What can I say? I’ve never liked Steely Dan. I’ve always found their faux-jazz, watered down rock and roll to be a bit of a bore. Like a friend of mine would say; They are jazz music for folks who don’t really like jazz.
Sure, there have been a few great tracks. But outside of “Can’t Buy A Thrill” (1972), “Pretzel Logic” (1974), and “Katy Lied” (1975) – I defy anyone to listen to a Steely Dan CD from start to finish – and then still be awake when the final track ends. You get extra points if you can make it through any of their solo “work.”
But to slag Steely Dan’s music is not what brought me here today. I’m here to slag Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. You see – I always thought the majority of their lyrics were off the mark – and when they gave interviews, I always found them to be a little too high brow and too condescending. I used to just blow it off to them just being aloof – or to the fact that they were just too holier than thou for their own good. (Edit: After many e-mails; I've been informed that their interviews carry more humor than I noticed - hence - the beginning of this saga).
It wasn’t till I was reading MOJO 176 (July 2008) that I truly understood why I never really cared for these guys. Basically, they’re jerks. Yep – it’s right there in black and white (on page 149). From the article:
Walter Becker, who claims to have seen record shops filled with all kinds of releases purporting to be Danware, lists his combative plan on his website. He says he intends to buy all overstocks of an album by The Singing Mongoose, a children’s record of speeded up voices. “We’ll slap a sticker on the front that says ‘Steely Dan – The Furry Years’ and promote the hell out of them through the website. Of course, neither Donald or I are on the record – but who’s gonna know for sure? … it’ll be a rip-off, but at least it will be OUR rip-off for a change.”
There you go folks – a master plan by Steely Dan to rip off their own fans. (Edit: Again, I'll chalk this up to the fact that I just don't "get" their sense of humor.) I guess when you’re artistic peak was over thirty years ago, you gotta do something to bring in the cash.
Oh, and by the way, I checked out the Singing Mongooses – their music beats Steely Dan hands down. Check ‘em out!
http://www.nahenahe.net/mongoose/
4 comments:
is this a joke dude? "the furry years" is not a real thing, walter was joking.
Chris;
I know that “The Furry Years” line was the ‘joke’ – but it was the quote:
“it’ll be a rip-off, but at least it will be OUR rip-off for a change.”
That’s what got me going.
And, for me, I truly believed him.
Peace,
Scott
Steely Dan is cooler than the other side of the pillow.
A non-musician college professor friend of mine also calls SD "faux-jazz." Since he listens to hours of Pandora-served "meandering saxophone music," he's convinced he knows jazz when he hears it. Of course, I'm convinced that he, like you, wouldn't know musical talent or originality if it bit him in the ass. Getting SD's lyrics takes some effort, since they riff words like their chord changes (which are, by the way, a bitch). In person, they don't take themselves any more seriously than they would you and your opinions. Gotta love that.
Remember, the definition of hip is "I don't give a fuck what you think." Fagen and Becker own hip.
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