but with the 1996 and Plush-TV versions existing, it just can't hold a candle to them, and I'd put it in A-Tier. Cousin Dupree is a feel-good banger and deserves B-Tier at the LEAST. - Clearly, you haven't listened to The Last Mall in a mall/store. - Lunch With Gina is balling.
"Dirty Work" is only designated as over-rated by people who have never had sex. And therefore don't understand the song. But for me - Top 3 in the catalogue.
@@wishofalifetime - there's sentiment involved. That song saved my life one month long ago just like "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" is saving my life right now. At least the opening two lines are exactly my life at the moment. And I mean exactly. It's ok - even though I don't exactly understand it. Also, I see the similar potential re: " a change of heart" -- has the feel of a pretty long shot in the song. And I should probably take careful note of that. But mostly the music matches the mood that the situation which the lyrics describe evokes. Which is where the real genius is.
"Brooklyn" is a loose musical re-working of Bob Dylan's "Queen Jane Approximately." Same chord progression, similar melody. The lyrics came across better on the demo, where it has an extra verse and more powerful lead vocal by Fagen.
This is a very good look at the individual songs, the session artists and the meanings behind them, which are always quite elusive with Steely Dan. But your criticisms of some, and your showering praise on some real dogs, I will have to disagree with. And then there's the random whimsical positioning of individual songs, where you'd place some in top tier, and then later move them all the way down to 3rd. It loses relevance when I see that happening. Like what you did with "Through With Buzz". While I didn't consider it a top tier from the start, you placed it at the Supreme level in the #1 spot, and then moved it down three levels.
Third World Man / Were You Blind That Day was leftover from Aja. And Glamour Profession is way better that Time Out Of Mind. Babylon Sisters and Glamour are the best two songs on the album.
Steely Dan is my favorite band. You can ask 50 fans what their top 10 favorite steely Dan songs are and you will get 50 completely different lists.
This is mostly true!, I will wager you will find Aja, Deacon Blues, Kid Charlamagne, Babylon sisters, Gaucho etc. In top tens.
@@jeffsirname I hear you but I think those songs that you mentioned would definitely be in everyone’s list of “best” Steely Dan songs but my list of “favorite” Steely songs is different than my list of their best songs.
@@jeffsirname Even though I'm not nearly as knowledgeable about SD as some, I fell more comfortable making a Top 20 list so I won't have to leave out so many favorites.
That's true of any artist/band isn't it, it's often the 'deep cuts' and less popular songs l love the most.
@@jeffsirname And not Slang of Ages...
If you don't cry every time that Any Major Dude comes on, you don't have a soul.
I do cry when I listen to it. It's poignant & pithy
Right. I get it. If a person doesn't have the emotional reaction to this song that YOU think they should have then that person MUST be a soulless human being. Meanwhile if somebody were to say that about you not having the emotional response to a song that THEY think you oughta have,you'd bawl holy hell and tell them to go f%ck themselves. May God pity you and people like you.
finally one of these i can watch all through and have a different opinion on each and every one of them
5 tracks off of Everything Must Go better than Black Cow, Peg, and Josie? You sir, are a mad man
A clueless madman, that is.
@@CantbuyathrillYeah, he just doesn't know what he's talking about
Not only that, but his 5 tracks didn’t include gaslighting abbie 🤡
I wouldn't rank them as high. But Last Mall, Pixeleen, Godwhacker are all absolute monsters
Mark Knopfler did bugger all on Time Out of Mine reportedly about 10 seconds. Professionally a failure for him. My bet is Hugh McCracken a fine rhythm player, did most of the guitar work, although there is somebody else doing licks. To say Knopfler guitar work was of a high standard is incorrect.
Plus as much as I like Gaucho, AJA was/ is superb.
Turned the video off when you said Don’t take me Alive was the stinker off of The Royal Scam
I, too, love that tune, but respect that we all have our differences in taste.
yeah if anything i'd say 'everything you did' would be the weak link of the royal scam
Very entertaining video! My only major disagreement with you is on don't take me alive. That song blew my mind with the guitar solo intro and the super catchy chorus. I was very surprised on my first royal scam listen, not expecting a third absolute banger in a row after kid Charlemagne and caves.
Fagen should have used another town I believe Mexico or Florida Oregan doesn't seem to fit I never even knew it was a town he was talking about wayback
@@johnydee5843 Well, if that's where the guy's old man was from, that's what happened.
Absolutely criminal not considering Haitian Divorce among the other top tier songs on Royal Scam. My lawyers will be in touch.
Good video though.
Yeah one of my favorites too
Deacon Blues at #1 makes me really happy
i will not accept barrytown slander
I actually kind of agree with this one. I think the Ben Folds cover ruined it for me, and I love Ben Folds.
Its actually the best song on their best album
@@_zumaroGreat song indeed, but title track is the best for me!
Thank you for also ranking the soundtrack album and the pre-CBAT singles.
Glamour Profession is Steely Dan at their steeliest dannest. It’s got this sterile, almost alien detachment. The dense jazz harmony completely at odds with the relentless disco drum beat. A woozy, airless trip through the suffocating atmosphere they found themselves in in LA. All the hope and humanity of Aja behind them in the rear view mirror. The weirdness of the imagery. Name dropping fictional freaks and degenerates. So anxious. So smooth. Wonderful track.
It's just so atmospheric and pristine all together, it's so sneering and elusive. There's such a strong feeling of cruising or slithering within the driving bass and crisp hi hats.
I'm torn as to place it in anything less than S/Platinum tier. Sometimes it makes my top 10, sometimes top 5, other times I need a break from it.
I agree. Glamour Profession is a perfect track. Captures the drug culture in L.A. in the 70s beautifully.
Deacon Blues is my favorite song of all time, it's so beautiful and the second Steely Dan song I ever listened to, and ever since I heard it I fell for all their amazing music
The lyrics of Deacon Blues is the stuff existentialism is made of. Drink Scotch Whiskey all night long and die behind the wheel.
As soon as you said Pretzel Logic was the worst album, you lost me. For me, it and Katy Lied are the perfect amalgamation of their jazz and rock. It’s the sweet spot.
Still appreciate the video though!
Agree with you on Pretzel Logic and Katy Lied.
Pretzel Logic is literally their best album lmao
That's certainly not a popular opinion and it's not one I personally agree with, but I also dig it. Why argue about the greatest Steely Dan album?
@@BudSchnelker I would say it’s a very popular opinion, if you check out the Critical Reception part of the Wiki entry: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretzel_Logic
Only two sources give it less than a perfect score, and they’re both still very high scores.
Of course we can all agree and disagree on the best Steely Dan albums. I’m just saying Pretzel Logic *last*? Nay, sir!
thank you for the hour and a half long steely dan video that i needed at 3 am
doctor Wu is definitely my favorite
Doctor Wu is their all time best
One of
I surprisingly agree with a lot of your choices. Major exception, the Royal scam album. After Kid C, my next 3 favs are HD, SIS, and Don’t Take Me Alive. You have every other song ranked above those 3, I would have strongly done the opposite.
Everytime, i ask my self, how people doesnt consider Do It Again as the best song of Steely Dan. The melody is a step higher, the originality is unmatched and it's just beautiful. It doesnt even feel long, it is the opposite.
Very high production value, top notch editing Dingus
As someone whos not been in the SD community I'm surprised at all the "Dirty Work" hatred. That intro is one of my favorites but I agree it sounds more pop-y than their other work.
For me "Fire in the Hole" and "Razor Boy" definitely crack into the S Tier, huge highlights of the early Dan
Dirty Work is a good song, and David Palmer does a fine job with it. I like the chord progression, and the subtle variations within it. C tier.
Objectively, C tier. I love it though. B tier for me
1) glamour profession
2) any major dude will tell you
3) here at the western world
4) caves of Altamira
5) Home at last
6) don’t take me alive
7) third world man
8) through with Buzz
9) The second arrangement
10) Rose Darling
great choices! 👍
You've done an awesome job with it! I agree with you on almost all points, except perhaps some songs that had to be put in a higher position, for example King of the world (for me it stands in one of the best three). But, in genrral, very good job. I appreciate also the fact that you said that their last album is a very good one, although it is generally seen as a minor album of theirs; I love Everything must go.
I am glad I stumbled onto this. Man I have the best playlist ever for a road trip! Thank you for taking the time to do this.
Excellent ranking vid! I probably would have given much higher marks to Rose Darliing and Your Gold Teeth II, but I appreciate your acknowledgment of their final two albums, which are oddly underrated.
Found your channel through reddit, BTW!
Hot take but i think third world man is their best song. Between the sorrowful, regretful tone, the dark, cryptic lyrics, the instrumentals and the harmonies between the guitars and the electric pianos, the absolutely transcendent outro. One of the most beautifully tragic songs i’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to.
I would agree
Yeah, it's a very good song indeed. Probably their most beautiful and tragic sounding ballad. It even tops "Deacon blues" on that level. It has some of the best vocals from Donald Fagen on any Steely Dan song IMO. Particularly the layered harmony parts in the chorus are really top notch! With the wonderful guitar playing, beautiful keyboard and synth parts, the overal production sounds superb.
One of Joni Mitchell's all-time favourite songs as well :)
In the past decade "Gaucho" has very slowly become my favorite record. It's almost as if I don't want to admit it, but it's getting hard to deny.
@@BudSchnelkerlisten to their unreleased “second arrangement” and Gaucho is really their best.
Such a hard task. Well done! I wonder where The Second Arrangement would have come.
I believe the Second Arrangement is within the S tier and is surrounded by "The Nightfly" , "Glamour Profession" , and "I.G.Y", it feels like a cousin to these tracks and is just if not even greater as a song.
It’s available to listen to now look it up!
@@MM-op6ti I've heard it loads. Great track!
Wow .. that took a lot of work to put together! Thank you for taking a stab at an impossible task and leading with your chin. I really enjoyed your review and reasons for your selections. I will have to give the last two albums more of critical listen as may top 20 SD songs would likely only have West of Hollywood and Jack of Speed in it. All the best!
Awesome video, I’m so glad I found this channel and someone else who feels the same way about Gaucho! Thanks for making these and thanks for the link in the description, I really appreciate that.
From another fellow SD enjoyer, these videos are fantastic. Thank you, these must take quite alot of time and work to make.
This guy is too much of a college Rock guy to truly appreciate Steely Dan music.
Steely Dan is my favorite band…..has been since 1974. Music critics suck, can’t wait to see/hear your list.
Razor Boy .. you missed it. Another in the Dan's tastefully Latin-tinged yet lyrically obfuscated offerings in CBAT and CTE. Very satisfying musically on repeat listenings.
Love it so much. Pretty sure it was there. Ranked not that great. 🥲
FOr years and years, this song was filler that bridged Bhoddisatva to Boston Rag -- 4 decades later it is my current favorite SD song. That's what I love aobut this band - - those songs that I discounted early on come back and get me to relisten to albums again.
Missed it as in didn't include it? It was referenced around 19.40-20.40 mins, if missed it as in "missed the genius of it " I completely agree. Razor boy is an A tier for me.
Thanks for the shoutout, glad you liked my illustration for Charlie Freak 🙂
Ah, perfect! After using your other videos and that Swedish site to create a complete SD discography, this one gives me an excuse to listen to them all in order. I greatly prefer this chronological tier approach to the countdown from worst to best approach. I'm pleasantly shocked how much material there is and how great it is.
I agree with your picks almost perfectly, nice job
I started by skipping to the end but I ended up watching just about all of it as every time I thought of a song, I went to the section with the corresponding album. Of course, there are many songs with which I might disagree with your tier placement, but instead of going through the subjective exercise of calling those out, I just want to appreciate the effort you put into this video and to thank you for an hour plus worth of entertainment!
This video has "labor of love" written on every inch of it. Thanks man.
King of the World and The Caves of Altamira may be my favorites, but I love all 70s Steely Dan.
Top five of today could be Razor boy, Any major dude..., King of the world, Caves of Altamira and FM
i came here highly anticipating your take on Through With Buzz and was thoroughly pleased with it
edit: then i watched until the end
The TAG/EMG ranks are insane
This is awesome holy sh*t I needed this.
Pretzel logic and Katy Lied are my two favorite of their albums.
Pretzel Logic and The Royal Scam my two favourites.
Yeah, he definitely underappreciates Pretzel Logic. That one gets better the more you listen to it.
Great video,though I would have liked a little more sampling from each song than just background white noise steely dan
Don't you go baggin' on Pretzel Logic now!! Great job.
I'm genuinely shocked that TAN and EMG had songs that scored so high. I'll have to give them another chance.
Gotta listen through the whole thing a couple times - very rewarding
TAN I could never get into either, but definitely give EMG a shot. It's a bit more jazzy and varied than TAN but still has very good grooves (and the title track is 👌)
Almost Gothic is the Steely Dan equivalent of finding wine in a sunken shipwreck and discovering it’s not only potable, it’s delectable.
There’s a few good songs on TAN/EMG this guy ranked them as lowest lol. Gaslighting Abbie could’ve been on Aja.
my biggest criticism: I fucking love sign in stranger
how did you get that word through youtube censorship?
AND DIRTY WORK!
you have no idea the joy you bring me dingus
i see you're getting close to 1000 subs- you deserve that and much more! thanks for the great content.😎
Negative Girl is one of their most underrated, you have to give it 10 or 12 listens to start to 'get it', melodically it's a bit too complex, which is why we don't have a live version? It's a banger for sure.
Negative Girl is one of the best Steely Dan songs and recordings. Recorded in 2 takes! Live! How about that vibraphone solo?? Seriously.
The chord structures on many of the Two Against Nature and Everything Must Go songs have really complex and arcane chord changes. Too complex for most ears.
I heard it immediately as a minor masterpiece. Unusual song structure and instrumentation for SD. Subtle guitar work needs extra listens.
@@paulsholar9356 That was my take on it, too. In my top 10.
I think that's the best song on that album. It has a more classic and complex Dan sound which is lacking a bit on most of the other songs on the album.
Peg at a notch below top tier??? Are you high??
great vid, maybe you can rank the guitarists steely dan worked with next.
I wish more fans appreciated the reunion albums like you do, but it’s definitely a generational thing.
Id love to do a collab sometime, maybe a ranking or review video!
For sure, whenever you wanna plan something, feel free to DM me on Instagram @dingusthekid
Can’t believe people sleep on two against nature. It was my intro to the Dan with me falling in love with Jack of speed and asking my dad to listen to the album on my CD player when I went to high school. I started with that, the everything must go, then the older stuff starting with countdown to ecstasy. 2 against nature would be my favorite album if it weren’t for Alive in America whose live version of songs from other albums kicks so much ass. Steely Dan was my favorite band in high school and over ten years since graduation, i have yet to find a babd that tops it
Never gonna do it without the Fez on!!!
Pretzel Logic is their best IMHO Countdown and Katy Lied would vie for second. But My Old School is their greatest song
Razor boy is addiction personified.
PS going postal is not about a video game
Please make a Donald Fagen solo album tier list.
fuckin' great work man, would love to see you rank the outtakes/steely dan apocrypha
It's hard to rank so many great tracks. I'll say King of the World for me though. Musically an absolute behemoth
You are an inspiration, all glory honor and power is yours, now and forever.
Very enjoyable video.
Love The Dan!
Lonny swept the playpen and swallowed up all he found
Some great takes here but Dirty Work is much better than D tier. Forget that it's very un-Steely Dan - it's a great track.
I don't like Gaucho nearly as much as you do but Time Out of Mind is definitely up there for me. But Caves of Altamira is probably my favorite of all.
22:07 Whenever i listen to this song i can't help but imagine I'm scrolling infinitely on a TikTok for you page
Thought I was the only one who knew Lunch with Gina even existed let alone putting it on the top shelf. Might have a look at the rest of your stuff.
"Dirty Work" has always been low on my personal Dan tier ranking, but when I say Steely Dan last summer my appreciation for the song went up a few notches. I suspect Donald felt an expectation to include this big hit in the show, but knew it wasn't his to sing, so he gave it to his backup singers to feature those seriously talented women and they knocked it out of the park.
Interesting that you rate the comeback albums so highly. Myself and all the Dan (yes we call them the Dan) fans I know are of a certain vintage (60+) and all are in agreement that the last couple of of albums are by some distance the weakest. Moreover, of the the original seven albums Gaucho seems to be the least loved and this is the album you proclaim the goat!
Amongst my peers the albums that seem to come out on top are Pretzel logic, Aja and probably top of the pile the Royale scam.
For many of us the comeback albums seem to lack energy, variety and hooks (though I do love almost gothic and everything must go song).
Steely Dan were a consistently brilliant band so there is a lot of scope for disagreement over their output and I very much doubt I’ll ever see eye to eye with someone who rates negative girl above Don’t take me alive !!!??? But we can all appreciate their unique contribution to pops rich pageant and that’s all that matters in the end
I disagree with a fair amount of these but appreciate the video
I like that Gaucho makes gay people canonical in Steely Dan lore
Tough task, I"d move up Chain Lightning for its topic and Pearl for its lament.
It's taking me forever to get through this, as I'm listening to the songs as we go. :) I also get a Jack Stratton vibe from the commentary. That's meant to be a good thing. I'm almost through Two Against Nature as I type this comment. Really enjoying the journey!
Let me reiterate, if you're not familiar with the early demo of Brooklyn, go listen to it, it's hauntingly beautiful, and the lyrics aren't nonsensical at all, they're deep and relevant to their love of New York City.
Exactly!! As a matter of fact:
To all of you non-NewYorkers out there,
keep your nonsense clueless comments about
Broooklyn Owes The Charmer Under Me
to yourself, especially if you didnt live in this city way back when.
Enjoyable and respect to you for doing it...I'm glad you say your opinion tends to change depending on what you're listening to at the time. It needs to! We all have our favourites but the police will be coming round shortly to arrest you for what you've done to Barrytown. A special lack of grace indeed!!!
Home At Last is criminally underrated in general.
Feldman’s eerie piano work is sensational as is Larry Carlton’s sneaky chord playing. Walter’s lead shows on AJA he was at the top of his game. What isn’t there to like about Home At Last.
Well done for making a stab at this; I enjoy your videos, even if I disagree with how you weigh quality; what I most certainly agree with is the statement that ratings are 'fluid' and subject to revision.
could you do a Donald Fagen solo work tier list? Maybe add Beckers solo work too? (if you do don't forget Centurys End)
Centurys end ❤
Completely 100% disagree about 'Dirty Work'. Its one of my favorite Steely Dan songs.
Uhhhhhh that is Rick Derringer on Show Biz Kids……
I think pretzel logic is a great song. It’s the song that got me into steely dan
"Do It Again" is not one of their best songs" "Dirty Work" doesnt work"
This guy is completely clueless.
My favs:
1. Doctor Wu
2. Here At The Western World
3. Black Cow
4. Everyone’s Gone To The Movies
5. Midnight Cruiser
6. Chain Lightning
7. Gaucho
8. Aja
9. Babylon Sisters
10. Lunch With Gina
Nobody ever mentions Here At The Western World and I love that song.
Oh shit this is gonna be awesome
Curious to hear your rankings for Second Arrangement, Kulie Baba and The Bear
If Your Gold Teeth II is about gambling, it's more about the chances that you take in life, or perhaps being willing to take chances in your life. The answers they reveal, life is unreal. Yeah man, not nonsensical or hard to discern, it's about life, and not being afraid to shoot your shot.
Show Biz Kids .. underranked. Love the audacity of practically one-chord composition paired with Derringer's searing swampy slide guitar. Fagen and Derringer had their own music biz connection, see web page titled "Rick Derringer: Real McCoy"
Give a listen to Rikki Lee Jones great version of SBK.
Chain Lightning .. you missed it. Fagen reverse engineers the classic blues progression .. see an entire YT video where he explains to a jazz pianist interlocutor.
Was introduced to steely dan in the 70s , had pretzel logic on reel-to-reel tape that was played nightly, I very much agree with you comments on "Almost gothic", I would listen to it just to hear the horns part, it's a beautiful song, thank you and I must go and rediscover some of the other albums like "everything must go" , Ray Brown (Bass) is incredible and featured on "Razer Boy", I would have added a comment.
Glad to see someone else rates Caves of Altamira. Would have been even better if they had not omitted the extra verse.
Barrytown is one of my Faves😢
The first song of theirs i had heard thay stood out to me was Gaucho. I was shopping in a good will years ago and the guitar/horn solo was so angelic. I Shazam'd the song and listened to it on my drive home. The rest is history lol
Aja could fit the aesthetic of a ballad 100%
props for Time Out of Mind's high placement, feel like i don't see that often
If I ever make music blame Steely Dan 💖💛💚
Dallas and parts of Sail the Waterway sound like they'd been listening heavily to Tumbleweed Connection. The segment on Fire in the Hole was great, alerting me to a lot of stuff I'd missed. On Razor Boy, the part that goes "I guess only women in cages" is paraphrased from the instrumental middle 8 of the Beatles' Anytime at All. I hadn't noticed it as much in the past but SD really studied the Beatles, Dylan, Bacharach et al. On Pretzel Logic, Rikki is really puzzling. I loved it when I first heard it and it's packed with hooks, but unlike almost every other SD hit, it's easy to get tired of, and reading the book "The Nightfly", it was that way for them too. Whenever they complain about live audiences wanting to only hear hits, Rikki is the example they always give. Getting tired of songs with great hooks is usually due to absence of a bridge but this has a nice one (you tell yourself you're not my kind). I guess it's that there's so much repetition of the bossa nova bass figure. Actually bossa novas in general. It's the same thing with Jobim. I fell head over heels in love with every one of his songs, only to tire of it in relatively short order. I think that's the single biggest element of the Beatles' genius. They almost never repeat a hook exactly the same way and never let a song outstay its welcome (until Let It Be, when they got lazy). The best Steely Dan does this too, but it's much more challenging for them because their songs are so much longer in general. I think Morph the Cat is the best SD Christmas song though - listen to the vocal stem on the chorus. I think they left This All Too Mobile Home off of studio albums because of it being a bit too similar to Rock & Roll Woman by Buffalo Springfield.
Another Dingus video, God has decided to smile upon me today:
- Dirty Work is easily the most overrated SD song, but it doesn't deserve D-Tier, rather on C-tier.
- Turn That Heartbeat Over Again is easily one of the most underrated SD songs, and I believe it should be A-Tier, but would settle on B-Tier.
- Show Biz Kids is easily the worst song on CTE, C-Tier at BEST.
- Night by Night is pretty underrated, and definitely one of the standout tracks on the album but not S-Tier, should be A-Tier.
- Any Major Dude is somewhat overrated, but should be B-Tier.
- East St. Louis Toodle-oo is poopoo.
- I'd say Charlie Freak is the 2nd most Christmas-sy song to Turn That Heartbeat Over Again.
- Monkey In Your Soul is in an appropriate spot, but the 2000 version is worth a listen, and if it were on this list it'd be in A-Tier.
- DDLITNYCNM is like Monkey In Your Soul, in that the 2000 version stomps it, but by itself is much better than Monkey In Your Soul.
- Throw Back The Little Ones is an underrated, great song, but nowhere near S-Tier. I'd say B-Tier, maybe A-Tier.
- The Caves of Altamira is good, but not that good. A-Tier.
- Two Against Nature really is one of their best albums, glad someone noticed, but the only placements I disagree with are Jack of Speed and Cousin Dupree. Jack of Speed is great, but with the 1996 and Plush-TV versions existing, it just can't hold a candle to them, and I'd put it in A-Tier. Cousin Dupree is a feel-good banger and deserves B-Tier at the LEAST.
- Clearly, you haven't listened to The Last Mall in a mall/store.
- Lunch With Gina is balling.
"Dirty Work" is only designated as over-rated by people who have never had sex. And therefore don't understand the song. But for me - Top 3 in the catalogue.
@@cb_norwood Top 3 in the catalogue is just objectively false, but agree to disagree.
@@wishofalifetime - there's sentiment involved. That song saved my life one month long ago just like "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" is saving my life right now. At least the opening two lines are exactly my life at the moment. And I mean exactly. It's ok - even though I don't exactly understand it. Also, I see the similar potential re: " a change of heart" -- has the feel of a pretty long shot in the song. And I should probably take careful note of that. But mostly the music matches the mood that the situation which the lyrics describe evokes. Which is where the real genius is.
@@cb_norwood That sounds plenty reasonable then.
I got an original pressing of Gaucho when I was strolling through antique stores during a work break. One of the best purchases I’ve ever made.
"Brooklyn" is a loose musical re-working of Bob Dylan's "Queen Jane Approximately." Same chord progression, similar melody. The lyrics came across better on the demo, where it has an extra verse and more powerful lead vocal by Fagen.
This is a very good look at the individual songs, the session artists and the meanings behind them, which are always quite elusive with Steely Dan. But your criticisms of some, and your showering praise on some real dogs, I will have to disagree with. And then there's the random whimsical positioning of individual songs, where you'd place some in top tier, and then later move them all the way down to 3rd. It loses relevance when I see that happening. Like what you did with "Through With Buzz". While I didn't consider it a top tier from the start, you placed it at the Supreme level in the #1 spot, and then moved it down three levels.
Third World Man / Were You Blind That Day was leftover from Aja. And Glamour Profession is way better that Time Out Of Mind. Babylon Sisters and Glamour are the best two songs on the album.
"Cant Buy A Thrill" is one of the most solid albums ever.
No fillers, no mediocre songs, and each track so different from the previous one.
im dna on fagan becker. had to go with you on 90% on this ranking.