SIS Archives -- February 2000

Lifted my promo copy from KGSR yesterday at 2:53pm. (Thanks Susan!)

Now, after a dozen listens, my vision is clearing. Twenty years of musical mediocrity has been sucked from my right temporal lobe and replaced with....nothing! I'll get around to naming whatever the radiant "nothing" is later but for now I'll just marvel at how "nothing" can be "everything"--and more...

Observation #1: Jack of Speed is the only song that doesn't mention "fire", "flame", "hell" or heat in general. You can tell it was written out of context with the rest of the material.

Observation #2: The intro to Jack of Speed sounds very similar to the intro of The Royal Scam. (As if that's a bad thing...)

Observation #3: I think the SD insiders will eventually refer to this album as "Steely Dan 2: Against Nature"

Observation #4: Where the hell is Doctor Warren Kruger when you need him?

Oleander, since you seem to be the guru of vcab knowledge.....um...what does 'Oy Vey' mean? I've wondered for a while....

Fletch

From: The Chat Attendees
Subject: CHAT: Unsetting the Tuesday Dinner Table
Date: Tue, 29 Feb 2000, 11:00 PM

Tonights' first chat was great. Not as big as last Saturday nights' listening partay, but very concentrated and giddy! Least I was.

It seemed like we always had about 15 people present with
probably 30 - 36 of you passing through.

St Al had to leave early (due to a power outage)...so we have a excerpt in regards to kindly letting us crash at his place...see you all tomorrow at lunch and dinner! (I know St Al, we're just WAY TOO cute for our own good.)

----s n i p------

one
two
three
THANKS ST AL!
THANKS BUD!
goodnight!
al, you rock!
thanks dude
St. Al......thanks so much for all of this!!
tanks a mill
you blowhart
LOL
tanks

thanks, and good night...
LOL
great place! Have a fun evening all
St Al..thanks for making this day necessary
goodnight

----s n i p------

Okay, I like this album a lot now. Almost Gothic is about as Steely as you get. Almost Dannic, if you will. This does seem to have been worth the wait. It all feels like a dream right now.

STAL: you had to read a what?

Hey Q- Give up on SD doing the song 2AN in concert. Donald can't even remember the words to Decon Blues half the time. How do you figure he is going to remember all those crazy lyrics in 2AN ?

Q- What the fuck are you talking about??? West of Hollywood live was un fucking real! I thought you saw the show. It's not one of my faves on the record, but live...it kills! You are such a dip-shit!

To those in chat tonight I apologize for pulling the disappearing act. The power went out at my house. I actually had to read a book for a while to occupy myself...

YGK -- Jon Herrington.

What I want to know is what is the correct spelling of the new guitarist who played at the PBS tapings?

the liner notes look like they mispell it....or...what!

ygk

Right channel in AG. Damn, don't what THAT is...
Still, 5 stars, gotta agree...and Almost Gothic is almost heaven

Q: Thank you! my face was getting all twisted with the WoH comments.....how's it goin?
Still a great day.....

ygk

Five Stars all the way.
Far exceeds expectations.
Velvet smooth, like fine wine.
"Worth the wait" is an astoudnding understatement.
Smashing Pumpkins, Smashing Smumpkins;
Billy Corgan has some little bit of style.
BUT Steely Dan/Becker & Fagen have again, greatly improved the quality of life in America.
Thank goodness it's true- Walt truly has gotten over the Reagan years. Amen
This weekend I was emerged in True Companion
which I never really heard. I think I cried at one point.
Wouldn't this be a great first wedding dance for a 40+ couple?
Love you all, goodfellas
It's party time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

West of Hollywood??????

I can think of 8 other songs from the album I'd rather see live first -

hey, how about the title track..........now that's a novel idea.............

Q..........

As a longtime fan, musician & independent "record" store mgr., this has truly been an uplifting day. At our midnight sale last night, I am happy to report, our boys were outselling Oasis & Bloodhound Gang. Unable only to outclass the Smashing Pumpkin's new attempt in mere sales, musical superiority was certainly & clearly held forth by the Dan. This was very apparent as the tracks wafted through the store alongside those of GWAR(...), Carla Bley Big Band Theory, Jelly Roll Morton, & ditties by Oasis (liked 'em better when they were called the Beatles & they could play a few more chords. Attn: Young Rock Guys...meet your new friend, Mel Bay...or better yet..listen to some damn Steely Dan records, old or new!!!!

Sounds like vibration off that monstrous bass...appears to be a wood vibration to me...or almost like when ya crank up the speakers and the woofer is freakin' making it's own noise. Nearby string???...nah Musicians????

why am i signing in, stranger?

I noticed on the front cover, you can't see Donald's shadow. Oh, wait...nevermind.

Someone actually just emailed me and asked for _more_ SD references in my articles. There's a shocker.

I've had the volume dial pointing to 12 o'clock on just about every listen, and I can't get this damn album to clip or distort. Amazing.

Hey Stranger: Did you notice the license plate on the cover which says "52 IF"?

Fine CD. Quite similar to Kamakiriad. I love the reworking of Jack of Speed. Donald proves he is indeed the man. All in all, there is not much Steely Dan hook in the lyrics and vocal melodies, but the music is superb as ever. Much listening still to be done, though.

dr. mu: You're right about WB's solo on West of Hollywood. In fact, it's probably his best solo on the disk.

edd: I hear something. But it sounds like Clouden's cymbal is softly rattling, not tape hiss.

BTW, I think the lead vocals come through pretty well. I was a little bit concerned after hearing Donald's muddled vocals on that KFOG broadcast of Cousin Dupree.

m.e.

What a beautiful day this was, I'm listening to the new CD now getting my much needed Steely Dan fix and IT FUCKING ROCKS!!!!!

I'll have to give a few more listens before I can say which songs are my favorite.

Other beautiful things that happened today...

The Mistress took her first steps and even said: MAMAMAMAMAMAMA!

Unemployment has its benefits.

Ahhh....Life is Beautiful!

Midnite C: Congratulations, man!! This is a good week for you!

Edd: I don't hear it in either songs. If I did, it would just become part of the experience.

give hiss a chance
rb

I'm no Big Fan, but I am a big fan:

http://wallofsound.go.com/news/stories/steelydan022900.html

At just about 3 seconds, no more than 4.

Edd, for those of us not musically inclined to the world of measures and beats (though I can play 'Freedom Jazz Dance' on my axe), where is the hiss at time-wise?

That's not tape hiss. It's Spider Queen Demon cooling off after her last number

Oh man, I hate to do this, but the truth MUST be told...

In measure 2, approximately beat 3 of "Janie Runaway", in predominantly my right ear, I hear something come in that sounds like (Argh! Dare I say it?) *tape hiss*!

I doubt it really *is* tape hiss (how gauche!) but this sounds like undecoded Dolby B on a Fostex, it's that obvious. And I can hear it come in. Just after the opening flourish, something opens up, and sssssssssssssssssssss...

Does anybody else hear it? Use headphones.

I also hear it in "Almost Gothic".

Of you that love West Of Hollywod...You will be blown away by it live! Hands down, the best 'new' song done live! Some of you will see what I mean, in about 24 hours.

TAN was not worth waiting 20 years for. It was worth waiting much more than that.
FAVS (like anyone cares)
West of Hollywood (this is #1 in my book, awesome horn solo)
Jack of Speed (Great song! What else can I say?)
Negitive Girl (love the vibes!)
Gaslighting Abbie (the keyboard solo is freakin awesome)
Janie Runaway (all around cool funky song)
Title track (Different but good)
Still trying to get Almost Gothic to grow on me. Cuz and Shame are great tracks, but I've heared them a lot.
Thanks D&W. The wait was well worth it.
-Chris

m.e. "In the summer
r
a
i
n..."

The only time I've heard Donald Fagen sound like Gary Clark of the pop group Danny Wilson, who are often compared with Steely Dan perhaps too enthusiastically

Edd: West of Hollywood is tryuly amazing...a really nice WB solo as well as Potter's tour through jazz history.

Mssr.s Fagen and Becker have produced yet another truly fine album. There's retro and there's retro! This album has more to do with pop music way back in '59 then '99. There was a hell of a lot of great American music before the Beatles landed...the Dan has tapped into it without trying to hide their heroes this time underneath ear candy, while also taking advantage of later R&B/funk. True funk/bop fusion. I really don't think, despite the reviews, that there is THAT much resemblance to Gaucho and especially Aja. I hear a bit of Countdown to Ecstacy and a pinch of Katy Lied. It's got a real cohesive sound - less studio, despite the kissing clean soundscape, reflective of the amount of input directly from Donald and Walter. Damn, it's IN SYNC!!! Despite the unbelievable performances, I've always detected a little "cut and paste" in Royal Scam, Aja, and Gaucho. IT"S NOT HERE! Clas, you should be proud of this one.

Faves:
1) Almost Gothic
2) Negative Girl
3) West of Hollywood
4) Janie Runaway
5) What a Shame About Me
6) Two Against Nature
7) Gaslighting Abbie
8) Jack of Speed
9) Cousin Dupree

wait, that's the whole damn album!

Lyrically: absolute complete thoughts - nothing comes close. The wash over me like liquid gold.

...and when Donald doulbes up the voice - and those really TIGHT harmonies - wow! more thoughts later...

Congratulations to D&W and thanks for making my midlife brighter!

I'm stunned,F&B produce this,hope it does well,so that they can make more and they tour too!!!!!!!
DID I DIE AND GO TO HEAVEN?
HOLY SHIT!!!!!!

Hands down fave for me after a couple listenings - "West Of Hollywood". Lots of surprises for me in there.

Thank you!!!

Yes, the album is great. But look at those publicity photos. The guy posing as Fagen doesn't look anything like Fagen. Could he be the same guy who's been posing as Paul McCartney all these years? Is Donald, dare I say it, dead? I will play TAN backwards to look for clues.

OK, I finally have my copy of the new CD. It appeared legally in the shops yesterday morning and I was there waiting. How cool to still be excited by an album release.
Oh, my virdict.
Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes ,Yes (repeat to fade)

Are they coming to us in the UK does anyone know?

REMINDER:

TUE., FEB 29 & WED., MAR 1
************************* \
Dinner with the Dan Fans:
9:00 PM-10:00 PM (Eastern)/6:00 PM-7:00 PM (Pacific)

WED., MAR 1 & THU., MAR 2
*************************
Lunch with the Dan Fans:
12:30-1:30 PM (Eastern)/11:30-12:30 (Central)

a.k.a.

Morning Coffee with the Dan Fans:
9:30-10:30 AM (Pacific)/10:30-11:30 (Mountain)

Midnite C. - Congrats on the tickets! That's beautiful!
I saw that Guitar Player article on WB. Interesting the way he talked about his minimalist approach to both guitar and bass.

Congrats Midnite!

The CD is spinning...

Early favorites?

Gaslighting Abbie - Slightly different sound for the boys with Barney's bass booming on the bottom.

What A Shame About Me - Probably the most complete song on the disk (lyrically and musically). High art.

Negative Girl - Colaiuta sounds great and I like the way Fagen's voice falls to the earth when he sings,

"In the summer
r
a
i
n..."

West Of Hollywood - Chris Potter's solo makes me want to rip my heart out - actually, the whole song does.

Thanks for another fine disk, Donald and Walter.

(What A Shame About) m.e.

Hank....it really is a lucky Tuesday for me. It all started yesterday afternoon when I got my two copies of Two Against Nature a day early. While we were on our way to town and coming home I was able to listen to it and soak up the marvelous music. We also went by the bookstore where my wife works and I was able to pick up the new copy of Guitar Player with a nice piece on Steely Dan in which Walter declares "I Am The Guitarist!". I even got that at using my wife's discount because she works there. Just a few minutes ago I got the best news of all though...

I WON TWO TICKETS IN THE "BUY & BOOGIE" CONTEST TO THE SHOW OF MY CHOICE!!!

Thank you Donald and Walter. Thank you SD Webdrone. And thank you to St.Al. I found this site back in early '96 before the Art Crimes Tour when we were all anticipating the upcoming tour and have used your pages and this board as a place to keep up with folks with similar interests and as a way to find out what was going on with the band. This really was a great day....thanks to each and every one of you.

Jim Talbott aka Midnite Cruiser

Dear happy celebratory Danfans,

I can't believe Birdland had it last Friday (25/2)! They are selling fast.

Can someone please keep us up-to-date on the US chart scene. I want to see this brilliant album at number 1 ASAP and for ages! Accolades aren't always important, but I still want to see them.

Please note Walter's thankyou's on the album notes. Thank you Walter and Donald!

Cheers from Chow.

2nd A live? That's my question for D&W, St. Al-put me down for that!

Hank Silvers-good things are coming your way! No, I am definitely not qualified to try, but I'd love to know what the musicians on the board hear.

Laissez les bon temps roulez! (or something like that, French was a LONG time ago.....)

aja

Just read that, it would blow me away.

rescuing a dreary Tuesday, thanks D+W.

JAM!:Did you revisit anything like "Second Arrangement" or some of the songs that didn't end up on "Gaucho"?

Becker: Well, "Second Arrangement", we have a pretty good recollection of. We looked at it at one point thinking we might want to play it live, and there were some other tunes from that period where we have tracks that we cut or that we worked on a little bit. But we weren't considering doing any of those for this record. The whole idea for us was to write new songs. If we wanted to go back and finish songs that we wrote in the '70s ...

Fagen: ... we probably would've done it before now (laughs).

Becker: Yeah, we probably would've done it before now.

http://www.canoe.ca/JamMusic/steelydanqanda.html

http://www.canoe.ca/JamMusic/steelydanqanda2.html

This must be my "lucky" Tuesday. I haven't received my Lexicon CD, and 2vN didn't arrive today, either...grumble, grumble...

Hoping to drop by one of the scheduled chats anyway. I'd be interested in learning more about the musical influences that show in the songs on 2vN. Anybody feel qualified to try?

Even made the notable quotes of the day:
http://news.excite.com/news/r/000229/08/odd-quotes

What a great day to be a Steely Dan fan! I too will be out celebrating a birthday with a good friend of mine - he is 11 also. Think I'll buy him a copy of 2AN for his birthday present today. Can tour dates be far behind?

Mitch : You will not be dissapointed. CSN&Y in concert recently gave a new meaning to fingernails on the chalkboard. Clips from the PBS show broadcast on the recent "World Premier" proved these guys have IT in spades!

Thanks for the WXPN.ORG heads up. I just called and requested Your Gold Teeth (1:30pm). Heading out in a bit to pick up the liner notes. Nice conversation with the studio at WXPN. He's figuring E-Centre in Camden for the local concert this summer.

Congratulations, Donald and Walter. You did it your way. Rare these days.

maj©

Happy Release Day to all!

F#

Today was the first day in a long time that I woke up in a good mood...thanks to the DAN for making my days brighter...

Slid on down to my local record store shortly after 10 a.m. today, and am now groovin' high on new Dan tuneage. Been getting a lot of strange looks from co-workers who have never, ever seen this old guy working with headphones on. Get used to it, folks.

Who makes the morning fabulous
Who says today's a fun day
Why do I feel like sailing again
Fellas it's you -- Donald ... Walter B.

Thanks, Wall Street for the head-up in the WSJ. One of the best of the plethora of articles in recent days.

I also kinda like the orange.

Got the notification from Amazon that my beautiful orange 2vN was on its way, and it may be waiting for me at home right now! I played "Countdown to Ecstasy" this morning- it couldn't be more appropriate. I'm a lustful virgin panting to rip open that plastic and surrender myself to multiple eargasms!

Happy B-day Kevin from Philly! Live it up, it only happens every 4 years!

See you all at the chat party!

aja

The Day of the Dan dawns upon us.....

Heard West of Hollywood on the radio today. The horn arrangements are sublime. I haven't had so much fun listening to the radio since....1979???

Yo!
Happy birthday to me! Born 2/29/56. Celebrating the big 11!

Waited 4 years for the b-day. Waited 2 decades for the music.

I've been waiting for the taste
You said you'd bring to me.

K.

Good Morning ! Today is the day.....I look back to that hot July night in 96 at the Art Crimes concert in Pittsburgh, when Donald said "This next tune is a song thats gonna be on our new Album that were working on and its called Jack of Speed ".....Three and a half years later my hopes have been built high. I think of the subpar review that CSNY got on their long awaited return and say to myself 20 years was a long time ago and to keep that in mind. Aja was totally different from CBAT and 2VN is sure to be far different from Aja.. I`m off to Best Buy confident, but not overconfident. I`M hoping it will be DANTOPIA for all of us who have been anticipating this day for so long ! See ya in the Chatroom for the release Forum, CIAO !

THIS IS THE DAY OF THE EXPANDING DAN

today is the day to loose it all

or as the Rasberries sang "Please Go All the Way"

off to tower at lunch - on headphones at work the first go round

Miz Ducky - local flava is still much intact
the idiots only go down Bourbon and Canal street
they are quite enter taint ing at a reasonable distance
and rude prude and crude (glad I am not a women this time of year)

Dr Mu - loved that witch doctor analogy, I'll go check it for reality

Jive Migeal - I had never seen your posts here
very nice

as for Passionless scholck for Gaucho I appreciated your eloquent treaty on this. I do think in places the boys went sugary sweet on the backing, too much gloss. But I love the album as well.

Like the Eagles "The Long Run" or Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" the expectations were huge but the critics were ready to hang anything that wasn't a derivitive repeat of AJA. Also the punk/new wave scene had fully unloaded on the US interior and the old establishment, even a few fringers like D&W were highly frowned on by the press

Oleander - my seismometer has not yet picked up the tsunami readings yet, will keep you low lying people posted
I'll burrow underground my worminess self

(with t2n soon to be in my possesive little hands,
here's a dish to the tune Babylon sisters)

drive east on I-10 to the sea
turn that new Steely music loud
grin in awe and don the shroud

this is no one night stand it's a dedication
son your playing with fire
the kid will live and yearn
as he watches his preconceptions burn
and his aural and mental cavities churn

the Babylon brothers... still shake it

so fine, so strung
the new one is a lot of fun

go listen to Day of The Dan at http://www.xpn.org/ !(media player only). Dan tunes a plenty all day, New York Rock N' Soul Revue music at the noon hour --

My hands are trembling.......it's coming....
I'm ready for my first time.

RECEPTION OF AURAL REGENERATION STATUS: COMPLETE
DATE: 29FEB00.1118ET
----------------------------
PROCESSING DATA
FORECAST OF POSSIBLE OUTCOMES REGARDING AURAL REGENERATION

MOTOR MOVEMENT/HARM TO SELF AS A RESULT OF EXCITEMENT: 88.4498%
INVOLUNTARY DRUMMING/SINGING AT WORK: 45.8801%
INTERNET GRAPHIC RESPONSE: 90.1183%

----------------------------

END TRANSMISSION

2vN delivered to my NYC office in less than an hour for less than $12 bucks!

I have to say I'm not going to have to wait for TvN to "grow on me". From the first play I love it! It's exactly what I've been waiting 20 years from. All the little tid-bits I had heard were making me wonder if I was going to be really happy with it but after the first playing it's all that I had hoped it would be. Walt & Don, you guys really know how to do it! This is just one eargasm after another!

it was really cool to hear them mention Bobby LaKind. I know he's up there, somewhere, looking down with a grin on his face.

Rock on guys! It's more than I had dared hope for but please, don't make me wait 20 years for another one!

smilin' on my way out the door....MC

It's Day of The Dan on WXPN FM in Philidelphia : Dan Music All day!

http://www.xpn.org/
Listen live

Nice piece on D&W in Today's Wall St Journal pg A20 . Covers all the same facts as the dozens of others but with a nice twist, good writing, and better-than-average understanding of the music and it's context.

My copy of 2vN that I ordered from Amazon just arrived...

Doc Kelly - Thanks muchly for the PBS phone number. I was going to check into whether or not they were offering any tapes of In The Spotlight. My local affiliate isn't airing it until the end of April... and it wouldn't surprise me a bit if it gets bumped off their schedule altogether.
Now I'm off to pre-order the Making of Aja DVD as well.

Happy Dan Day everyone!

Don and Walt - I'm sure I speak for everyone here when I wish you all the success you truly deserve with this album. My humble wish is that it will prove to be a wake-up call to those in the industry who define music as the hip-hop, rap crap and whiny four-chord drivel that we've heard way too much of in recent years. Your music has always been and will always be one of the standards by which brilliantly composed popular music is judged.
Thanks for all your hard work on 2vN. It's a beautifully crafted album.

The official site reveals a new public appearance for Becker and Fagen. This sounds too cheesy to be true but it's "The Today Show" on May 5th. Maybe they are going to be kicking off the summer concert series; taking the stage that has featured the likes of Ricky Martin and Jewel.

I sense opportunities for much subversion. The thought of either one of them up before noon, is rather comical, but also having to smile and banter with Matt and Katie, much less sing. I imagine the biting sarcasm will be ramped up quite a bit.

I would pay good money (I mean GOOD money) if they would sing "Everyone's Gone To The Movies" to the assembled masses. Or maybe a "Movies", "Janie", and "Dupree" medley.

Hey, I like the orange color!! Am I the only one??

Well, for all of you SD "completists" out there (and you know who you are) there's one more tiny bit of good news on this great and historic day. The completist will remember that there is an early B&F song called "Giles of the River" that appeared only on the John Kay (singer for Steppenwolf) solo album called "My Sportin' Life" in 1973. Now, that album has finally been released on CD for the first time. Hop on over to www.steppenwolf.com if you want to get yourself a copy.

I have to agree with you there I think, squonk. The 2 songs you mention are my fav 2 as well. I've had the album for 5 days now, and it's one of those ones that sort of 'grows' on you. It's good enough that I won't be selling it second hand or anything, but it doesn't have that 'grab' you mention like the SD songs of yore.
I put this down to some lack of melody. Fagen, I gather, isn't as interested in melody as he used to be. I give the following exerpt from an interview in 'Keyboard' magazine from August of 1993 when his Kamakiriad album came out -

--snip--
Fagen: The only change is that I'm losing my interest in melody. I'm more interested in simplifying things in order to get more of a rhythmic effect, more forward motion.

Interviewer: There's certainly no shortage of melody on Kamakiriad.

Fagen: Yeah, but it used to bother me if something didn't have an interesting melody. Now I don't care that much about it. So if there is any influence from modern music, it's that I'm getting less melodic. But that's it. A lot of what I do has always derived from my piano style, which is what it is, and the sound of my voice, which is also what it is. Really, I just have old-fashioned musical values.

--snip--

So there you go. I think I can listen to the new album for a while, but then it's good to put on some vintage Dan to cleanse the pallet a bit. To help digest it.
:)

Fletch

Got the new one yesterday. I have a feeling its going to be a slow burner for me because nothing has really grabbed me so far except perhaps janie runnaway and almost gothic. I've no doubt it will connect sooner rather than later, though, like most Dan albums it needs time.

Just wanted to drop all the Dan Fans and the BOYS a note....

Happy Day of the Dan! It's here! I got my remastered Aja and Royal Scam yesterday, and a note from Amazon that 2vN shipped yesterday!

"What a beautiful world it will be....what a wonderful time to be free!"

ygk

Lars - import/export? Sure, I am an entreprenör in bottom.

Cousin Dupree is a Bruce Hornsby/Scenes From the Southside-kind of thing. The Knoxville Intercourse.

Negative Girl is a melancholy Jackson Browne song.

I think that's cool, the guys gets inspiration from the outside.

C

A great thank you to messrs. Becker and Fagen for 2vN! I remember vividly Gaucho's release in 1980 (late '80). I was a senior in high school and the experience rates as one of the most exciting from "My Old School"! The hoopla was obviously much less, as technology was still staggering forward from the "Caves of Altimira"; however, hype and publicity were present. I remember listening to a special airing of the album on Seattle's KZOK radio. They were a harder, classic rock station in those days and the DJ's sounded stunned after listening to the 1st cut: "Glamour Profession". "Not quite what we expected" one DJ stated, "but then we've come to expect that from SD!" They were pleased with "Hey 19", but overall they were somewhat disappointed in Gaucho.

I was so frustrated then, and still am today with regards to how people view that album. Perhaps a better title for the album should have been "Too Good For Mere Mortals". I just still haven't figured why so many (even a good deal of you supposed loyal SD fandom) people, critics included, view Gaucho as "passion-less schlock"? Too me it was, and perhaps still is, the greatest written, performed, arranged, produced, and engineered album of all-time! So far above what their supposed contemporaries could even imagine, so widely copied, or more specifically, ripped-off by their contemporaries, and so revered by their contemporaries that no one would or could own up to how good this album was/is!

From "Babylon Sisters" (who do shake it, by the way) to "Third World Man" (written, peformed, and produced in an emergency) nothing compares to this brilliance!

I read an article the other day about the Dan, stating that D&W had "found their place legitimally next to Bacharach and David, Lennon and McCartney, Paul Simon, etc...as some of the greatest popular songwriters of all time!" High praise for B/D, L/M, Simon etc... for I doubt they could have ever created an album of such complexity, and yet such accessibility. You see therein lies the absolute genius of Donald and Walter, their ability to satisfy their musical and lyrical standards (unparalleled)while making "Time Out of Mind" sound great while driving in your car!

How many times have you found yourself listening to an SD record (especially Gaucho) with the intent to focus on the lyrics? To really "track" the song, to help make total sense of it, only to find yourself day dreaming, or reminiscing about a "just heard" solo? Can't help it, can you!?! This is the subversiveness of D&W! Their ability to coat, or distance a particularly revolutionary lyric with such intoxicating chords and progressions! We are all helpless to such genius! I mean, I'm sure to this day that Bill Clinton still sings away happily in the Oval Office to "Hey 19" ("...the 40 proof drink (with a worm), the fine illegal substance grown in SA, make tonight an evening of uninhibited, gratuitous sex..." In fact, I can't believe Clinton didn't make IT his inauguration song!

So the next time one of YOU says, "It's my least favourite DAN album", or you read/hear a critic say "passion-less schlock" just remember to "please yourself alone in an intimite manner", or AKA "go fuck yourself"!

Enjoy the new one!

Jive!

Reuters:
http://news.excite.com/news/r/000228/19/music-steelydan

FoxNews:
http://www.foxnews.com:80/entertainment/022800/steely_dan.sml

$$$$$$
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()
()
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GA: Through real audio and the mp3 clips, easily my favorite song on the album. If SD wanted to sell out and make a funny video for it, the song would be a hit on MTV (if they do it right). Of course, they won't do it. Luscious, a mix of elegance and function (they wrote it themselves).

WASAM: love the trumpet, hums, so sad.

TvN: How many other bass-driven songs are there in the SD catalog? I mean, how many other bass riffs run the song? Kitchen clean? Naw, I almost said 'kissin'', let's say 'kissin' instead. The bug bits could be true, it means a lot- but it could mean a lot about killing bugs too. Functional, again.

JR: This is a rocker. Groove on, lord that brass overture that starts the first verse is something special. The keyboards still move, DF has no patience-- he likes it when they creep. So they creep. I laughed so hard at these lyrics the first time I read them a month the WebDrone had to tell me to stop.

AG: Do I hear acoustic guitar? Yes, I do, Mr. Herington. Good ear, KD (tho you're no Edd). Whoever's after this chick, Lord, he's feeling it--- she's running him inside out. I don't know whether I want to relate or not.

JoS: da Jack's gone from being a punk kid to a friend that's gone GOP, or the other way around. Either way, this was a harsh first listen a few weeks back-- only because, well, the fact that he's changed. But this song is something else, a tie for first place, between 1A and 1B. New best friend, at the throttle-more or less. My dad got into Rush Limbaugh too. Something little and funky is playing under the horns, I can't tell if it's a keyboard or horn or toy.

DuPree: Mmm, a diamond. Probably my least favorite, and not because of overexposure. It's just a 'My Rival,' through no fault of it's own. Amy keeps popping up...

NG: Shades of 'Royal Scam,' not a Don or Walt to be found. Must have been fun to watch through the glass. What an ending, a different one, almost Pumpkin-like. "and maybe she gets to me when she comes back down." Wow.

WoH: Talk about your range of emotions. Anyone ever heard 'gnarly' sounding so beautific? WB rides the tone pony. I originally thought the line was "I'm knee deep into nothing special," which would have been a hell of a line. Chords beforeduringafter the bridge are tearing the nerves out of me. These lyrics, man, it sounds like they started writing them in October, 1980. Mr. Potter, wear it out. Go. Go. Go. What an ending.

These guys aren't done. I don't mean tours. I don't even know if I mean new Steely stuff. These guys have lots up their sleeves, crib notes hidden inside those Beatle boots and breast pockets. It's on.

WOW! Did you see the new "letters" on the ODP? Great stuff! I agree with what EVERY letter said. D&W, you guys are the best!

This album is bloody brilliant.

Yeah, I like the notion of Walter and Donald as a couple of New Orleans witch doctors: "Yeah, we gwine beat that human nature right outta you...'Western Science she *still* strictly rinky dink'" at handling the demons, the doubts, the Id (not the Edd), the changing hormone pulses as hypothalamus settles down for a long winter's nap and the limbic system goes for a walk - wait 'til the hippocampus starts to go! But, life is somethin' ya get over. Vitamin E + lipoic acid is the only safe way now to smooth out the bumps long term. It's a chronic irritation/inflammation thing. Titration of cytokine inhibitors, inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibitors and NF-kappaB inhibitors and ikappaB activators are still a ways off (damn, I come her to get away from this on occasion)...gotta stick to ratbone to sooth the gnarly downside 'til we know bettah.

http://wallofsound.go.com/reviews/stories/steelydan_twoagainstnatureIndex.html

This one seems typical (stylistically and contentually (?)) of most reviews I've read so far.

I don't like having to wait to get the new one. Oh well, I guess I can go one more day. I've only heard Cousin Dupree and What a Shame About Me. I like them both, particularly the latter. I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve. I am quite envious of all of you who got to open your gift early. Well, I'll check back after I've had a listen.

By the way......everyone checked out the official page @www.steelydan.com lately? Its funny. The official CD itself is a horrid orange color, so on the aforementioned page they have made a 'cut-out' to blow up and stick over the top. Also there is a lyric change and a note change, and some credit things...
Check it out

Fletch

Just over an hour to go!!

hoopstv.com wants to buy us...

the roomie's gunna hate me!

You guys buying the Dan out there now, finally gonna grok what we been talking about :)
Fletch

For you Sticklers out there...the times are Standard Time and not Daylight Savings time as I have indicated below...you should be buying the New Steely Dan right now!

All the planets, the appropriate stars in conjunction.... Amid a virtual tsunami of interviews, reviews, etc. Who knew they had a loquacious streak??

Favorite interview byte of the moment: "cultural reflux"--amazon.com interview.

George--Delighted to tape for you barring technological disaster.

Fletch--welcome. "Grok" = a term from Heinlein's "Stranger In A Strange Land" which loosely means understand, get, internalize on an intellectual/ spiritual/ physicopsychicosocioemotional level.

Keef--along those lines, "apsatively" = absolutely + positively

KD--I heart KD! PS--Yes, I saw a promo for hoopstv.com but I thought they were just ripping you off!

Edd--You are apsatively the mindbogglingly greatest.

Mock, Ruby--love the dysheard lyrics. Coming soon to fever dreams: Norvis Pidner's (et al.) dysheards.

Michael C--Welcome back, big guy! I bet you won't believe me when I tell you I won it. But it's true. So e me please! It's cold up here!

SteveV--hey stranger. Wish I could hoist one with you!

Lars--You could argue that all their lyrics are "male" oriented, I guess. But as someone (female) told me the other day, guys don't necessarily understand the deep mystical soul synergy the Dan have with women.... The way they sing and play TO women.... The way they sing about damaged or atypical or otherwise interesting women, rather than about vapid sweethearts.... The way they're not afraid to explore the dark side of love, or loss, or redemption.... And the eternal appeal--to a certain kind of woman--of an introspective, cynical, infernally clever and musically brilliant man. Whoa! Gotta cool down for a nano.

DANFEST EAST MARCH 17-19......DANFEST EAST MARCH 17-19......

First the bad news: I got a phone call while home at lunch today from the assistant program director of the closest public television station (Topeka, KS)... she called to tell me to disregard the postcard she had sent me informing of precisely when the In The Spotlight special was airing... apparently they air the network feed at the designated time and the schedule had changed and, as such, they were airing an episode of Mystery instead. I recogize she was just the messenger...

Now, the good news: Upon regaining some composure I asked her if there was any way I'd get to see it... she wasn't sure if they'd show it on their station... However, if I'd like to order my own copy of the show on video then she'd be happy to give me the telephone number... Oh, well... To make a long story short, I've already ordered my copy! Here's the number: 800-336-1917

OK, so they don't have the tapes on hand. They wait until there's a bunch ordered and then they make copies and ship. The official shipping time is 4 weeks. The tape costs $19.98 plus about $5.00 for shipping. Now, everybody hurry up and order your own first generation copy so they'll make a bunch of copies... that way I'll get mine sooner!!!

Subject: Let's do Coffee, Lunch & Dinner!

As mentioned recently, St Al and I have put together a few designated chat opportunities for this week so that there is a rendez-vous time and place for us all to discuss this week's momentous release.

So during the day Tue., Feb. 29, get the new one, if you didn't already get it at the "midnight sale."

Then bring your take-out from Dean and Deluca's and engage in real-time chat at St. Al's "Under the Banyon Trees" at:

(you know click above on the Chat button at the right time)

Here's the Designated Times Under the Banyon Trees:

TUE., FEB 29 & WED., MAR 1
************************* \
Dinner with the Dan Fans:
9:00 PM-10:00 PM (EDT)/6:00 PM-7:00 PM (PDT)

WED., MAR 1 & THU., MAR 2
*************************
Lunch with the Dan Fans:
12:30-1:30 PM (EDT)/11:30-12:30 (CDT)

a.k.a.

Morning Coffee with the Dan Fans:
9:30-10:30 AM (PDT)/10:30-11:30 (MDT)

So bring your lunch, your coffee and maple scone or dinner and show up. St. Al and/or I will be there for sure. But remember, St Al has left the Chat room door open for you all the time, so if you can't make one of these times try hooking up there on your own with other Dan types.

Hope to see you there.

St Al & hoops

Notable QuotesUpdated 7:34 PM ET February 28, 2000HOLLYWOOD (Reuters) - They said it -- notable quotes from the showbiz world.
"As jazz fans, it was amusing for us to play jazz harmonies on these big, ugly electric guitars."
-- DONALD FAGEN, on his early musical collaboration with STEELY DAN partner WALTER BECKER.
Reuters/Variety

ODP update...

'Stick It Your Mouth' is mine. My bud Lo (grandson of Clarence "Big House" Gaines, third-winningest college bball coach of all time) introduced me to it.

I was gunna put 'Hoochie Mama', but...

The page seems shockingly subdued.

Don't know about you guys, but I'm hoping the boys play "Stick It In Your Mouth" at the Alpine Valley show.

If they wanted to sell records, they should have included Wetside. Period.

Yet another link: http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20000227/re/music_steelydan_1.html

maj(c): Comin' right up...

Midnite: good on you, mate. Have fun!

Six more hours...

MY TWO COPIES OF TWO AGAINST NATURE ARRIVED FROM TIME-WARNER TODAY!!!! A DAY EARLY!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!! YES, I KNOW I'M SHOUTING, I JUST CAN'T HELP MYSELF!!!!!!!

A big round of applause for Conglomo (Time-Warner), The US Mail and most of all....Steely Dan.

Thanks guys, I've been waiting 20 years for this!!

*gone to town, cd in the car*

EM-SEA

Friday, March 3rd on GBH 2 at 9:00pm-11:00pm:
Steely Dan In The Spotlight
March 3rd on WBZ 4 at 11:35
The Late Show with David Letterman
---
I know where I'll be Friday night...

Ooh, shit! Shame on me. It's not "Music-Express" - that was the name of the band I played with in the late 70's - but instead "Rolling Stone Deutschland" whose editor Wolfgang Doebeling apparently saw the Storytellers taping and did the interview at that time. So what. Minor mistake. Really recommend that issue as it's 6 complete pages long and carries a nice bunch of pics.

Mr Chow: Do we get Letterman from the satellite or are they re-runs? I know Conan and Jay come the day after they air in the US so could SD be on next Monday.

...what a glorious time to be free. I may have to wait a few more days for my pre-order to arrive but today feels so great. Got my Desperate Dan socks on (OK, no real connection, but I still have the Leeds Uni SD concert poster from 1975(?) with Dan carrying his copy of Pretzel Logic), already had another child-free listen to Dupree (what a Man! Great natural feel to that) and WASAM (a real grower) - virginity is overrated - and looking forward to a wonderful summers' day.

Mr Chow: e me at richard.longman@aba.gov.au. As I say, it's not a great recording, but you can have it.

St Al. I have my question: 'Where did you get the name Steely Dan?' Damn! Is that one taken already?

Without wanting to gush any more, I have to say this is a real day to celebrate after the long wait.

Treat yourself, you deserve it.

Richard&kangaroos

Hee-Hi-Ho!!!

What a time for us! Even here in da olde worlde everybody's praising the new one. Bought a copy of "Gitarre + Bass" and one of "Music-Express" and both do carry an interview, the latter even with a discography, also really appreciating comments about Two Versus Nature. Although there always/still/forever seems to be room for improvement at least with numbers, dates and facts from SD history. But the media interest and presence is way above what I remember from Aja or Gaucho!

On another question, there anyone volunteering to tape Letterman's Late Show on Friday for me one a VHS video tape? I don't know if I'll succeed in finding it on an associated TV channel over here. Emails welcome!!!

You who know my weakness for homemade T's also knows what I'll be wearing tomorrow in place of my (er...) business suit (lie, cheat, weazle): The 2VN T-shirt. The first and only one I've seen so far. Maybe we can take a digiphoto ...

To me the best thing to come out of any of the reviews so far is the Donald quote from the LA Times yesterday:

"We're trying to sell records that will let us make more records."

That hints that their ability to make more albums after 2vN depends somewhat on how 2vN does sales-wise. But at least they WANT to make more -- and that makes me smile!!

And, Walter added:
"We want this to be a going thing for us." YESSS!!!

Even though I lost my 2vN virginity a while back, I'm still doing my share of sizzling like an isotope. Just because I have, doesn't mean I ain't gonna buy!

Soooo ... I keep feeling this shit-eating grin materialize on my face. Dropped into the Borders on my way to work--yep, they will be breakin' out the 2vNs tomorrow morning right on schedule. Favored the nice young man behind the counter with a particularly blazing shit-eating grin, and was on my way (singing voulez voulez voulez-vous ... )

Worm-Tom: the convergence of 2vN day and the Mardi-Gras buildup did strike me as apropos. Too bad about the tourista-infestation. Is there any part of Nawlins that preserves the local flava?

/the Mam'zelle
wondering when the office-mates will start asking if she's got a new beau or job or somethin'

I liked the BBC interview much better. I gleaned more info. But I loved seeing everyone on the chat. It was hard to know who was who.

FloridaDave: thanks for saying Hi to me! Smooch!

StAl: I'm very grateful they have new material because it gives them a second chance to enjoy touring, after the miserable time they seem to have had in the 70s. Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing them perform in smaller venues. But I wouldn't wish it upon them as their only option. It's probably not in their nature to roll over & play half-dead.

WARNING: Confession of a rabid fan -
I thought the lyrics in WASAM were "I'm still working for McDonald, but I'm just about to quit." Thought they left the s off McDonalds intentionally.

fezo: Could McDonalds sue someone if they use their name in a song? I miss you.

rb

Baltimore Sun (big story in Today section)- http://www.sunspot.net/cgi-bin/gx.cgi/AppLogic+FTContentServer?section=features&pagename=story&storyid=1150260203780

Philadelphia Inquirer - http://www.phillynews.com/inquirer/2000/Feb/27/arts_and_entertainment/STEELY27.h
tm

For my fellow Baltimorians: The PBS special will air Wednesday at 9:30 on MPT-- a full half hour before those New Yorkers get to see it.

-Andy

Oh my, Only a day away! I declare this the week of Steely, 2000!
To celebrate: GRAPEFRUIT WINE!!!!!! This has to be the most hyped I have ever been about an album. Cheers, happy listening!

Anyone in the U.K. share my first day experience? Monday morning-working out a way to sneak out of work to pick up 2vN at my local OurPrice (Muswell Hill). Parked on a yellow line rushed in only to be told.” Sorry it’s late- if it’s not here tomorrow, were not getting it!” - what an outfit!!
Anyway, a quick phone call to H.M.V. and a mad rush along the North Circular and I manage to get it on a ‘two for £22.00’ deal. So now I’ve got the new one along with the Miles Davis double ‘Complete 1964 Concert’. O.K. I know that I’ve already got “My Funny Valentine” on C.D. and vinyl - but what the hell - a bargain. 90 minutes the round trip and nobody noticed I’d gone.
Spent the afternoon listening on my lap-top through the portable speakers. Oh yes!!
Just a word to the guy on “What a Shame About Me” - some jobs may not provide glamour, excitement, money, but there is an upside. So - it’s one more spin of the album, a quick blow on my sax and then I’m shutting up shop and going home.

P.S. Duane's got the extra photos n his web-page now

Mike

Man, this is some Steely Week. Just received, after waiting a month and a half, my Japanese import of the Classic Albums documentary on Aja... just hours after taping the 2vN premiere last night. I get the new one in a day, plus In The Spotlight on Wednesday night, then Letterman on Friday.

How much can a fan take??

Hey you traders out there, get back to me! I'm jonesing for even more stuff..

Hey St. Al... are you too busy to respond to an email?

Where the heck are ya??

just thought of this when I should have been paying attention in class:

Until I was 17, I used to think the bridge lyric in 'Rikki' went:

"you tell yourself you're not my kind/but you don't even know you're mine."

But that could never work, the fella in the song never had that sort of confidance. He had game enough to know that Rikki needed his number, needed him and what he could offer her, but didn't have enough faith to swear that- regardless of what she thought or said, she was already his. He just blows that she's of no clue of her own brain.

When I actually saw the real lyric a few years back, I was sad..because the song was so sad. But it wouldn't work any other way.

Damn, 12 more hours!!

Just one more day for the masses to wait and the Christmas morning mindset will be alive and well....The SFX Radio show featured an interview with the usual 20 year question and Donald and Walter finishing each others jokes. 4 songs from 2VN were played Cousin D.,WASAM, Jack Of Speed and Janie Runaway. The 2 songs played from the Sony Session were Black Friday and a uptempo version of Cousin with a lot of The Bare Midriff Girls....The interviewer did not ask any questions about the session players , but did seem to at least to be familiar with SD. The spin on these reviews seems to put 2vN in the middle of the pack ,not bad when you think about it. Three stars seems to be the number. Today there isn`t much quality material out there, so I`ll take 3 Stars in a New York New Jersey minute !

I went to tower in the French QUarter at 10 pm sunday night to get the dan disc early. Oops it's the 29th not the 28th

so I head back home with a small diversion up Bourbon (a place I loathe dearly)

My laser pointer did a great job of making the women on the balconey's beer cups glow and it took them a while to be on to me

This Mardi Gras looks worse already - the moronic tourists buying beads (and stupidly big ones at that) and the whole mentality kind of spoils it for us locals. I did have fun throwing to classy women begging them to keep it all on but camp it up for me (oh la la)

(hey I'm a Christian and prefer a little imagination over alot of flesh frenzy),

any rate too many idiots spoil a once good thing

can't wait to go back to tower tonight at 11:55 and lose my virginity (maybe I should sell it on e-bay)

back to the anti tourist topsoil

T

Since this board´s participants has shown a truly and friendly interest in Sweden and the swedes, I will strongly recommend anyone to give one of our heros baritonplayer Lars Gullin a listen. He played the bariton like nobody else (well, with a very few exceptions) and with a very romantic touch. A great compilation is "Fäbodsjazz". He´s hard to get i us, but since Clas mentioned a new one from Gunnar Bergsten doin´some Gullin music (Danny´s dream?) maybe Clas can arrange some export/importbusiness.

Lars, hej! Well, yeah, he won a grammy. And I'm a little pissed over the fact that nobody mentioned me on the Grammyfest. I've tought Gunnar Bergsten all I know about the slick (too slick) Coltrane and Lars Gulin and Be-Bop. And my name wasn't even mentioned. :)

And he's releasing his third solo CD soon, "Gunnar Bergsten plays Lars Gulin". It's just a baritonesax and a piano. I think that will be cool.

And you were looking for the word "blåst"? The best I can find is "rockhead".

Got to see a man about a dog,

Clas

Dr Mu: I know that triangle well. I'm a resident of Austin for now.. Drop us an e-mail and maybe we could meet for de beer.

St.Al: An e-mail I sent to you was sent back. You change your address?

24 more hours:
Mr. Stewart

For anyone who preordered through Amazon: I just checked my order this morning and it has shipped!

GB-compliation - Gunnar Bergsten who plays bariton on Clas entry won a swedish Grammy the other week. Very nice and smooth playin on a Bernt Rosengren album. Why didn´t you tell it before Clas?

Ole - I think some of the lyrics on The New One are very "male". They are very personal considerations from a 45+ male. WASAM is the best example, but even CD has a eldering male perspective.
Well, how do you react to that? Or am I wrong, perhaps it´s a universal perspective?

The New One is currently # 5 on the swedish internet charts!

I expect there are going to be a lot of articles this week. These are all pretty good:

LA Times:
http://www.latimes.com:80/news/asection/20000227/t000018767.html

Boston Globe:
http://www.boston.com:80/dailyglobe2/058/living/New_CD_is_pure_no_frills_Steely_Dan+.shtml

LA Times II:
http://www.latimes.com:80/news/asection/20000227/t000018730.html

Good King Richard - I will be in touch about obtaining a copy of the radio show the other day. Cheers for that!! Fancy a bet that Chelsea finish in front of Arsenal?

All DanFans in or near Sydney, Birdland Records in Barrack street will be stocking "Two Against Nature". This is a jazz store for those not in the know. They feature Steely Dan in their current website update. If you haven't pre-oredered from Amazon or CD Now, give Birdland a go. You can guess the site address.

YGK - I take it the big CD stores in NY will have queue's out the door tomorrow?

Does it feel like Christmas Eve to anyone else?

A request and a couple of thoughts, some of which are IMPORTANT.

OMIO: I've got to disagree with you on your assessment regarding the new one and touring. If the band had not released a new album the touring would have become less and less lucrative. In 1994 the band played 2 nights at the Gorge. I don't think they were sold out but it was close. In fact, Steely Dan held the attendance record at the Gorge for a couple of years. In 1996 they planned 2 dates but cancelled one. The one show they did play was definitely NOT sold out. I had 2 extra tickets I couldn't even give away. The fact is if the band continued to tour without any new material, eventually they'd be playing 500 seat theaters right along side the Moody Blues, Foreigner and other "classic" acts...

When assessing issues such as this I'm constantly asking myself if my level of fanaticism isn't clouding the reality of this situation. Let's face it, not everyone out there is as cracked as we are...

Speaking of fans! Last night I informed everyone in chat that Hoops and I will be conducting a Q&A session with the band sometime in the next month or so. What this means to you is you need to start thinking of a really good question to ask the band. The way this will work is we'll create a page were you can submit your name, your e-mail address and your question. We'll probably limit you to one question. Hoops and I will sort through the questions and pick the best ones at which point we'll hand 'em off to the band. Their answers will be posted on a web page at a later date.

SO! Here is your chance. I know a lot of you were grousing about the questions the interviewer was asking last night so here's your chance to put up or shut up! More details later. I simply wanted everybody to start thinking about it....

Things are starting to fly fast and furious around these parts and I thought I take a moment out to ask a favor. There are a butt-load of articles, press releases, interviews and information springing up all over the place. People are doing a fantastic job of keeping us informed on the GB. However, I was wondering if I could ask you to possibly refrain from reprinting these articles on the GB itself, instead, simply pasting the link for us to follow. The reason is the GB will grow too large too fast. It's not that I mind editing it more often, its just that there are many who only have the chance to read this book once a week or so and if I'm archiving every couple of days it's hard to follow the goings on.

Thanks for listening, and by all means keep feeding the info. If there is no link to follow then absolutely post the info here! Oh, and Fletch -- there is a reason why I don't allow HTML on this GB. Too many people making mistakes, causing too many problems. Though even I wish I could at times...

StAl

Edd: Good ear. I caught that on the fly.

it´s steely and it grows! Todays fav is West of Hollywood - I´ve learned to stand the crazy drumming on that track. At first I thougt the drums on it was a joke-now, it grows. There´s too little of Don´s acoustic piano-playing on the album.

Clas - uh, no that was almost the first person I reacted too. Did he forget his bass or...? And that line! "What exactly is it..." yeah it´s great.

Gilchrist hit a century after just 78 balls? amazing

13 straight...

Hi again all from NZ.
Has everyone seen the 'Steely Dan Store' section at www.amazon.com? They have 30% off 2VN as well. And a guy from Amazon has an interview with Fagen and Becker. Here is the loonngg URL for it. (Wish this forum allowed HTML, as I would have made it clickable. You'll have to cut and paste it).

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/browse/-/steely-dan/284232/ref=m_mh_rc_pr1_b/104-4873841-3054810

Good Luck!
Fletch
ps....again, hope this isn't old news

test...Link to Store

"Black Friday" was kinda trippy last night on the broadcast. Band sounds great, just great. Hope that one stays in the set, it's perfect for the new millenium. Come to think of it, wasn't Y2K on a Friday?

maj©

ruby baby: I think Walter has *become* a Cheeseburger in Paradise. Either that, or a Steamer in Heaven.

/Mam'zelle Canard
also way ready for another dose of "fancy blues"

Fellow DanFans- I just gotta say I'm so ready for some fresh "Fancy Blues" ...

After reviewing the poll results, specifically the *write in" part, I've come to the conclusion that both DF and WB have cast a few votes.

I forgot all about Cheeseburger In Paradise. Doesn't Walter sing that?

rb

just got back from playing ball, and I missed my chance to be a hero. Damn. Sorry aja.

Andy's site rocks.

ooooh, my hero-thanks!

aja

http://members.home.com/metzger/dan/

A pretty good summary of what's going on:
First millenial leap year ever - I guess there wasn't one in 1600
http://news.excite.com/news/r/000227/15/music-steelydan

Hey everyone! Missed the party last night-sometimes real life crowds into my cyberlife (though I never let work interfere with it :). Read the 4-star review in the L.A. Times, but the part I loved most was Walter saying they view the internet as a way to touch the fan base. I wonder what they think of a bunch of rabid danfans with Steely Dan handles?

KD/Andy-what's the web address for Andy's site again? I was talking to lovebob and he's never seen (or heard!) it. And KD, life gets so much better after 30. Wouldn't go back for a thing (though I'm not looking forward to turning 34 this week-sounds too middle aged!)

Hutch-thanks for the CD! Enjoying it greatly.

A premier? Well, I still consider myself a virgin, albeit one that's been to second base. My favorite tracks were "Jack of Speed" and "Two Against Nature". As usual, the best seem to the the album cuts. Tuesday's gonna be beautiful! Loved the live tracks, too-announce the tour already!

aja

Thoughts on the eminent release of TvN

Anticipation: a veritable danburst of pent-up eargasms for
the loyal fandom

Trepidation: that I will renege on previous proclamations
that I am through with buzz
When I'm learning the new songs with the riffs so extremo
I'll be yearning for a bong,or a spliff of the El Supremo

Hi again from New Zealand.
I haven't been posting here long, so I dunno if you already know this, but the latest MOJO has a big interview with Fagen and Becker. Also has a sidebar on some of the best songs from each SD album.

Fletch

OMIO: I think you may find those reasons contained in the new one...their answer on interviews is half a running joke and half seriousness about boredom. They don't owe any of us anything...

Enjoyed the very brief end of the party, staggering in drunk, crash into virtual Dan mosh pit. Would have made it earier, but the home unit is unable to pull RealAudio and chat at the same time. Our phone lines here have the bandwidth of a pubic hair.

Edd: Nice. That continues the climb down the stairs.

..So last night my internet server decides to fuck up it's wet dream and PISS all over itself.. Major Grouch Day here, folks..
Do Donald & Walter really, seriously think they need an album to pave their way for touring?!
Jeezis guys.. Who's telling you that shit, and are you actually Paying them to tell you that?
Y'all never exactly wore ruts in the Live Show Trail..
You can do live shows whenever you want, and sell out nearly every one without an album..
In fact, when has a SD show NOT sold out in the past 10 years?
Just Play, guys.. That's all you ever really wanted to do, and it's all We want to hear..

While listening to "What A Shame About Me" I thought I heard something familar. T'was fleeting, fairly illusive. I thought I'd imagined it, but kept going over it again and again until I figured it out...

To make sure I wasn't imaging things, I recorded WASAM on 2 tracks of my VS880, scrolled forward to exactly the point that intrigued me, and deleted the rest of the song. Then I recorded the other song, and deleted the *beginning*, right up to where I thought I'd heard the same thing in WASAM. Some time shifting lined up the "end" of WASAM with the beginning of the other so the transistion was seamless. The tempo and key match real closely.

The lyrics to the amalgam go like this (The * indicates where the splice is)...

"I'm dreaming of a major Jane St. sunrise,

Goddess on the fire escape was y*ou, you, it was you,

Tonite you're still on my mind..."

D&W - I know you'll be unable to resist performing this segue in concert, so when you do it in Mansfield, MA, I simply ask the you acknowledge me, by name, and wait for the applause to die down before resuming play.

You're welcome.

Edd

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/fox411/index.sml

Miz Ducky: You're absolutely right! After hearing the live cuts I can barely wait until the tour!! I was hoping that Jon Herrington would sizzle... and he did! And, BTW, this 43 year old is just getting started...

St. Al: Loads of fun last night! It was great being part of the record setting "largest Dan chatroom" event!!!

Donald's "moldy figs" line in that LA Times piece absolutely kills me. Ah, yes, the simple pleasures of D&W in interview mode ...

Muchas gracias to all who partied down in StAl's chatroom last night, despite the chat server continually throwing some of us off like riders off a bucking bronco. :-)

For my money, that SFX radio special was worth it just by virtue of including the three live cuts from the PBS special. Oh. My. God. Those performances were beyond isotope-sizzle. They were just ... beyond ... wow. Now I can't even imagine what it must have been like to actually have been in the room while the band was blowing like that. I figure you who were attending must have had your faces on fire. I was looking forward to the upcoming tour before; now I'm anticipating a Major Religious Experience.

Hey KD--It's a two-way street, happily. This 43-year-old gets renewed hope in the musical tastes of the under-20 crowd from the presence of folks such as yourself in the Loyal Fandom. Myself, I plan to still be rockin' when I'm 80. I mean, look at all the trouble I got into in my first 40 years! Surely that bodes well for the next 40!

/the Mam'zelle

Hey, 19: It's About Time
It's been nearly 20 years since Steely Dan released an album of new tunes--time aplenty for the duo to ponder perfectionism.

By WAYNE ROBINS

NEW YORK--"What record company are we on, by the way?" Donald Fagen wants to know. "I'm not kidding."
You can excuse the Steely Dan man's disorientation. Fagen and his partner, Walter Becker, last released a studio album of new material as Steely Dan in November 1980, the month Ronald Reagan was elected to his first term. And that one, "Gaucho," had been anguished over for half of Jimmy Carter's administration.
You could listen to "Gaucho" on your turntable at 33 1/3 rpm, and maybe even on a portable cassette player: The Sony Walkman had been invented the year before. But not on CD--the compact disc was still in the research and development phase. Whether or not to make videos was a nonissue for the stage-shy Fagen and Becker: Cable TV was in its infancy, MTV yet to be born.
But this week they release "Two Against Nature," an album that picks up seamlessly where "Gaucho" left off (See review, Page 78).
In a large rehearsal studio, the Dan's largish band works through the new material in preparation for PBS and VH1 TV concerts and a soon-to-be-launched international tour, tentatively set to begin in Japan in May. (The PBS show will air March 11 on KCET in Los Angeles.)
Upstairs, in a small, cold, bare, dimly lit room suitable for interrogation by secret policemen, the question for Steely Dan is: Twenty years? What's the hurry?
"We approached this record fairly deliberately," Becker says with considerable understatement. "We decided in 1994 or 1995 that we were going to do a record, in no small part because we wanted to continue to tour.
"We didn't want to be playing just old songs. We wanted to have new songs that had been released on records that audiences would be able to hear, songs that we had written recently, rather than just things we'd written in 1976. We wanted to feel playing live and having a band was part of an ongoing aesthetic process, and not just a reprise of a career we had had at one time."

* * *
The first time around, they were allergic to touring, hardly ever played live after 1974 and dissolved as Steely Dan shortly after "Gaucho." Fagen went back to New York; Becker retreated to Maui.
During the endless interim of the '80s, Fagen made a solo album, "The Nightfly" (1982), while Becker intermittently produced records (Rickie Lee Jones, Michael Franks). Occasional Fagen tracks showed up on soundtrack albums, and in the late 1980s he wrote a column for Premiere magazine.
There were tentative gear-ups in the 1990s. Fagen made another solo album, "Kamikiriad," produced by Becker. By 1993, Fagen and Becker were touring again as Steely Dan, but the record came ever so slowly. (Becker released his own solo album, "Eleven Tracks of Whack," in 1994.)
"We wrote and recorded a lot of things we didn't use, and a tune or two we wrote or finished after the recording process started, so a lot of time was spent working on things that ultimately weren't on the record," Becker says.
Like many Steely Dan albums, there's a thematic consistency to "Two Against Nature," even if it is, as usual, a bit opaque.
"There wasn't actually any concept, but I think it's sort of like some of the other Steely Dan records, which were written in the same time period and we were thinking about certain things," says Fagen, 52. "Whatever was in our minds at the time. But there was a commonality of themes: Loss. Decay. Potential rejuvenation. . . ."
"However brief, however impermanent," adds Becker, 50.
Friends for nearly 35 years, Fagen and Becker often answer questions simultaneously, ending each other's sentences like a long-married couple that has survived rocky moments to emerge in a mutual comfort zone.
One of the provocative songs on "Two Against Nature" is "What a Shame About Me." As with many of the new tunes, it's set, like Fagen and Becker, in New York. A once-ambitious writer is now working in a bookstore, with no illusions left regarding fame or achievement. The sense of loss and decay, as Fagen put it, is palpable, although maybe not personal.
"I think it should have been called 'What a Shame About Us,' kind of a generational thing," Fagen offers. "It's about expectations."
"Let's face it," Becker adds, "us '60s folks had pretty high expectations. It's not hard to imagine being disappointed in the end."
There are also titillating touchstones to Steely Dan's past. In "What a Shame About Me," an old college girlfriend, now a movie star, shows up and suggests getting it on for old times' sake, making believe they're "back in our old school"--a fan-friendly reference to their 1973 track "My Old School."
Becker: "It's sort of an attempt to be somewhat self-referential."
Fagen: "We're just trying to connect, you know. . . ."
Becker: "And trying to acknowledge our own position in all this."

* * *
If "position in all this" means figuring out where they stand in the pop pantheon of the last 30 years, the answers can be as contradictory and elusive as some of their lyrics. After their first three albums, Fagen and Becker were singed by their candle-on-both-ends schedule of recording during the week and playing gigs on the weekend.
Touring was the music business in those days, but Steely Dan ended as a road unit--and as an actual band--after the 1974 tour to promote "Pretzel Logic," their third platinum album, which spawned the Top 5 hit "Rikki Don't Lose That Number."
The musical introduction to "Rikki"--a deft appropriation of a phrase from jazz pianist Horace Silver's "Song for My Father"--signaled the direction Fagen and Becker found themselves going.
They'd become steeped in jazz as teenagers growing up in the suburbs around New York. Now they were going to mix it with their music. "Katy Lied" (1975), "The Royal Scam" (1976) and especially "Aja" (1977) and "Gaucho," all million-selling albums, made Steely Dan's later music an accessory to the plush yuppie audiophile lifestyle.
The entire L.A. studio musician aristocracy was at Steely Dan's service then. The elusiveness of perfection might have tormented Becker and Fagen on the road, but with these players in the studio, perfection was in reach.
"Their expectation from musicians was always very high," Roger Nichols, the Dan's longtime engineer, says. "They'd always come away sweating, playing at 110% of their capability."
Nichols has worked with Fagen and Becker since they were tunesmiths for hire, recording demos in the early 1970s for ABC-Dunhill Music.
"We were all hi-fi freaks," Nichols says. "They didn't have a record deal yet, but I liked the songs. I liked that they were perfectionists. They had a vision; they could see exactly what the finished product would sound like."
Bringing polished jazz musicianship and impeccable arrangements to a pop song structure put Steely Dan in the vanguard of a movement they never wanted to join. Call it fusion or pop-jazz or whatever, but don't blame them.
"You can't always count on the devices, attitudes and conceits that stood you in good stead in 1972 or 1973, or 1978-79, to still have the same impact all these years later," Becker says. "It works in a musical way too: Hearing virtuoso jazz stuff on a rock 'n' roll record in those days had more of an impact. Then that got shunted off into an ultra-tame side of the musical world called smooth jazz, which can no longer be subversive."
Cyber-novelist William Gibson clicked his mouse finger on the distinction a few years ago, telling a British journalist: "A lot of people think of Steely Dan as the epitome of boring '70s stuff, never realizing this is the most subversive material pop has ever thrown up."
The trick, as Becker puts it, is simple: "We try to write things that work on a variety of levels at the same time: A sleek exterior with a turbulent lyric."

* * *
However you want to try to pigeonhole Steely Dan--always an unavailing task--there's no question that they are as remote from the mainstream of the record business today as they were back in their first prime time.
"Because," Fagen suggests, "our taste in music goes back so many decades more than most people in music does. We were like moldy figs before we were born."
Their deeply ingrained aloofness makes it all the more surprising that they've accepted (reluctantly) the promotional demands of today's music business, and embraced (wholeheartedly) connecting with their fans on a Web site (http://www.steelydan.com).
"We sort of looked at the Web site as an opportunity to publish some of the running gags," Becker says.
"It's kind of neat. There's a sense of connection to people in your audience, where you can communicate with them directly in ways other than your artistic output."
Can these once-cranky loners really be doing tours, TV and the Internet, humming, "Reach out and touch," albeit in 7/4 time?
"We can't rely on radio to play us in any wide way," Fagen says. "We're trying to sell records that will let us make more records."
"We were persuaded that the slightly irregular gap between this and our last studio album made it incumbent on us to do things we normally wouldn't consider," Becker says.
"We want this to be a going thing for us. It's a really satisfying job to have in life, and we recognize that. I think we want to make it so that people are aware we're doing this, and give it a fair chance to be heard, and it's not likely that will happen unless we do a lot."
Their label, by the way, is Giant/Reprise.

There's an article in the Boston Sunday Globe regarding the new CD.

Here's the address if you're interested.

http://www.boston.com/globe/living/

Scroll down a few articles before you find it.

Have a great Sunday!

Altamira - yes, von Otter. Goodlooking? Well, not my kind of woman. An upperclassnoffa.

Me and The Wife listened to the new one Friday night. I was reading the lyrics as the music went along. Absolutely great, the edge is sharp, I reko every character, even the IT-Rattlesnake in West of Hollywood, he's got a bizi attitude and IT-clothes, always talking in his cellphone, now trying to get rid of his girlfriend, "Cause he is deep into nothing special, riding the crest of a wave breaking just west of Hollywood".

"...and there's a name, dr Warren Krueger, you can see him if you want". Brrr. THAT'S gaslighting, the song is hypnotyzing. Like Bolero.

I laughed out loud reading the lyrics to "Cousin Dupree"; "...tell me, what excactly turns you off".

What A Shame About Me is also great. The old girlfriend from their old school wants to take him to the Hotel, repeat the past, he's saying; "...like this is lower Broadway, and you're standing very close... bla bla, you're talking to a ghost, what a shame about me..."

And Negative Girl, seen her too many times.

Lars - you forgot Will Lee - he's doing great on shaker.

Chris Potter's doing Hillaryious solos.

RUBYBaby - no, it was my friend dr Mu's fault, he started to talk about virgins and... well, I had those racehorsemoney... I came to think about those aging rich actors with young wifes, I mean, Tony Curtis aint dating any 75 year old chick... okay, I lost my head there... but I'm back now. And I love you.

Clas

THIS NATIONALLY SYNDICATED COLUMNIST IS USUALLY RIGHT ON. SO, HOW DID HE BLOW IT WITH NEGATIVE GIRL AND JANIE RUNAWAY - TWO OF THE FINEST DAN SONGS EVER?

Steely Dan, "Two Against Nature," (Giant). 3 1/2 stars.

In this age of disposable stars it seems unfathomable that Steely Dan is back. After all, it has been 20 years since Steely Dan's Donald Fagen and Walter Becker recorded what certainly seemed like their farewell studio album "Gaucho.''

But ironically, the group that once loathed playing live was brought back together by the road - recasting memories during hugely successful cross-continental jaunts in the mid-1990s.

Those tours led to this surprisingly solid new studio album. And while "Two Against Nature,'' isn't about to surpass earlier Steely Dan classics like 1975's "Katy Lied,'' or 1977's "Aja,'' it is nevertheless a remarkable comeback from two of rock's quirkiest but most captivating characters.

The disc is filled with all the trademark elements of Steely Dan's sound - impeccable musicianship, masterful production, and the effervescent blend of

jazz, rock and soul that's always been at the core of Becker and Fagen's
songwriting.

While their lyrics can still be cryptic - the album opener "Gaslighting Abbie'' is just one that's ripe for multiple interpretations - there are also times here where the writing is strikingly direct. "What a Shame About Me,'' one of the set's best songs, finds Fagen singing about two old flames and a chance

meeting at New York's fabled Strand bookstore. She's gone on to find fame in Hollywood, he's a struggling writer who's fallen on tough times.

Equally straight-on is "Cousin Dupree,'' whose lecherous lead character gets his kicks from hitting up on a younger cousin while wondering "what's so strange about a down-home family romance?''

While those latter two tracks are making their way to radio, the disc's most unforgettable cut is "Almost Gothic,'' which sounds like it would have fit perfectly onto "Aja.'' With its lush harmonies, muted trumpet solo and evocative melody it brilliantly recaptures the sense of wonder that ran through so much of

Becker and Fagen's finest work.Not all the writing is quite up to that standard however. Despite some clever lyrics, "Janie Runaway,'' is sweet, slick and a total waste of space, while

"Negative Girl,'' features some sparkling playing and a cool vibes solo, but it's not on par with the rest of the set.

Those are exceptions though to what's overall a spirited return to form.

It would have been most appropriate had the disc been released in conjunction with Steely Dan being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year, but inexplicably the votes weren't there. That's the Hall's loss, for this much is certain: "Two Against Nature,'' only adds to one of rock's most influential and

enduring musical legacies.

-Kevin B. O'Hare

Four-star review by Cromelin of the LA Times.
http://www.calendarlive.com/music/20000226/t000018767.html

and also a feature in the Times
http://www.calendarlive.com/music/20000226/t000018730.html

and just for balance, here's a review that thinks 2vn is about pest control.

STEELY DAN: Two Against Nature (Giant 74321621902)

It's been 20 years since Walter Becker and Donald Fagen recorded together,
but this seamless continuation of their revered canon suggests it could
easily be two: same clipped funk, same jazzy horns, same airless ambience.
What's missing is the emotional involvement that underpinned the old tales
of broken romances. A title track about bug-busting is a mere exercise in
technique. Only on the odd cut such as 'Negative Girl' do Walt and Don sound
truly exercised.

Brilliant site - fanatical fan's heaven!
Too much input!!

I told this girl i had to answer email and hwere I am with you guys..

I'm sorry I mised th show...fark, I', pissed. But I get to here it on XRT tonight, my home-town, as Sinatra sounds it (and I aint the showgirl in '59). Anyway, the LExicon CD is working right well, and my roomie is having sex, and fark...I forgot was I was going tosay.

Anyway, sorry about diverting the attention away from the band tonight, I really didn't mean it, just some sad +40 losers pushed it on me.

Otherwise, most of you are +40, and you rock and give me hope about getting up there. I said in chat, you guys rock and have soul and I love it.

Anyway, I'm watching 'Oceans' Eleven' for the 2nd time tonight, and I think my spelling is awesome----I'm really drunk, but I'm doing a good job, and I'm trying to entertain a girl and let my roomie have a good time in his bed at the same time...anyway, triple header of professinoalal bball tom. and I need to E a bunch of you guys, starting with Mr. Hank and Ole, but I'm way behind but then I need to hit 20 first......I OWE YOU DANHEADS that talk wiht you're real handles...

peace

please visit my website...

Well it is already Sunday afternoon here.....heavy tropical rainstorm....soothing.......tomorrow I will trudge down to Tower here in singapore and pluck my very own copy of Steely Dan's latest epic......it's been a long wait , but hey, it is always worth it..
...I can remeber getting 'Aja' in early october on '77 at the Plymouth Meeting Mall in Pennsylvania, boy did that album create a divide between the 'rock' fans and 'disco'...
..and I remember buying 'Gaucho' at the Southshore mall near Babylon, NY in December 1980, it sat right next to John Lennon's album on the rack........

somehow 20 years later a lot of us are still here, many leading different lives than before....jeez Walter becker even does yoga!....but it is evident from their recent interviews that their wit and humility are still prevelant......so heres to the 'Boys from Bard' on their triumphant return.....and to all of us loyal fans ont the GB....we're were you all when I neede you back in 11th grade to fend off all those KISS fans!!!!

Have a Great Dan Leap Year every one!

Apsatively???

Howdy, DanFanGangLand!!!

Well, since it has been about six months since my last 'post' I thought I would ask Oleander the 'winner' of the 'contest' of who guessed the release 'date' so I could send them my Steely Dan tee shirt which I promised the winner.

Anyway, let me know. "Two Against Nature' sounds good, and I can see by the posting everyone is still on this 'bash-the-Swedes' thing which has gone on longer than most 'wars'---LOL!!

Actually, I find this sort of humorous, and disappointing at the same time. Anyone knows, who is in 'the know', that Texas has the most beautiful women in the world, anyway.

Jusr remember, Walter and Donald didn't have to do another 'damn' thing in their lives except renew their driver's license, tags, and inspection stickers (and, probably pay taxes), so enjoy what you 'got', k??

Saludos!!!

Michael
; )

Wow, I reckon I've touched a nerve. A mere suggestion, asking that internetheads own up to the messes they make, I've made a couple of people get pissed at a a 19-year old in a dorm room in Missouri, eating Doritos and listening to a STones album. Nice.

I guess I'm a reformer with results.

It's all so...inadvertant.

And I refuse to write my website's name as (onhoops.com). No way.

one last thing: The melodies in tvN have much more in common with songs written before the British invasion, than after. From Miles Davis to Cole Porter to Scott Joplin...Hell, if Night and Day were released now, it might not be recognized as the wonderful piece of music that it is. That's too much homework to expect a rock critic loser to perform before slapping down a few words.

PB: We'll see a few of those. In these days of immediate musical gratification and throw-away movies, if the reviewer can't hum the tunes as they scan through a 55 or so minute CD in 13:30, they don't get it...and they won't. Why?

1) The hooks in tvN are more jazz hooks than rock. Rikki had a couple of big rock hooks ove a sneaky jazz platform. Hooks stay in our brain partly based on a) genetic disposition for recognizing pleasing harmonic patterns and b) input from the environment. If one listens to McDonalds and White Castle music for 20 years, one would not recognize Beef Wellington as even palatable ("hey, dude - where are the freeze-dried onions?")

2) If one plays the melodies on a keyboard (proficiency is not necessary - even a duffer like me can finger them). I'd think one would find themes that can be more interesting that many from the 70s. Compare Gaslighting Abbie with Rikki (which is one of my favorite performance). The pattern and rhythms are more complex and intriguing on GL. Thus recognizing the beauty of Almost Gothic or Negative Girl is truly a lost cause. "'Uhh huhh, Janie Runaway - I like the beat, uuhhhh, hhuuhh'...'No, Beavis, this sucks'"

KD= Another one bites the dust! Bye Bye KD

...that's where I found my mandarin plum,
that's where you'd be if you found one...

Complete Credits, Lyrics at:

http://www.broberg.pp.se/sd_2agnatur.htm

Holy Christ, that was interesting.

Obviously that wasn't me. They forgot to end a sentance like this...

The Dixie Chicks are on VH1 now. A guy here just asked me 'what happened to them?' And, of course, the answer is: chicken tenders.

w/ the honey mustard.

I hate all of you, especially StAl.
I am gone forever.
I hate Steely Dan now. All their music is bland and boring.
I am out of here.

The Toronto Star

STEELY DAN

Two Against Nature

(Giant/Warner)

It may seem like faint praise to say that this is the only CD in the past several years that doesn't sound like utter crap when I blast it
through my small computer speakers. And cranking up its best tune ''Janie Runaway" through the ancient speakers of my home stereo
finally makes my investment in super thick speaker wire 15 years ago actually seem worthwhile.

But it all makes sense considering the legacy of sonic perfectionism established by Steely Dan, beginning with its 1972 debut Can't Buy A
Thrill and continued through various FM hits and a half-dozen more pristinely recorded albums of harmonic pretzel logic that ended with
Gaucho (1980).

Without a doubt, Two Against Nature (out Tuesday), Steely Dan's first studio album in 20 years, will give rise to celebration in stereo
shops throughout the global village.

The nine new tunes by guitarist Walter Becker and keyboardist/singer Donald Fagen deliver a familiar style of L.A. cool that sounds like it
has been hermetically sealed since the '70s, anchored on electric keyboards, with plenty of guitar and horn workouts from stellar session
players.

With the exception of the whimsical ''Janie Runaway," which sashays on a lean blues groove and provides one of the album's very few pop
hooks, Fagen's vocal melodies are either super noodly or else sound like a simple scratch track to be filled in later and don't stand up to
memorable tunes of yore like ''Rickie Don't Lose That Number" or ''Peg." But his lyrics are still filled with New York characters and places
and cryptic twists.

- Jennie Punter

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH(LONDON)

Steely Dan Two Against Nature (Giant)

WHEN musicians try to create some sort of jazz-rock amalgam, the results are often little more than cocktail music: expertly executed, but
bland. What made Steely Dan such a successful band in their Seventies heyday was that they did the jazzy rock thing but with proper
tunes. Songs such as Reelin' in the Years, Rikki Don't Lose That Number and Haitian Divorce had intelligence, wit and substance, but also
melodies that stuck in the brain.

Unfortunately, while the cleverness and the meticulous arrangements (especially on the horns) are all there on Walter Becker and Donald
Fagen's first album for 20 years, their melodic instincts seem to have all but deserted them. At times the vocals follow what seem like little
more than randomly chosen sequences of notes that sort of hang together but leave no imprint in the memory. The most arresting moment
here is a sax solo on the closing track; the rest is just a whole lot of noodles - and rather cold ones at that.

WoolyMan(in MA): I'm SO GLAD you encouraged me to "try it again, give it some time and see if the stream doesn't start." I did, and it did! I heard almost the whole Reelin In The Years. It was a bloody good show! I can't wait for Part 2.
Baudelaire - who knew?

Bear: Hi! Are you new? Gotta love Don't Take Me Alive, especially the way it starts with that kick-ass guitar lick.

We've all been getting some of the lyrics wrong our whole lives. Except for Kinky SoNSo. And maybe Ed, but he doesn't gloat about it.

rb

Ok, I'm chatting with my friend today, who is a Dan fan but not as much as I am, and he says he got Two Against Nature today. I said that that can't be true, it's not released till Tuesday. But he says he got it, it's an orange disk, and he picked it up at a local record store called Pitchfork Records.

Anybody have the slightest idea on this?
-Chris

"She's pure science with a special black hat..."

Hate to interrupt with something dan-relevant, but April's Issue (on shelves now) of Guitar Player has a glorious spread on WB - fantastic picture. Headline: "I am the guitarist! Walter Becker takes the solos on Steely Dan's 1st studio release in 20 yrs."

Not telling - Dick Head ... That´s your name? Any relation to Murray Head?

cyber space. Cyberspace. emphasis on cyber, emphasis on anonymous losers jerking off in front of their keyboards, usually talking to another man.

Actually, I'm Cornelius.

Or Skunk, whatever piques your interest...

Yo KD- Tough shit! Welcome to cyber space dick head. By the way, are you a man or woman?

A clue? - if you want to be rude to a person the first rule is:
-make sure that he/she understands what you mean. "a bug up his as"?? Can´t find that in Webster´s! And make sure to spell the more precise words correct when your makin´ a fool of yourself.

I wish you filthy, filthy whores would post under your real names, or introduce yourself with a handle and follow through accordingly. I made history last night by making my first post without using 'KD' when I gave the link to Andy's site, but that was harmless. To do it and flame someone (or an entire country) is pretty weak.

Historically, Lars has demonstrated a gargantuan ability to have a bug up his ass. This ability appears to be shared by other GB posters from Sweden along with their self-proclaimed omnicience.

Hiya, DanGanDom!!!!

The SFX radio broadcast is a good one, and one which I had the fortune of listening to last night. I see that St. Al is having a Pahty at the ChatRoom tonight at 9:00 p.m. PST, which should be fun.

All in all, the interviewer was polite, I forgot her name, but respectful without blonde 'roots'.

Cheers!!

ES

KatyDanFan, where 'ya been wife??

bye-bye.

Hutch, Lars,

OK, I give up! If coming here to ask a question is wrong, then I don't need to be here. Some of the questions may have been silly, but i guess neither of you have a sense of humor. Too Bad.
I didn't know that some here that are wound up so tightly.
I also did not know that the new CD is already out in Europe, forgive my ignorance.
I may not be as hip and up to date as some of you are, but I do know that this not where I belong.

Don't bother responding, I won't be coming back.

Hutch - thanks!

Judge and other stupidos - what´s Clas got to do with this? What´s the fact that I´m swedish got to do with this? Can´t you handle problems on a person to person basis? What´s my part of it? The problem is yours and, believe me, it´s huge.

Oh Lord, Lars and Clas vs. the rest of the world, even though they don't mean to be...it's on again.

Jesus A.J. Guyton is going off, I hope he shows this much balls in the pros. I doubt it.

Yes Lars- Whats up with you and Clas?? Is your whole fucking country a bunch of freakin assholes!!

Excuse me Lars - You like to play silly little games don't you "dude"? Exactly how many languages are you able to speak and write fluently? Here's the way I see it "dude". Lars sends his friends on the GB a nice little note talking about a wonderful evening of wine and great music. You choose to ridicule his post by pointing out typos and grammatical errors. (Not to mention your ignorance of the fact that 2vN was released early in Europe). Then, in another attempt to embarrass Lars, you claim you were just asking innocent questions.
And in the end the only thing you have accomplished is making yourself look like a childish fool.

"Excuse Me Lars" - if you call #2-4 questions it´s even worse than I thought. That´s what we call insults in the other parts of the world.

Ed: When you see that message click on the "non-embedded player" square.

Lars,
What crawled up your ass today? Can a person ask a simple question without a negative attitude in return? Don't get your knickers in a twist dude!

P.S
Ed says...on Letterman they play Cousin Dupree and Dave will want to know all about it...

hey,
I guess the BBC doesn't want to share?
Has anyone else gotten the regrets message from the site?
I caught the sfx premiere last night...
Its a slice of heaven...

Ed (yes I'll be there) Beatty

oui, cést Dave Schenk. One of the best tunes and no playin´on it from the boys!

Lars: Thanks!!! ...ah, those *fine* vibes on Natural errrr. Negative Girl...

DrMu: that list is not correct. According to the cd it´s:

guitars: WB, John Herrington, Hugh McCracken, Dean Parks, Paul Jackson jr.

bass: WB, Tom Barney

keyboards: DF, Michael Leonhart(!), Ted Baker

drums: Ricky Lawson, Michael White,Keith Carlock, Leroy Clouden, Vinnie Colaiuta, Sonny Emory

percussion: Gordon Gottlieb, Daniel Sadownick,Will Lee (!)

vibes: Steve Shapiro, Dave Schenk

backup vocals: Carolyn Leonhart, Cynthia Calhoun, Michael Harvey

whistler: Amy Helm

trumpet: Michael Leonhart

clarinet/bassclarinet: Roger Rosenbaum*(bc), Lawrence Feldman(c), Roy Hitchcock(c)

tenor: Dave Tofani, Lou Marini, Lawrence Feldman, Chris Potter

baritone: Roger Rosenberg*

alto: Lawrence Feldman

trombone: Jim Pugh

I think that´s all. That Rosenberg/baum is probably a typing error. It must be Rosenberg although there is one tenorplayer Rosenbaum.

Excerpt from review that sez it all (about the reviewer)

2 1/2 stars

... And the album's best moment comes with another controversial ode,"Cousin Dupree" -- an upbeat ditty (replete with bouncy, doo-wop backing vocals) dedicated to interfamily romance. A case of near incest with a sexpot cousin never sounded like so much fun. The problem with Two Against Nature is its unremarkable quality; too many of the songs ("Almost Gothic," "Natural(!) Girl," "West of Hollywood") fade into the background, while the album's best moments generally arise from the ghosts of their songs' past.
Although Gaucho felt like the work of a band that needed a break, you would have thought that after 20 years off, and two wildly successful tours, these former pop masters would have been ready to roll. But Two Against Nature can't quite find that oh-so elusive thing known as the groove.

~ D. Michael McLaughlin, CheckOut.com

...Whew!!...good thing *Negative* Girl is on the copy I have (and hopefully will receive Tuesday)!!!!! as it's their finest moment along with AG and WoH...

BestBuy RELEASE NOTES
Steely Dan: Donald Fagen (vocals, keyboards); Walter Becker (guitar, bass).
Additional personnel includes: Hugh McCracken (guitar); Joe Sample (keyboards); Ricky Lawson, Sonny Emory, Michael White, Vinnie Colaiuta (drums); Tom Barney, Paul Jackson, Jr., Dean Parks, John Beasley.

I guess we knew this, but this is the closest thing to a complete personnel list I've seen from a vendor.

Hutch: Hell, I wish I were the narrator...

StAl: way kewl! Will be at the cyber-partay with beverage at hand and radio blaring! Note to self: stop at liquor store, replenish stock of Wild Turkey 101 (no silly little Rusty Nails for an evening like this!)

/the Mam'zelle
preparing to hop the bus (alright, a plane, really) to NYC

Roy - Yeah, I guess I kind of skirted around that potential threesome in JR. I don't deny that their relationship may be "improper" but I'm still willing to sympathize with the narrator.
I just hope the poor guy doesn't have a heart attack!

Damn... I'd sure like to be at the chat party tonight but we'll be in the middle of our third set at The Jewish Mother right about then. Have fun y'all!

That reminds me... we're playing a club called The Shamrock here in Richmond on Friday, March 17th for St. Patrick's Day. So if your coming to Danfest and can make it into town Friday e-mail me and I'll give you directions to the club.

Q is selling a copy of 2vN that contains Natural Girl on E-Bay.

Damn, my copy doesn't have "Natural Girl"

What actually is "Checkout.com"? One of those free circulars you get at the grocery?

In next month's review, McGaughlin will analyze the latest mango crop from Malaysia

aren't afraid to try new thing, some one should hook up Cousin Dupree with these two girls. Then those incestuous desires might be fixed.

Dr and others, I too got that legal (rights) disclaimer when I opened the BBC2 audio feed window....but then a few seconds later I got the feed. It's worked 3 times now. I wonder if that disclaimer applies to some programs that they can't stream, some times, but not necessarily at the moment.. Not making myself clear. What I mean is -- try it again, and give it some time, and see if the stream doesn't start.

Doc K: That's the way I figger it - 12 noon on the east coast. Right now, the programming on BBC-2 is not available by RealAudio (due to some legal opaque reasons), but things hopefully should be free and clear for the interview.

Mr. Stewart: If you had just taken that left turn at Albequerque on your move from Alaska to Costa Rica, you'd hit us. Aren't you from around there here parts? We're in the heart of the Braaaaa-zos Valley between Austin, Houston, and Dallas (the "iron triangle" of Texas)...in the middle of everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

ATTENTION VIRGINS (tvN types): How to get full enjoyment from the new one from the first listen!! The principle here is despite the drum loops, this has a live feel unseen or unheard since Katy Lied or Countdown to Ecstacy.

1. Do NOT use Headphones! Use your speakers!!

2. Play it LOUD!!! Close your eyes and you'll be there.

3. Play it all the way through!! This work of elegance and function begs as a complete work!

This has been a public service message of the Texas Cherry Pickers Association.

Roy - the second interpretation is almost certainly correct -- and just as sleazy if not more so:
Janie has a friend, doesn't she? and Janie's not afraid to try new things, is she? Conclusion: Janie "possibly" gets to spend her birthday in Spain if she is bright enough to put parts 1 and 2 together.

Hutch: I liked and agreed with your reaction to "Janie Runaway", though I suspect you'll be accused of attributing more genuine sentiment than was intended. -- I have an important grammatical question about the lyrics: Is it:

A) Who has a friend named Melanie who's not afraid to try new things?

or

B) Who has a friend named Melanie? (end of sentence) Who's not afraid to try new things?

Interpretation (A) implies that Melanie is the one not afraid to try new things, which gives the song a sleezier, menage-a-trois angle. Maybe I'll know Feb 29.

RS

REELIN’ IN THE YEARS

Saturday 26 February, 7-8pm

WALTER BECKER and DONALD FAGEN formed STEELY DAN in 1970, and went on to set new musical standards during the 70s with a string of impressive albums, culminating with their 1979 release ‘Gaucho’. The pair disbanded Steely Dan the following year, and the group have been redundant until now. This month (February) sees the release of the first Steely Dan album, ‘Two Against Nature’, for 21 years. ‘Reelin’ In The Years’ (a two part programme), presented by RICHARD ALLINSON, features an in-depth and extensive interview with Donald and Walter - the first major interview for British radio that they’ve given together for 20 years - reflecting on their entire career and the music of Steely Dan, coming up to date.
This first programme explores the development of Steely Dan, highlighting key tracks from their first three albums - ‘Can't Buy A Thrill’, ‘Countdown To Ecstasy’ and ‘Pretzel Logic’ - all released within the first 16 months of the band forming. Time is also devoted to their (1975) ‘Katy Lied’ and (1976) ‘Royal Scam’ albums, which demonstrated a musical move into jazz. Walter and Donald talk us through their best known songs and reflect on the players they used during the mid 70s.
The second part of this programme can be heard at the same time on Saturday 4 March, which will be followed by an online chat with Walter and Donald.

** 1/2
Two Against Nature

Expectations (especially from their faithful legions) are understandably running high for Steely Dan's first studio work since 1980's Gaucho. While Two Against Nature isn't a bad record, it falls far short of the high water marks of their seminal '70s albums and Donald Fagen's brilliant 1982 solo effort, The Nightfly. Whereas in the past Steely Dan played like a rock and roll band that dipped their music with a dab of jazz, Two Against Nature furthers into the jazz-lite terrain mined on Gaucho. But at least Gaucho contained a few great singles ("Time Out of Mind," "Babylon Sisters" and the sublime "Hey Nineteen") that prescribed to the Steely Dan formula of the great "hook." Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the songs contained here.

While Two Against Nature certainly has its moments, it doesn't catch your ear with the crafty songsmith of Steely Dan past. The other Dan trademarks are in abundance though -- the polished production values (so clean you could eat off of them), the cryptic lyrics (especially the title tracks' stream of consciousness wordplay) and the always welcome nasty sense of humor (the applicable rule here seems to be the more deranged the better). "Janie Runaway " (seemingly an ode to statutory rape) revisits the dirty old protagonist of "Hey Nineteen," but now he knows better than to ask what this girl knows about the past. He opts to reference it instead, assigning her a role ("You be the showgirl and I'll be Sinatra/Way back in '59"). "What a Shame About Me," is wry Dan at its best. Thematically it plays like a more self-deprecating retelling of Harry Chapin's "Taxi," while referencing Dan's past a la "My Old School." And the album's best moment comes with another controversial ode, "Cousin Dupree" -- an upbeat ditty (replete with bouncy, doo-wop backing vocals) dedicated to interfamily romance. A case of near incest with a sexpot cousin never sounded like so much fun. The problem with Two Against Nature is its unremarkable quality; too many of the songs ("Almost Gothic," "Natural Girl," "West of Hollywood") fade into the background, while the album's best moments generally arise from the ghosts of their songs' past.

Although Gaucho felt like the work of a band that needed a break, you would have thought that after 20 years off, and two wildly successful tours, these former pop masters would have been ready to roll. But Two Against Nature can't quite find that oh-so elusive thing known as the groove.

~ D. Michael McLaughlin, CheckOut.com

If my time calculation is correct the BBC special will be broadcast this afternoon at 1:00 p.m. CENTRAL time... you can find the link on the ODP!

Dan and drumming - anybody heard of Keith Carlock before? And the most featured drummer on the new one is Leroy Clouden, also not mentioned in rumors. Will Lee on percussion only (!)

This review was just in some paper in Toronto:

----
STEELY DAN

Giant/Warner
****
In the almost twenty years since Steely Dan's last studio album, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen have become pop Stanley Kubricks, auteurs working in secrecy on a meticulously crafted, long-overdue comeback. "Two Against Nature" is their "Eyes Wide Shut": it will be
underestimated by the media, overestimated by diehards, and ultimately will rank somewhere in the middle of the pack on the career achievements list.
It's damn good, though. "2VN" (as it has been dubbed by fans) is rife with the airtight production, fearless harmony, piquant lyrics, and wily vocals that characterized Gaucho-era Dan. "What a Shame About Me" is the college reunion every underachiever dreads. "Cousin Dupree" is a genetically dubious love story. Throughout, the album's confident sheen is at odds with its downbeat lyrics.
If Steely Dan are out of step with the realities of millennial stardom, it's by design: they've always marched to the beat of several different high-priced drummers (they're no more like Ricky Martin now than they were like Andy Gibb in 1977). And while it's no "Aja", "2VN" may be the most cerebral groove record ever -- in the words of its authors, "a mix of elegance and function."
----

This review was just in some paper in Toronto:

----
STEELY DAN

Giant/Warner
****
In the almost twenty years since Steely Dan's last studio album, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen have become pop Stanley Kubricks, auteurs working in secrecy on a meticulously crafted, long-overdue comeback. "Two Against Nature" is their "Eyes Wide Shut": it will be
underestimated by the media, overestimated by diehards, and ultimately will rank somewhere in the middle of the pack on the career achievements list.
It's damn good, though. "2VN" (as it has been dubbed by fans) is rife with the airtight production, fearless harmony, piquant lyrics, and wily vocals that characterized Gaucho-era Dan. "What a Shame About Me" is the college reunion every underachiever dreads. "Cousin Dupree" is a genetically dubious love story. Throughout, the album's confident sheen is at odds with its downbeat lyrics.
If Steely Dan are out of step with the realities of millennial stardom, it's by design: they've always marched to the beat of several different high-priced drummers (they're no more like Ricky Martin now than they were like Andy Gibb in 1977). And while it's no "Aja", "2VN" may be the most cerebral groove record ever -- in the words of its authors, "a mix of elegance and function."
----

Sure, steely dan are a decade or two late in delivering Two Against Nature, their follow-up to 1980's Gaucho. But time may finally be on the side of rock's most illustrious music geeks. The old knock on Steely Dan was that they were too good for their own good -- if Walter Becker and Donald Fagen had recorded a studio album during rock's extended Amateur Hour of the early Nineties, they might have been publicly flogged. Unlike their El Lay-based muso contemporaries, Steely Dan managed to mix their craft with some truly crazy shit -- slick-sounding songs about perverts, assassins, divorcees and other non-strangers. We should have expected no less from a band named after a dildo, albeit a hugely literary one.
Two Against Nature is Dan defined. The album mixes world-class chops and jazzy, postgraduate soul sound with some wonderful, vague storytelling (sample simile: "sizzling like an isotope"). As always in Steely Dan's marvelously impressionistic world, we often don't know what the hell the people in the songs are actually doing, but we're pretty damn certain that they shouldn't be doing it at all. Still, what makes Two Against Nature work isn't its cerebral ellipticity but its stunning musical clarity. That's all the more impressive because the album is less a summit of super sessioneers (... la the group's past efforts) than it is a showcase for what Steely Dan's core twosome can do -- reluctant guitar god Becker remains a fluid, precise player, while Fagen covers the keyboard waterfront with a variety of jazz and R&B styles. Also shining are the assorted drummers, including Vinnie Caliuto, Ricky Lawson and particularly the great Sonny Emory.

The immediate grabber here is "Cousin Dupree" -- a bouncy midtempo charmer that has a little of the dirty-older-man magic that helped make Gaucho's "Hey Nineteen" an enduring anthem for every Humbert Humbert wanna-be. Also memorable are "What a Shame About Me," which has a "Deacon Blues"-like charm, and the more luxurious, autobiographical sounding "West of Hollywood."

Two Against Nature gets a little chilly here and there, but that sort of cool has long been a part of the Dan's distinctive nature. Here's hoping these two kids pick up the pace so we can get a few more albums out of them before all of us stop reelin' in the years. (RS 836)

Q:
"1. How did you pick up The New One if it isn't even out yet?
2. It's not "me and my wife", it's "my wife and I" (Did you say you were a Professor or something?)
3. How do you read some wine?
4. How do you listen to Dan and Joni at the same time?
Your thoughts?"
A:
1. you may have your own world premiere next week. if you can read non-US contributions on this board it´s already out in many countries(Can, NZ, Swe). It´s, as usual, a problem with Your definition of "the world".
2-4. a) how do you say stupid in Swedish?
b) hur stavar du till blåst på engelska?
Any suggestions?

Never mind my previous post...i found my answer, and noticed that i got the lyrics wrong as well (lol)

Thanks anyway

Bear

Can one of you Steely Dan fans help me out? Tonight at dinner we heard a song that my husband said was his favorite Steely Dan song, but he has never known the name of it. The chorus goes:

I've got a case of dynamite
i can hold out here all night
i crossed my own land back in oregon
won't take me alive

TIA

Bear

Do It Again
Rolling Stone Review
by David Wild
*** 1/2

Becker and Fagen return to the studio, jazzy chops and postgraduate cool intact.

Sure, steely dan are a decade or two late in delivering Two Against Nature, their follow-up to 1980's Gaucho. But time may finally be on the side of rock's most illustrious music geeks. The old knock on Steely Dan was that they were too good for their own good -- if Walter Becker and Donald Fagen had recorded a studio album during rock's extended Amateur Hour of the early Nineties, they might have been publicly flogged. Unlike their El Lay-based muso contemporaries, Steely Dan managed to mix their craft with some truly crazy shit -- slick-sounding songs about perverts, assassins, divorcees and other non-strangers. We should have expected no less from a band named after a dildo, albeit a hugely literary one.

Two Against Nature is Dan defined. The album mixes world-class chops and jazzy, postgraduate soul sound with some wonderful, vague storytelling (sample simile: "sizzling like an isotope"). As always in Steely Dan's marvelously impressionistic world, we often don't know what the hell the people in the songs are actually doing, but we're pretty damn certain that they shouldn't be doing it at all. Still, what makes Two Against Nature work isn't its cerebral ellipticity but its stunning musical clarity. That's all the more impressive because the album is less a summit of super sessioneers (... la the group's past efforts) than it is a showcase for what Steely Dan's core twosome can do -- reluctant guitar god Becker remains a fluid, precise player, while Fagen covers the keyboard waterfront with a variety of jazz and R&B styles. Also shining are the assorted drummers, including Vinnie Caliuto, Ricky Lawson and particularly the great Sonny Emory.

The immediate grabber here is "Cousin Dupree" -- a bouncy midtempo charmer that has a little of the dirty-older-man magic that helped make Gaucho's "Hey Nineteen" an enduring anthem for every Humbert Humbert wanna-be. Also memorable are "What a Shame About Me," which has a "Deacon Blues"-like charm, and the more luxurious, autobiographical sounding "West of Hollywood."

Two Against Nature gets a little chilly here and there, but that sort of cool has long been a part of the Dan's distinctive nature. Here's hoping these two kids pick up the pace so we can get a few more albums out of them before all of us stop reelin' in the years. (RS 836)

Hey nineteen...Everybody needs to check out the review in the new Rolling Stone. Very favorable for non-flavor of the month REAL music by overly competent musicians. Kudos to David Wild, a RS reviewer without wax in ears or notastitis, a real rarity over at that rag.

Listening to the SFX show on http://www.sets102.com/ (thanks aja). Somebody should SHOOT this host -- she should be executed every day at dawn for a month. Sheesh.

Nat King Cole is timeless.

Sets 102 is about to begin its premier of 2vN in 2 minutes! You can hear them over the 'Net at www.sets102.com. Gotta go!

aja

stAl & aja: count me in 2!

mike: whew! thanks good buddy. Let's see...7pm London = 11am here. Maybe. Help.

hutch(re JanieRunaway) "who's got a friend named Melanie?/ who's not afraid to try new things?/ who get's to spend her birthday in Spain?/ possibly you, janie runaway" Spells it out pretty clear to me! But I LOVE this song!

clas: Now I know why you want to learn to drive, you old hund! We'll have to scrap the driving lessons. Love me anyway or I'll cry forever.

RixHex56: My kid loves your song, Like A Temple. She's crazy about it!

rb

ps: red lights flash, toilets flush

Heads Up New Yorkers- The special preview of 2VN will be airing this Sunday the 27th at 9:30 PM on Q.104.3 FM hosted by the man himself, Donald Fagen. I'm sure that the sound quality will be better than the realplayer version I have been straining to hear for the past few weeks. So until we get our grubby hands on the real deal.....

1. How did you pick up The New One if it isn't even out yet?
2. It's not "me and my wife", it's "my wife and I" (Did you say you were a Professor or something?)
3. How do you read some wine?
4. How do you listen to Dan and Joni at the same time?

Your thoughts?

Andy M. : Thank you for the sounds. They provide a great history lesson.

That Black Cow demo is very nice with just a solo piano accompaniment.. I dig that different upbeat attack with the left hand.

"I got the News" is pretty freaky. Was that originally a Katy Lied outtake ?? The form of the song would suggest so.

Green Earrings 91 is awesome as well.

St. Al, did you get my last bit of email & snail mail I sent you?
How you doin?

I heard a rumor you could record Real Audio stuff as it streams in? Is that possible, or do you need the Real Player you have to pay for?

I'm in!

aja

ATTENTION!

An idea suggested to me by a foremost DanFan... On Saturday (tomorrow) night at 9:00PM PST, KMTT will be airing the SFX special. We were thinking this would be a grand opportunity to all converge in the chat room and have a listening party whilst listening to the RealAudio feed...

So there you have it.

Time: 9:00PM PST
Place: http://www.seanet.com/~stalfnzo/chat.html
Bring: RealAudio Player and your favorite method of diversion

Hey Andy Gill -
I thought you already wrote a (different_ piece for the Independedn...? Is this another one? Or did it appear somewhere else? Please give a citation for those who need to know.

what a day - on my way home I picked up The New One and Joni Mitchell´s Both sides (I preordered both on the net - but couldn´t wait). My children (10 and 15) prepared the dinner (delicious) and me and my wife sittin´in the sofa reading some wine and listening to Dan and Joni! I read the top 20 in Sweden: Led Zeppelin, Roy Orbinson, Barry White, Cher, Nat King Cole and on top Simon & Garfunkel! Hey, wake up it´s 2000!

Clas - Congratulations on the new car!

I thought the name was Anne Sophie von Mutter - damn, that is one attractive woman. Plays the violin well, too.

STEELY DAN

Two Against Nature

Giant

FOR MOST semi-retired performers d'un certain age, the notion of re-forming the band again is one born out of desperation and ultimately doomed to failure. If they are lucky, they'll realise before it's too late that the things that drew them to the business in the first place - the desire to strut like a peacock for the approval of teenage girls, mostly - are not nearly enough to justify the ignominy of the glam-rock package tour.

For Steely Dan, such considerations were never uppermost in their decision to pursue a musical career, which may be why this comeback album, 20 years after Gaucho, appears so impervious to the ravages of time. Steely Dan 2000, it's a relief to find, is just as unfashionable as Steely Dan 1980.

Walter Becker and Donald Fagen have spent four years working on the album, and it shows. On first hearing, many of the nine tracks appear hard to get a handle on, but successive listens reveal a wealth of subtle melodic shading and an attention to detail that, over time, cements one's affections all the more firmly.

The general sound is pretty much as it was for Aja and Gaucho, a seamless jazz -pop alloy cruising on sleek funk grooves, tracking unexpected twists and turns of melody, and tinted with sophisticated horn colouration. Lyrically, too, it's an extension of the Californication theme of Gaucho, peopled by beats, losers, perverts, and corrosively magnetic girls, all pursuing their destinies regardless of notions of right, wrong and taste, observed with customary wry detachment by a sardonic Fagen.

The most immediately appealing of them is "Cousin Dupree", a low-life itinerant sleazeball who returns home after years away to find his little cousin Janine has grown into "those little tops and tight capris" rather nicely. "We used to play when we were three," he suggests, "How about a kiss for your cousin Dupree?"; her rebuff, mercifully, is entirely appropriate to his advance.

The moral compass is just as cock-eyed in "Gaslighting Abbie", where a couple eagerly anticipate disposing of the eponymous third member of their menage a trois. By comparison, it's easier to empathise with the anti-hero of "What A Shame About Me", a fifty-ish bookshop worker shamed by an encounter with a now-successful former college pal. Like their creators, they're old enough to know better, and cool enough not to care.

Thanks. Sounds great.

Squonk---

http://members.home.com/metzger/dan/

go to 'Sounds'

Hank, Roy.Scam:
I thought about putting "tasteless, or tasteful," but I thought I'd get flamed even worse. Either way, you can't stop that groove, and I gave in on commenting on songs. I haven't had anything tasteless happen to me in almost a month, but we have a 3-to-1 sorority to frat ratio at my friend's party tonight. Or, at least, three sororities have been invited to the one frat. We'll see. I can't dip my spending money below 18 bucks in preparation for Monday, 12:00 CST.

Big Fan: sounds like a hell of a way to drive. I'm interested to see how the new one sounds in a car too, especially since the boys supposedly had this in mind. Also, I'm interested in buying a damn car.

A demographic question, has anyone here heard of hoopstv.com?

I think I can recall a few weeks ago someone mentioning a demo of Black Cow featuring just Donald and piano. Is there a link for this? I think I may have missed it first time around but would love to hear it.

There's a great but all too brief article on D+W in the new issue of Entertainment Weekly.. on shelves today.

New Pictures, too.

Been scratching my head about the reference to the Radio 2 programme. The it dawned - visit the SD website!
Yes - you haven't missed it.
Radio 2 Saturday 26th Feb 7.00pm (London)
"The Steely Dan Story" part 1 - featuring interviews with the boys.
Been warming up for the new one by going through the old collection. Just re-visited "The Goodbye Look" and "Home AT Last"
brought tears to my eyes.

Thanks to those who checked out the photos on Duane's web page. He'll be putting up a couple from the previous Mojo article on Sunday.
Mike

I think the narrator in Janie Runaway has become jaded by simply living in the world and hitting that mid-life crisis. Believe me... it happens! His new found young lover has re-awakened his appreciation of the simplest things. She's let him rediscover the innocence and excitement of youth. She not only rescues a dreary Sunday but she rescues him from the dreariness of every day of the week. The dark cloud of unfulfilled dreams dissolves for a while to reveal the blue skies of creative possibilities he would have otherwise ignored. He's got money alright. They're going to Spain for her birthday. But money doesn't equate with happiness or contentment. It never has and it never will. They may not live out the rest of their lives together. Most likely they won't. He will always remember what she did for him though in the time they were together. And Janie will probably remain oblivious to it all.

Farmer Joe: Thanks a lot for Jumping in 50 seconds ahead of me with a quip on the word "tasteless" that was quicker and cleverer than mine, thus making me appear derivative AND lame.

RS

KD: "Tasteless"? Like, making him listen to Howard Stern on the car radio?

K.D. - Are you sure 'tasteless' is the word you're looking for there?

RS

tasteless?

tasteless with be two bulls, a sheep, and Janie all piled atop the driver of the vehicle

the activity the song describes is quite tasty

Clas: Are you SURE you want to wait around all day for girls to shower? Why not choose a dirty bird?

it's clear to me that Ms. Runaway is performing tasteless deeds on the narrator while he's stuck in traffic, thus making it interesting.

right? I mean, that's what seemed obvious first time I saw the line...same thing with making the morning interesting...

What is it about protagonist in "Negative Girl" that causes you to label him a "slimeball character?" Seems like she's the one with questionable morals.

Can I ask a question a little at the side here? I'm looking for a 18 - 19 year old, blonde, fresh, just-shower-ed girl with her own apartment. Anyone?

C

A cover of Dirty Work:
http://www.billboard.com:80/daily/2000/0218_06.asp

Thanks to the author a working link to his article 'dising the Black Cow samples:
http://dailytargum.com/sections/opinion/story/022200aab.html

I just got several new concert boots on CD including some from the 94 tour with Aja and True Companion and 96 with Cash Island Only - pretty good. I'm pleased. I have a lot of driving to do this weekend starting today, probably 600 or so miles. I'm going to pack one of the 6 disk changers in the truck with a 2 CD each set from 93, 94, & 96 concerts. That should be enough music for most of the ride. I'm realy surprised at how different the sound of the 94 band is compared to the other years. Even the intros by DF are much more subdued.

Hi all!! Just heard the Dan's new album. Don't know how we got it here so soon in 'lil old New Zealand, but I just saw it there and had to buy it. (got it on the 25th Feb)
I like it. It's sound is very much like Fagen's 'Kamakiriad' in some ways. I guess because it was produced by Becker (with Fagen as well this time). 1st track is very funky. I like 'Almost Gothic' best though. Another classic to add to the SD canon I think. The album is full of Becker & Fagen's slimeball characters too, like Cousin Dupree and the guy in Negative Girl. Plenty of new names for William Gibson to use in any new books he might write ;)

What are all these cool phrases they come up with, that I don't know the meaning of? ..lol....like, "Who's gonna grok the shape of things to go" and "maybe it's the skeevy look in your eyes"
and other such stuff....The sort of thing you'd like to slip into everyday speech, but you know no ones going to know what you mean, and you'll end up looking like a d**k.

All in all, I'd say a 3 out of 5 guys. I like that all the music is played by humans too. Just goes to show that real players have more funk than machines......Good on ya :)

Fletch

well, here´s more from the swedish papers (very good coverage):

""Steamin´hot" says the promotion; that´s probably as far as you can get from the temperature of Steely Dan ... it´s closer to the refrigerator than to the stove. ... It´s as good as expected and that´s more than you could expect"
(Dagens nyheter - Sweden largest newspaper)

"These guys are cooler than what´s good for them. And their audience!" (Sydsvenska Dagbladet - somewhat smaller local paper)

As I said, very good coverage and promotion. # 16 (and risin´) on major internetvendor. Probably the first time (?) they entered the charts in Sweden.

Dear American Steely Dan Fans Living in California,

I'll never forget my first listen to Mr. Steely and Mr. Dan. I was quietly avoiding Viet Nam and doing everything Daddy said so I could grow up to be President. And guess what? I AM going to be President! Daddy was right and I know you want to be RIGHT too! Heck, speaking of RIGHTS, you know you really should exercise yours while you still have some. No telling when some terrorist will slip past the border patrol and force us into martial law! Gee, my daddy was ahead of his time!

McCain has NEVER listened to our favorite band. I mentioned it last week in a debate and he said he was too busy rotting in a POW camp to care about a group that never made it to the R&R Hall of Fame. Doesn't that make you angry? I'm so pissed I could light a cigar with a million dollar bill if I could find one. Hey, I just did! Thanks for the contribution!

Where was I? Oh yeah, compassionate conservatism. Compassionate Conservatism = Huge favors for all of daddy's buddies. Heck, do you think $70,000,000 grows on trees? Sure I'll have to pay off a few conservative contributors during my term but it will be with the deepest compassion possible. Unlike Senator McCain who doesn't even know Mr. Steely from Mr. Dan!

And the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet (leftwinger), reporter Anders Hvidfeldt (be-bop-fan);
"The Red Lights are flushing. What's the real reason for their comeback? Out of money?"
Clas, Ultraright-Winger and member of the society "Free the Machineguns Organisation"

"I gave her everything! I picked her out of 50 girls! How can I continue being a motivational speaker after this debacle?"

Yes, these were some of the thoughts racing through my head when my TV bride wouldn't "surrender the pink".

But after hearing Cousin Dupree I know there's still hope for every greedy, slimy, immoral, vacuous emergency room nurse on the planet. Especially if she drives a 2000 Isuzu Trooper.

Oh yeah, and it's a shame about me too.

RR

My co-worker came in here with the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet (rightwinged). Dan Backman is the reporter.

It's a big article (a whole side) about Steely Dan and the new album, and an interview, and the reviewer is excited. He's mentioning the weird line "who make the traffic interesting" and the drummer Vinnie Colaiuta input on Negative Girl (almost a new Aja he says), Gaslightning Abbie with a refrain like a jingle from the 40s, Negative Girl - Dean Parks and Paul Jackson JR is subtile, discover the ostinatos in the end and discover the Meaning Of Life... and on and on.

In the interview Donald says that he is worrying if anybody nowdays likes music. And Walter sneaks in and says that maybe they should start to do music to Science TV-programs. And Donald says that ALL their music is done for Science TV-programs.

Donald says he's more relaxed these days, "either you get more nervous or more relaxed when you get older". Dan Backman; " I'm getting more nervous the older I get", Donald asks "how old are you?". Dan Backman is answering "43", and Donald comforts him saying "oh, I was also nervous when I was 43". Walter; "43 is dificult, we don't know why. You'll be cooler when you are 45. Didn't we write a song about being 43?" Donald; "I don't remember, you mean Hey Nineteen? Walter; "Hey Fortythree".

Dan Backman; "Do you like HipHop?" Walter; "Absolutely!" Walter is ending the interview saying; "Dalai Lama pointed out that you aint gonna take reviewes to hard. Be cool about them.

Got to go,

C

PRESS STOP PRESS STOP PRESS STOP PRESS STOP PRESS STOP!

Okay, now it's official, The Wife announced last night that we're buying a new car. The old one is so worn out, plastic padding, and the green colour is almost gone. The new one is a blue one. I think.

And is life good? It's Friday 25, here I am, sitting with A Day At The Horses Money (40 bucks) in my right hand and soon the new album in my left.

Dr Mu - thanks so much. Virgin, hmmmm.

Grammys Favor'70s Icons - and the Swedish Ann Sophie von Otter won two grammys.

Topsoilant - I got it. No, never played it. I bouhgt the Roland RD 1000 Digital Piano 10 years ago, excellent sound and keyboard feel, it's collecting dust at a certain young mans apartment nowdays. The problem with it is the weight, 50 kilos. I'm playing "piano" on the synth, Roland XP 50, and that's a cheap keyboard. Mickey Mouse keyboard. And the acoustic piano has no midi connecting. And, playing acoustic piano where I live, apartments, means that everybody around the block is hearing excactly what you're playing. And that's quite disturbing. For me.

Meg - have no idea, but I guess she's refering to the Spanish postings to mr Gaucho.

C

JUMP TO THE WET SIDE!

DANFEST EAST UPDATE

Join the Whole Sick Crew in RICHMOND, VIRGINIA
MARCH 17-19, 2000

The crib: Extended Stay America
1 800 EXT STAY or 1 804 285 2065
$44 cheap
Or StudioPLUS 1 888 788 3467 or 1 804 285 7050
$64 almost as cheap
Make your reservations NOW!
If you have reservations at Inn at Richmond, CANCEL
THEM!
Agenda TBA

For more info, e me at oleander1@earthlink.net

...it's way complex...

Ruby: Thanks...you made me blush...I've interviewed a few people in my time, but the chance to interview D&W would have been a perfect ending to my showbiz career. Ah, those days are behind me now. Howevah! I'm still without a job, but I did manage to snag job interviews next week with Warner Bros. and Sony, wish me luck!

If you want to hear the interview and have Real Player, check out the NPR website, you can hear it from there. If Linda does get back to me, I could make you a copy on cassette. I don't have the means to copy it from the NPR website.

Just heard a third version of Cousin Dupree on the NetRadio.com adult alternative channel! What's up? Even the main vocals are different!

Geena: I wish you had been the interviewer! You'd be great!

First I miss the NPR interview. Had the station all set on the radio, cassett in place, etc. The next time I look up, the clock says 6:24. Ever have days like that?

Now I've missed the Radio2 thing. I've had that site marked for days but I just didn't make it home in time!

On the up side, I like that Brit radio.

I guess the correct thing to do is to buy an interview copy from NPR. It can't be that expensive, can it? And it's gotta be worth it.

Lexicon is in. Shrink wrap is off. Art is made to be experienced!

rb

Midnite C. - I have to say that my 2vN is a copy (of course). Perhaps a copy of a copy, etc.. I understand that in the digital realm copies don't lose their sound quality. I don't know... not being a sound engineer. That being said I have to tell you that the two songs on the Lexicon cd sound crisper and punchier than they do on the album. It may just be because they're different mixes than what's on the album. In the case of Cousin Dupree it's definitely a different mix because there are back-up vocals there that aren't on the album track.

Cornelius Bumpass has an album coming out on Palmetto Records.

www.palmetto-records.com

The site says he'll be appearing with SD on Letterman on 3/2.

...seems everyone's getting it but me. Even my brother-in-law, who I gave the answers to, has his. Have to nip home at lunchtime just to check the post. Sorry to be prudish about this but, if I end up fooling around with Cuz, I won't be a virgin by the time I get back to work. Did someone mention ... shrinkwrap?!

Mr Chow: Yes it was on PNN - 2pm Weds and I taped it on a crap tape, ordinary reception in the lunchroom at work - very furtive. However, it was worth it! - So, where should I send it to?

Excellent interview Ms Wertheiner, though you could have cut back a little on the laughter track.

I'm really praying the production of 2vN isn't as plinky as my tape recording, even Donald's voice sounded a bit weak. Pavarotti he ain't, but he knows how to deliver a line along with the best of them.

also... enjoy the Basement show if it's on. The GoodQueen couldn't believe the place was still open... And, by the way...

Up the Gunners!

Richard&kangaroos

Decided to just leave my Lexicon CD a virgin. I'm working all weekend and I'll have the whole thing in my hands come next week anyway. If the sound quality on the Lexicon CD is lacking, as was suggested here, I'd rather just hear the official release anyway.

Having fun playing with the VS-880 but still feeling a bit overwhelmed. Only 24 hours of work next week, lots of hands on time I hope. Hope you all have a great weekend.

MC

Listening to the start of All Things Considered, they opened with a clip of Janie Runaway, and a plug that on the next edition of "Fresh Air Archives", a discussion with Donald Fagen. My guess is it's his piece from the Kamakiriad release days.

Also NPR tonight will include mention of Letters from listeners, perhaps some comment on the SD piece yesterday

topsoiliant worm tom- You'll still be a virgin, even if you do fool around with Cuz.

Best Polka/Accordian Album: "Polkasonic" by Brave Combo

Feb 24, 2000 - 12:37 PM

Grammys Favor '70s Icons Over Youngsters
By Beth Harris
Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) - You're never too old to win your first Grammy. Just ask '70s icons Cher, Barry White and Black Sabbath.
Youngsters like Britney Spears, Marc Anthony and the Backstreet Boys - who had some of 1999's best-selling albums - will have to wait another year to grab a Grammy.

Cher, 53, won best dance recording at Wednesday night's ceremonies for "Believe," the biggest hit of a career that began in the 1960s with then-husband Sonny Bono.

White, the soulful love god known for the '70s hit "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe," earned male rhythm and blues vocal and traditional R&B vocal trophies for the appropriately titled "Staying Power."

White, 55, triumphed over such younger competition as R. Kelly, Maxwell and Tyrese in the R&B vocal category.

Black Sabbath, formerly fronted by Ozzy Osborne and known for such metal classics "Paranoid," was honored for best metal performance with "Iron Man." Drummer Bill Ward said it was gratifying to see artists from the Woodstock generation, including the night's top winner, Carlos Santana, doing so well.

"I think it's totally cool," he said. "I didn't think that 31 years ago, I'd be standing up in a suit. I feel more like an accountant than the guy who plays drums in Black Sabbath."

Santana, the 52-year-old guitarist who shot to fame at Woodstock in 1969, picked up eight Grammys, tying Michael Jackson's record for the most in one night. Until this year, Santana had won only one minor Grammy.

Clive Davis, who helped launch the careers of Santana, Whitney Houston, Sarah McLachlan and Bruce Springsteen, lauded Santana for his cross-generational impact.

"You're an inspiration to every young musician throughout the globe because when they break in they don't know how long a career can not only last, but how long it can soar," said Davis, the longtime record company executive. "And to those established musicians who've been No. 1, how to get back after years."

Country veterans George Jones and June Carter Cash, whose health travails have received almost as much ink as their music in recent years, received their first Grammys since 1970.

Jones, the 68-year-old who was nearly killed in a car wreck last year, won male country vocal for "Choices."

Cash, the 70-year-old wife of Johnny Cash, picked up her third career Grammy for "Press On" in the traditional folk album category.

Sting, who hadn't won in seven years, scored for male pop vocal with "Brand New Day," beating out the likes of youngsters Marc Anthony and Ricky Martin. Sting also won for pop album. He already had seven solo Grammys and his band Police had won five.

Meanwhile, Spears, Latin heartthrobs Martin and Anthony, R&B singer Brandy, all-boy groups Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync and rapper Kid Rock were all shut out.

But there was Christina Aguilera, the 19-year-old singer who earned her first Grammy, for best new artist. She defeated fellow teen diva Spears, who commanded greater attention for her sales and sex appeal.

Aguilera said she hoped to follow in the footsteps of her idol, Mariah Carey, who won best new artist in 1990. Carey sings, writes and produces much of her own material.

"I want more writing credibility on the next album," Aguilera said. "It's really wanting to be seen as a vocalist, because that's where my heart is and trying to take pop a little bit deeper than it is now. I wish it wasn't just about image."

One of the oldest timers of them all, Tony Bennett, now 73, took the Grammy for traditional pop vocal for his tribute to Duke Ellington.

But it was just another day at the office for him - he already has eight Grammys.

Clas: Virginia

See you guys when I get back!

Toodles

this Two Against Nature virginity thing is a bit hard
debating on opening that Cousin Dupree disc when it arrives

Clas - not Werlitzer, Kurzweil - the king of good life like piano sampling. The company was founded on Stevie Wonder's insistence for the perfect digital replication of acoustic piano
Nobody here among you studio pros is working with a Kurz? shame

WasAz - the remasters
run to your nearest Circuit City and plop down a measly $9.99 for your fav Dan album (hell the packaging is worth that alone)

THe sonics are superior, evident on good equipment and totally mind blowing on great equipment. I have three so far and need COuntdown, Can't By and Pretzel. I am astounded by the nuances.
Citizen Dan was well done as was Decade but these have great gems to uncover. High lee wreck oh mended!

NOtice how in night by night the protagonist isn't living day to day like most people would view it, but night by night
that 40's - 50's underground lifestyle in a guarded society
Bird Parker was too far ahead of his time

When the dawn patrol got to tell you twice
They don't do it with a shotgun
Yes, I'm cashin' in this ten-cent life, for another one

Ah, never mind folks, I put in a call to Linda this morning, she'll probably get back to me in a few days...C-ya!

Howard - no, I know; a major chord with the low bass playing the minor note. I don't like it and I aint gonna play it. Major is the good guy, Minor is the bad. What will this world come to if we merge those two characters?

Demi! (It's Demii, not Demmi, right?) You're back! Tell me, what kind of American is Bruce Hornsby? SouthAmerican, Canadian?

Wormianian - Wurlitzer? Oh, I thought you were talking about Kurt Weill and his friend mr Brecht. Mr Rhodes Brecht.

C

Yes I am. And when I write in another language I try to do my best.

12 one-days in a row for the Aussies, this team goes off.

off to bed for me, class in three hours...

Good King Richard - Thanks for the warning about "All things considered...". I've been away from the net for a couple of days - Was it played? News Radio is usually so unpredictable. I'm forever wanting the result of the last Chelsea game and they spend their entire sports segment interviewing some golfer or swimmer! - a tad frustrating.

Bondi Blue - I will check out the Basement tommorow and let you know more (unless you've already found out). They don't restrict themselves solely to jazz these days, but the programme sounds tantalising.

The Lexicon CD arrived in Oz today. Great stuff! Despite hearing the snippets from the home page, it was good to have a real listen through a decent hi-fi. At this stage I can say that "What a Shame About Me" sounds like a direct extention from Kamakiriad - (much like "Springtime"). Magnificent jazz touches from the piano vamp to the muted trumpet towards the end.

You know I really wanted to ask Donny and Walter about the origins of the Steely Dan name but my ben wah balls were working overtime and all I could think about was the Flying Nun and how she would have handled it.

Sally Fields Forever,

Linda WERTHEIMER

my 'Katy Lied' is worth it, no doubt, and I'm sure it's the same way for all the other ones.

And I still call them records, or albums. If I have to make a distinction, I say LP (or vinyl), CD, or tape.

As soon as I get the money I'm going after all the new remasters, easy.

You know, I really need some help.

I've immensely enjoyed listening to my boxed set for a few years now. But every time I venture into the record store (I'm sorry; I know they don't sell records there anymore; so litigate me.), I see those remasters leaning back seductively on the shelves, beckoning me to purchase. Should I? Aside from the original liner notes (which might almost be impetus enough - it's been 17 years since I've read the liner notes to Aja, thanks to my failure to steal the album from my sister before she moved to Alaska), is the music really that much better? Could Donald and Walter really have achieved better musicality through technology? Can I hear the subtle nuances more clearly?

I need your opinions, since I value them all, and since, in my mind, there is no better group to reliably answer my question then this one. We share the same love, you know.

You know, I really need some help.

I've immensely enjoyed listening to my boxed set for a few years now. But every time I venture into the record store (I'm sorry; I know they don't sell records there anymore; so litigate me.), I see those remasters leaning back seductively on the shelves, beckoning me to purchase. Should I? Aside from the original liner notes (which might almost be impetus enough - it's been 17 years since I've read the liner notes to Aja, thanks to my failure to steal the album from my sister before she moved to Alaska), is the music really that much better? Could Donald and Walter really have achieved better musicality through technology?Can I hear the subtle nuances more clearly?

I need your opinions, since I value them all, and since, in my mind, there is no better group to reliably answer my question then this one. We share the same love, you know.

kd @ onhoops

I got sick of Rolling Stone and dropped my subscrition several times. (See next digest) But then I end up getting it for a half dozen issues a year, like to get the Dan photos and reviews and it ends up costing me less if I get a a subscription. So I give the rest to secretaries, etc. It is pretty damn irrelavent in other ways tho.

just read the RS layout, they made the crew look good. Read a friend's copy, I'm semi-ashamed to say I subscribe to Rolling Stone, but it was a gift, so I keep them. Anyway, I get them at home, and now I live at the house (to quote PWesterberg).

Also thumbed through an interview with Al Gore, who they made look like a golden god instead of the dickhead he is. In the Bush/McCain/Bradley interviews, they only used brand-new photos of the candidates in mid-sentance (or even less flattering poses). It was a journalistic hand job. Same thing you'd expect by the rag who brought you Britney Spears' pubic hair nearly a year ago.

Anybody know where i can get a copy of the NPR interview done by my once co-worker Linda?

(Tick - tock - tick - tock ... )

Virginity is key... for a while.

Good news! The cruise was pushed a day.
We get underway 3/01, not 02/29, so my
copy of 2vN will be impressed on my
neurons on a beach outside America.
Breaking from tradition, yes, but the
fatty & beverage combo will still be in
place as the liner notes are scanned.

Uh-huh...

It's Linda Wertheimer, not Wortheimer. I'll have to read the transcript when I get home; thanks.

Hey Dr. Mu -- You live in Central Texas?
Hello everyone else, and thanks for the interview info.
Mr. Stew

Interviewer of the year, music division, goes to Linda Wortheimer. She is the first person in the last three years, when given the chance to ask Donald Fagen and Walter Becker questions, has not drug out the old reliable, "So, how did you get your name?"

The terminally hip John Fisher, and the privileged audience at the Storytellers taping, did not exercise such restraint or good sense.

aja - Got the Hank Easton cd today. Thanks! This is a really nice album. Great guitar work as I expected. Also some VERY nice sax stuff. And the vocalists he's using are interesting. One reminds me of Stevie Wonder and another one sounds a lot like George Benson. Top-notch musicianship all the way through.
Your Beasley cd is on the way.

as well, being virginal to 2vN, expected being a bit scared. i just don't want to be disappointed. but, being a follewer of the gospel according to steely dan, i know that the faith will arise.

the posts look great. interested in everything being said. (except the stuff about the mexicans, that was tacky.)

awaiting 2vN like my first box of thin mints. could life be any better...

thanks for the report on the dates for the steely spotlight in houston.

shake it
amy

Hi gang--

Once again, that peerless fan-DJ John Fisher had reason to be feeling way cheerful this morning. After he spun Cuz Dupree yet again, he announced that this Saturday at 9pm, KMTT would be broadcasting that 90-minute "world-premiere" of 2vN that various other radio stations have been mentioning. I guess this is some kinda non-exclusive understanding of "world premiere? Whatevah. At least it's supposed to be all about 2vN, with commentary from Don and Walt. And for those of you not in Greater Seattle, you can surf in the live streaming simul-webcast at www.kmtt.com.

Man, what a pleasure to be just a-rollin' in new DanStuff coming from all directions.

/the mam'zelle
a rolling duck gathers no moss

Charm Bro: thanx for the package you sent me through the US Mail...

Got my Lexicon CD yester-diddle-ee-ay!

on Amazon.com

Bodacious Cowgirl-hang in there, girl! The longest month is about to be over, and go out with a bang, no less! While you're groovin' away to 2vN over these next few weeks spring will sneak up on you, and before you know it you'll be bodacious again in tight capri's (or whatever makes you feel lively!)

David in the FLA room-deal! I've got your e-mail address, will exchange snailmail addresses after the taping.

oleander-I should've paid more attention! I believe that may have been Hutch's band we were seeing. Danfest envy in my subconscious? I hate making choices!

Hutch-did you get the CD? Whaddya think?

aja

NPR's full stream of the SD Segment can be found on the page:

http://search.npr.org/cf/cmn/cmnpd01fm.cfm?PrgDate=02/22/2000&PrgID=2

Thanks to everyone who posted links to yesterday’s NPR interview. I would have missed the whole thing if not for the GB.

Moonflower, thanks for the transcript — I know that can be tedious work. Just two more clarifications … The clip was “Jack of Speed,” and the word Linda W. used was probably “lascivious,” which is a pretty strong word for depicting D & W’s lyrics. I would have gone with “libidinous,” but that’s just me.

Got my Lexicon CD yesterday, shrink-wrapped. Thought about saving it ... that lasted about two seconds. Then I tore the shrink wrap off and cranked it. Mmmmmmm ... forbidddddden digital New Onnnnnne.

Hey there Dandy Steelers

still Two Against Nature virginal, but like a dog in heat for the Feb 28th release date

the NPR review was great fun, missed it Tuesday but thanks a mill Moonflower for the delicately transcriped posting here

some great one liners done in taste, Didn't we all want to be a fly on the wall in that radio studio?

and damn it if Miss Wortheimer wasn't quite the perceptive one, the lyrical intra cass eee's were not left null and void on her.

a good plug on the official internet site, but none for here, oh well

one knows in ones appendage(s) (singular for worm bait, plural for the rest of you surface dwellers) that Walt and Dan are enjoying our company. They are yet to e-mail me with the choice seats to the summer shows however. ONe may have to launch an amphibian attack of one's own now, won't one? I guess I don't have tight capris or little tops like Cuz Dupree's hot little niece piece to sway them from afar ;-]

Clas - who is Mr Rhoades your german contingent?
nobody likes Kursweil's here, come clean now?

I absolutely love the portion of the song Royal Scam where Donald sings "see the glory.." then wham the background singers do that huge overwhelming almost Messiah like rave up accompanyment.
Then the sarcastic twist "... of the Royal Scam" with great phrasing by our faithful narrator.

It's such a contrast - moving musical nirvana over a lyric line that lays waste to the religious hip hop crash see (sorry, hypocracy for those without the wormbrained trans later)of the immigrants "welcome to americana" promising journey turned to cold reality

toodles of topsoilantries

By the blackened wall he does it all
He thinks he's died and gone to heaven....

My brokedick car is busted up
Immigrant workers apologize in pidgeon
"I sorry, no insurance."
One dirty fucker sniggers like a rat
Greasy Mexicans... I think.
Driving home in the tow truck
Is like driving to hell.
I eat my refried beans in silence.
Cursing. Fucking cilantro. Tomatillos.
I'm moving out of LA by next year.
To someplace where Spanish is not spoken.
Burn, Mexicans, Burn.
In the hot and dying sun.

I don't think this Rutger's college student liked the sampled vesions of Black Cow:
http://news.excite.com/news/uw/000223/university-78

It's funny, those of you who have seen the Aja Classic Albums show know that D&W break into a little impomtu rap at one point in the show when they play Black Cow. Thank God I don't think they'll break into a rap version of the song in concert this year like Steve Miller did with Fly Like An Eagle. Nice to know D&W can laugh at it- and of course they charged twice the going rate for a sampled song, so I think we know who had the last laugh here.

uh-oh, it looks like the Letterman appearance is postponed, according to the Events page on the official site.

Hey! It's been a few years but I'm still around. Just wanted to drop in some tips for some Danular tunes I heard. Check out Hot Dawgit and Funky Serenity by Ramsey Lewis, you won't regret it. Too stoked for words about the new album, and Amanda are you still out there?

Clas - Scott already covered the C/Eb I think. You missed out the E natural (C/Eb is C major triad with Eb bass). The "slight harmonic disagreement" between the E and Eb gives the chord a lot of spice.

On it's own, it does sound a bit too spooky and weird to handle. But in context, it's sweet. Tension and release, dissonance and consonance ... that balance thing.

Howard

Cuz does this all the time! Sneakin' peeks at my twinsters and twistin' them into tunes. It isn't bad, so to speak, but he's BAD brother...trust the blood.

Roy, I know you'll understand. Clas, I know this will tighten your imaginary noose around the neck of that soon to defect American, Bruce Hornsberry. Oleander, I know this will make you mention your "permasqueeze" as if he ever posted, which he hasn't. So let us deal with the solid Gibson before you feign another purchase in the name of marital bliss. Don't get me wrong, I love you like a rock. And that rock could be destined for a bar of Lava.

Edd, catch what I said? The Roland is a virtual wonderland for steadfast geeks on the cheap. Autonomic tracks for the whacked. Can't afford a Neumann? This sample is a next to new one! Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

I know that "blah" peeked your interest, ballah. You're dyslexic to a fault. A genuine anti-gestalt. Don't hold your breath. The air's better spent on the true freaks or nature.

Thanks for posting the NPR info. It's great to hear Fagen deadpan:

Yeah, we're back with a vengeance.

or:

We have a kinda pantheon of
sleazy characters in our songs.

Linda seemed to be cracking up after every response from D+W. I wonder if the next segment (truckers protesting the rising cost of diesel) got the same amount of chuckles.

(What A Shame About) m.e.

Roy Scam - yeah, My Old School.

Moonflower - thanks for the interview -

"Walter: Maturity does...but, (laughing). What would we know about that? One of the hallmarks of middle age...midlife crisis.. is that at some point you have to decide which of the things you were chasing during the first part of your life. Did you catch them? Or, do you still want to catch them? Will it mean anything to catch them after 40?"

Oh yes. And insight is painful sometimes.

C

I am stuck deep in the winter doldrums. One more week until TNO, and my spirits shall be lifted, being a 2vN virgin sure is hard. I have been praying to St. Anthony, Patron Saint of Things Lost, to bring back warm sunny days, my carefree youth, and perhaps 2 great seats for the summer tour.

Drive into Springtime,
BC

oleander-- cult band?

who? certainly not the Dan...I think you're only a cult band if Gram Parsons or Alex Chilton played for you.

who?

Mutual assured deconstruction!! Omigod. He was WAITING to use that one. Moonflower, thanx for the transcript/ Danscript--he said Josie was a SAINT, not a SNAKE. That was Mary! It felt like a little glimpse into how they work together when they were riffing on what to name the album. Linda Wertheimer tried to interrupt them gently, but they were off & running.

aja--yeah, we hang at that bar all the time. We were trying to figure out if we knew you.

kd--"cult band"?!? The Permasqueeze is gonna freak when he finds out I'm a cultist.

Roobay--Not scary, but if you're like me it'll blow your mind. In a good way.

GKR--I can just see her! I'm glad she's getting some mileage out of the shirt. No, not on my page--Andy has tons of stuff on his page--esp. reviews of the tapings; I don't know who's going to archive the other reviews--but somebody definitely should!

jk--it's a wild and crazy song. I dig it the most.

Got the Lexicon cd today. Haven't opened it.

OK.... Tour dates.... Tour dates....

with a bullet...gold+ in week one

Andy, you rock.

Bill Cosby has gone insane...

It'll either be SD, the Pumpkins, or Oasis. The hype on the Pumpkins is the lowest since their first album, I'll be getting it either way Monday night.

I doubt Oasis has enough to hit the top slot, and I wonder if the internet sales will be enough to push the Dan over the top.

Here's hopin...

Here's the competition...

2/29/00 AC/DC • Stiff Upper Lip

2/29/00 Air (Techno) • The Virgin Suicides (Sdtk)

2/29/00 Beanie Sigel • The Truth!!!

2/29/00 Bloodhound Gang • Hooray For Boobies

2/29/00 Bloodhound Gang • Hooray For Boobies [Edited]

2/29/00 Bone Thugs-N-Harmony • BTNHResurrection

2/29/00 Oasis • Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants

2/29/00 Rollins Band • Get Some Go Again

2/29/00 Selena • All My Hits - Todos Mis Exitos Vol. 2

2/29/00 Shakira • MTV Unplugged

2/29/00 Smashing Pumpkins • Machina: The Machines Of God

2/29/00 Steely Dan • Two Against Nature

2/29/00 Tamara • Gracias

Let's get ready to RUMBLE!!!

If you missed it...
http://www.ri.to/sd/2vnnpr.ram

-Andy

Aja- yes please tape it for me...I'll trade you a "Clockdrive World" CD If you'd like one. D

2/22/00
NPR

Announced on All Things Considered highlights....SD back with new cd after 20 years ...

Ten minutes into broadcast, I am hoping the new tape i put in my boom box will record...I have turned the station to 580 AM...listening to all kinds of news..there is only one bit of news right now that I want to hear...that of our beloved duo, our SteelyDan...not sure how to spell Linda Worthheimer's name...Also, this is para-phrased a bit. I listened and re-listened to the tape.

----

.
Finally!!!

Linda Worthheimer: From New York Studios announces and welcomes the duo.

My Old School.....first played, taking listener back 25 years ago (wish she had played Do It Again)

Your're back!

Walter: "Yeah, we're back with a vengeance!....We have been touring around the country the last couple of years..getting a bit bored with old material.....and needed to invigorate ourselves...not solo...but together".

Worthheimer: The first act wasn't very long...why did you stop?
It has been suggested that you were fussy about the music...

Walter: We were fussy about the music.... it was getting harder and harder to top ourselves...which we felt obliged to ourselves to do....

Walter: 'There are no second acts in life. That's just a rumor, I hope....I suppose it is , though, in a way. We've had some side bets going between first act and second act...here we were, lo, these many years later, setting out to write a batch.of new songs and make a new album. And, we had a premonition that the 80's were not gonna be our decade. We decided to lay out...waited til the Reagan administration was over. We had our own individual destiny's to pursue. We had to go out and have some new adventures...(laughing)

Cousin Dupree.....played clip

Worthheimer: Then, a question...what about the characters and the plot line. Is Cousin Dupree someone who has been around before in your music?

Walter: "We have had a pantheon (?) of sleazy characters in our songs. This is a short story. It is sometimes more interesting to listen to something complex and perhaps immoral, not ethical. We have not yet written about a snake, except for maybe Jose?"

Wortheheimer: Do you think maturity changes this kind of (Cousin Dupree) observation?

Walter: "Maturity does...but, (laughing). What would we know about that? One of the hallmarks of middle age...midlife crisis.. is that at some point you have to decide which of the things you were chasing during the first part of your life. Did you catch them) Or, do you still want to catch them? Will it mean anything to catch them after 40?

Donald: I certainly wouldn't like to catch some of the things I caught in the 70's. I know that much.

Walter: This is the sort of thing we have to decide for ourselves. Some things you would...some you would not."

Clip of Jack of Spades

Wortheimer: Are your songs now less cynical but just as Livacious lacivious as before? (theme of?)
Walter: "I like that. We can live with that, as far as the cynical thing goes..the time of cynicism of the culture in general has come up around us..and has advanced to a considerable degree in the last twenty years.......and we are still standing wherever we stood then...

Donald: "or else we are really pussycats now... one, or the other."

Worthheimer: You have decided to tour with this album
with the band again, and you have a concert with PBS that will air on march 1.

Donald: "We were in on some of the TV rock stuff in the 60's...Dick Clark, Midnight Special and Don Kirchner's Rock Concert. We are toying with the new idea of renaming the new album To Don Kirchner With Love...the Shaming of SD or the SD Humiliation.....Mutually Assured De-construction...rename PBS taping...

what about the web site?
Someone once described it as a
Are you both writing it.....

Walter: Someone called it a stream of concsiousness coloring book.

Donald: Walter is master of the website, a real self starter (walter laughs) when it comes to anger management. I chime in from time to time. For a while I was doing a little column for a magazine, and put it on the website as well.

Worthheimer: You spend a fair amount of time on the RR Hall of Fame, which has not invited you, is that correct?

Walter: So far they have chosen to by-pass us, I think that might well be to the ornery mail we sent them.

WorthehiemerYou think death threats were a mistake? You threatened a violent assault...

Walter: "No we didn't.

Donald: No, we threatened an amphibious assault, in a whimsical sort of way, like the men being armed with huge water pistols. This was written on the heels of another disappointing rejection...you can always claim I was in a bad mood...

Wortheimer: Welcome back!

Walter and Donald: "Thanks! Thanks for taking us on".

Ended with title track....2vN

not "Change of the Guard?" Dammit, I'm disappointed...

my man Roy.Scam, what song did they intro the piece with?

My tuner doesn't work on my amplifier, so I get no radio, anxiously awaiting to see if NPR will post the interview. If not, JWMalibu, I might need to order you some Chinese food delivered to your door in exchange for a dub (no pun intended) of the interview.

I always loved the NPR hosts:

"This is NPR, All Things Considered, and that.............................was an unnecessary pause."

Central Texas "In the Spotlight" update:

KUHT in Houston carries the Steely Dan concert in prime time, but not until the ides of March

3/11 9 pm
3/13 9 pm

You can catch it earlier in Austin and College Station during the Sominex Theatre, aka the VCR Theater

KLRU - Austin
3/3 4 am

KAMU - College Station
3/2 2 am
3/3 12 am 3:30 am

Recheck these again as these times could always be in peril as is typical with public stations. For example, I left the office early to rush home by 5pm to catch the NPR program. Little did I know that locals had pulled the old switcheroo and Fresh Air was cancelled due to lack of interest or ozone or...but it was my lucky day, as when I turned on the radio and sync locked with 90.9, there was Linda Wortheimer (I think) introducing the guys ("you remember Steely Dan?')!! Fortunately, the telephone poles here are quite narrow and my Japanese car nimble, thus was able to hear the proceeding while driving with the front end intact. The hostess clearly was tickled quite a few times as the interview continued. The guys were bemused that she had visited steeydan.com though she exaggerated the firepower of the amphibious assault regarding the HOS snub.

Good line by Fagen,when discussing how they're chasing different things than they did when they were younger: "I don't think I'd want to catch some of the things I caught in the 70's".

Also, in response to the question of whether maturity changes your viewpoint, "I suppose so, but what would we know about that?"

I was also glad to see that, when they intro'd the interview, they played Steely Dan's best song, not their most popular.

RS

Yeah, both Donald and Walter got off some excellent lines. I kinda liked the little interchange about midlife crises. And about the ODP, and the amphibious assault plans and all. Certainly not a high-info interview, but a bunch of good clean fun.

/miz d

All you Washington Stater's, can any of you please post, or re-post, the date, if any, KCTS-9 is planning on airing the "In the Spotlight" segment? I have checked their website and, as of yet, no date has been given! St. Al any news?

Jive!

P.S. based on the MP3 files available @ SD.com, my favourite track thus far from 2vN is "Almost Gothic", wow!

"...so excited I can barely..."

jw- you don't have to tape it for us - just tell us the important stuff.

also the song ain't about it but they do mention St. Augustine in Kulee Baba - a vastly under rate tune on this GB

jk

That was a COOL interview.
Fagen: "I don't think we've ever written a song about a saint. Except for maybe Josie". (WB snickering in the background)
Those guys are too much.

A note about the NPR - "All Things Considered" broadcast this afternoon:

The producer of ATC tells us that some affiliate stations broadcast "the first hour first, and the second hour second", while other stations broadcast "the second hour first". What this means is that some of you may hear the SD piece in the first hour, and some may hear it in the second

Sets 102 just announced that Friday's world premier will include commentary from D&W (www.sets102.com).

JWMalibu-glad to do it, no problem! And I'll take you up on your NPR taping offer-I've got a training run tonight and can't listen (triathlon season approaches). If you need my address again, let me know. Thanks!

aja

I'm taping the NPR special, so if anyone can't get it - let me know...

Aja ~ Please, if you would be so kind to go ahead and tape the PBS show for me. I've got a confirmation that they're showing it on the local Maui PBS station, but just in case! Thanks!

http://search.npr.org/cf/cmn/cmnpd01fm.cfm?PrgDate=02/21/2000&PrgID=2 will likely have a real audio of the interview this evening

from yesterday's dandom digest that hoops runs at http://dandom.music.uiuc.edu/susbcribe.html

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: TUESDAY, 2/22: NPR's "All Things Considered"

As noted before, Steely Dan will be featured on "ALL THINGS
CONSIDERED" , TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22 in the afternoon/evening.

"ALL THINGS CONSIDERED" airs at different times on different
NPR stations so go http://www.npr.org/programs/atc/ and
select your state (of USA residence) from the "My Stations"
pop-out menu to find the stations and air times of NPR's
"All Things Considered" near you.

If you don't live in the USA, you can also hear various NPR stations
via the Internet. If all else fails, NPR often makes sound files and
transcripts available of many interviews. (Not positive about this
particular case). You can also purchase tapes and/or transcripts
--check out http://www.npr.org for more details.
-----------------------------------------------------------------

The release date for 2VN (28th feb in UK) looms ever closer. Last week the record stores in my town had to open early because large groups of people were waiting outside, on a freezing Scottish morning at 4am, just to buy the new Oasis single! I dont think they will have to take the same measures for the Dan release, although I think it should sell pretty well.

hmmmm... best to check www.npr.org/members and go from there. The only thing I know is it's today!

Reintarnation... that's when you come back as a hillbilly.

4 pm in Houston and 5 pm in Austin

I mean 89.7...

5:00 PM on 89.9, WGBH, Boston, according to the station's website.

SD on National Public Radio's "All Things Considered" today at 4:00 PM EST.

... over and out.

Speaking of Nash Kato,

I along with a friend of mine met Nash at of all places, Cleveland Ohio at the Concert for the Rock-N-Roll Hall of Fame.
The place had just opended up and there were recognizeable people everywhere. We walked up to Nash about 3 hours before the show and spoke with him for a while. Ultra kool guy. We spoke about music, and I came to learn that he was a Steely freak as well. I can't wait to hear his version of DW.

SpiderKingDemon

ruby baby-no, I didn't see it. Tell me about it!

The GB is seeping into my subconscious! Over the weekend I dreamed I was at a club, listening to this great band when I realized that the conversation going on behind me was very familiar. I turned around and said "hi, I'm aja" (not what I usually call myself in dreams or anywhere else, y'know!) and the man and woman introduced themselves as Hank Silvers and oleander. Kinda funny to subconsciously create a visual image of somebody that you perceive distinct personality traits from but have no idea what they look like!

Only a week of virginhood to endure!

JWM, David in the FLA room-do you still need me to tape the PBS Special? It's being shown here on March 8. Let me know!

aja

Ach mein Godt! It's snowing again! The sky is grey.

Mein Liebling, when will this be over?

JW Malibu - yeah, headphones is a must sometimes. There was a time when I thought everybody should be happy hearing Gaucho four in the morning, but, well, you change... you grow.

RUBYBaby - you will? Oh thank you. In exchange I'll give you the opportunity; The Wheel Lessons.

Consider yourself nowdays as the The Swedish Wheel Lessoner RubyBaby.

And "ex" is a short for "exemplar" - "copy". But one (1) will do.

Wormtongue Tom - keyboards? Kurzweil? I guess you're looking for that other German, the one who wrote the lyrics, Mr Rhodes.

Scott Dercks - what Yin/Yang? I'm a VERY tolerant person, I have nothing against Islamabad or Arabs, but playing a C-major and having the minor note in the bass is against my principles. It's discusting.

Okay, I know, Jimi Hendrix did that E7-10 stuff all the time but Becker, I am very disappointed.

Otherwise I think we should free the Romans in Turkey,

C

>>...what do you run the scsi out on the Roland to?

What do *I* run it to? Or what can it be run to?

I have the Roland CD burner and a SCSI ZIP drive attaced to mine. Both work fine.

You can hang CD burners, expansion drives, etc off it. They must all have seperate SCSI IDs and watch for terminations (or lack thereof).

The "Virtual Studio" has a list of compatable disk drives, although I suspect it may be somewhat out dated.

To anyone in Sydney : There are posters around town about a show at the Basement this weekend - "The music of Steely Dan - 18 musicians on stage". Does anyone know what that's all about?

Mr Chow & mates: NPR's 'All things considered' is on at 14.00 and 21.00 on ABC-News radio (PNN)... so perhaps that SD feature sometime tomorrow

Richard&kangaroos

Dunno how we missed this one, from cdnow.com:

Nash Kato Takes On Dual Dose Of Steely Dan

Feb 3, 2000, 10:55 am PT

Ex-Urge Overkill frontman Nash Kato has found a few outlets for his love for Steely Dan. The singer/songwriter will cover the '70's cult band's "Dirty Work" on his upcoming solo debut, Dubutante.

In addition to "Dirty Work," Kato has also laid down a rendition of Steely Dan's "Midnight Cruiser" for the upcoming Elektra Records soundtrack to Jim Carrey's Me, Myself, and Irene. That album will include several Steely Dan covers from various contemporary artists, including Ben Folds Five.

--

Nash Kato rocks, and so did Urge. I saw them in 1995, after missing out on a couple of other tours. Kato left the band two years later and Urge hasn't put out an album since August, 1995. Damn shame. Anyway, he seems to have a thing for the first album.

Just sittin on my hands, not responding to anything and about a week from right now I'll have a new Steely Dan album.

Looking for- You can't play a DTS cd in a normal cd player. All you will get is static.

SD must play Caves Of Altimira, Time Out Of Mind, Kings and The Royal Scam on this tour, with this band!

I know the Gaucho rerereremaster was due out 1/31 but then was postponed. But has anyone heard about when it will be released? Did it make it out today? If instead I bought the DTS version and played it on a regular stereo, would it sound as D and W intended or would it sound sucky? Does the DTS version have the latest installment in Walter and Donald's newest liner notes?

Thanks for your answers.

GKRich ~ It was definitely the Joni Influence in my writing (the closed-chord arpeggiations in the intro) and the Carlton Effect in my buddy's solos...nice call!

Midnite ~ Yes, it can be done (VS-880 SCSI out to a SCSI peripheral)... you should post to a VS User Group for the best way to go about it. I bought the CD burner, so it's a non-issue in my case ~ hence my complete ignorance in the subject. Edd probably knows...

You're going to love the VS...you'll be tinkering with that thing for a year and still only be scratching the surface. That DR 770 sounds sweet, huh!

Clas ~ Thank God for headphones, ehh?

Ruby ~ I vote for "Junkie Girl" as a tour song too!

Happy Birthday Mr. Becker!

'Strewth! You go away for a few days and you have to do 2 hours research to reply:

wormtom, Lars, Howard 'n' all; thanks for the many Joni recommendations... I realised its not just the Joni/Jaco combination,but also Larry Carlton's influnce there (perhaps that was the similarity I was thinking of JW?) - anyway Hutch I'll keep my ears out for Fingerprints (and the new Joni one too). Anyway, I'll try before I buy, as an old friend seems to have the entire back catalogue.

Thanks for all the TAN review references too. As one holding himself pristine, would it be perverse to be reading these? Awaiting my Lexicon CDs ... too much heavy petting? Is anyone putting a compilation of all the reviews to come on one site? Ole?...

..and while I'm here Ole, Lil's doing just fine... she still even fits her danfest XXXL, little belly popping out a bit now though. A real joy... a real Steely baby! Waliking and almost talking - causing havoc everywhere... Likes a good sway - though more Aztec Camera than Joni.

Geena - erotic pottery? The 'Sparkle in Your China'?!

As for the 'All Things Considered' item... Mr Chow and other Aussies: PNN play NPR's output at the w/ends, but it may be on live overnight or tomorrow afternoon - I'll have to check the ABC's website.

Everyone except ballah: anyone remember Amadeus?!

...gotta get back to the palace

Richard&kangaroos

Edd & JWM & anyone else with a VS-880 or 1680....what do you run the scsi out on the Roland to? I can't afford to buy Roland's $599 CD burner, especially when I have a perfectly good 8x4x32x burner on the new computer. I had thought about a scsi card for the computer but wasn't sure which one to use. Or finding a scsi zip drive but all I'm seeing now are parallel or USB zips. The one shot I may have is the scsi card that came with my old scanner. It's a male DB 25 connector on both ends of the cable which will fit both the output of the Roland and the input of the scsi card that's already in the computer. I have to work another 12 hour shift tomorrow so it'll be Wednesday or Thursday before I can check to see if this will work. Any and all input on the subject would be greatly appreciated.

Checked the mailbox to see if my Lexicon CD came today....then I remembered it was President's Day. *doh* oh well, maybe tomorrow. btw, was it shrink wrapped or not?

MC

Hey,

FU#%&###%k the reviewers - I love how someone's(THE DAN )music can be "too cool" and their "coolness" can be negatively spun with weak adjectives and weak adverbs into a thousand bits of meaningless rhetoric that gets almost as much hype as the art itself....................sheeeeeeeeeeeeeshhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

Analyzing the most powerful form of human expression(particularly by one of he greatest arististic producers(THE DAN) of that form in modern history) should only be left to other miusicians, and only then with a jaundiced ear.........

I'm sick of "journalists" - they rank right up there with lawyers and........... stock brokers...............

I'll bet most of those FU#^^$&^&$&%king "jornalists" have lttle clue of the current pathetic state of the "modern music" art form - ie. - CSNY(even though I'm still gunna see ' em- where's that fu#(*^#^$$^$kin' snort bullet- oh, shit someone let the top get wet............ - oh, well got a joint........)

..............................QQQQQ

I would like to hear "Uptown Baby" on the Rent Party 2000 Tour.

Edd: what's your email address?

Oleander: thanks for the Gibson pointers, Doc O! I will start with Neuromancer. Is it scary?

MockT: okay, I ratted myself out. I changed my mind about that. I have my reasons. I'm a woman, what do you expect?

clas: You mean the Sony Taping, the Walking Distance Tour, right?Nope, it's not on TV yet. And I haven't heard it yet, silly! But when it is, I'll tape it for you. You may have an original. 2ex, is that the same as Super Long Play?

I wish Luck Henry would make it on the long distance touring set list. I think it would fit in well.

rb

Jay Dubya: Thanks for the 2nd iteration of advice!!!

Hey Clas! The reason that the chord you stated sounds bland is the lack of the TOP NOTE OF THE CHORD which is "E" (natural)
this minor 2nd interval betwween the upper and lower notes gives the chord that SPECIAL something. Can anyone say dissonance? That dissonance combined with consonance gives us the necessary Yin/Yang. Have a great day.

ohh

Ole&Derr and Big Fan - I too love the Joe Jackson
especially Body and Soul/Night and Day era
so sorry to see his output shift and his influence diminissed over the years (the guy refused to do music videos (great stance))

Dr Mu - you should hear Bradford Marsalisis younger drummer brothers group. Not to make you envious, but living here in New Orleans one can catch a real long excursion in a lightly crowded nightclub at least once a month from the Marsalis family, although WInton is in town much less

All this talk of sequencer keyboards, is anybody out there a Kursweil fan? I have a K2000 and love it, and want to learn more on the sequencing side.

Doc Kelly - Stanley Jordan - I saw him 2 years ago do an incredible show. The touch guitar simultaneous playing of rythym and lead was oh so nice and he didn't get schmaltzy at that show at Tips either.

Caught Kenny Wayne Shepard at HOB thursday night, wow
he did covers of Fleet Mac's Oh Well and Hendrix's Voodoo CHile
absolutely great show! the progidy cooks, see this show

So what's the new Joni standards disc like, feed me?

Is it too late to order the new tan ONLINE AND WIN CHOICE SEATS?

limo driver, take me where the music play....

Cool site.I needed the Lyrics for Josie for a wedding that I'm singing at and this site was very helpful. Thanks!

WOW, it's springfeel outside, the Light is coming back. Hope it's not Gaslight. Couldn't stand another snowstorm.

Becker - 50 years? Oh my god, I'm so sorry. Here I am sitting worrying about my 45 and... it so sad... but the truth is; it makes me feel better when other people having it a little bit worse.

50 years, oh gosh. But don't worry becker! Be a warrior, there are people out there who are 60 and even more.

Howard - great! But why call it a C/Eb? Exactly what notes are included in the chord? C - G and Eb in the bass? Sounds a little too Plain, Scanty... Meagre, or Flat, if I might say so, to me.

Sheena - re "knew about all that"

Surprised? I'm not sure what you mean. I knew what happened with J Pastorius before he got killed, and I was surprised when I heard he was murdered. And surprised that the Welldressed Lowlife Gangster who killed him got away with it, there "were no witnesses" to the "incident" (there was a crowd outside the Club yes, but nobody saw anything). I guess the corrupted police assumed that Jaco smacked his head away all by himself. But maybe that's okay, such shit happens around the world every day.

Altamira - thanks for the article. Amazingly stupid to put a reviewer like that on a Steely Dan-album. But maybe that's okay, such shit happens around the world every day.

JW Malibu - holy sheepshit! Do you know all that? I still have problem with my Midi In-, Midi Out- and Midi Thru lines. But I know where to plug in my headphones. The neighbors you see...

RUBYBaby! - what are you talking about? Is the show on the local TV where you live? If it is I demand videocopies, 2 ex, sent to me ASAP. And don't try to get around this 'cause I got your number, if it's still the same.

Pranks Babies,

C

Ruby--Yeah, the guy missed what was going on. Though of course it's boorish of us to point it out. Or that Cousin Dup' is the same age as Janine. And trying in that offhanded way to whip off a few of the lyrics to 2vN, a very complicated tune.... Well, enough wasted on him. You know, if you're gonna start on Gibson, IMHO it's best to do it chronologically, starting with "Neuromancer." There are Steely refs in all of 'em. Surly past was just a nod to your typo.

Andy--I'm delighted at the Duo's blessing of public media. I've got public radio in the family, and have been a long-time supporter--they always struggle, and are so much higher quality than the commercial dreck out there. So it's great for the Dan to shine some light their way.

BigFan--Another Joe Jackson fan here!

Mu--When I went to JazzFest this year, Branford Marsalis & his group were the highlight for me. Tight, clever, stratospheric chops--like wow.

OMIO--your tape made the miles fly. Major thanx.

Who makes me feel like painting again? Happy birthday, Mr. Becker.

Ruby: of course. Don't trust that reviewer's two listens over your I'm sure many more listens.

I think Sean Daley got WASAM a bit screwed up. Isn't it the guy that says, "...3 days out of the re-hab/ living one day at a time." ? I could be wrong... give it to me straight.

I love every one of you boorish, brainiac assholes!

rb

But I kind of like the music...

WALTER: Have the best birthday in the whole world! It's still your b-day where I am.

Hey, could you do Junkie Girl on the tour? It would be a nice change of pace and the coolest song on the set. No foolin'.

rb

MizDucky: I think I know what you mean. The left channel guitar on the outro of Deacon Blues (I assume it's Larry Carlton) has a similar effect albeit more exaggerated - like a Jew's harp in an echo chamber or something...

Happy B-Day Mr. Becker.

In honor of this momentous occasion, I worked my ass off on Fri. (while ogling the International Tennis women's tounament players); got whacked out on drugs, and generally slacked off yesterday, and am again working my butt off today!

Thanks for providing the perfect band.

Naw, you guys know I'm not all fluff ...

But seriously ...

Those of you who are not 2vN virgins, and who know more about guitar/bass tech-stuff than me (which latter is easy to do): as I'm listening to Cousin Dupree through headphones I'm detecting an interesting effect going on in the bassline. The bass sounds like it almost has a vocal quality, but way subtle (far from, say, the intense voice-synth thang on the guitar solo in Haitian Divorce). Whatever it is, I'm loving it lots--just another demonstration to me that there's a lot more going on in Cuz Dupree than a simple crowd-pleasing "rural narrative!" But my question is--how do y'all think it's done?

/the studious duck

Hey Walter.. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US! 2 gigs yesterday but I have my birthday off. Just chillin'. Can't believe that I made it this long. Can't believe I may only be half way Home. Can't believe what we will do for the love and passion we feel for the music. I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy. Peace to ALL including myself.

Peg -

Send me your address and a Turbo-start video (original, not a copy) will show up in your snail mail...

I don't need mine any more.

Midnite Cruiser: $1549 for the VS-880EX? I guess I got a good deal on my used 880. But mine didn't come with any sort of turbo-start video; I'm still studying Chapter 1 of the manual (plug in, power on...).

peg

Happy Birthday, Walter!

Hope you're celebrating in grand style. You've earned a it after all your hard work on the new CD. Thank you thank you thank you for such an outstanding album. See you on the road this year!

Been listening to the cd "Pleasure Seekers" by pianist Andy Laverne. The album was produced by WB in 1991.
Here's Laverne talking about Becker in the liner notes:
"I'm not sure whose idea it was but using Walter was a stroke of genius. Although we had the music pretty much mapped out before-hand his input was invaluable. He helped focus the date. His guidance helped us accomplish what we needed to in such a limited amount of time. He had the ability to express what was necessary to various players, get what he needed from each of us without putting us off. He has a great ear; he's able to hear what's right and what's not right, and knows how to manipulate things to make them optimal working in tandem with the engineer."
Happy 50th Walter!

Walter, baby: Someone said you're 50. Well, he was lying like a rug!

You look like you're 40.
You play like you're 30.
I wish there was some way
to make you feel like 20!

Is there?

Walter's birthday right up there with John Glenn's fist flight into space:

http://news.excite.com/news/ap/000219/19/history

No worries, dear. I never said Walter had to give up the Old Somebody/ies. And I think you'll agree he's man enough for a whole bunch.

Like I'm woman enough to notice both him ... and Donald (swoon) ...

/the Mam'zelle
much prefering both/and to either/or

Midinight Cruiser -

Congrats on the VS purchase. You won't regret it.

You'll get up to speed pretty quick, then you'll wonder how you ever lived without all the virtual tracks...

Sunday afternoon and just 9 days left for the biggest moment in 20 years ! Tonight in the ASSHOLE BRAINIAC chatroom i hope to find some fellow Danfans to discuss these glorydays.....oh my on the Dish Contempory Jazz channel playing is What a Shame About Me .... It fits in well in that format, even though many GB`ers seem to frown on Smooth Jazz...

meow, it's on!

no come-on's here buddy, just enjoy the hell out of your 50th year.

Hey Miz D-
You tryin' to cause trouble?
I dig your taste in men and all, but...
back off; he's mine.

Hey, Walter, baby, it's your turn now!

[clears throat]

"Hap-py hap-py bir-irth-day bay--beee
If you would like somebody new
Thought I'd drop a line to say
That I wish this happy day
Would find me beside yoooooouuu .... "

Your birthday smooch is ready, waiting, and redeemable whenever.

/the versatile Mam'zelle Canard
gotta whole lotta luv for a whole lotta genius music-types

Happy B-Day Walter.. Betcha didn't think you'd make it this far..
Glad you did..

JWMalibu & Edd...I finally got my VS-880EX last night when my wife and I made a trip to Raleigh for yet another cat show. I'm glad the turbo start video was included. I've watched it twice and will still need quite a bit of time at the controls to feel like I've even come close to mastering what it can do. It's a lot more flexible than I had realized. All I've ever done was with the 16 channel mixer and Fostex 8-track reel to reel that I have and this puppy has a ton more features that I'm not familiar with. Now all I need is some time to work with it. Sixty hour work week starting in the morning. Still haven't gotten my Lexicon CD yet.

JWMalibu....after reading your recommendations to Doc Kelly I had to check out the DR-770 while I was at MARS picking up the VS. I was so impressed I ended up coming home with the DR and the VS! They even beat the mail order price by $10! $369 for the DR and $1549 for the VS. It was a very good day. Long live MARS!

back on Wednesday....y'all have a good one.

belated Happy Birthday to Walter.

MC

Edd - The mix of Cousin Dupree does seem a little muddy. I expected it to pop out of my speakers. The version I taped off the radio and the pre-release copy I have of TAN does have a
"brighter" sound, it that's the work I'm looking for..

Ballah- not convincing at all. The only thing between your crotch is revealed in the Tarrot... and it seems there is an extra card in the deck this morning- on which is depicted a man with his head up his ass. So, let's see- that means all there is between your legs is your neck. Keep up the good work.

Yeah, it's so refreshing. For those of you who find ballah refreshing: poo poo, pee pee, ka ka.

You're welcome

Tellah

Does anybody else think the Lexicon version of "Cousin Dupree" is "clipped" at the very beginning? Not clipped in the "over the top" levels sense, but rather, the attack transients on the cymbal and bass seem to be missing, as if someone was deleting some crap before the song started and went just a little too far...

For the first time, in honor of our hero Mr. B, of whom we proly love more than his more popular partner, I am in chat for the first time.

I dont even do AOL chat.

anyway, yeah...

more later.

Happy Birthday, Walter...Thanks for all you have given us, not to mention what's coming up.

Peace, love and great Karma,

The Loyal Dandom

Happy 50th Walter Becker!

Did anyone see Sessions at 54th tonight on PBS? Man, Branford (the *non*-boorish braniac asshole brother) Marsalis and his latest quartet (since Kenny Kirkland passed) kicked some rear. Just caught the last swingin' 20 min or so. Tain laid down some mean changes in time signatures and styles. It was an amazing fusion of Dave Brubeck and Miles Davis with a touch of Mingus. Wow!

Chat anyone?

A trifle ricketty - come on-
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk:80/dynamic/hottx/review.html?in_review_id=256848&in_review_text_id=204086

Contrary to popular belief I actually like Joe Jackson's music - and he was at the first taping:
http://www.canoe.ca:80/JamBooks/feb18_jackson.html

I sure wouldn't want to be stuck in a small room with Sean Daily! Still no Lexicon CD for me. Damn.

Mitch- You're right. I enjoy coming up with comebacks (even though they aren't that good). Assholes can be refreshing once and a while.

-Chris

Here's the article from the Washington City Paper; it's generally pretty favorable.

No Static at All

by Sean Daly

Two Against Nature
Steely Dan
Giant

Twenty years have passed since Donald Fagen and Walter Becker - the dynamically detached duo known as Steely Dan - last played it brutally cool together on a full studio album (1980's Gaucho). But reeling off all those years hasn't made the men and their music less enigmatic or, for that matter, more compassionate. On the new Tow Against Nature, Steely Dan is up to the same cigar-bar-soundtrack tricks that propelled the band throughout the '70s - and that keep the band's devoted, snobby fan base sated today. All the goods are still for sale: self-absorbed lyrics that read like Mad Hatter tea-party toasts, serpentine sax and ax solos, and squeaky-clean jazz-pop arrangements ratcheted so tight that you wonder whether they were imagined by man or machine.

Bearded and bespectacled Becker is still the tech-nerd perfectionist hiding behind guitars and soundboards; beady-eyed and big-beaked Fagen, whose clipped, nasal delivery hasn't changed a bit since Rikki lost that number, is still the New Yorker-clever party guest who just might make a move on your girlfriend - if he weren't so busy making a move on everyone else's. The most welcome element of the band's return, however, is that which made the group so different in the first place: That tragically dry sense of humor. These men, never known to be emotional heavyweights, still handle life's problems with flippant jokes and caustic cracks. After all, this is a band that, in its formative years, once featured Chevy Chase as a drummer (he was a Bard college classmate of Fagen's and Becker's) - not to mention that it name itself after the infamous lethal dildo in William S. Burroughs' Naked Lunch (which may not be all that funny but does show signs of whimsical derangement).

On Two Against Nature's "What a Shame About Me," Fagen, 52, even gets to revisit the role that made him famous: the brutally self-aware loser, last seen floundering on "Hey Nineteen," the band's 1980 ode to age difference. "[G]rinding through my day gig/ Stackin' cutouts at the Strand," the sad-sack protagonist runs into a college flame, now something of a Hollywood success story. She fills him in on "her films and show and CDs," while he relays that he's "still working on the novel/ But I'm just about to quite/ "Cause I'm worrying about the future now/ Or maybe this is it." But just before he cuts her loose, unwilling to such her down into his soul-devouring vacuum, she admits to being significantly less than the "Next Big Thing": "Well now that was just a rumor/ But I guess I'm doin' fine/ Three weeks out of the rehab/ Living one day at a time." It's all so blissfully Steely Dan: bleats of trumpet and trombone mocking every cruel twist, Becker's bass line walking hand in hand with the groovin' piano, Becker's rock-guitar solo aching throughout, and Fagen twisting lives and love with wry, O. Henry flair - and some raucous Ray Charles-like keyboard antics.

Things get funkier and weirder from there: On "Two Against Nature," a tropical samba beat, similar to the frame of classic-rock "Do It Again," is tricked up (and sped up) with timbales, clarinet, and vibes. But whereas the lyrics for "What a Shame About Me" are playful and basically understandable, Fagen's wordplay here is, well, I just don't know: "T-Bone Angie she champion liar/ Sew the mouth shut with rusty chicken wire/ Brother Lou Garue and the Jerry Garry/ Sprinkling chicken water gonna hush all three." Beats me. At least it sound really cool.

In the tradition of "Peg," "Josie," and Rikki, there are also, of course, Steely Dan's expected nods to seemingly unattainable women (and the schlubs who love them): "Gaslighting Abbie," "Janie Runaway," and "Negative Girl." But the woman wreaking the most havoc on Two Against Nature is the Lolita-like Janine, who toys with the unemployed and middle-aged title character of "Cousin Dupree" - possibly the most pathetic hero in the Steely Dan canon - until the guy's just about to burst: "One night we're playin' gin by a cracklin' fire/ And I figured I'd make my play/ I said babe with my boyish charms and good looks/ How can your stand it for one more day." Twirling before him in "little tops and tight capris," she cuts him down with a deadly flutter of her lashes: "[M]aybe it's the sleazy look in your eyes/ Or that your mind has turned to applesauce/ The dreary architecture of your soul/ I said - But what is it exactly turns you off?" Cymbal beats fuel the smooth pace, and Fagen's judgmental Wurlitzer provides dastardly oomph to all the punch lines. You cringe; you laugh; you tap your foot: It's a Steely Dan primer in a five-minute lesson.

For me, it's always taken some time for the music of Steely Dan - and the even more abstract jazz-pop on Fagen's two highly recommended solos albums, 1982's The Nightfly and 1993's Kamakiriad - to sink in and make sense. At first, admittedly, I just don't get it (which is also why I don't like to commingle with fellow fans, who often turn out to be boorish, brainiac assholes). Musically speaking, Fagen and Becker aren't exactly the biggest huggers: The rhythms and melodies are complicated and elitist; the choruses are sneaky and subtle; and the lyrics are usually as obtuse as an overheard private joke. Stubborn perfectionists who cringe at outside help, they've hardly toured at all through the years (you just can't get the sound right on the road), they very rarely give interviews, and their contact with the public hasn't exactly been copious. But when everything finally comes together - and Two Against Nature, I'm pleased to report, comes together after a handful of casual listens - the effect is refreshing, satisfying, and relaxing. Unless, of course, you're stuck in a small room with too many people who feel the same way.

I was right when i predicted that Ballah was going to be a hit here, he is a real ballbuster and seems to enjoy jacking people off. I knew he was reincarnated from the past, but can`t peg him. I hope that his insults continue,because he is a breath of fresh air to a site that likes diversity.

I just wanna bang on this drum all day!

minorworld: on Wed, March 1 at 8:30pm, KRZR's Rockline will feature Steely Dan! Be there or be...you know.

BREAD: You so kewl, man! I love the rhythm of the clickety-clack! I can't stop it. No, I can't stop it!

aja: did you see mother goose & grimm yesterday? It made me think of you!

rb

Doc ~ Sorry, I assumed from your original post that you had a keyboard. No worries, you need a master keyboard/tone module...my call on this one (working within a budget) would be the Alesis QS6.14 - it will give you a LOT of bang for your buck and function as both a master keyboard & killer tone module (650 programs)...and it's expandable with the available PCM Q-Cards with specialty sounds. It sounds incredible - the sample library on the QS series is first-rate (and appears on "Two Against Nature")...

Specs (from Sam Ash site):

The Alesis QS6.1 64 Voice Expandable Synthesizer offers a vast improvement on the original QS6, one of the most popular keyboards in its class. With double the sound ROM memory, the addition of Alesis' acclaimed piano programs, double the expansion capabilities, four edit/control sliders, a new LCD display and more direct-access functions, the QS6.1 becomes an affordable powerhouse synth that’s equally great for MIDI composing and live performance. Plus, the QS6.1 has groups of rhythmic/ sonic loops, built-in grooves that sound great on their own, and can also be used to add dynamic movement to your music. The QS6.1 provides two PCMCIA- format ports. You can use this port with any Alesis QCard expansion that accommodates your musical style. To use your own samples or sounds from other sample libraries, we included our Sound Bridge software that lets you import, save and playback AIFF, WAV and other sample formats. Plus, Sound Bridge will allow you to burn your sequences to a Flash RAM card and play them back directly from the QS6.1, so you can leave your computer at home when you play live. The QS6.1's true 64-voice polyphony lets you work with complex sequences and create rich, stacked chords and layers while avoid the hassles of voice robbing. Plus, the QS6.1 provides four completely independent multieffects sends. Combine these effects with the massive sound library and the powerful multitimbral mix mode, and you can create entire CD-quality productions. In addition to its MIDI In, Out and Thru connectors, the QS6.1 offers another way to interface with computers. Its high-speed serial data port makes it easy to connect your QS6.1 to any computer - no need for an expensive external MIDI interface. The QS6.1 offers a larger LCD display than the original QS6, so all of the information you need is available at a glance. Plus, the QS6.1 includes dedicated buttons for “Transpose” and “Sequence Start,” which is especially useful on stage, where paging through menus is not an option.

LIST PRICE: $1,099.00 SAM ASH SELLING PRICE: $699.99 (You could also find a used earlier rev for about 400.00 in your local "Recycler", but I'd suggest buying new...)

The Drum machines are easy to learn (they play themselves OR can be played with the software)...you can learn the basics of your entire rig (Cubasis, QS6 & DR) in about 10 hours!

Got mine today too. RiverSound (Fagen's studio) has racks
of Lexicon equipment. So there's the connection.

Charmer - Thanks for the TAN postcard. Another treat I got in the mail today!

And what's this? Hey I got my check for $10,000 from iwon.com! I'm on a roll!

Another review. The London Times.

http://www.sunday-times.co.uk/news/pages/Times/frontpage.html?999

You need to click on index and scroll to 'The Big Album'

a frend

My Lexicon CD arrived yesterday.

Jay Dubya: Won't I need some sort of keyboard to trigger the synthesizer? Also, I've no experience whatsoever with drum machines... Do they have a feature that automatically inserts fills? Or is that something I'd have to do in the recording software? One more thing, I know that I don't have a SCSI hard drive... Steinberg's minimum system config will allow for a "fast E-IDE" hard drive... Is there an easy way to find out if that's what I have?

1st to get LEXICON?!

screw you hole!

they are touting products for the home with all the soon-to-be-recycled accompanying lit.

jk

hey everyone:

I emailed the guy who wrote it, a nice courteous thang, and asked him for a link to the article or text. If he sends me text, I'll publish it on the OnHoops server. Anyway, it's not at the site, which looks like your av3erage free city paper (like Chicago's 'Reader', which rocks). You know, 'News of the Weird' and the like.

Anyway, off to Wilson, my 5th stop of the night.'

bloody oath, a week and a half before I get dig-o-tized TvN.

if I don't find someone, more posts will follow...like you guys care.

Sorry for the multiple posts today - I thought some of you might like to know that Amazon.com is offering the Aja Classics Album DVD thingy for pre order - March 21 release for $11.99 - a bargain - now all I have to do is buy a DVD player - I'll have to keep watching those Circuit City adds:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/6305772649/qid=950935897/sr=1-2/002-3816177-7296228

Chris,
I was way ahead of you and checked their homepage immediatly - nothing there - but here it is in case they post it later:

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/

Ruby: If I told you what I really thought of Walter's looks, I'd be banned from this Guestbook, but to reiterate, looks don't mean anything, he's probably really fun to hang out with.

Hutch: I love a good comeback and yours was priceless!

Ballah: You're a real popular guy around here. You should be proud of how you got this title...slimy - pure adolescent humor. I think you're funny...*cough*. Tell me what does shotcallah mean? Does it mean you shot callah? And if you did shoot her, why? Are you hiding something from us other than the boloney? Just kidding! No really, I mean it, you're pretty cool!

Mr. Chow - The City Paper's music reviews seem to inspire a great number of negative letters to the editor, so I suppose this sort of excessively opinionated (that is, bringing in the writer's biases to an overly great degree) and inaccurate writing is typical of their music critics. However, their opera critic, Joe Banno, who also directs non-operatic theatrical productions, is excellent and almost never receives any negative criticism from readers. I've noticed that for the last several weeks, they've been advertising for a new popular music critic; I hope they hire someone who is better than the ones they have working for them now.

Altamira- Does the CP have a website? I'd like to read the article in full.

Howard & Squonk - They definately only covered two alternative guitar solos + Jay Graydon's final version in the Classic Album show. I thought Walter & Donald's comments were quite apt (as well as very humorous). The two alternative solos that we did hear were really pretty lame in "hindhearing" - too much repetition and minimal originality. As Roger Nichols said, these guys knew what they wanted very early in the piece - it was just that they didn't get it with the Peg solo until Jay Graydon came along. It should also be noted that Walter himself is said to have had a go at the Peg solo and dismissed his own efforts.

Altamira - This so called "journalist" sounds like a failed 'try-hard' who doesn't have a lot of musical depth. An A-grade tosser that doesn't really know what they are attempting to write about. To try to categorise Steely Dan in such a throwaway way, as well as pigeon-hole the fans like that seems to me to have cheapened the newspaper involved. BTW, I don't read that paper - does it usually display such casual innacuracy or was this a one-off failed article?

Hey Ballah, if you're such a bad-ass bass player, why don't you impress us all with a harmonic analysis of "Negative Girl"? Shouldn't be too much of a stretch. After all, it appears you have a good amount of time on your hands, or so it seems from your long-winded posts.

The Washington City Paper has a review of TAN. (I'm sorry if anyone else has written about this; I haven't had time to read all the messages from the last two days.) The reviewer, Sean Daly, is generally positive about the music, but he doesn't seem to like Walter and Donald much: "Bearded and bespectacled Becker is still the tech-nerd perfectionist hiding behind guitars and soundboards; beady-eyed and big-beaked Fagen, whose clipped, nasal deliver hasn't changed bit since Rikki lost that number [actually it has - his singing style is quite different on Kama and TAN, more jazzy with scat-singing-like ornamentations], is still the New Yorker-clever party guest who just might make a move on your girlfriend - if her weren't so busy making a move on everyone else's" However, the reviewer goes on to praise their "tragically dry sense of humor."

But he really doesn't like Dan fans: "On the new Two AGainst Nature, Steely Dan is up to the same cigar-bar-soundtrack tricks that propelled the band throughout the '70s - and that keep the band's devoted, snobby fan base sated today." It goes downhill from there - from the last paragraph, "At first, admittedly, I just don't get it (which is also why I don't like to commingle with fellow fans, who often turn out to be boorish, brainiac assholes)." Well, thanks for the compliment, Mr. Daly! He goes on to make a number of innaccurate statements: "Musically speaking, Fagen and Becker aren't exactly the biggest huggers: The rhythms and melodies are complicated and elitist; the choruses are sneaky and subtle; and the lyrics are usually as obtuse as an overheard private joke. Stubborn perfectionists who cringe at outside help, they've hardly toured at all through the yours (you just can't get the sound right on the road) [what about all those tours in the mid-'90s?], they very rarely give interviews, and their contact with the public hasn't exactly been copious [does this guy not read other publications? I guess he also isn't aware of the upcoming radio and television shows either, and he's clearly never visited the ODP, but then he probably wouldn't want to]. But when everything finally comes together - and Two Against Nature, I'm pleased to report, comes together after a handful of casual listens - the effect is refreshing, satisfying, and relaxing. Unless, of course, you're stuck in a small room with too many people who feel the same way.

Well, actually, I think I'd enjoy that! I'll try to come up with a rebuttal to at least the misstatement of facts and write a letter to the City Paper, although I'm sure the local Dan fans will beat me to it. Regarding his opinions, well, if that's the way he feels, fine, I'm not going to argue with him (although I will try to put in a good word or two about the fans). I just wish the City Paper had found a reviewer for this CD who didn't have an axe to grind regarding Dan fans.

The Charmer - I got your postcard today; thanks! I have it up on my refrigerator.

Ballah,

You better stock up on pencils and lotion. In about ohhhhhh eleven days or so the population of the Guestbook will begin to rise than in a rabbit animal husbandry experiment. Even the newsgroup pop. has doubled in the past few weeks. George Michael will be available for counseling as the number of visitors will post at a faster rate than the number of turnstile revolutions in front of Madonna's "Make me a Mommy again" fertility humpathon.

Ballah, you remind me of something that happened to me many many years ago. I was a freshman in high school. Walking down the halls talking to one of my friends, an older kid walks up to me and asked me a wiseass question which I ignored. He kept persisting, getting more and more angry, and he finally said "What if I shove MY fucking pencil up your ass? What would you do then?" I started to burst out laughing. To him it was a comeback, to me it was a joke.

Thanks for the laugh.

-Chris

Charmer!

Just got the postcard you sent via snailmail. This is killer! Thanks so much. Now I don't know whether to send it to somebody special or hand on to it for posterity. Probably the former.

Ballah - "...it is bludgeoned on a daily basis by my harem of willing and worshiping females". Let's see now... would their names possibly be Pinky, Ring, Middle, Index and Thumb?
Go back to sleep now. It'll be rough but we'll struggle along without you.

b'allah:

Feel free to use this forum as the sounding board for your adolescent obsessions with all things anal and phallic. I sense you really miss the old junior high shower scene. You got to stop repressing that fondness for ankle grabbing, buddy, or you'll wind up with something up your ass that wouldn't even fit it in your momma's worn out twat.

But I regress . . . keep posting all you want about what you don't got but leave my band the fuck alone. I got two of Artemus' drumsticks with your name on them and I've been looking for an excuse to revisit earth.

tellah- I forgot to answer your last question there. FYI<---look at the acronym I just used, wow! Anyway, FYI, residing in my crotch area is a goddamn telephone pole. It's a frigging meat-missile. It's a delightful summer sausage of a gift package for you. Even if you bludgeoned it all day, it would be able to withstand the pain, in fact, it is bludgeoned on a daily basis by my harem of willing and worshiping females. Tellah, I will allow you to suck on it only if you beg me. You're probably pretty good at sucking cock, since I'm sure you moonlight as a prostitute....last time I heard, bank "tellahs" don't make much more than minimum wage. Anyway, write me back whenever you're ready to put on those kneepads, you cock-sucking whore.

b'allah

tellah and soul monkey--

The penny roll "slip-up" was not actually really a mistake on my part. I was partly testing you all to see if you'd catch it. The two smartasses who caught the mess-up get the express privilege of having the additional 499 rolls of pennies shoved straight into any orifice that will hold the rolls. I will shove each roll up your respective asses sideways, of course, after donning a pair of kitchen gloves, I'm not doing you this favor while bare-handed. When I am finished, the punishment of decreed by ballah will be complete. Then I will beat you both with an extension cord, just for my own personal kicks, you fucking pieces of platypus shit.

Chris: Hello, you newbie slime. For your info, I play the bass guitar, and know plenty of shit about fucking music. I also happen to write free lance music reviews for an internet magazine, surely about bands of whom you've never heard, since all you listen to is Steely Dan, and probably alot of other bands from the same era like Lynyrd Skynyrd, Eagles, and all the other crummy 70's bands. Anyway, for you, I plan to go out and take the 998 rolls of pennies you would've spent on a shitty keyboard and load them into shotgun shells and blast each roll, one by one into your face until there is nothing left. And then when there's nothing left, I'll just keep shooting until you are fully buried in pennies. I may get creative and start with other parts of your body instead, just so you can watch yourself die in pain and agony. And who told you could post at all, newbie? I can post as much as I like, because I am not a newbie. I am, to be exact, the reincarnation of an ancient GB person. You, however, are subject to the newbie initiation of being ignored, having to learn all of the stupid acronyms, and having to see every facet of Steely Dan and anything else connected to Steely Dan(or SD, or F&B, or D&W, etc, infinity) discussed and rediscussed 100,000 times until you puke and shit yourself. Anyway, you can fuck off, newbie freak, whatever.

Alright, see you assholes later.

b'allah

All Things Considered is scheduled for 4 pm in the Houston area next week, and 5 pm in Austin and central Texas. Fresh Air is now at 4 pm on Weekdays.

Can I help in the bludgeoning?

Jay Dubya: Thank you very much for the software/hardware advice!!! I now need to initiate independent verification... I get advice from several sources and your advice seemed the most succinct... perhaps because it was written... anyway, it's time to put on the thinking cap! Again, Thanx.

Say, I saw Stanley Jordan last night in a very small club... I was in the back row and still had a better view than if I'd been in a massive auditorium with a "moat" in front of the stage... there was none of that "lady in my life" smooth-jazz crap... he was on stage for 90 minutes playing solo... totally awesome!!!

Ballah: there are 50 pennies to the roll. this leaves 499 more rolls with which you can savagely beat yourself about the head and neck-or crotch, if you have anything there worth bludgeoning.

well, do ya?

t

Clas- If you "knew about all that" Why are you so surprised Jaco got beaten to death?

"Clas- As great as Jaco was as a bass player, he was a walking time bomb. He was always getting into fights and getting thrown out of the clubs that use to love him. He spent his final days on the streets Of Manhattan with is guitar case open. As he played on the sidewalks, people walking by him would toss nickles and dimes into his case. I'm sure he didn't deserve to die but he was sure looking for trouble. Come to think of it Clas, it sounds like you and Jaco had a lot in common."

I now all that.

("I'm sure he didn't deserve to die...", that was an unnecessary comment, wasn't it, or was it a thought?)

Wayne Shorter got richer and joined the Scientologists, Joe Zawinul turned his back and got richer and ordered in another Scotch. Both doubled their fortunes,thanx to Jaco.

Even Joni Mitchell got embarrased when she bumped into Jaco on a club in Manhattan.

I WANT LOYALITY, SOLIDARITY!

Even if a close friend and a co-workers mind breaks apart you just can't turn your back on him. You have responsibility.

Howard, I'll check your chords tonite, sleep well. I know they're right, someone whispered, thanks for them, my music ear isn't that good so I could have done it myself. Cool. :)

c

I think there may have been 7 or more discarded guitar solos on Peg before they settled on the one that made the cut, although on the classic album show I only heard 2. In the Mojo magazine interview, the writer talks of the dismissive comments made by Becker and Fagen as they were re-listening to the failed attempts eg -"that one speaks for itself" as a sign of their legendary ability to call a spade a spade, particularly in relation to other musicians' performances.

Miz - thanks for the Independent Steely article link. Interesting reading.

Just one thing though, the writer talks about the "peg" section of the Aja classic albums show. He talks about them playing the guitar solo out-takes, and says they played through *seven* out-takes, one by one.

Did he see a different show? I only heard two out-takes, though I'm sure they recorded more than that. Is there more than one version of the Classic Albums Aja show? Dis anyone else hear 7 discarded Peg solos?

Howard

Steely Dan no longer so steely:
http://www.pioneerplanet.com/search?NS-search-page=document&NS-rel-doc-name=/seven-days/7/justgo/docs/028582.htm&NS-query=steely+dan&NS-search-type=NS-BOOLEAN-QUERY&NS-collection=Seven%20Day%20Archive&NS-docs-matched=2&NS-doc-number=1

Unfavorable review of a local NJ band with a SD comparision - now what kind of outtakes would he be talking about - I've never heard anything like them:
http://www.bergen.com:80/yourtime/cd15200002154.htm

Boston Premier of TAN: Now this sounds good.
http://www.boston.com:80/dailyglobe2/048/living/For_musicians_a_different_mike+.shtml

Scott - yup, good team effort, and we got those chords. I check ed on the C/Eb and I'm pretty sure it is the one. Just one semitone out from your D#7b9, but it gives the chord the right sense of harmonic "outness".

Clas - relax, the chords are right. So say Scott and me, and I'm inclined to agree with them.

Jerry - re: Jaco's behaviour, "looking for trouble" is a tad harsh. Sure, he caused himself a whole lot of trouble, but he was suffering from manic depression, with drug abuse, fame etc just exacerbating the whole problem. He was a musical master, with a crazy over-the-top school boy fondness for outrageous pranks. In the end, he found it hard to handle his diverse skills and problems. A sad loss to the musical world ...

Speaking of universal health care, which republican candidate would award you the biggest settlement in the event their Limo ran over you while you were chasing their "free beer" truck?

Who would have more soft money available to treat your soft tissue damage?

Hail, Hail Freedonia!

WTTW (Channel 11) in Chicago will be airing the SD PBS special at 9 p.m. on March 6th.

I thought "The World Premiere" of TAN was supposed be in Chicago on XRT on the 27th. Now SETS 102 is claiming the world premiere. If it's already been premiered, can it still be a world premiere? Is this something that is overlooked in the music industry - where you have a multiple world premieres around the globe on different dates?

I guess it must be kind of like when the bride wears white...

m.e.

Andy, you got me...... I have been flying too much lately.

The ODP says to listen to NPR's "All Things Considered" for something SD related on the 22nd. It's airing at 6:30 on Tuesday on WAMU for all those in the DC area. I just found this little write-up. (Just an observation, but can't D+W get some non-government funded PR? Between PBS and NPR, Don and Walt are practically welfare recipients.)

-----

National Public Radio is broadcasting "The NPR 100," a series of in-depth features which explores the most important musical works of the 20th century. The musical profiles will be heard each Monday throughout the year on All Things Considered, which airs on WAMU 88.5 FM at 6:30 p.m. each weekday. Other features will be incorporated into Weekend Edition Sunday, heard on WAMU Sundays at 10 a.m.

The series includes works from nearly every genre of American music, recognizing pieces that by virtue of achievement, beauty or excellence, were 20th century milestones. The list was compiled by a panel of renowned musicians and more than 13,000 listeners who determined that the works significantly changed the musical landscape, opened new horizons or had major effects on American culture. The list includes major works, complete recordings, theater and film scores, individual songs and, in some cases, specific performances of these songs.

George Gershwin leads the list with three compositions on "The NPR 100." Others with multiple selections on the list include Ira Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Bob Dylan, Duke Ellington, Richard Rogers, Oscar Hammerstein and Otis Redding. The series also includes works from classical composer Samuel Barber, jazz greats Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis, gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, bluegrass legend Bill Monroe, punk forefathers The Ramones and rap pioneers The Sugar Hill Gang. A complete listing of "The NPR 100" is available at www.npr.org.

Yet another piece on the Guys and 2vN, this from the UK paper the Independent (now I can't remember who mentioned this was coming soon--thank you, whomever). Nicely written article.

http://www.independent.co.uk/enjoyment/Music/interviews/steely180200.shtml

/La canard

Q- Are you substituting airport codes for the titles of the songs? It took me about five minutes to figure out what the hell a "GTH" is.

-Andy

1. Follow us as we switch to the Republican Party (temporarily) and vote for John McCain in the primary!

Did you all hear a couple of weeks ago that Al Gore sold his vote for support of the Gulf War for essentially 30 of Prime C-Span time??!!

2. Attention all San Diego residents ant potential sojourners!!!!

This is the February 17th Edition of the SETS 102 Registered Loyal Listener Update

*******
In this edition ...
Free Lunch From Sayit.com
Fresh Music Showcase
Steely Dan World Premiere Album Special
Grammy Awards Six Packs

*******
blahblahblah

*******
Fresh Music Showcase in Oceanside

blahblahbalh

*******
Steely Dan's Two Against Nature CD is due out on the 29th and Friday Night the 25th, you can join us for the World Premiere from 7pm until 8:30pm.

*******

-- Your Friends at SETS 102

blahblahblah

If you'd like to be taken out of our Registered Loyal Listener family, just send us an e-mail note at sets102@surveymailcenter.com.

3. Also. the ODP advises to listen to NPR's "All Things Considered" on Feb 22 for a piece on SD! This runs at 4 pm CST in our area. Check your local radio listings!

jk siete così tanto divertimento da comunicare con. Julie deve essere una parte reale di lavoro. Dico che il dong ding lo sciocco è andato. Asino.

tutta che desideri sentirsi durante il giro è ram di anima e dei re

Signa Foro

MC - no feel for the Lexicon thing. Since it's purely an outsourced marketing gig who knows when they'll get the CD's out to the ~millions~ of "contest winners" - they're busy checking your credit history and any identifiable spending patterns available.

still waiting too............but listening to the new one........
I think it;s time to put something else in my player- who knows the disc might be burned in there by now......

Q

PS Awesome discourse about the CD. Mucho Kudos to Andy(?) for the correlation to the Kama liner notes - very sharp dude.

Moving towards more "mature" listening of the disc:

SHM
GTH
JAN
CUZ..............

ruby baby, JWMalibu-I love you guys! Those were the the best laughs of the day!

aja

Hello everybody.

Does anyone know if there will be extra songs on the japanese TVN or on CD singles? I mean, Wetside story would be great or live stuff would be way cool.

jk please come back or call me! You are so fun to talk to.

bye bye

Julie not Janie ;-)

Ballah ~ Here's my recommendation for your iguana's musical needs: He would be well-suited for the Yamaha RK-300X, a great reptile keyboard featuring the latest in Amazonian rain forest "world/ethnic" samples, on-board "jungle" beats AND a special secret compartment to store the massive amounts of blow you two seem to go through...if he practices daily, he should be cranking out French ambient music in no time at all, and you won't have to buy any more Air CDs! Who knows, maybe Budweiser will pick him up as their new spokes-reptile, and they'll pay you in keggers...

ballah: you sweet talker, you!

Wonderful, Lars, thank you. I know the song, jus dunno which version I have. THe ending to it they play out on a lot of songs...a good 17minute version I picked up today that I'm sure you all have heard, it's hard to find bebop or hard bop in the internet, most of it is the same three albums...

Air sucks. Oxygen, however, like that new Oprah channel..

come to think of it, all Frenchmen...

KD - you can hear Miles and Coltrane perform Walkin´on at least 5 different recordings. Recorded from 1956 - spring 60. Most of them are recorded in Europe and yes, one of them in Stockholm.

Ballah, this is a guestbook for fans of a musical group. Instruments will often come up. Duh. You know, if you play instruments, you often tend to be smarter then others. I'm guessing you don't...

And don't post three messages in a row! Why should I have to read your name more than once?

-Chris
the penis er-- pianist

Sorry Ballah, the Dallas-Kennedy connection has already been exhausted as a conversation topic. Guess 'newbie' is a relative term, eh? Also, mp3 and science fiction expertise, listening to Air, extended sexual fanasies verbalized on the internet -- you're a frickin' nerd, Ballah!

Clas- As great as Jaco was as a bass player, he was a walking time bomb. He was always getting into fights and getting thrown out of the clubs that use to love him. He spent his final days on the streets Of Manhattan with is guitar case open. As he played on the sidewalks, people walking by him would toss nickles and dimes into his case. I'm sure he didn't deserve to die but he was sure looking for trouble. Come to think of it Clas, it sounds like you and Jaco had a lot in common.

Oh, also, no, we don't want to see Becker with an eye patch, rubybaby. Nobody wants to see Becker at all really, he's one ugly son of a bitch. If it was up to me, B & F would play from backstage, and some younger people would lipsync the songs on stage, just so I wouldn't have to see the ugly bastards.

One other thing: It's Mona Lisa Overdrive, you twit. Get it fucking straight.

That is all, B'allah has spoken....

OH, and if I see MIDI's, keyboards, or any other type of instrument discussed in here again, I think I'll just have to puke on my monitor screen thingy deal. Anyone who wants to discuss this type of crap, please just go to a special site for musicians, or just go buy the goddamn instrument. I have no need to know the specs of each and every model of Casio, Les Paul, whatever the fuck it is. I swear I will squeeze excrement from every orifice in my body and shoot it out of my ass everywhere if I see these kinds of posts anymore. I will take a damn grenade launcher to the local Guitar Center and blow up all the fucking guitars and keyboards there. I'm going to rip a goddamn extension cord out of the wall and beat my pet iguana until it's just bloody pulp, and not even edible anymore. I've been saving this little bugger for a barbecue, please don't ruin it for me. I will take a shit, dammit, on somebody, something, probably do it in public, if I see any more posts on this subject. Please stop posting about this kind of stuff, or do it off the "GB" so my scrolling finger can quit getting worn out. I swear I'm getting carpal tunnel from you fuckers and your silly rantings about model X5J-D45 Super Charged Keyboard v.90, or whatever the fuck you're calling it, oh, and it's only 499! Well, you can take your 499, and go to the bank and have it exchanged for rolled pennies, and then come over here and I'll personally shove all 499 rolls up your ass, how bout that? OH, boy, I crack myself up. Just kidding, really guys, trying to keep you old farts on your toes. Well, see you all at the next Danfest.

-b'allah

Was listening to "Dallas" the other day, and wondered from the lyrics, might it be a nod to Kennedy and the whole assassination fiasco.

"So I'm sayin goodbye, bye Dallas.....should have been at the Palace..."

Could "The Palace" be The White House?

I don't remember this one being discussed before, so at least it's not a complete belaboring, beat the dead horse even though it's already been eaten up by maggots, kind of foolishness that we normally see in here. I swear I think I've seen the lyrics to Aja dissected on about twenty different occasions. I can't even listen to Aja anymore because of you jackasses.

OK, I'll keep it light today, feeling pretty goddamn good right now.

See you assholes later, love you guys, you fucking fools, all of you...except the newbies, who should rot in hell.

-B'allah

What's up, Doc? OK, it appears that you are short (2) ingredients...a digital audio/MIDI sequencing software package, and a drum module WITH internal programming ~ that won't break your bank!

Steinberg's Cubase VST (works for this composer!) is a very popular piece of software which can do everything but play your instrument and wash your dishes...it's expensive, though ~ and probably overkill for your specific needs. Fortunately, Cubase has a lil' brother ~ Cubasis VST, which quite a powerhouse in itself! Here's the skinny directly from Steinberg's site:

Transform your computer into a complete recording studio. Cubasis VST has all the powerful main elements of Steinberg's larger Cubase VST program.

The best of professional audio recording combined with intuitive MIDI recording, virtual synthesizers and physical modeled sounds, coupled with the possibility to burn the end result, professionally mastered to CD.Both Audio and MIDI recording is fully integrated and with just simple tools you can combine both into your own compositions. Professional real-time audio effects are included, along with software synthesisers showing sampled drum-sounds, virtual vintage analog synths and physically modelled sounds. Cubasis VST also has professional quality score printouts complete with automatic layout. Cubasis VST is hard-disk recording without expensive additional hardware, all you need is a standard Windows soundcard.

www.steinberg.net/products/ct/pc/cubasisvst/index.phtml?id=030204&sid=00485223

www.samash.com price: a low, low $69.99!

Now, on to the drum module...I'm going to recommend the Roland/BOSS DR-770. There's a new rev of this module out that kicks ass, the samples are SOLID! Here's why I'm recommending the 770 over a dedicated drum module such as Alesis's DM-5. You can use this baby as both a drum machine AND a drum module. Example ~ you've got a great latin concept going on inside your head, and decide to lay down some tracks. You dial up a latin groove on the 770, press play and begin to hash out your piece. Once you have your basic concept down, you take the drum pattern(s) from the 770 latin groove and record it into Cubasis. Now Cubasis is playing the latin groove, and the 770 is now functioning as a drum module, in other words - it's not playing itself. You can then either use that as a reference track in Cubasis, layering original drum tracks on top of it and eventually deleting the reference track...or, you can use the reference track as a template and modify it though the composition with additional percussion parts, fills, etc. The best of both worlds! Drum grooves can also be a great source of inspiration...randomly dial up a groove, then sit down and start playing to it. The 770 has DAYS of different styles, different drum kits, and new cool onboard effects. Here are the manufacturer's specs:

The DR-770 Dr. Rhythm is BOSS' most advanced compact rhythm machine ever, offering a powerful sound engine with twice as much built-in waveform memory as the DR-660 and four times as much as other drum machines on the market today. This not only translates into great new features and powerful sound-shaping capabilities, but to the highest quality drum and percussion sounds and patterns of any compact rhythm machine in the world. Features: 400 Preset patterns - Rock, Pop, Jazz, Latin, World, Standard and more; 400 User program memories; 255 high-quality drum and percussion sounds; 64 Preset drum kits and 64 User-programmable kits; Reverb, Flange and EQ control; Assignable Pedal switch allows Start/Stop, Forward, Rewind, etc.; Direct Pattern Play for instant pattern playback by pressing a single pad; 10,000-pattern memory onboard; New Ambience control permits 16 settings for overall drum sound (Stadium, Live House, Lo-Fi, etc.); Quick Search for quick pattern location by musical genre.

www.rolandus.com/PRODUCTS/MI/BS_RM.HTM#DR-770

www.samash.com price: a low, low $379.99!

Total cost: $449.98!

Geena: When I was a kid, I thought Steely Dan was the scariest looking bunch of guys out there. I watched their appearance improve over the years. But you're right - it's the MUSIC!

But don't you think Walter would look sexy with an eye patch? I hope he didn't throw it out.

rb

Oleander: one word - WOW! I'm impressed by all your literary SD references. I have a new hankering to read Mona Lisa Osomething. (overload?) Well, I'll find it. And, what is it about your surly past that I know?

I saw the set list for the Walking Tour. I wondered how the new songs mixed with the old. Then I realized I could find out. So I taped the set list. The only snag was trying to decide which versions of the oldies to use. It's quite a trip! Anybody else do this & what do you think?

Is Fordham Road in Negative Girl?

rb

JWMalibu: OK, here's what I've got: bass, guitar, powered mixer, PC (pent II at 450 mHz, 10 gig HD, CD-rom, CD-writer, relatively standard insides). What I'd like to do: ultimately record my stuff with live muscicians... short term, put my written material in a digital format. I'd like to have a decent digital drummer that has many samples of standard kits and music styles; also, some good synthesized keyboards, horns, strings, etc.; a digital recording software (not Band in a Box) that can handle my guitars, vocals, etc. AND my digital instruments (drums & keys) in a multi-track fashion that allows me to punch, and also add effects (I've got an ART SGX Nightbass effects unit that has many patches for various studio recording purposes). Once I get my ideas down then I'm gonna get some good musicians over to a friend's studio and do it right! OK, now what should I buy? Please bear in mind that I'm about to build a home and money is scarce.

'Quintet,' I mean, what a fark-up.

It's on that blardy Stockholm live album, innit?

I just came across an MP3 of Miles and Coltrane running through "Walkin'", does anyone know what album that's on? I'm heading off to class and don't have time to sift through allmusic.com.

Is it on one of the quartet albums?

Hutch-any extra copies of that "Cauldron" CD? Been looking for it but haven't found it yet. E-mail me (lzirino@yahoo.com) and maybe we can work out an exchange-perhaps a Hank Easton CD?

aja

RubyBaby -re Sign In and Tied - yeah, funny thing isn't?

Yeah, I agree with Geena, never heard of that shit. Fill us in.
Or fill Geena in, I can read behind.

Hutch - oh thanx, it's hard for me to make my english understandable when I wanne explain something.

Oleander - academics? Well, the easiest way to explain his arrogant attitude to talkers and analyzers is with this clip from a Jaco-demo video, it says it all;

"The interviewer asks Jaco if he has any special secret ways when he's tuning his bass. Jaco answers with playing all 4 strings (open) at the same time. And says - "if that sounds like music to me, everythings okay."

(And this genious was killed by a nightclub doorman, a nobody, a coke-fuckhead, a smartassed exilcuban mafia type. Isn't life tragic?)

Scott/Howard - I'm going home now, I'm gonna sit down at the acoustic piano with the chords and if they're not right, you two can consider yourself audi tomorrow. Got it?

Beast w/o name - only minor? I don't think so.

SCWINN - What? Didn't you buy the Fostex FD-8? And this week it's coming with 4.39 gig hard drive, and if you wait till next week you can listen to the Gaucho-vinyl in the Super Prop Chopp-system 5.12 in 7 channels. After "is there gas in the car" you actually can hear Fagen gnashing his teeth. But, only if you listen carefully and the girls stop babbles just in time. I think it's in the fourth speaker, but, that is depending on what channel the speaker is connectet too. So watch out.

Lars - re Jonis macho-man; he fell out of the picture after "Wild Things Run Fast". They divorced, according to Joni the only reason he was around and with the band and on records was that "they would never see each other else". Bitchy comment uh?

Rubybaby - "Mingus", do as Scott says; BUY IT.

re car-lessons - is that a deal? I'm serious. You have strong nerves? We could prepare you with Seroxat 6 weeks before we begin. Somewhere soon after summer?

KD re Waiting For The Sun - read about how Led Zeppelin came to LA town, acted like pig-kings, kicked teeth out of people on public places.

So.

Sue Me If I Spell Too Wrong,

C

zzzzzzzzzz huhu, what? uh, sorry, don't know this time zzzzzzzz

Edd- Speaking of Les Paul, I heard he just had a heart attack while playing this past Monday night. Does anybody here know anything more?

Regis - There's something not quite right about the new Jarrett album. Maybe it's a bit subdued due to his overwork fatigue. Maybe I just need another listen, but I was going to buy it until about the 3rd or 4th track...then it lost me. His most recent totally great album was "Tokyo 96" with Jack de Johnette and Gary Peacock.

Well, OF COURSE, Gibson conjures up images of Les Pauls, SGs, big ol' ES's, EB0s, EB4Ls, etc. for me.

Fender, however, causes all kinds of brain cramps as I waffle between cars and axes...

Sports car season is approaching! Top off, stereo on, TVN coming thru the speakers. Ahhhhh, could life BE any better?

Yes, I am nasty. Just wondering what's on the menu.

Finally got a cd burner for my computer so now I can make copies of my buddy Dave's hard-to-find albums. Got his copy of "Cauldron" by John Beasley tonight. It's produced by WB. Also got an album called "Pleasure Seekers" by Andy Laverne (piano) with John Patitucci, Bob Sheppard and Dave Weckl. Also produced by Mr. Becker. Very nice album. Sheppard plays sax, clarinet and flute on it. I think it was released in '91.

Larry Carlton has an album being released next week titled "Fingerprints".

Alta - I've been paying close attention to DF's consonant pronunciation since you mentioned it before. He's got it down alright!

Ole: I know you wouldn't ignore me....I guess I had the pity blues that day - you the grrl! - come on over anytime, we'll swap war stories.

Regarding the article written by Jack Sawkin....could someone clue me in on what this Siamese erotic pottery is? Did he mean poetry? Was this a typo? Anyway, this sounds like something I could certainly wrap my hands around. And our Walter is injured slightly while running with the bulls in Pamplona? - Where the hell have I been? Is this for real? Well if you're going to stand in the way of a ton of bull i guess you should expect a little pain. And who said that D&W were pretty? not moi! if I want to see pretty boys, I'll look at some of these manufactured acts ala backstreet boys - NOT! I will say they've aged well through the years but looks mean nothing...I was turned on by their music...blah, blah blah....

silliness abounds - gotta go...i'm too tired to type anymore...

Hank--Yeah, I thought it was 7 albums too. The article seems to have missed one.

Edd--Gibson. That about sums it up, doesn't it: when I say it, it's sci fi, when you do, I bet it's a guitar.

'm outta here for a few. Later.

Hey Gang!

All the postcards have been sent out, so if you sent me your e-mails, then you should be getting one soon!

Speaking of waiting by the mailbox, I'm still waiting on my Lexicon CD, although I've already recieved junk mail from the submission on their site (I intentioally misspelled my name, to see if this would happen). I'm a little worried that it was just a way for Lexicon to harvest addresses, although I'm still hoping to get the CD. The junk mail was from some retirement fund, so if anyone else gets junk they weren't expecting, and you think it might be generated form Lexicon, don't be afraid to let them know...

-The Charmer
Listening to the Southpark Soundtrack
(Oscar nod for Best Song!)

Miz Duck - I thought thou was a guy for the longest time

Joyce of CHoice - dubliners (especially The Dead)
it's been years - stupid psuedo-intellectual college kid impresses collegues and wows friends. Finnegan's half awake
Never got far in finnegan's, there were 20 pages of text in the skeleton key for the first paragraph alone

Ulysses and Portrait of the Artist - lovely
Hey Marilyn Monroe 'loved' Ulysses

I wasn't con shush lee mim ick ing James, it's my own pasch on nent play of sill a bulls pond urd poe et ick lee past prime

I'm just a foe net ick ly free appendage of top soil lent toe mass a tee. Glad you dig of this sub turr rain eon die verge ants

faulkners Sound and the Fury is high on my early in flu ants prose as well.

Andy - the remasters rule, especially on really good equipment
it's all there in nirvanic glory

I was a 3% er with Dr Wu and now I'm 1 out of 5
is that good or bad

I can see by what you carry that you come from Barrytown

sick of her

FT: I guess you're not nasty!

Yes, that's what I meant. Also, don't forget the demo of Everyone's Gone To The Movies.

I think I know what Daddy G meant: Citizen also had FM, Here at the Western World, and the '74 live Bodhisattva, which weren't on the original 7 albums.

The new Keith Jarratt release

That's my final answer

I guess B & F should have done some more "borrowing" from him for the new one

I was just was over at amazon.com to purchase a new compact disc and what did I see? Guess which title is today's best seller.

-Andy

SECTION: Pg. 14

LENGTH: 1031 words

HEADLINE: Steel crazy after all these years

BYLINE: Jack Sawkin

BODY:

Steely Dan

They may

be older and fatter, but their sense of humour remains unchanged, reports Jack Sawkin

As someone once memorably remarked, dinosaurs weren't exactly walking the earth the last time Steely Dan released an album of new
material, but their tracks were still fresh. But, having been missing in action for most of the eighties and all of the nineties - their last studio
album, Gaucho, came out in November 1980 - Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, aka Steely Dan, release their seventh album later this
month.

The imminent arrival of Two Against Nature (released on February 28 in Europe and Japan - a day before the US, fact fans) has sent the
band's loyal and

long-suffering following into a frenzy of anticipation.

Their influence has bubbled through the music of Deacon Blue, Danny Wilson, and the High Llamas in the intervening years, and even as
far as rap artists like De La Soul (who sampled Peg on Eye Know) and Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz (ditto Black Cow on 1998's Deja Vu,
leading to the bemused Fagen and Becker picking up an award for Rap Song of the Year through their writing credit), but those only made
fans mad for the real deal.

Word of a new album first began to surface in 1996, following a successful reunion tour two years previous which spawned the Alive In
America live album. On that tour, Fagen would dryly announce from the stage that the duo planned to record some more "before one of us
dies", and the veteran Steely Dan watcher immediately settled him/herself down for the customary interminable waft.

Recording began in spring of 1996 and was finally completed in the summer of last year. Although - obtuse as ever - no singles from the
album are scheduled, two tracks, Cousin Dupree and What A Shame About Me, have already been sent out to US radio stations and there
are plans for a European tour in the autumn.

But while the album is all new material, work practices in Dandom appear to have changed little. In the interview disc for his 1982 solo
album The Nightfly, Fagen admitted hauling the cream of New York's session guitarists in to audition a specific lick, finally using none of
them at all.

He glibly puts this down to a "stylistic mismatch" on his own part, but he explains it in the smug whine of someone you'd never tire of
slapping. The band seems to be up to their old tricks. Neither John Beesley nor Joe Sample, who contributed keyboards to the Two
Against Nature sessions, appear on the finished product. Neither this fanatical, maddening attention to detail, nor the lengthy silences
between records has surprised fans. Six band albums in nine years between 1972 and 1980 proved a misleadingly frenetic work-rate, and
Fagen's solo career after their split in 1981 proceeded at an altogether statelier pace. The Nightfly was followed, eventually, by Kamakiriad
(1993), while Becker's only solo offering was his uneven Eleven Tracks of Whack in 1994.

There were other projects, such as Fagen's worthy but muso-heavy New York Rock and Soul Revue in 1991, but mostly it was down to
unearthing the occasional soundtrack gem (such as Fagen's Century's End from Bright Lights, Big City, in 1985). The world Steely Dan
inhabited when Gaucho arrived was a very different place. The week it was released, Abba's Super Trouper was the number one single and
album in Britain and Bill Gates was a 25-year-old computer program boffin from Seattle whose little Microsoft company was about to be
hired by IBM to produce the software for the first personal computer.

Since then, the very technology which was unthinkable - even to two cyber -dudes like them - back then has become commonplace, and
Fagen and (especially) Becker have embraced it warmly. Commonly held to be inscrutable, enigmatic and secretive, the band merrily
contribute to a lively chatroom on their Internet website. They're the most accessible recluses on the planet.

In an on-line interview pushing the nine-track new album, Becker noted: "We wanted to strike while the career iron was still lukewarm."
Fagen acknowledged the passing of time, admitting: "I hope we have a massive audience but it's a very difficult musical landscape to when
we last put out an album. Also, we're not as pretty as we used to be." How true. A sober-suited Fagen showed up to collect Q Magazine's
Inspiration Award for 1993 looking like the grumpiest member of a Manhattan legal team, while Becker has metamorphosed into Professor
Denzil Dexter, the supremely

laid-back and blindingly unsuccessful research chemist from The Fast Show.

However, the acerbic wit, which has always been their mainstay, is allowed to run wild in their on-line responses to e-mail. "Thanks so
much, Elizabeth," replied Becker to one, "I enjoyed your letter immensely, right up to the first mention of the word 'husband'." A polite
inquiry as to whether the new album will be issued on vinyl elicited the following withering response: "At this point there are no set plans
to press vinyl. Nor are there any plans to manufacture any eight-tracks or Edison rolls or player-piano rolls either."

Becker has approached the chance to chat on-line with gusto - he has pages of his own (set up by "Walter Becker - Producer, Explorer,
Philandropist"), which range from his own personal resolutions to a couple of agony columns (Dear Greta and Ask Dr Klamm), whose
advice is as irreverent and unhelpful as seasoned Danwatchers would anticipate. You can also detect his droll japery in the fake band
history: "1982 - after a period of dissolution on the fringes of the Hamburger Werkstatt group.

B & F abandon symbolist thought-poetry and begin experimenting with Siamese erotic pottery. 1989 - Walter Becker is injured slightly
during the running of the bulls at Pamplona, Spain and for the next six months wears a knee brace and eye patch."

The website has even automatically christened the new album in cyber-language 2vN. In all, it sounds like business as usual on Planet
Dan, down to the predictably minimalist and unfathomable sleeve, which shows two amorphous shadows against the ground, a 21st
century revisit to Countdown To Ecstasy. Roll on.

GRAPHIC: That was then: Steely Dan admit on their website that they're ''not as pretty as we used to be";Changed days: Walter Becker,
left, and Donald Fagen now

LOAD-DATE: February 4, 2000

Midnight Cruiser: I would venture that the Lexicon CD will have the mixes from the singles, which are different. If it's not different, I ain't opening mine. But I suspect there may not be shrink wrapping on these. The run was only 300 or so and they weren't for sale, so what would be the point?

Ruby: I had to laugh at your comment. I looked down at myself, and I'm wearing a short-sleeve button-down shirt. It's a Land's End turquoise with blue, red, and yellow plaid. I got it at the 'Land's End Not Quite Perfect' store, which normally has defects like loose seams, etc., but in this case, I think it was just the color. A friend of mine actually made me change it when I was about to wear it to the bars. i like it though. 'Mastered the mechanics of the important things' -- I sure hope so.

Daddy G - glad to provide you with a respite from the tedium of office work -- especially if you have a boss around all the time.

"...aural sensations...."

Hey Daddy G-what bonus tracks are on Citizen SD? If it's worth it, I may do the same.

Hey Donald and Walter (or whomever peruses our musing for you, measuring the pulse of the crazed fandom in dandom) please give 2nd Arrangement another shot on this tour! I know this great band (that you yourselves have mentioned in interviews) that does a kickass rendition of it....would love to hear yours!

aja

Daddy G- The new remasters sound significantly better than the Citizen box, especially Aja and Katy Lied, at least to my ear. You said you got Citizen for "all those bonus tracks"? There was what, one?

-Andy

Mad Tom of Worm Bedlam: Been meaning to tell you how much I love your posts. You sound like you've been burrowing through some James Joyce. (I leave the SD free-associations as an exercise for you--have fun!)

/The duck

P.S. Oleander: I'm still on the run, er, limp, at work; gotta wait until I get home to my Gibson and get a couple hours of rested brainspace before I can cross-check stuff.

Andy:

Last year I traded in all seven of my SD CDs for Citizen Steely Dan. Seemed like a great swap, plus I got all those bonus tracks. Also, the sound on my copy of Countdown always seemed ... not sure how to put it ... weak -- hollow -- distant -- to me.

My question is, is there a difference between the quality of the tracks on the Citizen box set and those on these newly remastered discs? I assumed that the tracks on Citizen were remastered already, but you know what they say about those who assume ...

Ryan- I would seriously doubt that there will be a remastered version of Nightfly. MCA is handling the Dan remasters (and I guess also footing the bill); The Nightfly is on Warners. It doesn't look likely.

-Andy

rue bee woo thee

on 2an virginity and waiting for the main course

Hey notty us leah fox e nose

i prefer le alluring de la course mad mo sell

beauty is nice, cerebral intangable more so
both co mingle duh pre fect oh

but my raging alter purr son Al 80
wants it all now in a splendid wash of the senses

putting out the fire... with gasoline abbey

orange juice and peanut butter?
so the engineer does iggy imitations?

I haven't received my Lexicon CD yet either but my question is, when I do receive it do I open it and play it or leave it sealed and in it's virginal state? Does this increase it's collectability in years to come? If the mixes on it are the same as the final mixes on Two Against Nature then why would I open it? Of course, if the mixes were different, then I'd almost have to hear the alternate takes.

Any thoughts on this?....Q, you're the collector, what do you think?

MC @ home w/stomach flu.

TAN virgin of the top soil: Don't settle for the first chord-slut you see! What you need, what you deserve, is a Foxy Lady experienced with the TAN. She will appreciate your virginal exhuberance, while gently guiding you toward the best aural sensations. She will be delighted by your every response. She realizes that it's to be expected when the first two minutes of Gaslighting Abby seem to max you out. There's nothing more beautiful to her than the awakening of a TAN virgin. She's prepared to spend days, even weeks engaged in mutual TAN encounters, because these things take time. And she has faith that you will be one magnificent TAN man...

mockT: I'm not an engineer, but I married one. They have no fashion sense, but damn - they know the mechanics of the important stuff!

ps: I've learned never skimp on certain things: orange juice, peanut butter, some personal items. Now adding walkman to the list.

rb

Big Fan,
Just to make the record complete, Aja was also played as the first song at Roseland in Oct/95.

Daddy: I've not received my Lexicon disc... I believe I won the 102nd disc...

Zeke: Well, I guess we have been within shouting distance of one another after all... I was at the Dallas '94 show... 2 days before the first night, I talked a buddy of mine into flying his 4 seater down to Love Field... we hopped into a cab and bought 2nd row scalp tix for $5 over face value... God, what an adventure that night was!!!

Nice Work Howard! I knew that we could get them. Actually the voicings you posted were almost all identical to the ones I had figured out. A couple different names for the same chords.. Em/G is defineately right though (not G13 like I said) even though I certainly don't mind the sound of either. Also C/Eb has a nice dark quaity to it. That one goes into a song. Thanks for your extra effort in nailing those voicings, my friend.

Homophone, *homophone*. Boy, do I feel dumb.

Hi, I'm new and from Canada.
I was wondering if a re-mastered version of "The Nightfly" will accompany the rm. "Gaucho", in keeping with the previous pattern of pairs? Anyone know when these are planned for?
Thanks, I appreciate this forum.

rye.

ps - I was recently in Costa Rica, and while dining in a little restaurante, heard all of "Kamakiriad" played as someone in the kitchen kept shouting out, "Is there gas in the car?" in a high voice a la DF. Wonderful country.

Big Fan: I agree. I caught the Dallas show in 94. By far "the" best show I've seen. The show began with a medley of Dan tunes, then in walks the duo. As soon as Don sits, in comes that incredible AJA piano intro. Man, I still get chills. What a way to start an evening.

New Orleans Jazz Fest has new info. listed on their web page.

Cal: Because my memory isn't so hot? Besides, that's why I've added the write in vote. If you don't like my suggestions, make your own.

StAl

Heidi: Are you a boy or girl? Cause I think you are sexy, but I'm not sure how to feel about that.

Well Dave is back next week so it looks like B & F will be doing Letterman on February 29. Anyone want to guess what tune they will play? I figure it will be Shame or Dupreee. I hope it's Shame but Dave would get a good chuckle out of Cousin Dupree for sure.

Someone would actually, given a choice, live in the Midwest?

Miss Hole (if you're nasty)

Mock Turtle:

Obviously, I've let my caffeine level drop dangerously low. Took almost a full ten minutes to come up with the Aiwa/Iowa homophone. Thanks a lot. My boss wants to know why I was staring into space with this puzzled look on my face.

I've always said that February is the longest month, even though it only has 28/29 days. Especially true in the north, where we've all pretty much had it with the cold weather. But this year, with TvN looming at the end ... good grief, this month is DRAGGING!

Anyone get their Lexicon CD yet? Not me.

Has Nosy been granted statehood?

Never buy a walkman from a company that's a homophone of a midwestern state.

Cal,
My thoughts exactly - I haven't voted in either of the most wanted to be played song surveys because that song isn't there.

I have to laugh about the "stuffing of the ballot box" - anyone who visits espn.go.com or cnnsi.com knows they run surveys all of the time - like who should win the Heisman, who had the best teams in the 90's etc. Entire schools have been mobilized to stuff the ballot box. The most notable was who had the best Big 10 team ever - the etnire student body, alumini, staff were emailed to vote for the 96 Mich team - and the 94 PSU team beat them out, but something like 500,000 votes were cast for both tying up espn's servers for two days, mMich students were trying to use every availible computer on campus to provide a unique POP. The point is that electronic surveys will always be subject to this kind of behaviour.

BTW the song I would most like to hear in concert this year is Aja. It wasn't played on the 93 or 96 tours and only about 23 dates in the 94 tour. Not even my favorite musically, it is a strong sentimental favorite and I've never seen it played live. So if anyone is listening, please pass it along - I think Aja would be a good fit for the 2000 tour since it conicides with the release of the Aja Classic Albums thingie.

For the record, let it be known that I just voted for 'Haitian Divorce' twice. Sorry. I just wanted to see what kind of error message would come up if I tried to vote more than once. But it let me. So St. Al, the answer to your question of 'how could the person vote more than once?' is simple: click on the back button and vote again. No cookies to delete; nothing.

Ruby: Yeah, fracture mechanics falls under the domain of Engineering. So I would assume you and/or your husband are somehow related to the field? Unless you're really stretching for discussion topics at the dinner table, I guess.

Been listening to 2vN constantly in my walkman, on the way to and from classes. But I felt a Fagenesque urge to hurl my walkman at the ground as hard as I could this morning 'cause the damn thing keeps flipping sides at random and inexplicably slowing to 1/4 speed or less. Although with Jack of Speed, it's hard to tell anyway (biggest misnomer of the album). Planned obsolescence or just plain shoddy design? Both probably.

Yesterday i heard my opponent the candidate formerly known as Hilary Clinton and before that Hilary Rodham Clinton is now going by just Hilary. The sqawk is about her not leaving a tip and right away her damage control people said that her bill was already taken care of.....come on now. The South Carolina Primary is showing just how fucked up it is down there. The honchos there villify The Kennedy`s , Unions and basically anything that has a Yankee scent. The Confederate Flag Issue shows that there are more than Gamecocks living there ,but Dicks as well. Strom Thurmond is a classic example.....

St. Al- Why do you have songs in your survey that SD has already played live on the last three tours? (Bad Sneakers, etc.) The idea should be "old" songs that have never been played in concert or at least not played since the early 70's. Get my drift? I know it's YOUR board and you can do what you want, so please no wise ass remarks.

Still tva virginal, won't hear something on the radio here in New Orleans, the Jazz station is more dixeland, funk and 50's miles and co. and the pop stations are sanitized faceless classic schlock

so no new dan on our airwaves, no static and no soul at all

As for my date with TAN on the 28th, I feel like a 15 year old boy with the whoremones a raging, wanting to latch on to the first floozy available, too shy to approach but wailing inside

Joni's standards disc is out, oh la la, looks like the virginity will subside with the quick feel from the sweet tomboy down the street

soft more ic stuff isn't it

toodles from the topsoil

tom

thanks Howard - sounds great. Players? Is her ex on? That bassman who tried to play like Jaco. Boring and untalented.

Lars - Joni's new one is awesome. Her voice has never sounded better - smoky, sensual ...

And the orchestral arrangements of the tracks are stunning. At times it sounds like classic Gil Evans ...

Some tracks have orchestra + drums + bass + piano etc, and the whole group really swings.

Howard

Scott - those chords are pretty similar to what I figured out last night. I've got a tape copy of 11TOW, and worked things out starting with an A bass. It might just be a tape speed problem - anyway I've transposed my chords up to match yours. I get:

7x775x
Bm11 (probably same as your Bm7sus4)

5x665x
Amaj7

4x445x
Esus2/G# (mu major type name, but basically same as your Abm7#5)

3x245x
Em/G (only one note different to your G13)

2x444x
B/F# (same as yours)

x7664x
Emaj6/7

x6555x
C/Eb

(you probably had x6565x in mind - you could be right! need to double check this)

x7444x
B/E (same as yours)

A few differences in the middle notes, but pretty similar.
Took me a while to get the Emaj6/7 - I heard B/E at first like you, but I think the extra "spice" in the Emaj6/7 sounds right.
This is a classic Steely chord voicing! Same one they use at the end of the intro to Josie, where the chord sustains ...

I should check that C/Eb chord again. It's a cheeky one - major chord with the MINOR 3rd used for the bass!

GoodKingRichard: if you like Hejira, why not try moving back or forward one album? That would give you Hissing of Summer Lawns (more lush than Hejira, but an awesome album) or Don Juan's Reckless Daughter - a real musical mix of an album. I'm pretty sure you'd find things you like in both.

Howard

jaco and joni was one of a pair. If you add pat metheny, michel brecker, lyle mays and don alias then you have the players on her underrated livealbum Shadows & Light. A wonderful album. Anbody heard her new one? There´s a limited edition for sale with original lithographs. Just ordered it without hearing a single note.

TVA = Two Against Aves

(Rabo is such a Naturalist!)

Some of you have expressed opinions that TNO (TVA) is akin to a yellow-bellied fame sucker. Not so. As an experienced Ornithologist with a careful ear for music I can assure you that TNO is most likely a member of the pecker family.

Peckers are, by definition, prone to peck. The sound of an old pecker is indistinguishable from that of a young pecker which explains why all peckers are content at pecking. It's what they do.

How many poems have you heard with the words, "...and the sweet sound of the pecker....or....a little pecker told me?" Zero.

Face it. You're all closet Ornithologists with a deep and abiding love for your favorite peckers.

Me too.

Miz Ducky/Oleander-- thanks for the info. I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of the book. To be completely honest, I haven't enjoyed the three books our class has had to read so far, but maybe Gibson can jig my interest up a bit. I have a book report on it due at the end of April.

Ole-- thanks for typing that stuff in, I've already saved it to a Word document, in preparation.

This stuff sounds great, I'm really looking forward to reading it.

I also picked up 'Waiting for the Sun', the book, a week ago. I've only paged through it sporadically, not a real effort, I'm at about where the Byrds are being pieced together. I really hope this book skewers the people I hate most, the Angelino 70s scene...disgusting.

BostonRag--thanks for the link, I saved the audio clip from Gibson to my computer. I always hated the way Addicted to Noise laid out their online articles, though.

Tomorrow's Girl-- From what I can tell, half the main characters in 'Can't Buy a Thrill' are pussy whipped, and I'm pretty sure that album came out before 'Show Biz,' and 'Bodi.' I think all equal parts are still represented, if you can excuse the vagueness.

Good King Richard

what a treat to refer you to Joni Material
(if you buy the cd's get the newly released remasters they have the HDCD logo on the label!, don't settle for old bin stock)

Blue is a great album that will grow on you with time but is more stark and emotional. Heijira is one of my all time top five favorite albums - such emotion

If you like Heijira well the next place to go would be her most popular work Court and Spark, real gem. Then Hissing of Summer Lawns. Actually the HIts package might not be too bad, but I prefer the full albums. Mingus and Don Juan's are a little too experimental and less accessible but later are rewarding.

If I had to do a Blue comparison in Steely Dan it would be the album Countdown

cheers

Good King Richard

what a treat to refer you to Joni Material
(if you buy the cd's get the newly released remasters they have the HDCD logo on the label!, don't settle for old bin stock)

Blue is a great album that will grow on you with time but is more stark and emotional. Heijira is one of my all time top five favorite albums - such emotion

If you like Heijira well the next place to go would be her most popular work Court and Spark, real gem. Then Hissing of Summer Lawns. Actually the HIts package might not be too bad, but I prefer the full albums. Mingus and Don Juan's are a little too experimental and less accessible but later are rewarding.

If I had to do a Blue comparison in Steely Dan it would be the album Countdown

cheers

kd--wow! that looks like a helluva class. Several books I haven't read. As Ducky said, MLO has some Steely refs.

"'Cherry, this is my close personal friend Mr. Slick Henry. When he was young and bad he rode with the Deacon Blues.'"

"The loa had guided her, when she'd set out with Bobby to build her third, her current life. They were well matched, Angie and Bobby, born out of vacuums, Angie from the clean blank kingdom of Maas Biolabs and Bobby from the boredom of Barrytown...."

There's a bit of the voudou thread. There's more, too much for a bad typist. And I like to think that Maas Biolabs is a nod to Pynchon (remember Mucho Maas in "The Crying of Lot 49"?

Barrytown is first mentioned in "Count Zero" from '86: "it was such an easy thing, death. He saw that now: It just happened. You screwed up by a fraction and there it was, something chill and odorless, ballooning our from the four stupid corners of the room, your mother's Barrytown living room."

Back to MLO:

There's also a movie maker named Becker: "Here Becker slowed and again began his obsessive analysis. This would be the last time Marie-France faced a camera; Becker explored the planes of her face in a tortured, extended fugue, the movement of his images in exquisite counterpoise with the sinuous line of feedback that curved and whipped through the shifting static levels of his soundtrack."

Kind of sounds like I'd imagine one of Mr. Becker's producing sessions.

And: "The Gentleman Loser had been a cowboy bar since the war that had seen the birth of the new technology, and the Sprawl offered no more exclusive criminal environment." (Help me, Ducky--didn't the Loser show up first in "Neuromancer"?)

There may be more. But hey, these books are must-reads for more than the Steely nods. Gibson reinvented scifi in '84 with "Neuromancer." Now I'm not one who fantasizes about the Dan, but when I read it for the first time in '86, guess who I visualized as Case? Mr. Fagen. And if you're taking a class in Tomorrow's Girls, these books are rich with "fey, elegant, and deadly" women. Ducky, you brought up the inimitable Molly--ooh, I've often wanted to be that woman!

GKR--Hey man! How's your little girl?

Rube--How'd you know about my surly past?

...he was still a TAN virgin,. waiting for that package in the post.

wormtom, JW, Clas, Howard & others: so good to hear your views on Joni. I hadn't got into her until recently, when I saw a Hejira/Blue offer. Not so keen on Blue, but Hejira is really quite wonderful (and keeps me from giving Blue more of a chance). I had a lot of reading to do late last night and, after taping some Indigo Girls for my overdue little sister, it really helped me through the wee hours... so If not Blue, where next?... apart from JW's joni-esque track (IMO) on TMH [great!]. At least two weeks to go for TAN and I need to stay mellow...

Richard&kangaroos

From the fearless, satirical snarl of Bodhisattva and Show Biz Kids to the pussy-whipped whimper of Almost Gothic. The domestimasculation is now complete. My work here is done.

Jaco and the Dan

I would like to hear Jaco do Dr Wu

Jaco actually played a jam with Jimmy Page once

as for the best traveling cd ever done
Joni's Heijira. She wrote it on two cross-country soul searching trips. SHe once mentioned no piano as she only obviously had a guitar with her

no regrets coyote....

The Joni Mitchell album is called "Mingus". It is GREAT! One of the incredible things about it is the players who laid tracks that never made it to the final mix. (sound familiar?) how about John McLaughlin, Stanley Clarke, Tony Williams, Phil Woods, Jan Hammer, Gerry Mulligan, Eddie Gomez and John Guerin. There is more talent that didn't make it than is on 99.9% of all recordings. Buy It! Jaco plays tremendously.

clas: Yes! That's where I was trying to sing (in my head) "danger on the rocks is surly past" but the volume was low & people felt the need to talk business and I heard myself thinking "have you heard about the boom on mizar 5" but it came out like "the danger on the rocks is mizar five!" And my dinner companions thought I was listening intently to them. I usually do...

What is the Joni Mitchel Charles Mingus album? That can't be the name of it.

re: teach you to drive - I've already instructed 2 teens to drive in my little red car. I only had to replace the clutch once! My husband put a sign on the back that said, "WARNING: Woman teaching teenagers how to drive!" I took it off, but somehow people could tell. They say the 3rd time is a charm.
Let's do it!

JW: I knew I heard something familiar in Almost Gothic! It would have driven me mad. Thanks for elaborating. I think I'm recalling strains of "Walk On By" specifically.

rb

Glad I could help. Howard where those chords close? And JW tell me a little more about submittimg for that compilation. I've got dozens of tunes in a sorts of styles. I love the kind of changes that are in Hat Too Flat. Like I said I didn't spend a lot of time figuring them out but I do hope they give you a start. I'm pretty sure of the Bass notes and the upper notes though. Enjoy yourself!

I'd go with placing 'Western World' at the end of the album, and see if you can manipulate the end of the track of the title song to drone on for a few more seconds. If most tracks have a 3 or 4 second cross-over until the next song, give this one an eight second one. It is a bonus track, treat it as such.

Remember talking about this a few months ago regarding 'Second Arrangement?' I'm still hung up on that one, and I wouldn't use that as a bonus. I think a few of us mentioned after side A on 'Gaucho,' before the title track. That sad and pathetic ending to 'Third World Man' is the perfect ending to a chilling album.

A fellow fan and friend of mine was burning a personal mix CD of Royal Scam and wanted to insert "Western World" into the album somewhere and I was asked where I thought it should be placed in relation to the other songs.

Then it occurred to me that perhaps it was decided by D + W to not include it on the album for the simple reason that it is the only song from the Royal Scam sessions that is in a major key.

Thoughts?

Anyhow.. I thought it would be good after Green Earrings.. not sure why, and does it really matter?

Roy.Scam-I can't wait until you come in and fire! Watch out, the whole bar will come running for the door when they find that vein (about 2 more weeks?)

aja

Scott ~ You've got quite a set of ears there, buddy! PLEASE...submit a piece for the GB Compilation/2000 ~ if your composing is as good as your ears, I'm sure you've got some killer music up your sleeve! Likewise, Chordmeister Howard!

I can't believe this this is the fourth time I've tried to get my #@$%^&* computer to post this.... Quick before my computer fucks me up again....Try the following chords for Hat Too Flat's refrain. If I spent 1/10 the time figuring them out as I did trying to post them they would be right but these are close...The first four chords have an E as the top note and are Bm7sus4,A,Abm7#5,G13 to B/F# to B/E with D# as top note to D#7b9 with E to B/E with D#. I hope this helps. Now I've got to go and cut my wrists

This just in from two local PBS affiliates:

Steely Dan on PBS for viewers in Virginia and North Carolina:

From WBRA for western and southside Virginia:
Look for Steely Dan on Monday, 3/13/00, at 8:00pm.

From WUNC for most of North Carolina:
UNC-TV will air STEELY DAN: AN IN THE SPOTLIGHT SPECIAL on Tuesday, March 7 at 9:30 pm.

Back to work in the morning for two 12 hour shifts Wednesday & Thursday....see y'all Friday.

MC

Here's a link to a great interview from a few years ago. Gibson talks about his passion for Steely Dan....

http://www.addict.com/issues/2.10/html/lofi/Cover_Story/Gibson%2C_William1/index.html

There's a new SF (almost) writer on the scene whose name is Walt Becker. (Not our Walter) His book "Link" got pretty good reviews.

KD: It's been a while since I read Mona Lisa Overdrive, so I can only say I'm pretty sure that's the one with the Barrytown ref (as opposed to totally positive; perhaps Oleander can remember better). It does feature Molly the Razorgirl in a major role, though if I recally rightly she doesn't do any actual razoring in this book; it's Neuromancer in which she really slices things open (so to speak), as well as the short story Johnny Mnemonic (much better story than the movie made from it, IMO).

The Gibson stuff I've read (Neuromancer, Count Zero, Mona Lisa Overdrive, plus the short story collection Burning Chrome, which includes Johnny Mnemonic) has all sorts of SD references little and big. But beyond that, Gibson's got a look-and-feel going in his work that is IMO more than a little reminiscent of SD -- noir/dark tales of preposterous loners and losers, gorgeous/dangerous/decadent/damaged women, underworld carryings-on, famous/glamorous/upper-class types slumming in places where they might get their designer heads handed to them, weird drugs and other assorted contraband ...

In other words, this is NOT your father's Buck Rogers! Or even your father's Robert Heinlein. So, even if you're not into SF, you might find yourself digging on this stuff.

/Miz Ducky

Bilko - Thanks for the tip re MOJO magazine, have just finished reading the article and the boys are indeed in fine form. Particularly enjoyed hearing Donald's frustration about a certain radio station refusing to play JR because it has a sax solo instead of a guitar solo and how they played CD instead for that reason. Never mind that the lyrical content of CD is a lot creepier than JR! Donald remarked that the station would play a song about £$%*ing your grandmother as long as it had a guitar solo in it.

Double: I don't have a copy of the credits. On West of Hollywood, that's gotta be Walter in the left channel and Herington I assume in the right. I'll give you on inspection that Walter dominates. I had read that Herington played lead in the live WASAM played for the upcoming PBS shows. The tone on the album sounds a little Zingg-like so I jumped to a conclusion. We'll find out definitively in just 2 freakin' weeks!!!

Mike/Bilko: Thanks for the tips and pics -- welcome in, and carry on...

KD: Sci-fi's never been my first choice, either, but I just picked up Neuromancer as a freebie from Barnes and Noble. Worth a shot...

Wonder Waif: That's bringing an old story into the present day. Double-click the icon, and up comes the queen of diamonds.

awesome page.

Great Steely Dan Site!!!
STEELY DAN
Rare and Collectible items available.
Please visit my web site, or drop me an e-mail for a complete list.
Thanks!

Web Site: http://members.aol.com/yoursongs5/home.html
E-Mail: yoursong@mail.fiai.net
===========================================

Mike - Great to have you here. Welcome from one Mike to another!
Thanks for the link to the pics. I'd seen two of them before but not the one titled "We like to have a laugh". That's a great shot. WB looks like a physics professor! And thanks for the heads-up on the Mojo article. I'll get over to Tower Records and pick up a copy.

Just found out yesterday that the PBS show won't air here until April 29th! I guess I'll see the VH-1 show before the PBS one. The only up side to it is that I won't have to deal with the begathon interruptions.

Hey Clas! How ya doin'? Your description of what makes a good bass player was right on! The bass line is so fundamental to the feel of a song. At the '96 Va. Beach show during the band intros Walter Becker introduced Tom Barney by saying "... and providing the harmonic underpinning to the music, Tom Barney".

David - I've been enjoying "Clockdrive World". Very nice work bro'!

I like you, you JW Malibu, you are a doer. A warrior, not a worrier.

Ehhh... what the hell was it I wanted to say, YES!

Howard - "He did have something of an ego problem though..." Of course he had. Every great artist has. And he always had that ongoing fight with the Academics too, the talkers.

See you.

(Look up, now's he's in that manic phase again)

C

PS/ Judgy - the reason Steely wont visit Sweden is the price of the tickets. I guess Lars and I have to take us down to the romantic town Frankfurt or something. See you tomorrow hon.

Although nothing new or earth shattering, a few links to pass the time:

http://www.pioneerplanet.com:80/search?NS-search-page=document&NS-rel-doc-name=/seven-days/4/justgo/docs/028582.htm&NS-query=steely+dan&NS-search-type=NS-boolean-query&NS-collection=Seven%20Day%20Archive&NS-docs-matched=2&NS-doc-number=1

http://www.billboard.com:80/daily/2000/0214_04.asp

http://news.excite.com/news/r/000211/03/television-storytellers

Dr Mu -
I love Herington too, the guy's good.

Are you *sure* that's him on West of Hollywood and What A Shame About Me?

Dear hank silvers,

JUst read your post from last Friday. How about this for an interpretastion: the solitaire they are referring to in GA is the solitaire game on your computer! That makes it kind of fit in to the Guestbook/Internet flaming interpretation, no?

Plattan kommer den 25 här i Sweden, the 25th here in Sweden.

Jag ska kolla om det funkar så får du maila mig, har inte kvar din. atelje.lundkvist@swipnet.se

(Vad hon menar är; inte Sydamerikanerna, inte Kanadensarna, inte Mexikanarna osv osv osv. Fast det finns en del schyssta snubbar i USA också.)

Wormtongue - yeah, isn't that great music - "I was driving across the burning desert, when I spotted six jetplanes... leaving six vapor trails across..." It's so great music and lyrics.

I had the oportunity to go to the pressconf when she won the Polar Prize 1996. I asked her a lot of questions. She was very kind, but when I asked (two times) why she didn't got herself a producer she almost throw an ashtray at my direction (chainsmoker).

I also asked if it was true that she went to Staten Island to buy herself a mandolin.

And yes! It was.

And when she was asked who she thought would be the winner next year (1997) I sneaked in; "Steely Dan?" - "Oh yes, I LOVE Steely Dan, that's a good choice." Read the interview on the net somewhere.

JW Malibu - yeah, got to get back that CD from my son as soon as possible, let's do it!

Ach mein Godt! Entlich, eines Fortissimo! That is so funny. Ha!

Hi.

Clas/JWMalibu - I worked out a few little bits and pieces when I first got 11TOW, but don't thunk I did the chords to Hat too Flat. I should go back and listen to it again!

Re: Jaco - I love his playing. Hejira is probably my fave Joni album, but his work with her on Don Juan's and Mingus is great too. Not sure if Jaco would work with Steely. His playing seems to be very spontaneous, a free spirit, which suits Joni down to the ground, but I don't know if it would fit with D+W's preferred working style (painstaking, methodical, lots of takes). I can see Jaco erupting after four takes and walking out!

On the other hand, Steve Gadd's drums on Aja and Larry Carlton's solo on Kid Charlemagne were supposed to be one or two-take affairs, so maybe it would have been possible to capture Jaco's amazing spontaneity? He did have something of an ego problem though - not sure D+W would have handled that.

Howard

drMu - I gave up Chicago around # V. Never heard "no tell..". Silver is all around Fagen´s music, but Evans? Maybe on the title track on the new one, but that sounds more like Anthony Braxton meets a young Hancock.

JW; uh, if they "grew up" on M and B it´s still possible to learn from each other? Very professional info from you, take a bow, but it doesn´t change much to what I said.

I was wondering if I could get some help on this:

I just ordered 'Mona Lisa Overdrive,' the W Gibson bit, for a class I'm in. Does this book have any Steely-mentions? Is this the one with Barrytown?

I've never really read any Sci-Fi before, never really been into it. THe class' name is 'Babes in Space,' no shit. My two prof's have a nice little website at

www.babesinspace.net

JW: How can I have fun with Lars with you detailing most accurately the obvious Mancini/Bacharach connections (those Premiere articles re-appeared for a good reason!)?

Herington's Zingg-like guitar licks are expecially tasty on West of Holywood and the title track, not to mention What a Shame About Me. I'm quite impressed - must be amazing live. Speaking of which - no word from our local PBS stations of the broadcast specifics yet - a well-placed e-mail is in order. They usually show the begathon on 2 prime time dates that week. James Taylor from the Beacon a couple of years ago was spectacular in sound (Eliot Scheiner at the helm??).

Thumbing through a 1993 'Musician' interview that I'm sure you all have seen...though I love the guy, Donald Fagen has aged more in seven years than just about any guy I've ever seen.

Including former Presidents.

Still passing on making 'it-sounds-like' comments on the new album, though you guys are right on. I just need to listen to a good version of it before pinning stuff.

Lars ~ The horn arrangement on "Almost Gothic" contains obvious nods to both Henry Mancini (listen to the scores of "Days of Wine & Roses" or "Breakfast at Tiffany's") and Burt Bacharah circa 1967 ("The Look of Love" & "I Say a Little Prayer")...listen to the pairings of winds and brass melodically. Unison fute & flugelhorn were a signature of Bacharach, and Mancini loved to create the same types of blends with clarinets/bass clarinets & french horns. Listen to the subtle counterpoint against the vocal melodies - total Mancini. If anything, the boys in Chicago Transit Authority grew up listening to (and loving) the same guys such as Hank Mancini (and my old buddy Johnny Mandel ~ another perveyor of this style ~ listen to "The Shadow of Your Smile" variations in "The Sandpiper") that Fagen did...not the other way around!

Mike the Newbie ~ Welcome...those photos are way cool! Listening to the soundclips are like looking at a Monet through 3D glasses..."Two Against Nature" is going to blow your mind!

Wormbie ~ Jaco on "Aja", that would've been VERY interesting...although D&W would've had a bit of a problem with Pastorius' tendency to dominate a mix.

Clas ~ Let's attempt to figure those changes on "Hat Too Flat"...Although I'm sure Howard has us beat! Help, Mr. Wizard!!!

Schwinn ~ I'm with Edd; the Fostex is in your hot little hands - have at it and make those musical dreams come true!

Roy: That's the ticket. tvN is totally IN SYNC. Those tours really helped. The instruments play off each other really nicely!!! Best comparison is with the equally diverse Royal Scam. Some stupendous playing - but tvN is a beautiful team effort of passes, picks, finger rolls, and back-door cuts, where RS is a well-orchestrated All-Star game (can you believe the clips of those Vince Carter dunks?! - how about the one where is whole arm is in the cylinder - holy fuck!!)

O: The best part is after discovering the musical code, I get to dig into the lyric code: a Cracker jack box with 2 precious stones!! There's muchas poetry within these tvN ditties...

Lars: No way!! If anything it's a rip-off of the brilliant horn chart in "No Tell Lover," from Chicago's much later 13th and only non-numerically named album!!!! ...or Horace Silver or Gil Evans, with the advantage with here of the considerable difficulty for the potential plaintiffs in filing suit.

Just when we thought Mayor Rudy's "compassionate workfare" might work, there goes Hillary neglecting to tip a struggling mother of two after a free meal. The rent's due tomorrow - looks like it's back in the streets again.

...and then there's my governor "doing what a leader does" and speaking at Bob Jones University, run by a family who make Archie Bunker look like Maude (wayyyyyydda minute, he DID look like Maude!). The last BJ said he would rather see the N word over the C (Catholic) word as President. Nice! Why didn't the Old North State just export Jesse Helms "south of the border" and nuke the Palmetto state?!

Well, coming in under the wire with Valentine's greetings for all. La Duck, stay puckered, here's one for you as not only a formidable female but a femme formidable. And M. Scam, I guess I owe you one.

aja--love it! I'm the schoolmarm sipping sarsaparilla, secretly schooled and skilled in recondite arts of love, combat, and games of skill. Anybody need a light? or a nine-letter word for abstruse?

Edd--You are so much the yang to my yin!--or vice versa. I think words-vs.-music is an invidious argument. They are both what make Steely Dan. Mr. F. & Mr. B. have said clearly that the music trumps the words in importance, but to me the words are not simple stories of limited interest. They continually unfold with new images, associations, interpretations, even twenty plus years later. There are multiple entendres, references, allusions galore, much less what they do with the mechanics of the language--alliteration, assonance, creative rhymes, mixtures of the literary and the vernacular, much less the way the words are shaped exactly to the music. As Altamira said, they choose their vowels and consonants carefully. I've read that Garcia & Hunter did the same thing with Dead songs ("Ripple" is a great example.). Now, I love and appreciate and am awed by the music, but I'm not a musician and I hear it more or less en bloc--remember how you patiently helped me locate the famous "Aja" stick click? It takes me a lot of concentration to get even the most obvious subtleties. (Whistle in "Cousin Dupree"?--oh yeah! There it is!) And I never expect to understand or be able really to hear how the instruments work together and play off one another, what makes tunes move, and so on. Sometimes that's frustrating, but it doesn't diminish how I feel about the whole thing. We just have our own ways of experiencing it.

Geena--Hey, I'd never knowingly ignore a question of yours if I had an answer to it. So: yes, I'd come over for eggplant!

Mike--how about a little Valentine kiss for your introductory abuse?

Joe M--"Journey To The End Of The Night" (depressing); Cedar Walton's "Roots"--has a version of that great tune, "Bolivia," which was on "Eastern Rebellion," and a killer horn section; and they're doing swimmingly, thanks.

Dr Rok, Chris--thanx maximally for visiting fever dreams. The 2vN page is already very busy. Listen, anyone who has something to say about the lyrics: There is no way I can keep up with you guys. If I miss something here, or if you see or say something elsewhere--especially the Newsgroup--PLEASE e me so I can post it!

Andy--You are one sharp-eyed whippersnapper.

Wonder Waif--well put.

Lars--Please believe me: not all Americans are idiots.

in the Chat...10:45 EST...all alone...can't last much longer

Lars- After reading your last post everyone here will finally see why Steely Dan will NEVER play Sweden.

Another Newbs: thanks for the pics!

Been lurking for sometime now, but when I saw the reception Newbie got the other day, I thought that I had to give it a go. What abuse!!! You have to pay good money for that kind of treatment where I come from.
The new one? For what it’s worth, I was deeply disappointed by the clips on the SD site. I tried the realtime stuff, but the audio quality was so poor that it was hard to make a judgement.
I’ve heard Cousin Dupree once on the wireless and have a tape of WASAM.
I’ve got to say, things are starting to look up. I can’t get the song out of my mind. The section that struck me as too fancy is now going around in my head and I am reminded that I’ve felt this way about each new SD record.
I go back to the real audio stuff for a sly sniff and Jack of Speed is looking good, already. I think that WOH could be the big one for me. Love the long solos, seems to have elements of Aja and Glamour Profession. Anyway, trying to be patient and looking forward to all being revealed in true Hi-fi. Enjoying the site and all the posts.
Have you got your March Mojo yet?
STEELY DAN CHUCKLE-FEST SHOCK: “we’ll do anything for a laugh.”
Yes the boys are in fine form in this the greatest edition yet of this essential pop-mag. 11 pages on Texas blues, 19 on the Sex Pistols, 4 on Guitar Slimarticles on the Hammond, Curtis Mayfield, Blues Box Batton Rouge and 8 glorious pages on the Dan.
SD have been an integral part of my life for nearly thirty years now. All this time hardly a word, now we can read lengthy discourses on the meaning of songs. Here they comment on the whole of 2AN as well as picking out a song from each of their albums.
There’s a great picture of the two, sitting in comfy chairs in front of an old distressed radiator, staring at the camera ....... just grab a copy of the mag, you won’t be disappointed.
Anyone interested in downloading a few snaps, go to Duane Doberman’s Steely Dan page at http://www.fortbaxter.com
So farewell then my cyberfriends, I retire now and await the abuse.

Mike

re: Shiney dildo with the channel 2 logo...

I'm rolling...HA!

JoeM - yeah, that trumpet is "Miles"ish but the rest of the horn-arrangement on Almost Gothic is ripped off form any early Chicago tune. Our boys makin´a loot of other references on the new one; The intro on What a shame reminds me of "A long time comin´"
and... .
Clas - ingen aning. Förmodligen nå´n som fuskat med något??? Ja för fan, jag hör gärna på er cd - du är ju stor där över nu!!! Jag beställde via Boxman och fick någon kryptisk bekräftelse om att deras leverantör, BMG, lovat leverera 1 feb! Det sket sig tydligen. Det står ju att den ska komma den 28:e.

Edd - Right you are about John Kerr. If they could get Donald and Walter to Irish step dance then they could show a Steely Dan Riverdance Special.

For a donation of $75 you can get a cassette copy of TAN!

For a donation of $100 you can get this CD of TAN!

For $150 we'll send you a copy of "Naked Lunch" and this shiny dildo with the Channel 2 logo on it!!

I picked up that theme last year, and I love it. Bongo licks from 'Do It Again' all around, 'Razor Boy' when you shut down, 'Deacon Blues' when you start up. Everytime I get mail it plays the pedal steel lick from 'Pearl of the Quarter.'

One annoyance is the overwhelming bass line and wah-wah scratch from 'King of the World' when I click on a favorite from Internet Explorer.

I'm outside the city.

Peg....picture ID is no good cause I've never seen you but I'll take your word for it....sorry to hear y'all won't be playing this month but it's good to see you back at the guestbook.

Steely Dan Desktop Theme: I found a really great Steely Dan Desktop Theme for the computer at:
http://209.145.50.90/index3.html
when you get there, click on the music tab and go down the list until you see Steely Dan. The Desktop wall paper looks great, plus the icons, pointers and wav files for your computer sounds are cool. Deacon Blues is the shutdown music, I can't remember what startup was off the top of my head but whoever put together the package did a great job. It's free of course. The one think I did do was to change my desktop background color to black. The orange was a bit strong for me but if you're running 800x600 resolution I don't think you'll even see the orange.

Also, there's a Michael McDonald theme there that looks killer but I haven't downloaded it yet. Great shot of MM for the wallpaper, only just starting to gray in the pic.

I still haven't gotten my Lexicon/Steely Dan promo disc either to whoever asked.

See y'all tomorrow.

MC

Edd: Thanks for the info on WGBH and i get WGBX with no problem. i'll be ready to tape the program as well, and yes, March is fundraising time, they will be begging for money.
I had no idea you were from Massachusetts, do you live in Boston or the surrounding areas?

you got me cooking I'm a hard boiled egg, in the humdrum...
in the humdrum
empty my mind I find it hard to cope
listen to my heart...
don't need no stethoscope

sorry no Peter Gabriel references allowed here

those who want to warm the waters with their loved ones before they get home and the bigger gifts roll in or roll around with, try this link

floral electronica

http://www.virtualflorist.com/en/act/home/

I gare on tee it be workin cher

...so in love the preachers face turned red...

Scott, You can check Drew Zingg out on the NBC talk/cooking show "The Amsley Harriott Show." He's part of the five piece house band. It airs at different times around the country.

I love TVN! I do agree that on a few songs Donald sings/sounds more like Michael Franks then the Donald of the Royal Scam/Aja era. My buddy told me the new songs are GREAT live, I can't wait!!

Oops! I'm not sure if I want REPECT.It is nice to get RESPECT.Thank God I don't hunt and peck on my guitar.

Roy.Scam: I dunno about other ducks, but I am quite versatile! And thanks for thinking of the flowers, candy, million-dollar words etc. -- like they say, it's the thought that counts. :-)

/the Mam'zelle
demonstrating her ability to pucker

Hello All! Just back from Mexico and guess what? My brother got MY computer hooked up to the Internet. Now I'll have ready access to the wit and wisdom of all. Just want to say what a pleasure it is to play in Mexico. The people treat musicians with great repect. It is such a joy! Our culture here in the States has a long way to go in affording more than the fortunate few with any positive feed back. That is why I am always pleased (and pleasantly surprised) to see Stteely Dan get their just due. One more thing....I had the opportunity to meet Drew Zingg when I reviewed the Rock and Soul Revue a number of years ago. What is he up to now? Now There is a monster who deserves his own record deal! All my best to him....And to ALL. Peace

Two Against Nature is #6 at CDNOW.com as well as the staple #4 at Amazon.com

...and WGBX, channel 44 in Boston area, will be playing it 3 times on Thursday March 2. Their signal isn't so good in the house where I live though.

WGBH(2) viewers can plan on at least 1 15 to 20 minute interuption, maybe even 2, as they beg for more money.

I'll be ready with the PAUSE button. The less I see of John Kerr (local begmiester) the better. He'll tell you "this is the kind of programming you get for your support..." yet the only time they play it is when they want money...

The PBS special "In The Spotlight" is scheduled to air on Topeka, Kansas' KTWU (Channel 11) immediately after the March 2nd edition of Charlie Rose... that means it's at midnight on the morning of March 3rd... it will be repeated later that morning at 3:30 a.m.!!!

Peg-I'm crushed. God, I miss you guys! Oh, those days when I could count on four straight hours of dancing to the best music around, every month. Please play soon! Tell Mark and Ruby I miss them, too :(

aja

aja: Unfortunately, that Damned February show isn't going to happen. I miss it, too!

Midnite Cruiser: Yes, it's me. If I didn't sound like me it's because I'm not really myself lately -- but I have a photo ID if you want to be sure.

lovepeg

Chris,

You are not stupid. You are a very special person. Each and every one of us is very important and unique in our own special way. You are the center of the universe, and are entitled to be treated as such.

mt

Mock Turtle-- I actually like it better without the extra backing vocals on Cuosin SDupree because you can hear DF"s trademark sneer better!!

Ok, my last post sounded stupid. Never mind that "end of story" thing, it's not. but that is the main theme of the song.

squonk- I think I know what you're talking about. I wouldn't say weaker, but he does seem to singing softer then usual on that song.

Edd- thanks for the info, my VCR is set!

If people are offended by Cousin Dupree they shouldn't be. I interpert the song as a light-hearted song. This guy has a crush on his cousin. His cousin doesn't have one on him. End of story.

top three tan songs of the week (in random order)
1. Janie Runaway
2. Gaslighting Abbie
3. Cousin Dupree

Where in the heck are the DF backingvocals that are included on the radioversion of Cousin Dupree? Does anybody other than I miss them? They're one of my favorite parts of the song. Does anybody have an idea as to why they were added to the single, but not on the CD (compactdisc)? Mr. Becker, if by any chance you're lurking, care to enlighten us? Was it an idea that hatched after the CD had been mastered, but before the single was pressed or something? Oh, well, Lexicon to the rescue, I guess.

hey clas

Joni's best Jaco disc in my opinion is Heijira
all the WIndham Hill New Age bass players copy his chops from here

as for Pastorius fitting in with the Dan, no way, he is unfortunately deceased

could he have, yes on certain abstract longer flowing pieces.

Imagine Aja with his flowing fretless bass lines

double helix in the sky tonight...

and hey... and that gaslightgame is from the Hitchock movie, the got it's name from that her husband goes up to the addict and lowerer the gas so the light "sinks" and the man denies that it does.

My wife never saw it, and I used to gaslight her - where's my cigs dear?

- You have them, gavem to you two minutes ago.

- Strange, where the hell, I can't find them...

- But I gave them to you... look, they are there, at your feet.

- Where?

And then I used to end the torture whispering "gaslight" gaslight" in her ear.

Oh well, all this is only true if I am right and Edd Cote (I must admitt Edd, I'm not sure that Hitchcock made the movie) don't have a second opinion.

I'm starting babbling now so excuse me.

Hi

Edd - what was the question again?

Juddy Juddy - and GB stands for Great Britain? What are you standing for?

Lars - vad pratar ni om? Vad är det här med cookies hit och cookies dit? Inte dom gamla goa Maryland Cookies? Förresten, om du vill ha en kopia av GB-CD'n kan jag pröva att kopiera den. Let me know. Hur är vädret i Skåne? Jag pratade med en skivaffär häroppe, plattan kommer redan den 25! Har du beställt din? Hur?

Hi Frikinp'ertrikin! There you are!

Moray Eel - I love it. Almost so close to my innerpicture you can get. But in my backhead there was a kind of hi-jacking going on too. Don't ask me why.

Carl - I was looking for a 11 TOW songbook too, and asked the Giant company; there is no. I'd like to know the refrainchords on Hat To Flat.

RubyBaby; I did as you said and listened closely, "have you heard about the boom on mizar five..." change the tempo and rythm a little and sing: "the danger on the rocks is surely past". You were right! It works.

I'm gonna send you some more music soon. But not now, it would probably drown in the babble about those others... they are releasing something soon I've heard... what's their names again? I'll wait till everything calm down on that front.

If I ever come to your part of town, would you learn me how to drive a car?

Altamira/Ruby - yeah, Walter is a good bassplayer. The trick is to come up with a groove that don't "bother" the rest of the music, don't "be" where you shouldn't. Girls, go buy Joni Mitchells Charles Mingus-album. Jaco Pastorius changed the way of playing bass in rockmusic. But, I don't think he'd fit in in Steely music.

SUPER WILL - hi!

C

Boston's PBS station, WBGH, is listing the In The Spotlight special to be played at 9:00 PM, Friday, March 3.

No doubt as part of their regularly scheduled begathon.

Pucker up my distaff Danophiles. A vicarious February 14th wet one goes out to my GB favorites seen and unseen (and you know who you are). Unfortunately, I can't afford flowers, candy, and million dollar words for all.

I think the reason the intro to "Jack of Speed" works so well for me is the way the guitar bends its strings in perfect sync with the horns (likewise during the middle instrumental break). Or maybe it's some other trick that sounds like a perfect mesh of guitar & horns. Either way, it's unique and so pretty. And the end of the bridge is classic Dan songwriting a la the "Sign In Stranger" days.

aja: I love the saloon/Guestbook metaphor. Can I please be the old geezer who shoves open the double doors, shoots the ceiling, and hollers. "They found a new vein of Steely Dan songs!" ?

Charmer: We have discussed CD vs vinyl and I believe "warmer" was the adjective used by the vinylists. I , personally, am not hearing the warmth. "Warpder" would seem to be a more appropriate word. -- Maybe the reason those old 78's with Ella and Louis sound so warm is because those people were.

Can a duck pucker?,
RS

The "uninterupted stream" defense of analog seems to assume that this stream is an exact reproduction of the source, which it isn't.

You could have an uninterupted stream full of distortion.

Well, just think of the wonderful people you could trade info, (even performances!) with if you had a VS...

Since you've already spent your cash, I say "enjoy"...

In the City You Can Dance All Night Long

You know the streets of the city are littered with
Old flames grown stone cold
Ask any em-ploy-ee of the city
They’ll say the city is about to explode

In the city you can dance all night long
Cut your teeth on some euro songs
In the city you can dance all night long
Twist your ankle, call in sick and do it some more

You know this city doesn’t sleep like you and me
It’s a slouching, deli beast
You know this city could stand a few more z’s
But it’s time to take a shower
I’ll meet you in an hour

In the city you can dance all night long
Cut your teeth on some euro songs
In the city you can dance all night long
Twist your ankle, call in sick and do it some more

Edd: Oh tempered ruler of wisdom. Tell me why I shouldn't have bought a Fostex FD-8 digital multi-tracker with 4.37 gig hard drive. Surely I should feel some buyer's remorse. But the damn thing sounds GREAT!

JW Malibu, Hutch, YGK, Clas, etc. Your comments are welcomed too, of course. I feel too darned good. Surely there must be a compelling reason for me to take it back.

BTW, just listened to all the MP3 clips and there's definitely a Kamakiriad bias with a slight Aja azimuth. Definitely worth pre-ordering if not channeling.

Happy VD,

SEMB

Things I Think...

- Thanks to Mock Turtle and Big Fan for the link! Maybe I'll have better luck with this thn i had with the PBS and VH1 tapings...

- I have about seven more postcards to give away, so E-Mail me if you still want one...

- Here's a topic to waste some valuable computer time on until the 29th...

It started with an audiophile friend of mine, who sent me a CD he burned. He recorded AJA off the original half-speed master on vinyl. He seems to have an elaborate audio set-up. He recorded it with a 24-bit recorder. he asked me if i would compare it to my best CD and tell me what i thought.

I grabbed my citizen box set and compared the two track-by-track. Wow. I heard things i never heard before, and i have a decent system. Clearer highs; deeper bass. Cymbal crashes i've never heard before. Amazing.

So that led me to pull out my old vinyl, dust off the turntable, and start REALLY listening. The difference is astounding. After a little research, I understood the real difference between analog vs. digital. Digital 'samples' the music as little 'snapshots in time'. The bit-rate is the amount of information in each 'snapshot', and the sample rate is the frequncy those snapshots are taken. Most CD's are recorded at 16-bit, with some up to 20-bit. A few imports and audiophile CD's can be found at 24-bit. Analog, on the other hand, is recorded at a steady, uninterrupted stream, and, therefore, is a truer representation of the recording.

Is that oversimplified?

So, the only real advantage to compact discs would be the lack of tape hiss, and the lack of pops, clicks, and crackles, correct?

I'm interested if there are still those of you who are totally committed to their vinyl. Is the difference in sound quality an issue? Does the durability and convienience of the CD make up for it? Am I living in the past?

On the horizon will be a couple of new formats in audio. The SuperAudio CD, which has a higher sampling rate and bit-rate; and of course DVD Audio. Time to start replacing those 8-Tracks.

This topic has probably been covered, but not since I've been reading the GB, so indulge me.

Analog vs. Digital.
Vinyl vs. Compact Disc.

Discuss.

-The Charmer
listening to Katy Lied on vinyl(*pop pop click crackle crackle*)

Okay so you may stop in to Saint Al's from out in the hills due to boredom?

I'll just pass by, pick up a nice cold one, sit on the outside stoop, try not to look conspicuous to those looking to pick a fight and then walk off into a cool crisp night where the Milky Way glows in colors rarified in intensity

happy trails to you

the drifting wormian wrangler

who needs the hardware where we are going

Link:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/subst/promotions/steely-dan/steely-dan-main.html/002-3816177-7296228

Sorry Q and D in Fla Room your entries can't be done electronically - you must send them in snail mail - must be afraid some Fla State football players will try and rig the contest or get the tickets for free.

Travis Morrison should be at work right now, drinking bad coffee and building Web sites for the Consumer Electronics Association. But
he's not--he wasn't there at 2 p.m., and almost an hour later, there still isn't any sign of him. A few phone calls and a few more hours later, it
doesn't seem as though he's going to be there anytime soon, or even as if the singer-guitarist for The Dismemberment Plan has ever been
at the phone he's not picking up. After all, it's someone else's name and voice on the outgoing message. Morrison might be at the end of a
phone somewhere in Washington, D.C., but it's definitely not this one.

Maybe that's why Morrison has never had to worry much about publicity, because he and his bandmates--guitarist Jason Caddell, bassist
Eric Axelson, and drummer Joe Easley--haven't ever gone out of their way to publicize themselves. They'd rather just work on the music
instead. Though The Dismemberment Plan has recorded a trio of eclectic, electric albums (1995's !, 1997's The Dismemberment Plan is
Terrified, and last year's brilliant Emergency & I, all on DeSoto Records), the group has never been paid much attention--that, or it has
been overshadowed by better-known peers in its hometown, or dismissed as simply too strange, too ambitious. And while Morrison sees
that point, he'd rather worry about the people who do understand the Plan.

"There's a fantastic quote from Steely Dan's Walter Becker about their early recording efforts, and how frustrating they were," Morrison
says. "The way he put it was that, 'We would just go in, and we wouldn't be able to play it, but we'd play it over and over again, hoping
that it would miraculously come out right once.'" He laughs. "Young musicians definitely tend to do that a lot. I think the main thing the
money afforded us the opportunity to do was really go after it, see how tight and well-crafted and sculpted we could make it.

But more than anything else, Morrison just wants to make a record like his heroes--who, in this case, aren't exactly what you'd expect.

"I love Steely Dan," Morrison says, not at all sheepishly. "I think they're one of the best bands ever, in terms of a catalog that I can dig
through and just find classic song after classic song. It's really interesting. If you wanted to appreciate 'Peg,' you could appreciate it as
disco fun. You could appreciate 'Peg' as a really creepy story of a guy being obsessed with a teenage model. You could appreciate it from
the level of being harmonically ambitious. They worked on so many levels, and I just love that.

"I love it when bands are in the public eye, and they're popular, and, if you want to, you can appreciate them on a really freaky and
complex level--if you want to," Morrison says. "But you can also, like, turn them on and be like, 'Peg, it will come back to you...'" He
laughs. "You can't ask for anything more than that, because so many bands only work on one level or another."

The Dismemberment Plan doesn't have to worry about that.

Check out the "Steely Dan Store" on Amazon, replete with stuff you already know, and a *contest*.

You alll need to go out and buy the Fu Manchu "King Of The Road" when it comes out February 15th 2000. This band is soo awsome and you all need to get the cd when it comes out.

greetings all dan fans. all the way from denmark, i was just
listening to the concert "alive in america" and found THE page.
thank's to don & walt for being such a big part of my music picture, i hope for a concert in eroupe some day.

love from "Den rytmiske hojskole" in denmark

hey ? and other teenagers - I don´t mind hot discussions but I find it strange to reed that childish language and "arguments" on a site dedicated to dan. The worst thing is that it´s probably some well-known poster behind those stupid names. Anbody remember that R.O.C.K.?
Judge (or whoever you are) - no, I am pretty sure that you cant deduce anything from what I wrote. One that cant spell to deduce probably can´t do it in practice either.

R.I.P. Charles M. Schulz

KD: I have always liked the instrumental "Water Song" on Hot Tuna's Burgers LP...

YGK- Get some rest.

Hey "hey, question": if it's my time to go then so be it, and wherever I go will be Dan-friendly for all time, if it's not already....

I think it's especially good this time of year with all the "winter-bird migration traffic"....

ygk

How enjoyable will you find "Two Against Nature" when your heart stops operating due to all that great New York chiba you endorse so robustly?

Well, it happened. Despite fierce resistance over the past few weeks I finally heard a new Dan tune on BBC Radio 2 last night. My attention was initially aroused when our passive host, "Whispering" Bob Harris, mentioned the words "Steely Dan" and "comming next" in alarming proximity to one another. Fully expecting to hear the familiar opening bars of Do It Again or Ricki, I was thus taken aback to find myself listening to JR from 2vn. My initial impression is very favourable although as usual with Dan songs you need a few listens to really let the melody work its way out, although the words were right on the money for me straight away. Are Donald's vocals sounding a bit weak or am I searching for inevitable signs of decline where there are none?

she's sleepoing..I hope

anyway, has anyone gotten their Lexicon CD yet>?

I'm gettin back to Natalie in a second, jst be glad I still know how to spell...

anyways, I wanted to know what you people (I passed on saying 'guys') think of Hot Tuna.

Great hippie band with good guitar tone, but whatta you guys tink?

time to de-lurk...

A) Thanks to all the regulars...bought this adding machine last year, and instantly discovered dandom. SIS (and a.f.sd) helped me fill in all the gaps.

B) Thanks to Diane in particular for the on-the-spot reports from NY. i live through you.

C) i work in a branch of this bidness we call show. i got ahold of a few of those nifty postcards promoting 2VN. Front-cover art...Back-a pic of our heros with "the first studio album in 20 years...featuring all new songs...in stores february 29"

D) who wants one?

E-Mail me. The first twenty with mailing addresses get one. (i will promptly erase your mailing addresses, shred them, and use some sort of brain-probe to erase it from my memory). i will send it in a envelope, so as not to damage the goods.

yea, i'm just another newbie, wanting to give back to the group. it ain't much, but, hey, it's something...

-The Charmer
listening to Macy Gray

p.s. to diane: i've saved one just for you. we've spoken before when i was someone else...

YGK, I dig your friend already !

email me sometime...............

Q

Just wanted to comment on 2vN.
I shared the album with a good musician and worldly friend tonight, and he absolutely had a cow about a few tunes:

Firstly, Edd - he picked up right away that WASAM is ....
"Tomorrows Girls only better", to which I replied, "it's Tomorrows girls only Becker....."

He almost ruined his new car about......Gaslighting ABbie,a nd we began analyzing changes from midpoint on, which resulted in us "going crazy" figuring out the descending bass parts for the solos.....we're definitely Gaslit, but, then again, we're also lit.....

He crooned about the Stravinsky qualtities and major/minor changes in the piano part on 2vN, noting the angularity and the Beethoven-esque depth of the work.....his ears opened mine severely....
the horns parts echo Miles Davis' scattered horn lines, so you end up with a mix of post-modernity with Miles and Stravinsky and.....Becker and Fagen....wow.....it's too deep for me right now, but I'll try to expand later....

the chiba's great in NY tonight, and the album only gets better....even after the 50th listen....or so...

ygk

Chuck Berry could not be reached for comment.

People are getting bent out of shape about Cousin Dupree's content? Good god, don't let them listen to Janie Runaway -- at least with CD, the woman tells the man off and nothing happens. With JR, the sugar daddy already has a relationship going, and is considering a violation of the Mann Act...

I plan to be at SD chat at 10:40 Chicago Time tonight (that would be 11:40 Pm NYC, 9:40 Denver time and 8:40 St Al time. Figure out the rest. See you in a few.

hoops

Well, let the controversy begin....today I heard one DJ reporting that folks were calling in to complain about the content of Cousin Dupree. He told everyone to get a life - "Hey folks, this is Steely Dan, you know"....

Glad everyone had fun with the "saloon". If we ever make it to Vegas, we definitely need to hit a western-themed bar!

Stranger-I have my moments!

ruby baby-we're the ones having the most fun at the bar, no matter what we're doing!

Midnite Cruiser-between the two of us we'll have everything covered for those that can't be glued to their TV's that night.

On lyrics vs. music: with just about every group I like it's really the lyrics I'm into, but with SD it's the music. The song that grabs me like no other is "Aja", and that has hardly any lyrics at all. The music of "Aja" is so expressive and captivates you for almost eight minutes, yet it can't be pinned down what the song is really about (which I think is its core beauty). The intro to "Don't Take Me Alive" is incredibly powerful-it conveys (to me) desperation, a psyche on the edge, all before the first verse is sung.

The song I think Donald sings especially masterfully is "King of the World". The lyrics on paper look like they're about the apocalypse, but what I hear conveyed in the song (through Donald's voice/interpretation) is more a devastation of the soul, as in someone facing the daunting task of putting their life together after a devastating loss. When he sings "I'm alive and doing fine" rhymed with "share my poison wine" I hear someone ironically reflecting that they've survived their loss physically intact but are facing a bleak period of rebuilding. The line "might as well die" (with "die" amplified and distorted) then having the vocals go back to the normal tone of the song with "When you come around, no more pain and no regret" sounds like he's hitting the nadir of despair, then picking himself back up and getting on with his painstaking recovery. All IMHO, of course.

Does anyone with the ear of the band know if 2vN is a one-time thing, or are there plans to crank out more?

aja

Miz ducky: Did you get the e mails I sent you @ drizzle address?I was checking to make sure.
Special hello's to Miz Ducky, JW MAlibu, Mu, SoulMonkey,Lewis, and anyone I may have forgotten.
Funny thing happened in the car yesterday. There I am stuck in the nasty 5pm South Florida traffic and I hear CDupree on the radio. On the classic rock station. I was glad, but then the DJ comes on and starts raving about how special and great it is that this is the first album in 20 years etc, but nothing about the shows, or other great songs (like Gaslighting Abby, loving that tune!) but going on and on and on about what a huge Dan fan he is. So I called him and after about 1,000 rings, I "proceeded to enlighten him" about the shows and other wonderful Dan happenings here in the near future and that he should (being in the position of broadcasting to all Dan Fans who were listening)make it known. And he should consult this website since he is such a huge fan. How's that for putting someone on the spot? well, he did come back on to say about 10 minutes later about the other New Dan Facts, and my younger sister calls me after work to tell me, (knowing I am a huge fan) she heard all this Dan stuff on the radio that is coming up. Makes me proud to be a Dan Fan. And glad I was able to pass info onto him to pass on to the masses. Hope everyone is allowing for a moment of "Danness" and calm in their lives. Much love to all. - Chere

Now Hear This:
According to Inside Sources, there's a very special get-together for Charlie Parker's widow, Doris Parker, at Birdland, The Jazz Corner Of The World, on Feb. 20th, from 5PM on into the night..
No cardboard cutouts of Bird standing in the horn section here..
Info can be had from Tamm E Hunt, jazz@harlemjazz.org, or call
212-332-0992..
That Is All.

Boy, you go a way from the old GB for a week or so and look what you miss !

JK - DO NOT LET THE BASTARDS and HOLES GET YOU DOWN

As someone who can honestly claim title to having been called an "asshole" more than anyone else on the board (okay maybe Clas and Lars do beat me on that one)- and as someone who has met you I can only say - who cares..................these episodes are brief and moronic and you are too well known as a standup guy and a true Dan afficianado to worry about the sorry mutterings of an anonymous cowardly poster like H.Hole - but then you didn't need me to tell you that.

Anyway I realized that the only reason that I ever got down in the mud with the bastards was I felt a great sense of tension because I felt misunderstood and alienated(my own psychological problem of course) yet wanted to share my Dan passion but couldn't seem to connect.
One of the best things about going to the PBS shows was meeting so many GBers and I think we all realized we're just regular folks who simply love the Dan. I know all of the tension I felt just melted away.

So just remember - people do know you - and don't know or care about HOLE - and anyway the best revenge is that you were at the PBS shows front and center, and HOLE certainly wasn't!!!!!!!!!!!

Still groovin to TAN.

personal ranking in what I find myself listening to most is:

TAN

GAS

JAK

SHM

JAN

CUZ

GTH

NEG

WST - rarely

Q

PS I emailed Andy Metzger about the Kama hook in "Shame" about a month ago ! I actually detect Tomorrows Girls chops in there too, I think..........

It is odd to me in all the setlists that were posted, that no one even mentioned "sign in stranger"
come now folks it kicks a**
Ya got to love that piano and jazzy groove.

Have you heard about the boom on mizar 5?

kevin

...don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way out.

I hate all of you. You all are stuck up mother fuckers.

From Walter's thank yous in the Kamakiriad liner notes:

The producer wishes to thank Elinor, Kawai and Sayan for
their patience and support. Likewise Wolf Chuckie,
Wolf Nancy, Mr. Bonhommie, *Spider King Demon*, Donald,
Bambi, Fluffy, Legba, Baron Samedi. Mahalo to Lisa,
gracias to Bobbi. Hubba-hubba to Helen, George and
the whole crew over at *Steamer Heaven*.

Any of those references sound familiar? (If you don't get it take a listen to "Two Against Nature" and "What a Shame About Me")

Edd, Midnight Cruiser, Altamira, Hutch, DrMu, and JWMalibu:
As a lyrics guy from way back, I was really surprised to see so much support for the music. It’s usually the lyrics that hook me, contrary to the stereotype – and if the music cooks, I consider it a bonus. That’s just me. A lot of my job involves writing, so that probably skews my approach.

Also, I’ve often been guilty of looking for “the secret of life” kind of stuff in songs – maybe it’s because I never had a big brother to clue me in. D&W always seemed to know something I didn’t. And like good big brothers, they weren’t about to tell me outright. I had to work for it – figure it out myself.

Altamira, I learned a lot from your post … thanks. Now I’m going to have to take my own advice and invest in a better pair of headphones so I can begin to appreciate the other non-verbal side of SD a bit more.

Has anyone received their CD from the Lexicon/Steely Dan giveaway yet? I’ve waiting for the taste they said they’d bring to me.

What's with the songchoices on the poll. It's obvious that these are the faves of ole St. Al. Not to say that these are great ones, but open it up man.

Hutch: Yes, he slows down then catches up with the groove like a swell.

So true (Edd, Aja, H) on Donald's instrument vocale. Doesn't he sound like a freakin' trombone this time around? The way his voice is doubled this time in harmony is incredible. In fact, some are noticing the doubling for the first time on this album. But Katz found that this worked well early on because Donald Fagen could hit the notes square on (Do it Again, Kings, Only A Fool Would Say That, Change of the Guard, one line each verse on Turn That Heartbeat Over Again) - this doesn't work well if you have the plastic ear of Gary Lewis.

altamira: I love the way DF sings his Rs and the word Honey. Well, I love the way he sings it all.

My daughter likes his singing, too. I caught her smiling while I had SD on so she admitted it. And she loves Janie Runnaway. It helped her get through some grueling study time.

bye for real now
rb

Another one of the Dan fovories shows up in tvN: wind chimes!!! What A Shame About Me is now added to Do It Again, Dr. Wu, Gaucho...love it. Any others? anyone??? anyone??? ...when those chimes roam across the speakers while the Carlton/Zingg-like guitar threatens, I'm home at last.

Depending on the album, I generally pay more attention to the music the first few rounds. Only if I hear an imaginative or funny line or a Quayle/McCartney type banality do I snap out of the trance. The melodies, harmonies, math, the tone, style, and accomplishment of the instruments catch my ear...getting a feel for the ensemble and/or the individual performers holds most of my limited attention early. Then I go back and assemble the poetry into the mix. Alternatively, I'll read the lytic sheet before listening to the album. That way the artist's interpretation of the word is integrated into the emerging portrait.

Is that seat taken, pilgrim?

It's totally tubular, Hutch...couldn't agree more!

aja: does this mean we're saloon girls? Do we sit on card players' laps? Is there a Miss Kitty? Hey, great job on the can-can.

Was in local SBI shop this afternoon getting b-day gift for #2 son. What was already playing when I got there but Babylon Sisters! Next up was Bodhisattva, then Hey19, then Do It Again, then Peg. I had my 17yr old with me, who began damage control right away.
kid: "There is no dancing in SBI." "There is NO singing in SBI."
I swear I hadn't made a sound or moved a foot...
me: "There is no fun in SBI"
kid: "Right. No fun. Promise."

Being still for Bodhisattva was hardest of all. I don't wanna behave!

rb

Edd, Midnight C. and Altamira - Your three posts put it about as well as it can be put. I'm with you. Donald's voice is part of the music... it kind of wraps around the music and becomes another instrument in the arrangement. And he uses it to throw in little musical "jokes", if you will, like the way the vocal line goes (almost in falsetto) quickly up then down on the line "Riding the crest of a wave breaking just west of Hollywood". Makes you feel like you're going over that wave!

JK! Please don't leave.

Please

StAl

Midnite Cruiser - Well, that was a sweeping generalization, but I'm frequently guilty of the same sort of thing myself.

I had never paid much attention to lyrics before I became involved in the GB. This might be due to my interest in classical music, which is still what I primarily listen to when I'm not listening to the Dan (I'm listening to the local classical radio station right now). Classical music is mostly instrumental, but my favorite type of classical music is choral, and I especially like church music, which I have performed as well as listen to, so it's probably the type of music I have the deepest understanding of. In sacred choral music, unlike secular choral music and secular vocal music in general, the words tend to be standard texts that are used over and over again by different composers. The words are important, and good composers use the music to heighten the meaning of the texts, but the words aren't explored and scrutinized by people because they are familiar and there's nothing new to be found there. What is most important is the sound of the words, one reason why I so dislike the singing of texts in translation.

So when I listen to SD songs, I tend to concentrate on how Donald handles his consonants and vowels. I do pay some attention to how he brings out the meaning of certain lines of text, but I pay more attention to his interpretation than I do to the words themselves, if that makes any sense. I primarily like the sound of the music, and Donald's marvelous singing is a big part of that - he uses his voice as an instrument, as does any good singer, but I think he pays more attention to the sound of the sung text than do most popular singers, judging from the others that I have heard.

Edd: gotcha on the "What a Shame about Springtime", it may be one of Donald's private hooks, or a way to come off a phrase - I wouldn't be surprised if he used some similar notes or phrasing....

jeez peace ev ri won

ygk

aja: I liked your metaphor...nice work.

Here's a question for the movie fans here -- I have a general idea of the plot of Gaslight, but haven't seen the movie. Is solitaire part of that film, or did DF/WB just throw in a little something from Manchurian Candidate? Seems to me that in the Mojo interview from several years ago, they tossed around some lines from the latter film.

aja....will do on the PBS tapings....I've yet to confirm an air date for the show but as soon as I do I'll let you know for sure and will have two 1st generation hi-fi copies of it.

Edd....I couldn't agree more with your comments about lyrics. I think the human voice is the most expressive instrument of all and I love the tone and timbre of Donald's voice so I see it as the lead instrument of Steely Dan. The harmonies the girls work out could be looked at as a vocal version of a horn arrangement. I've said this before and I'll say it again. I feel like generally speaking, women are more attuned to lyrics and men to music. I know there are exceptions to this and varying degrees but it's been my experience that they guys are listening to the whole song and the nuances in the music while the girls seem to know all the words to the songs. I know there's a bit of stereotyping there but those have been my observations over the years.

oh well, back to work....two more 12 hour shifts for Saturday and Sunday. It was 66 degrees here today and they're calling for snow and freezing rain tomorrow....go figure.

re: missing a ton

That's my point. I'm not missing anything, because the story behind the lyrics isn't (usually) there for me. I'm not looking for a story. Lyrics somehow anchor a song in a particular time and place. Now the song is *about* something, which limits its usefullness to me. I don't want that. I can only listen to a short story about a drug dealer a couple times, but I can listen to the sounds that make up "Kid Charlemagne" over and over.

To me, vocals are just another instrument. Sounds woven in and out just like the bass or keyboards.

By telling me I'm missing something, you imply my enjoyment could be increased if I accept the music on YOUR terms. This does not mean your take is wrong, for there is no wrong or right.

Jeez... all this high-brow discussion... I'd kinda like to know if I'm a cowboy poet... I've been wondering who is going to be the first to report hearing (or being in) a cover-band playing a song off the new one... If I was in a band at the moment I believe I'd have to choose GA because it's soooo funky... maybe Cuz... I can barely wait to hear GA with a live drummer that has some room to show off!!!

Lyrics are something I've never been able to figure out. Cousin Dupree and Sign In Stranger were pretty easy to figure out. But Jack Of Speed I would have never figured out w/out the help of the great site Feaver Dreams.

Aja,
I didn't realize you were so metaphorical. You have raised the level of discussion. At least I think this was a discussion.

That's me fleeing the bar. God damn (sorry, ruby) people, I can self analyze with the best, but this obsessive navel gazing has me headed for the hills, or at least looking for a watering hole where the locals appreciate the action on the screen and don't babble on and on about why they are or aren't sitting on a particular stool

that sounded arrogant. i guess some people don't feel like new people are worth learning from. i am always interested in what everyone has to say on the guest board. it see it as an enlightning experience. even though i don't always have the time to write back with my imput. new or not, i have met a lot of really cool people, who have a lot of interesting things to say. i guess some people (n.p.) are probably just jealous because they just heard of the dan 2 years ago on their canned jazz station between the barry manalow and atlatic star. and if you don't like it you should start your own little G.B. with your own little old fan people. but, as far as shut your hole, i say that to my best friend, and my hole usually is shut. i only respond when people on the board are doggin with no right. other than that i am just an observer, listening to people talk about the dan and agreeing with most of the dan related subjects. so keep on chuggin new or not.

amy

that sounded arrogant. i guess some people don't feel like new people are worth learning from. i am always interested in what everyone has to say on the guest board. it see it as an enlightning experience. even though i don't always have the time to write back with my imput. new or not, i have met a lot of really cool people, who have a lot of interesting things to say. i guess some people (n.p.) are probably just jealous because they just heard of the dan 2 years ago on their canned jazz station between the barry manalow and atlatic star. and if you don't like it you should start your own little G.B. with your own little old fan people. but, as far as shut your hole, i say that to my best friend, and my hole usually is shut. i only respond when people on the board are doggin with no right. other than that i am just an observer, listening to people talk about the dan and agreeing with most of the dan related subjects. so keep on chuggin new or not.

amy

I'm off this GB! what a cesspool.

edd - i never told you how to listen to steely - i just told you that you are are missing a ton if you aren't digging the lyrics. I f i were that kind of guy - i'd tell you that you are spelling your name wrong. Give hole 5 min. - i'm sure he'll she'll let you know

jk

Aja: Bravo! Over on alt.music.steely-dan, I occasionally pose as the Self-Appointed Bartendress and Supplier of Relaxicants to the Steely Dan Hall of Fame and [Caribbean] Timeshare, known as the SDHOF/TS for short. (Long story; guess you had to be there.) Anyway--hail to thee, fellow saloon-keeper! I shall be the Auntie Mame-ish zaftig broad at the bar, the one smoking a seegar and drinking the boys under the table.

/the Mam'zelle
awaiting the can-can music

n.p.- you just don't get it do you

the sister has spoken
amy
(it's fun to be 24)

If this has been mentioned before, please excuse. I suspect the concept of Gaslighting has it's origin in the old movie, "Gaslight" with Ingrid Bergman and Joseph Cotton. It is a melodrama about a husband who uses perceptual tricks to convince his young wife she is going crazy. The movie is complete with a gaslight in a prominent role. FYI

I'm the kid in the corner of the saloon offering someone $10 to buy underaged me a $3.50 whiskey and ginger ale. Fark.

Ruby Baby - There are a lot of pictures from the Aja musicians' reunion on Chuck Rainey's web site, www.chuckrainey.com, but unfortunately it's not operational at the moment.

Super Will and Daddy G - Welcome, it's good to have you both here.

Roy Scam - That lower-priced hotel you mentioned in Richmond sounds great. I'll go ahead and make reservations.

On behalf of Clas, YGK, Mr. Chow & myself: don't shoot us ~ we're just the piana playas'!

Sociable Hermit-I was just caricaturizing (sp? an actual word?) and I realize I missed out on a whole bunch: the funny
comedian(enne) who comes in and cracks up the bar, the respectable husband/wife of the constable, the affable Butch Cassidy type, but hey, that's what happens when you try to look like you're working when you're not. Be anyone or everyone, St. Al is always pouring.

Geena-you're right, and as St. Al said, this medium has its limitations as far as what is communicated, and so many ways to interpret or misinterpret.

Tenderfoot Daddy G-go ahead, kiss my butt. I occasionally get into floozie mode!

Now if you'll excuse me, it's finally Friday and I'm about to climb onto the bar and do can-can high kicks.

aja

should read, "I am rarely here on the weekends." And "am I a loner."

That shuld cler thinks op.

Later,

Her

Well.

I dropped in to say hi, and I find this. Speaking from experience, cabin fever can rear it's head in the ugliest of ways.

aja: I'm having a little trouble classifying myself. Am I a regular at the bar, (I've been a poster for over a year and a half), am I a cowboy-poet, (although I rarely here on the weekends), or, am I am loner, (caveman status suggests this, yet I can't remember starting any fights. Now, I've joined my fair share, but I usually wait for the first punch to be thrown)? Whatever the case, can I have a beer and a shot while I wait for my table?

Later,

Herm

aja: That's precisely my point, NB broke his own rules which I thought was funny, his whole post was hilarious and while not defending him, I think he meant for it to be. This type of dictating what can and can't be said here is not new to the GB or anywhere else on the internet. I believe he wanted to see how many people he could piss off. If you feed them, they won't leave. This stuff happens here all the time, and I've had my fair share of flamers here. It's still ok to strike back sometimes.

Mitch: So good to hear from you again, I found an amazing Lebanese restaurant in my area, the woman who it is an amazing cook. I play up to her real well and she always throws in a few free falafels in my order. I made some roasted eggplant, wanna come over?