Steely Dan 1997 interview - Aja 20th Anniversary on "In The Studio"

Here's Walter Becker and Donald Fagen of Steely Dan being interviewed (by someone named "Redbeard") for the "In The Studio" program on the Album Network. The interview was commemorating the 20th anniversary of the release of Aja. First broadcast on September 1, 1997.
File found on the website Steely Dan Interzone. Not the highest bitrate recording, but it's all we got!
Enjoy!

[@promerops]

RIP Walter, your dry wit is sadly missed. Informative stuff from both of the partners. Thanks.

[@tracylf5409]

I love the thumbnail/main photo. You two were/are the f*cking sh*t! Now, in 2020-- STILL then coolest/best. And I like all music-- SD was simply sublime.

[@pretorious700]

Walter was not a good jazz guitarist, but he was an outstanding whatever he was guitarist.

[@rorshakks]

"Someone" named Redbeard? He's done countless interviews.

[@sasha6009]

Redbeard was a DJ in Dallas for Q102 in the 80s. Maybe into the 90s, can't remember. He was part of that time period when having a great 'voice for radio' meant you could be successful

[@KDFRxpo2]

I remember that guy. Preferred Q-102 over KZEW too.

[@nicholasfox966]

It was only after seeing the iconic thumbnail pic of this video 100 times that I noticed the elderly gentleman in the background. What is he doing? Playing a piano of some sort? Who the hell is that? What was that man doing in a room with the leaders of Steely Dan?

[@brucecall1595]

You can be a fan of jazz and not know it. Be careful with thelonius monk.......it's maddening.🤪

[@houstonharwood7197]

Here's the original Rolling Stone review of Aja: www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/aja-204565/

[@sv3931]

I remember reading that back in the day. I wore this album out... and bought it again. Still, I listen to it with a sly grin, like spending time with an old friend who has shared the secrets.

[@basscubs]

lol.. love the barney kessel mention.

[@jandekker6055]

Nice. Even the somewhat cheesy v/o. Interesting that Walter described himself as 'formerly' of Steely Dan, even though they were back on the road under that name by the time this came out. Also, they say (not for the first time) that their pictures weren't on the covers of the albums. Not the front cover, maybe, but on most of the sleeves they're there somewhere. All except Can't Buy a Thrill and Gaucho, as far as I recall. Maybe the label insisted.

[@ChrisInNashville]

The band is pictured on the inside of the original ABC Records gatefold of the LP for Can't Buy A Thrill.

[@tiluriso]

A lot of their replies on this interview are in print, verbatim, in Brian Sweet's SD biography, 'Reelin' In The Years'

[@DowntownCanon]

That's all Sweet knew how to do. Compile quotes from other sources.

[@sergeruffles1380]

Wow

[@tiluriso]

@@DowntownCanon Actually he had no choice. If you read the foreword on Sweet's book, he states something like '...for reasons best known only to themselves, Becker and Fagen declined to be interviewed for this book, despite numerous requests...'

[@DowntownCanon]

@@tiluriso Understood. But at the end of the day, all you have is a Reader's Digest compilation of stuff written about Steely Dan.

[@tiluriso]

@@DowntownCanon I still say there's plenty of cool info and insight about the making of those great records in that book which you refer to as a 'Reader's Digest compilation'.

[@Jlumia1984]

I just wish i knew what album they were referring to in this interview

[@sv3931]

Aja

[@ThePoehladian]

🔥Gold🔥

[@ryanand154]

Why aren’t they the Rock & Roll Hall o’ Fame?

[@robcrozier1692]

44 years now

[@andyinoregon]

As much as they may have disliked touring in the '70s, how upset would Becker & Fagen have been if their jazz heroes had stopped performing live in their prime. I had to live off of the memories of one live show in 1974 for more than 20 years before I saw them again. If computer file-sharing and CD burners hadn't killed record sales in the '90s, they may never have resumed touring.