FIRST TIME HEARING Steely Dan- "Black Cow" & "Josie" (Reaction)

[@retroreactions....]

Coolest grooves in town! Bold, charged lyrics!! Thanks for watching 😎

[@1957PLATO]

I am 66 years old. Not many bands sounds so fresh from that era today. And no bands from today will hold up in 50 years.

[@289hipo]

There is no one better at fusing jazz, pop, rock, and r&b seamlessly 😉👍👍

[@anthonyblakely399]

One of the Best and all-time Jazz/Rock bands in music History and certainly one of my all-time favorite bands!!!

[@ljw5768]

I’ve used Black Cow to test every piece of hi-fi I’ve bought since the 70s.

[@retroreactions....]

Ha nice! Great choice!

[@roxannadorsey9716]

Greetings retro reactions. I was 22 yrs old in 1977 living in west LosAngeles, Venice & Santa Monica California. It was a very magical time StealyDan has always gone way pass above & beyond perfection. There are too many to name of the magnificent music of the 70’s So happy to have been there with the ear/orgasm & ear/candy

[@flubblert]

Jazzed up rock... nobody did it better. A significant part of the soundtrack of the 70s. "Do it Again" another classic.

[@retroreactions....]

Agree! Can't wait for more...love their song titles too....

[@helenespaulding7562]

One of my faves by them.

[@christopheryochum3602]

Terrific sax player on "Black Cow" ... Tom Scott. Same guy who played on Carole King's "Jazzman" and Carpenters' "All You Get From Love Is a Love Song."

[@retroreactions....]

Thanks for watching Christopher!

[@reneelyons6836]

Sophisticated music with interesting lyrics. They're awesome.

[@retroreactions....]

VERY interesting lyrics haha....Happy Saturday!!! 🥈

[@reneelyons6836]

Happy Saturday to you Brandon!! 😃😍Love your channel.

[@retroreactions....]

Thanks! Your support means the world to me!! 🥰

[@nv0us]

Over 40 years ago. Solid

[@MichaelTrogdon1990]

On the bridge, there is an overdubbed garbage can lid. It creates a unique sound. You can hear it before the guitar solo.

[@retroreactions....]

Oh wow, have to go back to hear it, thanks Michael!

[@makeadifference4all]

It's amazing that there was so much great music in October 1978 that this gem reached only #26 on the Billboard Hot 100. Placing even higher that week were some other amazing songs like the Rolling Stones' "Beast of Burden," Billy Joel's "She's Always a Woman," Gerry Rafferty's "Right Down the Line," Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band's "Hollywood Nights," Olivia Newton John's "Hopelessly Devoted to You," and Exile's "Kiss You All Over."

[@shereewilson6278]

Steely Dans music is pure ear candy. Love it so much

[@retroreactions....]

Me too!!

[@davidpeters44]

Outstanding musicians, engineering, and mixing are responsible for this record.

[@drmagic60]

Good choice bud, with this pair from Steely Dan! They’ve always had that “good vibes” sound to me. They’ve got quite the discography to cover!! Just bring it on!! Lol

[@retroreactions....]

Well hello there! 🥇 Loved both! Oh you know I'll bring it....so many rabbit holes on my channel now, I better stick to an all carrot diet HA!

[@markcrane532]

Don't Take Me Alive, Kid Charlemagne should be some of the next songs you enjoy by Steely Dan

[@retroreactions....]

Will add your votes, thanks Mark!

[@lucasroth7922]

Josie's incomparable guitarist Larry Carlton🔥🤘

[@doplinger1]

My second favorite album of all time - not a bad track!

[@retroreactions....]

WOW nice! Thanks Dave

[@sourisvoleur4854]

Agree 100% not a bad track. The track that got the least radio play, "I Got the News", is my favorite. All of them are stellar, and the production is out of this world.

[@synthystation]

They use a technique of clashing the bass note against the chords (instead of anchoring the chords with a root note) which creates a unique jazz flavor.

[@retroreactions....]

Nice...their sound is so signature! Thanks for stopping by....

[@WMMDWVMCGmail]

LOL - not exactly - the bass does sometimes play an inversion (for example the third or fifth or seventh) instead of the root. not a "clash"

[@nunnarij]

SD have their own style; they are one of a kind with no substitute. Start with the Blues add some Jazz fuse together with Rock - Bam!

[@retroreactions....]

Exactly to all that! Thanks so much for watching John...

[@Skunk-420]

the brass is always real with the Dan!

[@cindipossidento5688]

Donald Fagan and Walter Becker were/are quite the duo, it is as if they fed off of each other …….. I believe this entire album is to me the absolute, BEST album ever !!!! RIP Walter Becker, I miss hearing your great guitar licks !!!!! Very hard to choose a favorite song here. This is just the finest creation of music, IMHO ……. Musicianship, writing, performances, and the backup singers are such a gift with SD sound. My FAVORITE ALBUM TO DATE !!!😘

[@retroreactions....]

Hello! Yes, they are epic on many levels and they will remain on my channel for a long time to come! Much left to discover! Thanks so much for watching 😊

[@lucasroth7922]

Once again and again! Steely Dan, your favorite bands favorite band 🔥🤘✌

[@retroreactions....]

😎

[@norahdenovan8658]

And yet another great band 😁

[@retroreactions....]

Amazingly talented for sure!

[@davidrauh8118]

Their early albums were heavy on guitar with two players in the band. But as time went by they kept getting jazzier with add'l keyboards and horns and used the guitar as accents.

[@retroreactions....]

Thanks for watching David!

[@steved525]

Two more excellent songs from the AJA album. Your reactions are excellent .. interesting and insightful. You take the time to consider the lyrics which is so important!! Great job! I suggest Home at Last (my favourite) and Deacon Blues from this album. Take care and look forward to your next SD video.!

[@retroreactions....]

Thanks so much Steve for the compliments and suggestions!

[@kellydelay18]

Coolest band ever I was a fan from the start . Got this album on cassette 1980 … I think

[@retroreactions....]

Nice, I still have tons of my cassettes!!

[@ischmidt]

You can pretty much throw a dart at a list of Steely Dan songs and hit something great. Black Cow has an incredible loping groove which naturally has attracted the sampling attention of hip-hop producers, and Josie got some of that treatment as well. Along those lines, you oughta check out to "Kid Charlemagne" from the album prior to this, "The Royal Scam". It's got a flawless drum and bass groove by Bernard Purdie and Chuck Rainey, and a top-10-of-all-time guitar solo by Larry Carlton. The song was famously sampled by Kanye West after he wrote a pen-and-paper letter to Becker and Fagen to ask permission rather than the more typical email or phone call.

[@retroreactions....]

Thanks Ian. I will add your vote for Kid C!

[@stuarthastie6374]

In an interview Donzald has saidd, when he was a kid he had a hip cousin who was havinng an afair with Miles Davis and would show up with jazz records and pizzas.

[@ohfour-seven6228]

Glad you enjoyed these gems from Steely Dan. If you'd like two more amazing guitar driven songs check out Kid Charlemagne and Green Earrings. Both are terrific and the guitar work is stellar.

[@retroreactions....]

Thanks! They are both on my list and I'll add your votes... thanks so much for watching!

[@rolandknosch6213]

Yesss, Green Earrings 👍

[@TheCornishCockney]

This album was on every cool cats shelf back in the late 70’s.

[@michaelyork4554]

A Masterpiece Compilation, and yet I love The Royal Scam even more. Deacon Blues, will surely melt you. Masters Of Arrangement

[@retroreactions....]

Hi michael....will add your votes for those 2 thanks!

[@eriktracy8578]

This was a huge sonic break-out album. Every stereo/audio store had this album for demo songs-this was everywhere. So smooth, so well produced, so layered - it was part of every day experience. I still play my crackly vinyl album - that era is baked in to my life experience. 👍

[@retroreactions....]

Thanks for sharing and watching Erik!

[@pommie5093]

Two more classics!

[@retroreactions....]

Yup! Loved both..thanks for stopping by Pommie!

[@gregbartley2475]

My favorite album of all times. Sets a perfect mood.

[@retroreactions....]

Nice! Thanks for watching Greg

[@antrivers46]

If you didn’t know this album was, allegedly, at the time the most expensive album ever recorded. 1 million dollars. They were one of the only bands that could attract the jazz greats to play on their records. Best band. Ever.

[@retroreactions....]

Wow, thanks for that info!

[@lucabraga3471]

Great reaction! You can react to other masterpieces from them: Don't take me alive (with a fantastic Carlton's guitar solo at the intro of the song), The Caves of Altamira (incredible changes of piano chords!), King of the workd (intertwining "liquid" guitars!), Fire in the hole (with an incredibile jazz piano by Donald Fagen).

[@retroreactions....]

Thanks Luca. Appreciate you watching and the suggestions!

[@bradsense7431]

I remember all the parties I went to in 1977 that when this album was played it set such a cool vibe everyone dug it.

[@retroreactions....]

I can see why....😎

[@theivory1]

Oh yeah.

[@retroreactions....]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@williamwoods7374]

Aja, The second album I ever bought. (ELO "New World Record" was the first). I still have them both!

[@retroreactions....]

Nice!

[@l-bird]

Even though this is the music of my youth, I forgot how incredible and even strangely relaxing both songs are. Great reaction, thanks!

[@retroreactions....]

Great to revisit songs decades later huh? Thank you so much!

[@289hipo]

Wore this vinyl out in '77, '78. One if the most influential bands in my history. Doesn't lose a step in 45yrs

[@charlesh946]

Wait til you get hold of the lead track bro. AJA will melt your mind! lol

[@retroreactions....]

Wait no further haha...: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l6Svk6eGgtJsrKM

[@ukiahsguitarsolos3436]

You can't categorize this band. Nobody is like them. They're tops.

[@hawkwellhead]

you are by far the best 'reactor', not quite nuclear but you still keep me warm.

[@retroreactions....]

Haha, well thank you very much. Appreciate that...🔥😀

[@chadheckman2693]

Black Cow is a drink: Pour root beer over vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup in a large glass. Garnish with whipped cream and maraschino cherry.

[@retroreactions....]

YUM!

[@michaelbastraw1493]

Steely Dan rarely uses all Brass without Woodwinds in their arrangements. It's probably safest to say, Horns. This is, perhaps, only a quibble that a long-time horn player such as myself would make. Best. Mike.

[@retroreactions....]

Thanks Michael for watching and for the info

[@bradsense7431]

As for your comment about unexpected guitar intro by Steely Dan may I recommend - Don’t Take Me Alive. First notes in you will understand why I suggested that one.

[@retroreactions....]

Will add to list thanks!

[@patrickwouters6568]

Hi Brandon, I'm fairly new to Steely Dan's music. I had heard some songs before without knowing who was playing. Now I can recognize them at the first notes. I like their cool jazzy side. Happy to discover them with you. I'm already impatient to discover your reaction tomorrow, because I suspect what will be... Good evening.

[@retroreactions....]

Hello again! Hmmm, I hope it's the one you're thinking! If you know my current Sunday pattern, then it should be....(maybe 2 vids tomorrow 😲😂)

[@patrickwouters6568]

@@retroreactions.... ...it sould be...my favourite band! (I hope) 2 vids ❤️❤️ Woaw !!

[@retroreactions....]

A certain "Sunday" band....and a certain "double W" album....😁

[@patrickwouters6568]

@@retroreactions.... 👍🏻

[@andyshan]

"Shine up the battle apple" -= get ready for sex!! you got it right. Brilliant lyrics as always. Steely Dan, also famous for hiring amazing session guitarists throughout and recording some of the greatest solos ever. Lots to explore.

[@sourisvoleur4854]

Some really great laid-back sounds on this album. Probably the most jazzy, uptempo, and relatively unloved song on the album is "I Got the News" which features a little vocal solo by Michael McDonald in the middle 8.

[@retroreactions....]

Sounds like a plan! Thanks my friend!

[@richardanderson3322]

You have not heard enough Steely Dan to judge the lack of Walter Becker's (R.I.P.) amazing guitar work. Donald is just half of the band. Keep listening. You will hear it for yourself

[@retroreactions....]

I shall thanks!

[@amercadodf]

You might not associate electric guitars with Steely Dan as you've not heard Don't Take Me Alive yet! Enjoying your enjoyment!!

[@retroreactions....]

Haha, nice! I will add that one to my list thanks!

[@sourisvoleur4854]

Synthesizers in 1977 weren't sophisticated enough to make that brass sound. They were moving beyond a "squonk" noise. But mostly they sounded like what you would think of as a keyboard sound. The Cars' first album in 1978 will give you the idea of what synthesizers were up to in the late 1970s. Great stuff, really added to a song, but certainly not like today's synths that can sound nearly convincingly like any instrument in the orchestra.

[@retroreactions....]

That's kind of what I thought....shame on Wiki for not listing the brass player(s)!

[@LS-wn5cd]

Brandon, noticed you don't have any Blood, Sweat & Tears reactions as of yet. BST is similar to Chicago in the large group with a good horn section. You might check out "Lucretia Mac Evil".

[@retroreactions....]

Thanks!

[@cityhonors1]

😳 You've done SD before? 😊 We need Playlist please! 🥰 Also for Rush! 😘 Thank you! 😁🐰

[@retroreactions....]

It's on my to do list! Hopefully this coming week, life is so crazy busy these days! 😥🤣

[@helenespaulding7562]

For younger folks who might not know: A Black Cow was a drink made with Kahlua, cream and coke. Yummy.

[@retroreactions....]

Sounds rich and sugary!

[@helenespaulding7562]

@@retroreactions.... Indeed 😁

[@retroreactions....]

You may wanna check back later today..................😲😉

[@bradsense7431]

65 years old here. Not saying this is what lyrics are referring to but Black Cow was always another name for a Root Beer Float since I was a kid. Also yummy!

[@w.geoffreyspaulding6588]

@@retroreactions.... Brandon…..you are Such a tease! 😏😉

[@williammilheim8141]

You have only scratched the surface of SD. Not a bad song on any of their albums. Been a fan since 72. I can never decide on my favorite SD song it seems that they have a groove for any mood I'm in. My favorite album is the Royal Scam

[@retroreactions....]

Can't wait to hear it all eventually! Thanks for watching

[@michaelbaucom4019]

Borrowing a phrase from another reactor: " They just don't miss "... " Deacon Blues ", " Home At Last , " I Got The News " from this album are fire also(you've done " Aja " and " Peg "). " Josie " might be Steely Dan's hardest rocker(along with the song " Black Friday ", from the album " Katy Lied ") RIP Walter Becker

[@retroreactions....]

Hi Michael...yes definitely have to finish off this album, and much more! Thanks for the suggs...

[@briangray00]

The extraordinary men of the groove.

[@retroreactions....]

😀

[@buddasquirrel]

You don't mention Walter Becker?? Also Steely Dan had their horns arrange by Tom Scott. They don't use synthesized horns. Otherwise, really enjoyed your reaction. Thanks!

[@novygravel658]

Aja was such a great album!

[@retroreactions....]

Yes...one of their best no doubt!

[@rk41gator]

that bass line in Josie is hotter than Josie!

[@retroreactions....]

Haha, can't argue there!! 🔥

[@joseserrano1739]

this is how you do a reaction to a song .other such take a lesson from you . joe from puerto rico.

[@retroreactions....]

Thank you so much Joe!

[@antrivers46]

Ps, Larry Carlton is a legend

[@farmnranchapiarybeehiveser8120]

👍 🤠🏞️🐂

[@retroreactions....]

Hi there, Happy Saturday, great tunes here!!

[@womanonthinice1276]

So weird to see younger generations rating music we grew up with...lol...Sounds like Dick Clark record ratings...lol...got a good beat. I give it 80/100 lolol

[@retroreactions....]

Ha, I'm loving the journey. Thanks for watching!