How Steely Dan Composes A Song

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SOURCES AND FURTHER READING:
Howard Wright, “Steely Dan: The Mu Major Chord” 2011
www.hakwright.co.uk/steelydan/...
Marc Myers, “How Steely Dan Created Deacon Blues” (via The Wall Street Journal)
www.wsj.com/articles/how-steel...
Howard Wright, “The Birth of the Mu Major Chord” (via Mizar6)
www.writingaffairs.com/blog/mi...
Dylan Jones, “Icon: Donald Fagen” (via GQ) 2014
www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/...
Steely Dan, Deacon Blues sheet music (via musicnotes.com)
www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/...
Roger Nichols, Steely Dan Producer quote:
forum.cockos.com/archive/index...
Saxophonist Pete Christlieb Discusses His 'Deacon Blues' Solo on Steely Dan's 'Aja' Album
• Saxophonist Pete Chris...
Ryan Reed, “36 Years Ago: Steely Dan Release ‘Aja’” (via Ultimate Classic Rock)
ultimateclassicrock.com/steely...
Classic Albums: Steely Dan's Aja - Deacon Blues
• Classic Albums: Steely...

[@Miconnaissance]

Steely Dan is one of the bands I would listen to the whole discography in one sitting.

[@hanelias]

yeah same! we are playing josie in our big band, and after rehearsal i went to my room and listened to four records in a row im hooked

[@imaramblins]

I'd be down for that. Same for Pink Floyd. Never done either, but would definitely do so!

[@RocRizzo]

I have done just that one day, and would do it again and again!

[@73challenger5031]

I loaded up my ipod classic(yes, it's old but, hey, it still works!) with a Steely Dan playlist of all their stuff in chronological order and listen to it all day long at work! I do that with all of the bands that I enjoy. We are required to wear earplugs at my job so, I bought a set of "AfterShokz" bone-inducting headwear(which actually sound better with earplugs in) and I get to spend all day not listening to the crap my younger team members listen to!!!

[@markeesfuller5389]

Yes indeed with my dad in a wood paneled room

[@tmamone83]

As a non-musician who doesn't know the first thing about music theory, I love it when people break down music like this. Kudos!

[@marcelosena8955]

Check out Rick Beato's channel! He does that to a looooooot of tracks and it's really fun!

[@sasmitroy5480]

@@marcelosena8955 Rick Beato is OP

[@jenmoore2629]

They were genius at every level. From hand selecting Purdie, Porcaro, Carlton and the other perfect studio players to the meticulous production and cryptic lyrics- Steely Dan is perfection.

[@Topkatt88]

Absolutely 100% agree with you.

[@bytorz]

And Gadd :)

[@bigtravis6159]

Are they really named after a huge dildo , if so that’s hilarious

[@alnight3865]

What amazes me is they were like 29 when they made this.

[@M123OCT]

This is just wonderful. There are two types of people in the world: those who don't get Steely Dan, and those who do. There's is the ultimate expression of quality music in every respect. We will never see their likes again.

[@wangdangdoodle4944]

Michael McIntosh nice this year again they say

[@johnjeffery6638]

2 types indeed. Two against nature!

[@willritter4076]

I'm lucky my parents owned their albums when i was a kid... I'd be honored if some Steely Dan fans would take a listen to my live keyboard & vocal performances of HOME AT LAST and JOSIE on my YT channel in tribute to the great Walter Becker and the Aja album. Live acoustic with no digital editing. Thanks and peace.

[@hecticamezquita8266]

Steely Dan is a realm of its own. Should u just close your eyes, u arrive at its doorstep.

[@angiefromChi]

Michael McIntosh so true

[@MrGandharva108]

Walter and Donald did cross that fine line. Thank you Walter & Donald....you've made this planet better.

[@RogerBarraud]

+MrGandharva108 Did they ever! :-)

[@TheWorldTeacher]

*Hear Hear. 😀

[@Jheassler]

I’m 21, and fell in love with this song a couple months ago. I didn’t even care what the lyrics said, the sounds alone drew me in. Now I love it even more because of this video

[@Joel_Powell]

That's very cool to hear - I am 65 and I fell in love with this song 46 years ago. I was 19. Glad you discovered it - here's to you enjoying at 65 as well :).

[@pjlong9785]

I fell in love with it when I was a 10 yr old kid in my parents car and they just bought a brand new CD OF STEELY DAN - GOLD ! A collection of some of their hits. They had his albums on Vinyl but now they wanted to hear it on cd. The song came on ! Hooked.

[@scottmacdougall5704]

Don’t forget the amazing backup vocals. They really make the song, I like how the “I” in “I play just what I feel comes in just before Fagen. Cool timing. Anyway nice vid, thx

[@donniedarko979]

Aja on earphones equals paradise

[@WisecrackEDU]

Great video, +Nerdwriter1! Thanks for the shout-out.

[@johnappleseed8369]

I love you!

[@idrils]

+Wisecrack /ship/

[@AaronfRogers]

+Wisecrack Found you through an earlier video on this channel

[@bmauger]

Can we get an crossover/collaboration project in the works? Nerdcrack? Wisenerd?

[@SanguineThor]

+Bobby Mauger 2nded

[@johnparadise3134]

"A suburbanite in crisis fantasizing about becoming an alcoholic saxophone player"

[@robertmaybeth3434]

maybe he just poured booze down the saxophone and hid the bottles in the drum kit

[@annalisa14]

John Paradise - yep. Ya gotta be sophisticated to understand that

[@nervo6321]

Saxophone player come gambler....die behind the wheel i.e. roulette wheel...

[@gonzavalverde]

an alcoholic saxophone player? Oh you mean a regular saxhophone player jk don't get salty

[@Nayooo]

I got into Steely Dan a couple of months ago because of this video (big fan of your stuff, Evan). So... coming back to pay my respects. RIP Walter Becker, one of the greats.

[@willritter4076]

I'd be honored if some Steely Dan fans would give a listen to my acoustic piano & vocal performances of JOSIE and HOME AT LAST on my YT channel in tribute to the Aja album - one of the greatest artistic works of the 20th century. Live acoustic with no autotune or digital editing. Thanks and keep on grooving.

[@annalisa14]

Nayo Aragón Olascuaga - you must be young. I’ve been grooving since 1973

[@sherrymcintyre8530]

Amen RIP and keep making music

[@Cerebro13]

Nayo Aragón Olascuaga I’ve been hearing steely dan since I was born ,but didnt start LISTENING till 1989 .

[@rulinghabs]

I bet most people don’t realize just how many Steely Dan songs they actually know.

[@michaellampton6599]

HaHa! Good one - ruling

[@RandyFricke]

I had a buddy once whose hobby it was on Saturdays to take his Steely Dan tapes to high end audio stores under the guise of looking to make a big purchase when all he wanted to do was just hear Steely Dan on a high end audio system. He's even bring his own headphones.

[@stevenroland7472]

I worked in a Hi Fi Shop in the early 80's. Gaucho was my Closer Album. Customers always bought after hearing it on high end gear.

[@ARMTOAST]

@@stevenroland7472 sounds like Wendel should have gotten a kickback from some of those sales, LOL

[@Vulf]

awesome!

[@galenator123]

Woah, didnt know vulfpeck was a nerdwriter fan! Love your music

[@drvp1997]

I knew that Vulf were Steely Dan fans, cant wait for Oct17!!

[@wizardmix]

So are you.

[@JoelCarli]

Wow, Vulfpeck commenting on a video about Steely Dan. There can only be so much great music concentrated in one place.

[@davidmfra]

Was this the inspiration for hero town? given the mu chord and all

[@tacticaljackson]

Like everyone else, I grew up hearing the radio tunes like “Reelin’ in the years” and “Dirty Work” countless times. However, I still remember being 15, working the dish tank at a restaurant and hearing “Deacon Blues” through a beat-up old chili-caked boom-box for the first time. I stopped what I was doing and just sat there with my jaw on the floor for the duration of the song. Just a kid realizing that rock n’ roll, and music in general, can be so much more. Another 15 years later, and I can thank that moment for bringing me into the larger world of jazz. Also, Larry Carlton is a god among men, and Steely Dan would have not had that extra 3000% to push them over the edge in some of their greatest tracks without him. Even my four year old son says, “Daddy, ‘Kid Charlemagne’ is the bam.” “Yes, Son. Yes it is.”

[@musicalfringe]

The outro of KC is one of my earliest musical memories.

[@TechMetalRules]

I crawl like a viper through these suburban streets.

[@brodocbetty4856]

They call Alabama the crimson tide, Call me Deacon Blues.

[@feerow]

You've introduced me to Steely Dan, thank you ever so kindly.

[@jacobdronski7455]

+Fer Silva whhhaaaattttt.......

[@DanYuleo]

+Fer Silva Have you at least heard... Reelin' in the Years? Or of them at all?

[@yocampout]

better late than never, player!

[@feerow]

I'm a young latino kid from the Bronx, currently living in Mexico, so no.

[@DanYuleo]

Fer Silva I don't know what that has to do with not having heard "the classics", but I guess it would also have to depend on your definition of "young" haha. But I guess I get what you're saying. I was certainly raised on this sorta thang, but I can't be much older than you (I'm 22 btw).

[@JeffMiller-lp3dp]

Good stuff - The Dan is my favorite all-time band.

[@theivory1]

And the song Good Stuff is one of Fagens best solo compositions. Off of the Sunken Condos release from October of 2012.

[@christianwagenseil9621]

mine too

[@allison4970]

I can remember being about 6-7 yrs old in the 70's, and I'd sit with my back against one of the speakers of my parents' Hi-Fi. I liked Steely Dan so much I wanted to feel the music go _through_ me.

[@someguy2135]

+1. If I only had one "Desert Island Disc," it would be a Steely Dan album. But which one?

[@musicalexplosion7786]

The Medieval people never understood why that was such a big hit song and crossed over so many categories

[@jongroubert4203]

"Every instrument has its own life" - YES!!! This is one of the things about SD that I love the most. Thank you for putting into words what I've always known.

[@elizabethwear4113]

Oh man, you're such a great fit to be a TED speaker, congratulations!

[@nixecola]

the visual of orange text over snow falling is amazing, pretty editorial

[@normanbuffett4642]

few albums can flash me back to the place I was in 1977 like Aja. It's greatness makes me cry

[@paisleyprincess7996]

Norman Buffett I was four in 1978...and I can go back to that remember where I was as a little girl, listening to the Peg on radio console. I remember everything about that song, the weather that day...etc. it was just that good

[@fatfuckinNAAIER]

shut the fuck up boomer

[@wallacegrommet9343]

That year 1977 I graduated high school. The world has been plummeting ever faster into hell ever since

[@aydenwoyus7943]

Baroo 182 that comment was so dumb and toxic it’s not even funny

[@jawnske]

i listen to Aja every day. Black Cow and Deacon Blues are some of my favorite songs of all time

[@bernardsimsic9334]

have the double greatest hits always ready for play in my truck sometimes I gotta pullover it gets to me just how wonderful it is.

[@NevaehsCapture]

I'm glad I found your channel to keep me busy while I wait for Every Frame A Paintings uploads.

[@b2squared]

Started listening to Steely Dan in 1976, my 18th year of life and never stopped. I turned on so many to this band. It warms my heart that college students today appreciate them even now. ✌🏻🧡

[@2ManyGuitars214]

Smart, smart, smart. Well thought out, well researched and fascinating. Worth spending 10 minutes of your life watching . Thanks for a superb effort.....

[@winstonsmith8240]

Lyrics are great, music is great, production is great, musicians are world class. What's not to like? Stunning stuff. Imo.

[@ethanrummel7638]

Aja is one of my favorite albums and Deacon Blues is the best song from it. Thank you so much for this. The video was an amazing analysis of a truly wonderful song. I learned a lot and it made me think about how other music is composed. Job well done sir, job well done.

[@paisleyprincess7996]

Home at last is my fav

[@armandomorales3809]

Am I the only peg guy?

[@lehacarpenter7773]

@@armandomorales3809 My ex-boss was a Peg guy, if that helps.

[@armandomorales3809]

@@lehacarpenter7773 i just think its a lot better composed than a lot of there songs.

[@ARMTOAST]

@@armandomorales3809 Peg is a great radio hit that's impossible to not dance to. I mean, it got me and countless others into Steely Dan, and for that alone it's legendary. But because it's (shockingly!) by far the most basic on Aja as far as chord progression, melodies, and structure go, some fans find it not quite *as* challenging or rewarding on repeat listens as something like Deacon Blues, Aja, or Home At Last. Almost everything in music is subjective, so far be it from me to tell people what songs they should enjoy most from an album. But if you were wondering why most hardcore Steely Dan fans prefer other tracks, it's because they play more to what's so alluring about the band in the first place. That's not to say I don't sing along when "Reelin' In The Years" comes on at the grocery store, just that it's not quite as close to my heart as "Doctor Wu" or " The Caves of Altamira".

[@marcusmosimann]

It's incredible how you can grab our interest for about 10 minutes with every video you make! Great video!!

[@andycopeland7051]

One of my favorite songs of all time. Makes me wanna cry every time I think too hard on it

[@ernestlane]

There's a lot to learn about Steely Dan's work.

[@musicalfringe]

True story. The system of harmonic thought that underlies their work never seems to be talked about or taught, despite its later ubiquity in pop.

[@ericsurf6]

Touching~! You hit home hard with this one. Excellent work putting this one together. I'm off to go rediscover Steely Dan.

[@michaelpound5156]

Captains Log: Star Date 17: proof of intelligent life forms on planet youtube...

[@blueshorecreative3146]

I concur

[@felixgutierrez993]

@@blueshorecreative3146 I retort

[@andyh5300]

Fascinating captain

[@twowisehands1234]

I saw Steely Dan in Portland, OR in the late 90’s. They were magical. I have always loved their music because of the precision.

[@marcscordato4385]

The most sophisticated music to every hit the pop charts, as a jazz Snob I love this period of popular music.

[@MrJungleWarrior]

My favorite song of all time. Makes me wanna' cry. Experiencing soft tears in a hard core man.

[@xebio6]

MrJungleWarrior You're not alone. My exact feelings

[@paisleyprincess7996]

MrJungleWarrior Kinda one of those wistfully sad songs...

[@webbgems67]

I remember calling my cable provider for service and I was playing this song in the background and they were telling me how much they loved the song. One of my favorites from a legendary group 👍🏼

[@mtbness5028]

Whether you never lose touch or come back to them, Steely Dan is a timeless example of musical inspiration, education, and joy. Great vid! 🎧🎼

[@michaelcalhoun9002]

I was a senior in high school in 1973, Reeling in the years was popular at that time, years went by and I forgot about that popular song, many many years later I heard a song on the radio that I thought was Steely Dan so I bought the latest album, Aja. well the song I was looking for was not on there, but what I heard blew….me…out…of…my chair, I began to buy all their older albums….what a national treasure these guys are. Their music NEVER gets old.

[@yankees29]

Aja is as close to a perfect album as it gets.

[@Smokey94462]

OMG! I love Jazz Fusion, please make more videos about music. A Bob Dylan video would be amazing and a video about the Blues would be great.

[@letsgocamping88]

As You Were Reading My Very Long Username I Stole Your Sandwich he's done one on all along the watchtower.

[@michael_caz_nyc]

My all time favorite Steely Dan song. ( among tons of great songs ) I just love them. This musical-analysis and visual-imagery were phenomenal. Really enjoyed it.

[@penstar]

Yep, it's totally awesome!

[@carlminorsr2634]

I always loved their sounded. Had a laid-back sound,so smooth.

[@gilbertestrada9858]

As a very young drummer in middle school many many years ago I was captivated by this band and still love steely dan as a now 50 something year old man. GREAT MUSIC

[@DemetriusFuller]

Whoah! How so lucid, your descriptions? About sonic, verbal, philosophical angles. I'm impressed! And slight surprised. Subscribed, subscribed, and kudos lauded.

[@jaydubya3698]

Sometimes you read negative comments about Steely Dan here and there about how they suck, "I hate Steely Dan," blah blah blah. I don't understand it. Their music is interesting and complex, their lyrics thought provoking. Maybe it's because they are so calculated and polished...the haters think they're pretentious or something. Oh well...haters gonna hate I guess. Doesn't stop me from liking them.

[@DorianPaige00]

It took me a good 25 years to warm up to them. I bought the Citizen Dan box so I'm getting into it. I never doubted that the music was layered and thought out rather well with not just the same ole lyrics.

[@ricosuave6898]

The appeal of the Dan is almost entirely cerebral while some people really only engage with music that hits them viscerally. Personally, I find different bands for different moods, and there are plenty of moods that fit with Steely Dan.

[@EFFbriskethead]

they're haters, nothing more to say.

[@isaacjohn-johnson4916]

@@EFFbriskethead Don't Take Em Alive,🧟

[@thenightfly1602]

Right on. "The band is the most sonically sophisticated (sic) pop acts of the 21st century ...."

[@blaiseparker5219]

Just saw this today in my recommended feed and am sitting here, stunned, speechless and in awe of your analysis of my favorite song of all time. Thank you so much for choosing Deacon Blues! Great song and brilliant work on your part.

[@Polyhymnia1964]

Can't believe sometimes that I played in a band that covered Steely Dan tunes back in the late 70s. Yes, we even did "Peg," and except for the guitar solo, I'd say we pretty much killed it. Sacrilegious, I know, but we were just kids, and we LOVED Steely Dan. And I still do. Best American band of the last few decades.

[@leajiaure]

Please do one of these on Pink Floyd, or if you're up to the challenge, Frank Zappa!

[@brendanotoole5871]

+Leajiaure Damn right! Floyd's production was off the charts. Speaking of production, IF you're into this electronic stuff at all, check out Tipper, or Pretty Lights. I'd love to see a nerdwriter1 video on either of those folks. Have a good one!

[@maxamilion831]

i think a breakdown of the effects of dark side of the moon would be interesting to watch

[@nihilanthropus]

Hell yeah! That would be very, very interesting!

[@calebscomedy11201]

nabruh and pet sounds

[@cheking555]

Wisecrack

[@okrajoe]

Great breakdown.

[@robertvonfeldt7882]

This is one of the most thorough breakdowns/explanations for their sound I’ve seen. Musical and technical

[@davidwieland4476]

After 30 years as a major DS fan, I'm still in awe by the way Fagen/Becker "built" songs!

[@wangdangdoodle4944]

David Wieland ritE?

[@mdt471]

This is an analysis worth listening to. Very informative and insightful. Thanks.

[@MGRtist]

Never knew what it was about their sound of music that sent me to where I’d never been before. Thanks for this.

[@edwardjackson1650]

I love the band and their style. You’ve done really well with braking this song down. Thanks for that!!

[@PeterStawicki]

Excellent. Love the in depth examination of one of my all time favorite songs.

[@illtakethebox]

i have to thumbs up someone who appreciates how beautiful their music is. awesome vid

[@douglasmcconnell8116]

I love hearing the stories behind the music , more entertaining than reading any book..

[@alexk2501]

One of my favorite songs of all time! I have noticed their early albums used as demos in high end audio shops over the years. I currently have their DECADE OF STEELY DAN cd downloaded to my FIIO X1 player and listening to SENNHEISER HD 202 headphones , great for my long train commute daily to and from work. Great detail and great video!

[@ClarenceHW]

Well done, one of my favorite bands. Appreciate the work you put into it.

[@nerkoids]

The Mu Major chord, is really only an 'add9' chord.

[@nameguy101]

+nerkoids Is it, though? The distinguishing part of the mu major is that the second is directly next to the root, rather than an octave above.

[@willyounts3308]

I think it is just a specific voicing of a major 9 chord. I don't see why it would need its own name though, it is really not particularly interesting sounding, considering the other complex chords they play ALL the time

[@SpawnofHastur]

Their name for it was given tongue in cheek.

[@AngelWest58]

If there is no 7th, then it is not a 9th. It is a 2nd - regardless of octave. I have always just called and written this as a ' 2 ' chord.. Great video!

[@LeftHandedGuitarist]

"add2" is a more accurate description of what is specifically going on, but yes you're correct.

[@willdomenech4976]

One of the best sounding bands ever. Every instrument sounds like it's own band.

[@nycfunk]

Loved the video. You've expressed my own sentiments when breaking down songs, yet you were able to elucidate your points in a broader more comprehensive manner giving the listener of both the classroom environment and the personal/familiar vernacular. I look forward to more of these videos.

[@minermike61]

2019 and Aja is still one of my most played and favorite albums. When it came out, my brother had me listen to the whole thing and then broke it down for me with chord progressions. We have both been musicians since we were little kids and this is still one of the most distinct recordings I've ever heard.

[@Cerebro13]

Love steely dan ,I thought I was only one that tested speakers with them .haha

[@davedial1412]

This is as good a video as I have ever seen on KZbin. Here's the part where a KZbin commenter strokes his ego and tells you about your inadequacies, how you've come up short here and here and here and how I am so much better because of this knowledge or that experience. The fact is .. I've never seen the subject matter ever covered any better and I don't know how you could compose or perform something superior to this. Simply the best I have ever seen.

[@albertmora4290]

Thanks for creating and posting this wonderful video about this magnificent masterpiece - one of many by Steely Dan.

[@JewandGreek]

This is awesome. I've never heard most of this stuff, but it perfectly captures what SD was doing musically and lyrically. Thumbs up!

[@MrRichiekaye]

Well-stated and presented. Not your average KZbin video.

[@richeyrose121]

this video is the best thing i've ever seen on the internet

[@raystro71]

BRAVO!!! It’s great to see others appreciate Steely Dan as I do! I’ve always wanted to see a breakdown of this music like this! Kudos!

[@garyhope2]

Thank you SO much for this lesson about "Deacon Blues",...probably my favorite Steely Dan song. I particularly like the line "they've got a name for the winners of the world, I, I want a name when I lose",...breaks my heart. I cry when I hear that line. Thank you again. And a P.S.,.....I also like the Ramones very much. It's OK to like different stuff or a variety of music. Let's throw a little JS Bach in there too. I could go on and on.

[@aybee63]

Damn this is brilliant!! Has a kind of Anthony Bourdain feel to it. Well written, well researched, well done!

[@ayrtonsilva316]

I FUCKING love this channel

[@petermetothomassen1205]

+From: Uma Mente Pós-Moderna I fucking LOVE this channel

[@sc8erboi]

+Peter Meto Thomassen I fucking love THIS channel

[@eggsaviator1224]

+Abdul I fucking love this CHANNEL

[@neemo23571]

+xavier curney I FUCKING LOVE this channel

[@matthewkiely2516]

+neemo23571 I LUCKING FOVE this channel

[@noahbawdy3395]

You can never go wrong litening to Steely Dan. Nothing else like them.

[@DennisJohnsonDrummer]

I have Steely Dan's hits on a CD and play it four days a week in my car on the way to and from work. Playing the drum parts on my steering wheel has become a warm up for my day as a private music teacher. Great music and very nostalgic for me.

[@mikedavey1996]

Black Cow (and FM) was my introduction to Steely Dan, both got a lot of airplay when I was a teenager. I love Deacon Blues, but my favourite of Steely Dan is Hey Nineteen. Fantastic on good headphones.

[@paisleyprincess7996]

Mike Davey Do it again is my fav. It just is so truthful and honest

[@ragingriccor9999]

Yes. Hey Nineteen is one of the best sounding songs to play on a new set of speakers.

[@pjg9463]

"Donald Fagen (Speaker): A mu chord - and now I’m getting technical - is a major triad with an added second. It was very popular in the mid-sixties."

[@emilegeorge6225]

Deacon Blues has been my all time Steely Dan favourite since i discovered the band. The beautiful combination of music and lyrics creates a sad melacholic mood that cuts deep. You can almost feel what the narrator feels. A true masterpiece.

[@Orangelemonblue]

Dude, i love that you did a video on Steely Dan.

[@Owenactor]

awesome! I played in a soul cover band years ago, and we did our own version of Peg... easiest verses ever, most difficult chorus ever.

[@lesl6145]

Appreciate the breakdown, good job. I was hooked when Can't Buy A Thrill came out. They seemed to get better and better. I saw The Doobie Bros 3 times in early seventies and the Dan twice together. Now in 2018 bucket list to see The Living Dangerously Tour. A lot of the players have passed, but it will be like driving a classic muscle car again.

[@stevecaranci2463]

Nobody poured more into their music than Steely Dan they were at another level. Their songs should be in a time -capsule because they are timeless.

[@realpawl]

Well done Man, this is incredibly good work. We are kindred spirits, I really loved this, and played it back and for just to really sink it in. I cannot easily put it into words what SD means to me, suffice to say they were/are a MASSIVE part of the soundtrack to my life. I wish you peace and love. Paul.

[@henryraymond8676]

Christ there ain't no better lyrics than the Dan. Let's face it they are not only catchy but they make you think. They raised the bar for many bands and people who still struggle to play this type of music and hit those notes and phrases. A true musicians music but with pop appeal - amazing.

[@xebio6]

Agree 100%, the balancing act between complexity (both musical and lyrical) and pop hooks sets them apart from most other bands.

[@FCCZJ1903]

I had listened to Deacon Blues a few times befoe, but never with this level of attention. That was an awesome video. I completely agree with the literary quality of the lyrics, especially the chorus. The "die behind the wheel" part is hauntingly beautiful and so poetic. I think the feeling a passage like that evokes is what so many poets try to do but not many achieve.

[@alrrgee]

+FCCZJ1903 This aspect of the lyrics keeps me returning to the Dan discography

[@jimcontreras5524]

My favorite Steely Dan tune! Such complex chords! Still trying to learn it. This is one of those songs that really stretches your fingers on the keyboard!

[@mattheweernisse1963]

Really nice work with this deep-dive. Thank you for this!

[@jeffreysherman2574]

I started learning this song in the early 90s. It took years for me to finally get it into a presentable form. After that I took on Aja. It took me nearly as long. It seems silly to spend so much time and effort on a single tune. But in retrospect these two songs had a great deal to do with making me the player I became.

[@paint9er]

You're made for Ted! Break a leg, nerdwriter!

[@BeCurieUs]

+paint9er Nah, he has to much real substance for a TED talk :D

[@paint9er]

OHHHH burn

[@RogerBarraud]

+Christopher Willis Now now, steady on old chap... ;-)

[@I-Libertine]

This is one of the most convincing little pieces of music crit I've seen in a bit. Lovely. Thanks for making this and enhancing my appreciation of this song.

[@ketchup5344]

This is one of the songs I live my entire life by. Here in UK a band even named themselves after this song. Brilliant review by the way-Steely would be proud of you.👍

[@nowhere3252]

excellent analysis. Thank you

[@chai773]

A beautiful tribute to one of the world's most remarkable songs, produced by one of the world's most remarkable bands. RIP Walter Becker.

[@artestra]

The horns and sax in the long outro makes me cry.. this song is so beautiful

[@cristinacandy496]

First off, Steely Dan is my all-time favorite band. Their music is timeless. As a keyboard player I enjoy playing their material and would love to play in a SD cover band just for the joy of it. I was pleasantly surprised by your insightful commentary. Excellent piece which has moved me to sub to your channel. Can't wait to dive into the rest of your vids. Keep up the great work fellow nerd.

[@Billfish57]

Show me a Dan hater and I'll show you someone that has never played music.

[@bilbobaggins4710]

Too bad it was prolifically played in dentists offices and elevators....Kinda ruins it for me today

[@robertmaybeth3434]

...or listened to it for that matter

[@giveitathink6749]

@@robertmaybeth3434 Go on...

[@billstoye3628]

Or they don’t realize what they’re hearing ~

[@minermike61]

@@bilbobaggins4710 I can't say that I don't know what you mean. I was at my grocery store about a year ago and I heard Ozzy playing as if he were shopping music. I like Ozzy but not while I'm shopping for Veal.

[@cseeger1]

I love Steely Dan. I know the words to practically every song. I was one of the few to see them live in the early 70s. They've been my favorite band ever since. I also like Fagan's solo work (Becker's, um no). I saw them twice on their '93 reunion tour and it was like a religious gathering of devotees both times. Then saw them again last year (2015) and it was as if Houston was under a hurricane evacuation and used Woodlands Pavilion. as a staging area for nursing home residents. I know that Fagan and Becker were pretentious assholes in their smug twenties. I know the story of Jerome Aniton, their erstwhile truck driver who they made emcee because he was a drunk and kept crashing the truck. I know they hijacked an existing band then starved out the others who could perform but could not write and they preferred only the latter knowing full well what they were doing. Of course I know the dildo thing. And yet after 40 years as an ardent fan I discover, just now in fact, that I don't know dick about the meanings of their songs. I swear to God I thought this song was about a guy who was already a drunk sax player, defiant against traditional roles, and refused to acquiese. I saw myself that way and would sing "CALL ME DEACON BLUES" at the top of my lungs in solidarity with the cavalier attitude. I'm sure I told others much the same thing when the tune was playing in my car and we were passing a joint around in route to yet another club. I thought "Everyone's Gone to the Movies" was about a creepy pedophile neighbor and that "Cousin Dupree" was his cross town equal. I thought "Daddy Don't Live In that New York City" was the sequel to "Deacon Blues" even though it was written earlier, ya know like Star Wars Films. I thought "Haitian Divorce" was about a Haitian Divorce and that "Do It Again" was about the curse of having a dick. Yet, I'm reminded about the couple of times I've read their lyrics off the back of an album just to pass time and some other band was performing background noise duty while i waited on my girlfriend to render herself as "fuck me pretty" as she could get for Fri/Sat nights on the town. This odd feeling came over me because I couldn't relate to the words I was reading without the context of the music. The lyrics seemed trite, amateurish even. It was a disquieting feeling and one I've never shared until just now. But, apparently, it wasn't them, it was me, the clever dullard, the Steely Dan Fan Wannabe. That is something I never would have thought possible. ~sigh~ Thanks for ruining my lfe.

[@MrMcrRed]

cseeger1 this ain't Dan, but, nevertheless, brilliant, it is

[@ricosuave6898]

If I'm not mistaken, Book of Liars is a Becker solo song; that's a good tune.

[@paisleyprincess7996]

cseeger1 I’ve been a fan since I was a teenager and I think with the Dan THEY know the meaning, but it’s WE the listeners who take what they’re singing and figure it out for ourselves. That’s the cryptic nature of the group...They’re going to stick it to you but they’re going to be assholes about it by making you think. So you may think Haitian Divorce is about a quick annulment, but what it’s really about is how a chick gets knocked up by a Haitian and Hence the divorce. That’s what makes them classic

[@paisleyprincess7996]

cseeger1 I too saw the Dan just a few months ago. I’m 44, and at that concert felt like I was at Seniors day at the MN state fair.

[@TheFossie12]

And SD’s The Bear, wonderful tune if you can find it. ..... Just finished Fagen’s Eminent Hipsters for the 4th time. Like SD’s music, this crazy little autobiography just gets more & more interesting ....sweet salty an dry. The dusty insights are free

[@joncampos5551]

My parents gave me a quadraphonic stereo for Christmas and I would lay on the floor with the speakers surrounding my ears. This song always sounded the best, especially at the intro when the piano notes would travel from one speaker to another. Miss those days.

[@skoolie_life3261]

This is one of my all time favorite songs. Now I love it even more! Thanks for the analysis.