Steely Dan

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Ranked #2,833 in Music, #76,064 overall

A starter guide to my favourite band - welcome to the dark and twisted world of Steely Dan.

They're known for jazz-influenced writing, obscure but intelligent lyrics, cool arrangements, and hiring the very best session men around and staying on their case until they produce their best work.

Only the other day I read an interview by Roddy Frame saying that the Dan are now his favourite band - he used to regard them as elevator music! Many people find they're a band you grow into. Not me though, I've been a fan since their first album.

If you've never really heard Steely Dan, play some of the video clips below. Bear in mind that (especially in the later clips) their music is complex and rewards repeated listens - it doesn't yield up all of its riches on the first date.

Steely Dan Heavy Rollers Tour Aintree (Liverpool) 6th July 2007

Part 1

"Scousers here, scousers there, scousers every-f***ing-where" drawls Walter Becker good-humouredly as he surveys the mainly middle-aged crowd packing out the Aintree Paviliion. Turns out that Becker is an old Liverpool hand, having produced China Crisis in the 80's.

One of the pleasant surprises of this gig is Becker's avuncular way with working the crowd - at one point during 'Hey 19' he suggests that we share some Quervo Gold and fine Colombian on the banks of the Mersey, not the most practical of ideas in the UK's current cold and rainy climate.

As he says, Becker and Fagen have gathered an exceptionally gifted collection of sidemen for this tour. The horn section in particular is awesome - they reproduce the Elliott Randall guitar solo from the recorded version of 'Chain Lightning' as a jazz riff with chord-for-note perfection.

The rhythm section is brutally efficient, with drummer Keith Carlock coming on like a cross between John Bonham and Elvin Jones. As for the guitarist - well it's always going to be a tricky job to match up to the solos on the records, each one the pick of scores of takes by the best session men available - but Jon Herington acquits himself admirably, showcasing a variety of styles above and beyond the call of duty. Would you expect a couple of bars of Lynyrd Skynyrd-style southern boogie in the wah-wah white reggae solo to "Haition Divorce"? Me neither - but Herington makes it work.

Everything works. The band swing. Of course, with a back catalogue as long as Steely Dan's, there's going to be inevitable disappointments as they can't fit all my favourites in - but there are some unexpected pleasures as well.

"Dirty Work" from the first album is resurrected, given a little bit of jazz polish, and handed to the backing singers Cindy Mizelle and Carolyn Leonhart to tear into - both awesome soul vocalists, Cindy is particularly impressive.

Steely Dan Heavy Rollers Tour Aintree 6th July 2007

Part 2

Don's voice sounds a little tired and almost goes for the Henry Higgins speak-the-lyrics route wherever feasible. Walt contributes a splendid, world-weary 'guest vocal' to "Haitian Divorce" which suggests he should take lead vocals more often. In fact I could have done with more singing and less playing. One of my mates who didn't make any of the gigs on this tour asked me later "Did Becker play the same solo over and over?" I had to concede that he pretty much did - with the best will in the world, one of Walt's solos does sound much like another.

But never mind. They're my favourite band in the world, always have been, and after 36 years I've finally got around to seeing them! For the encore they bring a life-sized statue of a horse onto the stage, and rock out with a cracking version of "My Old School". Shamefacedly we miss the last few bars as we sprint out into the car park to beat the rush, and go home with smiles on our faces.

Essential Steely Dan CDs

Everyone should have these in their collection

Can't Buy a Thrill

The boys regard their first album as 'juvenilia' apparently. They were trying out a variety of styles to find their own sound. As this contains the classic singles "Do It Again" and "Reelin' In The Years" (with the incendiary yet metronomic Elliott Randall guitar solo which is apparently Jimmy Page's favourite), plus a wealth of lesser-known gems, their 'juvenilia' is better than most band's finest work.

Release Date: 11/17/1998

Amazon Price: $10.99 (as of 11/28/2009)

Countdown To Ecstasy

'Seventies' and 'Cool' aren't words you often hear in the same sentence, but that's what's going on in this more unified collection. Some fantastic pedal steel playing from Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter.

Release Date: 11/17/1998