Drummer reacts to "Third World Man" by Steely Dan

[@cindyp1033]

You are absolutely right about them not being yacht rock! They ARE their own genre!❤

[@corawheeler9355]

A sad and beautiful song to end the album.

[@L33Reacts]

a sad end indeed. made me feel stuff i didnt want to lol i didnt want it to end though.

[@davidwolf4677]

Might be my favorite SD tune. So sad and longing, but gorgeously produced, so it goes down well. A fitting end to the classic SD catalogue.

[@L33Reacts]

so true. a fitting end, indeed. i'm glad we got what we got at least! I've known them for less then a year and i already feel like they've been apart of my life for yeras.

[@kelvinheron3425]

We thought it was all over. Then 20 years later they came back with "Two Against Nature" and "Everything Must Go". Both are superb albums.

[@masapell]

Totally agree!!

[@robertyoung4523]

Guitar is Larry Carlton.

[@L33Reacts]

it sure is. i corrected myself in the recap lol

[@selbord1]

Hello Drummer, What I like about Donald Fagan is writing about what he is experiencing or has experienced, Vietnam Vets, suffering (PDST) carry so many mixed hunting thoughts along with visible scars disguised as unusable or lost of reality, it’s heartbreaking and so difficult seeing a loved one suffering from (PTSD), as Donald writes (Soon you'll throw down your disguise) (We'll see behind those bright eyes) are our hopes they Jonny will shake that (PTSD) to join the lost world we live in.

[@ohfour-seven6228]

Interesting fact about this song, I heard it's Joni Mitchell's favorite Steely Dan song! I read that this song was originally recorded for the Aja album but when the last song for Gaucho was accidentally erased, they ended up pulling this out to end the album. If this song was sitting in a vault, imagine what else might be waiting to be released!

[@katyland1015]

One of the greatest songs ever written.

[@stevemontross9388]

Larry Carlton digging into his soul and Gadd playing literally perfectly to the tune.

[@lindalee5866]

Perfect end tune to a gorgeous album!

[@L33Reacts]

i agree linda! this was awesome. :)

[@alldayadventures5418]

Smokey-Sunday has been mobilized since Dawn + Keeping the Sidewalks Safe, for the little guy, since 1980...!

[@L33Reacts]

smokey-sunday indeed... enjoy yourself my friend.

[@davelandsman4768]

Steely Dan is, quite simply, the greatest.

[@larrymcleod3618]

How does Steely Dan follow up their masterpiece Aja ? They take two years , spend at that time the most money ever spent on making a record and produce another superb album . Fans who are unfamiliar with the making of Gaucho should look it up as its an interesting and compelling story of the making of the last album this band would make for twenty years and a fine tribute to the end of the seventies which like the sixties was a decade that changed popular music forever .

[@L33Reacts]

this is a wonderful comment. thank you for this. this was like a dirge for the 70s and Dan itself. Many layers to it. the 80s were the beginning of the decadent decline of our culture.

[@roundtownKen]

Notice Gadd's exquisite switching from snare to rim click - back and forth, often in the same measure, here in TWM. He perfectly demonstrates that it's not about the drums. About the music and he fully integrates percussion as a musical component. Try Green Earrings next Lee.

[@jlb6]

Love the guitar solo😊

[@L33Reacts]

me too. larry is the best.

[@murff625]

Another tasty Larry Carlton guitar solo

[@sharondavid-melly1498]

Soulful beauty this song

[@gs8191]

Joni Mitchell said this was her favorite Steely Dan song.

[@markstromberg1148]

The guitar in this reminds me so much of Mark Knofler's sublime guitar on the album (and the title song) "Brothers in Arms."

[@bradd8937]

Saw them in 93 at the Shoreline Amphitheater south of SF. This was a highlight of the show for me. Fueled partly because I was just wandering around the crowd and randomly ran into a friend that I grew up with outside of Portland. Small Steely Dan World.

[@jonathan.palfrey]

The music is rather dark and solemn, not upbeat, but I never thought of it as sad, exactly. I like the song. The lyrics are cryptic, just a few fragmentary images that could be an allusion to something serious or could just be random fantasy. People have interpreted them in various different ways. I think that, if a songwriter wants to get a message across in a song, it’s up to him to make it clear. If it’s not clear, I don’t want to waste time looking for messages in it (and probably finding the wrong one). There are plenty of songwriters who just use words they like the sound of. “Lime and limpid green, a second scene, a fight between the blue you once knew…”

[@yes_head]

I've always loved this one. Lots of minor to major key modulations that give it a slightly darker and uneasy vibe compared to a lot of later SD. Those short horn breaks are pure buttah.

[@L33Reacts]

absolutely pure buttah. this was a sad end to classic dan. made me feel empty and broken at points but there were hints of sunlight peaking through. almost like donald knew this was it but wanted the fans to feel the pain he was probably feeling himself. but, also didnt want to be a complete downer and added those horn breaks lol

[@alrivers2297]

Possibly my favorite off the album

[@L33Reacts]

i can see why. excellent craftmanship here. but just makes you feel a little more empty then before. they were so good at evoking whatever feeling they were going for in the listener.

[@greypossum1]

Steely Dan wrote a completely different set of lyrics for this music and recorded it. Its called " Were You Blind That Day?" Its on KZbin as well.

[@L33Reacts]

for real? that is nuts. i might have to check that out.

[@jonathan.palfrey]

I remember reading somewhere that Al Stewart commonly wrote several different sets of lyrics for his songs; but as far as I know he kept the alternative lyrics to himself.

[@Ibanezed210]

Song is about an individual probably suffering from ptsd after returning home from combat thus the song's darkness.

[@L33Reacts]

i get it. rough one for sure. a fitting yet bitter end to the classic dan era.

[@diannebrownlee9806]

I hear it as a young Asian/Vietnamese kid playing in the backyard or street pretending to be a soldier. Yes, Asian. Especially when he says "throw down your disguise, we'll see behind those eyes." "when sidewalks are safe for the little guy". Not intentionally racist at all, just curious and at the same time exploring a vision at the highest level.

[@robinstarkey6071]

As someone else noted, this was Joni's favorite SD song. She felt Gaucho was as good as Aja, and didn't understand why it didn't reach the same kevel of acclaim. She kinda called out rock music journalists. Good article by 'Far Out' 4/12/22.

[@yournamehere6002]

"Dog Eat Dog" by Becker and Fagan, "Cousin Dupree" "Jack of Speed" "I Mean to Shine" as performed by Barbra Streisand.

[@mcmurtryfan]

The reason Larry Carlton is on this Gaucho cut is because it was recorded back when they were working on the Royal Scam.

[@jasonralph4286]

Dark, brooding, beautiful end..

[@Nightfly_69]

Can't wait for you to react to Green Earrings off The Royal Scam. One of my top 2 or 3 favorite Purdie songs w/ them.

[@robertjewell9727]

Spot on interpretation. One of my favorites from the later Two Against Nature is ALMOST GOTHIC. Be interested in what you have to say about that.

[@L33Reacts]

i'll have to add that one to the list, robert. thank you for watching!

[@theeloquentbaby]

Languid, with a very nice guitar solo.

[@joelliebler5690]

Really good and dark one. This album took awhile for me to appreciate because of the unique style that is far different than AJA!

[@donholl]

If you return to the Alive in America album, there are two tracks - this, and "Reelin'..." - that are notably distinct from the originals: TWM is slowed down to an even more dirge-like pace, while RITY is dramatically re-envisioned (with great guitar from Drew Zingg/drumming from Peter Erskine on both).

[@gillwaugh7212]

Beautiful and soulful vibe. Glad you got there!

[@realbser1956]

A very sad song to end Gaucho. It almost sounds like Donald is admitting defeat by life. I read that he and Walter were heartbroken that the song The Last Arrangement, which they considered to be the best thing that they had ever done, was destroyed in some kind of technical mistake in the studio and could never be redone. Larry Carlton’s guitar work is very good.

[@L33Reacts]

That is a crime against art that it was lost forever. I want to hear it. So sad. I can hear the defeat in his voice. and the instrumentation. but it was a helluva goodbye.

[@ohfour-seven6228]

@@L33Reacts I believe they did find it and you can check it out on KZbin. Definitely worth checking out.

[@diannebrownlee9806]

Great Song!

[@lindasalvaterra1304]

A lot of similarities in their songs.

[@JPLodine]

Such a creepy vibe... beautiful tune though.