The unique thing with Steely Dan is,, If you are having a party/bbq/etc. with all different age groups/ethnicities/etc. & You don't know what music to play,, Just play Steely Dan & Trust me,, There will be no complaints.

@theivory1

5 ай бұрын

And if there is a complaint, you now know who not to invite next time.

This is their Cali album, written when they were in New York. Royal Scam is their New York album, written while in Cali.

@teelurizzo8542

5 ай бұрын

I say 'Katie Lied' is their NY album too.

Steely Dan had some of the most renowned drummers play on their tracks. Besides Gadd and Bernard Purdie, there was also Jim Keltner, Jeff Porcaro, Hal Blaine and Rick Marotta, among others.

Steely Dan = music perfection. Truth

With all the incredible bass lines in the SD catalog, this one is my favorite. Anthony Jackson laying it down.

Great choice by the Dan. Gaucho is a great album

Michael Brecker, tenor saxophonist, was in great demand as a soloist, sideman and session musician. He compiled several albums with his brother, trumpeter Randy Brecker, as The Brecker Brothers. Additionally, he performed with bands whose styles ranged from mainstream jazz to mainstream rock. Altogether, he appeared on nearly 900 albums, either as a band member or a guest soloist. He put his stamp on numerous pop and rock recordings as a soloist, including notable work with James Taylor and Paul Simon. Other sessions included albums with Steely Dan, Lou Reed, Donald Fagen, Dire Straits, Joni Mitchell, Eric Clapton, Billy Joel, John Lennon, Aerosmith, Dan Fogelberg, Kenny Loggins, Frank Sinatra, Frank Zappa, Bruce Springsteen, Roger Daltrey, Parliament-Funkadelic, Cameo, Yoko Ono, Todd Rundgren, Chaka Khan, Orleans, Blue Öyster Cult, The Manhattan Transfer, Average White Band, Players Association, Everything but the Girl, Patti Austin, Art Garfunkel, Carly Simon, The Brothers Johnson, Karen Carpenter, and T-Square. Brecker also recorded (or performed) with many leading jazz musicians of his era, including Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Hal Galper, Chet Baker, Jan Akkerman, George Benson, Quincy Jones, Charles Mingus, Jaco Pastorius, McCoy Tyner, Pat Metheny, Elvin Jones, Claus Ogerman, Billy Cobham, Horace Silver, Mike Stern, Mike Mainieri, Max Roach, Steps Ahead, Dave Holland, Joey Calderazzo, Kenny Kirkland, Bob James, Grant Green, Don Cherry, Hubert Laws, and more. He died in 2007 of MDS, age 57. -- Wikipedia

@rickmerlotti7720

5 ай бұрын

Jeezus, I knew he was prolific, but holy crap!

@MrRabbit43

5 ай бұрын

For a perfect example of what a musician would want on his first solo album by a guest musician . Listen to Michael’s solo on Emerald City on Neil Larsen’s ( Larsen-Feiten) cd. Jazzy , Funky , Fast , Slow , Highs,Lows ,Smooth,Clean , Dirty , in and OUT !

I do believe Donald decided to put the drum machine they made/ invented over SG snare. Great song for sure. You're gonna love the rest of Gaucho. Fagen's solo album 'The Nightfly' is brilliant as well.

Gaucho is a classic Steely Dan album. You're right about Steve Gadd; he's killing it and bringing the drive. Love your reactions.

@L33Reacts

5 ай бұрын

Thanks Clifton I appreciate that bro. Glad you enjoyed it. I love this band so much now 😎😁

This is such a groove, The Dan's horn arrangements are just incredible and run throughout much of their later-day work, and Anthony Jackson's bass work as always is flawless....the whole band are just amazing, I hope you react to the title track Gaucho, its another masterpiece....thanks for your excellent choices and analysis.

@L33Reacts

5 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed my friend! Definitely a groove and a pure vibe. Gotta love the Dan. They can make ANYTHING work it seems lol

@sonicart1808

5 ай бұрын

@@L33Reacts Thanks L33!

You won't be hearing any more 1980s Steely Dan, because after this album they went on hiatus for nearly two decades. They truly were a creature uniquely of the 70s.

@L33Reacts

5 ай бұрын

Oh no shit... that's crazy. So this is the last album from the classic era then? That's wild. I definitely am gonna listen to as much of it as I can then.

This is such a classy song, and it really unites light and darkness - both in the flawless groove, the solos and the lyrics. I'll borrow a comment somebody made at another upload of the track: "The Dan waited until everybpdy else had had their say on the disco genre. and then left their own unique contribution. The high-hat ride prevails and the basic sound anchors it to disco - but the lyrics take it further into a territory of peril and covert crime than you'd ever get to hear from mainstream disco acts". - The song would have fit seamlessly into the soundtrack of Miami Vice a few years later, it's exactly the same vibe - and the same topic...

@L33Reacts

5 ай бұрын

Yeah the Miami vice pick is a good idea. That would have been perfect for that show. I've seen a few episodes on reruns throughout my life 😂 this song was great. They can elevate any genre or style they choose to attack and conquer to a whole new level 😊

The tightest track on Gaucho might be "Time Out of Mind" - as the lyrics go, it’s perfection *and* grace. And it’s their last song released as a single in the U.S. ("Babylon Sisters" was released as a single in the U.K. only.). Love your take on their background singers!

@L33Reacts

5 ай бұрын

I'll definitely add that one to the list. Babylon sister will be next since it's been requested and brought up so much lol

I don’t know how Donald and Walter came up with this song. Musically, it’s beautiful and very interesting.

You'll love the album, Gaucho, every single song is incredible. But don't forget Green Earrings from The Royal Scam, it's amazing!

Steely Dan literally and figuratively starts with “Do It Again”

The lyrics relate to the drug business and the lives of the rich and famous, of course - this is the same era that's covered in the famous documentary "Cocaine Cowboys" (and which inspired the mid-eighties Scarface film). The lyrics include veiled allusions to some dope-related scandals of those years, especially in the second verse with the boat ride....One thing I noticed about the lyrics though is, there's a carefully arranged drip-drop of words and phrases relating to the time of day - the very first line could mean both that the time is just after six and that the basket star is 6 feet 5 inches tall - and to shadows and night activities ("I drove the Chrysler /Watched from the *shadows* as they danced") and going deeper into the night, culminating in the last verse "meet me at MIDNIGHT". That's not random, it's a deliberate line of imagery to suggest the journey from sunny afternoon to darkness, prefiguring a deeper and more permanent night. When the album came out, many critics dismissed their lyrics as feeble and "fake poetry", but I think they missed out on how sophisticated they really are.

@alldayadventures5418

5 ай бұрын

AMEN...!

Love your videos and analysis. I'm 70 and have loved Steely Dan since 72. I think you will really like the title track from this album "Gaucho".

I remember way back.... I had a roommate/ co worker. She turned me on to Steely Dan and Genesis.... bless her little heart! ♥️🎶

@L33Reacts

5 ай бұрын

Bless her heart indeed... what a good friend! 👍

Scoring Charlie under the stands.

Steve Khan the guitar player has a solo album titled “ The Blue Man” featuring Steve Gadd The Brecker Brothers and other Steely Dan musicians Google “ Eye Over Autumn or “Some Down Time “ by Steve Khan . Cheers !

"THE L.A.CONCESSION" CLASSIC BEYOND THE STARS

Great reaction as always. On the surface, the song seems like a bright, airy Steely Dan riff on disco. Dig below the surface, as you did, and you hear the "ambient keys" which do not add to the brightness, but rather add a dark, even menacing tension to the track. Fagen's vocals give this a sardonic, theatrical narrative of the very dangerous, destructive and often violent LA cocaine culture of the late 70's/80's. I always imagined that this could have been part of the soundtrack to Scarface, in a Tony Montana/Elvira Hancock scene

@hypno59

5 ай бұрын

Beautiful synopsis Mr richkurl. I reckon Walter and Donald documented the late 20th century cultural demise better than any novelist.

@richkurl

5 ай бұрын

Absolutely. I remember picking up this long-anticipated follow-up to Aja, 3 years after. The album is clean and polished to a mirror finish, almost maniacally so. At times it feels detached and dispassionate, lacking that dark, seductive romance and warm, elegant aura of Aja, and yet it's addictively satisfying, particularly this track. When I read reactions to Glamour Profession, people often describe it as bouncy, feel-good, upbeat dance music, but even on my first listen, I sensed something quite sinister and foreboding. I imagine all the characters all being capable of remorseless violence should a coke deal go awry. @@hypno59

Yacht Rock Rukes! 😄If you like this end of the SD spectrum be sure to move onto Donald Fagan's first solo album, 'The Nightfly', which came out not long after this.

@L33Reacts

5 ай бұрын

I definitely plan on doing some of Donald's solo stuff. Thanks for suggesting that cuz I totally forgot 😂

One of my top 5 steely Dan songs

Babylon sister is an amazing track! Halftime shuffle that chugs like an old train picking up steam along the way. The chordwork is immaculate. The backing vocals are really present in the mix. Just a superb piece of recorded music, and one of my favourite Dan songs.

Doctor wu should be next when he was trying to kick a habit ?

My favorite Steely Dan track. Glad you reacted to it!

@L33Reacts

5 ай бұрын

So happy you enjoyed it my friend. I had a great time with it (as always with the dan)

@DanHintz

5 ай бұрын

it's one of my faves of all time too. def top 3. that end section is maybe their greatest moment on wax.

Just listened to some of this album last night! After dinner with a glass of wine…perfection.

@L33Reacts

5 ай бұрын

I bet it was great. Sounds like a perfect evening to me lol

Reminds me why I bought this album.

@L33Reacts

5 ай бұрын

Its got a great sound and groove to it.

Gaucho is where they introduced songs with drum tracks..

I can never look at the clock at 6.05 and not hear this.

gratz on 12k bud... i have a treat coming for you soon... ill hit you up on one of your support sites..

It was SOOO DIFFERENT at the time of it's release,, It would become an instant rock classic,, Billy Thorpe "Children Of The Sun" (Exclusive Video)..A MUST HEAR!! 🔥

Thought it was amusing when you said you felt like you were on your boat..their music is sometimes referred to as 'Yacht Rock'

@L33Reacts

5 ай бұрын

Hahaha, that's great. It definitely sounded like perfect boat music😅😂

Just another great one. All seven of their albums from 72 up to this one are all top notch

You must react to green earrings, will not disappoint!

another drug dealer story, their fave topic.

They used a Wendel mechanical drum for some of the percussion tracks.

@L33Reacts

5 ай бұрын

Oh no shit so that's why it sounded so tight. 😂

@Eddy0042

4 ай бұрын

@@L33Reacts Correction - they invented the wendel drum machine to do that - Donald Fagen tells it that him and Roger Nichols (the engineer) were sat frustrated that a human couldn't keep it tight enough and Donald turned to Roger and said "Can't you making a f*ing machine to do it?", to which he replied "Probably". Gaucho used the first iteration Wendell and if my memory serves me right Donald's first solo album The Nightfly (really a steely dan album because Walter is on it) used Wendell v2 The only stipulation - it MUST sound like a real drummer.

It’s actually the Wendell drum machine, but they gave Steve Gadd credit. Just an amazing song! Kind of like very early world lounge music. Otherworldly chord progression that sounds more like 2050 than 1980. Steve Kahn RIPS on guitar on this one! 👍🏼🎸🎼😎❤️

@waynepolls1538

5 ай бұрын

Gadd came in just to add the fills.

@johnlylemusic

5 ай бұрын

@@waynepolls1538 makes sense.

Hey Nineteen was the hit off this one, but Babylon Sisters and Time Out of Mind are also standouts. Like all Steely Dan albums, not a bad song or a missed note in the bunch.

Smooth. The Nightfly is too. Try some Little Feat-Dixie Chicken from Waiting for Columbus. Me and my Woman from Keef Hartley Band please

100% Grade A Yacht Rock 😎

mood

@L33Reacts

5 ай бұрын

Always 😎😎😎

TRUST ME on this one my music lovin' brother,, This track hits different,, But in the best of ways,, Timbuk 3 "Life Is Hard" (Official Music Video A MUST!)

Check out “ Guy LaFleur off Steve Khan ‘s cd Eye Witness w/ Anthony Jackson on Bass . Or Elegant Gypsy Suite Al DiMeola Gadd/ Anthony Jackson !

If you like the Dan/ checkout some Little Feat!😊/ Good reaction from my favorite band since 74/ another good jazz funk fusion band checkout Weather Report/ Heavy Weather!!

Local boys spend 1⁄4 just to shine the silver bowl that's a reference to a bowl of cocaine

@mandandanmandamayor3511

5 ай бұрын

We all remember scraping the residue in the bowl on the scale. Spend a quarter is $25 just for the stuff stuck to the bowl.

@L33Reacts

5 ай бұрын

All my coke went into my arm. So it was scraping baggies for every last drop lol. I mixed it with the dope for a while. That was the hardest shit to quit.

Rich and delicious.

definitely tasty!

Check out the song "Gaucho" and then Keith Jarrett's song that supposedly they ripped off.

"I drove the Chrysler... watched from the darkness while they danced..." Typical, though slightly jaundiced Becker/Fagen perspective. LoL

@L33Reacts

5 ай бұрын

Lol I love the way they approach the lyrics. Very stream of consciousness like lyrics. And yeah, kinda strange LOL

Great word to describe SD - tasty. For some more tasty morsels, try reacting to "How Much I Feel" by Ambrosia.

@L33Reacts

5 ай бұрын

They are so tasty. Delectable. Delicious. The Dan 😊

I don’t think this was Steve Gadd on drums, if memory serves this was their first foray into using a drum machine for the basic beat.

Aja is a brilliant album but this one is not too shabby either !..............LOL

Get a Ring Light, bruh. Other than that, I luv ya.

@L33Reacts

5 ай бұрын

I've got 2 fan lights that are very expensive lol I just used a different setting for this video

Steely Dan makes me want to buy better speakers!

@L33Reacts

5 ай бұрын

Me too. Can't be played loud enough. I want to blast this 😂

There just isn’t a mediocre Steely Dan song.

Only the Dan could do this. Disco still sucks lmao You know I think a lot of the effect of bass and the low end in general is often the case with headphones. The overall loss of "presence" of the lower end without at least 6ft of driver area is tremendous. Granted you can make up for it a bit with equalizers, but keep in mind even Bose use 16ft concrete horns on his home stereo lol.

"Off of"? Tip, try "from" or just plain "off". Off of" sounds weird and is very clumsy, not to mention just wrong. 🙂 This is such a wonderful song off the album Gaucho. This is such a wonderful song from the album Gaucho.

@L33Reacts

5 ай бұрын

You just like to complain, aye? 🤣

@Jack-D-Ripper

Ай бұрын

@@L33Reacts I don't LIKE to complain, but some things grate a little, and "Off of" is right up there. 😎

Thinkin' hard about brother Lee on this one, The fact that he can fully appreciate the diversity of music he's being exposed to now after coming from a more limited musical background shows that he has maturity and wisdom beyond his years. However, it's the elephant in the room that has me burning with curiosity: "Drummer Reacts". Does he still play drums? If so, he doesn't seem to be giggin' right now. So, how long has he been playin'? Was it just a High School thing? Lifelong passion? Does he have chops? Is he still learning? Is he a pro? Curious minds want to know, dammit! 😅

@L33Reacts

5 ай бұрын

Started in middle school. Been a lifelong passion. But once I really got bad on opiates a few years back, I started pawning my gear piece by piece until there was nothing left but my stool, snare, and sticks. So no, I'm not playing right now and haven't really in a couple years. And even if I got everything back together, I have no place to put anything except my mom's house about a hour away from me. So there's no point at the moment. I kinda lost my drive when I was off getting high and running the streets, but now that I have a couple of years clean under my belt and my head is coming around... I want to play again. The channel has definitely inspired me to push to get my shit together so I can. But with 2 kids, drumming is the last thing on my list of concerns at the moment. But yeah if I sat down and got back in the groove I got chops ;)

@HareDeLune

5 ай бұрын

@@L33Reacts Thanks so much for the quick reply! Yeah, I hear you, brother. I figured you had pawned or sold your kit, but I'm really glad to hear you held on to the basics. Things will come around again. It's what's within you that counts. As for me? I play wind and percussion. Played Irish Traditional music for thirty years, and dabbled in some other ethnic percussion, mostly hand drums. When the plague hit, all that ground to a halt. Depression kept that going, so I haven't played for awhile either. But, things will come around again. Yeah, it takes about two years clean for your head to clear out. I don't call you 'brother' lightly, man.

@L33Reacts

5 ай бұрын

@HareDeLune glad to hear you made It out brother. It's a hard road taking a look at yourself honestly and trying to make the changes needed to survive and thrive. I took pleasure in harming myself and felt pain and resistance at any moment of growth or change. So I ended up with a knife in the back (literally and figuratively) and as I sat there in a pool of my own blood wondering where it all went wrong, I realized it really was all me. And it was up to Me to change. Sorry, don't know where all that came from lol. Thank you for reaching out. I hope we both can get to creating again. It really was my first love. Hopefully soon 🙏

@HareDeLune

5 ай бұрын

@@L33Reacts Hey, no problem, dude! I heard you tell that story on one of your videos the other day anyhow, hehe! Hey, if you ever need a sympathetic ear, night or day, get me some contact info. I'm not going away (unless my Internet card gets revoked!).

The opposite for me

They had gone a bit too much smooth jazz by this time for my taste. Liked them better when They were more like a band.

Rarely heard the bass, drums soon got annoying.

Great reaction, but I wish you not use the G..D...word. I mean like everything else is OK.

Maybe my least favorite song on this album. I'm not sure why but I never liked it as much as so many others do. My problem I'm sure. 🙂 My Rival is probably my favorite. But the SQ of the entire album/cd/DTS is incredible. I also have this in Hi-Resolution 5.1.

Steve khan is the songwrier sammy khans son.