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Major Dudes: A Steely Dan Companion
At its core a creative marriage between Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, Steely Dan recorded several of the cleverest and best-produced albums of the 1970s, making them one of the most successful rock acts of the past 50 years. Major Dudes collects some of the smartest and wittiest interviews Becker and Fagen have ever given, along with intelligent reviews of—and commentary on— their extraordinary songs. Compiled by leading music critic Barney Hoskyns, Major Dudes features contributions from the likes of Sylvie Simmons, Fred Schruers, and the late Robert Palmer; plus rare interviews and reviews of Steely Dan’s early albums from Disc , Melody Maker , and Rolling Stone . With an introduction by Hoskyns and an obituary for Walter Becker by David Cavanagh, Major Dudes will be the centerpiece on every fan’s shelf.
- GenresMusicNonfictionBiography
352 pages, Paperback
Published September 17, 2019
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February 9, 2022
CRITIQUE:
Rock's Back Pages
Barney Hoskyns is a music writer who in 2000 created "Rock's Back Pages" (1), an online database of music criticism dating from the 1950's to the present. About 750 writers have their life's work represented on the website. As at the date of this review, there are over 45,000 articles, and Hoskyns expects to have 50,000 in the near future.
What's in a Name?
Barney Hoskyns (whom I admire and respect as a music critic) has edited a number of collections of music criticism about groups or individual artists. I assume that he simply collates articles written by writers who are represented on the website, not that this doesn't entail some administrative and creative effort. (2)
Strangely, all of the collections have a different subtitle:
The Steely Dan one is a "companion" (the blurb describes it as "an indispensable compendium"). The Radiohead one is a "compendium" ("an anthology to savour"). The Joni Mitchell one is just an "anthology".
There are a number of synonyms to go (e.g., assemblage, collection, compilation, digest, treasury), but I wonder what is the significance of the particular choice, why Barney didn't just use the same sub-title for them all (thus making it clear they are part of a series that you can collect), and what he will do when he runs out of alternatives?
Comparing the Companion's Contributions
There are forty separate reviews, interviews, profiles and essays in this volume.
Few were written to be read other than in the magazine, and at the time, in which they were first published.
None of the reviews is bad in any sense, but few of them really shows any great insight into Steely Dan, Walter Becker or Donald Fagen.
The reviews tend to be repetitive, because the journalists were digging into the same resources of factual material (e.g., press releases and other people's interviews). I stopped counting the references to Bard College after a while.
Understandably, the essays get more and more informative the more they were written in the later years of the group, when they effectively became career retrospectives, there was more material available, and the writers had ample space for comparative assessments of albums and performances.
Steely Dan Serendipity
I love Steely Dan, but I'm not your standard Steely Dan fan, not that they all come from the one mould.
If I recall correctly, the first Steely Dan song I heard and fell in love with was "Reelin' In the Years", which means that I might not previously have heard their first single (and the first track on their first album, "Can't Buy a Thrill"), "Do It Again".
This piece of serendipity probably means that I originally categorised and appreciated the Dan (3) as a guitar band. For me, at this early stage, the piano and keyboards were ancillary (in the same way that both Elton John's piano and Davey Johnstone's guitar were necessary to the Elton John sound, particularly on "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"). I suppose I would have had a different impression if I had heard "Do It Again" first.
Another factor that influenced my appreciation of the Dan was that I didn't initially get into their second album, "Countdown to Ecstasy". Similarly, I never grew to be obsessive about albums from "Katy Lied" onwards. I just never listened to them that much.
Inevitably, this means that I'm not as familiar with the album "Aja" as most other Dan fans would be. By 1977, I'd become engrossed in the punk and new wave movements, even if I was also a fan of Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell and Bill Evans (jazz pianists admired by Becker and Fagan).
My two favourite Dan albums have always been the first ("Can't Buy a Thrill") and third ("Pretzel Logic"). To this day, my Steely Dan playlist consists solely of songs off these two albums. I've never sat down to make another compilation out of the later albums, although I'm sure I'd like it just as much, if I did.
Walter Becker and Donald Fagen (Source)
The Two Schools of Dan Fandom
Ian MacDonald's review of "Two Against Nature" in "Uncut" starts with a potential explanation:
Some might think I belong to the first school, but, in truth, I just haven't graduated from it, and enrolled in the second school yet. Or it hasn't let me in.
Subverting the Mainstream
Gavin Martin writes:
Andy Gill's article in "Mojo" contains the following quote from Donald Fagen about his suburban childhood:
Literary and Jazz Influences
There were two aspects of the Steely Dan story with which I wasn't previously familiar.
One was the fact that Donald Fagen had written a thesis on the fiction of Herman Hesse. Coincidentally, the guitarist Denny Dias had previously been in a band called Demian (named after one of Hesse's novels). Similarly, the drummer Jim Hodder had been in a band called the Bead Game (named after "The Glass Bead Game"). Steely Dan's producer had also worked with Steppenwolf (also named after a Hesse novel).
The second aspect was the background of their interest in jazz. It owed a lot to listening to late night jazz stations, including WRVR (subsequently a country music station), and watching old movies. Donald Fagen used to listen to the DJ Symphony Sid, as well as Jean Shepherd, "this monologist who was a hipster type who'd talk for forty-five minutes every night. He had a vaguely subversive way of looking at America. And there were the movies that would conjure up the exotic potential for something different than the suburbs."
Irony and Intelligence
In one interview, Ira Robbins suggests to Walter Becker that "Steely Dan's marriage of jazz and pop could have - by the removal of irony and intelligence - mutated into smooth jazz."
Becker replies wryly, "I'll publicly apologise for that if you want. It's certainly nothing we intended."
The hypothetical question ignores the fact that Steely Dan have never removed irony or intelligence from their music. It has always been the essence of what they create.
In "GQ", Dylan Jones writes:
Assuming the Role of Narrator
At the time of the release of "Aja" in 1977, Fagen tells Sylvie Simmons of "Sounds", "We write the same way a writer of fiction would write. We're basically assuming the role of a character, and for that reason it may not sound personal. But I try to assume the role and make it believable..."
Fagen has already said something very similar to Michael Watts of "Melody Maker" in 1976:
Becker adds:
English Major Dudes
In other words, their lyrics had much more in common with the fiction they both liked, than other songwriters.
Fagen reveals the identity of some of these novelists in another interview:
Maybe Steely Dan were the first post-post-modern band.
FOOTNOTES:
(1) See also the online resource, "The Steely Dan Reader", which contains 100 articles about Steely Dan.
(2) For some reason (potentially related to licensing), this excellent review of "Pretzel Logic" by Bud Scoppa in Rolling Stone was omitted from the collection. You can register and read this review for free. It's also available here.
(3) Some early reviews abbreviate the name of the band to the Steelies (rather than the Dan).
(4) The articles tend to use the words "pop" and "rock" interchangeably, despite the significance each of these words acquired in the English music press during the early '80's.
SOUNDTRACK:
Rock's Back Pages
Barney Hoskyns is a music writer who in 2000 created "Rock's Back Pages" (1), an online database of music criticism dating from the 1950's to the present. About 750 writers have their life's work represented on the website. As at the date of this review, there are over 45,000 articles, and Hoskyns expects to have 50,000 in the near future.
What's in a Name?
Barney Hoskyns (whom I admire and respect as a music critic) has edited a number of collections of music criticism about groups or individual artists. I assume that he simply collates articles written by writers who are represented on the website, not that this doesn't entail some administrative and creative effort. (2)
Strangely, all of the collections have a different subtitle:
The Steely Dan one is a "companion" (the blurb describes it as "an indispensable compendium"). The Radiohead one is a "compendium" ("an anthology to savour"). The Joni Mitchell one is just an "anthology".
There are a number of synonyms to go (e.g., assemblage, collection, compilation, digest, treasury), but I wonder what is the significance of the particular choice, why Barney didn't just use the same sub-title for them all (thus making it clear they are part of a series that you can collect), and what he will do when he runs out of alternatives?
Comparing the Companion's Contributions
There are forty separate reviews, interviews, profiles and essays in this volume.
Few were written to be read other than in the magazine, and at the time, in which they were first published.
None of the reviews is bad in any sense, but few of them really shows any great insight into Steely Dan, Walter Becker or Donald Fagen.
The reviews tend to be repetitive, because the journalists were digging into the same resources of factual material (e.g., press releases and other people's interviews). I stopped counting the references to Bard College after a while.
Understandably, the essays get more and more informative the more they were written in the later years of the group, when they effectively became career retrospectives, there was more material available, and the writers had ample space for comparative assessments of albums and performances.
Steely Dan Serendipity
I love Steely Dan, but I'm not your standard Steely Dan fan, not that they all come from the one mould.
If I recall correctly, the first Steely Dan song I heard and fell in love with was "Reelin' In the Years", which means that I might not previously have heard their first single (and the first track on their first album, "Can't Buy a Thrill"), "Do It Again".
This piece of serendipity probably means that I originally categorised and appreciated the Dan (3) as a guitar band. For me, at this early stage, the piano and keyboards were ancillary (in the same way that both Elton John's piano and Davey Johnstone's guitar were necessary to the Elton John sound, particularly on "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"). I suppose I would have had a different impression if I had heard "Do It Again" first.
Another factor that influenced my appreciation of the Dan was that I didn't initially get into their second album, "Countdown to Ecstasy". Similarly, I never grew to be obsessive about albums from "Katy Lied" onwards. I just never listened to them that much.
Inevitably, this means that I'm not as familiar with the album "Aja" as most other Dan fans would be. By 1977, I'd become engrossed in the punk and new wave movements, even if I was also a fan of Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell and Bill Evans (jazz pianists admired by Becker and Fagan).
My two favourite Dan albums have always been the first ("Can't Buy a Thrill") and third ("Pretzel Logic"). To this day, my Steely Dan playlist consists solely of songs off these two albums. I've never sat down to make another compilation out of the later albums, although I'm sure I'd like it just as much, if I did.
Walter Becker and Donald Fagen (Source)
The Two Schools of Dan Fandom
Ian MacDonald's review of "Two Against Nature" in "Uncut" starts with a potential explanation:
"There are two schools on Steely Dan: those who like the early Poppier Stuff With Tunes; those who prefer the later, Purer Stuff Without Tunes." (4)
Some might think I belong to the first school, but, in truth, I just haven't graduated from it, and enrolled in the second school yet. Or it hasn't let me in.
Subverting the Mainstream
Gavin Martin writes:
"Between 1972 and 1980, Walter and Don were the unassailable hepcats of East Coast cool, subverting the West Coast mainstream with lyrical intrigue, dazzling crafted intelligence, their twitchy finger on the pulse of popular taste...
"Albums like 'Pretzel Logic' and 'Countdown to Ecstasy' presented a quintessential American songbook filled with characters that ranged from the seedy and desperate to vengeful dreamers ("My Old School") and lost romantics ("Midnite Cruiser").
Andy Gill's article in "Mojo" contains the following quote from Donald Fagen about his suburban childhood:
"We liked the sort of faux-luxe sound of the '50's, there was just something very funny about it. I grew up in a faux-luxe household and it was a very alienating world, so for me it has the opposite effect: muzak is supposed to relax you, but it makes me very anxious. So in a way, I think I get it out of me by putting some of it in my songs. Then I start to laugh at it when I hear it...
"I was trying to get out of that with 'The Nightfly'; it was kind of self-examination of my childhood. It took me a long time to go through a kind of transformation...
"I'm a very introspective person as it is, so always working is a kind of therapy in itself."
Literary and Jazz Influences
There were two aspects of the Steely Dan story with which I wasn't previously familiar.
One was the fact that Donald Fagen had written a thesis on the fiction of Herman Hesse. Coincidentally, the guitarist Denny Dias had previously been in a band called Demian (named after one of Hesse's novels). Similarly, the drummer Jim Hodder had been in a band called the Bead Game (named after "The Glass Bead Game"). Steely Dan's producer had also worked with Steppenwolf (also named after a Hesse novel).
The second aspect was the background of their interest in jazz. It owed a lot to listening to late night jazz stations, including WRVR (subsequently a country music station), and watching old movies. Donald Fagen used to listen to the DJ Symphony Sid, as well as Jean Shepherd, "this monologist who was a hipster type who'd talk for forty-five minutes every night. He had a vaguely subversive way of looking at America. And there were the movies that would conjure up the exotic potential for something different than the suburbs."
Irony and Intelligence
In one interview, Ira Robbins suggests to Walter Becker that "Steely Dan's marriage of jazz and pop could have - by the removal of irony and intelligence - mutated into smooth jazz."
Becker replies wryly, "I'll publicly apologise for that if you want. It's certainly nothing we intended."
The hypothetical question ignores the fact that Steely Dan have never removed irony or intelligence from their music. It has always been the essence of what they create.
In "GQ", Dylan Jones writes:
"No other band managed to let groove and intellect coexist as seamlessly. The most incredible rhythm sections with the most captivating narratives and these crazy chord changes."
Assuming the Role of Narrator
At the time of the release of "Aja" in 1977, Fagen tells Sylvie Simmons of "Sounds", "We write the same way a writer of fiction would write. We're basically assuming the role of a character, and for that reason it may not sound personal. But I try to assume the role and make it believable..."
Fagen has already said something very similar to Michael Watts of "Melody Maker" in 1976:
"...when I sing a song I just take the role of narrator; I'm sort of acting out a part. It's really quite impersonal, although the music in me, and the words themselves, can be very personal - like 'Don't Take Me Alive', 'Kid Charlemagne'."
Becker adds:
"I think we probably are conspicuous in our thematic concerns in rock 'n' roll. But if we were novelists dealing with the subject matters of our songs it would not stick out as much, because in the literary field, what we are writing about are more the traditional concerns than in rock 'n' roll."
English Major Dudes
In other words, their lyrics had much more in common with the fiction they both liked, than other songwriters.
Fagen reveals the identity of some of these novelists in another interview:
"In college, we were both intrigued by certain humourists of the late '50's and early '60's, such as John Barth, Joseph Heller, Kurt Vonnegut, Thomas Berger, Terry Southern and Bruce Jay Friedman (I've since cooled on a lot of these writers). Walter read a couple of novels by Thomas Pynchon...
"It soon became more interesting to exploit and subvert traditional elements of popular songwriting and to combine this material with the jazz-based music we had grown up with."
Maybe Steely Dan were the first post-post-modern band.
FOOTNOTES:
(1) See also the online resource, "The Steely Dan Reader", which contains 100 articles about Steely Dan.
(2) For some reason (potentially related to licensing), this excellent review of "Pretzel Logic" by Bud Scoppa in Rolling Stone was omitted from the collection. You can register and read this review for free. It's also available here.
(3) Some early reviews abbreviate the name of the band to the Steelies (rather than the Dan).
(4) The articles tend to use the words "pop" and "rock" interchangeably, despite the significance each of these words acquired in the English music press during the early '80's.
SOUNDTRACK:
April 4, 2018
I must first say that I have been enthralled with Steely Dan since the first time I heard their music. Once I heard Do It Again from their first album Can't Buy a Thrill, I was hooked. So hooked that through the years I have proceeded to buy every album they've created. It's the music I listen to in the car; when I'm cleaning at home; in airports and on the plane - well, you get the idea.
In my mind, there is no truer band than the Dan. They are the only band that I feel has been able to successfully merge jazz (a favorite genre of mine) and rock - so much so, that their sound is unique and unparalleled. The lyrics, which are the soul of their sound, are complex and definitive. Not every song means what you want to think it means, not every song is as memorable as the one that comes before it. But each song is poetry personified; it has depth, quintessence and above all essence.
This book not only quotes Steely Dan's songs and albums, it gives us the background of where the two founding members met (in college) and their co-band mates, and how they work together and perform together (two very different things). Each chapter begins with an essay then there are interviews throughout along with a timeline. This work entails the thought process behind their music, and how it comes about. It's also interesting to note that Jeff Baxter, who began with the Dan, went on to a fine musical career with The Doobie Brothers.
I will state that if you are not a fan of Steely Dan, you may not truly understand everything in the book, but to true lovers of the band this book is an indispensable resource that is bound to be prized for what it is. My personal favorite is the album Pretzel Logic, which has a track from which the title takes its name. Unfortunately, the recent passing of Walter Becker left a void that will be deeply missed.
In conclusion, their music stands in a class by itself. For anyone who knows their music, this statement stands true. For those that don't, I suggest you listen to a couple of their albums. If you do, Steely Dan will have gained new fans. Highly recommended.
In my mind, there is no truer band than the Dan. They are the only band that I feel has been able to successfully merge jazz (a favorite genre of mine) and rock - so much so, that their sound is unique and unparalleled. The lyrics, which are the soul of their sound, are complex and definitive. Not every song means what you want to think it means, not every song is as memorable as the one that comes before it. But each song is poetry personified; it has depth, quintessence and above all essence.
This book not only quotes Steely Dan's songs and albums, it gives us the background of where the two founding members met (in college) and their co-band mates, and how they work together and perform together (two very different things). Each chapter begins with an essay then there are interviews throughout along with a timeline. This work entails the thought process behind their music, and how it comes about. It's also interesting to note that Jeff Baxter, who began with the Dan, went on to a fine musical career with The Doobie Brothers.
I will state that if you are not a fan of Steely Dan, you may not truly understand everything in the book, but to true lovers of the band this book is an indispensable resource that is bound to be prized for what it is. My personal favorite is the album Pretzel Logic, which has a track from which the title takes its name. Unfortunately, the recent passing of Walter Becker left a void that will be deeply missed.
In conclusion, their music stands in a class by itself. For anyone who knows their music, this statement stands true. For those that don't, I suggest you listen to a couple of their albums. If you do, Steely Dan will have gained new fans. Highly recommended.
August 10, 2020
This compendium of reviews, interviews and stuff regarding two cool dudes (Donald Fagen & Walter Becker) is not a biopic but a rundown of things written about the duo. Hoskyns has collected and presented an impressive array of published opinions from stellar rock writers spanning the last five decades. My only gripe was that there was no mention of Jim Gordon, a drummer (not only for Steely Dan but Derek and the Dominos, The Beach Boys, and others) with one of the most disturbing but interesting life stories in all of 20th Century music.
Steely Dan was the type of cool that isn't viewed as cool on first glance. It's the deeper, more resonant hipness that can never be possessed by someone regarded as a hipster. More subversive than punk and as polished as smooth jazz, their music a mystical sphere, their lyrics biting and bitter.
Current fans will surely enjoy this book and may even discover some obscure songs (Dog Eat Dog and Mr. Sam for instance). If you are not a Dan fan do not read this book; first, immediately visit your closest record store, digital music provider, or the like and begin your Steely Dan 101 Course, which should include: Rikki Don't Lose That Number, Kid Charlemagne, FM (No Static at All), My Old School, and Hey Nineteen. After this, you will either move on to their more sophisticated material, and eventually this book, or you will have decided Major Dudes is not for you. In that case you may want to turn up the Eagles, and not only because the neighbors are listening.
Steely Dan was the type of cool that isn't viewed as cool on first glance. It's the deeper, more resonant hipness that can never be possessed by someone regarded as a hipster. More subversive than punk and as polished as smooth jazz, their music a mystical sphere, their lyrics biting and bitter.
Current fans will surely enjoy this book and may even discover some obscure songs (Dog Eat Dog and Mr. Sam for instance). If you are not a Dan fan do not read this book; first, immediately visit your closest record store, digital music provider, or the like and begin your Steely Dan 101 Course, which should include: Rikki Don't Lose That Number, Kid Charlemagne, FM (No Static at All), My Old School, and Hey Nineteen. After this, you will either move on to their more sophisticated material, and eventually this book, or you will have decided Major Dudes is not for you. In that case you may want to turn up the Eagles, and not only because the neighbors are listening.
August 21, 2018
If being a Steely Dan fan only means having "Peg" on your iPod, this book is NOT for you. For long time fans, like myself, it was very entertaining and insightful. That being said, a lot of the material used is redundant. I'm not blaming Mr. Hoskyns. Many stories, reported by different writers, are repeated again and again. It is still a fun book and I am glad I read it. I recommend it to "Major" fans only.
February 8, 2019
Major Dudes
There will never be enough anecdotal info on this duo, I always want more, music and stories. But despite the repetition of historical data in many of the reviews and interviews, it shored up my humble databank of all things Dan. There are The Beatles, Steely Dan and, at least in rock and roll, every one else.
There will never be enough anecdotal info on this duo, I always want more, music and stories. But despite the repetition of historical data in many of the reviews and interviews, it shored up my humble databank of all things Dan. There are The Beatles, Steely Dan and, at least in rock and roll, every one else.
July 11, 2018
Barney Hoskyns has assembled a career-spanning collection of articles on and interviews with Steely Dan, concluding with a memorial for the recently deceased Walter Becker. (I guess it would have spoiled the feel of the book to tack on an article regarding the ongoing litigation between Becker's estate and Donald Fagen.) My three-star rating derives more from the limitations of the format than the choice of materials itself. If you have a serious abiding interest in Steely Dan, "Major Dudes" will probably contain some interesting revelations that will more than offset some of the maddening repetition. Casual fans will probably want to take a pass.
One of the things that stood out for me was the evolution of the personas of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. In the earliest interviews, they come off as almost normal, pleased that someone has taken notice and appreciated what they were doing. Neither Becker nor Fagen display caustic wit or ironic detachment or try to toss off witty bon mots. Also, Becker and Fagen treat Steely Dan as a band, not a duo with some session guys rounding out the sound. After the "Countdown to Ecstasy" LP, Steely Dan becomes just Becker and Fagen, and both develop personas built on sneering disdain for clueless philistines. One has to admire their discipline. They were public figures for over 40 years, yet virtually little is known about their private lives and none is revealed in "Major Dudes". We see elliptical references to Becker's substance abuse problems and Fagen's depression, but neither comments on these matters in any detail.
Steely Dan occupies a weird place in popular music. They are popular and obscure. They are respected and reviled. "Major Dudes" helps make some sense of these cross-currents, though some insights into Becker and Fagen remain unknown and unknowable.
One of the things that stood out for me was the evolution of the personas of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. In the earliest interviews, they come off as almost normal, pleased that someone has taken notice and appreciated what they were doing. Neither Becker nor Fagen display caustic wit or ironic detachment or try to toss off witty bon mots. Also, Becker and Fagen treat Steely Dan as a band, not a duo with some session guys rounding out the sound. After the "Countdown to Ecstasy" LP, Steely Dan becomes just Becker and Fagen, and both develop personas built on sneering disdain for clueless philistines. One has to admire their discipline. They were public figures for over 40 years, yet virtually little is known about their private lives and none is revealed in "Major Dudes". We see elliptical references to Becker's substance abuse problems and Fagen's depression, but neither comments on these matters in any detail.
Steely Dan occupies a weird place in popular music. They are popular and obscure. They are respected and reviled. "Major Dudes" helps make some sense of these cross-currents, though some insights into Becker and Fagen remain unknown and unknowable.
May 14, 2019
Yes, the book contains some interesting revelations and insights about Fagen and Becker, however because it is a compilation of forty brief magazine articles about Steely Dan, I got bored reading the same facts about the band over and over.
This book is at its best when it presents a few lengthy interviews with Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The other content varies wildly.
This book is at its best when it presents a few lengthy interviews with Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The other content varies wildly.
April 11, 2021
For devotees of the group like me, this is a total treasure trove. For anyone other than hard-core fans, I suspect they will quickly lose interest. For me, I had trouble putting it down. This is a collection of album reviews, interviews and profiles, so much of the origin story and biographical information is repeated over and over again. Spoiler - since the Dan has always been coy about the "meaning" of their lyrics, you'll be disappointed if you are hoping to find out what in the world is "El Supremo from the room at the top of the stairs" (I always suspected it was a variety of weed or perhaps a cigar brand). All that said -- LOVE LOVE LOVEd it. One of the most entertaining things is how clueless some of the interviewers are and how Becker and Fagen mercilessly toy with them. One unfortunate reviewer revealed that nothing in the first four tracks of Countdown to Ecstasy really grabbed him. He should've listened to it twice - only one of the most infectious grooves of the decade and ubiquitous on 70s radio ("Bodhisattva") and one of the Dan's most haunting and enigmatic melodies ("Razor Boy"). Another hapless music writer confessed that he had no idea what Becker brought to the table, attributing the group's encyclopedic knowledge of jazz, its laconic and aloof attitude, and its legendary perfectionism all to Fagen. The important thing to know is that one of them is a romantic and one of them is a smartass, and if you can't tell which is which you'll know by the end of the book.
December 19, 2020
Compilation in need of editing
Lots of great writing, a very fine companion to the Dan but really in need of an editor to remove the repetition. Understandable as separate writings but you really don't need the stock description of Messrs Fagen and Becker at the start of every piece. That said, enjoyed reading while listening to all of the albums, did I learn anything new? Not really but it was fun nevertheless.
Lots of great writing, a very fine companion to the Dan but really in need of an editor to remove the repetition. Understandable as separate writings but you really don't need the stock description of Messrs Fagen and Becker at the start of every piece. That said, enjoyed reading while listening to all of the albums, did I learn anything new? Not really but it was fun nevertheless.
February 3, 2024
Jesus, as if I could have become a bigger Steely Dan fan! Contemporary reviews and articles about the band. As well as very touching retrospective pieces on their impact and influence, which goes far beyond what I even was aware of, including lots of samples in rap and hip hop songs. Compulsively readable. Will make you a bigger fan of the Dan.
October 2, 2021
This book is not the sort of book you read from start to finish like a novel, although it certainly could be read that way. It's a collection of interviews, album reviews and show reviews dating from the early 1970s up to Walter Becker’s death in 2017. There’s at least one detailed review of every Dan album, plus they cover all the solo albums, as well.
It’s really nice to have all these articles together in one place. I love being able to read about specific albums that interest me. It’s fun to get a perspective from the time of an album’s release, plus it’s just another interesting cultural artifact of the times to engage with. (Plus I wouldn't have known about Becker’s first solo effort, Circus Money, without this book. I haven't had a chance to hear that one yet, but I’m glad I discovered that it exists and am looking forward to giving it a listen.)
As an aspiring songwriter, I also very much enjoyed the interviews where the boys discuss their work practices and writing techniques and, occasionally, comment on the songs. I like their philosophy of not going into too much detail about the meaning of a particular song, the idea being that this could ruin the effect that song might have on certain listeners whose differing life experience leads them to see the song through their own unique perspective. (The Royal Scam, the song, was the example they used, but this would be true of many if not most of their songs as well as those of many other writers, I would think.)
And, by the way, there’s a similar collection about Joni Mitchell and her work by the same author/editor. If you’re a fan, I’d recommend checking that out.
It’s really nice to have all these articles together in one place. I love being able to read about specific albums that interest me. It’s fun to get a perspective from the time of an album’s release, plus it’s just another interesting cultural artifact of the times to engage with. (Plus I wouldn't have known about Becker’s first solo effort, Circus Money, without this book. I haven't had a chance to hear that one yet, but I’m glad I discovered that it exists and am looking forward to giving it a listen.)
As an aspiring songwriter, I also very much enjoyed the interviews where the boys discuss their work practices and writing techniques and, occasionally, comment on the songs. I like their philosophy of not going into too much detail about the meaning of a particular song, the idea being that this could ruin the effect that song might have on certain listeners whose differing life experience leads them to see the song through their own unique perspective. (The Royal Scam, the song, was the example they used, but this would be true of many if not most of their songs as well as those of many other writers, I would think.)
And, by the way, there’s a similar collection about Joni Mitchell and her work by the same author/editor. If you’re a fan, I’d recommend checking that out.
October 10, 2018
Hoskyns assembles a fascinating set of previously-written pieces about the Dan (one of my favorite bands). These pieces are varied, but mostly include album reviews and interviews (with a few more general analyses near the end, and an encomium to the recently deceased Becker as the final piece). What one thinks of this format depends on one's relationship with the Dan - casual fans will find the material repetitive and gnomic, whereas dedicated fans will appreciate the fact that by proceeding chronologically, one can see the development of the idea of the Dan over time, both in the minds of critics and in the minds of Becker and Fagen themselves. For example, it's fascinating to read album reviews from '72 or '73 that treat Steely Dan as a normal pop band, without all of the justifications and careful exegeses that later critics (especially those writing after 1980) offer. One review (of Pretzel Logic, I think), condemned them for lack of 'progress' in their music - from our perspective in the present, this is pretty ludicrous, of course. It's also the case that the interviews show the slow development of the ultra-hipster, sneeringly cynical personae of the two chief Dansters. In the earliest interviews, for instance, they come across as fairly up-front and interested in the usual pop/rock band things. Of course by the later 70s that had already changed, and the interviews (esp. with Fagen) from the early 2000s show them fully reveling in their detached hipster personae.
Highly recommended for those with a deep-ish interest in Steely Dan.
Highly recommended for those with a deep-ish interest in Steely Dan.
March 8, 2019
I really liked this book. As a casual fan (owned the records, couldn’t keep who was who in the duo of Becker and Fagan straight) I really benefited from reading this collection of magazine articles written about Steely Dan over the decades. As others have noted here on Goodreads, there is repetition of the facts as you might expect; every new story has to nail them down before proceeding. But there wasn’t so much overlap as to make me want to stop reading, in fact, I enjoyed seeing how concepts of the group and its music developed and evolved. This book is worth reading for the quality of the essays alone. But I came to the book wanting to learn more about the elusive personality of Steely Dan and did. This book captures many aspects of Becker and Fagan and not just their personalities alone. There are some fascinating moments in interview where they talk about music composition and production. I give it thumbs up.
May 24, 2020
I truly enjoyed reading this book, I didn’t want it to end !! Growing up I listened to steely dan with my mother and her brothers (all musicians) I’m so thankful for their influence !! I always loved Steely Dans music and was fortunate enough to see them in concert October 2019. Sadly it was after Becker passed , but watching Fagen perform was pretty magical !
What I loved about this book was it gave insight into the history of the band and founders Becker & Fagen. The book discusses how they met and the reasons behind of some the lyrics in their songs. I found myself listening and listening again to lyrics while reading the book. Pretzel logic used to be my favorite album but I’ve grown very fond of the royal scam.
I enjoyed reading the interviews, it felt like I could imagine Becker & Fagen saying their responses. I understand why they took a break during the 80’s wasn’t the best time for music lol
Great book highly recommend for any Dan fan !!
What I loved about this book was it gave insight into the history of the band and founders Becker & Fagen. The book discusses how they met and the reasons behind of some the lyrics in their songs. I found myself listening and listening again to lyrics while reading the book. Pretzel logic used to be my favorite album but I’ve grown very fond of the royal scam.
I enjoyed reading the interviews, it felt like I could imagine Becker & Fagen saying their responses. I understand why they took a break during the 80’s wasn’t the best time for music lol
Great book highly recommend for any Dan fan !!
July 31, 2021
I was excited when I discovered this book. Steely Dan are the most enigmatic of rock? Pop? Jazz? Groups. The music really sits outside of any trend or style and so holds up better than many of their contemporaries. This collection, unfortunately, does not do them full justice though.
The problem lies in the repetition caused by the historical authority- after a while the reader can lypsynch along with the biographical details and stock answers given in interviews and fawning articles. Added to this is the selection of entries: there's precious little here that doesn't praise the genius of Becker and Fagin uncritically.
Probably best to be read in bite sized pieces rather than cover to cover, by the converted. Unlikely to make new devotees though.
As for me, I'm off to learn to work the saxophone and find some Babylon sisters to start a band with...
The problem lies in the repetition caused by the historical authority- after a while the reader can lypsynch along with the biographical details and stock answers given in interviews and fawning articles. Added to this is the selection of entries: there's precious little here that doesn't praise the genius of Becker and Fagin uncritically.
Probably best to be read in bite sized pieces rather than cover to cover, by the converted. Unlikely to make new devotees though.
As for me, I'm off to learn to work the saxophone and find some Babylon sisters to start a band with...
December 23, 2019
A very good compilation of reviews and articles on the Dan. Unfortunately, it does prove how clueless so many "critics" have been over the years with regard to Steely Dan. The usual absurdities include absolute statements of which album was better than others or the best or worst album in the catalog--consistently wrong, IMHO. Having all these reviews or commentary in one place also reveals the cut-n-paste or non-attribution of some writers in their work. Nonetheless, a recommend for anyone knowledgeable of Steely Dan's catalog.
June 8, 2018
This is a well curated compendium of reviews and interviews organized chronologically. The book was published in the UK and most of the content comes from the British music press. The way it is presented makes it interesting to see the effect of Steely Dan on reviewers especially from a non-US viewpoint. As this is a collection from multiple authors, some of the history is repeated from chapter to chapter, but in it's complete form it's still an interesting read for any fan.
May 3, 2021
Outstanding collection of essays, reviews, insight and interviews on one of the best bands, not just of the 1970’s, but period. Really well curated by Barney Hoskyns, this is the sort of music book that should be produced more often but sadly isn’t. The fact that he’s chosen Steely Dan is to his eternal credit. At the end of reading this I was disappointed there wasn’t twice as much stuff to go through but I’m being picky because this is an absolute corker of a music book.
February 24, 2019
Maybe 3.5 stars - it's just a collection of interviews and album reviews, several of which repeat background information - but I loved reading about the band, particularly the rave for "Two Against Nature," an album I did not love upon release and should revisit. I also enjoyed the focus on Fagen's solo work.
May 14, 2021
So it's the format not the subject matter.
Magazine interviews and features that were intended to be read in a vacuum, one-offs, don't stand up as well when presented back-to-back-to-back.
How many times do you have to read the band's backstory? Yes, they toured with Jay and the Americans. Yes, they took their name from a dildo.
This format gets tedious.
Magazine interviews and features that were intended to be read in a vacuum, one-offs, don't stand up as well when presented back-to-back-to-back.
How many times do you have to read the band's backstory? Yes, they toured with Jay and the Americans. Yes, they took their name from a dildo.
This format gets tedious.
April 4, 2022
Lots of great writing, a very fine companion to the Dan but really in need of an editor to remove the repetition. Understandable as separate writings but you really don't need the stock description of Messrs Fagen and Becker at the start of every piece. That said, enjoyed reading while listening to all of the albums, did I learn anything new? Not really but it was fun nevertheless.
September 8, 2019
The compilation of old articles can sometimes make for a dull read due to repetitiveness. It didn't really present any new insights as to what makes Steely Dan so important & unforgettable in the history of American music. But it's a decent read for those of us who enjoyed vinyl.
October 1, 2019
As a fan of Steely Dan music, I greatly appreciated reading this book. Well written, and truly enjoyed the anecdotes. Too bad there aren't too many bands that write songs like Steely Dan. They usually have to insert expletives to describe real life expletives.
November 5, 2019
For serious fans, only. An interesting collection of interviews, reviews and appreciation pieces written over the years. But the collection suffers from a lot of repetition and few insights into Becker & Fagan as individuals: they are consistent in revealing only their “public” personna.
July 16, 2024
Nice collection of reviews, some of which are better written than others. The only downside is that you end up hearing the same stories being repeated by different writers. This is interesting if you care to trace how rumours about the band's origins evolve over time, but is otherwise tiresome.
November 1, 2019
nothing but a rehash of old interviews. I think after reading that they met at Bard 25 times I get it.
January 24, 2020
A bit redundant but a must have for any Dan fan.
February 18, 2021
For those of us who love the Dan this is a good read with a few new insights. But for others, it is a repetitious collection of articles.
September 5, 2022
Just a compilation of articles about the band, some interesting, some skippable.
February 3, 2023
A fascinating collection of articles on and interviews with Steely Dan, going back to their inception. Mostly a joy to read for long time fans of the Dan. Some of the post Dan stuff, written in the 2010s seems dead wrong less than ten years later, such Chuck Klosterman's bone headed, tone deaf takes. Besides some of that hyper overwritten pitchfork.com style crap written after the fact, this book is essential for fans of the Dan. The true joy in it comes from reading the interviews with Fagen and Becker, where they are finishing each other's sentences and are just so spot on and funny.
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