# Steely Dan

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steely-dan/248095>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [June 1, 2004, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steely-dan/248095 "2004-06-01T16:54:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![threeorange](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@threeorange](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threeorange)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steely-dan/248095/61 "2004-06-05T03:43:04Z")

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> [@KidCharlemagne](#):
>
> Razor Boy is my alternative gaming nickname when KidCharlemagne is taken.
> 
> It’s Wolverine up to Annandale (a train). And while we’re on that song, might as well throw in:
> 
> Chino  
> Daddy Gee.
> 
> Not specific enough a reference though.
> 
> Squonk is also from Any Major Dude (_Have you ever seen a squonk’s tears? Well look at mine_.)
> 
> As for other names:
> 
> Babylon Sister \*  
> Ruby Baby (DF) \*  
> Cathy Berberian  
> Any Major Dude \*  
> Midnight Cruiser  
> Pearl of the Quarter  
> Rikki  
> Monkey in Your Soul \*  
> Snake Mary  
> Mr. LaPage (for a pedophile)  
> Mizar Five  
> Broadway Duchess \*
> 
> BUT…none better than **Kid Charlemagne**!
> 
> 😉

One could also go with “King of the World”, but too many people might take that as a James Cameron reference (SD had it first, though).

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**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steely-dan/248095/62 "2004-06-05T03:55:12Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> About a month ago, I saw that the CD club offered Two Against Nature and picked it up. I like it, seems to take up where Aja left off. I especially like “Cousin Dupree.” Why is this a “sellout?” Because it seems so close to Aja, or because it won a Grammy? For not hearing anything new out of them for decades, I thought that album was quite good.

Well that’s just it. It was nothing new out of them, after decades. I would have expected something new – D.F.'s solo albums offered new-sounding material, IMO – but Two Against Nature sounded to me like it might have been released right alongside Aja or Gaucho, years ago. If it had been, I would have eaten it up at that time. As it is, I was disappointed because there was nothing particularly new to be heard after a fairly monumental hiatus. I called it a sellout because it used the exact same formula that worked 20 years ago in order to sell more albums – not to make a new statement of any kind.

As far as a Grammy is concerned – “LEGAL DISCLAIMER: Mr. Simpson’s opinions do not reflect those of the producers, who don’t consider the Grammy an award at all.”

Aside: Howcome I always hear “How about a kiss from your cousin the priest?” :eek:

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**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steely-dan/248095/63 "2004-06-05T04:14:43Z")

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Many of us though were delighted just to find out that Steely Dan had lost nothing through the years. Very few (I can’t think of any) bands can come back after 20 years and nail it like they did. I remember reading a post on an SD board by a woman talking about her experience driving to the store to pick up the first album by Steely Dan in 20 years and repeating to herself the mantra, “Please don’t let it suck. Please don’t let it suck.”

Well, it didn’t, and most of us were delighted with it. The same Steely Dan sound, the same tightness and musical virtuosity. In my opinion it’s an excellent album. I would say pretty much the same for _Everything Must Go_.

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**Author:** ![Mal\_Adroit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@Mal\_Adroit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mal_Adroit)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steely-dan/248095/64 "2004-06-05T21:33:56Z")

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> [@KidCharlemagne](#):
>
> That was Larry Carlton

:o  
Larry Carlton (guitar)/Michael Brecker (saxophone)- minor difference there, Moody. _flagellates self_

Talk of all things Steely this week got me out to pick up two of the remasters I needed, _Royal Scam_ and _Gaucho._ Sweet elixir!

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**Author:** ![International\_Playboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/48db29/32.png) [@International\_Playboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/International_Playboy)\
**Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steely-dan/248095/65 "2004-06-07T15:16:53Z")

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> [@masonite](#):
>
> Well that’s just it. It was nothing new out of them, after decades. I would have expected something new – D.F.'s solo albums offered new-sounding material, IMO – but Two Against Nature sounded to me like it might have been released right alongside Aja or Gaucho, years ago. If it had been, I would have eaten it up at that time. As it is, I was disappointed because there was nothing particularly new to be heard after a fairly monumental hiatus. I called it a sellout because it used the exact same formula that worked 20 years ago in order to sell more albums – not to make a new statement of any kind.
> 
> As far as a Grammy is concerned – “LEGAL DISCLAIMER: Mr. Simpson’s opinions do not reflect those of the producers, who don’t consider the Grammy an award at all.”
> 
> Aside: Howcome I always hear “How about a kiss from your cousin the priest?” :eek:

Thanks for the reply. I suspected that it might have been that it sounded so much like Aja (haven’t heard Gaucho).

And as for the Grammy comment, I had noticed that the CD club flier mentioned that **Two Against Nature** had won a Grammy. I don’t watch the Grammys and they have no influence over my opinion since Pink Floyd’s **The Wall** got beat out by Christopher Cross for album of the year.

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**Author:** ![slu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/74df32/32.png) [@slu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slu)\
**Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steely-dan/248095/66 "2004-06-07T15:35:15Z")

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I was always under the impressions that Becker wrote most of the lyrics and Fagen was the chord progression type guy…perhaps that is why the Fagen solo records lack the “witty” lyrics that the Steely Dan records.

Perhaps I am also ignorant!

I love Steely Dan way too much. I know you are getting all the albums on MD, but I just wanted to chime in that I love _Katy Lied_. Black Friday, Bad Sneakers, Daddy Don’t Live in that NYC No More…some sweet tunes there.

Remeber to “Throw back the little ones and pan fry the big ones”!

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**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\
**Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steely-dan/248095/67 "2004-06-07T16:31:33Z")

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Ok, I’m ignorant. What the hell is MD?

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**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\
**Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steely-dan/248095/68 "2004-06-07T16:36:21Z")

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> [@KidCharlemagne](#):
>
> Ok, I’m ignorant. What the hell is MD?

Mini-Disk? I’m 95.2% sure on this one.

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