STEELY DAN FIRST TIME COUPLE REACTION to Show Biz Kids | MM Strikes Again!

[@michelemichele3375]

It can be called repetitious or “hypnotic groove” - similar to a mantra or chant. Does anyone else get Nilsson’s “Put the Lime in the Coconut” vibe? Scathing lyrics. Thanks N&L. Great reaction - you’ve got your Steely Dan T-shirts - outrageous! Love all the comments too - diverse and insightful. Appreciate you all. ❤️‍🔥 Also, Peg was 1st and while I begged you not to give up on Steely Dan, I didn’t start the love fest but I’ve had my own love affair for years. Congrats! 56k! Yay! 🎉 🎈 ❤️

[@JKonstage]

I first discovered Nicknlex through the Peg video, and am so glad you kept the ball rolling all this time, Michele. I love and share your musical tastes beyond Steely Dan too! I was wondering who would be the one to request this song after all this time. Seems appropriate it was you!

[@michelemichele3375]

@@JKonstage❤️‍🔥

[@rosemarypugliese2984]

Thanks for the SD support

[@michelemichele3375]

@@rosemarypugliese2984 ❤️‍🔥

[@scottanderson8420]

I can hear the lime in coconuts in this dark LA groove mocking the mindless rich as they grind the poor into desperation. It’s a masterpiece in my mind. Less is more sometimes but with Steely Dan it is still a rich carpet of sound plus an F 💣. 🤪😜😍. A great request as always Michele.

[@61hink]

They got the Steely Dan tee-shirts!!

[@irenesnyder1819]

And for the coup de grâce, they're outrageous!

[@ThisisMrBigs]

Alexia had great timing there showing the T shirt

[@clivejones1152]

Making movies of themselves

[@robertjewell9727]

Nick! The reason this song is so good is because Steely Dan always matches the music to the subject matter and the underlying subject matter here is that between the rich and the poor nothing ever changes and in the song's musical interpretation in the chord Am7 never changes. The whole song is one chord while Fagen's voice rises and falls in a kind of plea for something to change while the background voices are driving steadily with obsessive repetition. It's pure genius. And Alexi that's the best air guitar ever!

[@mattgarfinkle978]

Spot on

[@jploev]

Excellent analysis! 🔥

[@mauriciodelarosa2449]

The status quo unfortunately.

[@lukekiefer5964]

That is fascinating! I always knew there was a genius to this song but I could never put my finger on it. My head has been cracked open haha

[@CuriousGeorge1111]

Agreed. And SD, always the observers, have had a taste of success, and the show biz kids that come along with it. And they're annoying and repetitious. And I guess they go to Las Vegas? (lost wages, as coined by comedian Lenny Bruce)

[@420johnas]

This is my favorite Steely Dan song. I remember going to parties and clubs dancing to this song. It's a very cool song

[@johncagnettajr344]

The repeated refrain sung by the female backing singers says, "You go to Lost Wages, Lost Wages," sung to sound vaguely like "Las Vegas." It was inspired by a joke from comedian Lenny Bruce, who was a major influence on the band's lyrical outlook. From Songfacts

[@paulkirk9168]

Hi NicknLex, glad you have got around to Showbiz Kids at last, scathing lyrics & great slide guitar from Rick Derringer. They got the Steely Dan T-Shirts is a great line considering it was only their second album as well & what an album not a bad track on it imo. Loving the shirts & waiting for your Caves of Altamira one lol!

[@carrielanegruselle3519]

I'm one of the old folks who have listened to them throughout their career it's been amazing how over time I have learned to love every single song! Some took me a while, but they were worth the wait! Thank you thank you for promoting the Dan!

[@mxkguitar]

This is slide guitar heaven! That's the main instrument in this song. Gives the song that funky chillax sound.

[@johnlylemusic]

“Pearl of the Quarter” is a BEAUTIFUL song, and one of the few true Steely Dan love songs! 👍🏼🎸🎼❤️😎

[@steelyd2]

Written about a prostitute but still a love song

[@johnlylemusic]

@@steelyd2 yes!

[@astrosjer822]

50 years later this song is still great and lyrics are still relevant. It should have been a bigger hit than it was! “Going to Lost Wages” indeed! And guys that is a pun on Las Vegas!

[@tonywtyt]

I can't believe you hadn't done this one yet! I like this tune a lot, with a catchy groove.

[@stanleymerritt4722]

Probably my favorite Steely Dan track. The guitar is so good!!

[@astrosjer822]

The one and only Skunk Baxter

[@raiderfan346]

Michele Michele treats us all again! ❤ What a good looking couple in their Steely Dan gear. 🔥

[@darlenej.maloney4955]

I grew up listening to Steely Dan. Every note and every word they wrote is permanently etched into my brain. Especially the guitar solos. Jeff Skunk Baxter, Larry Carlton...etc. And all the session musicians in between. They are one of the most brilliant bands on the planet. I was so very sad when Walter Becker died. They wrote a song called Barrytown (on the album Pretzel Logic) They went to school in Tarrytown, NY which is right near me. They changed the name of the town in the song to Barrytown. LOL Like they were fooling anyone! Thank you for loving them!! As a side note: I think you need to give a listen to the band Sparks. :-) Keep the videos and great music coming!

[@Skylarking00]

This song was a staple of their live performances in the early 70s. Fagen has said Countdown was mostly written while they were heavily touring and the songs were written to be played live. Which many from the album were.

[@pauldaniels2019]

This is one of my favorite Steely Dan songs, from my favorite SD album. The Rick Derringer slide guitar is great. Back then, when it was brand new, I remember hearing it on L A FM radio - it was the first time I heard "the f word" on the radio (this was years before "Who Are You").

[@johnlylemusic]

In most songs, there is tension and release. In this song, the tension never really gets released, so it’s edgy the whole way through, but that’s kind of the point. The only “release“ (if you can call it that) is when they finally launch into the “show business kids making movies of themselves“ part, because it finally gets you to the meat of the matter.

[@jploev]

Brilliant analysis. Thank you!!! 🔥 Never knew what I was actually experiencing with this for nearly fifty years!

[@JKonstage]

Sounds right to me too.

[@bmac1205]

Amazing how you’re still going through the Dan catalog.

[@ronleight9341]

There is a great version of this song when SD was on The Midnight Special back in '73. It can be found on YT. HIGHLY RECOMMEND

[@bmac1205]

You definitely did do ‘My Old School’ There’s a line, ‘Oh No, Guadalajara won’t do’ That you both picked up on.

[@albertsmith9315]

How meta was that in '73..."Got your Steely Dan T-shirt...." Always loved this song since I bought the 8-Track tape in the day.

[@lantose]

Tell me you had a Pioneer tape deck!

[@jploev]

Mega Meta! 😬

[@danl.909]

This album is outstanding because it was not created with the same insane attention to detail in the studio of later albums. It was done in a hurry, and I think that adds a quality of spontaneity missing in succeeding SD albums. It’s my 3rd favorite SD album, right up there with _The Royal Scam_ and _Aja._

[@JKonstage]

Thank you, Michele! A long wait for this one! And yes, Steely Dan did a two chord song, believe it or not. Rick Derringer on lead guitar. And yes, Nick and Lex, you did Razor Boy a couple of months ago. And you both loved it!

[@astrosjer822]

Derringer and Skunk Baxter

[@MichaelTrogdon1990]

The backing vocals on “Show Biz Kids” are by Jim Hodder, the drummer. He also sang lead vocals on “Midnite Cruiser” from CBAT. Also, Peg was your first Steely Dan reaction then The Caves of Altamira.

[@astrosjer822]

One of your best vids. Great group and song

[@adamp2029]

One of my favorites! And from my favorite album of theirs. And I made that comment a while back about the t-shirts. Although others probably did as well. 😁

[@johnlylemusic]

The groove on Show Biz Kids could easily be lifted and sampled for a hip-hop tune, it’s that good!

[@johncassidy3071]

One of my favorite Dan tunes. "I detect the El Supremo, in the room at the top of the stairs"

[@danielmccann8325]

Hi Nick I remembered a reaction you did where you said, you could hear donald fagen sing over one chord and you would like it. I couldn't remember where that was but someone asked about your King of the world in this comment section I went back and listened to that post and there it was. Had to laugh a posterwrote at the time from 6 months ago, hklinker"If you want to hear Donald Fagen sing over one chord, I guess it’s time to listen to Show Biz Kids."

[@JKonstage]

And you did My Old School too! Getting to be too many to keep track!

[@jimhardiman3836]

You guys actually reacted to the lyrics (almost) for once. Bravo!

[@jimled50jl49]

Hi guys, there are few exceptions but as a rule whenever I listen to Steely Dan I put on an album and play the entire album, so you get the variety of the tracks. This track is very repetative, but I never really separated it from the album like this. It's not a track I would pick out to play as an individual play, but within the album it works well. Great when you are doing something, like preparing food for a meal, or just general tidying, and you find yourself moving in time to the repetitions. Of course we all know how much you love Steely Dan, and Lex liked the track, and was indeed moving to the beat, and remembered the song played live, but Nick didn't, and I must applaud Nick for 'always' remaining true to himself, and his need for honesty with this reaction. Thankyou ! byeee Jim X

[@mauriciodelarosa2449]

This is a great song and yes Nick this song will grow on you. 👍🏽

[@danl.909]

Any day Nick & Lex do Steely Dan is a happy day! Yay!

[@Sander12348]

Hey guys! Always a great time when you do the Dan! By the way, Peg was the first one you did and then I was the one who suggested The Caves of Altamira. And the rest is history. 😊 Anyway I had the same experience as you, Nick. To me this song was very repetitive the first listens, but now I love the vibe. And the fade-out at the end with harmonica and screaming is pure chaos and fun.

[@nancygarreaud1534]

In all my travels as the facts unravel. Brilliant

[@scottanderson8420]

At Last ! Show Biz NicknLex making reactions of themselves and they care lot about everybody else. Nice one Michelle 🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸 Go Rick Derringer on slide.

[@jploev]

🤓

[@debrabrabenec]

❤️ your "tribute!"

[@scottanderson8420]

Thanks Debra you’re the Queen of the World (as far as I know)

[@debrabrabenec]

@@scottanderson8420 Awww!🙂

[@richarddobson815]

Nice one Scott! You beat me to it lol

[@stevenesfield]

Thank you finally been asking for months 😂😂😂

[@nancygarreaud1534]

One of my first listening SD - still remember the canyon in Utah where I was when I heard this on the radio.

[@mattgarfinkle978]

Just like while the poor people sleepin with the shade on the light while the stars come out at night = the rich will be rich and the poor will be poor and that will never change, THE FREAKING SONG NEVER CHANGES. 🧑‍🍳💋

[@ljw5768]

In the days before internet me and my mates used to argue about what the backing singers were singing. It was years before we found it was ‘going to Lost Wages’. My worst guess was ‘hot swing hips’.

[@Cotictimmy]

Brit Steely Dan fan here. I first heard them in 1976 when I was 15 & Haitian Divorce was a hit on the BBC (maybe it was on Top of the Pop.) I luv Show Biz Kids - it’s got an hard edge to it like Do It Again. Ps Luv the T-Shirts! ❤

[@steelyd2]

During the ending chaos you can hear someone say “hey, isn’t this the band that’s looking for a new lead singer?”

[@Skunk-420]

Every Album is a progression. I don’t know if many other bands can do this. It’s like they were both looking for ultimate perfection maybe?

[@paulrom446]

They got the Steely Dan T-Shirts!

[@davidmaholchic6146]

Can’t believe you guys still have Steely Dan songs love you love them

[@frankpentangeli7945]

This is in my top 10 Steely Dan songs (along with Any Major Dude Will Tell You, Your Gold Teeth, Black Friday, The Royal Scam, Aja, Don't Take Me Alive, Fire in the Hole, Dirty Work and Do It Again). It is repetitive for a reason ... almost like a chant or a mantra. Don't dismiss it too quickly.

[@stevenesfield]

Still got the albums MORPH THE CAT / two against nature / and every thing must go albums to discover guys So looking forward to your reactions I know you’ll have a Dantastic experience ❤

[@JohnNewkirk1]

Love your channel! SD is my all time favorite band! My son lives in Denver and I visit a couple times each year. I will have to see Citizen Dan next time I'm out there. Thanks for letting us know!

[@NicknLex]

Thank you for the kind words and support! ❤️

[@bd200]

I've been a SD fan since they first released CBAT... I am looking forward for you both to react to their last two albums 'Two Against Nature' and 'Everything Must Go'. ... Then, onto Donalds solo work (personal fan of his last 'Sunken Condos'). ... Thanks for the Dan injection.

[@lantose]

Like others have commented on Rick Derringer’s slide guitar show which is pretty phenomenal as it plays off almost every line of the song, and then you will start hearing some of the more intricate parts of the song and I’ve gotten to kinda cancel out the repetitiveness of Lost Wages listening to the other parts and the story of the song itself. The girls did, a few times slip in the word “Las Vegas” which you can distinctly hear, which was revealed by Donald in an interview talking about Lenny Bruce who had made a joke about going to Las Vegas and losing wages.

[@mickeyd6444]

First comment!! WTG Michele!! Love Rick Derringer on the slide, but love seeing Nick and Lex together, listening to SD and rockin' the SD t-shirts even more!

[@radixverum1940]

New subscriber who's been catching up on your reactions to the music of my favourite band - Steely Dan. I've seen you asking about requests for Walter Becker's solo stuff so here's one. 😊 I agree with you that Donald's music sounds very much like Steely Dan, which mostly is not the case with Walter's music. It's more intimate and less jazzy. I would be hestitant to take this to mean that Donald was the dominant one in SD (I've actually heard people make the opposite claim). Personally, I've always had the impression that they were a true tandem - two very talented musicians and songwriters that were perfectly in tune with each other. Apart from the scaled-down arrangements, another thing which makes WB's music even more distinct from SD is of course that we get to hear Walter singing the lead vocals. He has a good voice - cool and a little raspy which goes perfectly with his slightly more bluesy music. My favourite WB songs are "Down In The Bottom" from the album "11 Tracks of Whack" and "Paging Audrey" from the album "Circus Money".

[@ljw5768]

Two other songs were recorded during the Can't Buy a Thrill sessions but were left off the album and released as a single: "Dallas" and "Sail the Waterway".

[@willasacco9898]

I think that the repetition may have been to hit you in the face with the message, an indictment of the entertainment industry, as one commenter noted below. On the LP, the liner notes stated that this was their report card from the west coast.

[@strategicplanetxmuzik4384]

......'lost wages' is the nickname for Las Vegas, the city you go to when you want to lose your wages.... 😇

[@admiral37]

Check out the cover of this song done by Rickie Lee Jones, with background vocals by Joe Jackson.

[@mainmanjimmiblue]

That's Rick Derringer on slide guitar.

[@mikehamme514]

I was a senior in h.s. When this album came out,every song is killer!!

[@ronnie6613]

Hey Guys, Haitian Divorce, is My favourite Steely Dan Song, closely followed by Kid Charmaine. Keep Rockin'🎸🎸 RONNIE Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@NicknLex]

One of the few songs we didn't get on video. We love Haitian Divorce! That talk box solo is just so amazing and the lyrics are the best!

[@ronnie6613]

@@NicknLex Thanks Guys 🙂🤗 The Royal Scam and Gaucho, are great Albums. Absolutely love Hey Nineteen and Babylon Sisters. RONNIE 🎸🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🎸 Keep Rockin'🎸📀🎹

[@michelemichele3375]

@@NicknLexYou’ve reacted to Haitian Divorce on your Royal Scam Trilogy (New Years Eve Marathon) with Green Earrings and Don’t Take Ne Alive - brilliant! Hugs 🤗

[@danielmccann8325]

I felt the same at first with the repetition, took me a while to grow to appreciate it. I think it is las wages it a term for Las Vegas. By the way, the only other Steely Dan adjacent song with the F bomb is on Walter beckers solo album, track is called Junkie girl.

[@paulreeves9288]

I thought they alternated between Las Vegas and "Lost Wages", a cynical take on the gambling industry.

[@kltan7261]

Rickie Lee Jones did a cover of this song with more F bombs in the lyrics...

[@danielmccann8325]

@@kltan7261 DId not know that one, thanks.

[@debrabrabenec]

@@kltan7261 Yep, with Joe Jackson!

[@danielmccann8325]

@@kltan7261 Just checked it out, that's a cool remake. by RLJ.

[@RandyHall324]

An amazing jam with just a single chord throughout!

[@debrabrabenec]

Great honest reaction, which is what we love about y'all! I'm sure this one will grow on you, Nick, as it did on me and others. For me, the repetition is a "groove." Now you can listen to Rickie Lee Jones and Joe Jackson's version- they did it up right! Always looking forward to the next Steely Dan song or marathon! 🎵❤️🎵 Debbie

[@JKonstage]

Those are both great versions too!

[@marksnelson]

Some great tracks to consider: from Two Against Nature - Almost Gothic and West of Hollywood; and from Fagen’s Morph The Cat - The Night Belongs To Mona

[@danielmccann8325]

These are excellent selections. In my opinion, these belong up with the best of SD.

[@toddmichelfelder3417]

Love this!!👏👏

[@jaredsearle4278]

Try Bodhisattva. The first solo is one of my favorites.

[@smartin807]

Arguably Steely Dan's Biggest comercial hit!!

[@mjmisp]

That is Rick Derringer playing the slide guitar on this track. Truly a remarkable piece!

[@joevonnegut6702]

thank you. I always thought it was Skunk Baxter or perhaps Denny Dias. Always loved this track.

[@genecase9464]

The first 4 albums definently had a different feel to them then the 3 that followed. Just like early Doobie Bros had a different sound then their later efforts did. It's all good, just different. When you get to Pearl Of The Quarter IMO it sounds like it could have been an early Eagles song. I can "hear" Joe Walsh singing it. Still waiting for "My Rival' off Gaucho and Fagens remake of "Ruby Baby" from The Nightfly. Happy Valentines Day!

[@jossoaktree]

Woooot !!!!!! The Dan !!!!!! ❤️

[@triscat]

Disaffected east coast dudes taking the piss out of the shallow LA scene. A recurring theme for the lads. I always feel that SD's more straight-ahead rockers, like this one, act as perfect counterpoints to their more jazzier inclinations. It feels like one of Don and Walter's angriest songs (maybe even with some self-loathing?). Like one you'd write with a hangover. Sometimes you just have to say it straight.

[@jossoaktree]

I think y'all are going to love this song. (Pearl is one of my favorites) ❤️

[@Ibanezed210]

This song is an outright indictment of the entertainment industry who trips over each other trying to bring attention to certain societal causes but at the same time forgetting the causes they championed and thus leaving certain disadvantaged people behind while bringing the focus to others.

[@kevinlakeman5043]

Umm...I'm pretty certain it is not that at all.

[@14gilbertst]

Speaking of Mark.........have you ever heard the recording he made for the soundtrack to the movie, Cal? (It's beautiful.)

[@bmac1205]

Any Major Dude & Major Dudette are back!!!

[@indubitably5915]

The reason it’s hard to understand the backup’s lyrics is because half are saying “lost wages” and the other half are saying “Los Vegas”. I read this in an article somewhere.

[@61hink]

I think Citizen Dan did Razor Boy on the show that you live streamed if I'm not mistaken. It's a great song and Pearl of the Quarter is too, IMO.

[@billwalbek1911]

Alexia hit the nail on the head. Having grown up listing to the band morph was way different than say, starting at Aja and working from there. I remember thinking in 1977 wow these guys are really changing things up! Not for worse, for different. The guys were so diverse, with so much vision, having had SO much influence from great artists of the past, I think this is what makes them as great as they are. In a word incomparable.

[@CaryOn11]

Might sound repetitious because it only has one chord! (Am7 ) Leave it to SD to try this. Great reaction. Thanks.

[@bmac1205]

List on the Community page what SD songs from which albums are still outstanding so the Dan Crew can sponsor songs to complete albums

[@if6wuzz9]

“Lost Wages” (as in Las Vegas)

[@jimcole9751]

Rick Derringer on slide formally of the McCoy's Hang on sloopy andEdgar Winter group .when they were looking for a slide player Rick was the only one that could read music that they interviewed. He wrote Rock & Roll Hoochie - Coo

[@thomassicard3733]

Pearl of the Quarter is sublime.

[@mikeloomis687]

Here in Cali...Lost Wages = Las Vegas.

[@jml-rj5re]

One of the few times Donald Fagen's vocals have significant compression on them. They usually go for a dry recording.

[@muchospantaloons]

the first song .. if adrian belew jumped in and played that noisy guitar it could be a talkingheads tune

[@debrabrabenec]

Belew🙂

[@muchospantaloons]

@@debrabrabenec oops gonna fix it

[@mr.snicker-doodles7081]

Guys please do "King of the world"!! On of The Dan's most underapprreciated songs...EVER!

[@NicknLex]

Here it is kzbin.info/www/bejne/qXPJaGRvrtx5g5Y

[@AdventureswithRayMoe]

RICK DERRINGER again on Guitar!!!!.....Fagan and Becker loved him!!

[@berneroberland]

With Josie this is the best song of SD, for me...amazing rithmn & rift

[@hklinker]

Interesting - is there actually a question of whether SD got what they wanted from Mark Knopfler? There’s an iconic and significant guitar part from him on TOOM.

[@NicknLex]

Time out of mind is the song I am talking about. I think they didn't use his full potential on the track. That's just mho.

[@hklinker]

TOOM = Time Out Of Mind😉. Is less more? I think of Knopfler right away when I consider the song. If you’re wondering about what SD created but never used, wait until you hear the many entire tracks recorded for Gaucho that never showed up on any official releases.

[@jml-rj5re]

Razor Boy is fantastic. Latin groove. Jazzy.

[@CuriousGeorge1111]

Great seeing you doing Steely Dan again, and yes, please do Time Out Of Mind. Despite the Mark Knopfler fracas, it is an absolutely fantastic song, IMO, one of their best. If you haven't done it, I recommend The Nightfly. I consider it equal to my favorite SD albums: Royal Scam, Aja, and Gaucho. Be well, you're kind of like family now. :)

[@argelbargel7680]

They got the Steely Dan t-shirt . . .

[@mrbass617]

Lost Wages is a pun on Las Vegas

[@andreweaves7975]

Michelle Michelle has it going on….Saw Steely Dan twice in California both times with skunk Baxter….Top-of-the-line outstanding group and hang in there lex because Steely Dan has tons of horns.

[@TZ61]

My favorite Steely Dan album. The rough edges weren't polished off yet.

[@davidnorman4923]

Great guitar by Rick Derringer!

[@histubeness]

Rikki Lee Jones does an amazing version of this from her "It's Like This" album. And it's a great audio system demo track, too.

[@guyelmouchnino6531]

I heard that cover months ago. Great interpretation by Ricky Lee Jones.

[@francisbowman8702]

I listened to it as it came out and at first I didn’t care all that much for Aja, gaucho , etc., but then liked them more. Kind of like you in reverse. Keep listening

[@VIDSTORAGE]

Pearl of The Quarter is a good one ..