Best album ever. Aja or Gaucho?
Discussion
cherryowen said:
paulguitar said:
I had a tenant who used to say Steely Dan was 'supermarket music'.
He's not my tenant anymore.
Good man!He's not my tenant anymore.
Supermarket music indeed
Fagen and Becker's songcraft was astonishing, and I very much rate Becker as a guitarist. I can just about (if I'm concentrating) play along to "Peg", but as to what is going on in terms of musical theory I'm lost.
was directed at Paul's tenant for considering SD as 'supermarket music'. My emboldened statement above should be considered nothing more than a compliment to Fagen and Becker's depth of ability!cherryowen said:
For clarity, my was directed at Paul's tenant for considering SD as 'supermarket music'. My emboldened statement above should be considered nothing more than a compliment to Fagen and Becker's depth of ability!
was directed at Paul's tenant for considering SD as 'supermarket music'. My emboldened statement above should be considered nothing more than a compliment to Fagen and Becker's depth of ability!
I think this will be appreciated here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXH7cqrTbmM&li...
paulguitar said:
cherryowen said:
For clarity, my was directed at Paul's tenant for considering SD as 'supermarket music'. My emboldened statement above should be considered nothing more than a compliment to Fagen and Becker's depth of ability!
was directed at Paul's tenant for considering SD as 'supermarket music'. My emboldened statement above should be considered nothing more than a compliment to Fagen and Becker's depth of ability!I think this will be appreciated here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXH7cqrTbmM&li...
Any analysis by Rick is always bang on.
It's fair to say he's a musical polymath, and most of his theory lessons make my brain hurt
cherryowen said:
paulguitar said:
cherryowen said:
For clarity, my was directed at Paul's tenant for considering SD as 'supermarket music'. My emboldened statement above should be considered nothing more than a compliment to Fagen and Becker's depth of ability!
was directed at Paul's tenant for considering SD as 'supermarket music'. My emboldened statement above should be considered nothing more than a compliment to Fagen and Becker's depth of ability!I think this will be appreciated here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXH7cqrTbmM&li...
Any analysis by Rick is always bang on.
It's fair to say he's a musical polymath, and most of his theory lessons make my brain hurt
https://youtu.be/BXH7cqrTbmM
GetCarter said:
andy_s said:
GetCarter said:
...you should be listening to decent music then 
O/T Just sold all my Linn gear. Actually, gave it all away.
O/T Just sold all my Linn gear. Actually, gave it all away.
What did you replace it with out of curiosity?
I should add, I'm in a slightly different situation as I have a recording studio, so need reference monitors (rather than living room speakers). For 'background music' elsewhere in the house I have a Brennan B2 (lossless) and Monitor Audio speakers.
Edited by GetCarter on Saturday 10th August 12:23
TT1138 said:
Critical opinion always seemed to be Aja, but Gaucho has always been my favourite ‘Dan album so I’m going to put forward a solid case for it!
With the exception of Third World Man every track on it is basically perfect, musically and lyrically.
Babylon Sisters has the legendary ‘Purdie shuffle’, Time out of Mind has the best ‘Dan lyrics of all time (‘tonight when I chase the dragon’) and Hey Nineteen is a song about an older man trying to seduce a teenager using drugs and alcohol set to a track that is so smooth and innocuous it’s played in supermarkets!
I’ve always felt it’s their darkest, most cynical and sarcastic album, and as a result, their finest.
I love the lyrics to My Rival...With the exception of Third World Man every track on it is basically perfect, musically and lyrically.
Babylon Sisters has the legendary ‘Purdie shuffle’, Time out of Mind has the best ‘Dan lyrics of all time (‘tonight when I chase the dragon’) and Hey Nineteen is a song about an older man trying to seduce a teenager using drugs and alcohol set to a track that is so smooth and innocuous it’s played in supermarkets!
I’ve always felt it’s their darkest, most cynical and sarcastic album, and as a result, their finest.
The wind was driving in my face
The smell of prickly pear
[My rival - show me my rival]
The milk truck eased into my space
Somebody screamed somewhere
I struck a match against the door
Of Anthony's Bar and Grill
I was the whining stranger
A fool in love
With time to kill
I've got detectives on his case
They filmed the whole charade
[My rival - show me my rival]
He's got a scar across his face
He wears a hearing aid
Sure he's a jolly roger
Until he answers for his crime
Yes I'll match him whim for whim now
I still recall when I first held
Your tiny hand in mine
[My rival - show me my rival]
I loved you more than I can tell
But now it's stomping time
Sure he's a jolly roger
Until he answers for his crime
Yes I'll match him whim for whim now
I always felt that Steely Dan's biggest gift to the world was providing a backing band for Larry Carlton to play the outro solo over "Kid Charlemagne" and of course, letting Chuck Rainey and Anthony Jackson lay down some outrageously grooves on the bass.
It was very kind of Fagan and Becker to allow Larry to use the intro chords of "Peg" as part of his song "Room 335", shifted into a different key mind you, I feel like Larry took that grain of inspiration and just elevated it into something far above and beyond "Peg". The album version is supreme but perhaps the best version is a live version with Lee Ritenour who surely needs no introduction, also on guitar and Melvin Lee Davis on bass. Melvin would later become the live bassist and musical director for Chaka Khan.
It was very kind of Fagan and Becker to allow Larry to use the intro chords of "Peg" as part of his song "Room 335", shifted into a different key mind you, I feel like Larry took that grain of inspiration and just elevated it into something far above and beyond "Peg". The album version is supreme but perhaps the best version is a live version with Lee Ritenour who surely needs no introduction, also on guitar and Melvin Lee Davis on bass. Melvin would later become the live bassist and musical director for Chaka Khan.
cherryowen said:
paulguitar said:
cherryowen said:
For clarity, my was directed at Paul's tenant for considering SD as 'supermarket music'. My emboldened statement above should be considered nothing more than a compliment to Fagen and Becker's depth of ability!
was directed at Paul's tenant for considering SD as 'supermarket music'. My emboldened statement above should be considered nothing more than a compliment to Fagen and Becker's depth of ability!I think this will be appreciated here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXH7cqrTbmM&li...
Any analysis by Rick is always bang on.
It's fair to say he's a musical polymath, and most of his theory lessons make my brain hurt
Have subscribed...paulguitar said:
I was in my first year of college studying music in 1977 when Aja came out, and in those days we had grants from H.M. Gov (I know), so I spoke to all my fellow students and said 'If I get a f
k off stereo which you can come and listen to any time you like, will you feed me for the entire term?'I got about a dozen that said yes - so I blew the entire terms grant on a stereo with stupidly big Wharfedale speakers, and of course Aja, and Weather Report's 'Heavy Weather' were the first two records bought. I had zero money.... but I ate very well all term
(Many of those that said 'yes' were female, so there were added bonuses).
Happy daze.
Edited by GetCarter on Monday 12th August 18:42
GetCarter said:
stupidly big Wharfedale speakers, and of course Aja, and Weather Report's 'Heavy Weather' were the first two records bought.]
I had much the same musical journey - with some Zappa, Brand X, Return To Forever and Andreas Vollenweider sprinkled in for good measure.Aja and Royal Scam were made almost transparent through excessive playing.
Mr Tidy said:
Never heard of Aja or Gaucho!
Nirvana with Never Mind, the Foo-Fighters with One by One, Muse with Absolution, Metallica with Metallica, Siousxie and the Banshees with Kaleidoscope, Pretenders with Pretenders would all rank up the top for me!
Well we all like different things, don't we? I wouldn't give house room to any of those albums Nirvana with Never Mind, the Foo-Fighters with One by One, Muse with Absolution, Metallica with Metallica, Siousxie and the Banshees with Kaleidoscope, Pretenders with Pretenders would all rank up the top for me!
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