Steve Gadd: The DRUM SOLO That Changed Popular Music

In this episode I discuss how Steve Gadd changed Pop music with his drum solo on Steely Dan's Aja.
#stevegadd #drumsolo #steelydan
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[@soyounoat]

I remember when Aja was released in late 1977. I was 16 years old, and was surrounded by people with great musical taste, and so Aja was being cued up often. Being young, I just accepted that music like this was *normal*. As years passed and I ventured into learning about music and playing instruments, the majesty and complexity of Aja, and Steely Dan in general, was gradually revealed to me. My respect and awe has grown for it ever since.

[@johnjill3900]

same here, same age as you. Took years to really appreciate if fully. It still grows to this day.

[@libertyvilleguy2903]

Agreed - I was 14 when Aja was released, and liked it a lot. But wasn’t old enough to appreciate how truly other-worldly it is. A work of art.

[@fredgien]

I am from 1951. In my teen years I have been spoiled, wonderful music was everywhere. Little did I know that would come to an end. Luckily we now have Tailor Swift 🥹….

[@jeffw2228]

@@fredgien I couldn’t even tell you the name of any of Taylor Swift’s songs. I’m not upset either. 😑

[@lbowsk]

I was hooked by Steely Dan the first time I heard Reeling in the Years on Can't Buy a Thrill.

[@jashton8710]

Steely Dan was a genre of music and they were the sole occupants. A brilliant collaboration of rock, jazz and blues.

[@letty5515]

Um hmm.

[@lesmoore6912]

I agree!

[@romo2674]

@@letty5515 hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[@letty5515]

@@romo2674 what r you doing? Nin com poop. I don't feel like spell checking. Eat your milk and cookies and go to bed. Night night.

[@romo2674]

@@letty5515 "Nin com poop"

[@masonaxenty4869]

Aja is hands down the greatest album of all time. The amount of pure talent and musicianship put into these 7 songs is absolutely phenomenal!

[@walterstevens3874]

Yes, the greatest! It’s been my favorite album for some 40+ years.

[@user-xi2jm8gx8u]

Very much agree ..😊 yes from the phils

[@Owen_S.]

I can't even imagine the number of times I've listened to that album over the decades. Put it this way, my wife isn't really a Dan fan at all, and she still knows the words to every track on the album haha!

[@masonaxenty4869]

Being only 18 years old, it’s quite a lot for me to have written this comment, but most of my family is the same way. I grew up to my dad listening to this album, and he did the same. I’ve never fallen for modern music, but stuck to older 70s and 80s music instead.

[@JonahHertzman]

@@masonaxenty4869 I used to feel much the same way (I'm also 18), but there's a lot of really good music being made these days if you're willing to try listening. As a Steely Dan fan, I found there's a good amount of overlap with today's RnB/pop songs. I pretty quickly got into a couple new artists -- Benny Sings, Anderson .Paak, and Mayer Hawthorne to name a few.

[@samgoldsmith3759]

Rick is one of the true greats of air drumming

[@fishheds]

Like Jeff Goldblum playing jazz piano

[@FrankieBag0donuts]

Steve Gadd's work on Aja never gets old.... the song itself belongs in the Smithsonian as a national treasure.

[@LillyBunnyBoo]

Excellent comment. :)

[@mikehenson819]

Here here! I second that emotion.

[@750count]

I foolishly thought I should try to replicate that drum solo I think I'll just listen

[@bojangles6444]

@@750count learn to play a perfect samba beat at that tempo first or you won’t get close. Then try adding the ride bell pattern but don’t use a bright obnoxious symbol. something not too thick and more dark/jazzy. Too loud (bright and Clangy) of a ride bell can be really annoying. I never really got the ride pattern down just did a samba pattern. Too much ambidextrous limb polyrhythms would take me a while to get.

[@SELAHPAUSE]

@@750count lol know one can do it

[@jjmalaprop9968]

When Rick says, “I want you to listen to this with headphones”, I do what I’m told.

[@Mickey_McD]

Yep, I did the same

[@TheWrestlingFamily]

Lol yup

[@mixerD1-]

Same 😁

[@ziccuj]

Count me in. But there certainly was an apparent reason for that.

[@anthonystrickland9870]

Me too 😂🤣

[@briantlougan810]

Aja, the whole album, is a masterpiece. You can listen to it casually indefinitely. If you dig deeper, it's so much richer. You're right: who is going to bring together all those top quality elements on an album of popular music? Wayne Shorter and Steve Gadd really injected killer solos in that circumscribed but fertile Steely Dan space. Thank you for calling attention to the song, the drum solos and the album. Brilliant!

[@davidryan7386]

just watched the SD official AJA documentary and they skip over this solo altogether - maybe cause they had purdee shufflin on the kit.

[@jazzafly257]

@@davidryan7386 According to an interview I heard with Donald Fagen, he had contacted Steve Gadd about the impending doco on Aja for the Classic Album series, and the discussion came up over how much Gadd was to be remunerated for appearing on the show.... needless to say, he DOESN'T appear and sadly, nor does the entire song! They have Rick Marrotta on there, who played on Peg, and Bernard Purdie who played on Home At Last and they also mention Jim Keltner, who played on Josie, but to miss out that AWESOME Gadd solo.... over MONEY.... it's almost criminal.... so sad really!!

[@jazzafly257]

And I'm a MASSIVE Steely Dan and Donald Fagen fan, so I almost hope I misheard the facts.....

[@davidryan7386]

Prob true. Gadd may have gotten a simple pay in the past. Like Claire tory waiking on Floyd. Probably wanted a bonus for that epic solo. Hard to blame him if he merely got a recording wage the 1st time and Dan made .millions.

[@jamescassidy3995]

Every Steely Dan song & album blew our minds - the playing, musicianship, arrangements, lyrics, imagery, melodies, tones, artwork… untouchable.

[@digitalcthulhu143]

Maybe not the artwork... some of them like Can't Buy A Thrill are downright ugly lol

[@soujrnr]

Absolutely right!! Couldn't have said it better!!

[@tomfisher9353]

Best thing about this video is seeing how happy Rick is throughout it. ✊🏼

[@jarenpwatson]

I agree fully. His passion is so contagious. Even when he's analyzing a song I don't care for, I find myself incredibly moved by his excitement.

[@chrisparker7027]

Well. The BEST thing is bringing awareness to the stunning achievements of Steve Gadd. But Bless Rick Biato for generating this and recognizing the genius.

[@trexkiller3904]

Same energy that you see in Gadd's performances!

[@aprilguittar9658]

I was just about to say that. Watching his joy as he listens to this is so uplifting!😄👌👍

[@BretAllen1]

Well said! Pure bliss! Kinda like the first time I heard the Dixie Dreggs or The Golden Apple with Jeff Beck & Carmine Appice. 😁

[@thewebmaniacs]

That is the track I use to compare speakers and sound equipment. One of my all-time favorites. RIP Walter!

[@ralphwilliamsmusic]

This is one of them for me too.

[@drakedoragon3026]

Right on🤘. “War Pigs” is another that is worth a listen to test speakers IMHO.

[@michaelfitzurka5659]

absolutely

[@ronskopitz2360]

Yep - Aja and Roundabout for me....

[@wushock92]

@AR-FRM That and cuts from Mannheim Steamroller's Fresh Aire I.

[@quick6629]

Steve Gadd is a true player's player. His work on Al Di Meola's Elegant Gypsy is different, yet it is equally mind blowing.

[@soujrnr]

Al DiMeola is my all-time favorite for songwriting! His stuff is absolutely mind-blowing, as is his guitar playing. Legendary and second to none!

[@kwpres]

@@soujrnr yea, discovered him when he joined RTF. Saw them in concert and was stunned. His work is underappreciated.

[@bigbootyhunta]

Steve Gadd's drumming on the Chick Corea album My Spanish Heart is also amazing, especially on the track Spanish Fantasy Part 2.

[@WhizMitchell]

Steely Dan's Aja is undoubtedly IMO the greatest Jazz/Pop/R&B record ever made. In fact, I was highly influenced by this album as a musician. It was innovative for it's time. I highly recommend it to anyone with open ears when it comes to musical development. The title track itself is an absolute masterpiece. When I listen to the title track, to this day after all these years, it gives me chills when I hear both steve gadd and wayne shorter's solos....it's so damn good.

[@jeffreyjordan5325]

IMHO, the Gadd/Shorter solo is one of the greatest pieces of music ever recorded. It raises the hair on my arms every time I listen to it.

[@oaktadopbok665]

Rick has the uncanny ability to get me excited about music that I've been listening to since it first came out, and played hundreds of times, and give it a new meaning, a new twist, and show me things I never knew or heard before, and get me all overjoyed again, and it's like I'm hearing for the first time after all these years I feel young again. Not many people on earth can do that for you, my friends.

[@MarkSmith-js2pu]

OÄKTA DOPBOK you said it better than I did yesterday for another review Rick did.

[@1999bmwm3baby]

I feel the same way. Rick's analysis rocks.

[@kittyhooch1]

I started playing music before I heard Steely Dan. I remember hearing on the radio that they were taking forever on the Aja album. When it came out I didn't listen critically. I treated it like candy. It was pure pleasure. So you're right, thousands of plays later I heard it for the first time.

[@flywheel56]

What he said!

[@U2Bfamilypage]

OÄKTA DOPBOK - Well said O.D. I had just finished my second year of high school when I first got Aja (on cassette). Zeppelin, Frampton and Aerosmith were my foundation in music at that time. This masterpiece of an album thrusted me into another dimension! Agreed, this segment with Rick revived all that joy, freshness of discovery and eagerness of our youth!! I’m pumped that Rick started to explain Fagan’s spacey synth work a little bit, but there’s so much that could be said about that subtlety in this song. Especially that other synth that sounds like a sign-wave of tiny bubbles in the background. An insane traffic jam of music genius with an enthusiasm that’s unequalled.

[@peterdixon3475]

let's not forget steve was off his rocker when performing this. Fagen played it back to him several months later to which Steve replied "who's the dummer?".

[@ianchandley]

Yup, his coke addiction really beat him up.

[@antarcticorb9197]

@@ianchandley and yet he produced a masterpiece...

[@yankees29]

Ahhh everyone was doing coke back then.

[@wesboundmusic]

There is a paragraph in Keith Richard's autobio LIFE that has me think they were using pretty much across the industry in those days to accommodate the brutal conditions they were exposed to (Keith Richards really consciously used because he knew from experience that he'd be able to stay productive for days without sleep, food or any other break in between). I mean, when you listen to the stories, it's like play the gig, get your gear, show up at the recording studio right after and lay down tracks without ever knowing beforehand, if sessions would run for 20 minutes as here or for days... (there is a similar anecdote about the late Jeff Porcaro, who was another of these super musicians on most producers' short dial. When he was too exhausted to stay awake, he's said to have excused himself outside for taking a phone call... and never returned until days later, when he must have MADE an opportunity to catch up on some much needed sleep). What I'm trying to say is: Let's cut them some slack, shall we? (In my best non-lecturing, non-pontificating tone of voice).

[@swami19581]

😂😂😂

[@gingerdent]

All these “hearing a song for the first time” videos are fun but seeing the enthusiasm for a song you’ve listened to 100+ times is so more uplifting. I share your joy of this song totally Rick!!

[@steved932]

I agree. Love Rick's enthusiasm and eloquence.

[@danluongo1423]

Was having a beer with a friend and Aja comes on. He says, "All this Steely Dan sounds the same." He's no longer my friend.

[@geoffwales8646]

My best friend calls Steely Dan's music 'pastiche'. Urrr, no. It's a fusion of pop, jazz and rock, with latin highlights. He doesn't like Eric Clapton either. We're still best friends, though, and I forgive him - in case he reads this, LOL.

[@DaveRucci]

It’s been called “yacht rock” too. Lol

[@marktoken6052]

Steely Dan was "adult music" to we youngsters, too sophisticated for us to fully appreciate at the time.

[@panorama4526]

You have a point. Friendship is overrated, at least in this case.

[@arkansoul]

Fragile friendship....but I understand...lol

[@caseyriggleman5678]

EVERY.DAMN.SONG.THEY.MADE.IS.A.GEM. PERIOD.

[@jenl3162]

Absolutely. I’m so bored with most other music. Never get bored with SD.

[@bobkovach1426]

No.....Question.

[@shapshooter7769]

If you listen to the outtakes, maybe not so much.

[@corb555]

I'd love to travel back in time to this recording session and tell them "Guys, 44 years from now people are still going to listen to this recording and love every minute."

[@kakarrot62]

Steve Gadd's drum performance on this song has always been my favorite drum playing to listen to. it is so energetic and if i can say a bit chaotic which adds to its greatness. I fell in love with this song as soon as i bought the record when it came out. i still play it and turn it WAYYYY up and feel it shake my bones.

[@musikman43204]

Rick Beato gets more excited about drums than any other instrument.

[@darkraidersgaming7761]

His name checks out.

[@spacejack400]

Can't spell Beato without the beat.

[@numanuma20]

spacejack lol

[@jaylozier4083]

Rick would come back as a drummer in his next life. I would come back as a guitarist.

[@Requiredfields2]

Rick Beato is not an instrument. :)

[@bobd6711]

Rick Beato is a bright ray of sunshine in an otherwise dark web

[@joelonsdale]

It might just be the light reflecting off his hair.

[@pfdfcc]

Rick this song and Gadd’s solos have given me goosebumps for decade’s. Absolutely drop-jaw stunning!

[@ishgumi44]

Rick, I've followed you for a long time, this is my first comment. This is why we love you man. Like a kid in a candy shop, your enthusiasm, still after all these years, is contagious. We all know what a genius Steve Gadd is. Listening to it together and sharing your passion for the music, just takes it all to a new level. Cheers man!

[@RickBeato]

Thanks!!!!

[@josephkarl2061]

What he said 👍👍👍

[@HiVoltish]

Well said!!!

[@weeyumzzz94]

Totally agree!

[@Boddissatva]

It’s why we live. All those non hits.

[@brucewarner5284]

Music like this is craftsmanship neither mass produced or even repeatable. This is a gift, Thank you

[@chrisyelverton8107]

Bruce Warner Preach .

[@lantose]

Well said! It was all about perfection! (And grace) :)

[@ejb7969]

@@lantose It sure puts a smile on my face ...

[@johnsauls2425]

"...or even repeatable." Well put Sir. I agree.

[@raybraud1568]

Greatest complete song ever. BLACK COW was also great!

[@Plydrms]

Steve Gadd was a real game changer for contemporary drumming. He played in drum core growing up where he developed great snare technique. Most of his ideas for beats and soloing are based on the drum rudiments. He nails everything, plays perfectly. Every drummer should listen to Steve..

[@oldbridgemaker2094]

Yes sir. Steve is an unbelievably creative musician, but the thing that really sets him apart is command of the rudiments. Many well respected drummers in the rock world couldn't play in a high school marching band.

[@mannybusuttil4434]

AJA is one of the Most Artistic Albums ever recorded in Rock History. The musicianship in this album is out of this world.

[@johnpatitucci7919]

I love your videos! You're doing something that schools lack today; teaching music appreciation. Not just "hey listen to this, it's awesome", you show us WHY it's awesome.

[@Roostermania2010]

Hi John ~ Just wanted to say "Thanx!" for playing on Roby Duke's albums back in the 80's, particularly "Down To Business" (my fave)... We'll see our Brother in glory soon :D

[@jeffturner6698]

...and PLAYS it too!!👍🏻 🎶

[@thomashybiske5399]

I'm 68, have lived and played through the greatest years of music, and in my collection, Aja sits atop; a masterpiece.

[@siriusgd4753]

I hear you brother.

[@uluwatu3118]

Agreed

[@TOAOM123]

Music is just as good today Ya just gotta know where to look

[@davidbixler1263]

TOAOM123 Fair enough, I’ll bite. Where would you have us look?

[@TOAOM123]

@@davidbixler1263 On most music streaming services you can put in preferences and they'll provide tons of suggestions There are also plenty of youtube channels dedicated to underground music Tell me what youre into ill be more than happy to provide sources

[@theshootindutchman]

That drum and sax soli is just pure joy, just one of the greatest of all time 😄🙏

[@shannonyoung3465]

There’s nothing better than watching someone who loves music… Loving music. The way you feel, listen, interpret & thoroughly enjoy the musicianship of whatever you’re listing to, is pretty awesome!!!

[@bobbyfonts3486]

The album defies aging. Eight perfect songs (the most perfect album of any in my humble opinion). An ensemble of some of the most talented musicians in the industry. Ingenious song writing and arrangement of both instruments and vocals. For me, one of the greatest bands ever.

[@willyg2293]

nice !

[@erikavery9982]

Totally agree!

[@sergiosaunier]

There's a Brazilian musician called Ed Motta, who has a vinyl collection of over 30 thousand records. The record he has most copies of? "Aja", eight exemplars. Steely Dan, musician's musicians.

[@graceboxer2103]

Apart from Gaucho?

[@billhansen9]

unbelievable stuff.

[@feeberizer]

Give me back the 70s any day. We didn't fully appreciate the musical genius we were being bathed in at the time....

[@errm1913]

@@indetigersscifireview4360 I concur. I soaked up every second of it I could. But have found equally amazing things from this century on u-tube. "Riverside", "Porcupine Tree", "Poets of the Fall", etc,etc,etc...

[@tpatrick44]

TRUE THAT!

[@dumpygoodness4086]

it's uncanny: i didn't listen to classic music for a decade...and then when I got a radio again and heard 1960s / 1970s pop and rock songs, and DAMN the arrangements and DETAILS. Today, everything is super-lazy! Un fun!

[@normcook9335]

Quite right. There was such a huge creative musical effort that we didn't appreciate it.

[@CaptainRon1913]

I certainly appreciated the music of the 70's. I lived it, breathed it daily, and knew it wouldn't or couldn't last. I consumed it in albums and concerts. Took every chance I could to see these bands live. The albums cost $4 dollars, and the concerts $8.

[@mynameisnobody3672]

Steve Gadd played on Jim Hall's "Concierto" in 1975 along with Ron Carter, Roland Hannah, Paul Desmond and Chet. No drum solos, no show off , it is all serious business, and all time masterpiece.

[@DanielBrophyMusic]

Aja was definitely one of those game-changing, brain-rewiring albums that completely and forever changed my perspective and interests in music. I got to see Steely a few times at Red Rocks over the years. RIP, Walter!

[@keithharrison3622]

Come for the air drumming, Stay for a lifetime of musical learning. The best dude on YT!

[@AdamSmithNES]

This channel is an absolute treasure trove of insight into the world of music and recording.

[@martymcdermott67]

Totally agree !!!

[@denniswhite166]

I came for the learning but am staying for the air drumming. LOL Rick is SO amazing.

[@marcio3santos]

Genius moments occured when Steely Dan brought session musicians into their studio!!!: 1) Bernard Purdie's Shuffle on Babylon Sisters and Home at Last 2) Elliott Randall's lead guitar on Reelin' in the Years -- completed in ONE take 3) Steve Gadd here on Aja

[@klinkov6393]

Don’t forget Larry Carlton’s solo on Kid Charlemagne :)

[@rikiwroteasongthud]

@@klinkov6393 And his solos on Don't Take Me Alive!

[@roscoegarbonzo9966]

You have distinctively great knowledge & good taste! Love Jim Keltner's Groove on Josie

[@marcio3santos]

@@roscoegarbonzo9966 Keltner was an amazing musician. Thanks man you too

[@roguecheddar6252]

Jeff Skunk Baxter on 'My Old School', 'nuff said.

[@cziarno1972]

One of the best albums of all time. I feel (and I mean no offense) that musicians nowadays just do not understand how hard this was to do and that Larry Carlton was playing RHYTHM is literally unbelievable. Definitely in the top ten of all time IMO.

[@mattpurvis927]

"We're on a mission from Gadd."

[@dasglasperlenspiel10]

Exactly!

[@cordellsenior9935]

I wish I'd said that.

[@mileyondrumz]

I’m stealing that

[@mattpurvis927]

@@mileyondrumz - Well, since you were honest I'm cool with that. Lol

[@playhooky]

@@mattpurvis927 I've always been particularly enamored with the intro he/Gadd did on Simon & Garfunkle's 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover. Did he improvise that intro or was it written? I know that's probably a stupid question; I'm not a drummer.

[@ClarenceHW]

True, not just the drum solo, but a whole album which changed everything from production values to songwriting.

[@future62]

My favorite Steve Gadd performance was "Samba Song" with Chick Corea. He absolutely went off. I feel like he got a lot of his impeccable timing playing with Chick

[@eduf2000]

Thank you for changing my life Rick! I found out about Aja after this video, and it completely redefined what drums meant to me

[@charlesdahmital8095]

Aja was the first album I ever purchased for myself. I was 12. I still have it.

[@NelsonEh]

It's like gold, isn't it? Were you really moved by it when you first listened to your first album?

[@allosaurusfragilis7782]

When i was 12 i like huckleberry hound and his friends

[@Smudgie]

Heck, where do you go from there??!! I think mine was Showaddywaddy.

[@scottrowe533]

Talk about a great first-round draft pick! Excellent taste, my man.

[@tony.bickert]

My first was Alan Parsons Project's "I Robot." But AJA was in top 5.

[@robertsparkman8516]

Gadd was part of a life changer for me also. Al DiMeola album Elegant Gypsy.

[@PhilUKNet]

Did I just write this comment? I could have done! Splendido Hotel was also a fabulous album.

[@TLMuse]

The album that hooked me on fusion. I loved it when it first came out, and I still listen to it fairly regularly today, over 40 years later. Yikes! -Tom

[@monach_wm]

Wow, I love that album. I never knew it was Gadd playing on it.

[@PhilUKNet]

@@monach_wm Along with Lenny White from DiMeola's 'Return To Forever' days.

[@AfferbeckBeats]

I got that record for free when I bought something else from a pawn shop. It's pretty kick ass

[@billwalbek1911]

I remember this albums debut. I was 16 years old. To this day it still gives me goosebumps. Nothing compares to it.

[@PhillipLandmeier]

It changed my life too. I was classically trained from childhood - piano, pipe organ, violin, and pretty into progressive rock, ELP. And then I encountered Aja, Heavy Weather (Weather Report), and Romantic Warrior (RTF) which literally expanded my mind. All the "rules" I had been accustomed to for years went out the window and I began exploring unusual harmonies, chords, and polytonality.

[@MikeBixby]

Another great video. As a pro drummer I appreciate you posting this...Steve's fills are the well from which we all drink.

[@pinball1970]

@Max BXB Damn I always wanted to be a drummer in a band. These days I would like to get into jazz but not many bands out there. Buddy Rich were me heros

[@BarryWarne]

skierpage Keith Moon's fills were often based on the vocal lines of the song

[@randyduncan4004]

You're a BLAST TO WATCH air drum. Props!! Love LOVE your videos. Do more on Chicago.. Seals n Crofts Great odd times unearthly harmonies.

[@vmb371]

Robert Sput Searight is a fucking beast probably the greatest drummer of all time

[@jedidrummerjake]

Couldn't agree more!

[@pbrazor50]

The look of joy on Rick's face when he begins playing air drums is worth the price of admission on its own.

[@jamesalllan7806]

Hard to believe this is 45 years old....where have the years gone...so many memories in this album. Immortal solo.

[@jhandle4196]

When you're just 2 years old, a year is half of your life. When you're 50, it's just 2%. It's all relative.

[@richnfamous59]

oh damn... now I feel old. it feels like yesterday

[@itsjim2875]

I think I get a bigger kick outta watching Rick's reaction to some of these things, than I do the music itself.

[@GinoCento]

Listened to Aja for the first time on the way home during senior year soon after it was released. It's been with me ever since. Thank you Steely Dan and thank you Steve Gadd!

[@tomalealso]

Steely Dan, pure genius, like some have said, it still feels fresh and new, to think it has been nearly 45 years since it was recorded, it is transcendent

[@mhacousticrenderings]

When I met Steve Gadd (after sound check outside Wrigley Field for James Taylor & Bonnie Raitt) I started to cry. He came over and consoled me and invited me in to see the concert.

[@jumpinjojo]

Mark Hebert Get a grip, guy.

[@markhebert5761]

@@jumpinjojo stay amatuer where you belong, guy.

[@jumpinjojo]

@@markhebert5761 *amateur

[@markhebert5761]

@@jumpinjojo Yes... You would know how it's spelt.

[@stevedriscoll2539]

That's a touching story.

[@timsoundz]

46 years later, and this track is still outrageously brilliant. It will never sound dated.

[@dennisscoville7360]

That record is pure perfection! Gonna go listen to it now............for the 200th time!

[@gblewz]

As many times as I’ve listened to Aja since 1977, I’ve never heard that stick click before. Amazing.

[@herrbonk3635]

I was always bothered about it. Sounds like a mistake to me, just like the uneven triplets.

[@philip6502]

I guess my 70s stereo setup was OK... I always heard it. 😎

[@321snoot]

@@philip6502 Ditto. Did not sound like a mistake; this is Steve Gadd we're talking about! Reminds me a little of the "squeak" on the acoustic guitar at the end of Simon and Garfunkel's Mrs. Robinson; that wasn't intentional, I'm sure, but it's a tiny glitch that'll always be a memorable part of that recording.

[@bobbybeast1000]

Rick "who puts out a drum solo(s) like that on a pop song?" Me "who puts out videos like these on the internet?"

[@RickBeato]

Haha! Me!!!

[@bobbybeast1000]

@@RickBeato you're seriously one in 10 million (Departed reference haha) Freak man, I'd drive down to Atlanta if I could - well, technically I could, but long drive from Toronto :P

[@THOR2635]

Watch out Rick..lol

[@king-manu2758]

Hahaha seriously. This channel is a jewel in a sea of garbage

[@denniswhite166]

@@king-manu2758 AMEN Brother!

[@GRockBlues]

Stevie Gadd...from our hometown eh Rick?...very lucky to have had him in our musical lives...greatest ever!

[@TomStrahle]

This song was one that brought my father, a drummer, and I, a guitarist, closer together. He appreciated my taste in music and I appreciated his openness to listen to music I liked.

[@johnyeremian2899]

Aja is a great record, quality all the way through.

[@yardism]

I used to immerse myself in albums... listening to you has really gotten me back into REALLY listening to stuff again. Thanks Rick.

[@ScotlandSword]

With Steely Dan, there are volumes of breathtaking musical performances by some of the world's best players; Steve Gadd is definitely near the top of that list.

[@1CreativeRider]

Seeing Rick’s passion is why I watch these vids. His love for great playing/players is the best.

[@markhayes100]

Home at Last with Bernard Purdie on drums is another great one from the Aja album!

[@Wolf-Spirit_Alpha-Sigma]

Oh no. Purdie, the fourth, fifth and sixth Beatle. 🙁

[@ronhochhalter3491]

Home at Last is the best drum track one on the album IMO. The Gadd track is phenomenal, but nothing matches Bernards Groove.

[@sonsauvage]

The entire album has fire drums. Pretty much every SD track has sick drums

[@raphaeldube7008]

@@sonsauvage It was either Purdie, Gadd or Porcaro (among others). Can't be bad !

[@cletusbeauregard1972]

Rick Marotta did lots with SD; think that's him on Peg.

[@doctajuice]

Rick says use headphones, I immediately run and grab the best headphones I own. No questions asked

[@denniswhite166]

I am new here. I'm going to have to buy a pair of headphones now that I've found this channel :)

[@mateomembrila7115]

Dennis Whiter buy bose headphones, not beats. Bose wireless are $100 cheaper and have much better build and sound quality

[@denniswhite166]

@@mateomembrila7115 Thanks Man - I'll look into them!

[@doctajuice]

@@denniswhite166 I personally use shure headphones but any respectable brand will work. There are quite a few - bose, shure, klipsch, sennheiser, audio technica, etc... Plenty to choose from. Just do some research and you'll be good to go

[@denniswhite166]

@@doctajuice Thanks.

[@zegermanscientist2667]

I have so absolutely fallen in love with this song. It is unneccessarily complicated, musically nutritious, perplexing, imcomprehensible at times and gosh darn beautiful in general. Reminds me of a certain lady I loved some 20 years ago.

[@JAEBERT1]

Sweet statement

[@1000left]

That recording is so perfect it blurs the edges between art and nature.... THANK YOU!!!!

[@GaryFox11000]

Steve was incredible on this solo. My Brother was a drummer ; and he absolutely flipped out on this solo. Independent time drumming with each hand. one of the greatest , tastiest , drum solos ever recorded in the last 50 years ! AJA is 43 years old and still timeless music.; Donald , Walter . & musicians take a bow !!! My God .... Perfection .....

[@brulat]

Omar Hakim had the greatest drum solo ever on Burn For You by Sting and his super band.

[@bigbuck3216]

independent time drumming with each hand? Im guessing you read that phrase in a Modern Drummer article and couldnt wait to use it ... there are no polyrhythms in this solo ... you are a pedantic pompous ass

[@johangambleputty7658]

@@bigbuck3216 Pedantic defined as: referring to someone who is annoying for their attention to minor detail, or snobbish expertise. Oh the irony...

[@mattpaul5389]

that stick click fuckin blew my mind when i first heard it years ago. love this!

[@boneheded2819]

The bass line on Peg is arguably the greatest bass line ever recorded in my opinion. Aja is just a great album.

[@jhandle4196]

John Paul Jones on "Ramble On" Just about anything by Jaco Pastorius. Careful using superlatives. When it comes to art, are there any?

[@mysterj1]

@@jhandle4196nicely said. I get where he’s coming from, he likes the bass line.

[@mysterj1]

If this was recorded live, then I’d call it one of the most premier rock recordings of all time.

[@scentlessscents699]

Totally addicted to this when came out, learned to play the drums with.. Still to this day one of my favorites.. Thank you Rick

[@jonathaningenhorst1941]

Aja is the most chill yet proggy smooth jazzy album there is. Magic

[@lcdat]

Steve Gadd’s one-bar fill following the bridge in Rickie Lee Jones’ Chuck E’s in love still amazes me every time I hear it...

[@michaelfitzurka5659]

just went and reminded myself of the tune. really sweet😀

[@1drummer2]

Couldn’t agree more - one of those fills that when you hear it for the first time you remember exactly where you were - 16 years old in a studio, guitarist says “you have to listen to possibly the tastiest fill ever recorded” ! I agreed, an omg moment !

[@lcdat]

David Lee Exactly right! 👍🏼

[@august829]

That was a nine stroke roll, Steve Gadd style.

[@RiggusPiggus]

Same here Dude. That fill is killer!

[@ekayaniperforms]

Ah Rick such a beautiful song 🎧. Can’t count how many times I listened to Aja on a real stereo as a teenager in San Francisco. What a year for music! I recall Fleetwood Mac Rumours, The Cars Best Friends Girl and Steely Dan’s Aja all flooding the airwaves .. so much diversity in music by skilled musicians. Thank you

[@stewartanstead6857]

KFRC? Me too.

[@machtnichtsseimann]

@@stewartanstead6857 - Dr. Donald D. Rose?

[@jameslawlor7422]

Rik, I never comment on any of these sites but this has brought back memories! I remember sitting in music appreciation in junior high school in 1978 and being completely blown away by every song on this record, I think it changed my life. As far as music goes this is it!!!

[@fasteddie4107]

When I was growing up, Steve Gadd was God. He has influenced more drummers than anyone else. The album “Mainsqueeze” by Chuck Mangione has some of the most musical drumming you will ever hear in your life. I would listen to it 5 or 6 times a day. Gadd’s drumming concept is simply beautiful. Some other phenomenal tracks with Gadd are on “Mecca for Moderns” by The Manhattan Transfer. His works with Chick Corea are priceless. There are too many others to list.

[@stevedriscoll2539]

Thanks for the references, I particularly like what SG was doing with Mangione

[@sammiller3444]

bob jarmes "one" album 1974

[@adriennepender673]

LOVE Mecca for Moderns.

[@alexbaum2204]

Tappan Zee by Bob James has another great drum track from Gadd. Truly the master of groove.

[@albertvaninwegen601]

Aja was and is one of my if I could only have 10 albums list. Thanks for pointing out one of the remarkable musicians that contributed to just a unique work of art. Steve Gadd is one of those great musicians that use to play with eveyone everywhere back in the day and most people didn't even know who he was. Love your videos.

[@gsorge6968]

You're a young guy, Rick. We were always anxiously awaiting the next Steely Dan album back then, and thought it would be hard to top The Royal Scam, but they did in a phenomenal way. It was the case with each new album from them pretty much, getting more and more sophisticated. Glad you got hooked by it. Not sure I'd call that one a pop song, though.

[@thunderdrummerdude]

Awesome solo! As another drummer, I’ve been a fan of Steve Gadd’s for a long time. Another great drum solo is the infamous “Toad” solo with Ginger Baker. I’ve heard it many times and it still amazes me every time.

[@Formula-602]

Yup......Do What You Like......same thing..listened to it again the other day.....Drums sound like cannons!

[@therepublicofcynica]

Never heard it before but just did....you're right....good spot fella. Engineering ain't good though....sounds 'muffled' to me.

[@allthingsclassicrock]

I knew what song it was before I clicked! Amazing track.

[@badoocee1967]

And I as well.😁👍

[@allthingsclassicrock]

420protoman agreed!

[@Joe_Blow_]

I was gonna be MAD if it wasn’t Aja 😂😂

[@taillefer1]

Lol, me too!

[@knarf_on_a_bike]

Same here!

[@Diatonic5th]

A drum teacher in the 80's gave me a cassette of Aja and it completely blew my little metalhead mind. It was the transition album that made me the jazz musician that I am today.

[@Guilhermeabcd]

Jazz pretty much killed my metalhead mind too hahaha i still like it, but all that arrogance metalheads have about their music was gone, along with some prog rock too, of course.

[@jurgentrockenbau9321]

@@Guilhermeabcd You definitely met the wrong people. Metalheads ---> arrogant about "their" music? That is a poor generalisation!

[@Guilhermeabcd]

@@jurgentrockenbau9321 not at all Jurgen. Take these typical Iron Maiden or Metallica fans. They keep trash talking about pop music all the time. Some may like jazz or blues, or even respect those genres, but for the most part they're just too edgy to pay attention to other genres.

[@Guilhermeabcd]

@@jurgentrockenbau9321 a little bit of shredding and lack of musical theory is all it get until they start babling about their elitist musical taste. I just hope i'm not biased enough, but there are plenty of vlogs and examples out there.

[@legacyShredder1]

@@Guilhermeabcd Most of the top notch shredders come from classical and jazz backgrounds. It's easy to tell a great player and musician from a guy who just likes to play notes. A bad shredder learns a scale shape and randomly bangs out what he can.

[@stephenhemming6880]

Loved this video and your enthusiasm (and air-drumming), Rick. My hometown is also Rochester, NY, and I too, went to Ithaca College. We used to crank "Aja" countless times when it came out in the fall of 1977, and yes, would play air-drums ourselves, when listening to Steve Gadd's 2 solos. Thank you, for all your videos, they are so interesting and informative!

[@jeffreyhamilton8950]

It’s amazing how many musical things I come across at random times, on random days, and then I find out Rick already made a video about it. I love music.

[@cutl00senc]

For those of us lucky enough to have been alive when music like this was being made, the idea was always the same....sound completely different than the next best song. Steely Dan was the epic sound of Jazz mixed with soft Rock that filled the gap between Led Zeppelin and Miles Davis. I was blessed to have been old enough (10) to have heard this sound as it came on the scene (IE Radio, for you kids out there) and it was like being in the studio during the recording. Nothing today even compares to the music that was made in the 70’s....and that’s very sad indeed.

[@vernonbear]

cutl00senc So you’ve not been looking hard enough? I’m bored of reading ‘music was better in xxxx era’, it’s complete balderdash, there are plenty of modern musicians who are recording or playing live right now who are producing awesome music, plenty raising the bar and who are respected by both their peers and their fans. All you’ve got to is take a trip around KZbin with an open mind, start from your favourite artists and click on the music in the margin that you’ve NOT heard, go on a trip down a rabbit warren of videos and you will find new artists to listen to.

[@cutl00senc]

Gavin Johnson maybe what im missing is fm radio with a guy who knows music?

[@ARMTOAST]

​@@cutl00senc It's quite ironic that you say that on a Steely Dan vid, considering that Fagen and Becker HATED how similar all their rock contemporaries sounded. Fagen wrote as much on the liner notes to Can't Buy a Thrill. When you talk about "jazz mixed with soft rock," you're almost explicitly referring to "yacht rock", arguably the era where artists were taking the most direct inspiration (and using literally dozens of the same personnel!) from whatever was topping the charts at the time. It was a *very* safe era for radio rock. People have been complaining about the shlock on FM radio sounding similar since its inception. Steely Dan even have a whole damn song devoted to it, literally called FM! You have to look for the exceptions to the rule. Look at a duo like Outkast that was able to push the boundaries of hip-hop and production in general with Stankonia, an album that topped the charts and stayed on the radio for months on end. Look at another duo like Daft Punk, who were able to absolutely dominate the airwaves with their 2013 release Random Access Memories, employing the exact same soft rock and jazz fusion elements you claim to pine over. Look at Prince praising Gotye for their originality and simplicity on "Somebody I Used To Know," another #1 hit single. Look at Carly Rae Jepsen, who released an 80's-inspired pop masterpiece in 2015's Emotion with incredibly detailed arrangements, musiciainship, and production. And if you have the patience to look beyond the radio, you'll find that more amazing music is being made now than at any point in history. But I doubt you're making any conscious effort to seek out new artists and be the change you want to see because you're just the kind of crochity old coot Steely Dan loved poking fun at in their lyrics. Go out on a limb and give the kids a chance rather than just complaining about it in youtube comments!

[@raysills6666]

👍👍👍👊👊👏👏😂😂🤣🤣

[@raysills6666]

👍👍👍👊👊👏👏😂😂🤣🤣

[@EightiesTV]

Headphones *"because this is recorded so well..."* Damn right. Not only did this album win the 1978 Grammy for Best Engineered Album, the vinyl LPs were mastered so well that this album became the de facto standard in testing high end turntables... particularly this drum solo because the hi hats and stick clicks were perfect for checking the high frequency tracking of the phono cartridge.

[@hatfez]

Headphones & vinyl. Now, that's something special.

[@djhrecordhound4391]

Still is, m'friend, still is...I'll follow with Dire Straits' Brothers In Arms LP to hear how properly-made digital recordings will fare.

[@pauldemond4311]

I've always held the 180 gm pressing of Aja in such high esteem. Then, I bought Gaucho in 96/24. Absolutely worth a listen. The title track is amazing.

[@davevirginia3205]

And the MFSL version had even better s/n.!

[@rubrshrk]

Rick, this is still one of the greatest things on KZbin. I love how much joy you express about this. Oh, and I feel the same way.

[@nwblack3]

There are always two moments I look for in “Aja:” Wayne Shorter’s all to brief solo and Steve Gadd’s drumming. Much has been made of these drum parts by others, but I always appreciate the intensity of your joy and excitement about this kind of musicianship along with the way you break songs down into these very interesting examinations of their components, like the way in which he propels the song as it fades with the change to the samba rhythm.

[@christopherkane2842]

Absolute joy

[@abcmanger]

I heard a story one time about the stick click. During the first take Steve Gadd did the stick click and Donald Fagen saw it as a mistake and had them do another take. In the second take, Steve did the click in the exact same place, and then looked over at Donald Fagen as if to say "That's right, you heard it again." Regardless it must be the most famous stick click in history.

[@rbuonfiglio]

I always thought it was unintentional, but that they had chosen to leave it in for some reason.

[@josstam]

@@rbuonfiglio I thought so too

[@philkouly4717]

I am pretty sure (I have heard the song and that click so many times) he does it at the same spot in both solos. The first solo is a “preview” of the finale.

[@doodleedledoo]

I heard from a drum teacher/Gadd fan that the stick click was Gadd indicating there was a hit there according to the chart that everyone else was missing?! True or not it's evidence that as you say, it's probably the most famous stick click in history.

[@dlrgroup]

Yes. The best players and even Dumb players at times will have an epiphany, and have this one cool move. This is what makes music so fantastic man

[@JonnyLipshamStudios]

I was 2 years old when Aja came out. I was already hooked on Buddy Rich and was drumming along to Time Check on my tiny little drumset for hours at a time. My mother came home from the store with Aja tucked under her arm with all the other shopping. She took Buddy Rich off the turntable. I had a tantrum. That all stopped when the title song started. When it got to the first of Steve's solos I was sat still staring into the speakers. When it got to the end solo, I was playing along and loving it. We played that record so much, the grooves wore out. 42 years later and I am a professional drummer of some 30 years experience. Thanks Steve and Buddy. Thanks to you too, Rick, for bringing back those memories of my childhood. Who needs toys when you can play along to great musicians like that. I didn't!

[@Nethanel773]

Whoa, now there's a music story! I was only 4 when it came out. I was lucky my Dad was into Steely Dan, The Crusaders, and anything else that was fusion and/or fat-bottomed. I'm not a drummer, but man the 70s was THE time for fattening up percussion! What a blessing you're living out talent and dreams. Play on!

[@lancefielden]

Rick, I really love your enthusiasm for every note, thump, crash, pause, or fill. I'm not much of a musician but I'm slowly and steadily working at it. Keep it up!

[@jksojmo123]

Truly unbelievable- the best musicians in the world- doing their thing

[@pdshiff]

Wow, I never picked up the stick click before. It's so on the money I can't believe it was done live.

[@jefffeinstein1]

Me either, lol.

[@tommarks795]

The best solo since West Side Story by Buddy Rich. It’s not just about speed or technique. It’s the composition. The imagination. Many can copy. Few can invent.

[@GeneralGadsden]

And yet, Rick calls it a POP SONG. Quite disturbing........

[@sacredcowburger1]

Steve Gadd’s drumming on Al DiMeols’s Eqyptian Danza is some of the best ever

[@MichaelSDoran]

I love his work all over the Elegant Gypsy album.

[@glennmikes1726]

Jerry Hoopes my favorite!

[@Kreln1221]

Speaking of early Al Di Meola, and early fusion for that matter..., Lenny White's drum work with Return to Forever was mind blowing...

[@paulyb-englishmaninhangzho3609]

The dual of the jester and the tyrant, and the drummer... mind boggling

[@spactick]

Rick Beato does an incredible service to all of his followers by educating and enlightening us to what music 'is' and why we love it

[@GLAS63]

OMG... This is the Album that made me fall in love with Steely Dan.. Still my favorite album by the group... Great video Rick!!

[@myworstenemy680]

Is there a great session player that hasn't played on a Steely Dan Album? I watched a documentary where Fagan explained that during recording, they had several Bands of studio musicians on rotation, playing in the studio when called upon. There was almost a competitive atmosphere in the studio, and the results are in the songs. Mr. Beato's passion for music is infectious and inspiring! Love this channel.

[@mikehotovy4222]

I'd heard that Fagan/Becker kept rehearsing these pros to the point they could play it perfectly - then they rolled tape and told them to just play naturally. Perhaps why Aja never sounded sterile, and has a flow to the the playing - albeit at a ridiculously high level!

[@tobypaone3426]

Aja...one of the greatest albums ever. Love Steely Dan! RIP Walter Becker.

[@PhillipLandmeier]

No question about it.

[@oneanddone7992]

One of the greatest albums of all time,. AND set the benchmark for musical perfection that can be recorded in a studio.

[@PhillipLandmeier]

@@oneanddone7992 Yes. However, among recording engineers, Dark Side of the Moon is #1 and Aja is #2. It depends on which side of the desk you're on. Lol.

[@posecoach]

When I first heard this (in 77) I listened to it over and over until I wore out the vinyl.

[@AntonymesMusic]

I love the 2 ride cymbal hits at the beginning of the last solo. It's so considered, and the ride on the fade out is euphoric. You absolutely could not reproduce this.