BadComrade wrote:itchy mcgoo wrote:Steely Dan would be the ideal soundtrack for my murderous rampage to follow.
God, I hate Steely Dan.
That's just... depressing. As witty as you appear to be, you should totally appreciate those guys. I mean, how can you have no appreciation for a band who named themselves after a steam-powered dildo, and write lyrics like:
"Well I've kicked around a lot since high school
I've worked a lot of nowhere gigs
From keyboard man in a rock'n ska band
To haulin' boss crude in the big rigs
Now I've come back home to plan my next move
From the comfort of my Aunt Faye's couch
When I see my little cousin Janine walk in
All I could say was ow-ow-ouch"
Classic Steely Dan lyric writing there. Forget "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" and all the other songs you loath because you haven't been able to escape them your entire life, no matter how hard you've tried.
Another favorite lyric of mine:
"No I'm never gonna do it without the fez on
Oh no
No I'm never gonna do it without the fez on
Oh no
That's what I am
Please understand
I wanna be your holy man"
If you can appreciate those lyrics (and the fact that they were slipping them in to the style of music they play), but just can't get past the over-production on the albums, I have a 1974 live in-studio performance (radio show) that would change your mind. It's one of the -rawest- most "rocking" live performances I've ever heard on record. Drummer's hands bleeding, guitar amps smoking performance. It's the recording that made me go back and re-evaluate Steely Dan, and I'm glad I did. I can look right past the dead recording style, and the music that somestimes sounds like the "samba" selection on a 1980's Casio keyboard.
I like Steely Dan about as much as the Greatful Dead.
I do not like the Greatful Dead.
I do notice that most of the people I know who like the Greatful Dead, also like Steely Dan.
I remember in college, some chick told me Steely Dan was for mature people. I think she meant baby boomers. Though, she thought she was really grown up because she listened to them, and made fun of me for listening to childish music like Fugazi (the rock band, and not the Marillion album).
But this is not the reason I dislike Steely Dan. I just don't think they were unique, innovative, or interesting.
I like a fair amount of rock from the 70's, but Steely Dan are too poppy and straight forward for me. Sure, there's something odd about their songs some times, but I've always felt they appealed to the "mellow music" crowd. You know, the types that wore jackets with leather elbow patches.
