Steely Dan - still awed by them well over 45 years later

robinbowes

This always makes me smile - it's Elliot Randall, the original Reelin' In The Years session player, playing with Atlantic Soul Messengers in a pub in Richmond. I love the look on the other guitarist's face (Nigel Stockbridge), he's so enjoying playing with Elliot.

Jalapeno

bingefeller said:

Stinkfoot said:

Apologies for the shameless plug, but if anyone is in the London area and at a loose end tonight, my band Stanley Dee are playing at the Half Moon in Putney tonight if you fancy a couple of hours of Dan tunes from across their whole back catalogue! Can't promise it will meet the standards of some of the awesome players name checked above but it's played with a lot of love and enthusiasm for this wonderful band. We have a pedal steel player guesting on a few tracks tonight for the first time too.....just to try and capture some of what Skunk Baxter added to some of those earlier tunes!

Who is your favourite Steely Dan guitarist?

Probably Larry, not just for Kid Charlemange, he also did a lot of the horns arranging, and wrote out all the parts etc. Larry's later solo stuff is a bit too samey Mr Cool" stuff because he can't sing anymore 'cos of being shot through the throat in his studio by a random drive-by miscreant. 

Misty

Stinkfoot said:

Thanks for that!

Yep I've watched that Irish chap before - lovely playing. 

Just been watching your band a bit more, and I should have said it before....lovely playing by yourself too!

matthewwensor21

I can't believe Elliott did Reelin' in the years in one consecutive take the whole way through, proper rock and roll. Nice guy too.

ChuckManual

Essential viewing...

Stinkfoot

Misty said:

Stinkfoot said:

Thanks for that!

Yep I've watched that Irish chap before - lovely playing. 

Just been watching your band a bit more, and I should have said it before....lovely playing by yourself too!

Thanks a lot!

I think I veer towards Larry Carlton being my favourite of the SD guitarists but I guess the real genius was in Donald and Walter being able to pick the right guy for the track.... having tried and ditched a load of them first!

But Mr Carlton's knack for knowing when to go all guns blazing and when to keep it economical impresses me every time . Third World Man is a personal favourite with its great solo and lovely but restrained fills at the end .

jimification

I only knew Steely Dan from Reelin' in the Years and discovering their albums a few years ago was an absolute delight. (I love that Aja documentary too)...my God, when you hear those isolated tracks!! - such beautifully crafted songs and the sheer feel in evidence when you hear Bernard Purdie, Chuck Rainey, Larry Carlton et al on the isolated tracks is just unreal - it's no wonder the songs sound so bloody good!!!

west

Went to seaside wales last week and played kamakiriad all the way there and all the way back, snowbound , tomorows girls , its all fabulous , but on the dunes really seemed to resonate on this listen ... heres donald playing it solo , the voicings the structure the arrangement is sublime ....

lento

Was lucky enough to see them live in Manchester in 1974 and what a great show it was. Remember being so impressed with the sound. They had multi-stacks of what looked like Bose either side of the stage - and sounding just like a really loud but clear HiFi ...... Kiki Dee supported. 

Here's a good multitrack breakdown of Kid Charlemagne -  not a bad guitar player, either
In fact, quite a lot of guys can cop these tunes and emulate Larry and friends these days and thanks to them we all have become better players .....

bacchanalian

west said:

Went to seaside wales last week and played kamakiriad all the way there and all the way back, snowbound , tomorows girls , its all fabulous , but on the dunes really seemed to resonate on this listen ... heres donald playing it solo , the voicings the structure the arrangement is sublime ....

Love the Dan.
Kamakiriad always reminds me of the JG Ballard book 'Vermilion Sands' about an automated beach resort.

pluckbuddy

jimification said:

I only knew Steely Dan from Reelin' in the Years and discovering their albums a few years ago was an absolute delight. (I love that Aja documentary too)...my God, when you hear those isolated tracks!! - such beautifully crafted songs and the sheer feel in evidence when you hear Bernard Purdie, Chuck Rainey, Larry Carlton et al on the isolated tracks is just unreal - it's no wonder the songs sound so bloody good!!!

Funnily enough I saw this on YouTube the other day and it definitely renewed my appreciation for their music. I've listened to Carlton's solo many times but hearing the rhythm tracks more than anything made me smile. And the vocal harmonies. 

Basher

Judge a band by the stuff they left on the cutting room floor.... 



Not entirely sure why but this song kills me every time - polished, restrained and cynical. It took me a long time to get the 'Dan (as in about 20 years) but when I did, it bit me quite badly.  

west

Wis basher ...  heres another ive always liked from donald ....

west

Basher i reread what you said again , i was late to the party , i only really knew reelin and do it again , i bought a greatest hits cd and thought omg , i was teaching a mates lad and he was a big Dan Fan , he told me about album tracks like caves of altarmira  third world man etc , the very next day i went to hmv and bought every album , it was an absolute revelation , i thought how could i have missed this ? loved them ever since ....

ESBlonde

I'd heard a couple of other local bands do covers back in the late 70s and was daunted to say the the least. Then about 25 years ago the big soul band I was in decided to do 'Ricki', so I sat down to work it out. What a revelation, the note selection and the movement about the fretboard but staying within the song frame made a huge impression on me. Haven't gigged it in years, but still rip through it now and again along with 'reelin' just for the joy of playing it. Still daunted by some of the other stuff though. Epic.

Kebabkid

Basher said:

Judge a band by the stuff they left on the cutting room floor.... 



Not entirely sure why but this song kills me every time - polished, restrained and cynical. It took me a long time to get the 'Dan (as in about 20 years) but when I did, it bit me quite badly.  

Ah @Basher - HATWW is a fantastic track and one of my faves. Not many people know it.

Nice one

midlifecrisis

Kebabkid said:

Basher said:

Judge a band by the stuff they left on the cutting room floor.... 



Not entirely sure why but this song kills me every time - polished, restrained and cynical. It took me a long time to get the 'Dan (as in about 20 years) but when I did, it bit me quite badly.  

Ah @Basher - HATWW is a fantastic track and one of my faves. Not many people know it.

Nice one

one of my faves too. i try and do an acoustic version and as no one knows it i sort of getaway with it and ive been asked a few times who it is by. beautiful chords and harmonies in it.

drwiddly

@Stinkfoot been checking out some Stanley Dee on YouTube and I have to say it's very impressive. The band is very tight and your guitar work is excellent.

Blueingreen

drwiddly said:

@Stinkfoot been checking out some Stanley Dee on YouTube and I have to say it's very impressive. The band is very tight and your guitar work is excellent.

+1 on that.

Voxman

Blueingreen said:

drwiddly said:

@Stinkfoot been checking out some Stanley Dee on YouTube and I have to say it's very impressive. The band is very tight and your guitar work is excellent.

+1 on that.

Not just impressive - bloody superb!  Really enjoyed those clips...fabulous playing!