Apr 8·edited Apr 8Liked by Melissa Petrie, John Mistretta
"Clean this mess up else we'll all end up in jail
Those test tubes and the scales
Just get it all outta here
Is there gas in the car?
Yes there's gas in the car
I think the people down the hall know who you are-
Careful what you carry....
'Cause the man is wise
You are still an outlaw in their eyes...
Get along, get along, Kid Charlemagne...."
Steely Dan lyrics are at the pinnacle of great songwriting, anywhere anytime. And the music is right there with it.
How this othet great song "Aja" (I added the video link here below)...how it slides so easily from quiet piano hotel bar...to easy jazz...to a resounding exclamation of horns and drums and everything in total...going there...and resets back again...and it does it again, and again.
Perfectly.
Any red blooded American male who didnt have Steely Dan music and lyrics in their heads growing up, especially between the ages of say 15 to 30 years old, has some serious catch up listening to do.
This was basically my theme song in the late 70s, when I was late teens early 20s. I was living rather rough, and the pool at the local bar had me dead by 30 at the latest. Odds were 50 to 1 it would be a car crash.
Yeah, just wait 'til you hear "The Boston Rag" on Countdown to Ecstasy. The guitar solo is introduced by a 'Boomp boomp boomp bada-boomp' organ solo that gives way to a long sliding chord on the guitar & you'll wonder when someone slipped that quaalude into your coffee. By then it'll be too late; The Dan has got you.
They were heroine addicts, which may explain why their music (a fusion of west coast jazz & rock) is so damned addictive (I've got their full catalog). Their lyrics are sarcastic cuts on popular culture. Their song "Only a Fool Would Say That" is a stab-n-poke at John Lennon for his "All You Need Is Love"
Pretzel Logic will be your best friend because you'll spend a lot of time with it. But boyohboy, when you get to Aja . . . You'll be a full bore convert to the genius of Steely Dan. They were extreme perfectionists is the studio (only J.J. Cale is on equal footing for studio perfectionism) & every cut on that album shows it. Play that disc on your very best gear; it's a trip into music perfectionism. Welcome to The Dan Fans group. Light a J & slide down the groove; we'll see you on the other side.
Beautifully put at the end. I’m excited to listen to “The Boston Rag” and get into Pretzel Logic. I love the poke at John Lennon’s song, that’s a great bit of music trivia I’ll be able to use now!
Maybe you could try a song called Hocus Pocus, which isn’t all that weird until you see the song is performed by Focus. The lead singer (whose name I have forgotten) has an exceptional range. And the song features the rare wxpression of “rock-yodelling” (You can’t make this stuff up)
One of my bands favourite post jam rituals is to come up with the dumbest band names we can conjure. I'm sure we are not alone in this activity. It is a joyful creative game.
I always felt like The Beach Boys was a bad band name. It fits with their early hot rod, girls, and surf songs but as the band matured and their music got more serious, the name felt weird. I think it also hurt their career. I don’t think any druggy hippie wanted to listen to “The Beach Boys” make serious music in 1969. By the time the 70s rolled around and the fun loving 60s we’re far behind the name was really outdated. I remember reading once that they tried to change their name to “The Beach Men” at some point but their manager wouldn’t have it. Poor guys. Food for thought
Wow that’s an interesting one. I see the issue, beach boys don’t really correlate to serious music. People heard what they were putting out and didn’t like it since they wanted fun beach music.
That’s the problem with most bands as they mature. I mentioned Smashing Pumpkins in the post. Each album is so distinctly different than the last that they can alienate any fan who had heard a different one. I guess it’s up to the bands to decide what they want. Do they want to explore their range and make music that inspires themselves, or do they want to cater to the masses and not search for their musical destiny?
“This is the night of the expanding man
I take one last drag as I approach the stand
I cried when I wrote this song
Sue me if I play too long
This brother is free
I'll be what I want to be”
“Make love to these women.
Languid and bittersweet.
Learn to work the saxophone
I play just what I feel
Drink Scotch whiskey all night long
And die behind the wheel
They got a name for the winners in the world
I want a name when I lose
They call Alabama the Crimson Tide
Call me Deacon Blues”
Deacon Blues possibly refers to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons college football team, about the opposite of Alabama on the win/loss spectrum.
Or, it could be another dildo. You never know.
Listening now. Thanks for the laugh, too.
"Clean this mess up else we'll all end up in jail
Those test tubes and the scales
Just get it all outta here
Is there gas in the car?
Yes there's gas in the car
I think the people down the hall know who you are-
Careful what you carry....
'Cause the man is wise
You are still an outlaw in their eyes...
Get along, get along, Kid Charlemagne...."
Steely Dan lyrics are at the pinnacle of great songwriting, anywhere anytime. And the music is right there with it.
How this othet great song "Aja" (I added the video link here below)...how it slides so easily from quiet piano hotel bar...to easy jazz...to a resounding exclamation of horns and drums and everything in total...going there...and resets back again...and it does it again, and again.
Perfectly.
Any red blooded American male who didnt have Steely Dan music and lyrics in their heads growing up, especially between the ages of say 15 to 30 years old, has some serious catch up listening to do.
https://youtu.be/CYZwVf07tHA
I turn 27 next week, so maybe I still have time to make the cut. Thanks for the recommendation.
Atta boy. I'm jealous of what's in store for you, hearing all that for the 1st time!
This was basically my theme song in the late 70s, when I was late teens early 20s. I was living rather rough, and the pool at the local bar had me dead by 30 at the latest. Odds were 50 to 1 it would be a car crash.
Yeah, just wait 'til you hear "The Boston Rag" on Countdown to Ecstasy. The guitar solo is introduced by a 'Boomp boomp boomp bada-boomp' organ solo that gives way to a long sliding chord on the guitar & you'll wonder when someone slipped that quaalude into your coffee. By then it'll be too late; The Dan has got you.
They were heroine addicts, which may explain why their music (a fusion of west coast jazz & rock) is so damned addictive (I've got their full catalog). Their lyrics are sarcastic cuts on popular culture. Their song "Only a Fool Would Say That" is a stab-n-poke at John Lennon for his "All You Need Is Love"
Pretzel Logic will be your best friend because you'll spend a lot of time with it. But boyohboy, when you get to Aja . . . You'll be a full bore convert to the genius of Steely Dan. They were extreme perfectionists is the studio (only J.J. Cale is on equal footing for studio perfectionism) & every cut on that album shows it. Play that disc on your very best gear; it's a trip into music perfectionism. Welcome to The Dan Fans group. Light a J & slide down the groove; we'll see you on the other side.
Beautifully put at the end. I’m excited to listen to “The Boston Rag” and get into Pretzel Logic. I love the poke at John Lennon’s song, that’s a great bit of music trivia I’ll be able to use now!
Maybe you could try a song called Hocus Pocus, which isn’t all that weird until you see the song is performed by Focus. The lead singer (whose name I have forgotten) has an exceptional range. And the song features the rare wxpression of “rock-yodelling” (You can’t make this stuff up)
Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you… Hocus Pocus by Focus
https://youtu.be/MV0F_XiR48Q?si=-CLYmRQySgUvY4C8
Whoa that was awesome! Great recommendation. I wasn’t sure what you meant by the yodelling until I heard it for myself 😂
Yeah… you gotta hear it to believe it.
One of my bands favourite post jam rituals is to come up with the dumbest band names we can conjure. I'm sure we are not alone in this activity. It is a joyful creative game.
I always felt like The Beach Boys was a bad band name. It fits with their early hot rod, girls, and surf songs but as the band matured and their music got more serious, the name felt weird. I think it also hurt their career. I don’t think any druggy hippie wanted to listen to “The Beach Boys” make serious music in 1969. By the time the 70s rolled around and the fun loving 60s we’re far behind the name was really outdated. I remember reading once that they tried to change their name to “The Beach Men” at some point but their manager wouldn’t have it. Poor guys. Food for thought
Wow that’s an interesting one. I see the issue, beach boys don’t really correlate to serious music. People heard what they were putting out and didn’t like it since they wanted fun beach music.
That’s the problem with most bands as they mature. I mentioned Smashing Pumpkins in the post. Each album is so distinctly different than the last that they can alienate any fan who had heard a different one. I guess it’s up to the bands to decide what they want. Do they want to explore their range and make music that inspires themselves, or do they want to cater to the masses and not search for their musical destiny?
Not accountants or lawyers ~
https://youtu.be/L6TJWem-k0A?si=7zbp2IoYPHeyTa1X
Can you elaborate?