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First six Steely Dan albums vs. first six Van Halen albums?


Texas King
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First six Steely Dan albums vs. first six Van Halen albums?  

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  1. 1. First six Steely Dan albums vs. first six Van Halen albums?

    • Steely Dan: Can't Buy a Thrill, Countdown to Ecstasy, Pretzel Logic, Katy Lied, The Royal Scam, Aja
    • Van Halen: VH 1, VH 2, Women and Children First, Fair Warning, Diver Down, 1984
  2. 2. Van Halen debut vs. Steely Dan - Aja?

    • Van Halen debut
    • Steely Dan - Aja
  3. 3. Which band is more appealing to you?

    • Steely Dan
    • Van Halen (Roth-era)


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Dan

Van Halen

Dan

 

Am I the only one who thinks Steely Dan is underappreciated? Yes, they have had a lot of success but it seems like people kind of forget about them.

I think it's their music. Their music is quiet. For me, I like listening to them because they calm me. Their sound is relaxed and easy.

I'm sorry I never saw them live

 

Steely Dan is sophisticated music, Van Halen is not.

 

Hard to say that the greatest rock guitarist of all time wasn’t sophisticated. If sophisticated is a synonym for, “likely to be heard on a boat parked in a marina,” then yeah, I guess.

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Dan

Van Halen

Dan

 

Am I the only one who thinks Steely Dan is underappreciated? Yes, they have had a lot of success but it seems like people kind of forget about them.

I think it's their music. Their music is quiet. For me, I like listening to them because they calm me. Their sound is relaxed and easy.

I'm sorry I never saw them live

 

Steely Dan is sophisticated music, Van Halen is not.

 

Those are fighting words. :scared:

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Although a close call, SD all the way for me as well. I don't even own any VH albums right now but have SD's entire catalog and listen to them from time to time. The reason it's close is just for the historic importance of those earliest VH albums. But SD is 'better music' IMO when I'm being objective.

I think you're right that Steely Dan is better music. But VH 1-6 are better albums. Beginning to end, I don't think there's a more enjoyable run of albums out there.

 

ETA: Voted VH, Dan, Dan

Edited by goose
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Whilst the basis of most of VHs songs may be unsophisticated, his guitar playing certainly was not. Let's face it, Van Halen's music is 99.9% Eddie's music I would assume. No disrespect to the rest of the band but I believe it was basically about him. Dave Lee Roth's role was mainly about his personality and stage presence (and high kicks!).

 

Whereas Becker and Fagen, I believe, crafted their music carefully in the studio with a host of session musicians often chopping and changing their and other's pieces of music.

 

Whereas Eddie, in particular, and especially on the 1st album, played most of his stuff 'live' in the studio I believe. Minimal overdubs....maybe.

 

Basically Eddie Vs Becker and Fagan (+ Session musicians).

 

PS:- for some reason, I thought the Steely Dan name was taken from a comic book character but now I reading that it came from a William Burroughs book about a particular controversial(?) device!!! :eh:

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Whilst the basis of most of VHs songs may be unsophisticated, his guitar playing certainly was not. Let's face it, Van Halen's music is 99.9% Eddie's music I would assume. No disrespect to the rest of the band but I believe it was basically about him. Dave Lee Roth's role was mainly about his personality and stage presence (and high kicks!).

 

Whereas Becker and Fagen, I believe, crafted their music carefully in the studio with a host of session musicians often chopping and changing their and other's pieces of music.

 

Whereas Eddie, in particular, and especially on the 1st album, played most of his stuff 'live' in the studio I believe. Minimal overdubs....maybe.

 

Basically Eddie Vs Becker and Fagan (+ Session musicians).

 

PS:- for some reason, I thought the Steely Dan name was taken from a comic book character but now I reading that it came from a William Burroughs book about a particular controversial(?) device!!! :eh:

It is slang for said device and iirc the slang term comes (cums?) from France (too lazy to look it up tho).

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Whilst the basis of most of VHs songs may be unsophisticated, his guitar playing certainly was not. Let's face it, Van Halen's music is 99.9% Eddie's music I would assume. No disrespect to the rest of the band but I believe it was basically about him. Dave Lee Roth's role was mainly about his personality and stage presence (and high kicks!).

 

Whereas Becker and Fagen, I believe, crafted their music carefully in the studio with a host of session musicians often chopping and changing their and other's pieces of music.

 

Whereas Eddie, in particular, and especially on the 1st album, played most of his stuff 'live' in the studio I believe. Minimal overdubs....maybe.

 

Basically Eddie Vs Becker and Fagan (+ Session musicians).

 

PS:- for some reason, I thought the Steely Dan name was taken from a comic book character but now I reading that it came from a William Burroughs book about a particular controversial(?) device!!! :eh:

It is slang for said device and iirc the slang term comes (cums?) from France (too lazy to look it up tho).

Steam driven too…

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