The talk box guitar was by Dean Parks and altered by Walter Becker. The album "Royal Scam" is my favorite album by The Dan. No "fillers" at all. Take care...

@L33Reacts

6 ай бұрын

Thanks for filling me in I couldn't find who it was! It was sick sounding. And so far, you are so right. No filler in the slightest lol

@MarkChappell1

6 ай бұрын

My understanding is that Dean Parks wasn't initially happy about it either.

Great reaction as usual. I just subscribed for more SD insights. Babs & Clean Willie were madly in love, got married, but then the relationship fell apart. From 1957 - 1971, Haiti was ruled by Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier, an otherwise iron-fisted dictator who encouraged foreigners to visit Haiti for quicky, unilateral divorces. Babs makes her getaway, checks into the "good hotel", starts drinking at the hotel, takes a taxi to the local nightclub (The Grotto) where she meets the local "Charlie" with his lotion and kinky hair. They hook up for a steamy one-night stand. She returns to the USA for a tearful reunion with Willie, but 9 months later, she gives birth to a curly haired, dark-skinned "semi-mojo" baby. We're left to our imaginations as to how that will play out. Amazing how within a few brief verses, Donald & Walter can create such vivid and memorable stories.

@johnnyfrederick01

6 ай бұрын

They danced the famous Marango…. Lol

It's rare these days for someone your age to even give this music a try. You are a ray of sunshine and you give me hope for the future. You made me realize just how much our generation had musically. Seeing it through your eyes is like reliving the first time I heard these songs many years ago. I have a feeling your gonna do just fine in this thing called life.....cuz you rock! 😊

SD is the only band where you can play all their albums all day long, one after another, and never get tired of listening. Day, after day, after day... PS: Great Speech after the song. We have a bunch of 20 Y.O.'s at work, and I am always teaching them how to think and reason out their issues.

@L33Reacts

6 ай бұрын

Yeah I had to learn the hard way how to even just be half of an adult.. I had no guidance. Or I wasn't very receptive to it as a younger teenager. My dad wasn't there. Mom was busy. It's tough. And the next generation will have it even worse.

@joelliebler5690

6 ай бұрын

You could say the same for Billy Joel albums.

One of the amazing things about the Dan is that their lyrics are almost always as mind blowing as their musicianship, which is amazing in and of itself. In this case, the story is about the dictator of Haiti, papa doc duvalier, who created a law that allowed for divorce by only one person desiring the dissolution appearing. Both parties not required, so show up in Haiti for a weekend for your Haitian divorce

There is actually a SD dictionary online to explain their lyrics.

@L33Reacts

6 ай бұрын

No shit really? I'm checking that out lol

The title track and Kid Charlemagne are a must. The whole album is worth the effort!

Your reaction at the end of the tune is perfectly normal, but there is a solution - More Steely Dan tunes! I'd recommend specific ones, but you could pick 'em out of a hat, and still end up with a great track. But as long as I'm here, Deacon Blues, Do it Again, Reelin' in the Years, and my personal favorite, Dr. Wu are among the many you should get to!

@L33Reacts

6 ай бұрын

More Dan sounds like a plan.. thanks for the suggestions I'll add them to the list! Love these dudes. So damn good.

Happy New Year...Keep it rolling, man...Dozens of masterpieces yet to come, you'll not find a bogus tune from these guys. I've thoroughly enjoyed listening to these masterful musicians for 50 years.

@L33Reacts

6 ай бұрын

Thanks Donald! Yeah I am so down with these cats.... it's always so good . No matter what. They are always on their game. I love it.

I love your reactions to Steely Dan. My favorite band since the 70's. Now I'm in my 70's and I can remember back to when I first sat listening to the latest album released. It was a big day for me when a new album came out. Their evolution through the years never ceased to amaze me.

Gotta tell you dude - you’re one of the best reactors I’ve seen and this one is no exception!

@L33Reacts

6 ай бұрын

Wow thank you so much dude!! I appreciate that 🙏🙏 honestly when the music is this good, it does half the work for me 😂🙌

There are only a couple of bands that maintain production values this high - Steely Dan, Pink Floyd, The Alan Parsons Project ( another dynamic duo - Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson, who like SD, surrounded themselves with an every-changing lineup of the best stars and session people available). Look into Alan Parsons for another rabbit hole to explore (Pink Floyd is the ultimate - more like a mine shaft, with countless side tunnels to get lost in). Keep 'em coming - you're fun to watch.

Walter Becker mouthed the talkbox after Park's solo was originally recorded. Best. Mike.

@L33Reacts

6 ай бұрын

That is so cool... they knew what they were doin! Shit was awesome

Steely Dan was the quintessential 70's band

The vibraphone is exquisite on this song.

Don't skip "The Fez" and "Green Earrings" 😊

@stevebinning977

6 ай бұрын

"Green Earrings" is a must. Phenomenal guitar work.

@kualua6612

6 ай бұрын

Also Sign in Stranger! Heck, make sure you don’t skip any!

@L33Reacts

6 ай бұрын

I tried to download them but I couldn't get the links to work for some reason. I'll circle back and get them. If I can get them to work lol

@genecase9464

6 ай бұрын

Please...the whole album!!

Dean Parks alter ego with Larry Carlton and Jay Greydon , top notch studio cats

Yep, this was regular FM radio fare back in the day. One of my fave SD songs. Love the narrative plus the white-reggae groove. The talk box guitar simply seals the deal. The penchant for perfection WAS part of their MO, although this also made them a target for critics in the post-punk era.

Do It Again and Pretzel Logic!

What you will find out, if you do not already know, is that Steely Dan did tour for a while then they morphed into a "studio" band. They were known to bring in 30 to 40 "session" musicians for an album. They, at times, had two or more guitarists doing solos on a single track as well as two drummers on the same track. It appears to me that Walter Becker was primarily the one that "tweaked" their distinctive sound after the musicians were done. Walter and Donald collaborated obviously. They both knew what "sound" they were trying to achieve. I have listened to The Dan a number of ways... In person live in concert.... on the radio, through a set of high end Polk speakers and with a set of good headphones. For my money.... the headphones win out. There are so many nuances that headphones will pick up that that I may have missed otherwise. Great reaction. Take care...

@L33Reacts

6 ай бұрын

You can hear almost every detail with the headphones... they put it in A LOT of work on that sound afterwards... I watched a documentary about then and they are masters of the craft. They have completely sold me on their vision at this point :)

@raycewilliams3300

6 ай бұрын

@@L33Reacts I was going to suggest that you check out: " Steely Dan : The Making of Aja" but it seems that you already found it. I was not a huge fan of headphones in my 20's and 30's. Wow, I later found out what I was missing. I had used headphones but they were not high quality ones. To get a GOOD set of headphones back in the day would have cost a LOT. I see reactors using those earbuds and I ask myself... "Why". Take care.

Ahhhhhh The Royal Scam, Mr. Driver take me where the music play...Haitian Divorces were quite common at the time & yes they're telling a story. 🎉🎉🎉

What makes steely dan so good is their replay value. I'm 69 and been listening since 1977. Aja album was my first listen, been hooked ever since. You have good ear, don't pass on "green earrings "😊

You can’t have a bad day when you listen to Steely Dan.

Royal Scam my favorite album. Been a fan of SD since 72. It's dating me I know. You've just scratched the surface with SD. I had the pleasure of seeing them in concert they brought it. Not a bad song on any of their albums. your listening to what great musicians sound like. You need to check out Can't Buy a Thrill there debut album it's clean. Love it keep up the good work..

Excellence on full display.

In the later 70's I was introduced to SD by a friend. It only took 1 listen to one song and now I own every LP they ever released. Lost touch with that friend but not the music of SD.

Being into rock when young the first time I heard the Dan I didn't care for them. I bought the highly acclaimed album "Aja" and after that I became a fan and bought all their albums.

I just love almost every single thing they've done. Another song I gravitate to is, "Don't Take Me Alive"... I'm seeing you gave it a listen! : )

Every music expert loves Aja the best, but I like The Royal Scam the most. Caves of Altamira...ridiculously good.

I think it's Dean Parks on that guitar work where he did his solo and Walter remiced it through a voice box.

@L33Reacts

6 ай бұрын

It's so damn cool sounding! When I was editing I got to hear it a few more times and yeah, that shit is hot. 😆🙃

What a banger of a song.

@L33Reacts

6 ай бұрын

Absolutely dude... this is fantastic. All of their tracks have been so good. ☺️

Guitar solos by Dean Parks....the voice-box effects were added by Walter in post-production.

My old school and Riki dont lose that number are musts too...

Everyone have a great (and safe) New Years Eve and day! I knew I got up at 5:30 am for something. ;-) What a great track to begin the last day of 2024. Let the music play!

@L33Reacts

6 ай бұрын

Hahaha glad you enjoyed my friend. You must be on the west coast lol. Happy new year my friend! Thank you for being here.

Lee-- when you get a chance..listen to the lyrics next time. Pretty humorous. These guys always have something interesting going on lyrically. Hard to focus on everything first time out,of course. If you haven't reacted to 'My Old School' yet... top fav of mine by The Dan. Can't wait to see more reacts by them. Enjoy, T

So cool! As always! Happy New Year to you & yours Lee 🤩🎶

NOW is the time to start playing SD tracks for your daughter as she sleeps... Trust me on this...

doing this whole album is great

Awesome reaction as always.

Talkbox say Happy New Year. More please mate. HNY.

More please! Any Major Dude, Home at Last, Deacon Blues, Reeling in the Years, Bad Sneakers, Dr. Wu Make the most of what comes your way in 2024 and “to see the best, be the best.” I have faith in you Lee.

An absolutely awesome album from The Dan. If I want some cool in my life I look no further ! Love to you and yours and the very best for the new year !! 😍

Never tire of this song. Love it! Remember it being played on the radio in the 6th form common room in school back in the 70s!

@L33Reacts

6 ай бұрын

Damn that is so crazy lol... like what. That's wild how long this song has been around!!

@srj108

6 ай бұрын

@@L33Reacts Yep, feeling my age here. First heard the Dan in 1973 when a school friend introduced me to Countdown to Ecstasy. He lent it to me on vinyl and I taped it on a Grundig reel-to-reel recorder. LOL.

@srj108

5 ай бұрын

@@L33Reacts Well, I would have been around 17 so I'm guessing '77. LOL

Steely Dan is the top of the top, the upper echelon of groovy jazz funk. They go down as smooth as midnight bourbon.

Love it! It is why I am here. Glad you like the Dan.

@L33Reacts

6 ай бұрын

Haha so happy you enjoy the Dan videos my friend. I love them too... it's just too good not to listen to every week :) instant dopamine LOL

I love this song, it's so catchy! Gets stuck in my head a lot 😏 Happy New Year, Lee!!

@L33Reacts

6 ай бұрын

Happy new year Haley! Thank you so much for being here. I truly appreciate it and yes this is catchy and groovy as hell. I actually woke up this morning with it still in my head from last night LOL

Jazz, blues funk, country and reggae are all in the Steely Dan repetroire.

@L33Reacts

6 ай бұрын

It's an insane chimera of musical genres and styles that seems near inexhaustible 😁

Perfect!👍

@L33Reacts

6 ай бұрын

It was great! 😊😊

Donald Fagen had a solo career after the Dan broke up in 1980. You will find that work to be top level music. No doubt!

I think that doing one Steely Dan reaction only on a Sunday is way too minimal. It would take you over a year to cover their catalog! I suggest you doing a Dan song every day of the week that ends in “day”. Thank you. That’s all I have to say about that.

@L33Reacts

6 ай бұрын

Hmmmm.....maybe I should! We will see 😂😊

the Bernard Purdie shuffle drummer

Hey Lee! Wishing you and yours a Happy New 2024❗️Looking forward to you continuing the YES journey in the new year. FOREVER YES ❣️❣️❣️😎

@L33Reacts

6 ай бұрын

Thank you Jeff I appreciate you bro. Happy new year to you as well. I am excited to continue with Yes😊

@jeffschielka7845

6 ай бұрын

@@L33Reacts 👍☮️😎

Fagan is such a genius. Try the title song from this album. It's so great. He also made great solo albums and the Morph the Cat album is incredible - every song, but try The Great Pagoda of Funn.

Funny you said: "Sounds like the guitar is talking". It actualy is. A talk-box is used by guitarist Hank Easton....

'Don't end, ....please'. lol The ultimate compliment to a band.

@L33Reacts

6 ай бұрын

Absolutely dude.... and steely Dan always makes the outros the best part of the song lol its not fair

if and when you get back to Jethro Tull. You should check out the video " My God" live. Amazing and humorous performance!!

If you love Steely Dan, you should checkout Little Feat!!😮😊

I LOVED THIS SONG! especially since I was a huge Reggae fan long before Americans really took to it in the 70s. And the story of a woman frustrated with her new husband goes of to the caribbean, gets seduced & inpregnated by a island guy, returns to her man, has the baby and it comes out dark and her dad freaks out was lyrically Steely Dan perfect. Favorite line was "Now we dolly back, now we fade to black" before the cool solo. Get groove, fun and funny, another classic off of what was my favorite Dan album along with AJA.

Telling a story? Yes, always. And always wry, forever wry

Check out some of the solo work by Elliott Randall who did the lead guitar work on Reelin' In The Years. Amazing stuff.

With Steely D., there are good songs, great songs and iconic songs... Dean Parks did the lead, but the wah wah was Walter's idea (I think!). One thing I like pointing out, is that with S.D. the musical composition/mood often belie the lyrical message...in the coolest way. "Narrative might be a good descriptive"? Happy New Year's Eve! Your Rxns are great! p.s.,since you spoke of soul, have to add..."See some old friends, good for the soul". I'll let you discover the author of that verse....

Yeah, dean parks - lots of session players of the world!. like Stones Exile Mainstreet.

I'm not a guitar player but I always thought that was the wah wah peddle.

I cant sfford patreon ,but this is one of my fav albums that they put out back in the day. I Forgot what they call that tube you put in your mouth but it channels the guitar notes to your mouth Peter Frampton used it Joe Walsh used it David Gillmore used it .its cool

Music can heal! Next rabbit hole…The Pat Metheny Group-“First Circle’

@L33Reacts

6 ай бұрын

It absolutely can don.... and I've never even heard of them before! Cool. 🙃

A bit late to the comment party, but the Dan had an attitude, this track distinctively is a Reggae beat. The attitude is one of fearlessness, due to the fact that at this time that beat was niche, with Marley, Tosh, etc. etc. was just starting it’s journey of awareness into the US musical ear. The Dan created music that got stabbed by their Steely knives, as a beast should be stabbed 😉

Steely Dan: Smooth

@L33Reacts

6 ай бұрын

Like a single malt whiskey. Even though I don't drink anymore lol

Yes 1 steely Dan song a day You should do it album by album There is no bad song ever with steely Dan so many different genres little bit of reggae there

Please listen once for the song and twice for the lyrics

I think Steely Dan's lyrics are typically funny and cynical, as opposed to a band like Earth Wind and Fire, where their lyrics are intended to be uplifting.

@L33Reacts

6 ай бұрын

They are deconstructing the "American dream" through different stories that pertain to it. To me at least. It's cynical for sure

Their older stuff is much better in my opinion.

@L33Reacts

6 ай бұрын

We'll get there! After we finish this album up. We're almost there ;)

you missed the whole story line (surprise) talking over it.... Maybe the next time you listen (one tends to do that with Steely Dan songs, relisten. and relisten, and relisten)

@L33Reacts

6 ай бұрын

Kinda hard to follow the story when the music is that good on the first listen. And it's a reaction, it's kinda about the talking 😂

@jimmayors2315

6 ай бұрын

@@L33Reacts talk box was Walter adding that effect in the studio to someone elses guitar work after the fact. he nailed it. "Some babies grow in a percular way. It came. it grew. then everybody knew [yeah, semi-mojo, who's this kinky so-and-so] papa say congratulations, this is your Haitian divorce"