I've heard several times from people who are musical that Steely Dan is a band they really admire. Since I'm not musical, maybe I just don't get it. I certainly like Steely Dan, but I would never consider them a Rock icon. To the Musicians, are there other bands like Steely Dan that Musicians understand and like more than the average twhy77? And is Steely Dan greatness and I'm just a moron? Reeling in the Years, my favorite Steely Dan song: <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/vyaYXwoXpeM&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/vyaYXwoXpeM&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>
Rush The Clash The ArcAngels Musicians as a rule seem to have much more of a varied taste in music than most nonmusicians. I've seen punk singers that love Willie Nelson and Roy Clark. Willie Nelson loves blues. Heck, even Mettalica's Kirk Hammet loves the blues. I've known 55-year-old blues musicians that like New Order. John Lydon (Johnny Rotten) once did a duet with Afrika Bambatta (sp).
Well, some are obvious, like The Beatles and The Who. Quite a few bands have mentioned one of my favorites, Cheap Trick, as being a big influence. Not really a band, but I think the single biggest influence in the history of rock and roll is Bob Dylan. When you have Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ray Davies, Pete Townshend, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Robert Plant, Elvis Costello, Joe Strummer, Bono, Michael Stipe, Roger McGuinn, Don Henley, and countless others cite him as the largest influence on the way they write songs, you'd have to say he had the largest influence of any single person in the history of rock. Maybe Hendrix comes close, but he's the one I always hear the main artists mention as their biggest influence.
i have one of steely dan's greatest hits album. it's good but not like the best music there is. probably depends on how old you are to appriciate different era music.
One of the guys from Tool likes Dwight Yoakum, go figure! I like them both alot, they are right there in their "genre" for me, depending on my mood I'll listen to anything. From Willie to Mars Volta to Wu Tang Clan it's all good. Just don't play trash ass top 40 music around me.
Complicated tempo's, alluring if cryptic lyrics, killer background horns, complex harmonies, top notch guest soloist, sonic precision as sharp as a scapel...... Steely Dan, and Donald Fegan's solo albums, stand side by side with any of the world's greatest bands. Their early albums are more rock but they morphed into more of a jazz/rock band with the 1977 release of Aja, the pinnacle of their career in my opinion; though I can throw on any one of the 14 Dan/Fegan/Becker albums and be satisfied. If that paragraph is a mystery to you here's one clue: You don't want to judge Steely Dan from listening to them on computer speakers or cheap Ipod headphones. Go as hi-fidelity audiophile as you can manage. There's just to much perfection there (from Aja on) to miss any nuance. I would say the same for Sgt. Peppers, Miles Davis, Electric Ladyland, oddly Supertramp's Breakfast in America, Boz Scagg's Silk Degrees, Hotel California, Fragile...some other's, but you get the point. Donald has one of the great accompanying video's of all time too. <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IRrCZCN8Kj0&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IRrCZCN8Kj0&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>
I named a black lab Aja, after the LP. Terrific when it came out and still great today. You're right about needing high fidelity, too. Liked your list, until you got to Hotel California.
Like the wind in my hair, driving down the highway on a cool summer night. I hate the f***ing Eagles, man. Actually they are just the most overplayed band of all time. But, if you could listen with fresh ears, that album borders on perfection (cause they stayed coked up for a year till every note was perfect!)
Frank Zappa Prince (later stuff) Toto Rush Level 42 (I'm not kidding) Earth Wind and Fire Ashlee Simpson OK, that last one was a joke... On the Steely Dan thing, I know a LOT of musicians that really dig those guys because of Fagen and Becker. But me...I don't know. Even though some of the greatest drummers to ever grace the earth have played with them (Gadd, Porcaro, Purdie, Humphrey), I just can't get into them for some reason. Just not my thing.
Zappa Mr. Bungle Primus Rush Steely Dan Thin Lizzy (Mainly because they were the Yardbirds of the 70's) Various solo artists that employ top notch session men (ex. Paul Simon) Edit: How could I forget The Meters!
zappa sly stone a lot of early bluesmen (robert johnson, son house, charlie patton, etc.) the clash the band
Missing Persons are a bunch of Zappa band veterans, actually. I still listen to Spring Session M all the time.
Bob Dylan Neil Young The Band Rush Yes Genesis (up to the "Genesis" album) The Smiths (named by pretty much every indie Band and Britpop band that has come out after them) King Crimson Joni Mitchell Van Morrison Bob Marley James Brown Miles Davis John Coltrane Jimi Hendrix Sly and the Family Stone George Clinton/Parliament/Funkadelic Stevie Wonder Marvin Gaye
