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The most ruthless band of all time

Music Mongoose

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Steely Dan produced some absolutely incredible music but their story is not exactly a joyful one...

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20 Comments

@gabrielsowder9597 5 months ago

Steely Dan is the Stanly Kubrick of bands.

@ThePittsburghToddy 5 months ago

Regardless of what their detractors say, i love Steely Dan. To this day, their albums are a go to for testing stereo equipment.

@richalderson6069 5 months ago

Thr Royal Scam album didn't get a mention, but it's brilliant and probably the last one to actually have some prominent rock guitar on it, ironically mostly played by jazz fusion master Larry Carlton.

@RFToob 5 months ago

I don’t know what it is about Steely Dan, but when I listen to them, I go on a massive binge listen, and want to check out every song on every album.

@SuperMississippian 5 months ago

Donald Fagen's Nightfly was one of favorites of all time.

@mpachis 5 months ago (edited)

The Rikki in "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" was Rikki Ducornet, the wife of Fagen's literature professor, whom he had a crush on. He gave her his number, but she never called him.

@coemgen1 5 months ago

Perfectionism? They had high standards, and 50 years later, I'm still listening to their LPs. You want Fagen on that wall, you NEED Fagen on that wall, baby!

@mckgarth 5 months ago

I can't believe you skipped over The Royal Scam.

@raywalsh9152 5 months ago

I never heard Steely Dan's music as being too perfect, or too cold. Tight. That was the word that always came to mind. I was aware of their penchant for perfection in the studio, and the rotating session players ... but, whatever you have to do to get the results. As far as I'm concerned, Fagen and Becker did what they had to do to produce excellent music in a time when that excellence was waning. And for those of you unaware ... The Dukes of September ... Donald Fagen, Michael McDonald & Boz Scaggs ... OUTSTANDING STUFF!! I HIGHLY recommend!

@vantagestudios 5 months ago

Since nobody else here has done so… 😠… I really need to point out that Jeff ‘Skunk’ Baxter wasn’t the ‘rhythm guitarist’. He shared lead duties with Dias (also an amazing player) and in point of fact his lead work is the stand out stuff from those years. He was also arguably the most in-demand session man of that era and wildly influential.

@CharlesNorgaard-n8n 5 months ago

Fun Steely Dan fact:
While Fagen and Becker were playing in college bands named the Very Bad Jazz Band and/or Leather Canary at Bard College they had a drummer by the name of Chevy Chase.

@casualobserver3145 5 months ago

Fagan’s “The Nightfly”, his first post SD offering in 1982, is still one of my favorites.

@barnabyaprobert5159 5 months ago

Simply one of the most perfect groups. That's a VERY small group of groups.

@riffsleytrickfinger7359 4 months ago

Two Against Nature was a work of perfection in recording quality.

@fishjones4618 3 months ago

Remember when believing in someone’s abilities and demanding the best out of them wasn’t “toxic”?

@canireech 5 months ago

Steely Dan is my favorite band.

@latheofheaven1017 5 months ago

Babylon Sisters is a stunning song. The epitome of the groove that they were so famous for. I wish it was a ten minute song, as I always want to play it more than once.

@lab4389 5 months ago

I don't care what their personalities are like. They have given us a huge portfolio of great songs. Donald Fagen is a genius, and I don't say this lightly. I love this band. ❤

@markberwind9837 5 months ago

Their story. Phooey. Toxic. Phooey. Their music speaks for itself. Excellent!

@Drvonheils 5 months ago (edited)

I was always a big SD fan and had all of their albums. What I’d not noticed for many years is that I’d birthed a massive Steely Dan fan. It may be the last time they played at the Hollywood Bowl, she asked to see them for her birthday. It wasn’t terribly long afterward Walter died. I’m so glad I chose her over sleep that night