Steely Dan
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(1972 – 1981, 1993 – present)
Steely Dan is an American jazz rock band which formed in 1972. The band was formed by Donald Fagen (vocals, keyboards) and Walter Becker (guitar, bass), who met in 1967 while both attended Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, and began a songwriting partnership shortly thereafter.
Their music is characterized by dark, witty lyrical narratives, obscure lyrical allusions and complex, jazz-influenced instrumentation and chord sequences, overlying more ordinary popular song structures. Their fastidious standards in the studio and use of world-class sessions players has also been a hallmark of their work. For this, special credit should be given to their long-time producer Gary Katz and engineer Roger Nichols.
The band was originally a six-piece consisting of Fagen, Becker, David Palmer (vocals), Jeff “Skunk” Baxter (guitar), Denny Dias (guitar) and Jim Hodder (drums), but by 1975, only Fagen and Becker remained.
The band’s history can be divided into three stages. In its original conception, the group was a relatively conventional rock band that toured from 1972 to 1974, releasing the singles-chart successes, ‘Do It Again’, ‘Reelin’ In The Years’, ‘My Old School’ and ‘Rikki Don’t Lose That Number’. The group’s name was derived from a series of dildos in the 1959 novel, ‘Naked Lunch’ by the avant-garde writer, William S. Burroughs; the phrase first used in the lyrics of an early, pre-Steely Dan Fagen/Becker song, Soul Ram.
In its second stage (1975 - 1980) the group, now consisting solely of Fagen and Becker, became a purely studio-based act, their album releases showing a growing obsession with polished production values
Their music is characterized by dark, witty lyrical narratives, obscure lyrical allusions and complex, jazz-influenced instrumentation and chord sequences, overlying more ordinary popular song structures. Their fastidious standards in the studio and use of world-class sessions players has also been a hallmark of their work. For this, special credit should be given to their long-time producer Gary Katz and engineer Roger Nichols.
The band was originally a six-piece consisting of Fagen, Becker, David Palmer (vocals), Jeff “Skunk” Baxter (guitar), Denny Dias (guitar) and Jim Hodder (drums), but by 1975, only Fagen and Becker remained.
The band’s history can be divided into three stages. In its original conception, the group was a relatively conventional rock band that toured from 1972 to 1974, releasing the singles-chart successes, ‘
Do It Again’, ‘Reelin’ In The Years’, ‘My Old School’ and ‘Rikki Don’t Lose That Number’. The group’s name was derived from a series of dildos in the 1959 novel, ‘Naked Lunch’ by the avant-garde writer, William S. Burroughs; the phrase first used in the lyrics of an early, pre-Steely Dan Fagen/Becker song, Soul Ram.In its second stage (1975 - 1980) the group, now consisting solely of Fagen and Becker, became a purely studio-based act, their album releases showing a growing obsession with polished production values
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Top Albums
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Can't Buy A Thrill
Steely Dan
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Aja
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A Decade Of Steely Dan
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Pretzel Logic
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Shoutbox
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Neue_regel_ wrote:
jazz+rock+groove+fusion+steely dan= Win
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pablo323 wrote:
wow!
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jimmyjamsslo wrote:
the almighty steely dan,
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TimeToGetAlone wrote:
Fantastic musicians. Charlie Freak, Caves Of Altamira, Jack Of Speed etc. Some of the cleverest American songwriting of the era.
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llamagesicht wrote:
Been hooked on this band since I was 16.
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Firstlittlejo wrote:
Real music lovers must love the Dan!!
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MiaoPurrington wrote:
The American Roxy Music, from my understanding. Steely Dan's probably better.
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catlover37 wrote:
We'll never have this kind of musicianship again,cause all people today just want something easy to dance to. They can't handle such concepts as guitar solos or horn arrangements.
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TheHudge wrote:
Agreed on the Melbourne gig, fuck! Easily the best live band I've ever witnessed. The version of show biz kids they've been doing has given me a new found appreciation for that track.
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drjazz2007 wrote:
admiring them since 1980
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Gabriel_KFZ wrote:
Thank you breaking bad
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Arcobain wrote:
always been my favorite :)
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earsintune wrote:
just a class act
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Black_Mamba9 wrote:
Just saw them last night in Melbourne, never thought I would get the chance. They were amazing.
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oxugim wrote:
legal
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Firstlittlejo wrote:
Oops sorry Walter! Had someone on my mind. Getting old.
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Firstlittlejo wrote:
Michael and Donald remind me of Jobs and Woz way back then. Wow! Sent from my iPhone!!!! Could be an iFan....
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somdorodrigo wrote:
LOVE this band too
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MamaLuigi wrote:
I wonder if they'll do a new album again. I guess Everything Must Go was like their final one...but "Pixeleen" and "Godwhacker" were really tight songs.
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glassjimmy wrote:
In all the time I've known you I still don't know what you mean.
Videos
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Donald Fagen I.G.Y. (What a…
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Brooklyn Owes The Charmer Under…
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Play
Kings
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Your Gold Teeth II
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News
Rent Party '09 Tour Extended
6 Sep 2009 | from blog.myspace.com/steelydan
Classic Albums Shows Continue Into AutumnA Leg II has been
added to Dan's Rent Party '09 Tour, bringing Special Setlist shows
to several more cities. Multi-night stands are again scheduled in
…
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Rent Party '09 Tour Extended
6 Sep 2009 | from blog.myspace.com/steelydan -
6 Sep 2009 | from blog.myspace.com/steelydan -
22 Jun 2009 | from blog.myspace.com/steelydan
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Recent Activity
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mpilsch, BellCityBlues, gorshok_forever and 6 other people added Steely Dan to their libraries. 2 hours ago
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cgern tagged Steely Dan with ‘classic rock’. 11 hours ago
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GamerOfDK wrote about Steely Dan – Can't Buy A Thrill in The Albums I own. last month
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