"The Second Arrangement" Steely Dan Rarities Night 9/17/11

Been looking for this song for a while, finally found it.

[@alvinfrazierTV]

You can tell that it wasn't a familiar tune to them but the fact they brought it out for the fans that night with its backstory was awesome. I would've loved to have been there.

[@colinclifford3727]

I always loved listening to the salvaged recording of this song, but the horn section brings it to a whole new level for me.

[@donaldmacintyre3120]

The Beacon was electric that night, if you were there you know what I mean. Best show of the many I've been to. Changed my life.✌️

[@dougcoleburn1579]

Have seen Steely Dan for a long time when then come to Nashville. They played the Ryman one year and it was an amazing show!!! Just so great! Just saw them a few weeks ago at a new outdoor venue south of town. Donald sounded amazing and the band was on point! So great!

[@sheen4dean71]

I almost wanna cry. One of the best Steely songs that never was. Such a shame. Damn their pursuit of excellence lol. The high quality instrumental version I've heard has all the production qualities of Gaucho and grooves so hard but they thought it just didn't mach up the the erased version and so never finished it. Such a loss for us fans. How good must that lost version been??? We'll never know. Thank you for sharing this.

[@sfl8646]

Makes me cry too, Dean.

[@stardogbillionaire]

Check out this fan remastered version, it's probably as good of a version of Second Arrangement we'll ever hear. I so badly wish Fagen would go back to the studio just for this song. But this will do. I would honestly consider Second Arrangement to be one of their best songs. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eXvMgZWQequHhKc

[@ragingriccor9999]

Let's count our blessings. Donald Fagen decided to do this song live in spite of the fact that it never made it to the Gaucho album. And, he plays it in D minor, a whole step lower than it's original key, E minor, which is the same thing he does with the song "Josie" when he plays it live. I'm thus tempted to forget that this song never was officially released.

[@BleedingEdgeOfProgress]

Keep in mind Gaucho was their last album for 20 years, and Donald said he couldn't hit the high notes any more, which is why they didn't re-record it.

[@Tool46and2]

That was well said!

[@spactick]

Donald can do no wrong. Love everything he does. Would pay to hear him snore

[@flacopastorius2708]

Seen them 4 times... twice before 2011 ... twice after... they never did it again to my knowledge.. RIP Walter

[@bernlin2000]

As far as I've been able to dig up, this was the first (and only) time they have performed this live. Of course, they're still touring, even without Walter (Donald could very well drop dead of old age on stage, no signs of him slowing down :-P), but I don't expect Donald will have the heart to play this with SD again without his partner :(

[@bernlin2000]

Oh what I wouldn't give to see this on an album...such a special song

[@l18mz65]

Listening to this...a total privilege. Thank you so much!!

[@catmouse9051]

Thank you so much for posting this. Seriously.

[@DrProctorDoesCoke]

holy shit I've been looking for this

[@AKMusic188]

Can't believe it! Thank you so much!

[@dstol62]

I think they did "The Bear" as well on this show

[@MrSteelyDaniel]

Indeed they did, as well as American Lovers and a cover of James Brown's 'Papa Don't Take No Mess', it's not a soundboard recording, but it's good enough to listen to.

[@adama4660]

bless you

[@sspringNG]

damn thgats totally crazy! i had no idea they ever preformed it live and its such an interesting thing to hear them actually playing it (not the ai restored version)

[@Mfothergillable]

Such an amazing feel to this beat

[@johnstodder]

A little reggae mixed in. Smooth reggae if that makes sense.

[@scottcohen575]

i have 3 or so outtakes of this song from the Gaucho session

[@jml-rj5re]

The original drum track is out. It's a shuffle - like Boz Scaggs' Miss Sun. kzbin.info/www/bejne/i4Gvi3Wapausd5o

[@Creaulx]

@Cedric Harris Yes, and it felt like discovering gold! Waiting for this to download was a digital highlight of my life.

[@BleedingEdgeOfProgress]

The Donald sounds like Randy Newman on this...

[@gank4214]

i usually don't listen to live performances, but goddamn the horn and the background vocals make it worth listening.

[@gerrydoyle9774]

If you haven't found it yet, go look for the 'Twelve Against Nature' (Nashville Tribute Band) take on this. Plainly not an 'authorised' release, but I think an interesting 'what if' rendition, with a horn section who put some thought into 'How would Donald et al have done this...'

[@duncansmith8992]

Unreal. I never this officially unreleased, secretive,legendary track, had ever been performed lived! Amazing.

[@Mazjoob2]

Unfortunately, this version isn't as good as the poor quality canned version, Even with the poor fidelity, the lost version. is my soul-searing. God bless Donald but his voice has suffered the effects of aging. It happens to the best.

[@officialgoogleyoutube]

Honestly, considering how terrible some singers sound at his age, he's pretty goddamn blessed with the voice he's got.

[@bernlin2000]

The girls always do a great job of buoying his voice, he knows it's not the best, but I can't wait to hear how your singing voice sounds in your 60s...dude has been at it for half a century now!

[@Mazjoob2]

You're right. I used to be able to carry a tune but age has wasted what little I had. Have you heard the bootleg version of this song? The fidelity is low but the song is a gem that would have made Gaucho up there with their best albums. @@bernlin2000

[@HumansFreshlyBorn]

Effects of aging and ciggies

[@bernlin2000]

Probably would sell a part of my soul to Satan (and knock a few years off) to have seen this live, such a lucky audience!

[@billthibault1841]

Thank you, Brandon!

[@mark_lhr3]

There was a superior live recording of this, taken down I think - anyone know if it's still floating about?

[@MattSmith-iq1ld]

I still greatly prefer the arrangement of this great song which starts with the Fender Rhodes keyboards. It is such a great riff to kick off the song as opposed to this version which predominantly features Hiram Bullock's electric guitar part (from one of the attempted re-recordings). It is a shame that this tune and "Kulee Baba" were not placed on "Gaucho." They had the LP space. I would also LOVE to hear the "Gaucho" outtake "Heartbreak Souvenir" which guitarist Steve Khan says was an unbelievable track but written in a key that Donald had trouble singing in. So what, just transpose it! Here is the demo of the bed track of the arrangement of "The 2nd Arrangement:" which starts with a big keyboard riff. All you hear is rhythm guitar in the background. I feel this is really how they really intended to record the tune. Obviously with other instruments added on top of it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rGGwfYefgZljj6M

[@darrylcatay2295]

Can't take this shit ! My God ! Where would D. Fagen be without the studio ?

[@thenightfly3685]

I really hope when I get to whatever heaven is, that Donald and Walter are there,cause it wouldn't be worth it

[@greeksalad4783]

Donald Fagan's vocals aren't the best on this, but I won't hold it against him. 🥰

[@hwgavin]

They're not that bad

[@greeksalad4783]

@@hwgavin His vocals sucked a year ago and his vocals still suck. 🤣

[@hwgavin]

@@greeksalad4783 yeah but they're not thaaaattt bad. he was never a brilliant vocalist anyhow, which is interesting given how perfectionist they are with everything else. almost to make up for the raw-ish vocals. but it's part of their charm. also just great to hear this song played live. should have been on gaucho, takes that album from a 9 to a 9.5

[@greeksalad4783]

@@hwgavin Compared to Bon Jovi's latest live performance, Donald Fagan's vocals are gold! 🤣🤣🤣

[@hwgavin]

@@greeksalad4783 well we can both agree on that

[@dwightblubaugh601]

I wonder whether they professionally recorded this for eventual release as a live album of "all-new material." Anybody have any insight on that?

[@hwgavin]

Damn why didn't they rerecord it when they were both still alive... A crying shame

[@sampowellmusic]

i never understood the love affair with this song personally.

[@ruben9133]

Does anybody know what happened to the video of this song that used to be on You Tube?

[@searinggaspainland]

There used to be two videos of the performance on here, and both are gone. Maybe someone downloaded one or both off of here and has it on their hard drive? I'm kicking myself for not having done it to have a backup handy, especially for a once-in-a-lifetime thing like this.

[@AnselmG1970]

searinggaspainland I’ve certainly got this one. No luck with The Bear though

[@bernlin2000]

I believe it got copystriked, which pisses me off, because I would have downloaded it if I had known there was still corporations hunting down SD's music...this song never made it onto an album, so I don't know where the grounds were for copystriking...sucks :(

[@bernlin2000]

@@AnselmG1970 Would you be able to post it? I would love to have a copy.

[@AnselmG1970]

Chris Ducat Drop me an inbox message

[@collineckerle6291]

Jesus tap dancing christ. Where did this come from?

[@static6OOO]

It was stashed in the yellow jag

[@tahirmukic5460]

Song begins at 1:17

[@evandromanso]

1:15