Steely Dan were the pinnacle of accessible sophistication. Such a perfect mixture of rock, jazz, blues, and r&b. The core band was two people: Walter Becker (guitar) and Donald Fagen (keyboards, vocals). They were perfectionists who would hire the best of the best musicians to craft these immaculate songs and albums. This track was the first track from their very first (!) album and was one of their many hits. Other major hits include: Reelin' in the Years, Rikki Don't Lose That Number, Deacon Blues, Kid Charlemagne, Don't Take Me Alive, Hey Nineteen, Peg, Black Friday, and Babylon Sisters. Simply one of the best bands of all time.
Possibly the greatest song, by possibly the greatest band. An absolute masterpiece. And it was the first track of their first album! What a way to introduce yourselves to the world!! 😮😮😮
Steely Dan is a great American rock band founded in 1971. They had a lot of great hits such as "Dirty Work", "Rikki Don't Lose That Number", "Hey Nineteen", "Josie", "Aja", "Kid Charlemagne", "Deacon Blues", "FM", "Show Biz Kids", "My Old School", "Babylon Sisters" etc."
“Jack, you seem to be a magnet for trouble, sir”😂🤣😂🤣Got a belly laugh out of me! Loved your reaction, Britt. One of my favorite albums as a teen in high school was Aja. Solid album start to finish, as so many of their others are. I think you’ll enjoy diving into their catalogue. Steely Dan’s music is top notch. RIP Walter Becker.
The part about the water probably refers to back in the wild west if you were traveling across the desert. If someone stole your water you could die of thirst before you got to a town. Steely Dan has so many great songs and they have been sampled for many modern songs.
I agree about the whole wild west thing, and the hangman part reinforces that. But I think it's more about the very real and bloody battles over water between the cattle and sheep ranchers at that time. Watch the classic movie Shane (or better yet, read the book) to get a sense of the problem.
Sure, there might be the Wild West thing. The border line backs that up. But I think Fagen was thinking about water as a symbol for something else. Emotion? Emotional expression? Life? Precious bodily fluids? Hurt feelings? There’s a lot of possibilities. Maybe it’s drugs. But there’s a reason I think Fagen was using a Wild West motif to mean something else-he wasn’t a cowboy or a pioneer or a cattle rancher or any of that. Steely Dan’s lyrics are precise, and this is one of those cases where the lyrics are less than precise.
I was a freshman in high school in 1972 when this song came out. The vibe from this song put its hooks into me and never let go. Steely Dan has been a part of my musical journey all these years👍🏼. Britt, the 70’s were an awesome time to be a teenager and young adult. YOU, would have rocked 70’s…😊
Great reaction!!! The singer their showing is David Palmer who was hire because Donald Fagen wasn't comfortable at first with being the lead vocalist. Palmer also worked with Carol King. You have entered a very deep rabbit hole with the Dan. To be alive when this song and others of this time came out was truly a gift. It brings back so many memories of driving to Vermont to ski on weekends.
I’m not a big Palmer fan. I don’t hate him, but his tracks are not my favorites. Typically, I’ll skip Dirty Work, which some fans consider sacrilegious. This video looks like the studio version (with Fagen’s vocals) and live footage synced to it. Fagen’s voice just has more bite, imho, and that’s the full Dan sound in my mind and my ears.
Steely Dan; another great 70's rabbit hole. People ask why I mostly listen to the music off my teenage years, IT'S BECAUSE IT IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN OTHER DECADES !!
This is the first song from the band's first album. They started strong and never dipped because of their work ethic in the studio... perfect or it doesn't make the cut. Love Steely Dan!
This performance was on 'The Midnight Special' The Midnight Special was a great TV show in the 1970's/1980's. It was on right after Johnny Carson. They had all the greatest acts...
Brit, you have to realize that back in the days of the old west, if someone stole your water as you were traveling across the Prairie, you could die of dehydration before you made it to a town, or found a river, or a spring or a stream. If you had a river or stream that you used to irrigate your crops, and someone diverted your flow of water, your source of livelihood, dried up and blew away! And a lot of people’s attorney back, then was a rifle or a shotgun!
i was 14 in 1970, and grew up with all this awesome music! i still wear bell bottoms lol. you are a kindred soul and definitely a child of the 70s. no matter when you were born! i so enjoy your reactions.
Quintessential 70's vibe, awesome beat, melody and arrangement AND clever insightful lyrics with attitude, plus bellbottoms and big hair - totally in Britt's wheelhouse... lol
I love your reviews and love the fact you are reviewing Steely Dan. This is one of the songs I like to listen to late at night with the only light from the stereo. Or late on a summer night sitting in a car lakeside. This is a classic and I really enjoyed watching you listen to it.
The 70s are unmatched when it comes to music, though I might be biased because I grew up in that era. Steely Dan was killing it! Try "Black Cow", "Time Out of Mind", and "Everything Must Go".
Exactly what a vibe! Steely Dan are masters of writing sophisticated songs both lyrically and sonically since you liked this one they have so many more wonderful songs to react to.
Hi Britt, Those tall hand drums are actually called "congas," the bongos are much smaller and have a distinctively different sound!!! Please react to Steely Dan's song "PEG" because it too is a "VIBE" and the music jams!!!"
Nice to see young people rediscover good music. I was in HS and College when Steely Dan were peaking. I loved their blend of jazz, R&B and rock. They used some of the best studio musicians. But honestly I never understood most of their lyrics until years later. “Do It Again” highlights 3 common and destructive obsessions prone to men: Violence, Women and Gambling.
Absolutely love the 70s, love this song, love your reaction, everything is totally awesome 🙏 yeah, can't stop moving either, absolutely groven in the groovy 😊
About drums: Bongo drums are the small ones (two linked together) that are held between the knees. The hand-drums in this video are "congas". They are held in hoop-stands and there are usually at least two or three of them but not always.
I love watching music reactions, but I am really into yours by far.... I've been a Dj since 1981 and just make me so happy... You bring life to the music 🎶. Thank you so much 🙏
Legendary musicianship Michael McDonald was a background singer in this hodge podge of musical genius that featured a wide array of studio masters including Larry Carlton and Jeff (skunk) Baxter this song also featured Dennis Diaz on the electric citar
And the hippie playing the "congas" is Jeff Skunk Baxter - one of the great guitar players - he was such a genius he wrote a research paper about missile systems in the 70's that was so ingenious that the US govt. hired him and he has been working for the Defense Dept. ever since.
Great vibing to this classic Britt! I got a few more 70's classics for you - How Long by Ace, Dancing In the Moonlight by King Harvest and A Love Of Your Own by Average White Band (Live at Montreux 1977).
Love Steely Dan! They had so many great songs. Their musicality was amazing! Even though there lyrics could be somewhat dark, their tunes were always catchy and melodic...Some more great songs to check out: Kid Charlemagne, Green Earrings, Haitian Divorce, Reelin in the Years, Babylon Sisters, Peg, Night by Night and the list goes on....
“Do It Again” is about a man whose name is Jack that gets off on violence, women, & money. He keeps repeating his “addictions” for that purpose. 1972. Great tune.
Omg, love your chair dancing in this so much. Huge grin on my face. And yes it's an organ, it's just the way he's playing it. But there might be something else mixed in with it, I'm not sure.
They hit the rock-pop-jazz world like a firecracker! Grabbing lead singer from the Doobie Brothers gave them the key. Nobody had played this type of music in pop before. Danceable jazz-rock for the pre-disco clubs that had just replaced house bands with dance floors with disco lit FLOORS! You'll also really love their top hit, “Rikki Don't Lose That Number” and "Reeling in the Years", too!
Steely Dan is its own rabbit hole. You could get lost for weeks. Great great band that you just can't pigeon hole. Donald Fagen (keyboards) and Walter Becker (bass) were the hub and they surrounded themselves with the creme de la creme of session musicians specific to whatever they were working on.
I love this Girl......lookin just as fine as Tyra Banks........wit all that Flavor........She's definitely a Lovely One.......Go head Girl.......I'm Lovin your Style.........✌️
Pretzel Logic, Josie, Rikki Don't Lose That Number, Hey Nineteen, Reelin' In the Years, My Old School, Bad Sneakers, FM, Peg, Dirty Work, Black Cow, Deacon Blues, Any Major Dude, Time Out of Mind, Aja and that's only those that come to mind right now!!! Oh BTW, they'll all make you feel like you're listening to incredibly complex music that makes you wanna move......
This video was originally recorded with David Palmer as the vocalist. Eventually, Donald Fagen took over the videos. Whoever did this video put the final album soundtrack on top of the video.
As others have said, the song is about repeating ones mistakes over and over. "JACK' wasn't a specific person, but a slang term used during that time referring to anyone. Used at the end of a statement. "What's up Jack?"
Hey Britt. Steely Dan is great. Aren't they? Everything they do is consistently this good. If you liked this song you need to check out their song called "Aja". Kurt from Maine
Steely Dan were the pinnacle of accessible sophistication. Such a perfect mixture of rock, jazz, blues, and r&b. The core band was two people: Walter Becker (guitar) and Donald Fagen (keyboards, vocals). They were perfectionists who would hire the best of the best musicians to craft these immaculate songs and albums. This track was the first track from their very first (!) album and was one of their many hits. Other major hits include: Reelin' in the Years, Rikki Don't Lose That Number, Deacon Blues, Kid Charlemagne, Don't Take Me Alive, Hey Nineteen, Peg, Black Friday, and Babylon Sisters. Simply one of the best bands of all time.
Don't forget My Old School
Great analogy!
Possibly the greatest song, by possibly the greatest band. An absolute masterpiece.
And it was the first track of their first album! What a way to introduce yourselves to the world!! 😮😮😮
Pretty much every song they recorded is worth a listen. Top shelf songs.
For your top shelf weed.
Steely Dan is a great American rock band founded in 1971. They had a lot of great hits such as "Dirty Work", "Rikki Don't Lose That Number", "Hey Nineteen", "Josie", "Aja", "Kid Charlemagne", "Deacon Blues", "FM", "Show Biz Kids", "My Old School", "Babylon Sisters" etc."
Their later work was more jazz, blues, and r&b and less rock.
other great bands from the era include, the doobie bros, the eagles, fleetwood mac, poco, steve miller & joe walsh!!!
“Jack, you seem to be a magnet for trouble, sir”😂🤣😂🤣Got a belly laugh out of me! Loved your reaction, Britt. One of my favorite albums as a teen in high school was Aja. Solid album start to finish, as so many of their others are. I think you’ll enjoy diving into their catalogue. Steely Dan’s music is top notch. RIP Walter Becker.
You have just discovered the musicianship of Steely Dan! They're legends!!!!!!!!
Look up 'musical genius across all genre's' and it'll just say 'Steely Dan'. Never made a bad record. RIP Walter Becker.
The part about the water probably refers to back in the wild west if you were traveling across the desert. If someone stole your water you could die of thirst before you got to a town.
Steely Dan has so many great songs and they have been sampled for many modern songs.
I agree about the whole wild west thing, and the hangman part reinforces that. But I think it's more about the very real and bloody battles over water between the cattle and sheep ranchers at that time. Watch the classic movie Shane (or better yet, read the book) to get a sense of the problem.
Sure, there might be the Wild West thing. The border line backs that up.
But I think Fagen was thinking about water as a symbol for something else. Emotion? Emotional expression? Life? Precious bodily fluids? Hurt feelings? There’s a lot of possibilities. Maybe it’s drugs. But there’s a reason I think Fagen was using a Wild West motif to mean something else-he wasn’t a cowboy or a pioneer or a cattle rancher or any of that.
Steely Dan’s lyrics are precise, and this is one of those cases where the lyrics are less than precise.
The human condition: we repeat every mistake until we have extracted every lesson. The wheel keeps turning. Very profound song.
Very Deep Rabbit Hole!!! Masters in Musicianship!!
better by Waylon though
I was a freshman in high school in 1972 when this song came out. The vibe from this song put its hooks into me and never let go. Steely Dan has been a part of my musical journey all these years👍🏼.
Britt, the 70’s were an awesome time to be a teenager and young adult.
YOU, would have rocked 70’s…😊
Amen to that!
I was in 8th grade in 1972! Loved that song, And loved that era as a young man!!!!
17 in 1972, music has never been the same. My HS friend played drums with them, Jeff Porcaro. ❤
Please continue down the Steely Dan rabbit hole, It will not disappoint.
Great reaction!!!
The singer their showing is David Palmer who was hire because Donald Fagen wasn't comfortable at first with being the lead vocalist.
Palmer also worked with Carol King.
You have entered a very deep rabbit hole with the Dan.
To be alive when this song and others of this time came out was truly a gift.
It brings back so many memories of driving to Vermont to ski on weekends.
Deep deep!
I’m not a big Palmer fan. I don’t hate him, but his tracks are not my favorites. Typically, I’ll skip Dirty Work, which some fans consider sacrilegious. This video looks like the studio version (with Fagen’s vocals) and live footage synced to it.
Fagen’s voice just has more bite, imho, and that’s the full Dan sound in my mind and my ears.
Masters of their craft, Becker and Fagen have produced some of the finest music ever written.
They are currently on tour with the Eagles and I'm going to see them when they come to town and I can't wait, love both bands! Have a great day!
Love this song. I was 15 years old when I first heard it. Listening to it is like smoking a high quality blunt. It makes you feel so relaxed.
I was a kid in the 70's. I can't remember a day I wasn't listening to music, singing and dancing. It was a great time. ☮️
Steely Dan; another great 70's rabbit hole. People ask why I mostly listen to the music off my teenage years, IT'S BECAUSE IT IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN OTHER DECADES !!
I love this person. She's fantastic! Beautiful too!
Steely Dan kept me sane as a teenager in the 70's. 😂😂 Absolutely best decade for music!
Happy New Year 2025. Your choice of music is intoxicating. Thank you, Steely Dan is premiere in smooth satisfaction.
This is the first song from the band's first album. They started strong and never dipped because of their work ethic in the studio... perfect or it doesn't make the cut.
Love Steely Dan!
Love this band
This performance was on 'The Midnight Special'
The Midnight Special was a great TV show in the 1970's/1980's.
It was on right after Johnny Carson. They had all the greatest acts...
Steely Dan is definitely in my top 10.
Brit, you have to realize that back in the days of the old west, if someone stole your water as you were traveling across the Prairie, you could die of dehydration before you made it to a town, or found a river, or a spring or a stream.
If you had a river or stream that you used to irrigate your crops, and someone diverted your flow of water, your source of livelihood, dried up and blew away!
And a lot of people’s attorney back, then was a rifle or a shotgun!
You are so correct!! the 70's music is hands down the best ever.
This is an AMAZING rabbit hole. Enjoy Steely Dan. 🤟😊
Deacon Blues is also great song. Steely Dan is worthy of their own playlist.
Steely Dan is top shelf music. All their songs are fabulous.
One of the best songs EVER.
i was 14 in 1970, and grew up with all this awesome music! i still wear bell bottoms lol. you are a kindred soul and definitely a child of the 70s. no matter when you were born! i so enjoy your reactions.
Water was GOLD in the old west. BTW I love your MOVES!!!!!
Quintessential 70's vibe, awesome beat, melody and arrangement AND clever insightful lyrics with attitude, plus bellbottoms and big hair - totally in Britt's wheelhouse... lol
The song is about to the foolishness of repeating ones mistakes over and over again.
Ironically, on this channel.
Yep...three separate examples of poor choices using fictitious people (none of which are actually named "Jack").
Every song steely Dan did was a hit. That is a rabbit hole everybody should go down. That guitar solo is one of the hardest in music.
The song that introduced us to Steely Dan way back when I was in college. Instant hit!
Steely Dan is a rabbit hole worth going down. Seen them live some 20 times and would do it again...
AHHHH.....HIGH SCHOOL IN THE 70S....BEST MUSIC EVER !
I love your reviews and love the fact you are reviewing Steely Dan. This is one of the songs I like to listen to late at night with the only light from the stereo. Or late on a summer night sitting in a car lakeside. This is a classic and I really enjoyed watching you listen to it.
The 70s are unmatched when it comes to music, though I might be biased because I grew up in that era. Steely Dan was killing it! Try "Black Cow", "Time Out of Mind", and "Everything Must Go".
Exactly what a vibe! Steely Dan are masters of writing sophisticated songs both lyrically and sonically since you liked this one they have so many more wonderful songs to react to.
If they stole your water in a desert, it's serious. The song is about vices.
Hi Britt, Those tall hand drums are actually called "congas," the bongos are much smaller and have a distinctively different sound!!! Please react to Steely Dan's song "PEG" because it too is a "VIBE" and the music jams!!!"
I really enjoy your reactions, particularly to music of my era....60s, 70s. Yes, I'm old. Thanks!
Only group I know where it is literally true that "They never made a bad song". Trust us, you're going to LOVE this band!
Steely Dan has a catalogue of music that is soooo worth delving into. It's hard for me to pick a favourite.
A great, funky, progressive groove. Thanks for your reaction.
Best description of this music is it sounds hott and cool at the same time.
they were simply so good!
Steely Dan = In the top 20 groups of all time!!!
Yes its about the circle of life. Repeating mistakes. Love the video. Steely Dan one of my favorite groups. A song that influences me to drive fast.
Nice to see young people rediscover good music. I was in HS and College when Steely Dan were peaking. I loved their blend of jazz, R&B and rock. They used some of the best studio musicians. But honestly I never understood most of their lyrics until years later. “Do It Again” highlights 3 common and destructive obsessions prone to men: Violence, Women and Gambling.
Underrated band ! Every time you sample them you want more !
Thank you for this trip down memory lane !
Gods Blessings be with you !
Absolutely love the 70s, love this song, love your reaction, everything is totally awesome 🙏 yeah, can't stop moving either, absolutely groven in the groovy 😊
Steely Dan was so 70s, when FM was starting to take over......In fact, listen to their "FM". Love,
Steely Dan is the best rabbit hole you'll travel down. 😎😎😎😎😎
About drums: Bongo drums are the small ones (two linked together) that are held between the knees. The hand-drums in this video are "congas". They are held in hoop-stands and there are usually at least two or three of them but not always.
This is my first time listening you do steely dan. Great band, you need to delve into them more. Thanks for the reaction.
I love watching music reactions, but I am really into yours by far.... I've been a Dj since 1981 and just make me so happy... You bring life to the music 🎶. Thank you so much 🙏
Legendary musicianship Michael McDonald was a background singer in this hodge podge of musical genius that featured a wide array of studio masters including Larry Carlton and Jeff (skunk) Baxter this song also featured Dennis Diaz on the electric citar
And the hippie playing the "congas" is Jeff Skunk Baxter - one of the great guitar players - he was such a genius he wrote a research paper about missile systems in the 70's that was so ingenious that the US govt. hired him and he has been working for the Defense Dept. ever since.
By far the BEST MUSICIANS of the 70s. There music has and will always stand the test of time!!
Great vibing to this classic Britt! I got a few more 70's classics for you - How Long by Ace, Dancing In the Moonlight by King Harvest and A Love Of Your Own by Average White Band (Live at Montreux 1977).
In the first verse, I always assumed they were in the desert. That's why they were so angry about the water.
Love Steely Dan! They had so many great songs. Their musicality was amazing! Even though there lyrics could be somewhat dark, their tunes were always catchy and melodic...Some more great songs to check out: Kid Charlemagne, Green Earrings, Haitian Divorce, Reelin in the Years, Babylon Sisters, Peg, Night by Night and the list goes on....
Welcome to the world of Steely Dan. Incredible band and catalogue. That drum you were asking about is a conga.
The coolest band in the universe.
Holy smokes! I've listened to this song a million times, and just now realizing the strong Santana vibe coming off it. Great reaction, BTW
Your review was so good I had to “do it again.” That organ/syn sounds like what Ray Manzerick of the Doors used to play in “Light my Fire.”
I love your reviews also. I'm from this Era of music. You picked some really awesome music!
I have always enjoyed Steely Dan. Love their sound!! 😅
Love them! RIP Walter Becker. Do go down the Steely Dan rabbit hole. You won't be sorry!
“Do It Again” is about a man whose name is Jack that gets off on violence, women, & money. He keeps repeating his “addictions” for that purpose. 1972. Great tune.
This was, and is, such a groove! Loved it then, love it still!
Omg, love your chair dancing in this so much. Huge grin on my face. And yes it's an organ, it's just the way he's playing it. But there might be something else mixed in with it, I'm not sure.
They hit the rock-pop-jazz world like a firecracker! Grabbing lead singer from the Doobie Brothers gave them the key. Nobody had played this type of music in pop before. Danceable jazz-rock for the pre-disco clubs that had just replaced house bands with dance floors with disco lit FLOORS! You'll also really love their top hit, “Rikki Don't Lose That Number” and "Reeling in the Years", too!
Michael McDonald was with Steely Dan before he went to the Doobie Brothers.
@@mandandanmandamayor3511 as was Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, shown in this video on the congas.
Musicians. who play so much and are the talent top.
It's so good because it's Steely Dan!!!😊
Steely Dan is its own rabbit hole. You could get lost for weeks. Great great band that you just can't pigeon hole. Donald Fagen (keyboards) and Walter Becker (bass) were the hub and they surrounded themselves with the creme de la creme of session musicians specific to whatever they were working on.
love that you seem to favour live performances, showcasing the talents with minimal electronic alteration! !!!
I love this Girl......lookin just as fine as Tyra Banks........wit all that Flavor........She's definitely a Lovely One.......Go head Girl.......I'm Lovin your Style.........✌️
I forgot all about this great song! Thanks
Great reaction Britt! Steel Dan had a very nice sound. Lots of good music in their catalog.
Pretzel Logic, Josie, Rikki Don't Lose That Number, Hey Nineteen, Reelin' In the Years, My Old School, Bad Sneakers, FM, Peg, Dirty Work, Black Cow, Deacon Blues, Any Major Dude, Time Out of Mind, Aja and that's only those that come to mind right now!!! Oh BTW, they'll all make you feel like you're listening to incredibly complex music that makes you wanna move......
I can't wait for November. I have tickets for steely Dan and the Eagles.
This song contains one of the most badass guitar solos ever.
🖤🎼🎈🎼🖤 .. much , much , much great music with this band , Britt ... enjoy the journey ☃️☃️☃️☃️☃️☃️
Trapped in a cycle of addiction and obsession, unable to break out of the pattern. It's really a very deep song.
That's what they were all about! VIBE!
Not one bad song in their catalog. Almost every song is a banger. And that solo!!!
The water is a metaphor
For what ?
This video was originally recorded with David Palmer as the vocalist. Eventually, Donald Fagen took over the videos. Whoever did this video put the final album soundtrack on top of the video.
Donald was too shy/self conscious at first to sing in public. Thank goodness that changed.
I remember a gang of us in a huddle in the school playground trying to listen to this on a tiny transistor radio.
I do enjoy your reactions ! I love your sense of humor ! 😊
The 70’s music is the best.
As others have said, the song is about repeating ones mistakes over and over. "JACK' wasn't a specific person, but a slang term used during that time referring to anyone. Used at the end of a statement. "What's up Jack?"
Back because it's so good! 🩵🩵
🌿🌿 Thank you for being ready to pray over Jack. Haha.
Just a fun fact - this is from their album Aija which was the first major CD release.
Hey Britt. Steely Dan is great. Aren't they? Everything they do is consistently this good. If you liked this song you need to check out their song called "Aja". Kurt from Maine
Just don't ask where the band name came from.
@@DavidSmith-pg1ob😜🤫
Wars were fought over water-rights in the old West! Electric sitar and organ setting on Synth!Song is about other kinds of addictions!