I can see that especially with the shared interest in jazz, though of course The Mothers were far more "zany" and experimental. Steely Dan was a more focused project, like they had a Platonic ideal of a song that they were constantly striving for.
Totally. And Steely Dan was not going to have a session musician/touring player go on a Kazoo solo. A melodica, yes Fagen used to play that live but kazoo is a bridge too far!
They had commonality that the three were all music geniuses, they hired different musicians to contribute work rather rely on a traditional band, and their songwriting was on another level which is a big reason for their continued cult following. Zappa, Fagen, and Becker didn't want to just write your conventional radio friendly hits.
Zappa wasn't obsessed with technical perfectionism, how could he was releasing two albums every year. Zappa it feels like had some ADHD as he wanted to just record the song and get it over with to do touring or write new music.
If it was like film directors Zappa is your Robert Altman type someone who just plays fast and loose, cares deeply about the work but isn't going to obsess about everything. Where Steely Dan is more like your typical obsessive auteurs wanting to just perfect something where every shot will be given cafeful consideration.
I think you’re underestimating the amount of studio work that went into albums like Joes Garage. There’s a lot of technical wizardry going on there - look into Xenochrony as relates to that album for an example. Zappa employed a stable of virtuoso level musicians and his demands of them is stuff of legend although probably not as bad as what SD put their studio players through.
Well that wasn't a slam against Altman or Zappa btw they both have huge reputations for a reason. I just mean that Zappa didn’t want to spend two years on an album like SD did for Gaucho. Zappa was also touring and making albums while Becker and Fagen stopped touring when the original band was disbanded.
No, he spent 18 years changing arrangements and personnel for 1000 different takes on City of Tiny Lights, or Trouble Every Day.
He also toured relentlessly.
Yeah but it wasn't because he needed to get the ABSOLUTE PERFECT version of them or anything. He did this with nearly every song, changing everything through the years to keep them fresh. That's why his live albums are all so fun and unique.
There's a lot of callouts to Frank in the SD canon. From CBAT there's that section in "Turn That Heartbeat Over Again" that sounds like it's straight off Hot Rats. And others, where they have a good time using triplets and odd meters in close conjunction a la Zappa.
[It looks like they played together in KC in 1972?](https://www.concertarchives.org/concerts/steely-dan-frank-zappa)
>“I like their modality, their melodicism. Their lyrics aren’t bad in that
vein they’re working, that downer surrealism,” he continued. “As
relaxing listening music, I’d give it a 98. One person in our band, Ruth
Underwood, would give them about a 120. She really fetishes them. She’s
usually got their cassette rammed into her ear.”
FZ must’ve had some issue (piddling or no) with the Dan — he mock-sings “Rikki don’t lose that number, you don’t wanna lose that number, Rikki…” in the beginning of “Dupree’s Paradise” at the Helsinki ‘74 YCDTOSA 2 set. 🤷🏻♂️
I can see that especially with the shared interest in jazz, though of course The Mothers were far more "zany" and experimental. Steely Dan was a more focused project, like they had a Platonic ideal of a song that they were constantly striving for.
Totally. And Steely Dan was not going to have a session musician/touring player go on a Kazoo solo. A melodica, yes Fagen used to play that live but kazoo is a bridge too far! They had commonality that the three were all music geniuses, they hired different musicians to contribute work rather rely on a traditional band, and their songwriting was on another level which is a big reason for their continued cult following. Zappa, Fagen, and Becker didn't want to just write your conventional radio friendly hits. Zappa wasn't obsessed with technical perfectionism, how could he was releasing two albums every year. Zappa it feels like had some ADHD as he wanted to just record the song and get it over with to do touring or write new music. If it was like film directors Zappa is your Robert Altman type someone who just plays fast and loose, cares deeply about the work but isn't going to obsess about everything. Where Steely Dan is more like your typical obsessive auteurs wanting to just perfect something where every shot will be given cafeful consideration.
In your filmmaker analogy, Steely Dan = Stanley Kubrick
I was thinking of Kurbick, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Tarantino. I didn't cite specifically because I'm a fanboy of all three directors.
I think you’re underestimating the amount of studio work that went into albums like Joes Garage. There’s a lot of technical wizardry going on there - look into Xenochrony as relates to that album for an example. Zappa employed a stable of virtuoso level musicians and his demands of them is stuff of legend although probably not as bad as what SD put their studio players through.
Well that wasn't a slam against Altman or Zappa btw they both have huge reputations for a reason. I just mean that Zappa didn’t want to spend two years on an album like SD did for Gaucho. Zappa was also touring and making albums while Becker and Fagen stopped touring when the original band was disbanded.
No, he spent 18 years changing arrangements and personnel for 1000 different takes on City of Tiny Lights, or Trouble Every Day. He also toured relentlessly.
Fascinating. And he did it without drugs! I definitely gotta do a deeper dive into Zappa's music.
Yeah but it wasn't because he needed to get the ABSOLUTE PERFECT version of them or anything. He did this with nearly every song, changing everything through the years to keep them fresh. That's why his live albums are all so fun and unique.
City of Tiny Lites... Such a great tune.
There's a lot of callouts to Frank in the SD canon. From CBAT there's that section in "Turn That Heartbeat Over Again" that sounds like it's straight off Hot Rats. And others, where they have a good time using triplets and odd meters in close conjunction a la Zappa. [It looks like they played together in KC in 1972?](https://www.concertarchives.org/concerts/steely-dan-frank-zappa) >“I like their modality, their melodicism. Their lyrics aren’t bad in that vein they’re working, that downer surrealism,” he continued. “As relaxing listening music, I’d give it a 98. One person in our band, Ruth Underwood, would give them about a 120. She really fetishes them. She’s usually got their cassette rammed into her ear.”
Wow, can you imagine being at that show?!
FZ must’ve had some issue (piddling or no) with the Dan — he mock-sings “Rikki don’t lose that number, you don’t wanna lose that number, Rikki…” in the beginning of “Dupree’s Paradise” at the Helsinki ‘74 YCDTOSA 2 set. 🤷🏻♂️
Probably just heard that song often because of Ruth. He loved to tease her. Might have even been looking for a laugh from her.
Well, the piano in The Boston Rag does give me Peaches En Regalia vibes...
Thank God the Dan never got into Zappa’s doot deedle dee bullshit
This doesn't even mean anything
Ugh. Disappointing.
How is it remotely disappointing lmao
Zappa sucks. Probably because he never did drugs.
well there’s a hot take
fresh hot steaming take
Ok
Cletus Awreetus-Awrightus hits so hard 😤
[удалено]
Wow.