Ok. By we, I mean me. Niall.
This episode is all about Steely Dan and the enduring appeal of the Walter Becker and Donald Fagen’s music.
Steely Dan married pop songs with jazz and rock with minor chord progressions, non-standard time signatures and melodies that were complex, well-constructed and full of hooks. Their music had R&B, soul and blues touches and across seven albums from 1972 to 1980 including Aja, Can’t Buy A Thrill, Pretzel Logic and The Royal Scam. The Dan wrote songs about losers, stoners, murderers, low-lifes, gambers, degenerates and delinquents
It’s easy to overlook the sophistication of the architecture of Steely Dan songs they make it sound so effortless but this is music of high fidelity, played with a high level of musicianship.
We look at the modern songs that sampled Steely Dan from Super Furry Animals to Kanye to MF DOOM to De La Soul to All Saints.
Why have Steely Dan endured? Why do we end up loving the music of our parents?
Episode notes / references
Andrea’s own podcast – My Favourite Album
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005 . He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Cara Magazine, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, founder of Lumo Club, club promoter, event curator and producer of gigs, listening parties & events in Dublin.
