Although this thread was originally created by a troll, it developed into a normal thread. So here’s what the rest of you had to say.
(Other posts moved back from the cornfield.)
I enjoy it also- seasonally (Summer?). But Classic Vinyl or rewind are my faves.
The term originated from a mockumentary web series in 2005, where it was, in fact, meant to be at least somewhat derogatory: the kind of music that a stereotypical 1980s yuppie would have enjoyed while hanging out on their boat.
But, it seems like many of the fans of that music, and even some of the artists, have come to embrace the name.
FWIW, I often listen to that SiriusXM channel; over the past year or so, they have expanded the songs and artists which they play. That keeps it from being too repetitive (which was one of the original issues with that channel), but they’ve also essentially evolved the playlist into “soft rock from the late '70s and early '80s,” a lot of which doesn’t exactly fit with the original definition of yacht rock, IMO. I’ve recently heard songs on that station such as Jackson Browne’s “Running on Empty,” Nicollete Larson’s “Lotta Love,” and Dan Hill’s “Sometimes When We Touch” – certainly soft rock from that era, but not what I picture as yacht rock.
He obviously doesn’t like his music being classified that way. He considers it an insult.
He clearly is one who does not like the term, or having his band’s work classified as it.
But, yeah, Steely Dan is typically included in short-list definitions of the genre, which I’ve usually seen defined as:
- Smooth, melodic, light music
- Light, not-too-serious lyrical content
- Clear vocals
- High-quality production
- Use of keyboards and pianos
- Borrows elements from jazz and R&B
- Is not necessarily about boats or sailing
Steely Dan is disqualified on those two alone.
I’d consider the term derogatory if the artist is trying to be a Serious Musician. If all they are is an amped up lounge act, then it’s a boost. At least you’re working!
I don’t blame Fagan for being insulted. Steely Dan’s music was far too complex for being considered yacht rock.
mmm
I don’t necessarily disagree; I think that they are closer to jazz, and lyrically more complex, compared to the archetypical yacht rock artists: Christopher Cross, Kenny Loggins, Michael McDonald, latter-era Doobie Brothers, and Toto.
But, they do often get lumped into the genre.
For what it’s worth, Toto (one of the core groups of the genre) originally consisted of a group of friends who were all highly-regarded session musicians in Los Angeles. The band’s members had played on a number of hit records in the 1970s, including music by Boz Scaggs, Alice Cooper, Sonny & Cher…and, in fact, Steely Dan.
Probably because it stereotypes the music as being light, poppy, and un-serious, and its fans as being shallow Yuppies. Look at @silenus 's comment a few posts ago:
It’s not the term. It’s that it’s associated with a bunch of other acts that he feels are beneath him.
That’s probably a big part of it. Fagen and his late partner in the group, Walter Becker, took their work very seriously, and, IMO, were at least a little bit full of themselves.
"Yeah, we’re named after a fictional steam-powered dildo! We’re artistes, man!|
When it comes to Yacht Rock mocumentaries, I recommend “Gentle and Soft: The Story of the Blue Jean Committee” from Documentary Now!
Is “Yacht Rock” synonymous with “Dad Rock?” (Pop music from the 70s and 80s that your Dad would play). Either term is meant to be somewhat derogatory, a snobbish dig at people who did some very listenable music. Some of it was crap and still is. There’s no comparison between “Sometimes When We Touch” (aargh!) and “Real Love” by the Doobies or even “Thunder Island” by Jay Ferguson, which I heard somewhere recently and enjoyed. (I always play air guitar during the riff in the middle of “Rosanna” by Toto. C’mon, admit it. You do too.) I can see why some of the artists might be offended by the term, but that doesn’t mean their music was not worthy. I played most of that as a radio DJ at the time, and still enjoy it today.
Most of that music was fun music, whatever the subject matter may have been. Steely Dan was “serious” music, meant for listening while sitting in your M.I.T. dorm room in the dark, as one friend of mine was known to do.
Probably a subset of “dad rock,” based on the dimensions I outlined earlier.
When I hear “yacht rock”, the first thing that comes to my mind is later Crosby, Stills, & Nash - when they were all fabulously wealthy and decided that instead of doing acoustic folk-pop or protest songs they were just gonna sing about how much they loved cruising around on their expensive boats. “Southern Cross”, “Wasted on the Way”, “Sanibel”, etc. From there you can tie in later Beach Boys and most of Jimmy Buffet’s catalogue - it’s more of an aesthetic than a genre, IMO.
I recently saw Sabrina Carpenter described as yacht rock, which just feels wrong to me.
I listen to Christopher Cross album regularly. The 8th track is Sailing.
That could be the inspiration for Yacht Rock.
I’ve loved the album since it hit the charts in 1979. I wore out my vinyl. Then bought the CD. It’s on my phone now.
Rick Beato interviewed Christopher Cross. Talked about the making of the album. Michael Omartian contributed a lot on Keyboards and backing vocals. They lured Larry Carlton into playing lead guitar on a couple songs. Larry played on Steely Dan’s "Kid Charlemagne
As opposed to how they almost cut their hair.
HBO just premiered a documentary, Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary (ha, ha, get it?) that is streaming on Max
It interviews one of the guys from the original Yacht Rock web series along with Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross, and a motley group of musicians who love yacht rock. Explains everything as far as a joke by unknown comedians can be explained. Don’t expect deepness here.
Lots of people don’t love yacht rock. They’ve said so loudly for the past couple of decades. Doesn’t fit their idea of rock, which apparently has to be heavy metal or punk or anything non-melodic. Since no definition of yacht rock exists, anybody tarred with the appellation can’t get out of it. And that now includes anything who was smooth.
Steely Dan embodies melodic musical perfection, but their jazz-rock contains some of the sharpest critiques of American culture in the 1970s. “The Royal Scam” is as political as anything Dylan did and it’s the title song of one of their best albums, not smooth rock at all. Their songs aren’t celebrations that are fit for movie soundtracks but about drugs, decadence, and dissipation. So are some early McDonald, admittedly, but eventually even the Doobies who he brought number one fame to wanted to go back to the earlier rocking style. Anyway, I can understand why people say they were progenitors to yacht rock, but they don’t fit categories, just like The Beatles are progenitors of many subgenres of rock but not part of them.