Official Steely Dan website, including tour dates, news and updates. I also love dad rock. Steely Dan Posted by Alex Hutchins at 1:00 AM. The slickness of Steely Dan's music serves as an ironic juxtaposition to their troubling/tragic/sometimes warped lyrics. Steely Dan co-founder Walter Becker has died at home aged 67, according to the legendary bands official website. Whether you gravitate more toward Pretzel Logic or … View Steely Dan interviews, articles and reviews from Rock's Backpages: The ultimate library of rock music writing and journalism. Thousands of articles, interviews and reviews from the world's best music writers and critics, from the late 1950s to the present day. The sessions for Gaucho represented the peak of Steely Dan's recording studio perfectionism and obsessive recording technique. All songs by Becker and Fagen After dissolving Steely Dan in 1981, the core duo reunited in a studio by chance in 1985 when their old producer, Gary Katz, was producing an album by Vogue fashion model-turned-singer Rosie Vela. A millennial woman had a realization last summer: Decades after enduring her father’s music on car rides as a child, she entered a Steely Dan phase. Thousands of articles, interviews and reviews from the world's best music writers and critics, from the late 1950s to the present day. Read the best writing on rock music here. It is notable as being the only album release of both sides of the 1972 single "Dallas" b/w "Sail the Waterway", although these are in mono and were sourced from a copy of the single. To find articles of interest, you may: Search […], It was a year to test our fortitude, that’s for sure. Steely Dan has such a smooth sound, it’s easy to imagine them appearing fully-formed from the musical ether. 3 on the Billboard chart for seven consecutive weeks in 1977.. Like Billy Joel, another famously disliked famous songwriter who found fame in the 1970s, trashing Steely Dan is practically a sport. Steely Dan is a compilation album by Steely Dan, released in Japan in 1978. We also maintain the text archives of Metal Leg, the great newsletter that from 1987 through […], Many of you reading this have already consumed the 100-plus articles housed on our predecessor site, The Steely Dan Internet Resource. You might as well track down the studio musicians who make all the Goldman Sachs elevator muzak and pretend like they’re the greatest thing ever because that is literally all this is. Whatever the hard-bop pianist and his accompanists put down in the studio found its way onto an album with very little fat or filler. By Alan Light, MSN.com, May 2008. Walter Becker (left) and Donald Fagen of Steely Dan, shown in Los Angeles in 1977. My Top 10 Steely Dan Songs Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. Steely Dan embodied and flaunted their contradictions: spotlessly produced and impeccably performed studio creations about unsympathetic losers and … Steely Dan sucks. By WL Woodward. This cannot be said for the majority of Yacht Rock songs whose music is as benign as the lyrics. Part of Rock's Backpages, The ultimate library of rock music writing and journalism. AC/DC, like a restaurant that makes the same great sandwich over and over, delivered exactly what festivalgoers expected from the classic band. The estate of Walter Becker has responded to a lawsuit filed by his Steely Dan bandmate Donald Fagen over the ownership of the band following Becker’s September 3rd … The band's very name is a scatological reference from a novel by Beat Generation anti-hero William Burroughs. If anything, my recent embrace of Steely Dan has helped me settle into a newfound level of self-acceptance. That’s why the band was popular in the 1970s and why it continues to draw converts today. Steely Dan has been more of a conceptual framework for inventive music-making than a typical rock band. Spearheaded by a pair of resourceful musical auteurs – Donald Fagen and Walter Becker - they have done nothing by the books since launching Steely Dan in 1972. The multiplatinum recording artists write, produce and perform a unique brand of music. There is no guy named Dan, as some non-fans think. It […], Originally published on Oct. 19, 2016 By Alex Biese Asbury Park Press NEW YORK — Over the last several years, artists from Bruce Springsteen to Public Enemy have engaged in the lucrative and crowd-pleasing practice of performing their classic albums in concert, to varying degrees of success. Jazz Masterpiece Came Together in Fragments, Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen Explains Quirks, Riding the Weird Wavelength of Steely Dan. Their songs are largely concerned with what you could call Steely Dan Man: a figure out of time, place […], ‘If I could see them again tomorrow night I wouldn’t hesitate – put these bands on your bucket list!’ By Deirdre ConroyIrish Independent Review Originally published on Oct. 29, 2017 DUBLIN, Ireland — The mere stage set up of Steely Dan last night at 3 Arena had the sophistication of a New York jazz club. Long considered Steely Dan’s best and most intriguing album, “Aja” remained at No. Donald Fagen found new energy on the road with a young band. Read the best writing on rock music here. Actually, for most of its existence, Steely Dan has been … Steely Dan: That’s Right, They’re Awesome! But while the Walter Becker and Donald Fagen-led band named after a dildo in William S. Burroughs’s Naked Lunch may seem more […], Originally published on Oct. 20, 2016 By Rashod Ollison The Virginian-Pilot Horace Silver’s prolific recording sessions for the venerable Blue Note label in the ’50s and ’60s were usually succinct. See Article History. News about Steely Dan, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times. But if there’s one act that seems ideally suited […], Originally published on Oct. 6, 2016 By Paul Grimstad Paris Review The cover of Steely Dan’s 1975 LP Katy Lied shows an out-of-focus praying mantis floating amid bulbous plants. A lot of people don’t like Steely Dan. Who knew it was for him? No story about the Dan can be told without raising up Roger Nichols.Nichols won 4 Grammy awards for Best Sound Engineer on four Steely Dan recordings, three of which are studio albums worthy of an article on the art of sound engineering each on their own, Aja, Gaucho, and Two Against Nature. Here are the most popular stories from The Steely Dan Reader in 2017. I used to stare at it as a kid, listening to the record in my dad’s leather reading chair and wondering who this “Steely” was. Nothing about this is as interesting as you think it is. That has been made obvious time and time again. The band members were guitarist Walter Becker (b. Labels: Music, Rock and Roll, Steely Dan. Steely Dan has explored so many different musical styles and moods over the course of their more-than-four-decade-long. "Plus [Steely Dan cofounder] Walter Becker is a super nice guy." The pair’s complex compositions, tight arrangements and enlisting of top-notch session players helped produce some […], By Kenji FujishimaPaste Magazine Published on Oct. 25, 2016 It’s been almost 40 years since Rolling Stone dubbed Steely Dan “the perfect musical antiheroes of the Seventies” in assessing the band’s sixth album Aja. Walter Becker (left) and Donald Fagen of Steely Dan, shown in Los Angeles in 1977. Thousands of articles, interviews and reviews from the world's best music writers and critics, from the late 1950s to the present day. These guys are Steely Dan. Jones Beach was definitely abuzz for the first Steely Dan show in New York in quite some time. One of the great legacies of Steely Dan exists in the band’s second guitarist seat. Whether you gravitate more toward Pretzel Logic or … With Steely Dan, he produced some of the most artistically and commercially potent music of the 1970s and early ’80s. A lot of people don’t like Steely Dan. Most recently, it was one of the most famous art critics in America, Jerry Saltz, taking a dump on the group. Most recently, it was one of the most famous art critics in America, Jerry Saltz, taking a dump on the group. Needless to say, that wasn’t the case. Becker’s glancing reference was during his onstage monologue midway through Steely Dan’s “Reelin’ in the Chips” residency at […], Originally published on Jan. 10, 2017 By Andy Kahn JamBase Steely Dan co-founder Donald Fagen turns 69 years old today (1/10/2017). One of the great legacies of Steely Dan exists in the band’s second guitarist seat. Steely Dan. Mr. Becker and Donald Fagen developed a sophisticated, adventurous sound, producing hits like “Do It Again” and “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” and a raft of acclaimed albums. In the early 1970s, he and Walter Becker established the jazz-leaning Steely Dan and soon found themselves counted among the premiere musicians in rock. Carlton was not part of the sessions that included mainly New York studio veterans. All Rights Reserved. Steely Dan sucks. He was cynical about human nature – including his own – and hysterically funny.” These words are what Donald Fagen used, when paying tribute to his Steely Dan partner Walter Becker, after his untimely passing this weekend. "Plus [Steely Dan cofounder] Walter Becker is a super nice guy." Nothing about this is as interesting as you think it is. In an attempt to enlighten his friends and possibly pique their curiosity to the point where they would accept his standing offer to burn them copies of Steely Dan's 1974 album Pretzel Logic , Fagen went so far as to bring up some of the more esoteric trivia pertaining to the group. […], By Eugene Holley, Jr.New Music Box Originally published on Sept. 20, 2017 “We play rock & roll, but we swing when we play. Steely Dan performed Aja in its entirety on October 15 and The Royal Scam in its entirety on October 16. The lineup for the two sets of concerts, planned in July, also includes the Doobie Brothers, Journey, Steely Dan and Earth, Wind and Fire. Thousands of articles, interviews and reviews from the world's best music writers and critics, from the late 1950s to the present day. Welcome to the Steely Dan Reader, formerly called the Steely Dan Internet Resource. In an attempt to enlighten his friends and possibly pique their curiosity to the point where they would accept his standing offer to burn them copies of Steely Dan's 1974 album Pretzel Logic , Fagen went so far as to bring up some of the more esoteric trivia pertaining to the group. Steely Dan delivered the third concert of their five-night residency at New York City’s historic Beacon Theatre on Friday night. Their lyrics had a caustic core that embraced the farthest reaches of transgression. This site is home to more than four decades of interviews, profiles and concert reviews of Steely Dan and its founders, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. Email This BlogThis! In “Eminent Hipsters,” Donald Fagen begins with tales about his early years in Steely Dan, but halfway through, his book becomes a cranky account of being on the road for a recent summer concert tour. Steely Dan’s last album of the period was Gaucho, an album recorded after their return to New York. Jones Beach Wantagh, New York August 22, 2003 . In addition we now have an additional 350 more interviews and reviews, and that number is growing. © 2020 The Steely Dan Reader. He […]. This site is home to more than four decades of interviews, profiles and concert reviews of Steely Dan and its founders, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. Now, having finally acquired Steely Dan, he is in the frenetic but enviable position of managing all of his favorite artists, including Boz Scaggs, the Eagles, Jimmy Buffet and Dan Fogelberg. Singer/keyboardist Donald Fagen had met guitarist/bassist Walter Becker in 1967 while they were attending Bard College in the Catskills. Those articles are all here on the new site. We want that ongoing flow, that lightness, that forward rush of jazz.” – Walter Becker in 1974 The death of Walter Becker—the bespectacled and bearded guitarist, bassist, composer, lyricist, and one-half of the […], Originally published on April 13, 2017 By John Katsilometes Las Vegas Review-Journal We’ll forgive Steely Dan’s Walter Becker for referring to the mayor of Las Vegas as “him” on Wednesday night. Read the best writing on rock music here. The big hit was Hey Nineteen, a shining moment for another guitar great, Hugh McCracken. Read More » Steely Dan has been more of a conceptual framework for inventive music-making than a typical rock band. Sookie reminisces about Bill, and makes herself available to the H-vamps. […], By David BennunThe Guardian Originally published on Oct. 30, 2017 LONDON — If Bruce Springsteen, in his own wry summation, avoided honest labour by writing about it, then Steely Dan have made a roaring success of narrating failure. Fans with tickets to the previously announced 2020 dates are encouraged to hold on to their tickets as they will be honored for the new dates. Blending elements of rock, jazz, latin music, R&B, blues and sophisticated studio production with cryptic and ironic lyrics, the band enjoyed critical and commercial success starting from the early 1970s until breaking up in 1981. The name comes from an old novel, “Naked Lunch,” by William S. Burroughs and refers to a steam-powered dildo! View Steely Dan interviews, articles and reviews from Rock's Backpages: The ultimate library of rock music writing and journalism. When Steely Dan ended a 20-year hiatus with 2000's Two Against Nature, they took full advantage of today's digital recording tools. By Alan Light, MSN.com, May 2008. For their new album Everything Must Go, however, they've returned to analogue tape and live band recording. The singer was arrested after an incident Monday evening on the Upper East Side. On Nov. 10 a Wall Street Rocks concert will raise money for military veterans and first responders. Their melodies had a complexity that went way beyond the bounds of conventional pop. It was a decidedly older crowd filling the parking lot, tailgating and milling about while anxiously scanning the stage for a glimpse of Donald Fagen and/or Walter Becker. The album produced three hit singles. Not only do many of Steely Dan songs use more chords than most Yacht Rock writers, but their chords are more complex and varied. That has been made obvious time and time again. Steely Dan co-founder Walter Becker has died at home aged 67, according to the legendary bands official website. steely dan videos and latest news articles; GlobalNews.ca your source for the latest news on steely dan . Part of Rock's Backpages, The ultimate library of rock music writing and journalism. Steely Dan was founded in the early 1970s by college-mates Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. Steely Dan has explored so many different musical styles and moods over the course of their more-than-four-decade-long. Fagen had told Billboard, 'Walter's recovering from a … Like Billy Joel, another famously disliked famous songwriter who found fame in the 1970s, trashing Steely Dan is practically a sport. Nothing in the story of Steely Dan makes sense. Read the best writing on rock music here. I am a discerning, feminist-minded millennial woman. Steely Dan, American rock band. Mr. Fagen, the band’s only remaining member, seeks sole ownership of it in a challenge to Mr. Becker’s widow. … But Walter Becker took a hike to that ditch out in the valley. Steely Dan is an American rock band founded in 1972 by core members Walter Becker (guitars, bass, backing vocals) and Donald Fagen (keyboards, lead vocals). You might as well track down the studio musicians who make all the Goldman Sachs elevator muzak and pretend like they’re the greatest thing ever because that is literally all this is. Essentially a studio-based duo, Steely Dan drew from the gamut of American musical styles to create some of the most intelligent and complex pop music of the 1970s. Read Article Steely Dan have announced that their 2020 Earth After Hours Tour with Steve Winwood has been rescheduled. Welcome to the Steely Dan Reader, formerly called the Steely Dan Internet Resource. Steely Dan. As midlife-crisis songs go, Steely Dan’s “Deacon Blues” ranks among the most melodic and existential. Track listing. The band's very name is a scatological reference from a novel by Beat Generation anti-hero William Burroughs. Spearheaded by a pair of resourceful musical auteurs – Donald Fagen and Walter Becker - they have done nothing by the books since launching Steely Dan in 1972. Share to Twitter Share to Facebook Share to Pinterest. Steely Dan just pretended to be dad rock while playing a much longer and weirder game. Becker, and the band, get a lifetime pass. As one half of Steely Dan, Donald Fagen was responsible for what many consider to be one of the greatest albums ever made, 1977's jazz-infused masterpiece, Aja.With a … "Gaucho" is the seventh studio album by the American Jazz rock band Steely Dan, released in 1980. We also maintain the text archives … A playlist of some of Steely Dan's finest moments “He was smart as a whip, an excellent guitarist and great songwriter. 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