Jump to content

The Dan Thread

Wil1972

By Wil1972,
in Music Of The Spheres

 Share

Recommended Posts

Wil1972

Wil1972

Posted
Posted

So I am listening to my playlist on my phone and decide to hit the Dan this afternoon and after not listening for awhile I am reminded yet again what a great band they were. So any love out there for the Dan?

 

And as to the obligatory best and worst lists, I think Katy Lied was their best album, followed closely by Can't Buy a Thrill and Aja. My least favorite album is Gaucho, from their classic period.

 

The two newer albums - Two Against Nature and Everything Must Go - I am not really including as they are more footnotes, although I found a few songs on Two Against Nature to be enjoyable. If I did include them Everything Must Go would be dead last.

 

1. Katy Lied

2. Can't Buy a Thrill

3. Aja

4. Pretzel Logic

5. Countdown to Ecstasy

6. The Royal Scam

7. Gaucho

 

8. Two Against Nature

9. Everything Must Go

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Lorraine

Lorraine

Posted
Posted

I love Steely Dan. Never saw them in concert though, much to my regret.

 

Reworking your list (I'm not familiar with nos. 5, 8 and 9):

 

Aja

The Royal Scam

Pretzel Logic

Katy Lied

Can't Buy A Thrill

Gaucho

 

What always strikes me the most when I listen to their earlier albums is the clarity of the production of the albums. That Gary Katz knew his stuff.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
stoopid

stoopid

Posted
Posted

Fan, can't say I listen a lot but like you occasionally throw them on.

 

There's a Steely Dan thread I think. Threads move down the list so quickly here it's probably on page 4 now, seeing that it's been maybe 2 weeks since someone posted in it. :P

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Blue J

Blue J

Posted
Posted

Fan, can't say I listen a lot but like you occasionally throw them on.

 

There's a Steely Dan thread I think. Threads move down the list so quickly here it's probably on page 4 now, seeing that it's been maybe 2 weeks since someone posted in it. :P

 

Actually, it's been six months!

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Wil1972

Wil1972

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

I love Steely Dan. Never saw them in concert though, much to my regret.

 

Reworking your list (I'm not familiar with nos. 5, 8 and 9):

 

Aja

The Royal Scam

Pretzel Logic

Katy Lied

Can't Buy A Thrill

Gaucho

 

What always strikes me the most when I listen to their earlier albums is the clarity of the production of the albums. That Gary Katz knew his stuff.

 

I thought I remembered you mentioning a liking for them. Their albums do sound amazing, and yet, they were always dissatisfied with the quality. They were certainly perfectionists.

I was able to see them in the 90s, and then again a couple of years ago.

 

Countdown to Ecstasy is their 2nd album. It has Bodhisattva on it, which is a great song. And King of the World, which I love. I would highly suggest seeking out the infamous live version of Boddhisattva that was the b-side to Hey Nineteen ... the guy who introduced them was ... interesting!

Edited by Wil1972
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Wil1972

Wil1972

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Fan, can't say I listen a lot but like you occasionally throw them on.

 

There's a Steely Dan thread I think. Threads move down the list so quickly here it's probably on page 4 now, seeing that it's been maybe 2 weeks since someone posted in it. :P

 

Doh! O well ... goes to show, give me a chance to start a thread and it's been done! Sorry! :oops:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Lorraine

Lorraine

Posted
Posted (edited)

I love Steely Dan. Never saw them in concert though, much to my regret.

 

Reworking your list (I'm not familiar with nos. 5, 8 and 9):

 

Aja

The Royal Scam

Pretzel Logic

Katy Lied

Can't Buy A Thrill

Gaucho

 

What always strikes me the most when I listen to their earlier albums is the clarity of the production of the albums. That Gary Katz knew his stuff.

 

I thought I remembered you mentioning a liking for them. Their albums do sound amazing, and yet, they were always dissatisfied with the quality. They were certainly perfectionists.

I was able to see them in the 90s, and then again a couple of years ago.

 

Countdown to Ecstasy is their 2nd album. It has Bodhisattva on it, which is a great song. And King of the World, which I love. I would highly suggest seeking out the infamous live version of Boddhisattva that was the b-side to Hey Nineteen ... the guy who introduced them was ... interesting!

 

Then I have that album. It's in a different place from my other Dan albums. I am going to go get it out and put it with the rest of my Dan stuff.

 

And I just put on Pretzel Logic - Rikki Don't Lose That Number! :wub:

 

It's wonderful that you've seen them in concert. I really regret never going to see them back then.

 

If you know of any good bootlegs (especially video), post about them.

Edited by Lorraine
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Wil1972

Wil1972

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

I love Steely Dan. Never saw them in concert though, much to my regret.

 

Reworking your list (I'm not familiar with nos. 5, 8 and 9):

 

Aja

The Royal Scam

Pretzel Logic

Katy Lied

Can't Buy A Thrill

Gaucho

 

What always strikes me the most when I listen to their earlier albums is the clarity of the production of the albums. That Gary Katz knew his stuff.

 

I thought I remembered you mentioning a liking for them. Their albums do sound amazing, and yet, they were always dissatisfied with the quality. They were certainly perfectionists.

I was able to see them in the 90s, and then again a couple of years ago.

 

Countdown to Ecstasy is their 2nd album. It has Bodhisattva on it, which is a great song. And King of the World, which I love. I would highly suggest seeking out the infamous live version of Boddhisattva that was the b-side to Hey Nineteen ... the guy who introduced them was ... interesting!

 

Then I have that album. It's in a different place from my other Dan albums. I am going to go get it out and put it with the rest of my Dan stuff.

 

And I just put on Pretzel Logic - Rikki Don't Lose That Number! :wub:

 

It's wonderful that you've seen them in concert. I really regret never going to see them back then.

 

If you know of any good bootlegs (especially video), post about them.

 

Rikki is great. For some reason they do not play that song live, along with Do It Again. Their two biggest songs! That is the only bummer I experienced in the two times I saw them.

 

Sadly I have no bootlegs -- but I do have a blurry image I took the last time I saw them - I didn't get Walter Becker but I got Donald Fagen:

 

11695803_424035094468325_6262753253768831957_n.jpg?oh=b0622f7e80f527aa059ae14f666487e3&oe=577550B1

Edited by Wil1972
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Wil1972

Wil1972

Posted
  • Author
Posted

The one back in the 90s ... gosh that was about 20 years ago... Let me try to remember, I won't get this exactly right. Maybe I should google that set list website what is it called? I saw them in 1995, I think it was, at Lakewood Ampitheater in Atlanta. I remember Walter Becker had just put out his solo album 11 Tracks of Whack and he did one song from it. I remember Fagan did some of his solo stuff too. As for the Dan songs, the ones I can remember off the top of my head in no particular order:

 

Reelin' in the Years (slightly re-arranged - no guitar solo, horns instead)

My Old School (this was the encore)

Parker's Band

Chain Lightning (re-arranged for horns)

Kid Charlamagne

FM

Green Earrings

Josie

Deacon Blues

Hey Nineteen

Babylon Sisters

 

 

That show was heavy on the later stuff I know.

 

The one a few years ago was better as far as the setlist. And they stayed truer to the arrangements from the albums. That show was at the Tuscaloosa Ampitheater in Tuscaloosa AL - practically my backyard, and it was awesome to hear them sing "They call Alabama the Crimson Tide" in Tuscaloosa. This is the setlist I recall:

 

Reelin' in the Years (guitar solo intact)

Dirty Work (female backing singer took the lead)

Bodhisattva

Show Biz Kids (re-arranged slightly)

Parker's Band

Night by Night

Black Friday

Bad Sneakers

FM

Aja (they opened with this one)

Deacon Blues

Peg

Josie

Home at Last

Hey Nineteen

Time Out of Mind

 

I know I am missing something. But anyway, it was fun. :-)

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Wil1972

Wil1972

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Too bad they didn't do three hour shows like Rush.

 

Yea I want to say the one in ATL was about 2 hours. The one a few years ago was probably 2 1/2. They jammed on some of the songs. Like Reelin' in the Years, they stretched it out a little it was the encore.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Wil1972

Wil1972

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Who played the piano?

 

Gosh I can't remember who all played in ther touring band on those tours. They have such a large revolving door of folks who tour with them. I know Fagan of course played piano but they had another guy too. Walter Becker played guitar. You are making me feel old I can't remember! I will go to the Dan website and see and report back ...

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Wil1972

Wil1972

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Okay had to go look up the info - when I saw them in Tuscaloosa their band consisted of: Jim Beard on keys, Keith Carlock on drums, Jon Herington on guitar, Carolyn Leonhart on backing vox, Michael Leonhart on trumpet, Cindy Mizelle on backing vox, Jim Pugh on trombone, Roger Rosenburg on baritone sax, Freddie Washington on bass, and Walt Weiskopf on sax

 

And I missed the year of the first show it was '94 not '95... Damn I am getting old. Here are the musicians from that tour: Bill Ware III - vibraphone, Bob Sheppard - sax, Brenda White-King - backing vox, Catherine Russell - backing vox, Chris Porter - sax, Cornelius Bumpus, sax, Dennis Chambers - drums, Diane Gariso - backing vox, Georg Wadenius - guitar, Tom Barney - bass, Warren Bernhardt - keys

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
troutman

troutman

Posted
Posted

Who played the piano?

 

Gosh I can't remember who all played in ther touring band on those tours. They have such a large revolving door of folks who tour with them. I know Fagan of course played piano but they had another guy too. Walter Becker played guitar. You are making me feel old I can't remember! I will go to the Dan website and see and report back ...

 

Maybe it was Michael McDonald. He played with them in the studio and live. Love them. No real favorites its random for me.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Lorraine

Lorraine

Posted
Posted

Steely Dan was one of the first bands i listened to. I just started listening to them again.

 

Brings so much memories with me and my dad. I love them so much

 

Glad you have good memories attached to them and their music, Bobby. That will stay with you always.

 

I love the Dan too. Haven't listened to them in a while now. Time to do so again.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...