SIS Archives -- November 1999

favorite song?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHahhhh

good one

Is Aja the elephant and we're the 5 blind men?...or is it an onion with layer after layer to be revealed? Or is it dark jewel scattering light like the fall sun over a disturbed pond? On the surface the lyrics seem Eastern mystic-lite. Even the music "sounds" a bit "oriental" as if played or heard by someone in a dream who knows the paradigms of Eastern music only to the depth of "Sukiyaki." But underneath the surface, isn't the bop core revealed? Musicians help me out here. Those chords are flavored with curry and MSG to sound Easter, but are they? probably not. The name Aja - isn't it Asia-lite as suggested by fezo. I don't see hidden and provacative eastern meaning - it's just that they like the spice - the surface. I mean, have Donald and Walter given away their $$, forsaken wordly possessions, pawned the recording gear (hardware) and gone running to the nearest Bodhisattva? or shaved their heads and moved to Barrytown??

But it gets hazy just as if one is peering though the opium smoke in a 19th Century Singapore den...the temptations of modern society: cheap songs, philosophy, women as well as drugs, selling out for a buck...but the truth keeps drawing us in - jazz. Pure music = enlightenment. It seems consistent with side A of the Aja album (when on vinyl). Black Cow, Aja, and Deacon Blues become a trinity of music philosophy.

As the mantra of Eastern mysticism lite once grunted by Bruce Lee exclaims: "Do not think! Feeeeell!" We hear this notion in both Aja and Deacon Blues. Most of what the typical American knows about eastern philosphy comes from Bruce Lee movies, the TV show Kung Fu, fortune cookies and The Karate Kid...all partially digested philosphy that the hungry American consumers swallow whole like a ravenous avian hatchling.

The search for musical purity and oneness are sought by thought (Aja) and deed (Deacon Blues). Black Cow pleads with the wayward musician to forsake the "opium den" and return to the "hill"

There's some truth in all the thoughts posed here lately, especially Herm's masterful thesis.

re: That Paul Griffin benefit on the ODP. "The Uptown Allstars" and "others"!
YGK - Get over to The Bottom Line!

Lit Phreak, was it really "brilliant" .?

Aja.

I've never really tried to delve that deeply into the meaning of the lyrics. Don't get me wrong; I've done just that with any number of other Dan songs, just not Aja - yet.

But "Aja" (the album) was really my first connection with Steely Dan. When they started playing "Peg" all over the radio back in '77 and '78, I liked it. My girlfriend at the time fancied herself a model and thought they must be singing about her (kinda reminds one of a certain Carly Simon song, eh?). But despite her apparent conceit, I was still infatuated with her and so if she liked "Peg" well enough to actually order "Aja" from Columbia House, then it was damn well good enough for me. We broke up soon after, but by that time I had heard enough of the rest of the album between replays of "Peg" that I knew I was onto something different, and remarkably cooler than anything else I'd been listening to. I'm still there.

Funny how memories are assigned to music...

Not only is it my favorite song, but hearing the first time was what completely turned me on to SD. Can't you tell? :)

aja

I've been on AOL since about July and I haven't gotten one spam...all my friends seem to have their inboxes filled, but I haven't gotten one...weird

I wonder if we can establish a poll somewhere where we could tally our favorite SD song...reading all this stuff about the song 'Aja' makes we wonder if it's not the favorite out there among the GB'ers

we have polls at OnHoops but I can only make them five options long

there's a new item on the ODP

sherlock--I hear you re "cherry" versus just "wine". I can remember a critic carping about Donald's singing he had plenty of Chesterfields. The critic complained that Don could have just as easily said cigarettes, and I always thought it was a ridiculous objection, criticizing a songwriter for embellishing and making more real, more evident his subject.

Oleander: You never cease to amaze me with your literary knowledge. Very impressive getting the Ginger Man post. I'll shoot another one your way soon.

RubyBaby: If that's the first time you've been spammed on AOL, then you're either lucky, or you're not hitting the same sites I hit. If you want to avoid spam (unsolicited porn and junk mail), then stay away from chat rooms, questionable sites, and any other BS out there on the net. There are people out there who run software programs which watch where you go, and if you fit their target market, you get a nice invitation to an adult porn site. I've got about ten of them (spams) sitting in my mail right now, I think I got stuck on a mailing list or something. AOL is definitely the spam capitol of the internet.

As far as Aja is concerned: I've always pictured the narrator of the song thinking of himself as some sort of Buddha figure. Maybe that's because Buddha was known to rest under Banyan trees. Anyway, that's my take on it.

--LP

Thoughts on 'Aja'

Wonderfully poetic.

Great drum solo.

Pure jazz, not rock, taking us across the river on this one cut.

It's the song that more than anything else, made me a jazz fan.

There is no one super key to solve Aja. It's not like finding the prize at the bottom of a Crackerjack box. If that's all there was to it, then it wouldn't be worth listening to after it was solved. Who reads solved crossword puzzles?

Ruby Baby,
Kanga Din? Rudyard Kipling wrote a poem about this person. He was a hell of a waterboy. He would never impersonate you on the net. He doesn't even own shoes. Something's amiss.

ruby baby-your strength through your faith inspires me. Perhaps it will do the same for whoever is abusing the names of people here on the GB.

aja

the weight of evidence falls to drugs - the same theme runs through 'Time out of Mind' (tonight when I chase the dragon\the water may change to cherry wine) .Once again we see the spiritual (quasi religious)coupled with a certain kind of modern lifestyle.The brilliance of adding"cherry" (to cheapen the image)when a lesser soul would have been happy merely with "wine"...

someone from the netherlands used my aol screen name and sent me a link to a porn site. I guess they just want me to know they can do such things. They probably sent it to others, too. I will say to that person, "Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world." and "No weapon formed against me shall prosper."

Just in case any one of you gets a letter from kanga, please just delete it! It's not from me. It may even have a virus.

I know it's from somebody who reads this guestbook.

rb

re: ? "no pants"

You're fantasizing...

I'm with jon. Stop thinking so much, just do. double helix. everything's there.

always was.

quark quark flap ribbit all the way to the top of the stairs.

animals! oops wrong room.

In the photos on http://www.steelydan.com/newcd.html it looks to me like they are not wearing pants.

Two Against Nature - exactly.

?

jon; I always took the whole song in the "materialism vs. spiritualism" context, whether it be a sexual reference or otherwise.

Always thought throwing out the hardware and doing it right was sexual reference not drug reference. Let's lose the needless sex toys and just use what God gave us.

Could the 'sea'be a sea of clouds with the himalayas as islands?
I don't see Chinese Tibet as a Dude Ranch, though. Although there is Richard Gere to consider...

Hey guys!

At a record fair on Sunday. Got myself a copy of 'Gotta Walk it.....' on vinyl. Cost me £3.

Guy didn't have a clue what he was selling. Got two Monk originals for like £4. Play beautifully as well. idiot!

Bye

SFK

I'm obviously joining the discussion very late, but after reading through some of the postings about "Aja" I couldn't help but wonder if "Up on the hill..." could be a reference to the Tibetan Monks. Anyone care to entertain this possibility?

Edd- If that's "the interpetation" you always had...then it MUST be it!!

re: Oleander and shamisen

That's the interpretation of "angular banjos" I've always had.

Love all of it! Despite my statement that I didn't really want to know what "Aja" is really about, I've thoroughly gotten into this discussion. Thanks everyone, for taking the time to post your insight/knowledge! My factual 2 cents: as I'm sure everyone here knows, D&W's first studio job was writing pop hits for others to sing-perhaps this is the dime dancing in "Aja". I can easily see them running home after a long day of selling their souls to escape in great jazz. And that kinda fits in with my initial impression of a young man starting out it the world, selling out (a little) to try and make it but knowing what he desired in his heart was far different. Thank goodness they were failures at pop hits!

aja

Mr. Stewart: If sanity was what we strove for, we wouldn't have put all of you through the misery of waiting twenty years for a new album. We also would have written clear, concise, and straightforward lyrics that left no room for interpretion. We wouldn't have left cryptic messages on our websight leaving you to guess about what songs would be included in that new album.

Sanity. Fuck sanity. Sanity gets you a quadruple platnium record one year, then completely forgotten the next. Sanity doesn't keep people interested in you, sanity makes you become predictable. And that's insane.

I raise up my glass to good king Double Felix for having the sanest Aja interpretation in the book.

Mr. Stewart

I forgot - double helix in the sky - the cosmic mysticism of the East reduced to Western science.

Aja - love the jazz analogy - but to me it's a piece of music about escape (from work i.e. recording \touring\ whatever) to find that elusive 'other' in an Asian culture.
The steely knife however stabs at the "home-style" resort in which the 'searcher' finds himself.
Dude Ranch, Banjoes, Hardware (pipe) -these are all Americana. The mispronunciation 'Aja' is pure New York .
He won't find anything at the Densasar Hilton that he can't find at home.The musical interludes are his daydreams poolside.

It's easy to overlook the most important clue about the meaning of the song, "Aja", and that is the spelling of the word. "j" substitutes for "si". Confused? Think of the most simplistic "code" you learned as a child. J = 10. S = 19. I = 9. J = 1+0 = 1. SI = 19 + 9 = 28 = 2 + 8 = 10 = 1+0 = 1. See? Same product in 25% less packaging. Aja = Asia.

God said, "Let there be Lite", and there was Aja.

Are you with me Deacon Blues?

"Just when I'd spent the last piaster I could borrow" = "When all my dime dancing is through."

The piasters have at once lost their mystery and gained value: A dime, with as little worth as it has, is still more valuable...more accessible...than a dead currency.

And that's what this album was all about. It brought Steely Dan into the mainstream where it could be heard and understood by more than a "cult" audience. And the numbers don't lie. Aja worked on every level. Chinese is not so difficult to master when the genetics of the race, (double helix), can be expressed numerically and thus, universally.

Less Hardware. More Software. Everything was changing at the time and no one saw it but Don & Walt. "They (we) just don't (didn't) care."

At the very least, "The Dude Ranch" was a recording studio. However, I prefer to think of it as "The Major Dude Ranch". And what is the difference between a "dude" and a "gaucho" anyway? That's another story.

...and don't expect beating hearts to be satisfied with ion grids for much longer...

DF

Ole: photon torpedoes on stun

http://www.lighttherapyproducts.com/products.html

Ruby--Think that'd work with the Elvis suit?

Mu--If I could find a 10K lux box that looked like the sun coming over the Blue Ridge instead of 3 am at WalMart, I think I would.

Herm, YGK, fezo--I LOVE it! You guys are ace fever dreamers. This song really does tend to incite the imagination more than any other.

I think these qualify as angular banjos (though they're Japanese):

http://www.trocadero.com/hosoge/items/3818/en1.html

Hutch: becalmed...I was correcting one of my frequent typos from hurried writing

wait... let me check my driver's license.

whew!

okay, carry on.

H.

I'm not Edd, but I saw him on TV

Willllbuuurrrrrrrrr...

warm cookies give me an angular banjo

did anyone see Mos Def's shoutout to SD in the new Rolling Stone? Twas nice, especially b/c I consider myself a fan of the MD

I'm sorry, I forgot to ask: would anyone like some cookies?

Mrs. Fleck

On the porch with a plate of warm tollhouse

My Bela started playing the banjo in 1973, when he was about fifteen years old. His first recordings were with a group from Boston around 1977 - 1978. So, since Aja came out in '77, it's doubtful those two nice boys from Steely Dan ever heard my son's angular banjo.

Warmest regards,

Mrs. Fleck

great job guys, these have been great to read. Thanks for taking the time out to do it...

Edd=DrMu

but does anyone know if Bela Fleck was playing in the mid-70s?

I was gonna say, jeez, Edd...

Herm=Hutch

It's just across the bridge over there to get off, get out of the East
Berlin prison, but the Rumanian guards are blocknig the way. I decide to run for it regardless, and remember too late that bridges are always to be avoided. The guards cannot miss me as I am stripped down to my underpants. I stand out like a Nazi in the Kruezberg 596. The two Muscovite mosquitos grab me and beat me senseless with their fists. One of them smashes my nose with his helmet. We begin what will become a two hour march across overgrown fields and marshes. I'll surely be shipped back to east Berlin. How many deutschmarks will it take for them to buy me back out? It had taken Pint DM 40000.

Heaven is a stone's throw away from hell.

Hutch: Damn, that's good...love it dude

Where I have "fezo", I meant to write, "YGK".

Don't ask why, I just did.

Herm

Okay, fezo, let's go one step further.

"Up on the hill
People never stare
They just don't care"

In the early 40's, Minton's Playhouse was a club where musicians went to jam after hours. It is said that because of "cutting contests", (musicians trying to out do or top each other on stage), that complicated chord progressions were developed to chase the less skilled players away. This club was run by a musician named Teddy Hill. So maybe, up on the "hill", (the club), is the one place where a musician could play the new sounds without getting stared at by the audience.

"Chinese music under banyon tree"

Chinese music is bop. A banyon tree, (not plural), is a tree whose roots grow above ground and often form other trunks. This clearly seems like a metaphor of jazz naturally splitting from it's roots into a seperate life of it's own.

"Here at the dude ranch, above the sea."

To me, a dude ranch is a place where people go to relax and hang out, so this could be another way to describe Minton's. Now, what if the next line is really, "above the C"? As in the note? Dizzy and others like to play in upper registers to show off their chops, and many bop songs fly off in to the stratosphere, as well.

"When all my dime dancing is through
I run to you"

When a hostess would dance with you for a dime, she wasn't doing it because she loved you, she was doing it for the money. And as I said before, many of these musicians were in other, more traditional bands, (for the money), and would sprint to Minton's after hours and play until sun up, and sometimes later, (for the love).

"Up on the hill
they've got time to burn
There's no return.
Double helix in the sky tonight
throw out the hardware
let's do it right."

Okay. I think this is a drug reference. They've got time to burn, is maybe a sarcasm toward all the time wasted taking heroin instead of practicing. There's no return could mean that there's no coming back from drug addiction. Double helix...could mean that a new sound is going to be born, perhaps by divine intervention, so throw out the hardware, (the drugs, the syringe), and let's play it the right way.

"They think I'm okay.
or so they say"

I agree with what fezo said, this could either be the audience or his peers saying he's okay.

"Angular banjoes", may mean Charlie Christian. He was a guitarist with Benny Goodman, but a regular at Minton's and one of the "founders" of bebop. Could just be a mention of him.

This whole record, though, could stand another analysis from a bebop standpoint. We already have a fever dream suggesting that "Black Cow" is about Thelonious Monk; "Deacon Blues" is about a guy plaing the sax; Josie rhymes scrapple with apple ~ "Scapple From The Apple" is a famous Charlie Parker song.

But, as the man said, it's all an educated guess.

Later,

Herm

Yeah...The Gorge...Good memories anyway...

weed=week

Ruby Baby: I'm twisted in a pretzel logic whether tiles 3 a and 3b referred to the same song or 2 different songs, but I'm leaning to the latter now. On any good multiple choice test there arre a number of "foils" designed to week out the guessers from those who understand or at least are proficient at memorization. Cash Only Island, Wet Side Story, and especially Hell Bound Train seem to be that. But I Can't Write Home About You appears out of the blue and much too often. Needless to say things are extra cryptic.

Ole: You should buy on of those lamp boxes to reset your circadian clock on those overcast, short days. I'm sure they are available commercially. One could even construct one's own. Use fluorescent light bulbs which have the kind of spectrum found in sunlight. 20+ min at 7 am or so should do it: a great conversation piece for breakfast! Otherwise, I'd have to show you how to massage the pineal gland and that's no picnic. As an act of desparation, a nasal suppository of melatonin might do the trick as the veins from the sinuses drain into the brain.

fezo: It could be another one of those allegorical stories about the music biz like Throw Back the Little Ones or as "Breen" suggested under the ax: "Do It Again." The "people up on the hill" are the usurous music execs, the "dude ranch" is the studio, "dime dancing" are the current popular and empty danceable dities, and "aja" refers to symbolically real musical roots like bop, Gillespe, Miles, etc.

police du ebay?
lawyers Warner?

It's a thin man in crisp blue line suit
Jack of Speed on his sleeve.

Look both ways before crossing the internet.

OK. wait. You there. You're coming with me, buster.

carry on.

ALSO: the inclusion of Mr. Shorter on the memorable solo is especially profound in this scene....

re: Bebop. If "Chinese music" in 'AJA' is a lyrical synonym for be bop, that would make sense with the phrase, "angular banjoes". The music can be quite angular in the intervals it may take, especially when written out. Anyone know if Bela Fleck was playing in the mid-70's?

Perhaps AJA could just be Fagen's word for bebop.
"When all [his] dime dancing is through, I run to you...."
the author goes home and puts on some bebop on his record player.

OR maybe....

"Up on the hill, they think I'm OK, or so they say...."
a musician who is invited to a circle of musicians, say bebop players, might be intimidated about his ability amongst older, wiser, perhaps more adept musicians or musicians who are 'out of his style' of playing. Of course, once the guy sits in on a tune, they could all dig the guys playing, leading to the phrase, "they think I'm OK, or so they say"...which is effectively true; musicians could dig your playin, but they won't necessarily say REALLY dig you till you're gone or have proved somethin over time.
(I know I've sat in with new guyes, there is a certain testing ground to see if I could fit in, and if I've received compliments, I realized that I must take it with a grain of salt. If they really like you, they'll invite you back, and when you return, you'll be able to 'feel the love' from the room about your playin.)

(And now running with this theme)
"Up on the hill, people never stare, they just don't care"
could describe the cats in this group 'high above the sea', whether physically above the sea or just high. It could be the dudes are just too cool - they 'never stare' or are too whacked out on the drugs/music to give a shit about who you are to stare. This would effectively describe more than several bebop 'scenes'.

Looked at in this light, AJA just might be Fagen's anthem for his love of bebop and his experience hanging with a bunch of bop players.

an educated guess, nonetheless....

ygk

ruby: i don't mind filler at all. some poster had just questioned the classification of the aja lyrics as such and i was trying to state my case.

thanks for an excuse to pull out some Beatles' CD's by the way.

The Warners' lawyers are on high alert about now.

Don't even think of it

HERM: That is a great bit of iNtuition. Chinese music is Gillespie. WOW!

To anyone with a promo copy of 2AN, can I give you some tips on how to use a sound recorder program and turn a song or two into a sound file? Pretty please?

maj©

minor: we miss your wit and wisdom

The wiz: minor world beats you with both hands tied behind his back, blindfolded and drunk. Of course, I've never seen him that way...

fezo: As long as it sounds okay and feels good to sing, I don't mind the "fillers," do you? The beatles used more fillers than anyone, I think.

oleander: One day, I wore it to clean house and I got a call from the school. They wanted me to come talk about my youngest kid immediately. So I went, clown suit & all. I forgot I had it on. It worked wonders - better than a robe and slippers. That was the last mischief he ever did at school!

rb

Walt Whitman I'm not, but I do feel qualified to say that lines like "up on the hill they never stare, they just don't care" sure sound like filler, like many of the other simplistic rhymes (tree/sea, burn/return) in "Aja" the song. I would, though, give extra credit for the use of phrases like "angular banjos" and "Chinese music".

I wasn't trying to trash "Aja" the album lyrically. "Black Cow" is brilliant as are "Josie" and "Home At Last".

Well, since everyone is talking about "Aja", I thought I'd try to add to the mystery. The line, "Chinese music always sets me free", makes me think of a story. In 1941 when Dizzy Gillespie was just figuring out what would later be called bebop; he was working in the trumpet section of Cab Calloway's band. Only, Cab was not very fond of the sounds that were coming out of Dizzy's horn, and derisively called it "Chinese music". So, whenever I hear that line, I automatically think of Diz, and wonder if the storyteller in the song is saying that bebop music frees him.

So there, it's finally off my chest.

Later,

Herm

Was over my great pal Pete Fogel's on Saturday night and he demonstrated the new Gaucho DTS surround sound version on his incredible 5.1-channel system: all I can say is Unbelievable!! You hear things you never heard before... Thanks Pete!

Thank God, it appears the Ebay Police are just as stupid as the run of the mill cops......whew !

Q

Re: the Black Cow intro glitch

I listened to the track over the weekend and heard the mystery glitch. The pitch of the note is a *B* though - not a C as others suggested. This makes the "accidental brush against guitar string" theory even more likely - because the note I hear
is the pitch of the open B string.

It's odd this wasn't spotted, but it's understandable how it could have happened. Guitarist moves his fingers into position a little before the A to C hammer on, and in the process accidentally brushes the open B string.

Howard

10 songs? Hmmm. Let me check my utility belt. Nope. Alfred? Why you old codger! Too many nines for there not be a ten? Sounds good to me. I've always had a fondness for zero.

Yes! After much stuggle, I was able to get my MIDI interface working again, all by my clueless self! Now I can finish MY GB Compilation piece and prep everything for mixdown day out at Armadillo Digital...the 12/15/99 ship date is looking good! In the interest of good politics (and of not pissing anyone off), I'm going to limit all artists to one song only...even if there is some extra room on the CD. Maybe next year we can do a double album and give everyone room for two songs...thanx for your understanding.

Spent a great day on Saturday listening to "AIA", "Gaucho" & "11TOW" while blazing down the runs at Mountain High, one of our local SoCal ski resorts ~ my Y2K-compliant snowboard was a veritable magic carpet, and my legs turned to spaghetti after 14 runs! Time to put my rickety ass to bed...

I sent this email to (this piece of shit) McDode. His response is in all CAPS. I think that everyone here should write this con-man and tell him what we think of him!!!!

<< Subj: Cut It! Date: 11/28/99 12:31:58 PM Pacific Standard

McDode- The entire Steely Dan Community is on to YOU and YOUR FAKE autographs. If your not aware by now, ebay is now being policed! In our town, you're the #1 target!
ÊÊHave a nice day :)

OH REALLY? WHY IS IT THEN WHEN I PURCHASE A STEELY DAN LP OF OFF EBAY ITS REAL AND NOT A FAKE? AND YET ANOTHER SELLER HAS IT UP FOR AUCTION I BUY IT WITH A WINNING BID AND RELIST IT ON MY SITE THEN IT BECOMES FAKE. YOU ARE WASTING YOURE TIME AND YOUR OPINION. STEELY DAN I CAN CARE LESS ABOUT A $50 SIGNATURE OF A WASHED OUT BAND WITH NO NUMBER ONE HITS.YOU NEED TO GET A LIFE
AND POLICE YOURSELF.
HAVE A GREAT DAY.

Rube--Yes, they get me down. Does that suit make you look like David Byrne? In that case, come on over, I'll put on my Late Elvis jumpsuit, and we'll rock the night away.

minah--In your case I know that not posting is a sign of restraint, not of having nothing to say. How's it going? I know you're exhausted--hope you're also deliriously happy.

restless--what matters is that you get it. It's just gravy if someone else does.

Mu, No Kulee--That was my guess too. I hope so. I went through a period last summer of listening to it about ninety times in a row.

WHAT is this about "Aja" lyrics?? Of course the music comes first; Messrs. Fagen & Becker have said that themselves. But then who else writes such evocative, clever, literate, poetic, moving "filler"? I mean, this is the album with "Home At Last," one of the most spare and brilliant rock lyrics ever! And "Deacon Blues"! And "Josie," with "she prays like a Roman with her eyes on fire"! And--oh, stop me before I quote again! Just because some of it is opaque doesn't mean it's inferior. Look at all the fever dreaming around these seven tunes--more than anything else they've done. That's an indication of how rich they are. (http://home.earthlink.net/~oleander1/aja.htm)

We can discuss SD in detail AND talk about other things-I love getting diverse takes on life and SD, and find I learn a lot from both.

aja

i guess you don't understand me - Dan rules! happy now. I wrote a Master's paper on Fagen's use of the fallable narrator 10 years ago. i won't bore you with it.

Hutch; That's an unusual situation - your bass player friend marrying someone who disliked music. Perhaps it was for religious reasons. I've seen that before. What a waste.

minor world- Speak for yourself. Maybe
that's why you don't post here anymore. MOST of us have plenty to say about STEELY DAN. (THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE!)

All of a sudden you just pop in with
your opinion. Come back in a couple of more months when you want/have something to say about the subject in matter. I like it here. Sometimes I learn MORE about Steely Dan. That's what I'm here for.

Q: part of the bands dogma included "literary pretensions" and for me (at their best) that's the major appeal - but ,hey, the musics pretty good too!
BTW - to those who complain when the conversation strays from the golden boys - some of us have said just about all we have to say over the years -isn't it good to share ideas about anything with people with whom we have ONE thing in common. You might learn something, I know I have.

FYI:
We wil be focusing on only the most terrible of items up for sale on eBay. Forbidden items on eBay:
1. Human body parts - no more kidneys, lungs, hearts, brains (no eBay user has any that are worthwhile anyway)
2. CDR's We don't care when, how, what - no more CDR's Period.
3. Toy Rocket Engines: These have to be the most dangerous items on eBay and must be banned.
4. No alcohol. We don't want the rest of the population to end up like the guy in The Onion bidding on bootleg Steely Dan CD's and complete sets of Momma's Family.
5. No firearms - don't hurt yourself now.
6. No items by anyone who has a letter Q in their name. Nuf said.
7. No Al Stewart, Celine Dion, or Sheryl Crow. These artists are considered too bogus for serious consideration on eBay.

Further banned items will be listed as they are uncovered.

why can't i find M white's comments on launch.com?

jk

fezo-I agree with you about "Aja" lyrics. That's probably why there are so many different interpretations. I think it's more fun (and personally significant) to give them one's own meaning. I don't really want to know much about D&F in "real life" because what I hear in their music speaks to me so much more the less I know. I don't want to know exactly what "Aja" is about. And that brings me to WasAZ-liked your post! I don't know if I "get it", but I love what Steely Dan music brings to me. When my sister died suddenly last year, I found that a good dose of cynicism, a shot of irony, and cautious optimism were the most soothing to my grieving soul. Now that I'm on the other side of the grief cycle, I find that Steely Dan music still expresses what I'm feeling more than any other band. And I'm having a damn good time salivating over what the new one might be like!

ruby baby-liked your take on hardware! Gotta throw it out now and again :)

Miz Ducky-liked yours, too. Interestingly, one day I was bored at work (what a surprise) so I searched "Aja" and found a link to an Indian guru. Hmmmm.

Off to go sign up for the SD newsletter! Welcome back to the workweek, all!

aja

Thanks WebDrone!

DrMu: So, did you try to match the little photos with the song titles? I had only heard of nine titles, which meant I had to guess at a tenth one. I picked I Can't Write Home About You cuz I love that one.

WasAZ: Higher awareness? I always just thought we steely dan fans shared a mysterious brain-wave frequency. It's outrageous!

Oleander: Are the shortened days bumming you? I don't like to see you all maudlin. I have this one-piece pants suit that's all baggy and silly. The kids call it my "clown suit." I must come over there wearing it, and cheer you up. We'll dance to Show Biz Kids. (Don't take pictures!)

rb

Fezo, I think you could definately argue that Aja is one of the least stimulating of Dan albums lyrically,;however, then you have to acknowledge it's overall musical genius even more !

I think Dan lyrics are generally only meant to accentuate minor messages, and provide varying backdrop for the music itself.

ebay police.....now there's a scary thought.....

Hutch
"Album", I think, is still correct.
a cd just the format. So you could say that a cd is an album. So's an LP.

say cheese!

WasAZ
uh huh. I get that. Kama here, sigh... Snowbound.. there's about 20 seconds at about 3:40 that just get me. and did someone mention OTD?

Sometimes though, I (blush) don't 'get it' , so I just sort of twitch and sway, scrunch my eyes and almost don't breathe. I guess I look a little like a caucrajian charles-smaller specs, tho. kinda freaky.

I don't find myself turning others onto SD too much. They're all still new ones to me. I think they always will be. That's probably what I like. What tends to happen here in my life is that I'll get some inkling and drop a lyric into the conversation. It's pretty rare that someone will pick it up and when they don't, I feel a little guilty for just letting it drift out there. But that happens to me, too. the other way
Someone will make some allusion and it won't be til later that I pick it up and swirl it around inside out. tasty.

one long song. sexy, sensual, sinewy, slick and wet. damn.

c

I like Tony Bennett. I only meant that in the sense that it makes SD (and me!) seem like old relics.

H.

WasAZ - Enjoyed reading your post. It's good to have you here. Of course everyone around here is about to pee in their collective pants over the release of D&W's new album. (I still call 'em albums) so this will be an interesting time to join in on the fun!
You know, I doubt if some of the people will ever get it. And I mean that in a more universal sense when it comes to popular music. Never forget that in marketing and advertising the old "K.I.S.S." rule always holds forth. Keep It Simple, Stupid. If you *consciously* write to appeal to the lowest common denominator and don't demand any brain work on the part of the consumer you'll probably do well. Outside of music, professional wrestling is the certainly a classic example. But it can get really scary... I knew a bass player a few years ago who told me he had to leave the band he was in because he was getting married and his fiance didn't want him to be in the band. I asked him why. He said, "She doesn't like music". Now, I've heard people say they didn't like Country or Jazz but I'd never heard of someone who simply didn't like music!
I really can't see why anyone wouldn't like SD's music. So much of it has that great "snare on the two and four" beat and those sassy tempos like Time Out of Mind or Countermoon. It just makes you wanna get up and dance!
Maybe since some of their stuff has been sampled (ughh) now and some younger people have gotten a taste of it, perhaps the new cd will bring about a new cult following. I hate to say it but, maybe like what's happened with Tony Bennett of late.

WasAZ: They didn't listen; they did not know how.
Perhaps they'll listen now.

very cool pic on the home page of the official site.

Actually, I wrote "Hell Bound Train." It was completely autobiographical, the story of my life before I met my wife.

Q: interesting story on the front of today's Post about ebays efforts to police the site. they've gone out and hired a guy who's a former federal prosecutor, Rob Chesnut, who actively searches the site for potential frauds and then calls up the violators. So next time McNade pops up with his fake SD stuff (Becker and Fagen, Live at Pompei), give a headsup to Chesnut.

As I type this, "Black Friday" wafts from the speakers. There's no real significance to this; Supertramp came forth just prior.

I'm sorry; perhaps there is significance.

I love Steely Dan, as it seems most of the rest of you do. How easy it is, after all, to enjoy and cherish what The Dan have done, if you "get it".

Do you "get it"? I'm not speaking cryptically - or, at least, I don't mean to. But I've found, as I make my way through these pathways I call my life, that many around me don't "get it".
That is, they don't understand the magic that is Steely Dan.
If Donald or Walter happen to read this (like they would; I feel like Ed Grimley even saying this, I must say.), they might find it amusing and somewhat pathetic, that someone would equate enjoying their music to some kind of higher level of awareness.

It's not all that heavy. I just like 'em. But people seem to always ask me why, and I can never answer them adequately (at least, for them), so I inevitably invite them to listen to a few tracks. And when they do, some of them just don't understand it. Oh sure, I try to fit the tracks played to their taste in music (i.e. guitar to guitar; jazz to jazz (the Dan's musio offering an abundance of both (or neither, depending on your point of view))). But it doesn't matter. Either they like it or they don't. And if they don't, they look at me like I'm some kind of gimp-brain (which I very well might be, though on a whole nuther level and for completely differenr reasons).

So I guess my question to all you Guestbook denizens is not "Do you get it" but rather "Is there any chance that any of "them" will someday get it"?

PS: Now "Katy Lied" is playing, and I have to ask the question again. If you don't like this song, you must be a different kind of human from me. Could it be?

Thank God I'm one of the most shallow people I know, else I would start taking even myself, much less others, seriously.

No: I'm starting to believe about "I Can't Write Home About You." Why not 10 tracks for the new one? Base ten for the millenium and Century's End. The CD would still clock in at under 60 min in all likelihood. A wonderful song. We might see "Cash Only Island" and "Wet Side Story" as B tracks on singles n'est ce pas? Thanks for the heads up SDDrone.

I'm sure "Android," "Wet Side" and the others are included as jokes. In fact, "Hell-Bound Train" was a live song written for David Palmer to sing, if I remember correctly.

I don't think they feel like joking about "Second Arrangement"

Late as usual, but I just wanna say thanx: to the WebDrone, for splashing a little life into the wait; to Life in the--that was depressing but just shows that the music biz is about like everything else; to aja & la canarde for those cool thoughts and to everyone who's contributed a fever dream; to the Titanic Troika of Dandom--Pete Fogel, Hoops!, and St. Al; and to Roy.Scam and Shak' for the Words of the Week: Laura Nyrosis and fumblature.

And to just about allaya for being who you, well, post.

jk--what are liners?

Bode Grrl--I think I'd rather let them surprise me with that one, thanks.

Whatevah--e me.

Bonus tracks???

It looks like "I Can't Write Home About You" made it. Cool!

GAS LIGHTNING ABBIE?

sheesh...

STEELY DAN: REELING IN
ANOTHER ALBUM, 19 YEARS
LATER

Two Against Nature will be the first Steely
Dan album since 1981's Gaucho. Giant
Records has announced that Two should be released on February 29,
2000, nearly two decades after the world last heard any new Steely
Dan material. Walter Becker and Donald Fagen began work on the
album following their 1994 reunion tour and have been in the studio for
the past four years.

Becker and Fagen co-produced the nine tracks, which include typical
Dan titles like "Jack of Speed," "Almost Gothic" and "Gas Lightning
Abbie." Among the session players who joined the Dan ranks are Ricky
Lawson, who has played drums on albums by Whitney Houston and
Mariah Carey, and Hugh McCracken, a guitarist who has played with
Aretha Franklin and Paul Simon.

Michael White, who has played drums for Diana Ross, also contributed
to some of the tracks. He told Launch.com about the lavish expense
and stellar cast of musos. "It was the most first-class recording I've ever
been on in my life. The money was outrageous everything was
outrageous," White enthused.

He continued: "Engineers they had the best engineers on the planet
there. The greatest rhythm section players. It was just amazing: Tom
Barney, Paul Jackson Jr., Dean Parks, John Beasley, Joe Sample it
was amazing! Great drummers Ricky Lawson, Sonny Emory, Vinnie
Colaiuta just great. It was incredible."

The band's Web site is typically mysterious about the new album's
contents. Instead of information on the nine tracks, there are instead
nine cryptic images, including an adaptation of a Roy Lichenstein
painting.

Among the documents related to Two Against Nature are a (possibly
fictional) letter from Walter Becker explaining his studio requirements.
The list includes a "Rickie Lee Jones hula doll," "Traci Lords tapes,"
and "my lucky Rainbow Wahines t-shirt collection."

A memo from the band dated January 28, 1999, (also possibly
fictional), implies that there may be no end in sight. "D & W" ask, "Are
we gonna have a shot at getting some of that good old-fashioned
paid-for-by-the-record-company PR or is this ridiculous impeachment
business still going to be jamming up the airwaves?"

The memo also says, "It seems like the days are getting longer all the
time, or maybe we're getting so much work done that it just feels that
way." For Dan fans waiting for some new music, it's been even longer.

Giant Records can do the same for me!

Giant Records can suck my big fat cock.

SDWebDrone: Thank you. Now I can kiss the rest of my sanity (and patience) goodbye. :-) No, really--thank you.

To all the rest of you: check out what else they've just added to the Official Site ...

(Is there a full moon out? I feel the need to bay at it.)

/Miz Ducky
howling with the wolves

My own personal take on the lyrics of "Aja:"

For me, the key to understanding the lyrics is the phrase "the dude ranch above the sea." That, along with the sorta-echoes-of-Bohdisattva orientalist lyrics, evokes for me certain West-Coast alternative-spirituality retreats such as the Esalen Institute, in the middle of the Big Sur region of the California coast. Now, I've never been inside Esalen, though I've driven past it once or twice; but I have heard a lot of legends about its reputation, and Esalen could quite accurately be described as a kind of organo-groovy "dude ranch above the sea." Apparently, in the 1960s and 70s it was really famous (or notorious) for overnight retreat-workshops on trendy cutting-edge personal-growth topics ... as well as all sorts of extra-curricular recreational activities with recreational substances. I doubt it's anywhere near as wild as it once was, but I Could Be Mistaken ... :-)

Anyhow, the lyrics for me turn into a kind of loose metaphorical meditation on the kind of let-go-of-the-mundane-dime-dancing-world, get-in-touch-with-yourself-and-be-groovy thang that might have happened at a place such as Esalen. The narrator of the song, of course, has the usual Dannishly ironic attitude towards such letting-go, but not so much that he isn't still willing to come a-running for the experience anyway. It's almost like he's grudgingly admitting "yeah, it's corny as all hell, but I really do get something out of those wild nights under the stars ... "

Whether the name "Aja" represents an actual woman he's running to, or is more a metaphor for the whole experience isn't so important to me as that general mood of semi-irony/semi-idealism that the song evokes.

It's also interesting to me to compare this retreat-to-the-sea with the darker, more decadent retreat-to-the-sea portrayed in "Babylon Sisters."

YMMV and all other appropriate acronyms apply.

/Miz Ducky
endevouring to "ef" the "ineffable"

aja: I like your take on aja! I always thought of "the hill" as Capitol Hill for some reason.

I have thoughts on "double helix in the sky tonight," but we need the next sentence, "throw out the hardware, let's do it right." I look at that as a techno/romantic way of saying "let's make a baby." (DNA in that double helix formation and we all love to ditch the "hardware" sometimes, right?)

rb

Greetings All:

We would like to call your attention to the launch of the *Steely Dan Newsletter*

Registered Recipients will get first notice of some pretty good stuff (IMHO) coming up in the next several months. There may even be some exclusives to registered Recipients. [Translation: Even if you get the contents of the Newsletter from some shared or disseminated source, you should definitely consider becoming a Registered Recipient yourself].

You can register at:

http://steelydan.com/newsletter.html

Please note that the information you provide at registration will be used only for activities of The Steely Dan Website and will never be given to anyone else, period. You will also be able to unsubscribe at any time.

Cheers,

SD WebDrone

perhaps of all songs by our heroes, aja is the one i've always thought is the most lyrically insignificant. the music itself drives the song both in complexity and pure length. the words seem like filler and i've never been able to find any meaning behind them

Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving!

oleander-more musing on "Aja": I was surprised (and interested) to read that a lot of people hear a story of a Viet Nam vet or a mental hospital in that song. What I've always envisioned when I hear "Aja" is a young man just starting out in the world, similar to Nick Carraway in "The Great Gatsby"; he's making a living among the disaffected rich ("up on the hill, people never stare, they just don't care") but is not really a part of their society ("they think I'm okay, or so they say") but part of him feels as if he's selling out something of himself ("dime dancing"). At the end of the day he runs to his true love, Aja, where he can finally be himself. I hear "Aja" as being music, an idealized woman or relationship, drugs, or any form of escape. The music changes tempo (or something like that, I'm not a musician) and becomes more dreamy and hypnotic when DF sings the Aja chorus, so that enhances the escape theme for me. As for "double helix in the sky", I have no idea what that could be!

Miz Ducky-any Stevie Ray Vaughn CD is good, but I especially like his posthumous "The Sky is Crying" because it's got some interesting songs he experimented with but didn't think suited his CD's. He has a beautiful jazzy song, "Chitlins Con Carne" which is unlike anything I've ever heard him do, and a great acoustic blues song, "Life By The Drop", which has so much soul you'd have to be dead not to feel it. This CD also contains one of my favorite musical orgasms on it ("Little Wing") and I think you'll agree with me if you haven't heard that one before!

Enjoy the long weekend!

aja

i don't know what this means. And did they memtion the name and date of the release?

> Subject: re:AAA stations and Steely Dan

>

> The two members of Steely Dan have agreed to do liners for R&R/BDS AAA

> stations prior to the release of their new single.Please solicit your

> R&R/BDS AAA stations for scripts so we can get these done in the next

> couple of weeks. I will need these scripts by early next week. Feel

free

> to e-mail them to me.

> thanks,

Also. Andy kaufman and steely dan have Hal blaine in common. He is in the new movie and he played on katy.

jk

------------------------------------------------------------------------

kabe- They both have done nothing the last 20 years?

returned from Tampa last night to find this.

passin it along.

> Subject: re:AAA stations and Steely Dan
>
> The two members of Steely Dan have agreed to do liners for R&R/BDS AAA
> stations prior to the release of their new single.Please solicit your
> R&R/BDS AAA stations for scripts so we can get these done in the next
> couple of weeks. I will need these scripts by early next week. Feel free
> to e-mail them to me.
> thanks,

Hutch, Howard: Yes, that works and explained the prolonged nature of the sound. The seems more likely than even a brush against a string which is partially held down by a finger in the left hand (assuming a right-handed guitarist), but not all the way down to the fret board (did I say that correctly?) - or in other words the business side of the neck of the guitar.

A riddle:
What do Andy Kaufman and Steely Dan Have in common?

Yeah, that's the spot.

Even if it is "organic" in origin, I still can't believe it was allowed to remain. It seems TOO easy to make it be gone...

Hutch: thanks for the kind words regarding my Steely Dan guitar tab collection.

One thing though - for black cow, the C9 chord I wrote isn't
the one that's strummed (slowly, twice) during the intro. The chords I did for this song work well if you want to play the song on one guitar, so they try to incorporate all the key harmonic ingredients (keyboard, bass and guitar parts) into a single playable guitar part.

This is why I didn't write out the guitar riff that uses a chord that slides up and down, e.g "In the corner of my eye" - you know the bit I mean. If you try and do the "slidey bit" it's very hard to keep a nice low C on the 8th fret, bottom string.

So, I wrote out a single C9 chord (8x878x) as the best bet if you just want to strum along. Try sliding the xx878x up and down two frets, and adding the top C on the E string for the full guitar riff.

The C9 chord that the guitar strums in the intro section is, i think (from memory - don't have my guitar to check!):

x x 8 7 10 8

About your chord : 0 11 11 11 12 11

You're right, it's a devinely beautiful chord - I know it well!
It features in Zappa's "Zoot Allures". Once I discovered it there, I couldn't stop playing it!

If you look at the notes, from the bottom up, you have:

E G# C# F# B D#

now, E G# F# B D# would give us Emaj9, so with the C# (a 6th) you could call the chord Emaj9add6.

... or maybe Emaj13 (depending on what your views are on the age-old guitarist's question of whether 11ths and 13ths should *always* have a 9th in them or not!)

I'll have to have another proper listen to Black Cow to see if I can spot that glitch. Does everyone agree - it has a clear pitch, around C above middle C, and it comes just around the time of the lone snare hit, beat four of bar 2?

i.e:

Bar1:

A-C hammer-on ... funky clavinet/bass riff ... lone snare hit

Bar2:

A-C hammer-on ... funky clavinet/bass riff ... snare hit+glitch

Howard

Imagine...you hear a tiny, interesting anamoly about six seconds into the intro of a favorite song. Go ahead and buy the most expensive headphones in the world. I sell them for less! Isolate the pesky nuance and analyze its structure with the finest endosonic detonolator on the market. I invented it! So trust me on this one: It's a hang nail grazing a capoed "C" at the 5th fret. And it's an electric guitar.

Shareware and Manicures,

Shaktur Smith

Thunder- What do you mean by "thunder stolen"? Did I review the new one? Did I give away any lyrics or what the songs are about? NO I didn't! Don't worry people, I won't spoil the "surprise" for you. Wouldn't you rather hear about Donald singing Jack Of Speed here on the guestbook, rather then in some newspaper review in January?...I would!

To q only: This new one sounds GREAT!

Just wanted to wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving!

BC

ole--the tax return on my bet was that I'll calculate what vital organ the government will take.

aja--hope you visit frequently. Liked your take on "Aja."

Sebastian--you're the Ginger Man, of course, but it's been so long since I read it I can't remember big plot chunks, much less any lines. That's why I'm rereading a lot of stuff lately, fluffing the neurons a bit.

David--check your e. Mazel tov on your New One. Looking forward to it.

Lynn Schwann--hey, man, my ice cream is late! Where you been?

T Muzz--Yeah, that's the inimitable Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz. At least The Dan got handsomely remunerated for its use.

Ruby--Ooh, I like that theory.

Herm--And speaking of romance, I've said it before, but my swooniest pick is "Concierto" by Jim Hall. Constructed like an act of love, about long enough to do the trick, and just gorgeous. Couple it with OTD and I'm over the top.

Happy holidays, all

Edd & Howard - Here's my theory on that glich on beat four of measure two on Black Cow.
I believe it's an open string that the guitarist touched with his thumb just before he does the second hammer on to the high C note. Of course this means he's finger-picking, not using a pick. Now, the open string he accidentally touches is indeed a C (an octave above middle C, I believe) so the problem is, since none of the open strings on a guitar (in standard tuning) is a C how is he touching an open string that's a C? I think the answer is that he has a capo on the 5th fret! With the capo on, an inadvertent touch of the open 3rd string yields a C.
Another reason I think he's finger-picking is the "plucky" sound of the C9 chord on the first beat of the 5th measure. Look at Howard's tablature for the song. (See his web-site address on my post a few scrolls ago) I think those chords... or forms of them...can all be played with a capo on the 5th fret.
Well, for what it's worth, that's my theory. I could be totally wrong, but it seems to make sense to me.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody..
Gee, TNO is Official, JW is doing a great job on Technicolor Motorhome (with the cooperation of all the musicians..), we have nipples getting hard, & panties parachuting through the air..
All this & More at Century's End...

Speaking of musical orgasms ... I was awakened about an hour ago by my clock-radio (set it so I could get up in time to start working on my Thanksgiving potluck contributions), and in my extreme grogged-out state I thought for a moment that the music waking me was the intro to an as-yet unknown SD song. YIKES!!!!

Well, of course, I woke up a little further--very quickly!--and realized it was something else entirely (turned out to be some Stevie Ray Vaughn, whose stuff I really must get to know better).

But I have to tell you folks, that split-second when I was still half-dreaming and convinced, lying there with my heart pounding out of my chest and, um, other somatic disturbances happening--MAN! What a way to wake up on a holiday!

Wow, and if that's my reaction to a false alarm, I can hardly fathom what a state I'm going to be in when I hear for-real the first single. Let alone when I first spin my very own copy of 2AN. I better start laying in some supplies. And a, erm, assistant or two ...

/Miz Ducky
wishing there was someone around to cool me with his/her fan

Re: Musical Orgasms....I always thought Edgar Winter's "Frankenstein" was the musical equivalent of an orgasm. Not foreplay and all that it leads to but just from the pounding to the actual orgasm and the nice little twitches felt after the cascading waves begin to subside. And not the 45 version but the album cut. You get all those nice little aftershocks on the LP version.

Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate it!!

Wishing all a wonderful day!

Altamira: Have you ever heard the Seventy Sevens? There's this song called "Don't, This Way." The guitars on that are so outstanding it takes my breath away. It's probably also about the saddest song I've ever encountered, but the beauty of it overcomes me so I listen to it anyhow. It's found on their outtakes album, Sticks And Stones (the only outtake album I like besides Goucho Outs.)
As for the AIA Reelin - I play it sometimes while I'm getting ready for a date. I'm not sure why, but it works just as great as my lucky perfume.

I had a dream the other night that I had a "second arrangement." Is that common? I'm kind of hoping I'm not the only one.

HappyHappy Thanksgiving

rb

Hey Howard!!
If you are who I think you are (and I think I do)you're Mr. Howard Wright, the best guitar tablature guy around!
Folks, I've said it before and I'll say it again... if you're a guitar player and you want correct tabs for SD songs go to:

www.ph.ed.ac.uk/~haw/music/tabfiles.html

Howard ~ I've got a question for you. I discovered a chord a while ago that I play around with. Actually it's used on the song I wrote and submitted to the GB Compilation CD. Unfortunately, I'm not up enough on my theory to know what the name of it is. Can you help me out?

Low E string open
5th string on 11th fret
4th string on 11th fret
3rd string on 11th fret
2nd string on 12th fret
1st string on 11th fret

So, you see, you're barring with your first finger from the 5th string to the first string on the 11th fret and placing your 3rd finger on the 12th fret just above the bar. You play all six strings with the low E open.
It's a beautiful sounding chord. What is it??

How's the weather in Scotland?
Thanks Howard!!

Hutch

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
I would like to take this opportunity to announce the arrival of a whole garage full of CD's that showed up yesterday afternoon.

If you would like to support my Indie effort please send $10 plus $3.20 priority shipping to:

David Moore Music
113 Dowling ave .
Port Charlotte, Fl. 33952

I will ship your CD post haste.
It will make a nice appetizer for the Feb release of 2AN.
I know all of you have spent more money on Lesser music.
Enjoy!

www.davidmooremusic.com
* thanks to Steely Dan .com for allowing me this soap box!

I listened a few more times last night. The closest thing I can imagine the glitch sounding like is the sound an electric door lock makes when you buzz someone in...

Hey KD, you ever seen Faith Hill? I'm inside that whenever I want. I doubt you'll ever come close.

Edd: thanks for the info. I was listening to a different bit. I'll have another listen, around the time of that snare hit at end of bar 2.

Could it be an artefact caused by a bad CD pressing? My CD copy of Aja has another small glitch near the end of Josie - it skips a tiny chunk, producing a soft click sound.

Jimmy: there is more than one time zone in the world! Not everyone has their lunch at "USA lunch time"!

Howard

JW - Watch out for falling snowcaves - better stick to the main runs - we had some bad news down here this year and lost a few good snowboarders like you.

last time I hooked up with a girl (been two months because of mono) she was playing Tim McGraw.

ugh, the things we do for.....

Hey, I've been out evangelizing. I had lunch today with a charming and intelligent man I met on the Steely Dan news group; we were exchanging some CDs. I told him about the GB and encouraged him to join in. I hope to see him here soon; I'm sure he'd have a lot to contribute. Also, when we went to lunch, Alive in America was playing on the stereo at the restaurant - now what are the chances of that happening, they usually play Grateful Dead at that restaurant. Anyway, I finaly got to here the new version of Reelin' In the Years, and I loved it.

Baller - The Captain and Tenille? Why? I'm just curious, that's all.

jk - I hope Walter will be singing a few songs, since he does sing reasonably well and he is one half of Steely Dan, but Donald does sing far better and his is the voice that most people associate with Steely Dan, so I hope he will be singing most of the songs.

Big Red - Donald is singing Jack of Speed, not Walter? That doesn't seem right; Walter always sang that song live, and since he was slated to sing some of the songs on the new CD, I figured that would be one that he would sing. Oh, so you have the New One and a big cock? Well, isn't that special!

Clas - David Duke's father lives in Gaithersburg, Maryland, not far from Rockville, Maryland, where I grew up, and not far from Washington, DC, where I live - pretty scary.

Schwinn - I remember You and Me and a Dog Named Boo - well, in my case, it's me and cats named Ahimsa, Artemis, Cerridwen, Gwynedd (pronounced "Wyneth"), Jane, and Nyja, but they have generic knicknames and one of them is Boo - they all respond to it. (Gwynedd is "Baby Boo," since she is a kitten.) But I'm not free; no one with six cats ever is.

Regarding orgasm songs - The last time I had an orgasm directly tied to a piece of music, it was J.S. Bach's "Oh Lord We Seek Thy Face." Just me, I guess. I was envisioning red tulips at the time; I have a strange reaction to tulips.

Miz Ducky - I feared that the Fox News piece might not stay up for long, so I saved the article and the accompanying photograph. I've already sent them to one person and am about to send them to a few more folks who might be interested. Fox News might change what information they present, but they can't foil those who have saved what came before. I so wish that Kulee Baba, I Can't Write Home About You, and the Second Arrangement would be on the new CD, but it doesn't seem likely at this point. Now as to what might have been recorded and might trickle down somewhere...but I shouldn't go there.

Larry - I always have admired Stevie Ray's music; I couldn't have done anything for him physically, but I'm glad that your friend did.

I went to the book/music sale at my parish on Sunday and bought a CD by someone called Owsley, simply because his name reminded me of a name I had seen here a while back. Well, it turns out that young Will Owsley is distantly related to the famous one, but he has other SD connections too - his record label is Giant, and he was once part of a band called Semantics, along with Ben Folds, who has been discussed here. Owsley's CD is marvelous, rather reminiscent of the Beatles but with his own imaginative touches as well. Unlike our boys, he plays all the instruments himself, except for the B-3 Hammond organ and the bass on two tracks. The songs are well written, both in terms of music and lyrics, and well played also. I was thoroughly delighted by the album and recommend it highly to every one.

...or clever, but my latest Freudian is probably more appropriate for "cut and paste" art.

latest BCS art crime...The Nebraska Pornhustlers moved up 2 points by taking the week off...you figure

Big Red - you've finally completely lost your mind.

Q

Happy Thanksgiving all!!

Hutch: I agree with your comments overall. Ironically, the first Dan sampling I heard was on a "song" called "eye know" by de la Soul. The album is actually quite cleve in places

For my money, the best musical representation of orgasm (except , of course, for "Oh Come All Ye Faithful"), is still the intro to "Countermoon". The horns even declare the exact moment of release. I don't allow myself to listen to it more than twice in succession.

I just found out the release date for the next Smashing Pumpkins album. You guessed it: 2-29-2000. I mentioned the possible demographic conflict to my 17 year old and he said that since he and his brother are probably the only two people in the world who listen to Steely Dan AND Smashing Pumpkins, the simultaneous release isn't likely to affect the sales of either.

You children have a good day tomorrow and count yer blessings,
RS

Balla: Your sense of humor made my night and things were going pretty well already.

Just listening and trying to suspend disbelief with "Air" on now. You have to be hearing my side-splitting laughter from there. This is cutting edge stuff - in '81 maybe. An absurd blend of Euro-disco, Abba, Kraftwerk, and the soundtrack from "The Hitchhiker" that sounds like the music you'd here in a French porn shop. The French are as a rule always most hilarious when they're not trying to be...and whose singing Jeanne, the French "Lulu"???!!!! BTW, that was a cello, I believe on Through With Buzz.

with a cough I shake it off

That's odd, this IS a STEELY DAN MESSAGE BOARD!!

orgasm : 'la danse du bonheur' by shakti - anyone who's heard it knows what I mean.

I should take that back. I do have a soft spot in my heart for The Captain and Tenille.

Later,

-B

T Muzzy - Yeh... that sampling and looping crap is pretty disgusting all right. I was in a record store the other day and I heard the intro to (what I thought was) "Bennie and the Jets". I thought... "Cool! I haven't heard that song in a while". After the intro some woman comes in singing arbitrary bull shit while the intro keeps looping. Arghhhhhh!!!

On a happier note... I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving holiday!

Hutch

I've never understood what any of you were speaking about when you mentioned the glitch in the first few seconds of Black Cow. I have always wondered what that strange flatulent noise at the end of "Through With Buzz," was all about though. It sounds like a horn instrument, but it could be someone blowing their nose. Also, what significance does this noise have to the song?

My latest music orgasm:

http://source.astralwerks.com/air/radioair.html

Try track five. It's purely in French, but very sexy and sad and beautiful. It's by Air, a band which most of you, or all of you have probably have never listened to, but then again, all you assholes care about is Steely Dan and classic rock, which I've already had my love affair with and moved on. Trust me, though, guys, check this song out, it's very nice.

Later,

-B

now i don't care if the new Steely Noballs Cd comes out at all.

I think walt should be singing a song or 2. (geez, walt I think 2 or 3 people might not buy our cd if you sing on it - Wow, don how can we make tons of money for ourselfs that way - take me off the singing!

jk

I was unfortunate enough to hear a rap song recently that has the intro to Black Cow sampled and looped. It was depressing to part of such an awesome song mutilated like that. The other day, I put on Aja and somebody said: "Oh yeah, I've heard this on the radio" only to shut up when the vocals came in.

sorry, you're bluffing the wrong guy

how can Zeus steal what already belongs to him?

Big Red, I really wish you'd, um, like, shut up, you know?

Dr Mu - thanx for the info. Is that true, plastic surgery? Scary.

re: "New Kid In Town", recording to Marc Eliots "To The Limit" that song aint about any person in reality. "It reurns the Eagles
to the more specific and accesssible turf of teenage boyland, capturing a precise and spectacular moment immediately to any guy who's ever felt the pain, jealousy, insecurity, rage, and heartbreak of the moment he discovers his girlfriend likes someone else better and has moved on..."

C, going home.

q- Fuck You! Oh, and I'm sure you're very happy that Donald, NOT Walter sings Jack Of Speed on the new one! Oh yeah, one day, 16 hours and 14 seconds left to purchase the 2AN cd. I just raised the price (just for you) to $40,000.

q, you hate it, don't you!? I have two things you wish you had, and you can't get, and it's driving you crazy! 1- The NEW Steely Dan cd and 2- a BIG cock!

See ya later fool!

JK - vodka only!........but I don't care if it's shaken or stirred......
Anyway, I think that briefcase is on ebay already.........

Do a Search under: Big Red Are You Touching My Hiene ?

YGK ~ Got your e-mail shortly before my PC started misbehaving, and have noted your song selection...that was the one I would've picked as well.

10 of 12 submissions for the GB compilation have arrived, so we're on the home-stretch here! I'm trying to get my Opcode MIDI interface to work on my new "screamer machine" to put the finishing touches on MY submission, but it's not recognizing it and I'm a complete idiot when it comes to IRQs and other PC arcana..S'ok though, had the foresight somehow to bump my music bed to my VS-880 anyway, so full-speed ahead with the 12/15/99 ship date...

It's finally been cold enough for our SoCal ski resorts to blow snow...yes! My fav resort, Mountain High opened yesterday, and your intrepid GB producer will be snowboarding his butt off this Saturday...Oowwwwwwwooooooo!

Happy Thanksgiving, All!

Did I really write "beat four of measure to"?

{dope slap}

YGK, Howard: I think we are talking about something different. I notice the subtle beat change I think...the drummer may have gotten too excited at the beginning of the song?

Edd: Sorry to bring back bad memories. While listening to the first 8 sec of the song on headphones a few times, I made the following observations:

1. If 9 o'clock is full left channel, 3 o'clock is full right channel, and 12 o'clock means equally shared between both channels - I hear the guitar at 9:30 and the glitch ALSO at 9:30.

2. I really don't hear a pure square wave function and the pitch seems to waver a bit

3. I swear I hear a little dampened resonance

All inconsistent with a purely electronic source independent of the guitar. I recall when I was small, I played some guitar. My mother tried to have my brother play the piano. He couldn't - at the time he had a learning disability that he outgrew. Mom made us switch. I was never as proficient with the keys...the old left hand always lagged behind...wish I had stayed with the guitar as I enjoyed it better. A Gibson would be a great cause for a lottery ticket. Anyway, it almost sounds like a sustained brush or knock against a wound metal string. On some guitars the middle strings are a little higher than the highest pitched string, so when one brings the pick back it can "massage" a lower pitched string. The sound would be much more easily picked up on an electric over an acoustic guitar.

Edd: I heard it - but at least its on the beat.....

Dr Mu/Edd/Audiofiles, etc: When I read that you were talking about a glitch in Black Cow, I was thinking, "FINALLY" someone heard it!
But then - to my dismay - I read that the glitch you were speaking of was something else.

I hear a distinct yet subtle tempo change in the opening of BC - in measure 3. Like a breeze pushing the beat a 'bit'.

It also seems to me that the high note in the opening is a Clav, the chord, a guitar. The Clav may be doubled with gueetar.
Your comments are always welcome.

JWMalibu: U OK? and did you get my last mail?

ygk

BTW - Howard. Just to make sure you're listening to the right thing, the abominable sound occurs approximately at beat 4 of measure to, just about the same time as the snare.

It's an electronic sounding "hum" or "buzz" pitched approximately an octave above middle C.

The glitch at approx 00:06 (where Doc Mu noted) seems gated to me. Instant on, sustain, instant off. There also appears to be no timbral development, no change in the sound over time.

I can't imagine what purpose it would serve. Or why it wasn't removed. It's horrible, horrible.

Roger, make it be gone.

Howard- Do you always have lunch at either 5:00am or 8:00am? What time is dinner?

Dr Mu:

Not sure what you mean by the "glitch" in the intro to Black Cow.
I may have understood you wrong - but this is how I hear it:

On the very first beat, the guitar plays two notes - a very quick A followed by a hammer-on to C, which is the note that sustains.
This is repeated a little later.

I'm sure that the A is intentional in both cases. As you say, it's right on the beat, and it dies quickly because of the hammer-on to the C three frets higher.

Howard

Mu: The greatest Dan deconstruction occurs between Your Gold Teeth and Your Gold Teeth Part II.

Also, I'm impressed that you still spin the black vinyl circle. It's got soul, brother!

...and ruffles have ridges...

Lynn Schwann

the lines "In that sunny room she soothes me...cools me with with her fan...we're drifting, a thousand years roll by" are from Green Flower Street, of course

Clas: David Duke is the former head (Imperial Wizard or something like that) of the KKK and a resident of Louisiana. He had plastic surgery, put his hood in the closet and ran for public office. The scary thing is that he was not far from becoming Senator and Governor.

The Mobile Fidelity Aja has graced the changer a bit the last few days in anticipation of a showdown with the re- re- remaster. I obssessed over the glitch noted by Edd sometime ago near the beginning of Black Cow until my eardrums ached. This occurs shortly before the *second* simultaneous striking of the high guitar note and the clavinet (I think - damn Mobile Fidelity). I could be wrong, but I've convinced myself that it *is* the guitar pick striking an adjacent string (that's why its a lower pitch) before that beautiful note is plucked again. It's a glancing blow (creating a dampened and plateaued attack) and right on time as if preparing or a mini-windup before the blow. Since it's right on beat the guyz left it in there - I'm sure it didn't get by them.

Couldn't figure out theough the "boinking" sound (no pun intended ladies) during the outro for Deacon Blues. I think it's Walter's guitar...but that echo thing! How the hell did he and Roger Nichols come up with that?

Miz Ducky: I'm fond of that channel vibration in NF also with the keys. There's some channel bouncing that's even more subtle after the lines "In that sunny room she soothes me...cools me with with her fan...we're drifting, a thousand years roll by"...*here* where the keys descend down each chord and from one chord to the next - gotta have a Chesterfield King after hearing that...a major highlight.

fezo: That interplay between Bernhardt and Erskine on Book of Liars is the climax of AiA. I think Walter's vocal performance is particularly strong on BOL. The new horn chart Fagen sneaks into the end of Sign in Stranger is not far behind.

Stranger- that's because you have to pay for sex. Right?

Gee, all this talk about sex makes me think about money.

Speaking of SRV, "Riviera Paradise" is about as come hither as it gets.

Also "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo".

Love Bein' a Free Man,

SEMB

Is that your *final* answer?

Gaslighting Abbie - tile 1
What a Shame About Me - tile 4
2 Against Nature - tiles 3a and 3b
Janie Runaway - tile 2
Almost Gothic - tile 5
Jack of Speed - tile 6
Cousin Dupree - tile 7
Negative Girl - tile 8
West of Hollywood - tile 9

hey with the sexy stuff:

Is that all there is? - peggy lee

Cheepnis - zappa

Tomorrow never knows - rutles

Hey q, i'm the one who stole your briefcase that can freeze a Hienken in .4 seconds ( as far as i'm concerned, for everyone's safety, all Heinekens should be frozen so that nobody can drink one).

Do you want to buy it back from me for $25,000!?

jk

You are that Q aren't you?

Miz:
Since I'm sure many of you found out you can't print the Fox pages directly, I thought I'd post the titles from the CD for those of you who might have missed them:
1. Gaslighting Abbie
2. What a Shame About Me
3. Two Against Nature
4. Janie Runaway
5. Almost Gothic
6. Jack of Speed
7. Cousin Dupree
8. Negative Girl
9. West of Hollywood

(Giant Pro-CD-10119, For Promotion Only. Not For Sale. All songs written by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen)

Hermit-please post more often! Laughing out loud always makes for a particularly lovely breathless release. Perhaps it completes the surrender. I am touched (no pun intended) by your concern about my sexual gratification, but fear not; "Aja" is prefaced by many long minutes of musically sensuous pleasure, including "Snowbound", "On The Dunes", "Babylon Sisters", et al.

If seeking a jazz/fusion orgasm, I recommend Miles Davis' "In A Silent Way", the entire thing.

Miz Ducky-so it is! Hmmmm, the Boys keep throwing curve balls, don't they?

Larry-did Stevie Ray wing as well as he played?

baller-learn something, kid. This is much more fun, as tonight will be.

aja

The first 45 seconds of Don't Take Me Alive is one awesome quickie for my ears. No foreplay needed.

rb

John Klemmer's "Barefoot Ballet" is pretty cool to hump to. BTW, Klemmer is all over The Royal Scam.

Fire in the hole is my orgasm song.

Hey All,

Don't mention it. Anytime I can get other people to think about sex is my pleasure ~ as well as yours, and as many times as you can acheive it.

That Woman ~ sorry for the mess, I'll mail you a soft cloth.

My orgasm song of late is sung, (or should I say whispered), by the incomparably seductive Julie London. It's "Come On-A My House", with only bongos and a bass as accompanyment. Sweet.

aja ~ I understand your choice of "Aja" as an orgasm song in theory, but in practice, well, I just hope that the song is on a compilation tape, because it's only the second song on the album for godssake! I'm sorry, but five minutes and seven seconds of Black Cow just doesn't qualify as foreplay. At least choose, "Home At Last": that not only allows some thirty-four minutes of pre-heating, but it can also serve as a metaphor for your breathless release.

Looking over to my left, I see in the shadows a pair of white cotton panties and a chew toy. Could mean a couple of things.

Damn clues...

Later,

Herm

Musical orgasisms -- I have a lot

All of "Kind of Blue"

"Slave to Love" by Bryan Ferry

"Dulcinea" by Placido Domingo

the real long female vocal (Claire Terry?) at the end of side one of Dark Side of The Moon

my favorite Dan one of the moment is on the live version of "Book of Liars". The piano solo into Walter's last verse takes me away.

Well, this is interesting.

Someone on alt.music.steelydan tipped me off: the Fox News item about the New One is still up in the Foxnews.com archives, but the song-by-song track listing has been mysteriously edited out. Everything else is there, including the Leap Year Day date, and the two songs the columnist does mention by name, but ... hmmmmm ...

Curiouser and curiouser, said the Mam'zelle. Maybe this means "Wetside Story" and/or "Cash-Only Island" will be on this sucker after all. Ball's still in play, folks ...

/Mam'zelle Daphne Canard
your eagle-eye duckling

P.S. My favorite Dan musical orgasm changes from day to day. Right now it's "New Frontier" -- especially with headphones on, so that I get the full stimulating effect of that wacky channel-switching thang Don and Roger got going on there ...

Aja- I had this lady friend that was working as a waitress in a resturant that Stevie Ray Vaughn was hanging out at in NYC. Stevie asked her out (around 1987) and nobody was able to find either one of them for 3 or 4 days. As it turned out, my lady friend took Stevie back to her apartment in Queens where she "Little Winged" him for 72 hours non-stop! True story.

Geez Aja, now look what you've done!

After all the venom that's been spewed all over this GB, I'm glad the topic is now sex! Something fun and healthy for a change. And speaking of which, my favorite recorded orgasms are "Aja" (of course) and "Little Wing", the Stevie Ray Vaughn version. If that one doesn't come up behind you and start nibbling slowly, all over, and working its way down.....

Sociable Hermit-look at the mood you've put me in. Thank you!

aja

Hermit- What did you do? You just came all over my computer screen!

Q- 11TOW is good stuff!!

Hey Everyone,

Long time no see/hear/feel (the keypad). My computer was on the fritz for much longer than I think it should have been, but as of last night, I've finally regained my online powers. Odd, isn't it, that for thirty-four years prior, all I had was the phone, the U.S. mail, and personal contact, yet, I'm now without my MSN account for two weeks, and I feel like I'm transported back to the Stone Age. Anyway, it's good to be back.

Hello to all the oldies, and to all the newbies. February of 2000, huh? Good to see that we've been given another nostrum to appease us all for a while. I mean, where would we be without false hope? Probably in the Stephen King guest book. He's got a new one every couple of days ~ no need for panic or desperation there! I must say, though, that the idea of our boys putting out that puzzle for us is more than a little off-putting. Why spend time dangling the enigmatic carrot in front of our collective noses, why not just put out the damn album? And if you can't put it out just yet, then don't tease us, tell us. It's frustrating guys. Could you imagine being with a beautiful woman who hasn't slept with you for twenty years, but keeps leading you on with the promise that, "One of these days I will again, and it's going to be great"? And to keep you on your toes, she leaves little clues for you around the house that speculate on different positions and areas of eroticism.

I, ahh, have to go now...

Later,

Herm

Q,
Thanks. The same for Texas A&M. No problem. Check your Yahoo email.

With all of the intelligent dialogue concerning Walter's singing attributes, do you think he will sing the lead vocals on "Jack of Speed" like he he did during the 96 tour? I listened to it today twice driving in to work (terrible fog) and it doesn't sound bad - of course the live version has all of those horns and female backup singers. I won't be surprised if we haven't heard the last of Wetside story - too polished to just throw out - perhaps that extra tarck on the import CD.

maj: I don't know, man. as far as wallpaper goes, I find that image a little scary. Our heroes look like Uncle Fester and his evil crony Bart, who are planning to sneak into your house in the middle of the night and look through the underwear drawer. I wallpapered a while back the home page on sd.com. That makes for a much more soothing pic.

ruby: only requirement for the Christmas card libation is that it has a warming effect on the heart and mind.

anyone hear that Skunk is probably not going to run for Congress afterall? It seems that there are "certain lifestyle issues relating to his days touring with the Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan in the 70's" that the pollsters and consultants feel would impact negatively his electability.

What kind of flowers are these?
No matter they are sweet, and remind me of my babe
But I don't know where she is
All I can recall is in the year of rat

The flowers were picked
The bees were stalled
I must have lost it in shopping mall

I keep a pen and paper next to me
And in the middle of the day write down my dreams
If I ever wonder what they mean
There's a little old lady lives across the street

She tells me things for free
These things are small
I must have lost it in the shopping mall

Schwinn - sombrero?

Dr Mu -"salt of the earth type of folks", yeah they are the best. Who is David Duke?

KD - Jackson was born in German, but he grew up in LA. So it can't be him.

Sergio - it's a rubber dick. If it's still a band too, well, we have to wait and see. But I doubt that.

BTW, do I know you from another life?

Clas, -45 and I call the world my own.

February 29!!.......Hmmmmm!! I don`t know about that, i`ll beleave it when it`s going around in my CD player!.....Anyway us fans were told that we would be the first to know about the release date on the official SD Web Site!!........REMEMBER!!!!! Fanofdan!! sorry I haven`t rang yet, I carn`t get get away from the video player! The more I watch it the better it gets!!!

Life (in the music biz),

Gosh, that makes the "Technicolor Motorhome" look really economical!

Pinchin' Pinatas,

SEMB

Guldurn you, Hoops! Posting tantalizing tidbits like that! Now ***I*** won't be able to sleep!!!

:-)

/Miz Ducky
preternaturally awake

I COUNDN'T SLEEP. Sure I know that the new one is more than three months away but tonight and lied awake as visions of the new one danced in my head. Then at midnight I had to go make do:

"Beastie Boys? Metallica?"

"No, Steely Dan reissues--'Royal Scam' and 'Aja'."

"TWO copies!?"

"Yeah, a set for me and a set for Melissa as compensation for the Viagra cake shoot."

"Allrighty--I bet you have been in line for these for the past twenty years or so\..."

"Well, in a way, I have..."

------

Hey they're here and they are great...do buy them both...the essay spans both CDs. The bass is full low and the cymbals shimmer better than ever, just like the shiny "Scam" logo and bright red as the 'Aja" logo.

If you need to make $600 this Holiday season, they got that for you in the "Aja" notes. Or maybe you want to find out out about the value of your "Pretzel Logic" re-re-remaster.

My fav excerpts so far:

Fagen: Bastard!
Becker: Liar!
Fagen: You shitheel!
Phalen: Is that you Donald?
Becker: Geuss again, dicknose
Phalen: Walter?

Buy both CDs to see how it turns out...

"We strongly urge that you return to the record store immediately and purchase vols. 1-5 of the Steely Dan reissue CDs before..."

Off to bed and a life.

Life In the Music Biz,
Wait a minute. I see catering as part of your expenses. That means you also earned some hamburgers and coffee with the petty cash. More seriously, thank you for taking the time to relay this story so well. It's an ugly but valuable education.

major.DUDE!: love what you did with the photo. I wonder if I can make it into a screen saver?

oleander: I know you're a savvy chick and have this knack for guessing, but why do I get the feeling that they peeked at the betting pool and then decided the release date? That's way more romantic.

Q: damn, the next thing we'll notice is your name in the NY Times crossword puzzle. I 'll hear my sweatheart from across the room say, "Honey, what's a 2 letter word for the hottest guy on the net, et al?" And I'll say, "Qs. But there's really only one Q." And he'll say, "Oh yeah..."

JW: You deserve an hour long massage for all you've been through.

fezo: Do you think the Christmas card writing would work as well with Cutty Sark as it does with burbon? I found some in the attic, you see...

re Aja(the song): The most beautiful description of that song I ever heard was written by YGK about a year ago. St.Al, can you run that one again?

rb

consumable supplies = weed

Am I right?

Therapy? Sloan and Stereolab

Buffalo Tom

blasts from _my_ past

not that I liked them, BT was alright

When I started playing guitar, 12 years old, I got a couple 'how to survive in the music bidness' books, I didn't tell anyone I wanted to be a rock star (besides my bitch lips), they just gave me a book...all it did was help with learning fractions and percent figures

which helped when I'm trying to figure out free throw/field goal/three point percentages...jeez my life is weird

5 of 7, 71%, I'm so sad

Life in the Music Biz- Wow, that was too real. I love reading stuff like that. I guess there's something to be said for being a nobody.
I own the gear ,write the songs,record,produce,master,have a lot of fun doing it all...and then sell them on the gigs and owe nothing to anyone.Plus ,I get to sleep in my own bed in my beautiful home...never hear me complain.
A nice break from the fantasy life the Big Guys" might" live.

Q in the Flaroom - your verbal oddysey was fun this week too! I've done business with you and you're A-OK in my book.And out of your own pocket have sought to preserve something worth preserving...you go boy.
As usual this place continues to entertain me...you guys are the best.

Oleander - where do I send your prize stuff?

David

There's this band. They're pretty ordinary, but they're also pretty good, so they've attracted some attention. They're signed to a moderate-sized "independent" label owned by a distribution company, and they have another two albums owed to the label.

They're a little ambitious. They'd like to get signed by a major label so they can have some security, you know, get some good equipment, tour in a proper tour bus: nothing fancy, just a little reward for all the hard work. To that end, they got a manager. He knows some of the label guys, and he can shop their next project to all the right people. He takes his cut, sure, but it's only 15%, and if he can get them signed then it's money well spent. Anyway, it doesn't cost them anything if it doesn't work. Fifteen percent of nothing isn't much!

One day an A&R scout calls them, says he's "been following them for a while now," and when their manager mentioned them to him, it just "clicked." Would they like to meet with him about the possibility of working out a deal with his label? Wow. Big Break time.

They meet the guy, and y'know what! He's not what they expected from a label guy. He's young and dresses pretty much like the band does. He knows all their favorite bands. He's like one of them. He tells them he wants to go to bat for them, to try to get them everything they want. He says anything is possible with the right attitude. They conclude the evening by taking home a copy of a deal memo they wrote out and signed on the spot.

The A&R guy was full of great ideas, even talked about using a name producer. Butch Vig is out of the question: he wants 100 g's and three points, but they can get Don Fleming for $30,000 plus three points. Even that's a little steep, so maybe they'll go with that guy who used to be in David Letterman's band. He only wants three points. Or they can have just anybody record it (like Warton Tiers, maybe: cost you 5 or 10 grand) and have Andy Wallace remix it for 4 grand a track plus 2 points.
It was a lot to think about.

Well, they like this guy and they trust him. Besides, they already signed the deal memo. He must have been serious about wanting them to sign. They break the news to their current label, and the label manager says he wants them to succeed, so they have his blessing. He will need to be compensated,
of course, for the remaining albums left on their contract, but he'll work it out with the label himself. Sub Pop made millions from selling off Nirvana, and Twin Tone hasn't done bad either:
50 grand for the Babes and 60 grand for the Poster Children, without having to sell a single additional record. It'll be something modest. The new label doesn't mind, so long as it's recoupable out of royalties.

Well, they get the final contract, and it's not quite what they expected. They figure it's better to be safe than sorry and they turn it over to a lawyer, one who says he's experienced in entertainment law, and he hammers out a few bugs. They're still not sure about it, but the lawyer says he's seen a lot of contracts, and theirs is pretty good.

They'll be getting a great royalty: 13% (less a 10% packaging deduction). Wasn't it Buffalo Tom that were only getting 12% less 10? Whatever. The old label only wants 50 grand, and no points. Hell, Sub Pop got 3 points when they let Nirvana go. They're signed for four years, with options on each year, for a total of over a million dollars! That's a lot of money in any man's English. The first year's advance alone is $250,000. Just think about it, a quarter-million, just for being in a rock band!

Their manager thinks it's a great deal, especially the large advance. Besides, he knows a publishing company that will take the band on if they get signed, and even give them an advance of 20 grand, so they'll be making that money too. The manager says publishing is pretty mysterious, and nobody really knows where all the money comes from, but the lawyer can look that contact over too. Hell, it's free money.

Their booking agent is excited about the band signing to a major. He says they can maybe average $1,000 or $2,000 a night from now on. That's enough to justify a five week tour, and with tour support, they can use a proper crew, buy some good equipment and even get a tour bus! Buses are pretty expensive, but if you figure in the price of a hotel room for everybody in the band and crew, they're actually about the same cost. Some
bands (like Therapy? and Sloan and Stereolab) use buses on their tours even when they're getting paid only a couple hundred bucks a night, and this tour should earn at least a grand or two every night. It'll be worth it. The band will be more comfortable and will play better.

The agent says a band on a major label can get a merchandising company to pay them an advance on T-shirt sales! Ridiculous! There's a gold mine here! The lawyer should look over the merchandising contract, just to be safe. They get drunk at the signing party. Polaroids are taken and everybody looks thrilled. The label picks them up in a limo.

They decided to go with the producer who used to be in Letterman's band. He had these technicians come in and tune the drums for them and tweak their amps and guitars. He had a guy bring in a slew of expensive old "vintage" microphones. Boy, were they "warm." He even had a guy come in and check the phase of all the equipment in the control room! Boy, was he professional. He used a bunch of equipment on them and by the end of it, they all agreed that it sounded very "punchy," yet "warm."

All that hard work paid off. With the help of a video, the album went like hotcakes! They sold a quarter million copies!

Here is the math that will explain the real story:

(These figures are representative of amounts that appear in record contracts daily. There's no need to skew the figures to make the scenario look bad, since real-life examples more than abound. Income is boldfaced, expenses are in normal type, comments are in italics.)

Advance: $250,000
Manager's cut: $37,500
Legal fees: $10,000

Recording Budget: $150,000
Producer's advance: $50,000
Studio fee: $52,500
Drum, Amp, Mic and Phase "Doctors": $3,000
Recording tape: $8,000
Equipment rental: $5,000
Cartage and Transportation: $5,000
Lodgings while in studio: $10,000
Catering $3,000
Mastering: $10,000
Tape copies, reference CD's, shipping tapes, misc expenses: $2,000

Album artwork: $5,000
Promotional photo shoot and duplication: $2,000

Video budget: $30,000
Cameras: $8,000
Crew: $5,000
>Processing and transfers: $3,000
Offline: $2,000
Online editing $3,000
Catering: $1,000
Stage and construction: $3,000
Copies, couriers, transportation: $2,000
Director's fee: $3,000

Band fund: $15,000
New fancy professional drum kit: $5,000
New fancy professional guitars (2): $3,000
New fancy professional guitar amp rigs (2): $4,000
New fancy potato-shaped bass guitar: $1,000
New fancy rack of lights bass amp: $1,000
Rehearsal space rental: $500
Big blowout party for their friends: $500

Tour gross income: $50,000

Tour expense (5 weeks): $50,875
Bus: $25,000
Crew (3): $7,500
Food and per diems: $7,875
Fuel: $3,000
Consumable supplies: $3,500
Wardrobe: $1,000
Promotion: $3,000
Agent's cut: $7,500
Manager's cut. $7,500

Merchandising advance: $20,000
Manager's cut $3,000
Lawyer's fee: $1,000

Publishing advance: $20,000
Manager's cut: $3,000
Lawyer's fee: $1,000

Record sales: 250,000 @ $12 = $3,000,000 gross retail revenue

Royalty (13% of 90% of retail): $351,000 less advance: $250,000 Producer's points: (3% less $50,000 advance) $40,000
Promotional budget: $25,000
Recoupable buyout from previous label: $50,000 Net royalty: (-$14,000)

Record company income: Record wholesale price $6.50 x 250,000 = $l,625,000

gross income Artist Royalties: $351,000
Deficit from royalties: $14,000
Manufacturing, packaging and distribution @ $2.20 per record: $550,000

Gross profit: $710,000

THE BALANCE SHEET:

This is how much each player got paid at the end of the game.

Record company: $710,000
Producer: $90,000
Manager: $51,000
Studio: $52,500
Previous label: $50,000
Agent: $7,500
Lawyer: $12,000

Band member net income each: $4,531.25

The band is now 1/4 of the way through its contract, has made the music industry more than 3 million dollars richer, but is in the hole $14,000 on royalties. The band members have each earned about 1/3 as much as they would working at a 7-11, but they got to ride in a tour bus for a month.

The next album will be about the same, except that the record company will insist they spend more time and money on it. Since the previous one never "recouped," the band will have no leverage, and will oblige.

The next tour will be about the same, except the merchandising advance will have already been paid, and the band, strangely enough, won't have earned any royalties from their T-shirts yet. Maybe the T-shirt guys have figured out how to count money like record company guys.

Walter, please book the E-Center in Camden, NJ for another "...damn fine night..." and then Garden State Arts Center so I can hang with Vin the Shotman.

For anyone jones-ing for a Dan fix -- no, not a copy of the CD -- head over to this URL. Copy the image. It'll make great wallpaper. I added some text over the picture. Enjoy.

http://careerfrontier.net/dan_promo.jpg

Kinky's girlfriend with a beard, that was funny.

maj©

My wife and I fell in love to Aja many times........

It is the best 7 min 56 sec. ever recorded.....

Certainly the best musical analog of an orgasm EVER produced.

Sorry if a "sold you out" Big DanFan......it was a neccesary evil....thanks for going along...

JoeP. is still THE MAN.

Sorry to hear about the bus accident. Bless all at PSU.

Q

oleander/Hank Silvers-found it, thanks! Lots of material for thought and interpretation. Will be visiting often. My 2 cents as I was reading people's interpretations of the song "Aja": I've never thought "Aja" was a woman, but rather any form of escapism from the ordinary and mundane ("dime dancing"). Is it not the most beautiful 7 minutes 56 seconds ever recorded?

Hutch-I'm with you!

Is the food fight over now?

aja

the Reprise site has been updated:

http://www.repriserec.com/newreleases.html

tour site wish: Ariel Theater at Bayou Place in Houston...part of the newly refurbished downtown. Excellent acoustics. Fourplay was there recently

Hey, StAl -- glad you made it home from Comdex in one piece.

Yeah, I've been going insane with new-album delirium too. And anticipation of the triumphal tour ... I'm stoking up the savings acount and emptying out the credit cards NOW, because I know for damn sure that one show is ***not*** going to be enough. And none of this seats-on-the-lawn crap. I wanna be close enough that I can throw the Guys roses.

/Miz Ducky
revealed as a True Romantic

Re: Chick Corea - an under-achiever. Still playing like he did 20 years ago ( nice when it started) -just listened to 'Best of Return to Forever' -welll... don't reallly want to say

Who the hell Steely Dan is?

KIDS!

Sheesh!

Besides Q, Walters voice is like a fine bottle of cheap wine. It's an acquired thing.

I don't know about everyone else but the excitement and anticiaption makes up for half the fun. I don't want to hear it until it's official. Like opening your Christmas presents on Christmas Eve. Just aint the same. I hate the month of February. Now I actually have something to look forward to.

Like Hoops says, my nipples are getting hard just thinking about this Summer. I just spent a couple of days at a convention in Vegas. This time I'm flying down there. House of Blues this time?

And then there's the Gorge...

Pat

Walter DOES ROCK !!!

so tell us something we don't know.

Fake Walter.....UR a Big Red dick.......

And again I didn't post that little ditty...

I'm only a "dick" because you are a "pussy"......try sucking on that dildo for a while

The real Q

The post immediately below my latest banter is NOT a post by me !

Frankly, I'm more sick of seeing my name on here than the rest of you are !!!!!!!!!!!

Soooooo, I'm done with this most excellant and pleasing verbal dual which I have won handily.

Thanks again!.. Little Red Coward With Brown Specks All over Face

Crikey, ee's reeaally pissed off at me now, he looks reeaally frustrated and strisssed owt. Oy guess I'll jist poke eim with a stick a coupla toyms to calm eim down a bit. Crikey ee's troyin ta boyt me! Ouch, ee bit me, will bloomin blazes! The venom is rushing straight to me brain royt now. Crikey, I can feel me heart slowing as we speak, this is veery excitin!! Nayow none of you keids troy this at home, alroyt......? Crikey.

Q: UR a dick.

Big Red - your a riot !
Let's see that poster....hmmmm - did you happen to see it in the background on the making of Aja tape - or have you not seen that yet ?

Did you notice I put up for sale one - after buying 19(and after 10 @)years ?

Oh and did you see I suspended the auction early... to trade it to someone for some other great Dan stuff !

All the money I'm making off of Walt and Don?????

You are a bootlicker aren't you
And after all that ass kissing you only got #17 ?????

I treat my dogs better(Maggie, Donald, and Aja)

Living a lie - you are the one who can't even bear to disclose his identity.....that's the ultimate lie.

It isn't even worth $25000. cash for you to disclose your name.......boy that's a lot of shame for one person to bear.

Only a head up their asses idiot like you would act as if they love eevvery song the Dynamic Duo put out -bow down to your Master now Little Red.

Walt is too smart to listen to a 3rd World Boy like you.

I'll bet you drive a severely underpowered and out of date Ferrari...........

FINALLY - AS I have stated before - If even ONE PERSON can offer proof of ANY KIND that I have EVER sold any Dan material to ANYONE, I will write a check to Big Red for "One Million Dollars"
(oh except how can I , Red is too much of a COWARD to divulge him/herself -so how can I pay.....)

Red stick your head back up your production/sound friend's ass where it belongs and keep listenig to your favorite song "Jacking Off At Speed"

Thankyou very much,

this is more fun than the original 2AN CD gag !
OVER AND OUT Little Red Face..........

I'm sorry Big Red. Becker sings worse than a spider monkey on crack, and looks somewhat similar to boot.

Oh, and also. Suck my dick, asshole.

Q

Hello all. I'm just testing out my new free internet account. It's working pretty good, and I'm getting connections at 52K, which was better than my AOL ever did for me.

Anyway, just testing this out, and also still wondering if anyone ever got the skinny on tour dates. I want to purchase those tickets waaaayy in advance so I can get right up front and watch the old fellas do their stuff!

See ya later,

Jock

Shards of white plastic litter the sea

this is getting weird

q- As a matter of fact, Jack of Speed sounds wonderful! What a great groove! I loved it live, and I love it even more on this BRAND SPANKING NEW CD! How do you call yourself a Steely Dan Fan/Collector and dis Mr. Becker the way you do? Remember one thing Ms."q," "without Walter Becker, it ain't Steely Dan". Why am I telling YOU this 'q'?, afterall, you're "DANMAN 1...WHAT A CROCK OF SHIT! Now raise up your glass... Here's to Walter singing some more songs on the next Steely Dan cd! Walter if your reading this, don't mind "q," he makes A LOT of money off of you and Donald! Speaking of which, hey 'Q,' anymore of those Aja posters for SALE?! You're living a LIE God damn it! Oh boy, I love the Dan!

Brought my errant PC to work, the techs plugged it in, and voila...Came up immediately ~ all data intact! Wheeew (as he wipes his brow)...back 'dem PCs UP, fellow Danizens! Now I can split chores between the two boxes and not overtax the little 333 with big-fella' tasks like video editing! All for the best...

Hutch & Schwinn ~ your submissions arrived today. Have to wait to listen to Hutch's until I get home (DAT), but Schwinn's music is fine, fine stuff - as has been EVERY submission so far! Schwinn, let me know which tune you wait to use...

this place is beginning to sound like WCW. i keep waiting for Ric Flair to appear and call someone out.

i have an advance copy of the new Beatles CD. it's like a cross between "Magical Mystery Tour" and "Rubber Soul". i'm getting bored with it though so check ebay in about four hours

Q, I gotta tell ya- I'm beginning to like you more and more!

BIG you still can't bring yourself to reveal your identity.......... Are you that pathetic??????

Ohh and I have #9,

BUT you know, unless you have the original CD acetate, I'd only pay $11.99.

Meanwhile, while you have been busy sticking your head up someone's ass at Riversound or wherever, I just bought out the second most significant collection of Dan stuff in the world,excluding Pete Fogel's (presumtively). And guess what - it's all one of a kind, IRREPLACEABLE stuff - unlike what you SAY you have.............which is one of..............millions soon to be eminating from the factory.

I could not care less whether I hear the new one today, or in a year - I'm NOT panting to hear the new one. I only hope the rest of the disc is better than Jack of Speed(as I heard it at many a '96 show.

My ego comes from my family,friends, and hard work - yours comes from this insignificant little web forum.................LOL

For all the other GBers - NO I DO NOT HAVE A COPY - When BIG RED had to lash out due to his penis envy syndrome, I found it a great opportunity to have fun. Big Red is not fun - BIG RED is an ass kissing,bootlicking nobody.

PS I'm not the one who made ebay a public transaction forum. I have been collecting Dan quietly for @20years with out this kind of childish reaction from anyone. Ask any dealer in the country who has dealt in Dan and they know me. I will stand on that reputation. I don't stick my collection in anyone's face.
The only time/reason I put anything on the board, either JPEG or quote, is to SHARE my enjoyment of what Don annd Walt do -PERIOD!

This is not about me or about "Big Red"( hey whoever posted the Wizard of Oz analogy- perfect !)- it's not about any person /persona on this board - it's about The Dan.

Q

PS I'll tell you what - publicly - you divulge your identity on the Guestbook and I'll buy that disc from you on your terms - but yoou won't, because you CAN'T.
Email me if you like(you see that's my REAl email unlike your fake email- see how everything about you has shit on it.........)

PPS Kinky has a girlfriend????????????? ok if you really know, what color is her beard ?

Sorry... it's Chick, not Chic!

aja - I'm really a fairly laid back kinda guy but I have very little patience with smart-ass people like the ones we see occasionally jumping in here with their adolescent comments. These people IMO are just trying to draw attention to themselves. They see a board like this with intelligent people on it and their first thought is to shake things up by writing something they think will "shock" everyone. And when they choose to make jokes about loss and suffering as in the case of "Annie's" recent comments then it really points out how foolish and stupid a human being can be. It's really sad.
I hope you can find that John Beasely cd on the shelf somewhere. It's hard to find. You might have to order it. I believe it's on the Windham Hill Jazz label.
Haven't heard that Chic Corea thing. If it's Chic I'm sure it's good!

RixHex - I like Skynyrd's music but I'm not real heavily into them. Never listened to much of ARS although I did catch them at a small outdoor venue this past Summer. I enjoyed the show.
My favorite Southern Rock band has always been 38 Special. They write great pop songs with nice melodic chord structures. And I've always admired Jeff Carlisi's lead work. He has a very fluid, inventive style.

"God's Teeth, Marion!" "Would you quiet that child, please, before I go mad?"

If you can guess this one, Roy Scam, or Oleander, then hats off to you. You surprised me by guessing the "Confederacy" post, but then again, I surmised that someone here would have read it.

q- $25,000 and it's yours!

Discription: First Steely Dan album in over 20 years! # 17 out of 20 promo copies released to date. Mint condition (sorry, comes with no booklet)

Payments: CASH ONLY

Days remaining to bid: 3

ps Lou Marini sounds great!

It must be official it's inthe LA Times now (again)
http://www.latimes.com:80/news/asection/19991121/t000106107.html

Reprise hasn't updated their new release page in a long while, but I would expect they will do it soon and then we will see ...

Q - thanks for sending me a copy of the disk - it is great isn't it!!!!

Big Red = Wizard of Oz

little man behind big curtain

I don't recall Q blasting onto the board yelling to everyone that he has the new one -I think he's just kidding in response to Big Red's asshole post.

Big Red is just an asshole.

Nuts anyone ?

Notice too, that "Big Red's" questions imply Big Red has specific knowledge of the contents of the disc........Big Red -your so BIG and RED.. why don't you feed the wanting masses with your eminence or Eminence Front(that's a great Who song for the children on the GB) as the case may be........why don't you come forth with tidbits -what was the point of your original post anyway...... I think your BIG and GREEN.........or you wouldn't have felt the compulsion to lash out at me with no provocation whatsoever.....

Remember your "real" identity would make you truly BIG !!!!!other wise maybe you need some Viagra and warm milk.

Q

I always thought the 'new kid' was the man Joe Walsh.

He and the Eagles got a lot of stick when he replaced Bernie L, and I just guessed that it was song to calm/soothe sore nerves.

Still, probably wrong!

Bye

SFK

Big Red when you can be a big girl or boy and reveal your "real" GB identity, I will tell you all you want to know.

Amazing what 20 years of waitng does to people !!!!!

Of course it was a stupid review shithead ! It was a tease ! Aren't we here to have fun.. don't get soooo upset Red....

Should I compromise info on the GB before the release date ?????

I think your Big and Red from stroking yourself too much !

Q

If I had to guess I'de bet Big Red is Kinky....the spew has a similar stench !

q- You're so full of shit! What kind of moronic review is that you gave 2AN? What's the first line in the song 'West Of Hollywood'? Which song has that great sax solo?...Give it to us baby! You won't ..you CAN'T!

KD,

No, nope, nada. The Eagle's first big hit was penned by Jackson Browne, (Take it Easy), so I doubt JB was the new kid.

Who was the new kid? I bet Edd can tell us...

"Don't be a black cat cyber-cheater!"

ah, Indiana blows, I love my friends and have had the time of my life here, but after living in Chicago...

Hoosier daddy?

betcha don't know

can you more experienced listeners help me out?

Is 'New Kid In Town', the Eagles song, about Jackson Browne?

or fictional?

Oleander-Congratulations! Please let me know where to send your CD. "never seen a winner that didn't bet"
P.S. I'll include a limited edition "Clockdrive World " T-Shirt...made especially for my CD release party ,Dec.10th.
David

oleander: My hat's off to your prognostication. Glad to know I won't lose my shirt on this bet. As for that pie, well, all you have to do now is just say when...

aja--you can find the modest Hank et al. if after finding the site you click on the Axe.

RS--No, not me. I only post as oleander. Hmmm.... I can think of a few things right off you might consider.... How's about we meet behind the school after Teach is done with Q?

Stranger--yeah, it's official! I've felt a certain serenity wash over me--I've stopped rearranging my cd shelves. I can even restrain myself from interrogating Q mercilessly.

Q--Extravagant luck. Really, man, it stings for us shadedwellers to know someone else who really cares is basking alone in the Danlight, but hey, it'll swing around to us.

Alta--Fire when ready.

aja--Try http://home.earthlink.net/~oleander1/Index.htm

Geena--Don't let anything get you down. Enjoy the birthday glow.

Thanx to St. Al for making good on his bet. What should I do with the other copy? And Big Fan, that would be two picks--so save that one! I still have it stashed in a special place. How about cracking that keg at a concert tailgate? And Hank, save the B-town t-shirt. I got two, and yours will wear out someday. The pie, though.... Dry ice, maybe?

Q: Tried to warn you. I'll meet you after school at 3:15. Bring your jacks.

Wow! So Donald and Walter celebrate the 4oth anniversary of the Playboy club (opened 2/29/60) by releasing their first studio album in 20 years! Gotta love it!

What makes me "self-important"

Hopefully everyone feels self-important - it's self absorption that killed Zeus.........

You didn't swear to Us.

Give it up you self-important sob

to obfuscate all further inquiries...........

Annie=baller expressing his "feminine side" ???????

Roy.Scam-be glad I didn't contribute to the GB Compilation! However, I can't wait to hear everyone's else's music, especially with all the diverse musical preferences here.

Hutch-right on again! Damn, Razor Boy, are you good! Still haven't picked up that John Beasely CD, but it's first on my list. Heard a cool Chick Corea number-came out in '89, believe it was called "Where Have I Seen You Before" or something like that. Do you know it?

Hank Silvers-I tried the earthlink site you gave a while back but it didn't work (and when I searched under "oleander" I got a list of sites on the plant!) Any others?

KD-as one of the younger posters, you give me hope for the next generation.

Another work week begins, but at least it's short!

aja

Clas: I think it's Martinsville, halfway between Indianapolis and Bloomington. The town would be completely segregated if it were not for the fact that there are no blacks at all. David Duke's summer cottage is probably here. There are some great towns in Indiana. Bloomington is the home of IU and a nice town in the rolling hills of southern Indiana. The university also has one of the premier music schools in the nation...great symphony. Lafayette's a fine place. People I've met from Purdue were all nice, salt of the earth type folks.

Q: If you're going to bring candy to class, you must bring enough for the whole class. JW has the list dear.

I agree.

What a drag it is getting old.

I'm sure Neil Young doesn't care - he and his 60's Love & Peace gang have gone the ultimate sellout route charging $210 face value per ticket to play in echodomes !

The Stones charging $250 is one thing (we EXPECT it from them!)
But Cudsby,Stills(walking),GNash, & Young(not)(the only one of them worth watching on a stage!)...........

2AN kicks butt - definately a Gaucho on uppers or an Aja on downers.........

There's a new medicin out on market, probably gonna kick Viagras ass. The name? UpJohn.

Geena, I got your email, When I saw the first words "this email aint going to make you happy" I shut it down and erased it. Did the GuestBook Queen help you with that one?

Remember, if people who are close to me say they got weird looks in Boston, you don't have to come along and discredit them and say THERE ARE no weird looks in Boston.

You want respect? Well, so do I.

Dr Mu - it must have been Minnesota. Jaaaa?

"In a New York Minute" is also a good one. And a line from a song from the same album, don't remember the title;

"She just looked at me, uncomprehendingly
Like cows at a passing train"

C

Almost Gothic- tile 5, attack on 90s hippie/lilith/D'arcy/Goth girls

I hope

What A Shame About Me - Tile 2...look at me, I'm driving a frickairin SUV!

I think they're waiting for the HoF announcements to change the ODP, and WebDrone is pissed that Fox took the wind out of his/her sails.

heheh

oh yea, Jeane Dixon said 'What a sHame about me' will be the first one we'll hear, another damn 'growing up' song

funky drivin on in to bed

Wazzat a Freudian slip?

Need some zzzzzs.

Hey, Fezo, I did sleep with a lawyer. Honest. With her clothes off, she was surprisingly human.

Fezo,
I'm surprised at you. Here I was just talking about lawyers and rats and then you start insulting my mother. Now I'll have to cry myself to sleep.

what's this about 2/29/00? Did I miss something? Are the boys going to put out a CD before they head off to the nursing home?

You say you like Skynard? What about ARS?

And I doubt Neil Young cares.

J Dubs - It sounds you have an awful lot of miserable stuff going on right now; what an unfair reward for all the good you've been doing! Oh, well, that's the way life is - I wish you all the best and I hope this all gets worked out. I hope you're feeling better too.

Geena - Good to see you back here. I'm glad your daughter's birthday went well.

Miz Ducky - Thanks for your sensible comments regarding homophobia.

Dr. Mu - I found your comments about that Huysman novel most intriguing; since B&F have always shown a love for literature, pariticularly the obscure kind, perhaps they did come across this book and were inspired by it.

Damn, so Two Against Nature is going to be released on my late mother's birthday! Well, happy birthday, Mom, your 80th is being comemmorated by a momentous occasion!

Oleander - I'll get my comments about Kulee Baba to you soon; I've been thinking about it but I'd just been going through hell at the temp assignment I left on Wednesday, and since then I've been devoting all my energy to the monthly newsletter I edit for my parish. I'll probably write tomorrow.

Yikes, what a week! Came home to work on my GB piece, and my HP took a major dump on me ~ Spending a Saturday reloading ten thousand pieces of software onto a new computer...what fun, and fun on the pocketbook as well! No updates on the GB Compilation site for a few days ~ please bear with me until we can figure out what is wrong with my pain-in-the-ass HP!

Back in a bit!

JDubs

"I hope Neil Young will remember, Southern Man don't need him around, anyhow..."

"Now Watergate does not bother me, does your conscience bother you? Now tell the truth..."

Okay. I will.
These are the most asinine lyrics ever written. Period.

These, a case of bud and a bunch of stock licks played ad nauseum really set the bird free. Not on my side of the Mason Dixon Line boys. You gotta be kidding.

yooze guys is kidding, right?

Gimme 3 steps
GOB

wow, a lot of hostility floating around. You'd think the good news would squash that.

Q, you're the guy that outbids me on EVERYTHING Dan-related on ebay. Good job. Did you see that gold 'Pretzel Logic' for sale a few weeks back? Weird.

Regarding inter-racial stuff, again, I lived for a year in Ohio in the town right next to the town with the largest KKK per capita of any town in the midwest, not cool. As far as where I'm at now, Lafayette, our homecoming king and queen the year after I was a senior were both black. And they're both awesome people, for freshmen...

hope everyone has a good weekend...

fezo - Yep, Skynyrd's a rockin' band. Of course here in Richmond they're worshipped right up there with the Almighty Himself!
If you play clubs here you better do at least one Skynyrd tune. We do That Smell, Call me the Breeze and On the Hunt. Funny you mentioned Free Bird... I hate that song too and so does just about every musician I know around here. It's become an inside joke for years now that at some point during the night some drunk will yell out "FREE BIRD!" The only free bird he might get from me would be my middle finger. (j/k)
Steve Gaines was one fine guitar player. "I Know a Little" has some of the tastiest licks you'll ever hear.
The band, I think, got a real energy boost when Ricky Medlock and Huey Thompson (think that's the right name... used to be with The Outlaws) joined a few years ago. They do indeed put on a great show.

H.

H.

Skynyrd rules. There ain't a real southern man alive from that era who doesn't get a little misty about the plane crash that took away three of its key members (Ronnie Van Zandt, Steve Gaines, Cassie Gaines). Ronnie had a voice and a stage presence topped by none and cowrote most of their best tunes.

Oddly enough though, I've always detested "Freebird" which is their signature song. "Simple Man," "Curtis Low," "Needle and the Spoon," and the one about going fishing and being left alone (whose title obviously fails me) are just a few which are better.

Quote from Donald

Rolling Stone April 26,1973Issue #133

On the naming of the band after a dildo:

"We just wanted to give the band a little more thrust than most other bands"

On the naming of the first album:

"Walter called meup one day and said "You can't buy a thrill in California.""

DF,WB interplay

WB:

"New York is a much better place to buy a thrill.Compared to New York this place is like living in a morgue."

DF:

"In New York there's a social and intellectual stimulation that's far superior..."

WB:

"L.A. is marked by excesses of every kind and complete disregard for humanity,as if it were built for theautomibile and for hamburger stand operators."

DF:

"But it's probably good for us. My mother used to say misfortune builds character."

Gary Katz:

"In those days[back in New York],the songs were wierder than what's on the album,butthere is still no denying the lyrics.
We played those songs for every record company in New York. Nothing. We believed we didn't have a shot."

"A couple of years ago in New York, we just kept sitting around listening to rock & roll records and saying to each other, 'they're kidding.'..."

Alright,
Who made the "Confederacy of Dunces" references six posts ago? Was that you Ole?

RS

re: Ed King

Useless tidbit: Ed had a #1 hit years before joining LS. He played lead guitar on "Incense and Peppermints" by The Strawberry Alarmclock.

Man I wish I could hide behind dummy ID's all the time.]

Envy is a horrible thing.

Most of the pathetic little geeks around here still can't take a joke - and still have to hide.......

Clas: The state with the largest membership in the KKK is Indiana. I've been through a town near Bloomington where...damn, they all look like Swedes!!!

"Last Worthless Evening" is nearly as fantastic.

Man, I wish I was as cool as Q

Linda Lou, you are a dumfuck whore.

Oh, my God!!

"No way I'm telling" at bigred@aol.com - sorry, I've already got it........maybe I'll put it on eBay!

Clas: Lynyrd Skynyrd was the name of Ronnie's gym (math) teacher. Garry Rossington and Ed King conducted the finest Strat Vs. Paul competition ever heard. You probably listened to the first album which is their second best. The best is their second. Second Helping. The Ballad of Curtis Lowe and I Need You are better than anything of the time save the Dan. Ask any coon ass. Oh, and don't mess with the needle...

Three Steps,

Linda Lou

About eleven years ago I was part of a volunteer task force that studied leap year and how it shaped human sexuality. This was particularly difficult because it wasn't a leap year at the time and I was involved in at least 123 other organizations. Not to mention that I had yet to determine my own sexuality and still had a profound fear of mirrors. But did that stop me from protesting something? Heck, no! I marched in March! I kissed a dead man! I listened to Steely Dan music through an earplug! I was on the edge, squeezing my lip in the hopes of developing a cold sore and almost accomplishing it!

But then Dean died and left me his cassette tapes. Damn he was a good kisser!

Dr Mu: Indiana? Is that a joke? Like Ohio? "Better off dead", "The Heart of the Matter". Great songs.

A friend of mine played me some music last night. Though I was sober and the music was quite loud I wanted to go home. But he insisted and I started to listen to the music and damn, it was GOOD! When I asked him for the name of the band he said -Lynard Skynard.

Lynard Skynard. Fucking unbelievable. They were outstanding!

Clas

Q- email me! I have the "new one" (on cd). Let's talk price. Remember you'll be getting it almost 5 months before it's released to the public. What's it worth to you BIG boy? You won't find this on ebay!!

Daddy Warbucks says that 20 more years can pass between TNO and the next NO and it would still only be the 5th anniversary of the the former NO. Make sense? I don't get it but Daddy said you would.

Leapin' Year Lizards,

Annie

Hutch: Jeez, it's gotta make one proud to have Annie defend you like that

Casual: Thanks, now I can sleep at night and will bring that foldin' money down to the Sam Goody's on leap day after all!

Now that TAN is a certainty for the new millenium (well, it's not really the millenium year but oh whatever), what are the thoughts for fav. pop recordings of the '90s? I don't really have categories or even coherent thoughts, especially as my exposure was limited, on this but:

1. Songs that virtually no one will hear but everyone should:
I'm hooked lately - "Shame," "I'm Dead," "Great Nations of Europe," "The World Isn't Fair," "Big Hat No Cattle," and "Better Off Dead" from Randy Newman's "Bad Love."
"Try Whistling This" title track by Neil Finn - gut wrenching romanticism

2. 90's had a couple of good pop singles after all: "Til I Hear it From You" The Gin Blossoms killer power pop; "It's Probably Me" by Mr. "Tantric Yogurt" Sting; "The Heart of the Matter" by Don Henley

3. Pop album - Hell, I don't know. Listened to Ben Folds 5 Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Meissner muchos recently. Portions of Michael Franks' Abandoned Garden and Blue Pacific have very strong moments...of course there's Kama

"Annie" - A stupid fool is always more entertaining than just a plain old fool. Fortunately you fit into both categories.

H.

Hutch, I totally agree with you on that! Limbaugh, Falwell, and Robertson are three of the heads on the eight-headed beast mentioned in Revelations. And Tammie-Faye is Satan's wife, she looks so evil on those televangelist programs that always appear on the pay channels. She must be burned at the stake before more people fall into the grip of her evil clutches. I say death to all televangelists and Republicans!! I say line them up and push them into ovens like Hitler did the Jews!! I'd like to see a Jew shoving a Republican into an oven!! I'd like to see a Non-Republican Jew shove a Republican Jew into an oven!! Actually, strike that from the record, enough Jews have been burned up in ovens in the past. OK, I'd like to see all non-Jewish Republicans shoved into ovens. Any Jewish Republican will be lethally injected!! And Hell, I haven't even started on all the damn Christians out there. All Christian Republicans should be either crucified, stoned to death, fed to the lions, eaten up by locusts, burned up by a pillar of fire, lets see what other horrific and terrifying types of destruction are depicted in the Bible? Shit, there's just too many ways to go, if I went through the whole thing, I'd be taking up too much room in here. Oh well, kill em all, I say. I say, kill all televangelists, Republicans, Christians, and Jews. Wait, sorry, I don't think the Jews should be killed, but all the rest should. OK, I'll stop now, sorry, I got carried away there.....whew!

Anyway, here's an Aggie joke:

One day a black,a Mexican and an Aggie are sitting on a 9 story logpile. They each open their lunches to see what they've got for lunch. The Mexican opens his bag and says," Ay Caramba! I hate tacos, if I get tacos one more time, I'm gonna jump I telling you! Aiyeee, Arribaaaa!"

Then the Negro opens his lunch and says,"Yo! I hate collard greens! If I get green one more time I's gonna jump, damn I hates these greens!!"

The Aggie opens his lunch and finds peanut butter and jelly, and of course says, "If I get a golldurn peanit butter an' jelly agin, Imagonna jump, goldang it, durn!!"

The next day the Mexican jumps because there are tacos in his lunch. The nigger boy also jumps because there are collard greens in his lunch. Then the Aggie jumps, of course, because there peanut butter and jelly in his lunch. At the respective funerals the Mexican's and African's wives both say," If I had known that they didn't like that stuff, I wouldn't have packed it." The Aggie's wife however replies, "I don't get it, he plum packed his OWN lunch, durn it..."

OK, see you guys later.

DOWN WITH THE REPUBLICANS!! AND THE DEMOCRATS AS WELL, FOR THAT MATTER!!

OK, Mr. Martin Loof, or whatever, I'm sorry if someone is posting under my already anonymous name. I swear that I AM NOT the one who posted the filth about our beloved Mr. Schwinn and wish that the fearful imposters here in this GB would cease the donning of other people's monikers for their own pointless and perverted kicks. Whoever posted under my name, please stop. I just thought up this name last night and was hoping to use it a little bit before someone decided to screw it up for me!! Sorry Schwinn, I hope there are no hard feelings...

Now whoever did it, fess up or I'll kick your little sorry ass right outta cyberspace!

--Jock

PS--Oh, and no one has found the inside info on tour dates yet?? The offer is still out there, except I've decided to use a nail file to sever my right testicle, just to make it more tempting. Somebody hurry up and get the dirt on tour dates before I decide to use a letter opener or something!!!

Miz Ducky: manage a trois??...or should I pull up a chair and watch?

d - According to Webster's New World College Dictionary the word self-righteous means:

- filled with or showing a conviction of being morally superior, or more righteous than others; smugly virtuous.

Now, to me that sounds a whole lot more like your friends - Mr. Limbaugh, Mr. Falwell and Mr. Robertson than it does the nice people around here.
Thanks! Your post was the best laugh I've had all week!

H.

Oleander: Congratulations on winning the TNO pool. Assuming that I would win, I never antied up . So now I must think of an appropriate offering for the Danalyst Suprema. -- What to give the woman who sees all, knows all, and deconstructs all. Gold? Frank incense? Perhaps my 30 year old nose flute. No, that's something a person just can't share. I will think of something.

Are there no ladies on the list of Guestbook Compilation contributors? Is this Aloofness? Fear of copywright infringement? Performance anxiety? Laura Nyrosis? Maybe you're just chicken: BRAAAAAWK, BAAAWK, CLUCK-BAAAAWK.

RS

I heard excerpts from new fiona apple on NPR
whoa!
this place is the coolest web site for like minded and some otherwise
though the self righteous, smug, conformist liberal, pc people
are everywhere; tolerant of sexual spastics, cultural deviants,
and murderers- but aghast of Rush Limbaugh.

good catch ole !

As I said, well I be dog. It's official.

Hank--warm up the damn pie.

Geena--mazel tov on the Principessa's b'day. Happiness on you.

Q--it? you mean IT?

Mu--Terrible. Hope you're OK.

Nanny--You were way more entertaining as a lurker.

Getting too snippy around here. When fezo and Stranger are interdishing, the apocalypse is surely near. Or the release date, one.

See ya around.

Jock, you ignorant no spelling fucker. How many more of these incarnations must we suffer through? Huh, Danny Squeal like a pig? You fuckin' WISH you were half as cool as Schwinn. My theory is that you are simply vying for the Biker's manly attention. You want to be abused by him. You have some latent homo-erotic notions in that sewer that passes for a brain. You obviously think yourself quite clever and that's sad. Almost as sad as your shriveled, impotent prick.

Hang it up, you disease ridden loser.

Miz Ducky-Thank you! I was just pondering if I should post the same thing, but you did so much more eloquently.

Why is there such an outpouring of hostility when we have two great release dates to look forward to?(one is actually confirmed)

aja

Again, with the flinging about of homosexuality as if it's something bad (which IMO it is *NOT*). Look, I dunno about anybody else, but speaking for myself I find homophobia just as obnoxious as racism and antisemitism (all of which I've been fighting against for a good long time, folks). Obviously, in a forum like this where a couple of individuals can easily hide behind temporary handles while flinging their shit, there's not much I can do about this. Except call 'em publically on their shit, which I am doing.

For the vast majority of you posters and lurkers who have nothing whatsoever to do with this unpleasantness, I thank you for your sanity in this area, and your patience and forbearance. Perhaps we can go back to something nice and normal like obsessing over the new album and micro-analysing every stray word and move of the Guys now?

/Miz Ducky
flapping wings mightily in perhaps misguided attempt to clear the air

Schwinnyboy, you are a piece of shit!! You never make a bit of fucking sense, and nobody can stand you, you bastard. Take your inane and incomprehensible shite comments elsewhere, like the Harley Davidson chat room. Are you one of those Harley guys who rides the big pink Harley bike with the tassles? And you and your 'friend' both have bald heads and earrings in your right ear, and you ride two at a time on your big pink or baby blue bike. Get a life faggetass!!!

Sincerely,

Jock

re: Gin nd Tonic

"...a vast majority of students in Boston are not residents of the U.S."

Sorry, bucko, you're way off.

The 1997-98 school year saw slightly over 27,000 students from foreign countries enrolled in Boston Colleges. Boston University attracted the largest at around 4600.

There are over a quarter million students in Boston.

Do the math.

i guess that structural engineering isn't there forte in texas, huh? (ba dum dum)

clASS, you pathetic loser. ItÕs astounding how argumentative you get when someone doesnÕt agree with you. I suppose if Geena agreed with you, your response would have been less ignorant, but then youÕd find someone else to pick a fight with. Face it idiot, youÕre a racist, a liar and a moron. Of course you know what youÕre talking about, youÕve lived in the U.S. all your life, havenÕt you? You know about everything here donÕt you? Everyone is wrong and youÕre right. You donÕt even have the mental ability to hold a decent debate with anyone because of your pigheaded, alcohol soaked brain. YouÕre little boy mentality kicks in and your hissy fits start when someone has a different point of view because baby clAS didnÕt get his way, do you still use a pacifier clAS? You also believe none of us here know what the fuck weÕre talking about. WeÕre all stupid Americans, right clAS? DidnÕt you say that once? Then I should believe that all Swedes are racist pigs, right? You base your opinions on a weekÕs visit here and there and immediately you pass judgement. What a waste of human life you are. You believe your son because he knows what a gullible loser and racist you are and knows how to soak you good. DonÕt forget loser, a vast majority of students in Boston are not residents of the U.S.

Get a real life loser,

I stand corrected. TAN will outsell the new Santana. Sorry for being so negative. The boys still have it.

Clas- In the U.S., Boston is well know for being anti-black. Even there sports teams have less black players then other teams in other U.S. cities. Being a raceist yourself, I'm sure you understand this and as far as your son, he's probaly doing this just to get back at you.

Have a nice day :)

Jock Ewing?

Nanny-I picked "Aja" 'cause it's my favorite song, but changed the spelling to all lower caps because someone was using the regular spelling. Kinda funny reading a bitchy post that calls someone else bitchy. I'm very nice to those who are nice to me.

Clas-I have many friends who date interracially and have happily never had to deal with what your son did, but there are those that are seriously f*&$ed in the head, too (Jasper, TX, thank God for a good jury). I don't know why we have such a race problem in some areas.

Jock-be careful with that razor!

Here's counting down to 2/29(?)

aja

jk: Jeanne Dixon also predicted that the Cubs would win the pennant.

KD: The other place that comes to mind is Indiana

Stranger: How about: I've slept with your Mom but never another lawyer

Why do I bother?

Kindly ignore the last three posts and accept my heartfelt apologies. I was looking for the John Tesh Guestbook.

Not superfluous, INCORRECT.

Correcting a correction = meta-correcting.

Scratch those superfluous apostrophes in the previous post.

Gonna bring it all home tonight
Every little scratched Josie
Every Fu Manchu
Gonna whet your appetite
For the celebrity expecting you
And who said "left hand blue?"
It was "right foot green"
Right foot green
Is that understood?
He doesn't make a single sound as he whirlwind's Townshend down.
But every joke about Roger's voice bring's Minnesota back to town.
And who can interfere with a shot that's made once a year?
Ask Norman Clature
For the odds
Of two against nature

I was thinking about this earlier today, about how Boston's fucked. It's probably the largest U.S. city I can think of that would give weird looks to an interracial couple. It wouldn't happen in the dirty south, but they'll get shit in Boston.

My roomie goes out with a white chick, and this state had slaves back in the 1800s, and no one thinks twice. Only bloody Boston.

Geena - If my son and his girlfriend say they felt uncomfortable, in the school and on the town, then I belive them, no matter what you say.

And what they did in public? Holding hands. There's no law against that? Yet?

Geena, if people say they feel/experience something, do you have the right to say they don't?

And my son knows the difference between Los Angeles and Boston.

A good friend to me once said, "she's a bitch and she knows it (not Geena). The best that you can do is file them under Woman and forget all about it".

Clas, creating a new folder.

I'm sorry, but this 2/29 release date seems a bit contrived to me. But what do I know? West of nothing.

Then again, as hipsters age they start doing silly things. Like dedicating songs to their grandchildren, refusing to eat an egg boiled in an aluminum pan and waiting in line for the latest fetal stem-cell injection.

Am I saying that mortality colors all of our moments? Yes. But Hemingway made his living by skating over our fears and wrestling with naked men long before it was a sport.

Let the games begin!

Finding My Way,

SEMB

What's the big deal about WHO breaks the news? Who cares?? It took 20 fucking years! Do you think I care who tells me about the new SD record. Please people, you're getting a little anal here,don't ya think? Let's here the fucking thing already!!!!

Nanny-

that was really hot, or disgusting, I mean

that makes me feel so good

I'm so happy

I can't cry anymore...

Jeanne dixon was a (is) a psychic in the sixties who tried in vein to warn JFK about a man named oswald. no one listened to her.

jk

so. what if you COULD get ahold of the new one. ..

would you really want it? do you really want to hear it before everyone else here ?

giddyrrl -

giant is not quite on music row, but heck, who's counting ? MUAHAHAHA.

Wow, this is great, new Dan!!!!!! Have they mentioned any tour info yet?? I will mail you my right testicle if you can give me tour info, anyone!! Just leave your address! First come first serve, everyone, I only have two of them, and of course I only have ONE right ball!

Love,

Jock

PS. Hey did anyone ever see that ebay auction for some 11 year old high school boy's virginity? The bidding finally got way high, like in the millions, but I think it was just a joke, though. What do you think a right testicle would go for? Oh well, just a thought, albeit very morbid. Hurry up with that tour info, people, I've got my razor blade handy and will rush my severed testicle down to FedEx immediately to the first taker~~!!

This may call for a celebration. Donald Pez dispensers for everyone!

New Dan! For Real? I'm hyper-ventilating!

Quick, I need a valium and a brandy. Oh, Richard...

maj©

Say, has anyone heard any good Aggie jokes lately??

That was bad, I know. Sorry, someone was bound to ask the question sooner or later, though.

Regards,

Annie C.

Wait, here's one I made up myself:

How many Aggies does it take to build a bonfire?

Nine.

OK, that was bad wasn't it? Sooorrrrry!!

Hi all, I'm a long time poster and most of the time lurker and I haven't checked in for awhile, but good to see all the old time favorites here!! I see Geena and Clas still areound, what ever happened to you guys' romance?? And Oleander still spewing her "miss-bitch-know-it-all" wit, you're still great Ole, I love ya!! Or I love ta hate ya!! And Stranger, Royal Scam and a few others I notice are still here, too. Is this aja character the same aja from years ago?? I don't remember her being so darn bitchy, though. Is it really you, aja? It can't be, you've changed alot, you used to be so nice. Anyways, I am just totally elated about this foxnews deal that was just mentioned, I almost came in my pants when I heard it, and I didn't even have my vibrator out, or in I mean!!!! If Steely and Dan were here right now, I'd give them both a big fat wet kiss on their bald spots, or at least on Dan's bald spot!! Hey whatever happened to Lester?? That guy was a cool kid!!! Oh God, I've got to go, I've got something in the oven and I think it's burning!! See you crazy GBers later, love you all!!! and cheer up aja, let me know if it's really you or if you're just a newbie who goofed and picked someone else's name!!!!

Love

Nanny

Fezo,
My career? Why, I make $2,000 a week stuffing envelopes in my spare time. The training was very demanding, but once I got that degree from envelope stuffing school eveything just fell into place.

I guess you already know the difference between a hooker and a lawyer. If not, just let me know.

Cheers

DrMu: Aha! You get the eagle-eye award!

Okay, I've decided I don't feel guilty anymore. I've decided I feel like my mind's being played with ... and wacko that I am, it feels so goooooooood!

/Mam'zelle Canard
Enjoying how the plot is thickening

check this: http://www.steelydan.com/newcd.html

audi

So how do we get a copy of the new one since the Fox reporter said he had listened to it?....i know that some albums not out yet somehow get into the hands of the public.

Clas: Race is not an issue here, this is an extremely diverse city with diverse neighborhoods, maybe some didn't take to kindly to what your son and his girlfriend were doing in public!?!?!?
The she-monster turned 1 last month, we had a grand affair for her complete with chocolate cake, ice cream, lot of screaming, and lots of sugar laden foods that make children hyperactive.

YGK: could you please send me your email addy? mine is at the top.

Truth = Q ?

Fezo is correct about it being an authorized leak. My guess is there will be more publicity to come in the immediate future.

"Things are heating up around here."

ruby: they are pretty damn close

hoops, ducky: i have a different take on the fox story. few leaks in the news business are accidental and/or the result of an outright theft. my guess is the fox guy--who as someone else pointed out here does write like one of Larry King's bastard children--had the cd handed to him my some record executive anxious to get some advance pub for the cd. i wouldn't be surprised if there weren't other copies similarly floating around now as I key. I just wish one would float in my direction.

stranger: please remind me of your profession so i can direct some jibes at your chosen career path.

Hoops: I do respect your point of view, sir. In fact, after seeing it go by previously in your Digest, I confess to feeling a stab of guilt over the energy I've leant to this media-person at FoxNet. I had to ask myself how I would feel if I were trying to carefully orchestrate some big lovely event, and it began to get nibbled around the edges by individuals well-meaning and otherwise? (This has in fact happened to me in the past, although obviously on a much smaller scale).

So ... Oh, hell, I dunno. When I was a kid there were some Christmases that I was like to burst from the anticipation, and others where I was more self-contained. The self-contained ones, however, tended to be when I had grown disillusioned and disaffected with that particular gift-giving scenario; it was easier to contain myself when I didn't care a whole heckovalot to begin with.

So what I suppose I'm saying is, I guess I'm suffering from a superfluity of truly childlike joy, that I wouldn't be feeling so strongly if I didn't care so deeply about the Dan. And I just hope the Guys understand that I for one am not trying to second-guess their surprise so much as to let off a little of the brain-melting adrenaline crazy-ass anticipation I'm feeling. And I'm absolutely sure I won't be any less insanely blown away when they do the Official Release Thingie in their own good time. (And I'll probably wind up buying several copies of the CD and making myself an absolute pest amongst my friends, who already are beginning to wonder about me ... but I digress.)

/Miz Ducky
flying upside down and backwards in the karmic wheel

fezo: Is the Celebration Dance the same as the Dance of Joy?

I read the foxnews piece and I'm JAZZED! Pretty good photo. They look good with a bit of grey in their beards.

One question. The writer mentions Nightfly & Kamakiriad, but he calls WB's solo album "self-titled." What's up with that?

Hey Geena!

rb

Thanks for acknowledging the arrival of my tape. I wasn't sure how long it would take to get there. This is a very "fun" project to be involved with and I'm really looking forward to hearing all the compositions from other GB'ers. I'm sorry to hear that you received "dismal news" from your doctor.

JWM: was laughing away at your post until the "dismal news from the doctor" part. (?) Hope the new instrument did the trick. If not, my prayers are at your service if you need them.

aja

I want to hear it too.

and so does Dad

JWM: are you alright?

Pretty hilarious, huh? We'll just have to send out (3) copies to www.steelydan.com c/o The SDWebdrone...and let the cards fall where they may! As you may recall, my original post indicated only that www.steelydan.com had requested a copy...

Roy.Scam & RixHex56 ~ Your submissions arrived today - excellent stuff, gentlemen! I'll update the site when I get back home.

All this talk about TNO is pretty exciting...song lists and all!

After receiving more dismal news from my doctor yesterday, I went out and did what any self-respecting musician would do ~ I bought another piece of equipment! I picked up that Yamaha FS1R that I was ranting about last week - the rackmount formant synthesis tone module...it's (in my best Spicolli) "gnarly, dude!"

Rock on,

JDubs

D&F: finishing touches for our compilation taking longer than anticipated [also settling arguments amongst the internally deranged]. keep checking the official website for the release date sometime this leap year.

have fun storming the castle, boys

GBCD

Oh, this GB. So good for laughs.

aja

Actually, we'd love to hear it!

Can't wait!

Hate to burst your bubbles, but the entity that requested the Guestbook Comp CD was me. WebDrone. The actual person who checks in here every once in a while to get a good laugh.

"The Guys" have (and will have) nothing to do with it.

sorry

I think this Fox story is probably dead on...but you notice that official Steely Dan was and is to be the place for offical word; I wonder if this CD is probably some copy that got snuck out of manufacturing or something and sold.

I dunno...I'm excited about the new one after all this but also feel like I've given into the ruthless media whores that pervade all the news. Doesn't seem right--seems like we are stealing their thunder. Like maybe they had a more exciting way of releasing the news...the puzzle photos were really cool...now we may not know what they have cooked up for us to keep us guessing. It's sorta like looking in Mom and Dad's hiding place a month before Christmas to see what "Santa" was bringing. Fun to know but spoils the karma.

The Stranger - don't be mean, we've got a lawyer here :)

Glad to hear the good news - it rings true, despite the man's other challenges with gathering the facts. The order of the songs he listed sure seems to match the ODP hints.

What A Shame About Me -- if true, why release it as the first single instead of Jack of Speed? A stronger pop possibility, or just the strongest pop song with DF's vocals?

the Truth=Kinky?

Hutch-Jeanne Dixon? Probably a clue in the name. The initials, maybe? Or was this a pseudonym used somewhere in the vast array of written/spoken material created by D&W? Hmmmm, I think I foresee some Net searching.

Also, who is this mysterious "truth" that appears now and then and is VERY well informed.......

Maybe they're trying to keep us occupied for three months.

aja

Got it !
It's on the way........... "it's a real occasion" !

Geena: Mail away....kind of slow in the art bus at present

ygk

"Elisabeth"

Alisabeth -as Hutch said, you are welcome here. Don't be sensitive. If you are, you'll never make it.

Geena - kiss the Golden One. Jonas will leave Boston Dec 22, maybe he'll get back next autumn. He's girlfriend visited him a while ago and I saw some pics from Boston, beautiful town. But one thing they didn't like (mixed couple), angry looks from almost everyone.

This post have no intention to harm or hurt anyone.

Clas

Fox Announcement - We are very amused.

Oleander - Missed by 5 days?

It's about Freakin' time!!!!!!! Feb. 29, 2000 eh? I should have known theyd pick the oddest day of the year.

I said to myself--and by the right and left of Gunga I locked my jaws on that vow--I said I would never go roving anymore.

So I lived by the ghaut, very close to my own people, and I watched over them year after year.

"The Undertakers"

O feet I have held in my hand!
O hands at my heart to catch!
How should they know the road to go,
And how should they lift the latch?

"The Gift of the Sea"

Crazy Like a Fox,

Ulysses

Geena: Hi. How's your new one?

H: Could refer not to the order of the album, but the first single?...released very early in '00?

What do y'all make of that enigmatic post from Jeanne Dixon a few scrolls back:

"'What a Shame About Me' will be the first song you will be hearing... be patient my children."

Hmmm...

H.

CD recommendation: 'Ballads,' by John Coltrane Quartet. Sweet, intelligent, melodic, polished. A pleasure over and over. Listening right now and glad to be doing so.

Geena,
Nice to hear from you.

Anyone hear why they're replacing some rats with lawyers? There are some things even rats won't do.

Hello all,

Great news indeed! Personnel anyone? I'd kill to know who's leadin' off that big front line... daddy.

Well I be dog. No, the pool is not over, since the Official Date is not on The Official Page. The Legal Arm, you may remember, offered the ODP listing as The Date, not the Street Date, or Dates, but who's counting? I am a little disappointed that some loose-lipped hack has trumped The Dan on this one. And I am RABID at the thought that this philistine is sitting there listening to it AND RUBBING OUR FACES IN IT! Given as I am to reading between the lines, did you think he was damning with faint praise, and trying to backpedal by saying something warm & fuzzy like "the event of 2000" or whatever?

Do you think they already know they're in the HOF & chose the date accordingly?

Argh, I won't be able to sleep for 3 months.

Hey Mu--"rigged"?? You'll be hearing from The Legal Arm!

Regarding the Leap Day release date: you know, this guy at Fox obvsiously has it in his hand and has been playing it. But last release from *1981* was Gaucho? Becker's "self titled album"? Hmmmm

It is tittilating to see these titles though. But I'll wait for the official annoucement, or better yet to have in my CD player. Feb 29? Sheesh! It's gonna be so hard to concentrate on the holidays thinking about the new one.

Hello All!

Just thought i'd check in to see what was going on and.....OHMYGOD!!!!! I just read the Fox website and this is really great news...finally!

Now we'll have something "new" to talk about.

Mitch: CSN were boring a few years back when i saw them...i used to like them but found myself falling asleep, it was really horrible and the concert also got bad reviews. Maybe next try, huh?

YGK: could i email you for some advice regarding an artist i know and some art work i've discovered?

Clas, Ruby, Ole, Fezo, Roy, Stranger, DrMu and Alt....Hello! sorry if i missed anyone, i see a lot of new faces here, and it's been a while since i posted.

Aja: Your right that is a jaggoff out there impersonating Hutch and I. I`m hoping that we haven`t got our hopes too high, in anticipation of the New One. Crosby Stills Nash & Youngs new release has gotten weak reviews. I think there is a period when Artists hit their peak and then after that its a struggle to get that magic back. The CD was 3- half years in the making, and i`m not sure that perfection was the issue here... I hope i`m wrong but maybe the creative juices don`t flow like they use too....I`M not saying they should have cooked up a release in a year, buy 4 years is a long time....

Wowee! on Gregorian Day no less.

If so, it will have been 19 years and 3+ months (Steve V must now the exact date of the Gaucho release. I picked it up in Nov., 1980 after it was available in NC.

Yippie!

http://www.foxnews.com/js_index.sml?content=/entertainment/fox411/index.sml

mmHMM. ditto from Music Row.

I'll be danned.

At last!
Something we can sink our teeth (fangs) into.

Elizabeth - You're more than welcome here. Don't ever think otherwise.

H.

"What a Shame About Me" will be the first song you will be hearing ... be patient, my children.

Jesus, I thought I was sensitive.

KD-Oleander won NOTHING yet. Ya wanna bet it's not out on the 29th?!

try this link:

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/fox411/111799.sml

it should work

this guy sounds like your average/obvious/oblivious entertainment columnist, the kind of Larry King-isms that Norm MacDonald mocked on SNL, and they make fun of at the Onion.

and Oleander wins the betting pool, poetic damn justice. Couldn't think of anything more apropos. Or having more apropoiety.

thank YOO!

YGK: At the foxnews.com site, I simply stuck "Steely Dan" in the Search window, hit the button, and voila!

Let the healing regression/slide into decadence begin! (Got a few months to rehearse beforehand and get it right!)

/Miz Ducky
flying excitedly in small tight circles

Where? I went to Fox and couldn't see it - what sub heading?

jk: right you are, sir. thanks for the point in the right direction

sorry - spilled something on my keyboard?1!!!

jk

I'm back, the stranger who keeps posting, I guess unwantedly?
Who's not entitled to post? I listen to Steely Dan and It's like a new experience each time, I can't help it if I can't get over and never intend to get over the music of Steely Dan! Have I been rude to someone? Do I just not know it? I listen everyday I practice the music. Oh by the way I play the drums, I have been for 11 years since I was 13. I have just been introduced to The music of Steely Dan about 2 years ago. It's the type of music I love! If it makes anyone happy I won't mention the Master that has made Steely Dan the legend and the energizer of even today. But Steely Dan will never die! I'm quite sure all future generations will have, pardon the expression "DanHeads" too. We should all be thanking the creators of Steely Dan!!!
Elizabeth

you should go to foxnews.com - there is a picture also.

what we do know:

1. Walt is singing

2. most of the titles sound like classic dan not new donald. (i'm guessing Gaslighting abbie is in the Wet/cash only vein!)

3. no Wetside, cash, or 2 arr. unless they changed the lyrics

4. when is the R&RHF induction??? late Jan? feb? fix is in!

5. Anybody know this friedman guy to squeeze more out of him??? (he ain't too smart - 1st sd album in 19 years * WRONG - becker's album is selftitled * WRONG)

6. official site hasn't caught up yet

7. date is very close to the gaucho release

8. late winter tour - I still cannot see that - but . . .

9. Could we have a single out eariler with unreleased b sides like wet or cash or . . . better?? (who knows someone at giant?)

10. do not call or come a knockin at my house on the 29th!!!!

jk

you should go to foxnews.com - there is a picture also.

what do we know:

1. Walt is singing

2. most of the titles sound like classic dan not new donald. (i'm guessing Gaslighting abbie is in the Wet/cash only vein!)

3. no Wetside, cash, or 2 arr. unless they changed the lyrics

4. when is the R&RHF induction??? late Jan? feb? fix is in!

5. Anybody know this friedman guy to squeeze more out of him??? (he ain't too smart - 1st sd album in 19 years * WRONG - becker's album is selftitled * WRONG)

6. official site hasn't caught up yet

7. date is very close to the gaucho release

8. late winter tour - I still cannot see that - but . . .

9. Could we have a single out eariler with unreleased b sides like wet or cash or . . . better?? (who knows someone at giant?)

10. do not call or come a knockin at my house on the 29th!!!!

jk

yuo should go to foxnews.com - there is a picture also.

what do we know:

1. Walt is singing

2. most of the titles sound like classic dan not new donald.(i'm guessing Gaslighting annie is in the Wet/cash only vein!)

3. no Wetside, cash, or 2 arr. unless they changed the lyrics

4. when is the R&RHF induction??? late Jan? feb? fix is in!

5. Anybody know this friedman guy to squeeze more out of him??? (he ain't too smart - 1st sd album in 19 years * WRONG - becker's album is selftitled * WRONG)

6. official site hasn't caught up yet

7. date is very close to the gaucho release

8. late winter tour - I still cannot see that - but . . .

9. Could we have a single out eariler with unreleased b sides like wet or cash or . . . better?? (who knows someone at giant?)

10. do not call or come a knockin at my house on the 29th!!!!

jk

I'm holding out for a verifiable source like a press release on one of the record company's sites or some blurb retrievable through Nexis or maybe even info on TOS

Then the dance of celebration will begin

Warning letters have already been sent out to the neighbors

Cuz: Whoa, Oleander (rigged!) and Whataevah will have to fight over the spoils! Tried to match up the proposed song titles with the tiles (which could indicate the order) - most seem to work

Gaslighting Abbie - tile 1
What a Shame About Me - tiles 3a and 3b?? 7??? 4???
2 Against Nature - tile 7 I think (or tiles 3a and b with the floating chair)
Janie Runaway - tile 2
Almost Gothic - tile 5
Jack of Speed - tile 6
Cousin Dupree - tile 4??? 7??? (kissing cousins)
Negative Girl - tile 8
West of Hollywood - tile 9

Cousin Dupree-who, or how......oh, never mind! You're my new hero! February 29? And my birthday is March 1. Seems like I'll be having a great day!

Please, tantalize us a bit more with some song descriptions.....

aja

The first Steely Dan album in nineteen years will be released by Giant Records on Feb 29th There are nine tracks totalling a little over 50 minutes. The titles are: "Gaslighting Abbie," "What a Shame About Me," "Two Against Nature," "Janie Runaway," "Almost Gothic," "Jack of Speed," "Cousin Dupree," "Negative Girl" and "West of Hollywood."
I suppose the order of the tracks could change, or some could be added or deleted, but this much I'll tell you now: "Almost Gothic" and "Cousin Dupree" jumped out right away as highlight tracks, very classic Steely Dan songs. The rest are percolating in my head.
But there's no question that the album will be the musical event of
2000. What a great way to greet a new era.

Oh yeah, thanks jk & pf

Mock- Am I right on or what? THE NEW One.....Feb.29th,2000

Cuz!!!

http://www.leonidslive.com/

LEONID'S METEOR SHOWER PEAKS TONIGHT FOLKS ! ! !

screw the cold, get out there and enjoy the best nature has to offer!

aja - Yeah, that "Caldron" album by John Beasely is really well done. You may or may not know that he played piano on the '96 SD tour and that he's on The New One. Ahh... there's the connection!

P.S. - You're right. That "dingleberry" post was from an imposter. Gee... I wonder who it could have been.

H.

Mock Turtle-February? I'd be excited if I hadn't heard DJ's announcing June, then September, etc. Your analysis seems right on, however!

A quiet night on the GB. Looks like the spells worked.

Blasphemy! I was on hold yesterday and I heard a Muzak version of "Kid Charlemagne", only it was played with a cheerful, happy-as-in-lobotomized beat. Kinda hilarious after last week's discourse on what the song is REALLY about!

Hutch-I'm gonna go find that jazz CD you were talking about a few scrolls ago. Sounds interesting!

aja

Miz Ducky: I heard the announcement in Madison, WI. Don't know about the station, though (I had to strain my ears to hear the DJ as it was, because my friend was talking at the time). But I clearly heard Feb. Now the Digest is saying the same thing about a Seattle station.

My guess is that it WILL come out in Feb. It makes sense, for touring purposes. Now that they're both burdened with gold-digging wives, they feel the pressure to maximize profits.

hutch - thanx.

Grrrlfre(n)d--Right on. Tenncare is a fiasco famous all over town. Though well meant. LOVE it--the speculum sessions [can't you see that as an album title?]. The ones I have sound like ratchet wrenches.

Eh?--If you're looking for albums with members of the "backing band," I hope you have some long green, since Steely sidepeople have played with Dylan, Miles Davis, Weather Report, Joni Mitchell, Burt Bacharach, the Crusaders, and a bezillion other artists. What a great musical odyssey that would be--to listen to everything any Steely "band member" ever played on! Oh yeah--I can see the exhibit in the R&RHOF now: a genealogy of Steely sidemen--it would take up a wall.

Hutch--Great analysis. Thank goodness for scroll; there are a few I know to pass right by, and that is one.

Edd--ooh! That was too good!

Aaron--welcome. One of my two favorite Salt Lake memories was in my hitching days, when one ride landed at a guy's house who played Zappa ("Weasels") all afternoon. I was impressed that people knew about Zappa there. Which doesn't really answer your request, I know.

Mu--Great rap on TAN. Must find that book, whether it has anything to do with it or not. On another reading jag.

RS--is that really you?

Mr. President--you are on a roll.

Miz Ducky--dug your drink research, dude.

KD--Not to worry. The fans are restless. But aren't we terrific at finding ways to pass the time?

I know this is bit whiny, and I also know how hard it is to update a webpage in your spare time...

But when I read that front page paragraph on ODP a while back, I assumed that the new "happs" would be coming around sooner than this. I mean, I checked out the site the next day, much less a month and a half later. Maybe they're waiting for next week's re-issues of 'Aja' and 'Royal Scam,' but I thought they'd be making the page a bit more noise by now.

Actually, it doesn't matter, fuck me

Just bitchin,

go to onhoops.com

Mock Turtle: now that's some sensible news! Mind saying which city/radio station you heard that in/on?

/Miz Ducky

So I was sitting in my local deli today, eating a sub, listening to two tunes off Alive in America on the PA. I thought it was a CD, but then this DJ comes on and makes some announcement about the forthcoming CD and how it'll be called "Two Against Nature"; the usual stuff. But then he says FEBRUARY was the official release date announced. Which, of course, is more precise than the announcement on the ODP. So, I thought I'd post it, you can take it with a grain of salt or whatever, but since I'm not in the betting pool, I thought those who were might take some interest.

Miz Ducky-Newton's third law says that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Therefore, this insanity must be balanced with some sense, sooner or later! Think I'll stick to talking to the people I know, too. Or maybe it's time to cast some spells and banish the poisonous spirits.

aja

I was looking at the tiles on the ODP, and I remembered someone mentioning the compass rose was tilted 90 degrees.

Of course! It points to the "Wet Side"...

Aja: seems there's been a mess of Mercury-retrograde mal-communication shrapnel scattered across the GB in the past 24 or so. Pay it no mind ... I'm trying my best not to.

/Miz Ducky
(who continues to enjoy the regular well-identified posters)

Q, Joe blew it Saturday. Made me ill.

Making of Aja: We know that the DVD's offered at yalplay.com won't play on US players. The VHS cassettes they offered are PAL format - why is one L12.95 the other L21.95? Now the VHS at CDNOW.com says it is a Japanese import - is it NTSC or do you think it is SECAM (Asia) formatted in which case you couldn't watch it anyway. I see in the local phone book there are lot's of places that will convert from PAL or SECAM to NTSC. Be the second on your block behind Huge to have a copy on tape.

PS Nov. 12 marked the 22 year aniversary of the release of the Peg single. Seems like only yesterday...

St. Al-I think Elizabeth is writing to you (again).

aja

David: Hope you met Sir Bob-O on the cruise.. 77 year old jazz DJ.. If anyone wants to learn about jazz, or just wants to hear some great music selections, tapes of his shows are well worth it.. His e-mail is JamtimeX@aol.com.. Real Jazz Radio.. Yummy!
And you don't need to wipe up purple spewtum, either..

If you like radio theater, check ZBS productions, www.zbs.org..
Luridly sensuous soundscapes and great stories.. The "Ruby" series is Fabulous.. and jingles a nom-de-jour, too..

So, when is Technicolor Motorhome Tour? I wanna drive the truck!

This is a cool site I always enjoy reading things that were written by Walter the man of Steely Dan Who ever said that Donald was the main guy in the band? Walter you've really got the talent that made Steely Dan Thanks for all the great sounds.
If it wasn't for you Walter this site wouldn't be so great! I went to see Tonic and The Goo Goo Dolls in New Orleans, don't remember much after the 3 Valium and the 3 orange Daquiri's except for passing out in the back of the truck that I luckily found. Then my hub and his best friend the driver came out and saw me they said they were gonna leave me in N.O. if they couldn't find me so I had to ride freezing to death in the back till we swerved and 5 cop cars pulled us over I jumped out and grabbed my jacket and then got to ride in the cop car with my hub to the N.O. cop station our friend passed the sobriety test with a 0.078 they actually drove us back to the truck and let us go no harm done but the cuff marks on our friend. We then went and bought some more beer and headed home stupid wasn't it. Oh yeah we had to pull over so I could puke too, but we were already almost home and no one was mad at me anymore either cool Huh! Oh Yeah in '94 I died of a Vodka O.D. in the local park ambulance took me away. I'm learning from my mistakes. Steely Dan Rules!!! Thanks Walter!

Is it my imagination, or is someone posting salacious messages using Mitch's and Hutch's name? Perhaps someone with no life or friends who desperately needs attention?

aja

what a game vs. Miami, eh?

Hey, BCS: stick that in your Pentium and compute it.

Nate Webster. What a class act this shmuck is.
G O H O K I E S

Hi All- Just returned from the 1st annual Smooth Jazz Cruise on the Norway...booked the 2nd annual while onboard .Because of the music it was the best cruise we've ever taken.
Russ Freeman and the Rippingtons,Craig Chaquico band,Paul Taylor,Keiko Matsui,Ken Navarro,Kirk Whalum,Denny Jiosa,Khani Cole and their Bands were outstanding.
each venue on the ship had shows going all week...whew!

I hope some of you will join us next year...Oct. 28th 2000

I was gone from the 5th to the 13th and I think I missed quite a few posts.But I did notice at JWMALIBU's site that he did receive my CD contribution.
Speaking of CD's my "Clockdrive World " CD's will be here and ready to ship this week...so,please order from my site.
www.davidmooremusic.com
Also , If you order one don't be Bummed If it doesn't sound like Steely Dan. I Love them above all other music in my lifetime.
However, their influence is not the same as trying to emulate or copy their vibe.Not that I could If I tried...I stand in awe of them forever.
Anyway, each song on my CD is different from the one before..because my musical life has been that way.Hope you enjoy it.

I can't wait to hear the contributions from the GBers...and JW deserves "BIG APPLAUSE" for his Efforts!

David

It was so nice ...I had to say it twice!

clASS- Only a fool would say that

change fool to clASS

Only a MORON would say that

They got a name for the winners in the world, I want a name when I lose....the name is clASS!

Drink Scotch whisky all night long...and piss out the window of the YMCA...you stupid prick!...I like the flow!

clASS- Only a fool would say that

change fool to clASS

Only a MORON would say that

They got a name for the winners in the world, I want a name when I lose....the name is clASS!

Clas - Are you referring to the thing about D&W wanting a copy of our GB cd? Sorry... I didn't realize that was a question.
I'm just going by what JW said on his post of Nov. 12:
"Polish these songs to a glossy sheen, guys... www.steelydan.com has requested a copy." Also, on JW's web page about the project you'll see that "SDWebdrone" is on the list of those getting a copy.

H.

I desperately need to find Daniel Lazerus.

Can anyone help?

Be back soon shootcalla.

The Stranger - yes in fact, I like the flow.

LIP -

I'll learn to work the saxophone

I'll play just what I feel,

Drink scotch whisky, all night long,

And die behind the wheel,

Tonight when I chase the dragon,

The water may change to cherry wine

And the silver will turn to gold

Time out of mind

And making fun of Jews? Change the word Jew to Muslim.

"The Fez" you know. Upset?

Hutch, I asked you a question earlier, you don't bother to answer?

C, hanging out withE major and all his friends; A, B, etc etc

Miz Ducky---fun? ooh, do tell

To the person using the handle Crimes (and whomever else it may concern):

Some of us (myself for instance) do not consider homosexuality/same sex relationships to be "against nature" in any way shape or form, but rather quite natural and even fun.

Just saying.

/Miz Ducky
(Let's talk about the good times ... please?)

Baller - What... are you like 12 years old or something?

H.

I am listening to the music that is being played by Don and Waltor for a long long time. Ir is good music they are playing. I will be happy when they come to my cityAmsterdam, will they play here at the vondelpark I hope. I love you Stealy Dann, och lieben heimen....!

!NBG!###!

I think Starsky gave me the crabs last night......I've been picking them out of my dingleberries all day.....!

Mitch: If you passed out at Tommy's house and awoke with a sore, bleeding bumhole, I'm going to enlist all my anthropological judgement and suggest that it's probably best that you and Tommy drifted apart.

RS

Clas,
You actually read this baller's entire, hideous, pointless, moronic rant? Find yourself a good book. In fact, a bad book's got it beat.

Mu: Interesting origin of title "Two Against Nature." But to those uninformed masses, it sounds like Don + Walt are finally coming out of the closet.

Food for thought, guys, when officially naming the album.

Hey, on CDNow, I see they have "The making of Aja" for ~$70 on VHS, and ~$80 on laserdisc(?). Japanese imports, it seems. But I think I'll wait till the price goes down a little....

The *Picture* of Dorian Gray

A possible clue to the possible origin of "Two Against Nature" was proposed by one "Nyarlathotep" of the NG. In 1884, the French author Joris-Karl Huysmans published a decadent, absurdist novel entitled "A Rebours" or in English "Against Nature." I havenÕt read it yet but the background and reviews are most interesting.

Evidently, not a light read, like "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" for outcast French elite sitting around in robes. Huysmans rejected the popular Victorian era panoramic social overblown epics that emphasized realistic problems of the elite. Here naturally we have a wealthy reclusive anti-hero who hates all forms of mediocrity and is a real social misanthrope, the last descendent of a old, noble family. His world is the ultimate of decadence and hedonism in the oddest sense in that much of it is in his own mind (sound familiar?). He evidently locks himself from the world in his bizarre, ornate home in which music, literature, art, cologne, food of the day become grist for his critical mill. Sounds like an upper-class David Spade with a pencil-thin mustache. The original hyper-educated urban Gen X guy? However, as he withdraws and becomes more cynical, he grows more ill, demonstrating that he cannot live apart from the real lifef he despises. Once one rejects all, logically they have nothing.

A literary critic once said of the Huysmans that he would either commit suicide or retreat into the arms of the church. The ultimate irony is that he did the latter.

IÕm not certain if Huysmans was the French version of Oscar Wilde, who incredible wit was a breath of fresh air and controversy in the stuffy Victorian England. Like the modern day rock star, he succumbed to his own decadence, went to jail, and died penniless, alone, and wretchedly ill. Anyway, in the novel The Portrait of Dorian Gray (the one where the portrait aged hideously with each selfish and hedonistic act by the protagonist) a copy of Against Nature was by the bed.

Supposedly Huysmans had a gift for ornate descriptions, perhaps like today's Pat Conroy, although Conroy's forte was landscapes. Interestingly, as "Nyarlathote"p pointed out "Huysmans imagines, for example, an all-black meal, including Russian (reference for the Cyrillic script on the ODP?) rye bread, caviar, game Ôin sauces the color of boot polish,Õ plum puddings, kvass, and various black beers."

Well, I guess you have to keep yourself entertained somehow for 20 years. Has anybody read this or the English translation? IÕm curious.

Baller, Deacon: I prefer to reminisce about real life events involving a blond of Norweigan descent and only one of 3 of the following: drugs, sex, and profanity as her 270 lb boyfriend slept along. Man, I'm lucky to be alive in every sense of the world... and can remember every damn second, but decorum, such as it is prevents me from going farther!

This is a little late ... question mark? try jamiroquai or love jones for a Dan vibe... Third World Man is the one that strikes me as the one you were looking for

I swear, everyone, as soon as I can afford some cocaine I'll come up with something that competes with that.

and I apologize for his semi-bball related handle

Oh God, another kid who thinks sex, drugs, and profanity is shocking and on the edge. Yawn..... Come back when you have something interesting to say, kid. Everyone here has already been there and done that.

p.s. judging by your lack of imagination, you are doomed to spend your life eating cheeseburgers, watching "Who Wants To Be
A Millionaire", and jacking off to "Victoria's Secret", fantasizing that Heidi Klum really wants you.

mitch - You don't seem like yourself lately!

deim23 (Aaron) - Glad you're here! Hang in there. This current nonsense is somewhat rare.

H.

deim23 here...
love the Dan. Ever since I remember, my father listened to SD while on road trips and the like. Now 27yrs. old the band is one of my all time favorites. I welcome any corespondance.

I had meant to tell you a drinking story from high school, but was too busy busting ballers' balls earlier. So here goes:

A friend and I, his name was Tommy, went down across the railroad tracks one night to purchase some liquor. We couldn't stand the taste of beer, so we bought that Purple Passion stuff, which is made with Everclear, but really tastes like Kool-Aid. We got very drunk and I became sick. I passed out at Tommy's house in his bed room and when I woke up the next day my head hurt really bad, as well as my bumhole. I had to go to the restroom and it hurt real bad when I defecated, and there was blood in the toilet when I finished. I never truly found out what happened, and Tommy and I drifted apart after that fateful night. God, I'll never drink that Purple Passion junk again!!

--mitch

I should proof-read this stuff, eh?

... *are* due out in a week or so.

(and only one) H.

One night, when I was 16 and cool and owned a Triumph Spitfire, my friend Ringstaff and I went driving around, each drinking from our own bottle of Night Train Express. The next morning (I don't remember driving home...not too cool) I took a look at my car and there was purple puke all down the passenger side back to the cute rear end of my car. I got sick, but in the lot next to the garage.

Mr. Stewart

Baller - Do you wear real baggy pants where the crotch is six inches from the floor and the pockets are so low your arms aren't long enough to reach in them? And do you have a ring and/or stud in your nose, lip, tongue, eyebrow (or all of the above)?
Just curious.

aja - Ahhhh... What can I say!?

KD - That must have been a typo on the price of that signed Les Paul. F#maj9 will probably back me up on this one. I don't think you can buy a NEW Les Paul Standard anywhere for under a grand. Usually considerably more. If it was a typo and the price was really $9000.00 I'd have to say that was WAY YONDER (in my best Andy Griffith accent) too much.

Altamira - Thanks for pin-pointing "Dallas" for me. I knew it was an early composition and I looked through the three cds I have of those early demos and couldn't find it.

I think the re-mastered versions of The Royal Scam and Gaucho due out in a week or so.

H.

H.

THE POST by Balla was as long as any ive seen here, is that guy a writer for Bob Guchione at Penthouse and doesn`t he have any friends to lay that fuckin marathon story on ?.......Can`t wait for the release of 2 against Nature , so we can get some good conversation here instead of some bullshit tale of The Peruvian Marcher and his 3 way fantasy........

Hutch-right on target, my man, as was just proven. Maybe you should name yourself "Razor Boy"-your post was hilarious.

aja

Clas, thanks for the encouragement. I omitted several of the tastier details for the benefit of our more squeamish visitors:

Hutch, the stories I tell are all true, sorry to bust your bubble you envious twit. If only you weren't cursed with putrescent looks and a lackluster personality, you might have the chance to spend an evening with two near perfect beauties as well. And your inate fear of substances which have been illegalized by our Puritan government keeps you comfortable in your little hovel of inexperience and boredom. Some of us like to actually live life a little, have a few experiences. Of course I like to hear what your responses are, although I normally know what to expect before I even begin: rejection, fear, anger, surprise, etc. All are emotions which arise from fear and loathing of anything which deviates from the vicelike grip that society puts on us called normalcy. Fuck that shit. I'm going to fucking live a little, even if it puts my life in jeopardy. Better that than be locked in a little cave, watching Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, eating cheese loaves and pretzels or whatever the fuck you eat, you fat fucker. But seriously, though, I don't really mean that. My inability to except your contemptible and humdrum lifestyle makes me just as much of an asshole as you. So I say, go ahead, live your life in the doldrums. Eat another Big Mac, when you could be up off your ample and copious ass cooking yourself a real meal, a healthy meal. Abstain from any activity that the US government and Jesus Christ forbid or even dislike. Forget what the sunlight feels like and what the air smells like and misremember how to talk to people. Jerk off to your ex-girlfiend or ex-wive's Victoria's Secret catalog (what is Victoria's 'secret' anyway?). Go ahead, fantasize about violence as you watch DieHard 6 for the 13th time. Purchase another kitchen appliance from the Home Shopping Channel, to make your lackadaisical and paltry existence that much simpler and lazier and easier. If you purchase enough of these insignificant and useless gadgets, maybe you'll never have to rise from the couch?!! You can just perch in the concave indention you've created on the sofa from sitting there so long, and run your whole life from that spot, your pitiful little 'control center.' Feel free to go to online dating sites(not that I'm even aware they even exist!) and get turned down by hopeless women who have to stoop to going onto the internet to find a mate. I don't care what you do. Now I'M going out to get laid, and I can promise you she'll look better than anything you've ever even come close to touching with your sad and withered genitals.......see you later asshole, and enjoy your life, mmmmkay?

OK everyone, I've got to go take a shit, again. Enjoyed my time here, and will tune in later, the next time something interesting and fun happens to me. It may be a month, a day, hopefully not a year, but when it happens, you'll know about it, like it or not. Got to go, in more than one sense of the phrase!!!! Haaaaaahhhaaaaaaaaa!

Miz Ducky - I like margaritas too, straight-up with salt. At some of those chain restaurants out in the 'burbs, though, I've had a bit of difficulty convincing the wait-person that I really didn't want any ice in it!

Kurt - "Dallas" was SD's first single, which apparently didn't sell very well since it drifted off into obscurity. The B side is "Sail the Waterway."

Hutch-have you ever considered a career in psychiatry? Great insight!

aja

Maybe someday I'll write a true story.

Okay, here's my contribution of hideous drinks consumed all too enthusiastically in the stupidity of youth: my friend and I were getting ready for a dance in our high school daze, and I was going to steal rum from my parents and she was going to steal Coke from hers. (Yes, KD, it was popular with girls back then, too). I coudn't find rum so I brought gin, and she didn't have Coke so she brought Martinelli's Sparkling Cider. To achieve the proper effect of this concoction, you must first take a long swig of gin, as much as you can stand, then chase it with cider while sitting in the front seat of your parent's car (if you're way over 18, you still must borrow your parent's car to do this). After finishing the entire bottle of gin, we ran into the two guys we were chasing, who invited us to go for a ride, and my friend spent the ride heaving on her date's pants, repeatedly. She was really crushed when he never called her again.

Tony V.: don't try this at home.

Hank Silvers-thanks, I'll check that site out on my break.

It's lockdown in the cubicle again.

aja

Did he make fun of Jews? I didn't see that. And I have no trouble with jews, except for the Israel/Palestina war. Would have made more sense if they had got a piece of Germany.

And talking about getting drunk? Well, the last 15 posts has been about how to get drunk. I didn't see you around there.

Okay LIP, go home now and take a closer look inside yourself. Tomorrow you can tell us what you've found.

C, hmpfr

Here's something interesting from the latest issue of The American Journal of Psychiatry:

- A new socio-sexual disorder has been identified and described by a leading researcher in the field. Dr. Edmund Davidson of the University of Chicago's Department of Psychiatry has called it "Pathetic Loser Syndrome".
This disorder is characterized by the apparent compulsion to go on Internet message boards and relate detailed sexual fantasies. These fantasies usually involve the use of drugs as an added effect to, supposedly, shock the reader. Sexual gratification is then achieved (through self-manipulation) while fantasizing about the reactions of the readers.
Dr. Davidson has pointed out that all of the handful of patients identified as having this disorder exhibit an enormously inflated ego curiously coupled with unusually small genitals.

H.

Clas- It figures you like shotcalls post. He makes fun of Jews and talks about getting drunk. That's right up your alley you clASSless piece of shit!

Hutch - JW - "So the boys want to have a listen to our little offering? Very cool!"

Say it isn't true!

C/is this our luck day or WHAT!

baller, shotcalla - that was great. Wow!

So we got a keg and went to my best friends'house to watch the Lewis vs Holyfield fight. My friend is newly married and just returned from honeymoon, and I get the feeling the jew bastard just wanted to give everyone an ample chance to bring a late goddamn wedding gift or something, but the beer was free and the fight was there, so I made the short drive to where the action was. Little did I know what sort of action I'd be getting into. Well, the moment I arrived at Jewboy/bestfriend's house, I started slamming beers just like all the other assholes there. I had told myself no drugs tonight because my nose was getting sore from the ungodly amounts of Bolivian powder it had been forced to consume, and also because that shit's expensive and takes a couple of days to recover from as well, godamn it. I was drunk, though, and my neighbor and friend and dealer was at the party. He couldn't divulge that he was dealing because the newlywed's are severely averse to drug use of any type other than gargantuan piles upon piles of marijuana being smoked on an hourly basis--hypocrisy was never more of a reality than in that fucking house of theirs, but anyway. Well, the dealer, I'll call him Jack (because the shit he sells will jack you up fucking up into the clouds, man), finally sidles up to me and lets the bomb drop, and I'm drunk. Yes, I'll take a little bit, but not much, I'm sick of that shit, Jack, I'm telling you...how can you do that shit all the time, doesn't your nose hurt?....and what the hell are you cutting that shit with anyway? Of course he lets me in on the big secret that his 'cola' is the best uncut shit in the metroplex, whatever. So I start off on this new fun trip away from drunkeness into the land of Yay-yo, as we like to call it. Into the land of paranoia, dry mouth, elevated heart rate, and insane talkativeness. The fight finishes and I lose twenty bucks to the asshole who took the pot, the sonofabitch took home a couple hundred after all of the side bets he placed, I swear the bastard had an inside informant on this one. We decide to leave, and Jack asks me if I want to go to a local club called Eve. Eve is the drug club in the area, also very upscale and posh as far as clientele are concerned. Jeans and tennis shoes don't cut it there, but that's OK, because I'm already dressed, Kenneth Coles, black slacks, Kenneth Cole midnight blue shirt with an Armani jacket that I bought at a garage sale for twenty bucks, what a fucking deal. I look like a trillion bucks, what the hell, let's go. We get there and Jack, who is also an alcohol distributor, gets us in free, we even cut in line in front of all the dumfucks waiting out front, and we begin searching for our beeline to heavenliness--Ecstasy. As I walk through the club, I notice the dilated pupils of my fellow clubgoers. We've been there for five minutes when an Xed out beauty grabs me and procedes to tell me how great I look. She plants several long, passionate kisses on me, I grab her ass. I tell her I'll find her later, and we continue our search. Only a few minutes after that another even more unbelievable minxlike fox dressed in a leopard skin top, with perfect hair, skin, body, everything, grabs me lustily, the glint of Ecstasy in her eyes, the passion of pure drug frenzied horniness in the pout of her lips. I can't relate to her, I'm coked up, and she's Xing. I tell her to wait there and I'll be right back. We finally find the drug and take our pills. It begins to hit almost immediately. The lights become brighter, an evil grin of pleasure on my face, I stride confidently through the club. This is the God drug, you take it and realize that you are God, finally. I find the minxgirl and begin to gyrate to the hiphop and jungle beats with her. She is the true femme fatale, she is lust incarnate. I coax her back to an afterhours party on the other side of town. It's four o clock am and we drop another hit of X. Her name is Mitzi, I think. What an ugly name for such a beautiful face. I finally convince her to come back to my apartment. She is sweating from the dance and drugs. We stop at a 7eleven and purchase Evian, completely dehydrated. She begins to give me a blowjob on the way home, I'm ecstatic, get it? Well, I pull into my house, and there's a rose with a napkin wrapped around it, rubberbanded to my door. It's Star, the little stripper girl I met at my buddies' batchelor party a few weeks back. Shit, this girl is starting to fall in love, this is no good. Hell hath no fury like a stripper scorned, is what they say. I invite Minx into the house, it's five am now. As we begin to undress, there's a knock at my window. It's Star. I go to the door and she charges into my apartment, but I'm not even scared for some stupid reason. What will this psychotic creature do? I only hope she doesn't break anything, she can get like that, as most strippers can. She seems unfazed by the half-dressed Minx on my king sized bed. She asks what's going on, and I introduce the two ladies. I look at Star and she has a little smile on her face, and severely dilated pupils in her dizzy head. Minx smiles as well. I place the newest album by psychedelic french pop group, Air, in the bedroom CD player, pour three glasses of KJ Chard. and light some candles. Somehow, this night could get to be interesting, maybe more interesting than it's already been. I split my last two tabs of X up between the group, and we all sniff it up like it's harmless cocaine. It hits immediately. The room shifts and grinds, distorting. It only takes a few minutes for all three of the midnight soiree participants to undress. I wake up at 12 lunchtime nestled between the two lovelies. They're still asleep, like two cats curled up together. I am truly happy. My dreams have come true.

an item in the NY Daily News this morning talked about a Les Paul signed by Jewel only going for 900 bucks at a charity auction.

Don't they cost like twice that much, without the signature?

i'd say rum and cranberry juice.

Why, those aren't limes, Cap'n.

StAl: you're on, m'man! Watch your incoming e-mail.

Mitch: I have seen allegations in certain (unofficial) quarters that "Fire in the Hole" is supposed to be about a troubled Viet Nam vet. Eh. I can see it, sorta. IMO it could be the interior musings of just about any troubled individual (though the "fire in the hole" terminology is evocative). A fine early song in any case--love Donald's piano work!

Re Cuban Breeze: I think one of our favorite smark-asses has done it to me again. At some point last night I got curious and went a-web-researching. According to the WebTender site (which lists drinks I have never even imagined in my wildest dreams, let alone contemplated drinking), there is no such cocktail as a "Cuban Breeze." There's a Sea Breeze, a Cuba Libre, a Cuban Special. No Cuban Breeze. Maybe someone should invent one. At any rate, "Cuban Breeze" does scan in the line better than any of the real-life drink names, it's another nice evocative tidbit setting the scene in one of my favorite lyrics--and it sends feckless fan-geeks like me off on wild goose chases, so I suppose it's achieved all its purposes. Thanks, Donald. Hope you're laughing, because I am.

/Miz Ducky
shaking her head at her gullibility

Thanks for the imput on the Good Morning Vietnam list. 1. Fortunate Son, by CCR 2.Ohio by CSNY. 3. Song at Woodstock, by Country Joe and the Fish. 4. Still in Saigon,by Charlie Daniels. 5. War, by Edwin Star 6. Vietnam Took My Brother, by War ... I know Steely Dan had a song about a guy who was in Nam and was going through some tough times,can`t think of the title? The FINAL chapter was witten on the 75 year old Legendary Pitt Stadium yesterday as the Panthers upset Notre Dame.......A farewell was given across state for long time Defensive Coordinator Jerry Sandusky as the Nitany Lions blew a 10 point fourth quarter lead and the season as well to Michigan

aja - The Guestbook has a great many musicians, and a writer/writher or two. Oleander has graciously donated space for some of the latter; you might try http://home.earthlink.net/~oleander1/Index.htm and look over "Hear My Ax Declaim."

Has anyone out there heard John Beasely's album "Caldron"? It was released in '93 or '94 I believe. Produced by Walter Becker. I only have it on cassette... a copy I made from a friend's cd. It seems to be hard to find in the record stores. I'm sure you can order it from one of the on-line houses. Great jazz album! Reminds me of Weather Report with a little funkier edge.
It seems to have found a permanent home in my car tape deck.

JW - So the boys want to have a listen to our little offering?
Very cool!

H.

Much scrolling today, for an old alcoholic.

C, on track

Citizens! Yes, 'tis the season to be jolly! Here is a partial list of currently available spirits and their individual characteristics.

1. Tequila: Distilled from the Agave root, typically 6 - 12 ft. in length. Grows right next to peyote so what does that tell you? The most dangerous over-the-counter hallucinogen available. Often combined with "Fine Columbian" in order to "make tonight a wonderful thing".

2. Christmas Wine: A seasonal beverage often used by frustrated fathers trying to assemble toys on Christmas Eve. Typical symptoms include excessive ho-ho-hoing, dressing in red clothing and gluing white whiskers to the face.

3. MD 20/20: Often referred to as Mad Dog, this ungodly concoction consists of rubbing alcohol, high fructose corn syrup and a wide assortment of dyes depending on the advertisied flavor.

4. Vodka: The Russians pack this in 16 ounce bottles as if it were soda pop. Don't use a straw.

5. Bourbon: Native Americans were amazed that corn could be turned into something that would make them lose their teeth faster than the stone abrasives that ended up in their corn meal. Still a favorite at most reservation gambling halls.

More later. I need a drink.

I can confirm Funky Driver...... I have original acetate as reference.

Ever heard of "Giles of The River" or "Runnin Child" ?

ABC considered all3 of these early gems.

Just like most Dan songs, 'Kid C' takes what it wants to from Owsley's life, without making it a straight bio (authorized or not). A friend of mine had three 1982 'Rolling Stone''s that I read several times, one of them had a bio on Owsley, that, 4 years later, I was able to remember the first time I heard 'Kid C'. Also, in one of those RS's, the mag gave a nice revue of 'The Nightfly.'

And, in another outrageous claim that none of you will think is true, Robin Williams has an interview in one of those mags. While that might not be so outrageous, in the interview he talks about being in rehab for coke (shock horror) and a certain alcoholic mixture, a name I can't remember. One day in the late 70s/early 80s my dad (who was a caterer for a club in Chicago) was manning the closed bar at the club (Park West, on Armitage), chatting with Robin and drinking. Mr. Williams, after downing a few of my dad's concoctions, incurred as to what exactly my Pop was making him. My dad told him, and made him a few more (again, can't remember what it was), much coke was snorted and a good time was had by all.

Then, a year or two or whatever later, my dad claims that he reads an article somewhere about Williams being in rehab and mentioning the drink. He tells me years later. I didn't believe him (and didn't bother to remember the drink), until I read that actual article a while back. Weird. So, anyway, Nightfly/Owsley/I'm bored. There ya go.

--

For anyone who wants to know what a typical lick on my guitar would sound like, see Larry Carlton's answer to 'won't you pour me a Cuban Breeze, Gretchen,' where he mimes the line/melody a few verses after DF sings it, sweet and stingy but with a lot of body.
--

Altamira--It's 80 today, I'm in Columbia, Missouri, and not enjoying it as much as I should. I like cold weather, rosy cheeks, bundling up and looking good. Summer has it's place and I love it, but not in November. Record highs are not where it's at when I have all my new Abercrombie sweaters to bust out. I don't drink coffee, and haven't really drank much alcohol this semester due to the mono, the few times I've been drunk you guys have seen on the GB, so I'm getting better.

Again, though, I'd like to thank everyone for their concern, I'm fine, really. I appreciate the help.

Alcohol

I've never gone for the cheap stuff, I grew up working and swiping stuff from a sports bar, so I never salivated at the thought of some Strawberry Wine (nice Band song). I will down the free American beer they flaunt at frat parties, but I'm experienced enough to work with what works. For instance, I love Cuervo, but if I take one shot right now, something that won't even bring a near-buzz, I'll feel like shit tomorrow. It just doesn't go right with my system.

With vodka, I can drink inhuman amounts, yet escape hangover free. I prefer grapefruit juice mixed with it. Beer wise, I dig everyone's favorite, Heineken. The only beer I get hangovers from is Killian's Irish Red. Jack D is nice, and bourbon and water (J.R. Ewing's fave) is nice. This summer saw a lot of rum and Coke go down, as that's one drink the girls like more than anything, but I'm pretty sick of that now.

Bottom line, fezo's post was bloody funny, and I follow the advice of Eddie Van Halen: go with the booze you can see through.

And I welcome all one-liners about taking advice from Eddie Van Halen.

drMu: I kinda like your art ramblings. These days, in film anyway, I think they've exchanged being artistic for
sensationalism by the use of special effects. Special effects can be artistic, but it seems like the movie makers are pretty lazy when it comes to putting forth that effort. I miss seeing those creative camera shots that are, as you say, like a moving Picasso. And it would be nice to see a fresh face with the same style and grace as Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelley and Cary Grant.

fezo: another Nat fan! Whenever I need an extra motivational kick in the rear, I either play some Nat or The Nightfly. Works every time. I'm going to try your method of Christmas card writing this year. It should be interesting!

JW: I'm so excited about this cd you're making us! I'm doing the Dance of Joy!

rb

Miz Ducky -- You're MY kind of broad! Wild Turkey connoisseur like myself? Sounds like an even more compelling reason for a Pioneer Square pub crawl...

Last time I *really* drank tequila involved 4 other men & 5 women sequestered in a womans bathroom (hey, I always wondered...), then propmtly being asked to leave by the manager. That's the last I remember...

Eh? -- You wouldn't happen to be one of those individuals that ignorantly believes Donald Fagen is solely responsible for the creative output of Steely Dan? Stick around and learn a few things. We're a likeable bunch...

I'd suggest Megadeth's "Appetite For Destruction."

I can hear the similarities, can you?

StAl

Ah, drinking stories, tequilla rocks; gives me extra sensory powers. i can hear the phone ringing blocks away.

Best cheap wine is MD 20/20. We used to have "mad dog" parties in college where everyone had their own bottle and the first one to finish "won". I came in second once. First and last time in my life I've ever blacked out.

Only hard stuff I still drink is bourbon and only at Christmas time. It's a tradition. Sit down late at night with two liters of Coke, a bottle of Jim,, and Nat on the CD player, and do all my holiday cards into the wee hours. By the 20th card, I'm pledging undying friendship to some guy I haven't seen in five years.

Hutch: Oh. My. God. Baaaaaad flashbacks to the tipples of my youth. How about the proverbial Boone's Farm? Like a melted slurpie with a little alcohol in it. And then there was this crap called Tango--pre-mixed screwdriver. I swear its name refered to the fact that it was manufactured from vodka and Tang.

My high-school friends used to send me in to buy because I was the most clean-cut and innocent-looking of our rather scruffy bunch. Why we bothered with such subterfuges I have no idea, seeing as how we always picked the stores that wouldn't proof you even if you peddled in on your tricycle.

In college, I was subjected to bad sherry and worse red wines ... and then I became a devoted fan of Hunter S. Thompson and my drink of choice became Wild Turkey 101, straight up. Talk about going from 0 to 60 mph in 5 seconds.

ObDan-servation: Though I've never spotted any overt connection, I've always carried a link in my brain between the ol' Dr. Gonzo and the Dan. Certainly the dark sardonic tang of their works have a similar taste. And I noted with some glee that Becker's prose "writhings," over on the official site, have a definite Gonzo bent.

ObDan-servation II: Despite the Dannish inspiration, I've developed only a lukewarm enthusiasm at best for tequila ... though I'll be all over a well-made Margarita in a New York minute. Now scotch: that's another matter. Ah, the wonderful confusing world of single-malts. Anyone else here into them?

/Miz Ducky
trying to remember what the hell goes into a Cuban Breeze

Clas & Kurt - Yeah, Muscatel is a really bad wine. Really sweet and cheap. My Dad used to make wine occasionally and he started a little arbor of Muscadine grapes in the backyard. I think the Mucadine is related to the Muscatel grape. He made a batch one year and it was pretty awful. Most of the other wines he made weren't bad considering he was just a hobbiest. He made some Dandelion wine once that would knock your socks off! We got the Dandelions from our neighbor's lawn. It was always yellow instead of green in the Springtime.
The thought of cheap wine always takes me back to those heady days of the late 60s - early 70s when my hippie friends and I were spending our week-end nights buzzing around the back roads of our little rural county with our zig-zags rolled & ready and those inevitable bottles of Ripple wine. There may be some of you who remember Ripple. Boy, that stuff was as bad as it gets. I just couldn't drink it although all my friends thought it was great. (But, there again, I knew two guys back then who sniffed gasoline! ... "Ah, a wonderful nose. Hints of coal and oak.") So I was the odd ball who always bought a bottle of Gallo Hearty Burgundy instead. Thankfully, my taste in wine has matured to Cabs and Reislings.
I think Muscatel is a fortified wine. Probably has brandy added to bring up the alcohol content. I remember reading an article years ago in High Times magazine about a fellow from Italy named Mariani who produced a wine back around the turn of the century that was fortified with cocaine. After it became popular he was getting letters of praise from around the world on his "marvelous elixer that lifted the spirit." One letter was from the Queen of England and another was from the Pope!

I'm pretty sure, Kurt, that "Dallas" is an early composition by D&W that never got on any of their albums.

Hutch

re: Muscatel.

In my world is Muscatel a real bad wine. You must drink it with a brown paperbag wrapped around the bottle. You know, like Vino Fino, Beyaz etc etc...

Aja - I did not apologize. As I said, the last shit I wrote to hurt her is beyond forgivness.

JW Malibu - I can't believe this, is it the same Steve Katz from Blood Sweat and Tears? When I came down this morning to my office and read your post my... I can't believe it! He wrote Valentines Day, Sometimes in Winter and a lot of great songs. He was one of the reasons I loved BS&T.

When the Swedish George Wadenius joined Blood, Wadenius managed to see to that Steve Katz got fired; - "He can go somewhere else and play his folksongs". THAT man is a stupid Sweed. (now you know at least two (2) stupid Sweeds)

Then I saw Steve Katz's name on a couple of Joni Mitchell albums, as a tech.

So tell me, is it him? He's actually gonna listen to my music?

JW Malibu - say it is him.

C, with a legal Fender Stratocaster

immpecable sources say: the instrumental on

Signs of a Lifetime of Leisure

is called Funky Driver.

JW: Muchos Gracias for your undertaking and near completion of the GBCD thereof. We *will* enjoy food, music, and merriment this new year!...and to those who have lent us their considerable talents, a tip of the fez!

Music can be fun, folklore, entertainment, product, and even art occasionally. When art can also be at least one of the former - it's magic...the thread of thought came (again) as I was attempting to round up the munchkins earlier for their siesta. The video they were watching was long over, and the VCR rewound the tape as it reached the end. This kicks on the channel programmed into the VCR which happened to be on the American Movie Classics channel (I think). There was "To Catch a Thief" shortly before the famous fireworks scene...steamy, steamy, steamy, yet not a fiber is shed...it's not what you say or do that is as important as what is implied for your imagination to fill. A real polished gem, absolutely flawless and mesmerizing. Like watching a moving Picasso. "Rear Window" is at least that strong (also with the elegant slinkiness of Grace Kelly) and most of North By Northwest. Art that says exactly what it wants to say and gets the hell out before there's any chance of overstatent...like Woody Allen's little masterpiece The Purple Rose of Cairo...my mind drifted to the painting on the cover of Gaucho. We all know that's what these guys have tried to achieve in the past...how to bring inspiration, perspiration, vision, and stucture to come together into a critical mass of light like a beacon where hot gasses coalesce into nascent stars on peninsula-like eddies at the edge of nebulae and your mind.

Breaking the mood - I would not dream of changing a thing on The Nightfly or the first 7, but I would like to remix the 1st 3 songs of Kamariad at least for my ear. I'd move the vocals up, the horns up, the bass a hair down, the rhythm guitar down, some keys down, and some up (ya, I know they were going for R&B and eerie space aline off-kilter thing - but to do that the production must be more spare or a less complex production). As the album moves on to Snowbound, Florida Room, and On the Dunes it becomes a lot more opened and less compressed. I have heard that all this can be cured by a $10,000 stereo system. Someday, you'll be able to play a CD as the artist envisioned OR you will be able to remix any selection, if you'd like right on your lastest Steve Jobs Mac creation...and create your own videos, too...the future's so bright I gotta wear shades - McCain vs. Bradley in '00.

I was browsing the SD web site, the e-mail area. Someone asked about the word "muscatel" used in a Steely Dan song. This is quoted in the liner notes of Citizen. He could not find the word, nor can I, thru many years of listening. Anyway Walter Becker replied "Hmm, maybe you should check again. All right - does the name "Dallas" ring a bell? W
Dallas does not ring a bell for me. Is this an obvious answer and I'm just dense? (Be nice!) Is anyone out there that shares my plight?
If anyone has an answer or opinion on muscatel, please e-mail me. Thanks

Eh-Welcome to the GB, and glad you asked! I've just bought "Kamakiriad", heartily recommended by the good folks here, and have enjoyed it greatly. I would also recommend the expanded version of "Gold", a best of, but it's got the long version of "FM", and three ones not found anywhere else. "True Companion" (on the expanded "Gold") will wrap you up and carry you away.

Twenty years is sure a long time, isn't it?

aja

I'm happy to see there will be a new album early next year? Is Donald Fagen going to release it under his own name or the Steely Dan alias?

I have all the Steely Dan albums, and I was wondering what albums by members of the backing band were good. I know, of course, about the Doobie Bros., but the deceased drummer had a Bead Game album, which I've heard part of, and I think the deceased bassist had a posthumously released album that was produced by Donald Fagen. I guess my question is, if I'm a fan of Steely Dan, what other albums do people recommend?

Huh?? - TNO = The New One. The new SD studio album due out the first of next year.

Oleander, StAl, et al -- As usual, I don't have time to really stop and read the guestbook right now. check with lisa for my snail-mail address. I would like to keep in touch with you and a few other "old-timers".

later, Dragon

TNO???? wazzat?

Two more submissions just arrived at the office...

Clas ~ Your music is killer!

Mr Chow ~ Ditto!

Have a great weekend,

JDubs

JW: no need to distract anyone even remotely related to the production of TNO prior to its release so maybe you should condition transfer of your disc on receipt in hand of the TNO.

JW-you go, man! A producer named Katz, with www.steelydan.com wanting a copy to boot? I'm not worthy! If you're ever in San Diego, dinner's on me!

Many thanks (and I haven't even heard the thing),

aja

GB Compilation Update:

After talking with numerous duplication houses here in LA (and believe me, there are MANY), I've found a GREAT little company whose owners are also fans of The Dan ~ and they are excited about doing our little project!

Their url is: http://www.armadillodigital.com

My original plan was to take the CDs,DATS & cassettes and burn the master CD from my VS-880/CDR, and then take the master to a duplication house. The GB tech-heads have discussed problems with level and compression on home CDs in the past, circumvented with high-end devices such as TC Electronics "Finalizer" and other sortware/hardware "DEVICES" (said in a Zappa-esque kinda' way). Also, since we're dealing with 12 different recording levels, compression levels, etc., I wanted to make absolutely SURE that the CD levels remain constant and properly compressed for a good, punchy result. So...I'm meeting with Steve Katz of Armadillo (always good to have a producer named Katz) once all the submissions have arrived, and we're going to sit down together and burn the master at HIS studio, which not only has a Finalizer, but also other high-end goodies such as zircon-encrusted tweezers. We'll then "tweeze" the assorted musical delights into a cohesive, balanced master!

Armadillo Digital is a "one-stop shop" ~ They're also having the printing done for the CD/jewelbox insert/jewelbox backplate, which minimizes running around this monstrosity of a town for your devoted producer. All things considered, the project is running like "clockwoik" (in my best Curly Howard)!

Polish those songs to a glossy sheen, guys! www.steelydan.com has requested a copy...

On an unrelated note, I've got my eye on a "new-fangled synth" which came out earlier this year, and the price is now right. Always on the lookout for unique-sounding gear, this one really bit me on the ear! The Yamaha FS1R is a rackmount tone generator with a brand-new synth technology called Formant Shaping. Formant Shaping is designed around elements of sound that differentiate things like the differences between male and female vocals. When male and female vocalists sing "aaaahh" at the same pitch, you can tell the difference between the two bacause of the frequency-fixed components of the sound. that's where their character comes from, and that's how the FS1R generates and process sounds. To cop a lick from Gen X, the thing sounds "wicked"! I'll implement it on my GB submission after I pick it up next week!

JDubs

Lots of things to think about today after last night's posts! First, thanks to all the 60's survivors for sharing their memories/knowledge. And to think that when I was in college all that was going on were people walking around with straws up their noses and thinking that the key to a new BMW and the key to happiness were one and the same. Sure don't miss the eighties.

Mitch-I too give "Fortunate Son" my vote. There was a short but poignant poem to the vets in yesterday's Dear Abby, written by a Marine, I believe. If you didn't see it, I'll post it on Monday when I return.

Altamira-Thanks! Yeah, there's something about the anonymity of a guestbook and a nickname that brings out the worst in some people. Funny that even with that, they hide behind different names (though the .. gives them away). Life is too short to take these people seriously, though they are good for some laughs.

Hank Silvers-I read the hilarious "Blondie" piece and bow to your ingenuity! If anyone knows about more stuff of this nature, please post the site!

Oleander-Amen to single payer health care. If I am ever fortunate enough to walk into a building labeled "School of Medicine" (and not just as a lab rat) I will work to try and make that reality. When I read about United Health care, I thought I was dreaming.

Clas-You're not so bad! I hope your apology is accepted. After all, life is....

Okay, that's enough sincerity. Now it's time to be flip again and see who I can inflame. To all you fans of my relationship woes, you'll be glad to know that the new beau and I have worked things out. The gun will be locked up when he's not on duty. By the way, did I mention that there's this great band in San Diego called Steely Damned.....

Have a nice weekend, everyone!

aja

Edd: write me with you e-mail....

ygk

YGK - What do you mean by "consistent data"?

What trouble are you having?

HmmO ...
here in TN a few years ago, the state initiatied TennCare ... and after years of being considered uninsurable, which is one of the requirements for enrollment, I was a shoe in for coverage. Welll.... it took another 3 years. A circle of Doc buddies all hate it. they don't get paid. some of them dropped out and one changed her specialization from obgyn to fertility. Couples desperate for their own progeny are not so pecuniarily (?) concerned, which fits nicely with that which she is (huh?). She has a lovely office and wears great shoes.
(diamonds on the soles of her feet ... almost)
In theory, everybody should have the care they need, but dat ain't da way the countermoonpies crumble and it really is one huge cluster of crumbfucks and diamond dust.

The last time I visited my doc, I showed her how the speculum can be used as an instrument of percussion.. clicketyclicketyclick..
just in case she wants to change careers...

gotta go. Friday is catfish and cobbler day. sushi, anyone?

steely, man.
GPrrrrlFred

About the mixing of art and commerce: SD has had to change and compromise along the way, because sure, you got to go with what sells. But can anyone name any other group or individual who has accomplished as much on their own terms?

Musicians: anyone out there know about the Roland MV-30? I just bought a Roland RD-600 (an awsome master board) and have been trying for days to get consistent data into the MV-30 sequencer for overdubs/trax. These new songs in my head are driving me crazy, and I want to get them down someplace....HELP!

ygk

re: the one I hurt

Fmaj9 - sorry for that last respond to your post (dentist mirror). I should have wrote:

I am sorry for what I did. And the thing was so bad, I can't go back and say I'm sorry. This I have to live with and I feel really bad about it. I am serious now, and what I write is coming from my heart. Sometimes I am a very bad person.

Oleander - as I said, that was so bad and so low, there's no excuse, and I can't come with an apology and beg for forgivness. The thing I wrote is beyond all that.

C

Let's pretend we're in Kansas and our science text books have been donated free of charge by the Gideons. No diamond is more than 6000 years old and all we know about pearls is that we shouldn't cast them before swine. Isn't that easy?

Back when coke was still cola and a joint was a bad place to be,

The President of Shiny Things

Fmaj7 - did I hurt anyone? Do you know anything about me? Don't think so. This guestbook writings is just a game. And it's only the Internet, right Ole?

Altamira - yes, I didn't mean it that way, it's fun to listen to those old demos, but what I mean is, how the hell could they go on struggling for a contract, they must have known that the tapes sounded very bad. And the songs were very odd. But when they moved to LA and Denny Dias came after, he said; - but guys, what have you done to the songs? -well, you know, we have to think a little different now. We must sell!

So the guys had to prostitute them selfs a little. As anyone struggling for the top. That's the name of the game. (even Mozart knew how he should write his music to get hits)

C, a legal asshole

One of the best Vietnam songs -- 'Fortunate Son,' recorded by Credence. They did another fine one -- 'Run Through the Jungle.' Although I never got to Nam, I was a doughboy in WWI. What they don't tell you in the song is Lili Marlene had crabs.

Many thanks and much appreciation to all the veterans. My parents are buried in Arlington Cemetery, and when I visit their graves, I think again about all those who have served in the armed forces, during war time and times of peace; those who survived as well as those who didn't. You all have done so much for us, and those who survived war-time service suffered greatly also, and we should be grateful for your devotion to your country and your sacrifices.

F#maj - Great to see you here again!

JW - Thanks for all your hard work on the CD; I'm really looking forward to hearing it. I'm glad you are finding a use for my drawings, and I'm glad that you inspired me to draw something.

KD - Can you find a way to send some of that warm weather my way? We had been having wonderfully warm weather for a few days, but now it's turned cold again. I wish you all the best with you health - that condition sounds pretty nasty. I find ibuprofen tremendously helpful (I've had a lot of trouble with musculo-skeletal problems, including tendinitis in my left thumb right now), but it doesn't work for everyone; you need to find what works with your body chemistry. If you do have gout, it is actually a form of arthritis and requires a specific type of treatment. In addition to reducing your alcohol consumption, you should also cut back on caffeine and acidic foods, but a doctor can give you better advice than the folks here can.

Midnite - We probably didn't cross paths in Danville; I was there in 1980-81. I used to go to the Wurst Place a lot, that and the sad cabaret in basement of Steak King were the only places to hang out in Danville back then. I sure was happy to get back to the DC area, and I said back then that I would never leave DC again, and I haven't. I'm glad your trip went well. Good luck with the cats; I hope I find an abandoned Abby who needs a home some day; it is my favorite breed of cat. But Nyja looks and acts just like an Abby, she even has ear tufts, so I have an Abby-like cat who just happens to have black fur. (Her fuzzy-coated, big-pawed daughter will probably not resemble an Abbysinian at all when she grows up, but she will be lovely in her own way, and her orange eyes are quite striking in appearance.) I've seen pictures of Somalis, and they are beautiful.

I need to go to bed and don't have the time to scroll through the messages to find out who wrote about Surf and/or Die. I meant that it was the best track in terms of composition, not playing. It reminds me of some minimalist works, and sounds quite sophisticated to my ears - since I'm more familiar with classical than popular music, I may be listening to these pieces in a different way from those with more experience in popular music.

Aja - I've had the snarly folk snapping at me too; they go away eventually, especially if you put up a fight. You are handling them quite well.

Clas - I find Android Warehouse interesting for historical reasons. It's enlightening to listen to early versions of some songs that they recorded later, and I enjoy hearing how Fagen experimented with his voice back then - he sang in a variety of styles before he found the one he ended up using on later recordings. A "junk man" is a man who deals in junk, buying it from people and then either fixing it up and selling it, or selling it as-is to a recycler.

Oleander,
Yes, it's me. The hubcap's for real. But I can't throw in Ken's stuff. Although I popped the question, he resisted all my advances.

A new Dan-esque ~ "Home at Last"

http://www.thekatbox.com/casellastudio/homelast.htm

OMIO--humming "Home At Last," thinking about those VietNam vets throwing their medals back at the Capitol. That vineyard idea is beautiful.... Beats cardboard boxes on heat vents. By pure coincidence (ha!) I started reading "Breakfast of Champions" today.

Mitch--Phil Ochs, any of a number of tunes--"I Ain't Marchin' Anymore," "The War Is Over," "Draft Dodger Rag." Dylan, "Masters of War." Eddie Vedder did a great job with it on the 30th anniversary concert.

lisa--yeah, hi, you gone girl. What up in the low country?

Stranger--is that really you? shift button and all? I ignored the prizes because I thought they were psyoudo. Does the hubcap come with Ken's stuff too?

J-Dub, f#, Ducklet--wild riffing on KC! Didn't Mr. F & Mr. B say that it's not about any one person in particular? Me, I'm with you.

Holly--Right ON. The AMA may spit out their gold teeth to hear me say it, but universal health care with a single-payer system is the only right way to go. (There can be many right ways, n'est-ce pas?) Maybe in my grandkids' generation. Or maybe sooner: did you see that United Health Care is actually, magnanimously, putting patient care decisions back in the hands of those who pretty much know what they're doing? after bleeding themselves (&us) of millions of dollars' worth of clerks making medical decisions? Wait--forgive me--for a second there I actually thought an HMO might take a visionary rather than a pecunious step.

Rubay--I'm also very fond of "Can't Write." Partly because I was in a few similar situations in my careless youth. But also because it's such a Steely tune.

Back to snippets: on TWM on AiA, about 4 1/2 minutes in, someone in the audience gives a moan of unadulterated bliss. What I want to know is, which one of you guys was it, and what's your phone number?

A very sincere thanks to all the vets out there, and a speical " Welcome Home " to the guys who never got one, coming home from Vietnam........ I was thinking today as a Pittsburgh Rock station played songs related that Era. Country Joe And The Fish did a War song from Woodstock that became legendary. OHIO by CSNY is another. I would like The GB to help recall the songs and the groups that did them, as a tribute to them......Welcome Home !

Hey hi hello again!

what a nice place the little sd gb was and is. And amazing how persistent some of the locals are! Kreysy Peepl! Y'know I must mean YOU!

Anybody got an idea of musically inspiring events next week in Colorado? Lemme know. Just post right here, right now! Recommendations for Sunday nite in SF also welcome. Thanks.

JW Malibu,
Agreed. Kid Charlemange's about Owsley. Also, Dylan's 'Mighty Quinn' about same lsd sage -- a legend in his own time who made lsd when it was legal and then when it wasn't.

so much fertile ground just scrolled... whoa.

Owsley could be seen in the vicinity of the panhandle in a long brown cape (when lysergic acid diethylamide was quite legal), like some medieval character [maybe like the holy ruler of the Franks and founder of the Roamin' Acid Empire].

the inside jewel of a joke also evident [as diamonds are indeed crossed with pearls in the average jewelers laboraotry- such a nice setting...] pointed out and well done.

a bit of his poetry can be found on the back of the Blue Cheer album Vincebus Eruptum. His particular brand of pharmaceutical cheer had the moniker: blue cheer. what a co-inky-dink!
ssssssssummertime blues, look Harvey, a crab? hi lisa

finally, kerosene...
usually, the organic solvent used in the typical "kitchen" would be ether, an industrious little tool of synthesis employed for the purpose of chemical "extraction" [clas, you rapacious asshole, your dentist's tiny mirror really can't help you. see about a larger one, look into it and let nature take its course. is this what you wanted to be when you grow up? you crossed a line. you know it. you can only make ammends for yourself after the damage is done to another. maybe a little mental floss? say nothing. you aren't powerless].

sorry. where was i? [indulging a vindictive retaliatory cheap shot? no. not in the least]

kerosene is pretty close- a very decent solvent [cleans the fuck out of bicycle chains and funky bass strings], cheap [and precludes a trip to the chemical supply house where ether shows up on a 'hot sheet' that tips off the DEA people who love a good stake out [the 'cook' will be well-done as soon as there's product], but [there's a but] it, as well as other mishandled biochemical reagents and intermediary steps, doesn't clean up so nice like ether does and leaves heavier, poisonous residues in the wares whereby the recreational miscreant might conclude the evening's festivites tagged bagged and slabbed in the county morgue. a little kerosene can ruin your whole day. so can a run-on sentence.

finally, there's kidding and then there's cowardly niggardly [not a bad word] cruel intent to inflict (poorly disguised as humorous friendly ridicule)... like the GB needs no stinkin badges? whatever. there's a difference, don't kid yourself about which side of the law you're on and how it makes you feel (a small, sickening little thrill). ah, the humanity. yawning.

finally, never change strings too close to gig [unless you can play and tune at the same time... all fucking night]. that guitar talk produced big smiling. if you *really* want the 335 vibe and have only the extremely slight green [a silver tongue and cash can get you a new one for ~ $1600 and maybe, if you real good, an extra set of Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinkyz] i recommend visiting the Sam Ash.com place and getting up the courage to mail order yourself a Carlo Robelli. you'll find the one. they are so ridiculously cheap that i fear sweat shop conditions and child labor may have brought them into being. this is heavy- because even some of those circumstances are distinct improvements over what would otherwise be- austerity. well, ask your own questions but i tell you the guitar is quite satisfying for the cheap thrill. just don't drop it. you can subsequently screw on your seymour duncans when you like. return it and you lose shipping [$15]. the black CB335 i played was better than the Epiphone 335 dot thing (more than twice the price). 'nuff said. finally.

F

JW: DuuuuDe! A crescendo of thanx from the East Coast for handling the CD compilation!

ygk

JWMalibu: you speak the sooth, man. I bow to your greater experience.

Aja: re that famous recipe in "Kid Charlemagne" -- I was pondering that again just the other day. Jeezus, I was, what? 20 in '76. And I was enrolled in a certain ivy-walled institution of "higher" learning, one with a special notoriety in the history of recreational chemicals. I mainly stuck to the more rudimentary highs in an effort to not flunk out, but one does absorb things by osmosis (or something). Whatever--take the following opinion with appropriate pinches of salt (or other compound of your choosing).

"Diamond" is pretty obviously LSD. (Y'know, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.) The Pearl gets trickier. Acid could be, and has been, cut with all sorts of different shit over the years, some of which can be quite nasty. And the song refers to that too--"on the hill the stuff was laced with kerosene/but yours was kitchen clean;" I don't think anyone literally used kerosene, but that's a good metaphor for some of the crap that could wind up in the mix.

But as to the identity of the Pearl ... never heard any drug in my (admittedly not humongous, but not small either) experience called by that nickname. My random guess, however, would be cocaine. In the 60s time period to which the song refers, it hadn't quite achieved the glamour status it would later get in the 70s and 80s, but it was around, and headed that way. I could easily imagine it being referred to as the Pearl. I could also imagine a truly interesting ride generated by acid cut with an upper. In fact I seem to have some trace memories of acid/speed mixes. Acid/cocaine would be rather pricier. But oh, the cachet!

Okay, so I've thrown out my gold teeth. Anybody wanna call 'em?

/Miz Ducky
definitely reelin' in the years this morning

Newbie police-Not guilty, Officer! Bent out of shape? I don't think so. I love it when people f%*& with me. Then I get to do it back! But if people get nasty, I won't hold back :) (That's part of the fun, huh Miz Ducky?) There's a difference between Hutch's kidding, which is in fun, and some of the vitriol I've seen here, although it's rare.

By the way Officer, do you know where I can get some diamonds and pearls?

aja

Aja ~ The Diamond & the Pearl. My opinion is that "Kid Charlemagne" is about Augustus Stanley Owsley III, the San Francisco-based psychedelic chemist, sometime sound-designer for the Grateful Dead and genius/lunatic also referred to as "The Bear". Others have noted that "Kid" has similarities attributable to author/Merry Prankster Ken Kesey ("One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest"), although Kesey wasn't a bathtub chemist; he drove across the country promoting the then-legal LSD via his infamous "Acid Tests" (Read Tom Wolfe's "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test"). In my humble opinion, the diamond & the pearl refers to the hybrid psychedelic/ampthetamine concoctions developed by Dow Chemical in the mid '60s and subsequently bootlegged by Owsley and sold as MDMA or "STP"...an extremely powerful trip which lasted up to three days ~ not for the faint of heart...

Owsley was eventually busted, and is now a jewelry designer of some note...

Aja- "a little kidding never hurt anyone" You're the one that gets bent out of shape when people here mess with you. Practice what you......

NP

Thanks!: To JW for the Project.. Hutch for Remembering.. And to those who can't be here to enjoy it, from all nations, in all times.. And to those who Survived.. Welcome Home..
The French Foreign Legion knows how to treat it's vets.. I understand they have a couple of vinyards where old Legionaires can go to live & work if they can't make it anywhere else.. They have an ethic that you will never be Abandoned again, if you fulfill your vow to them.. No matter how funny around the edges you might get.
Noticed that Gulf War vets are getting Vietnamized now, after the big Heros Welcome.. Gulf War Illness issues.. Some TV show had a story about a Gulf vet taking hostages at a VA clinic.. Funny how things can change, if you suspect the Govt. is lying and decide to do something about it.. You go from Hero to Mentally Ill..
(he mumbled, shuffling off to places unknown..)

Hutch-a little kidding never hurt anyone! Kid away. Amen to remembering our veterans.

Miz Ducky-yeah, baby!

All this talk about illegal copies of 2nd A and others. Uh, where can I obtain/purloin such boot-legged booty?

Don't take medical advice from anyone on a guestbook? But I've got medical school applications out right now! Well, okay, ESPECIALLY don't take my advice! At least not for seven more years (then you can sue if I'm wrong).

Speaking (loosely) of pharmacology, what substances are "the diamond and the pearl"? I was only ten in 1976, although for a Danfan I guess that's no excuse.

Yes, thanks JWMalibu!

Now I'm off to check out that "Blondie" piece.

aja

Miz Ducky & aja - I was just kidding about Tony V reading your posts.

JW - My DAT will be in the mail first of next week.
Folks, I think we should all give JW a collective pat on the back for coordinating this cd project. You da man, John!! Thanks!

Tony V - How's it coming with that geetar search?

*** Here's to all the vets who've fought for our freedom. May we never forget them.

Hutch

JWM - Thank you for remembering me. I kept forgeting to put my request in.

'preciate it!

Edd

EUROTRASHER - Oboy, oboe? What are you talking about son?

That school is quite expensive uh? So go back to class then! Damm.

KD - and that's a doctors advice.

But hey, take some of these chodeine-pills. The enzymes in your liver transforms the chodeine into morphia. Very cool. The only bad thing about it is; when you're going to take a shit, you wont come back for hours. And when your finnished you're very exhausted.

C, got to go

Dear Naomi,

Thanks a lot! Now Tipper is putting those parental advisory stickers on my privates. Not to mention practicing her "Bush" games which are totally apolitical yet strangely entertaining. Did I ever tell you about the time I refused to play Monopoly with Bill Gates? You can never beat a cheater unless you quit using their browser.

...and be sure and do everything your well-meaning, yet money strapped HMO tells you to do. Damn this country is fucked! Universal health care is the key to sustained growth and optimum performance. No matter how you crossed the Rio Grande. If you work in America you should be taken care of.

So give me your poor, your wretched...

I'll work my magic.

Wait and See,

HG

KD ~ You were on the list already...

Edd & The Stranger ~ You guys are getting the last two copies of the GB Compilation...you deserve it! Bake sale's over...

KD--First thing to do is not to take medical advice from anyone on a guestbook.

Hiya, Hank--yep, I noticed the Blondie piece right off too--lovely little hunk 'o' parody, that. I got a good chuckle out of your handle too.

Donald's other Premiere column on the official site, the ersatz Morricone interview, is also kinda cute, but IMO not nearly as inspired as these other two.

I've done a preliminary Web search for Donald's other Premiere columns without success. I figure I'm gonna have to hit the microfiche at my local public library if I'm to get any further on finding those thangs. But my curiosity is definitely piqued.

On the trail,
Miz Ducky

Getting out of my chair, I stand corrected. The title of DF's Premiere short story is "Tell Blondie To Break Out The Ice," and it's at http://www.steelydan.com/premiere.html

Oh boy, oboe

MockTurtle: Interesting stuff on I Can't Write Home About You. Yeah, it's on the Goucho Outtakes tape. I actually like the way DF's voice strains a bit on the high notes when he says "...but I can't write home about you." It makes him believable in his slight frustration. I think he sings it perfectly.

I usually don't like albums that are outtakes. But the Goucho one is excellente!

KD: okay, now that I now what ails ya, I'm going to have to pull out the big guns. I'm praying for you now, dude. When I tug on the Lord's ear for a guestbook person, He listens. At least so far...

rb

re: Fagen and Mancini

Ha! I knew it! I can hear Mancini all over "Monkey In YOur Soul"...

I was putting up some OnHoops articles last night and waiting for the 1am SportsCenter when I noticed an Audrey Hepburn movie on AMC. I had it on mute and continued listening to Wilco's latest whilst typing away, and every so often I'd look over just to absorb. Beautiful, and not because of my mono-bred sexual fucxstration.

It wasn't 'Breakfast at Tiffany's', I figured out (I'm no movie buff), but 13 hours later Mr. Fagen has captured the moment perfectly:

"When Audrey Hepburn as the venal waif Holly Golightly got out of that cab on Fifth Avenue in a black dress and pearls in the early morning, I wanted to sip her through a straw."

Wow.

---

I never lived a second in the 1970s, so I'm going to take it easy on the pills. No Percodan Scrabble for me. I'm saving up for when I can afford some coke and a side of paranoia.

JW-- what's the deal with ordering the GB Comp? I want in in in.

Because of the addition of Flo and Eddie on bkg. vox, that demo of 'Everyone's Gone' also sounds like Zappa.

Miz Ducky: The Anomie Deluxe piece is a fine one, all right. You've probably also seen "Tell Blondie To Bring The Ice" on the main Dan site. Funny, informative, and (just maybe) a roman a clef.

Let us know if you find electronic versions of the articles where Fagen describes how he got the offer to do the Bright Lights, Big City soundtrack (and learns from a friend the purpose of movie music), and his essay on Leo Delibes' music (in which we read a pre-Springtime "Yowie"). I'll keep looking, too.

If you own any piece of music make it "A Decade of Steely Dan". People will see it in your collection and know that you are music saavy personified.

Heh. Thanks for the various votes of confidence.

I am pleased and gratified by the wide age-range we've got going on this board, including you wunnerful young'uns. At the same time, I figure that if folks like our man Tony V are already grooving on the uncensored lyrics of Becker and Fagen, they're more than mature enough to handle anything I for one have dished out so far. So for the greater entertainment of all who care to be entertained, I'll try and keep my content on the level of Our Guys (especially Walter, who seems to have quite the nastier mind, quite inspiring actually).

On a slightly more serious but related note, for those of you who have not yet obsessively scanned through the entire Metal Leg archive, I stumbled upon this excellent piece in my own obsesive scannings:

http://www.granatino.com/sdresource/3mancini.htm

One of Donald's columns from Premiere, about how, as a disaffected youth, the music of Henry Mancini rescued him from suburban boredom. Fabulous piece in many ways--not only for the autobiographical insights, but also the Man's prose style, which rocks.

/Miz Ducky a.k.a Mam'zelle Daphne Canard,
social waterfowl

P.S. to Aja -- hey grrlfriend! Isn't this fun?

Miz Ducky: grrls just gotta have a little good, clean fun!

Hutch: I like your posts, too. Friendly and no bs. How 'bout we keep it playful but clean for the impressionable set?

Frank Rizzo and Clas: Thanks! Funny how the nasty-grams come from people with new names but are suspiciously up-to-date on the topics! Life under a bridge sure isn't conducive to developing a sense of humor, now, is it? Glad we're not down there! Clas-thanks for saving me $20.00! Guess I'll just wait for the next big release date: 12/15/99! I'm really looking forward to hearing everyone's originals.

Tony V.: Don't read this next one, but I gotta say it.

"Tutelage" obviously too timid to use your regular GB nickname: You are way too tense (and sexually deprived). Maybe it's time to stop limiting your sexual activity to years ending in "5".

Gotta run-here comes the boss!

aja

AJA - "Android Warehouse"? Oh, it's very bad. At the time I made demos they sounded just as bad as this shit. That's why I gave up.

Fagen/Becker didn't, and see, now am I sitting babbling on their GuestBook.

It should be the other way around.

But who said life is a fairy tale?

C, Sternum Agony

Aja - yeah, Frank Rizzo is right. Go on, you're very funny.

Mid Cruiser - Not! It's the Guestbook Look.

Schwinn - bonus round? Sure.

What is a "bonus round"?

Dr Mu - I thought you wwas joking with me. But today I got it: "... legal TENDER." I was so confused about this Fendershit. Are there any illegal guitars? Yeah, okay, if they are stolen. Oh god.

"Caught between the longing for love
And the struggle for the legal tender
Where the sirens sing and the church bells ring
And the junk man pounds his fender"

But tell me, who is the "junk man"? The opposite to "The Junkie Girl"? Junkees?

C, wondering why the left side of my brain is hurting.

KD: Sounds like "the gout". Forget over-the-counter analgesics. You need to see a real MD who will most likely prescribe a very powerful non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and about 30 caps of Vicodin. In the meantime, limit and rotate your alcoholic beverage choices, drink at least 3 liters of filtered water everyday and buy some crutches. Lush life has its price.

Clas: I am so happy that JW and I guessed your challenging artwork accurately. Is there a bonus round?

JW: Muzak will be on the way early next week.

So Happy I Could Spit,

SEMB

Oleander,
I bet the Toyota hubcap that got left in the garage and I'm too lazy to throw out. It has great sentimental value.

Did you hear about the divorce Barbie? It comes with all of Ken's stuff.

sri vishnu may be the only hope

Master,

It's time for you to lick my balls again.

Woof!

From the November issue of Astronomy magazine:

Will the Leonid meteor shower perform as well or better than last year? No one knows for sure, but a
strong shower is expected. If last year's spectacular performance is anything to go by, it's worth staying
up all night to see what happens. The shower is rich in swift meteors and fireballs - in 1998 one reached
the brightness of the moon as it sped across Kansas skies. Predicting the intensity of a meteor shower,
however, is rather like predicting where snowflakes will fall in a snow shower - no one knows until it
happens - so make the most of this year's event. The peak most likely will occur on the morning of
November 18, but plan to watch for a night either side of that date (see "Last Year's Leonid Lesson,"
page 73, for more details). In addition, the ancient Taurid meteor shower peaks on November 4.
Although it's not one of the stronger showers, these two events give us good odds of seeing at least one
meteor this month.

JWMalibu....I was on your page this evening and saw that you have me down for a copy of the GB Comp CD....sorry about the double request!

Clas....very nice....third world man perhaps?

JWMalibu....can I reserve a copy of the GB Comp if I already didn't??

Zeke....I saw her playing the solo on Carnival three years ago when Natalie opened for Sting. I can't remember the girl's name but she was a very tasty player....playing a vintage sunburst PRS that looks identical to my PRS sig.....I guess Mark Cohn is still walkin' in Memphis....talented man.

Altamira....I didn't realize you used to work in the Danville area....Averett's a nice college, very big into all things equestrian....we used to play a lot of gigs that were mainly the Averett crowd....that would have been back in the mid 80's....perhaps we crossed paths at some point? My wife and I had a great vacation but we never made it to DC....we went to the mountains and got some gorgeous photos....we ended up going south instead of north and of all things, went to a cat show on the way back through Charlotte, NC....they had some gorgeous Abby's there! We got the name of some Maine Coon breeders and a few leads on another Ragdoll....I meant to ask if you've seen a Somali before? They're beautiful....look like an Abby but with longer hair.

working the next few days....see y'all this weekend!

MC

aja & Miz Ducky - I enjoy your posts. They're refreshing and kind of... well... uh, you know what I mean! (aw shucks)
Listen... don't forget - Tony V. is only 14 years old and learning to play guitar. Don't disturb his impressionable hormones.

Hutch

Disregard the trolls, aja. They like to be mean, but they're such pussies that they never use their regular handles. They eventually crawl back down under the bridge anyway.

aja,

Do you think that a)some one here gives a sweet shit about your dating preferences and b)some one here really gives a good crap about your boyfriend and what he packs or how he packs it?

Come back when you've been out of high school at least 10 years.

Sayonara

Aja: Ooooooh! Sounds like a fun 'n' kinky scene to moi!

/Miz Ducky
not above a little good clean fun every now and then

Here's what I have planned for the next date (if there is one): As I'm getting ready, I have "Aja" playing to set the right mood. The doorbell rings, and I slink across the courtyard to the gate to let him in, wearing my signature red, black, and Opium. I throw him up against the wall, spread-eagled, and pat him down. I make him walk through a metal detector while I X-ray his jacket, wallet, shoes, and anything else I can think of. Once I have cleared him through "security" I take his hand and we walk into the candle-filled living room. As the seductive chords of "Black Cow" fill the air, I can now safely assume that he is just happy to see me.

aja

I love this board. So good for laughs first thing in the morning! StAl, I gotta go back and read that one again!

fezo: good thinking, if I ever see him again! Kinda hard to cuddle up to a guy who packs, but maybe I'm just too sensitive/paranoid about that sort of thing, even if he is a law enforcement officer! Hope MY papers are in order.

KD: tendinitis for 5 years? Go for the hard stuff-750 mg Relafen, especially if you have a cast iron stomach.

ygk: appreciated the laugh!

hoops: adding 2nd A to a Gaucho rerelease sounds like a very Donald/Walter thing to do. God, would I love to hear it the way they first intended it to be! Maybe if we all send our collective vibes......

Yeah, I was wondering about that "Android Warehouse" CD. Anybody heard it? If not, I'm willing to be the guinea pig and report back!

aja

KD- For once Clas is right. Take some real drugs! Not this "over the counter shit! Do you think our heros take advil? No! They take valum, shoot dope, snort coke and chase the dragon! Now, you do the same please. I thought this was a Steely Dan Forum?

Was listening to Natalie Merchant, Carnival. Nice guitar. Does she have a Steely jones?

Memo to Don and Walt:
Hey guys, the new arena in New Orleans is completed. Looks like Billy Joel is the 1st act. OK, so we're not 1st. No problem. I'm thinking early spring. Walt, I'll set up the coffee at Cafe Du'Mond, Don, I've got your seat reserved at the famous "Funky Butt".

What ever happened to Mark Cohn?

dr Mu - thanx, must read the lyrics to try to understand that.

KD - 30-40 years? Aspirin + caffeine? Please, I want something heavier than that.

Clas,
In The Pretender that's "legal tender" which refers to $$, technically anything from dimes, quarters on up including paper $$. Yes, that means that one does not legally *have* to accept pennies and nickles as payment. Excedrin has been around for 30, 40, who knows how many years. The original formula was aspirin + caffeine. Today, I don't know...maybe crack and caffeine

KD - Excedrin? Could you send me some? I like to test new substances.

miz ducky; oh, I thought I read that somewhere. Maybe in Brian Sweets BIO, but, I'm not sure. Forget it.

BTW, is it that Sweet who sang "Ballroom Blitz"?

C, packing my lunch.

St Al: I guess that's your nice way of telling us that you really aren't Walter Becker in disguise (And a damn amazing disguise at that given the pics I've seen from DanFess 3). But you didn't deny that you were Donald Fagen. So that means you're Him, right? Right?

Ruby/Katy: But doesn't Alieve have some godawful sodium content. Way above that of most pain releivers. Enough to have you retaining water for a month

Aja: The man just sounds a little too dedicated to his job. He was obviously planning to bust some illegals at the movie theater. He probably checked all their green cards during a bathroom break. Just make sure you honeymoon somewhere with a low recent immigrant population.

Hi.

JW Malibu, you got it right too. You have to share the winner prize with Schwinn; a walk with Pompe in Stockholm, downtown and without any shitbags. I think you'll make it, you're two. By the way; thanks for placing out the picture. I like that.

Hi,

Clas, your legal fender.

(what the hell does that mean, does Jackson mean the Fender-guitar or "fender", as a protection-thing?)

Does anyone think that the demo version of "Everyone's Gone to the Movies" from Citizen Dan sounds quite a bit like the early/glam Roxy Music? Before 'Avalon' and all that? I do, I think.

Who's playing that squanky guitar on that version?

Not my Therapist/ruby baby-- thanks, I appreciate the suggestion and will grab some Alleve soon. The Motrin doesn't hurt my stomach (I don't get sick, not even when I drink the copious amounts), but I'm worried it will someday and am trying to be careful, because I forsee a lot of pill taking in my future. I've had terminal tendinitis (and still can't spell it) for about five years now and have a good amount of cartilage worn off of my left knee. Went through therapy all summer for Achilles and ankle problems and have persistent pain in the knees and feets whether I'm active or dormant, consistent or otherwise. And I'll take all the advice I can get whilst I'm away from Mom at school.

I bought the Sam's Club size, 250 pill, Motrin and Excedrin in anticipation of the leg pain, the Excedrin is for the hangovers.

aja- maybe your charmer knows Charlton Heston, now there's a charmer! And Tom Selleck isn't that far behind, with or without the car.

Clas-- bloody oath, that's a great piece of work on JW's page. Those last two songs on 'Nightfly' are so visual, it's hard to beat the imagination, but that 'Dan-esque' is right on.

Hutch, Schwinn-- thanks a ton, and I did use a bit of the old steel wool on the strings. The show went pretty well, did the Flying Burrito Brothers version of "Do Right Woman," Haggard's "Mama Tried," Al Green's "Simply Beautiful," and a rather funky run through of "Daddy Don't Live in That New York City No Mo." The college kids seemed to enjoy the part about Lucy's Coke and rum.

Did anyone see the Gram Parsons tribute on PBS last night? I didn't know it was on and only saw about half, but it was damn near exquisite.

KD--I know I'm too late for the gig but Dr. Stringfellow is an excellent string rejuvenator. Invest $4.00 and stick it in your bag. It'll last about 10 years or until the new one comes out.

T-t-t-wang,

SEMB

http://www.thekatbox.com/casellastudio/clasgall.htm
~ this week's "Dan-esque", courtesy of Clas...check it out!

7 more copies of the GB Compilation available...

JW

To give you an idea of the type of stuff that lands in my e-mail box. And you think the band are the only ones privy to this fodder...

Name witheld to protect the stupid.

~~~~~~~~~COPY~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hey Walter thanks for responding to the last letter I posted That was so cool I would have never thought that someone as famous as you would have took the time to read and respond to me Steely Dan is the greatest way above the Eagles.

I printed your recipe for fine columbian thanks alot for providing it I'll try it with some fine something it should work the same. I listened to some clips from Android warehouse that I found at yahoo music I tried to write a review but They wouldn't send me a passcode to do it. I wanted to say that it's got the
original Steely Dan sound so I can't help but love it. Really Walter how old are you I read the chat preview page and I see where you came in as StAl and said you were like 34 or something I know you were lying what is your real birthdate? Were you in vietnam or something and that's why some people say that your weird.

I don't think your weird at all I gotta go and pay the power bill. I'll talk to you later like you say Aloha and I bet I won't really see you next summer I wish though

submit = Submit Query

~~~~~~~~~~~END COPY~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

God I love this stuff...

StAl

KD - Try using real fine steel wool. Like triple ought (ooo)
That'll get the rust and dirt off 'em. Be sure to wrap the steel wool around each string and run it up and down the string. The worst crud is usually under the string.

H.

To all my guitar buddies:

real quick guys, I have a question- I'm playing a few songs tonight at a bar with my acoustic, but the strings are shot. They've been on since about July or so, but I've done a lot of acoustic work since then. I don't have the time to change them (plus I don't want the shiny new sound) before the show.

Anyway, I'm looking at a few moist towelettes, and wondering if I can clean the strings temporarily with those for tonight, or would I really screw up the sound? Any ideas?

Now here is a band most GB regulars can get behind, if only for the name, Animal Liberation Orchestra

http://news.excite.com/news/uw/991103/entertainment-music-89

Nov 25 gets closer and closer for the live internet presentation of the L.A. Music Awards hosted by Skunk Baxter - do they really think anyone will watch?

http://news.excite.com/news/bw/991102/ca-usa-video

Nice cover of Snowbound on the new Fouplay album...LA smooth with Larry Carlton alive and well. Cool.

Whomever: Okay, I'm gonna let the jury remain out on that spoken line at the end of "This Moody Bastard," and meanwhile see if I can get ahold of some better stereo equipment. I've been doing this attempt at sonic analysis over a Discman. It's a pretty decent brand-new one, with surprisingly good headphones, but I'm well aware I could do lots better.

Clas: hadn't heard that about Don and Libby. Got a source? Not doubting you by any means, sir--I'm simply curious. (While this info would make me quite sad, I must confess that it would also do, um, interesting things to my fantasy life.)

/Miz Ducky
(hope springing eternal in the canard-ish breast)

Yeah, the voice on 'Hat Too Flat' is Mr. Becker uttering a cheesy pickup line. I can understand why people might think it is Mr. Fagen's; their speaking voices are virtually identical.

Yeah, 'I Can't Write Home About You' is an excellent song. I believe it may have been scrapped because the vocals were really out of DF's range. I believe he later told Roger Nichols not to let him attempt songs that were out of his range. But it would have fit in Gaucho, maybe. I've always thought of the album's narrator as some approx. 30-year-old yuppie who moves to California and shares his experiences and observations there. So, in that context, ICWHAY would have fit. And yes, I agree, Kulee Baba is not that great. But I do like the way DF sings in the song i.e. 'coat of Irish green,' with the 'green' taking on a very ominous tone.

Penn State will most likely lose one of their games to Michigan or Michigan State, I'm sorry to say. And Wisconsin will become the first Big 10 team to win two consecutive Rose Bowls. An awesome distinction, and that's not even mentioning the upcoming Heisman Trophy. It's really a shame Wisconsin and Penn State didn't get to play each other this year.

I've read alot of all of your posts and I see on november 3rd you Miz Ducky said that you "perverted" no, you meant "recruited"
a 25 year old friend of your's by giving him a listen to the Steely Dan sounds you say your an early 40's Fan yourself. I turned 24 this past november 3rd and I've been listening intensely to the Music of Walter and Donald I say I can't get enough. Steely Dan Music knows no age Walter replied to a note I wrote to him He said He enjoyed my letter immensely He only regretted that I am married but said it would be a dream come true for me to come alone to see him, Who is Libby, Walter boy you may be trying to get yourself and others into trouble saying these things. Has anyone heard of the newest c.d. out by Steely Dan it was released 2-99 it's called Android Warehouse you can purchase it online at various music stores or write a review on it after listening at Yahoo music. My husband was born in '59 he likes Steely Dan too but we're always faithful to each other and no not even Walter can try anything to break us apart no matter how much we love him. And remember it has been said by Steely Dan
"Don't let me in" Thanks for the warning Walter if you come to visit me next summer, If my husband is not home I won't let you in, does anyone really know the type of person you are. Long Live Steely Dan even if it's just new stuff recorded in a studio and never intended to be introduced with touring. Keep an eye out everyone Steely Dan is in our midst. MSD

Louie: did you say something about the Steely Damned playing in San Diego? I saw that band, man, about a year ago and they rock!
Did you hear about another gig?

Maybe, with your support, you could get them to play in NYC at some musically astute nightclub - what d'ya think?

aja: maybe your '2nd times a charmer' could bring his gun to the gig and display it during the song....?
he will be who he is just the same.....

ygk

Sweetie, I think I'd rather point it in your direction. Who needs assholes like you?

Love, aja (that's right)

Aja (yeah, right)-Tell him to put the gun in your mouth and fire. This way you won't have to come on here and keep promoting that Steely Dan cover band in San Diego. You're starting to sound like Bob Teddie in drag.

Wow, tons of posts over the weekend. Hope D&W read how many 2nd A fans are out here!

Need a little feedback on this one:

Went out with Mr. Wonderful Saturday and Sunday. Mr. Wonderful is tall, dark, sweet, a perfect gentleman, and we have a lot in common. Had a great time. On our second date we went to the movies. I invited him in [:)!] afterwards but before he came up he pulled something out of his pocket he didn't want me to see, put it into the glove box and locked it up. Yes, it was a gun (and here I thought he was just happy to see me). Now, Mr. Wonderful works for the INS and has a license for this thing, but bringing it to the movies????! I was a little upset and felt very uncomfortable with him after that. I told him I didn't want him carrying it when we were out, and he said we would talk about it later. Am I overreacting?

I had hoped to tell a tale of seduction this morning, but like I said, this freaked me out. I'd love to know what everyone thinks on this.

aja

p.s. Mr. Wonderful wants to take me to see the Steely Damned. I didn't tell him I'd be there no matter what!

jk- I saw Saturday Night Fever last night on Broadway. I really don't think The 2A would really fit into the disco catagory. It's like saying Razor Boy is Heavy Metal song.

"Say, is Libby around here?" -- Libby as in Donald's wife."

Are they not divorced?

And to put things straight, what Walter says is;

- "do you live around here?"

Aaaaamen!

jk- I think Kulee is a very overated song. It's slow and boring. 2nd A has a groove! I want to hear DF sing the Beatles version of money.

I can get a comp copy of the Jw malibu CD ?

jk

let's face it 2nd A ain't going to be on the new one because 1. Musicians would always play thier new tunes even if they are inferior and 2. 2A is a mediocre disco number like glamour profession. Much more interesting to my ears is Kulee or sam, and i ain't holding my breath waiting for those pups either.

someone out there must have heard the disc by now or knows someone at the Record company - drill them for details

jk

Wrong hole, stupid - that one I want to hear!!!

Happy belated birthday, Big Fan.

The song I like that we don't talk about much is I Can't Write Home About You. A friend of mine taped it for me from a live tape that he has. Is it on any particular album?

ygk: I lost your addy. May I have it again?

kd: get those alleve & save your tummy. You can also do a "switch hitter" if the pain gets bad. Take tylenol, then 2hrs later take motrin, then 2 hours later take tylenol, etc. Just don't keep that up forever. (forgive me - I have a florence nightengale complex)

rb

Andy from Baltimore - I didn't recognize the cipher myself; I was merely passing along what someone else had written to me (with the author's permission, of course! The comment in brackets was mine; the rest was from the person's message to me). The way I read it, if you replace each Cyrillic letter with a certain Roman letter, it spells "2 Against Nature." For example, the first Cyrillic letter in the phrase corresponds to "a," the second to "g," etc. I haven't actually tried this to see if it works since I trusted the word of the person who wrote to me, but I should check it out myself.

Dear Mr. BigFan,

Please hold on to your pants, and those of your wifery and progeny.

PSU will PREVAIL - have faith - it's like Notre Dame - except withou the institutional political and religous "issues" - YOU know my left leaning on this.

I just hope the deliberation over the new "tour" is commecerate with the focus and seemingly meticulous "deliberation" over the new album seems.

Waiting ,

Q

DrMu - I'm pretty sure LC was playing a Gibson ES-335 in those days. Fine thick tone on that guitar. You could probably pick up a used one for $1200 - $1500. God knows what a new one would cost these days. Gibson's prices are crazy.

H.

KD: You might try naproxen sodium (Alleve). Generics are easy to obtain and cheap. It has a much longer half-life in the blood, so you only have to take 1 or 2 every 12 hours...gentler on the stomach. All NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) work by inhibiting the enzyme cyclooxygenase which produces prostaglandins. PGs are implicated in inflammation, headaches, fever, menstrual cramps, etc. Since the major NSAIDS aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen sodium, and acetaminophen are remarkably different in chemical structure differences in people's chemical and neruological makeup are responsible for the differences in effectivesness of each NSAIDS from person to person. A tangentially related example: caffeine puts my brother to sleep, alcohol wakes him up...haven't asked him what Viagra does...

Hello one and all ...

Aja: No I'm not local to SD - too bad - I was just fortunate to see the 'Damned' in NYC. Wish I could see them again.

Jason: Actually IMHO I think the song on 11 TOW that is most SD like and DF would sound best singing (and the one song they should have performed live!) is the 13th track on the Japanese version - "Medical Science" which I'm listening to right now.
Which brings me to the thought of the day - I just got the Japanese releases of Alan Parson's new CD and one of Sheryl Crow's - both have extra tracks not released in the US. Seeing Reprise/Giant's habit of doing the same thing on Kami' with singles and 11TOW, do you think the Japanese issue of the new one will have an extra track or two - or will there be foreign singles with extra songs/remixes. I think you can bet on it. Why are they so lucky? So save your dollars and yens and get ready to spend.

I've had a terrible head cold/fever/headache for 4 days and the Penn State and Lehigh losses yesterday were killer on the headache yesterday - both had their 11 game win streaks snapped - owww not a good day for PA football. I've got our families four tickets to the PSU/Michigan game next weekend - and I guess I'm still going - just two weeks ago 4 tickets sold for over $650 on ebay - wow. Might get then for face value now.

Steely Dan Fan # 4,624: I AM one of their fans, thank you. Hate me? You don't even know me! But I'm sure you're 'common sense' would play well in the Bronx. Useless labeling is so passe.

ygk

KD- Forget the 200mg. Smoke a big fat joint put on the Royal Scam and watch the pain fade away. It works, try it.

Miz Ducky- I get, at 4:56 or so, Walter saying 'so you live around here?'. I think. I thought.

Hutch - that song could be my favorite solo of all time. We also used to play Freddie King's 2nd version, off 'Freddie King is a Blues Master,' a funkier, King Curtis-like version. In fact, KC produced that album. I don't think Clapton ever did any better than that album, it's very unfortunate because I thought he had the vision to become revolutionary or something along those lines. All Cream is great, Blind Faith was good, and Derek was great, along with a few spotty solo things, but he was very focused on 'Bluesbreakers.' A giant disappointment otherwise.

stretching out from this damn report, sorry to keep posting, but I need the outlet.

Motrin being Ibuprofin, around 200mgs a pill or so, my leg therapist tells me to take 8-10 a day which I don't like, don't want to kill my stomach or numb my senses, but I try to follow orders.

Hutch: What type of guitar does/did Larry Carlton play? I want the one he used on TWM and The Nightfly for Xmas.

KD - Great post. Lots of good insights.
Funny you mentioned Les Pauls... I just bought a '79 dark brown sunburst about two months ago. I've always wanted one and finally the funds and the right guitar came along at the same time. Also funny that you mentioned Clapton's version of "Hideaway"... that's a song I've done in a couple of bands in recent years. I remember sitting down one afternoon and going through each section till I just about had it note for note. And I'll till ya one thing - I learned more about playing blues licks and turn arounds in that one afternoon than I had learned in years before that. Some say Clapton was at his peak on that album. Anyway it's great to be able to play "Hideaway" now on a Les Paul rather than a Strat.
The old Fender tube heads have a great clear sound don't they? I use an old pre-CBS Bassman head. You can't beat 'em.

Hutch

Steely Dan Fan # 4 : When was Live in St. Louis recorded, and was it from the Art Crimes Tour 96? I`M interested in obtaining whatever was the best release from the tour, I`VE seen here that Live in Manassas was the best. I know the Danfreaks here know the answer......

Hmmmmmm ... in the harsh light of morning's coffee and sobriety, my wild-ass theories don't look anywhere near as brilliant as they did when lit by Old Grand-Dad's inner fire. I still like 'em, but my *evidence* is now lookin' a tad might flimsy ...

Altamira -- Alas, I have no song refs for you--and in fact your refs may have torpedoed that piece of my interpretation. For better or worse, the only "pre-official" recordings I have heard have been as RealAudio files from the web, and the sound quality is just shitty enough to thwart my efforts to pick out any one person's voice from a multi-part harmony. Listening to the first couple of official recordings, it does sound to me like all the vocal harmonies typically pile up above the melody line, and Donald's singing voice is distinctive enough that I'm pretty sure I'm hearing it stay on the bottom every time. But then I can't at all be sure I'm hearing Walter anywhere in the rest of the pile-up, if indeed he is in there somewhere. And the interview I referred to in my previous post, on re-play ... well, let's just say it isn't anywhere near as helpful as I'd thought it was.

So ... I dunno. I still like my reading of "This Moody Bastard" in general, but my reading of the "bottom/top" lines, as cute as they may be, may have to go in the hopper.

Oleander: Merci beaucoup on adding my fevers to the rest of the dreams, though note my *slight* recanting above. Now, regarding the spoken snippet on "Hat Too Flat," I still feel pretty durned confident on that one. It's at about 4:50 into the song, for anyone who cares to double-check me: what I hear through my headphones is "Say, is Libby around here?" -- Libby as in Donald's wife. And Donald's speaking voice, to my New York metro-bred ears, is as unmistakeable as his singing voice (gotta love that nasal Jersey twang!).

The audience may detect I've got an especially king-hell fetish going around voices. That's prolly 'cause my own chosen musical instrument is voice--never received any formal vocal training, but have sung enough with choral groups that I've soaked up a goodly hunk of experience (and a whole lot of opinions). Whatever. While, like all of you, I am enchanted by every aspect of Our Boys' work and performance, it's the voices that consistently drive me wild--Donald's of course, and now Walter's, and all the many backgrounders over the years (I can nearly always pick Michael McDonald out of any song he's backgrounding on, another unmistakeable set of pipes). I've been hatching a whole rant about the Voices of Dan that I'm prolly gonna post Real Soon Now. I hope it will be entertaining, if nothing else.

/The duck
Flapping away again

uuuhhhh Altamira and 'ander: Obviously, that was a *joke*...does the rest of the post look that serious??? You too, Can't, but I'm tickled someone caught it.

Now I'm Serious: Certainly, Surf and/or Die is an interesting, open composition and lyrical prose and a remarkable piece of production and engineering, but the strongest song musically??? There's more in the guitar solo of Junkie Girl, the Sheppard solo of Book of Liars, the pumping bass of Girlfriend, and the deconstruction outro guitar on Lucky Henry. It's a style though that's unusual for Dan with the exception of Your Gold Teeth I and The Royal Scam. The open ended song and jam were tried inconsistently by many late 60's groups, but nothing can beat The Doors first one IMHO, especially "The End." ...or that simple organ hook at the beginning of When the Music's Over - the rock equivalent of the 4 notes commencing Beethoven's 5th (OK, maybe that's a bit much, but...). It helps that they jammed together for 2 years before getting a record contract and having a keyboard player who was classically trained, a jazz-trained drummer, and a jazz and pop savvy guitarist.

Interesting about listening to Dan albums in sequence. I have difficulty playing Katy Lied, Aja, or The Nightfly out of order which are like plished gems. I prefer to hear Kama in REVERSE order musically; the story string is loose anyway. I often only have time or inclination to pounce on a couple of songs at a time, so I pick out from the remainders what interests me at the moment.

Gaucho, hm, would you please change your handle? We already have a real Gaucho here. Okay?

KD - naŠe, I think it was a lot of cocktails (coke/heroin). But maybe it was just heroin. I've heard people who tried that, there is nothing like it.

Motrin, that's sounds interesting, no alcoholhunger? Not even to cut the edges?

Bye bye,

C, a happy idiot.

Hoops-
I understand your 'seal of approval' rap, but......How come my BOOTLEG of 'Live In St. Louis' sounds SO much better then their sealed approved 'Alive In America' record?

Jason- I would like to hear Donald sing 'Fall of '92'

YGK- I like the Yankees, I just HATE there fans!

One more thing....In two months, it will be 20 years since the last Steely Dan record came out! Man....that SUCKS!

SDF 4,624

MAN! KD - maaan. You gotto tell me what Motrin is for kinda stuff, never heard of it!

Holy shit Hoops, you and I said the same thing. Probably the Lake Michigan water.

Altamira - I have to admit I picked up JJ's book at a campus bookstore a few weeks back, scanned to see if there was an index and/or a 'Steely Dan' reference in said index. Finding none, I moved on to 'Black Tail' magazine, a personal favorite.

Hoops - right on, as usual. 'Third World Man' is the perfect, pathetic, disgusting ending to the last chapter of the first book of Dan. It weasels and worms its way to the end, leaving ends untied and dreams unfulfilled. It blasts fireworks and boasts what could be the best piece of solo guitar in any Dan song. It's a funeral dirge when the trombones and trumpets should be blaring. The perfect place would be in between the A and B sides, as you said, but it's like calling an old girlfriend that still wants you. Even if she's the best you'll ever do, if you screwed it up once, it's just tainted.

JWMailbu - My version of 'Reelin'' focuses on the anger of what could be the most bitter and angry song of all time. It's right up there with 'Like a Rolling Stone.' I figure, while it might have been a breath of fresh air in 1972; it's 1999, I'm white, still under 20, and I should (according to TV, newspapermagazines) be angst-filled and snarling. At least that's what all these other 90s bands are telling me.

I hope the irony is coming through here, another 90s trademark. Anyway, just imagine Denny D playing the song on acoustic without the solos and you have my version. I'm suprised that no-one's mentioned Les Paul's, I don't think many Dan guitarists played them (save Baxter who I believe toted one around for a few months touring). Don't get much out of them myself, but it played on what could be the nicest tone songs ever: Eric Clapton's version of 'Hideaway'

DrMu - The roomie and I were commenting on the Steve Wonder harmonica/synth listening to 'Hey 19' last night, both kind of pointed it out at the same time. Very nice because I miss DF's playing as the albums went on, his churlish Monk-ish pian-er was missed, along with his keyboard runs. He gave way to the supposed better, more professional players, but he has a feeling only a song's songwriter can give to his/her song.

And if there's piano and bass on the demo, I always assumed it was WB playing the bass.

Have we determined if it's WB singing solo on 'Mock Turtle Song?' Is that Donald's high voice on 'More to Come?'

In going along with the sequencing tally, 'Gaucho' and 'PL' are the only albums I have to listen to in order. I'm sure you all have heard factory cassette tapes that came out in the 80s that changed the sequencing of old albums. I have one of 'Can't Buy' that changes everything around save the opening and last song. I've heard an old tape of 'Aja' at a friend's party last year (drunkenly insisted on putting it in) and wasn't upset with the changed sequence (I think they lead off with the title track).

But Pretzel Logic and Gaucho can't be touched. Pretzel is the first band's swan song, and the order fits that. 'Rikki' leads off with a tasteful Skunk solo, three words that never seemed to fit earlier on. 'Night by Night' lets the orginal band get funky; loose and tight at the same time, almost like the band was trying to convince D and W of their R+B chops. 'Any Major Dude' is beautiful, with Denny and Skunk playing off each other and letting the unspoken chemistry do the talking.

"Barrytown" is the real swan song, and I was crying the first time I came to this realization. Two rhythm guitars starting off, piano and tasteful drums pushing the hook through. The lyrics, written before the boys had even considered some Ultimate Spinach, seem very fitting. Snobbiness. Shallow put-offs and ironic/sarcastic dismissals of people by way of clothing and beliefs. The Dylan aspect is well documented, but this goes beyond. Background vocals go high. Higher.

"Skunk, Denny, Jim, the studio guys are laughing at your shoes, your facial hair and the gear you play through. It's embarrassing. No, you can't come."

the "don't you scream or make a shout/there's nothing you can do about" line brought the tears. Skunk's pedal steel following orders, knowing the score but still playing till the final buzzer sounded. The last song by the first band.

"East St. Louis," the throw down of the jazz scent, "this is where we are coming from, healing regression rather than sliding into decadence. The Eagles started coming from C+W but lost their sense of home in a cloud of kilos and white man afros. We'll stay with what brought us here." Dean Parks helps out on banjo and D plays that damn sax, dueting note for note with Walter on guitar.

'Parker's Band.' We might dump our touring band, but we'll still rock. Words about the man who started the bop and two drummers making our balls shake. 'Through With Buzz', mixing the bebopish words and the rock and roll words and licks, coupled with the ELO-like strings. A lot of ishes and -likes. 'Pretzel Logic,' what can you say? This is how these two create an epic. R+B keys and blues shuffle bloom into an out and out masterpiece. WB's note perfect guitar solo and shoeful bridge prove to us that these boys can do wonders with just an idear and a melody. No expensive help needed here.

Q: "Why do you like Steely Dan? Ick!" A: "The words, man, the words" 'With a Gun' A: "the soul, and multitracked guitar" 'Charlie Freak' A: "the fuzz bass and bitching about record company establishment, the 2001 Soul of 'Monkey In Your Soul' Soon the sharp bursts of R+B horns would lead to actual solos on 'Katy Lied'. You can almost hear the creeping organ of 'Black Friday' warm up as the album closes.

"I'll pack my things and run so far from here. Goodbye dear."

You have to listen in order. Everything else is just chaos. Maybe they can put "Second Arrangement" on a CD single, with Libby Titus on the vocals. Sorry about the length but I'm knee deep in a history paper and I need a break.

Regarding Mitch's comments on Second Arrangement, without going into depth, the story goes that a studio technician accidently erased a portion of the the final master of 2nd Arrangement . D + W & co. were so dismayed that they simply didn't want to go back and redo it. It was, according to the legend, just one more huge disappointment in the context of much bad luck and circumstances surrounding the Gaucho sessions: they were having big problems with ABC (then bought out by MCA but D + W were trying to get it out on Warners); Walter got hit by a cab and had a broken leg plus other big personal problems and just general burnout and the pressure of following up to Aja. There was an interview of Donald that appeared in the Chicago Tribune, in 1992 I believe, where Donald just explained how listening to that album gave him the chills as it reminded him of the problems surrounding Gaucho and that it had an icy feel to it.

I pretty much stay away from boots of Dan albums since in my book, it's not a Dan album until D & W put their final seal of approval and perfection on it. That's what they are about. But I've heard it a few times and what I remember of it, what sticks in my mind, is this great line about "my life and my laundry in a Gladstone bag" sung as only Donald could sing it.

I'm sure W + D are well aware that fans would love for Second Arrangment to be released as it comes up often on these chats and radio phone ins. But you know, no matter how good, I think they view it as the woman who got away and you didn't marry even tho she was hot in every way. I think they woudl have put it on the box if they wanted to revisit it. Simply my opinion as an outside observer--I don't have an inside track.

At the very least I would not expect it on the new one as it is old; but maybe I am wrong and they would want to rerecord it. Like Royal Scam had Caves of Altimira on it and that one was around for several years. Same with songs off of Pretzel Logic. Still, I think if they salavage the version they did for Gaucho, it should be put on a Gaucho rerelease.

kamfire--hey there! Yes, The Betting Pool is alive & well. Go to the link at the top if you want to check it out.

hoops!--gotcha, man. And thanx for the generous ante. You have a point there about 2A, but I think it's a great song that has held up, and I hope that they looked back at the erasure debacle and said, "Hey, let's give it another go." I agree about the sequencing on "Gaucho." I can't even listen to it on shuffle. Maybe if it were a bonus track in one of its previous incarnations on TNO or a coming remaster--or do we have to wait for Citizen II?

KD, Doc K--You have shown me the light. Re The Pool, that is: Some people would rather Be Right than Get Stuff. Why not? So, confused as I am about the complexities, I'll just put in whatever dates anybody wants, whether they're dupes or not. May the Pretzel Illogic be with you.

aja--yes, Kama is great. Cool to hear it through your ears. "On The Dunes" particularly fondles my hypothalamus.

Zeke--Is that gumbo kosher? Hell, dry ice me some anyway! Send it with your date.

Mu--What the hell are you smoking? If those homicidal idiots have enough dough for those semiautomatics and all that ammo, they have enough to spring for a little professional nooky. Please don't volunteer me either for defusing sociopaths. I have a feeling that's far from the answer, honey. BTW, Mr. Fagen on "Cringemaker" would be great.

Mlle Canard--That interp of TMB is TOO cool. OK if it goes into fever dreams? um, it already is.... I never heard it before, but sure can now. At the end of "Hat Too Flat," I hear Mr. B saying, "So you live around here?" Which I took as the perfect fadeout icebreaker line from an alien who's a quick study of Americanish. I haven't heard the duo's speaking voices except on the "Words +/& Music" cd's, but that sure sounds like Mr. B. to me.

KD--yeah, I've heard "Gaucho" that way before too--a metaphor for very painful times. Maybe it's even Mr. B. writing it about himself. Tell you what, decoder ring or no, I still would love to ask them who did what when--I mean, in writing lyrics.

Jason: Good pick-up. "Junkie Girl" does sound like it could have been from the first 3 albums..."Cringemaker" also comes to mind as a song Donald would excel in singing.

Miz Ducky: kudos on your analysis...he's always laughin' havin' fun...

I concur that Walter had a very strong influence on the writing of Gaucho. From the sound and song structures, Walter also sounds important in creating Hey 19, Time Out of Mind, and My Rival. Given W's "toasty" condition at the time, it sounds like Donald virtually solo on "Babylon Sisters", "Glamour Profession", and "Third World Man". On the outtakes I don't hear a lot of Walter on "2nd Arrangement" and "Can't Write Home About You" either, which I've only heard as a demo with bass and piano and is at least as good as 2A. It would be a pleasant surprise if that one showed up on the new one. I guess I expect a suprise or 2, I just don't know what they'll be. For example, what if Donald sings harmony on Jack of Speed?? Maybe in the final analysis D sings lead on all???... the harmonica synth sound makes a comeback??? I love that style like on "Home at Last", "Century's End", "Big Noise New York" - just as tasty as Stevie Wonder's harmon. solos...missed it on Kama.

The song Second Arrangement must be really outstanding to have it constantly mentioned here. I understand that there were technical difficulties when it was to be recorded. I would hope that if the song was as good as being hyped here, that it would be a welcome addition to THE NEW ONE. I know that the SD fans would appreciate it as well, as a tribute to the many loyal years of following and purchasing The Dan. I suggest Hoops or Fogel, or anyone with contact with Walter or Don should convey this to them. Its nice to know that the voices of the people are being heard !

College football: Penn St. got nipped at the end on a fluky deflection, then a last second field goal. The Gophers were a very good defensive team and extremely well coached. I`M sure the Blacksburg people are pumped ! They also won in the last seconds over the worst West Virginia team in the last 20 years. The Hokies are good, but they are not # 2 in the country.

GB Compilation Update: The 3rd submission has arrived...from David in the Florida Room ~ nice work, sir - VERY nice! 29 Danizens have requested copies of the CD, that leaves 11 more of the 40 complimentary copies that I'm having burned...get 'em while they're hot!

Ruby ~ Glad you liked my studio! I've spent the last two evenings giving it a major face-lift ! It was gettin' a lil' unwieldy there. And yes, that's me snowboarding ~ I'll surf/skateboard/snowboard until my legs give out...still going strong at 44!

#1 ~ I like the sound of a 335s AND strats!

aja ~ "Kama" kicks ass, doesn't it? Thanks for the lovely note!

KD ~ Hang in there bro, I'm sure we're going to do another compilation next year as well! I'd like to hear your rendition of "Reelin'..." ~ sounds nice.

Ms Ducky ~ interesting lyrical analysis there, I want mo!

Clas ~ Craig's still doing session work..perfectly understated piano playing as always! Gotta' love "The Pretender" ~ a classic!

Bondi ~ You Aussies can sure surf up a storm! Occy is amazing to watch, especially since I'm goofyfoot as well...

Alta ~ Wait'll you see what I'm doing with those designs you did!

Hutch ~ Yeah, those Andean pipes come is a variety of shapes and sizes. The Peruvian parking lot guy at my office rips on those badboys! I've been trying to get up to speed on a set...

G'Night ~

No, I'm not getting up early. It's the other scenario.

Alta - That group that was playing in the Metro sounds suspiciously like a group I saw a few years ago at the Riverwalk in San Antonio. It was a group called Wayanay from Peru. I bought one of their tapes when I saw them. Very haunting music. They used a regular pan pipe but on the recording they're using something that sounds like a GIANT bamboo flute that emits a really low wooden sound. Really unique. We wouldn't expect less from those who built Machu Picchu, eh?

Good Night (morning)
Hutch

I was wondering (since we're on the 11TOW mode) out of any one of the 12 songs on "Whack" which would Donald sound the best on (singing lead)? I'm not sure if walter writes for his own vocal range but was wondering what if? I would love to hear Donald sing "Junkie Girl"! Come to think of it, if Donald sings one of walters tunes, it really becomes a Steely Dan song!

"Second Arrangement" is clearly the most legendary unreleased Steely Dan track. Somehow though, given all the bad experiences behind the scenes during the making of "Gaucho," including "The Second Arrangement," I think they will never look back at that one, let alone consider it in today's context of SD2K.

Still, I think it would be cool to include on the remastered "Gaucho" when it comes out someday. I wonder where would it appear if they were for some unlikely reason get motivated to dust it off. Couldn't go in front of "Babylon Sisters" since that opening drum has incredible punch. Maybe after it and before "Hey 19." It couldn't go at the end of the album although that is where bonus tracks usually go. Why? IMHO, "Third World Man" was always "The End." Actually though, I think another good place would be right after "Glamour Profession" and before the title track. I think it is an album flow thing for me.

Although the technology exists to clean up the remaining second generation tapes, I don't expect our dudes will want to revisit that one and probably a good thing for them personally. Ancient history, no matter how good.

I personally don't think that "The Second Arrangement" will be on the new one. Other than some speculation about the tile on the preview site, and a lot of wishing, there is absolutely nothing to even point to 2A's inclusion on the new one.

Altamira- Can you explain that whole cipher thing a little more clearly? You must be pretty sharp to *immediately* have recognized it as a simple substitution cipher. I still don't get it. What letters go in for what? More importantly, what exactly does it say?

DrMu- You predict that the new one will have at least one previously unreleased track. I would say that it's certain that the new one will consist exclusively of previously unreleased music -- no Rikki or Reelin in the Years. (sorry for being such a smartass)

Later,
[insert nickname here]

I meant "panpipes"; damn, I hate typos.

Miz Ducky - Donald's voice on Hat Too Flat? Cool, I'll have to listen to that track more closely so I can hear it. He and Walter seem to have devloped a close working relationship in the 32 years they've been making music together, so I suppose anything is possible and there is probably a lot of playfulness going on between them when they work together.

I'm surprised to learn that Walter could sing harmony above Donald, since, judging from the recordings he's made, Walter seems to have a greatly limited range, about an octave. If Donald was singing in the bottom end of his large range, Walter would be able to sing harmony above him, but on all the early, pre-Dan recordings I have, Walter is singing harmony in the baritone range to Donald's lead in the tenor range. But there are a lot of early recordings I don't have, and I'd like to hear Walter singing harmony above Donald - could you suggest some recordings I should check out?

I love your interpretation of This Moody Bastard; I will keep this in mind when I listen to it again. I also had a strong reaction to Surf and/or Die since I've also known a lot of people who have died; Walter captures so well all the different emotions one goes through in such a situation; he seems to have a knack for capturing emotional states, as he demonstrates on other songs on 11 TOW. Also, I think Surf and/or Die is the best piece musically on that CD.

Regarding the bourbon; I've had a few beers; I tend to write those one-sentence posts when I'm sober.

Monkey - I'll have to listen to it again; but now that I've read Miz Ducky's interpretation that will probably be foremost in my mind. I will listen closely, though, and see what I can come up with.

KD - Interesting interpretation of Gaucho. Yes, those do sound more like Walter's words than Donald's; Donald does tend to be a bit more circumspect and Walter must have been aware of the problems he was causing and very well might have wanted to comment on that. From what I've read in interviews, Walter wasn't in great shape during the recording of either Aja or Gaucho, and Donald did seem to carry most of the responsibility for completing those albums.

KD and Dr. Mu - My, all this talk about those chords on the Second Arrangement - I must listen to it again. Regarding songs written some time ago appearing on the New One, it would certainly be in keeping with what SD have done previously, since they have used songs written years earlier on Pretzel Logic and Aja; considering all the effort that goes into writing a song, it makes perfect sense to use an already written song on a later album. And my illegal copy of the Second Arrangement sounds awful(I know there are several versions out there; you must have a better one than I do); not only is the quality of the recording poor, but the performance of the song sounds like a demo; sort of like a sketch of the fully fleshed-out version that was to come.

Dr. Mu - Hey, I wish that angry white men who don't get laid would stop shooting people, but I'm not about to offer my body to help them out of their predicament! Dang, maybe anger-management classes might help. I hope something can.

Miz Ducky - You know, despite my not being attracted to men, I do find Donald's lovely, soft-looking, sensual lips rather intriguing. Dang, does that man ever have an inviting mouth!

Big Fan - So the forger is using more than one false originating address? My, what an industrious person. The weekly update from Erols-Lycos-Starnet was all about spam this week, so I was able to find the proper address to forward the message with the forged originating address to. I hope they can get to the bottom of this; it seems so rude to forge someone else's address to send spam from.

There was a group of musicians playing at a Metro station where I was catching a train last night, and one of them was playing what appeared to be an electric guitar with nylon strings - have any of you guitarists encountered this type of instrument? They are quite a good band, BTW, I have seen them playing around town for years. They are from a South American country and play folk music from that country; they have a portable sound system, powered by a generator, that channels the sound from the microphone for the panpipies, the above-mentioned guitar, and the electric drum-thing (I don't know the technical term; it's a box that the drummer hits with sticks). They even have CDs for sale in the guitar case; not your average buskers. I wish I had had more time to listen to them; they are quite good.

Have any of you read Joe Jackson's new book, _A Cure for Gravity: A Musical Pilgrimage_? He's appearing at a bookstore in DC next week, but I'm currently going to a class that night and can't attend the signing.

Someone recently gave me this bit of information regarding the Cyrillic lettering at the SD site: It does indeed say "2 Against Nature," but the reason why is the fun part.
The characters are Cyrillic, but they are not words. I immediately recognized it as a simple substitution cipher, in which a certain Cyrillic character replaces a specific Roman character. But wait, the middle word has *8* characters in it, blowing the theory. So I got out the encyclopedia because I have pretty much forgotten what Russian I ever knew. What appears to be *two* characters - "bl" - is really just *one* character which roughly equates to the English letter "y" [it's actually a dipthong, "ui," with the stress on the second part]. With that tip, you can start substituting characters to reveal the title, which is what you had suspected all along.

KD - Good on the Wallabies and good on Australia generally. What great results (votes and all). God bless the Queen of Australia!

Netball, Cricket, Rugby. World Champs in 3 sports

and I take it you're not a fan of H M the Queen?

Oh, I forgot to add, we're complete idiots when it comes to voting on anything.

World champs in 2 sports.Sorry mate, count the rest. Try surfing, for starters.

the fix is in:

Australia Tops Team USA 12-2 Down Under
Major League All-Star Dave Nilsson drives in three runs;
Aussies remain only unbeaten team

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA -- The USA Baseball Intercontinental Cup Team was defeated
by the host country Australia 12-2 in their third game of the 1999
Intercontinental Cup Friday night in front of a raucous 7,129 fans at
Homebush Stadium in Sydney, Australia - the site of the 2000 Summer Olympics.

The Aussies struck early and got the home partisan crowd excited when they
touched American starter Kevin Pincavitch (Greensboro, Penn.) for a pair of
runs in the first. Milwaukee Brewers all-star Dave Nilsson drove in the first
run of the game with a double down the rightfield line. Paul Gonzalez then
tripled Nilsson home to make it 2-0.

A two-run homer by Brendan Kingman in the third made it 4-0 and knocked
Pincavitch out of the game. He was relieved by Scott Conner (Frederick, MD),
who got into trouble immediatly in the fourth. A pair of singles by Adam
Burton and Grant McDonald followed by and another double by Nilsson made the
score 6-0 after four innings. Australia also added a sacrifice fly by Gary
White in the fifth.

Team USA finally got to Australian starter Phil Brassington in the sixth.
Back-to-back doubles by Chad Thornhill (Fresno, Calif.) and Glenn Murray
(Harrisburg, Penn.) produced their first run. Johnny Knott
(St. Louis, MO) then drove in Murray with a single to right field to make it
7-2.

Australia added three more runs in the seventh and ended the game in the
eighth when Mike Moyle’s two-run homer clinched the international 10-run rule
victory. Brassington (1-0) went six innings to earn the win, while Pincavitch
(0-1) suffered the loss.

For more information on the 1999 Intercontinental Cup, you can go to
www.olympics.com and search under “Sports” and then choose “Baseball”. The
Intercontinental Cup stories and results should be listed under “Test Event”.
In addition, USA Baseball is posting press releases and boxscores at
www.usocpressbox.org.

Team USA (2-1) takes on Italy (0-3) in their fourth game of the
Intercontinental Cup Sunday evening at 6:30 pm at Blacktown Stadium.

Other scores from the third day at the Intercontinental Cup:
Cuba 7, The Netherlands 2
Japan 10, Italy 2
Chinese Taipei 6, Korea 1

Current Standings:
Australia 3-0
USA 2-1
Cuba 2-1
Japan 2-1
Chinese Taipei 2-1
Korea 1-2
Italy 0-3
The Netherlands 0-3

that's right, I forgot to add, the Ozzies beat the Frogs this morning...world champs in two sports

I read some announcer called Australia "per capita, the sporting capital of the world"

to which I reply, "France, per capita, the whoring capital of the world."

plus Australia won Netball a few weeks back, and Andrew Gaze, the Aussie Michael Jordan, won with the San Antonio Spurs last June.

so I'll get flamed off of here for writing about sports, but hell, I'm studied.

Q: What's Australia's population?
A: 19 million
Q: How come they're "world" champion in so many things?
A: I don't know ,Virginia.
BTW did anyone know that Australia played America in Baseball last night.

KD -- oh yes, 11ToW is just so fabulous on so many levels. I love Walter's voice, I love the raw funkiness of the material and the arrangements, with every now and then some incredibly smooth passage thrown in just to keep folks guessing (and to show that, yes, the Becker/Fagan/Nichols team is in full effect in the control room). And I love the little weird-ass things he's got going on in the background in so many tracks.

One fr'instance I get an especial giggle out of: that spoken snippet in the outro to "Hat Too Flat," which already sounds like it's got everything including the kitchen sink going on--unmistakeably Donald's voice, asking about the whereabouts of his wife. I heard it and mumbled to myself, "Okay, you guys, what are you up to with that?" I still dunno what the joke is with that li'l snippet, but I can't help visualizing a certain amount of merriment going on in the studio when it was laid down.

/Miz Ducky

Hello all! Long time no post, yet always lurking. Is there any change in the status (or lack thereof) in developing the "New One"? Have learned to overcome my anticipation and am still curious. Any and all tidbits would be helpful.

Ole: Since the release date guessing game is off will there be any consolation prizes given (I know I was right!!) or an extension of the game?

StAl: can you give me some info on the puzzle page, (I can figure it honest!). Beautiful update, keep providing inspiration for aspiring developers, such as myself.

BigFan: Continue to part those Red Seas of info to find SD related info.

Clas: do you think it was coke? wouldn't that make him more prone to keep on working, a la David Bowie? The strongest non-booze thing I've ever tried is Motrin, so I fall a little short, but wouldn't it proly be heroin that keeps him away? The "mashed potato drug?" Can you stand my midwestern short-hand?

Or just the Michael Bloomfield East/West Award, combining the two on his lucky tin foil?

Miz Ducky- "11ToW" is great because there's college references everywhere, you wonder where the heck he's going with them. A lot of Bard references. 'This Moody Bastard' is great because, even in its in-perm-o-nence, it's still giving feelings away, to whomever. Even if they aren't his, it's different from the rest of the SD routine. Either way, like you said, "Surf And/Or Die" hits hard.

I also always found it cool that Skunk Baxter sang "My Old School" on the '74 tour. Him singing the most transparently autobiographical song in the SD catalogue.

I could go for some canard right now, but the only thing the cafeteria serves us is chicken fingers.

I listened to the song The Pretender yesterday, looked at the liner notes, the musicians on the song are Jeff Porcaro, Bob Glaub on bass, and guitars Fred Tackett, and on piano Craig Doerge. Harmonies Crosby and Nash.

Great music. I just love the warmth and sound of the California laid back piano. (JW - what is mr Doerge up to these days? And Fred Tackett?)

KD - sorry, I bet you won't make it to the Fever Dreams. No drugs allowed. Which is quite amusing when you think of the snowstorms during the Gaucho-sessions.

Alt Amira - thanks.

At last a couple of words from James Ellroy;

Everything implodes in the Bay of Pigs, and the price is paid in Dallas.

C, aficionado

Monkey-person: thought someone would ask about that. The lines in question in "This Moody Bastard," according to the eye-strain-o-vision print liner notes, go as follows:

You on the bottom
Me on top

... and, according to my whacked interpretation, I read them as referring to how Walt and Don sang harmony when they were just two lone songwriters starting out (Walt's on record in some damn interview somewhere as saying Don would take the melody lead, and then Walt, despite his being a baritone, would endeavor to crank up and sing the harmony above that).

My perhaps-delusional interpretation is nonetheless more strongly sustained by the opening lines:

Little friend of mine
Can you still recall
Our salad days
Between the ivy walls?

... i.e. their college days at Bard ... reinforced by Walt calling them "good clean fun" ... yeah right, coupla crazed music geeks hanging out together and writing rilly rilly *rilly* strange songs. Makes *me* smile just thinking about it.

... and then the long middle section, when Walter goes on about a period of long lonely days ... and

this moody bastard remembers
you were some kind of friend even then

... refering perhaps to the lousy times around the turn of the 80s, in which Walter may have been hitting bottom with/cleaning up from various excesses and understandably a little thorny to deal with?

Nu, so if Walter ever reads this he might be rolling on the floor laughing at how far afield I am ... but I know that, when I first listened to 11TOW and hit that song, I got an instant chill down my spine as my brain immediately insisted that was what Walt was singing about. God knows it's not the only totally raw and vulnerable lyric on the disc -- "Surf And/Or Die" practically made me sob out loud on that first listen, prolly 'cause I've had too many people die in my life ...

But, at any rate, that is my theory which is mine.

/The duck
(with a few bourbons under her own belt, at this hour)

YGK - Hey, no disrespect my good man. I understand the skills, just don't understand the title. Maybe if they allowed a few more teams from other countries and restricted the US teams to 1 national team, but then that would be a totally different competition. Who won the Gold medal at the last Olympics?

Miz Ducky- I'm confused and drunk AT THE SAME TIME. "Moody Bastard" has a vocal part that goes something like "I like the bottom he likes the top" or something to that.... (Sorry about the spelling) I thought for sometime this might be a "gay" thing. ( Altamira any comments?) Does that mean Walter is on top? Donald likes the bottom? Are they with chicks? Are they with each other? What's that line mean? Mock????, Ed???? YGK????? Kinky??????? Ole???? Anybody out there that knows what the fuck there/I'm talking about?????

Miz Ducky- I'm confused and drunk AT THE SAME TIME. "Moody Bastard" has a vocal part that goes something like "I like the bottom he likes the top" or something to that.... (Sorry about the spelling) I thought for sometime this might be a "gay" thing. ( Altamira any comments?) Does that mean Walter is on top? Donald likes the bottom? Are they with chicks? Are they with each other? What's that line mean? Mock????, Ed???? YGK????? Kinky??????? Ole???? Anybody out there that knows what the fuck there/I'm talking about?????

Hey, KD--not to worry. What fan among us is so pure of heart that s/he has successfully resisted the urge to read our Heros' life events into their song lyrics? Certainly not moi. I'll reveal one unworthy thought of my own: a nagging conviction that Walter's "This Moody Bastard" (off of 11TOW, nu what else?) is really about the history of his friendship/partnership with Donald. So sue me if I obsess too long.

Miz Ducky/Mam'zelle Daphne Canard
(see? This fangrrl can play lyrics pilpul with the best of 'em)

Yes, chords, to Deacon Blues, same, yes. I kept inherently faking that ride cymbal tap that is in 'DB' whilst listening to "The Second Arrangement."

The lyrics are old, fascinating, but old. I can't spell, but old.

"And I run to the second arrangement
It's only the natural thing
Who steps out with no regrets
A sparkling conscience a new address
When I run to the second arrangement
The home of a mutual friend"

Can you still do that?

Either way, the message, the feeling, everything...it's timeless. A beautiful song. They'd be well-served to lead off with it.

Listening to 'Gaucho' on the way to classes today, and noticed similarties in the lyrics that could have gone along with what maybe Donald was thinking about Walter during these times; should the outrageous rumors about drug use and disapeerance be true:

"Just when I say
'Boy we can't miss
You are golden'
Then you do this"

-just finished 'Aja', our best, lots of money to spend and musicians to play with, and you fall victim to the scourge we seem to talk about in every other one of our songs, the Horse.

"One more expensive kiss-off"

-'Gaucho' sure cost a lot to make, physically, spiritually, and monetarily.

"Lord I know you're a special friend
But you don't seem to understand
We got heavy rollers
I think you should know
Try again tomorrow"

--You've been with me for almost 15 years, we've been through it all, the good and the bad, but, Walter, this is crazy. We have a lot of pressure on us: the follow-up album, the Warner Brothers contract, the oncoming 1980s, MCA buying ABC, the expensive sticker price of the album, the expensive price of making the album, and you don't even show up for a recording session? We'll try and cut it again tomarrow.

Ok, hell, this might not even be good enough to even think twice about, much less 'Fever Dreams,' but I just noticed it, so sue me. For all we know, Walter might have written these lyrics all by himself (they're right up his alley), and it would be uncharacteristic of DF to write about something like this; so close to home, but still. We all know it's about three queens in a Custerdome, but you never know...

---

good for Gary Busey, being alive and all.

Mock: You are correct, sir...I've noticed the same. If it's good to ya, it's gotta be good for ya...

I always thought that the progression of chords on 2A after "..redefine the 1st arrangement again..." sounded rather like the opening bars from "Deacon Blues."

The Second Arrangement would have fit in well on Gaucho, which I've always thought, kind of centers around the yuppie, jet-setting, slick West Coast culture. Kinda funny when you think of what was going on with SD during the m aking of that album. The Second Arrangement definitely would have been, if not the best, the second best song on Gaucho. I am indifferent as to whether or not it gets released on The New One though because, frankly, the illegal copy I have sounds just fine to me. But now that you mention it, "The Truth," it does appear that Tile 1 could be the song.

W is a fine governor...and he's proving that he's just that on the campaign trail - a fine governor...slovenia, slovakia, whatever. In Texas, the governor has limited power...the bully pulpit is his main persuasive tool. Arkansas is a much different story. Like Louisiana, the governor is King, with many cronies, political operatives, and slimy businessmen to keep tabs on. The inherent corruption with it's twisted intracacies and details that comprise Little Rock politics sharpened the political acumen of Bill Clinton. Too many Heinekins in the Texas Rangers luxury boxes appear to have dulled W's. But he's a quick study and has more charisma and political savvy than his Dad, although poppa always did his homework on foreign policy.

Then there's Al-pha Gore taking hints instead of "hits" from the vivacious brunette Naomi "bang the bong" Wolf, the political answer to Viagra.

Could it be that the door is open for John McCain and Bill Bradley?? Could there be a Steely Dan CD out on March 7??

Do you all hate large nationwide banks?? Ours was recently merged into the Bank of America monstrosity. Some of the rules on investment accounts were changed. There were no letters informing us. I made a transaction which appeared to go through. No e-mail back. Check back a week later on-line and find the transaction was denied. Lately they've changed to rules in a way that would require 3 Dan decoder rings and fezo's keen eye to decipher and even detect! Then I'm on the phone with a lower management person with an attitude, who can't help me anyway...have to call back by 2:30pm our time before the East Coast execs tee off...10th ammendment prevents me from supporting federal intervention, but I'm all for NYC and other localities putting the hurt on the banks for exorbedent ATM fees. I once dated for a very short time an attractive female who verified ATM transactions. The banks of course preferred ATMs, because of time efficiency and the ability to lay off tellers...they save oodles of dough. She went from ATM to ATM to collect and distribute $$. Perhaps if I had only known of My Story's technique back then, I would not be in the debt I'm in today.

Throw back the little one's prediction: an previously unreleased (officially) song or portion thereof will show up in some form on the new one. Could be a snippet: ex., there are progression of chords on 2A after "..redefine the 1st arrangement again" which sound suspiciously like the chords in "The Nighfly" before the line "I sometimes wonder, what happened to that flame..."

Wishing I was jacknifed on the freeway.

Is it me or are all the perps of the rash of random mass gunfire angry white males who don't get laid?? Women, sacrifice for your country!!

Big Fan-oops, the date should be 11/27.

aja

bigfan-yes, Hank Easton is still with the band, though he plays mostly with another local band and the Steely Damned work around his schedule. Are you a local? The next date might be 11/26, and possibly an entire Damned show. I'm crossing my fingers.

aja

Ah yes, Mr. Fagen's lips. Yum yum yum.

Given the proper opportunity, I'd be chewin' on those lips in a New York minute.

And any other part of the man I could get my teeth on.

Any other fangrrls on this board prey to this weakness? (Can I get a witness?!!)

Alt: I also got a false email from one of the guest book regulars. I suppose that means somebody got one from me, if I understand what the person was doing. BTW whoever sent it - thanks, the wife and I really need to spice up our lives.

Steely Danmed Guitar - That was Hank Easton playing on those toons. Be sure to listen to his wa wa sound on Hation Divorce.

Peg: Is Hank still with the band?

Midnite and Kristen - I used to work in Danville back in the early '80s, at a horse farm that provided the riding program for Averett College. It's a pretty city; there's a lot of great 19th- and early 20th-century architecture there.

dear "time to redefine",

yes, it's the Gaslight promo poster in tile #1, but with one small change: instead of Joseph Cotten looming in the background in his tux, the background silhouette has been changed to a woman. Now how you get 2nd Arrangement from that is the real mystery.

Mr. Chow~ Yeah, the Aussies really pulled it out a few months back, they did an awesome job of righting the ship and taking what was rightfully theirs. Fix or no fix, they're the best cricket team around. I can't believe the All-Blacks blew it against the Frogs, but I don't see the .au's making the same mistake.

JDF~ Freddie was a legit bipolar man, he just really turned on the macho gay stud in the 80's with the 'stache. Still, the way he flaunted about the stage, that creamy falsetto strut, I can see why the ladies dug him...

Donald has the 'bitch lips,' like Freddie did, which is what a girl told me I had this summer. I don't know if they work as good on a guy as much as they do on, say, Angelina Jolie, but still.

I wish I could get turned out, but I got mono, so I really haven't turned out since Labor Day. Not fun.

Hutch: I'd love to be on the compilation, my electric is with me at school but my amp setup (Carvin 4X12 cab, 60-watt Fender tube head, nice VOX-AC30, old Fender sound, real clear and crisp) is at home. Plus I have no real way of recording myself, and the band is spread around their respective colleges. Maybe if there's a second compilation, I'll be ready. Until then, I'm going to order the GB Comp in a while and continue to play acoustic shows here at college.

I did the jazzy version of 'Reelin'' and 'Ida Lee' at the last show, along with the usual Al Green and Merle Haggard numbers.

Truth: So how are things going at River Sound? Brian Sweet says Hiram Bullock played on the original too.

Mr. Met: that was only the regular season. Remember, the Mets lost to the Braves where it counted, and the Yankees swept them right outta town.

Subway series? Don't bet on it. Valentine will coach/talk/micromanage his way out of the job by mid-season, chaos will ensue, and the "Nyets" will barely miss the wild card after a September collapse (again!). Some stories write themselves.

I'd look for an Astro/Diamondbacks NLCS, with the 'stros playing (again) the Yankees. Yankees in 5.

Better start putting your Yankee stuff on.

ygk

Now that's logic - we don't need to play anyone else to prove we're the best because we're the best. Tell that to New Zealand ( the unbackable favourites for the Rugby World Cup - if you didn't know).
The 'World' series should have 'Great' Britain in it too.

YGK- Remember the Mets took 2 out 3 from the Yanks at Shea this year! They beat up the Braves so bad in the playoffs,the Skanks were able to roll in 4. See you in the subway in 2000! BTW- I was in Atanta for game 6 of The Mets-Braves playoff game...They played Josie over the PA at Turner Field right before the game started...Later

original guitar on 2nd arrangement was Hiram Bullock

Thanks for the welcome all! I know I'm going to have a lot to share with all you Danfans and animal lovers! Did I mention that I have a cat named Josie? And thanks to all who recommended "Kamakiriad". I ran out and bought it as soon as I was released from my cubicle and have been playing it steadily ever since, letting is seep into my soul. "Tomorrow's Girls" knocks me out.

Hutch-yes, that's Wonder Boy Hank Easton on guitar. I wish you weren't 3,000 miles away-he's a god live, and man can he improvise. If you're ever in the area (San Diego), let me know and I'll take you to see him. Yeah, wouldn't that be great to have 2nd Arrangement on the new one!

The Stranger-uh oh, I've started drinking myself waiting for the New One. Hope I last!

KD-don't know who was the original guitarist. I e-mailed lovebob to see if he knew, but I haven't heard from him yet.

Clas-you big strong Swede you, please f@*& with me some more! It gives me something to look forward to as I sit captive in this cubicle.

'til next time,

aja

"Fingers" Bernstein - You're right. I think starting out on acoustic makes you a better all around player. Playing acoustic strengthens your fingers. It's like warming up with a lead bat in baseball (or those rings they use now). Sit down and play acoustic for about 15 minutes then pick up the electric and the action and thinner strings makes it feel like you could to ANYTHING with it!

aja - Went to The Steely Damned site. Yes ma'am... that's one fine guitar player! His solo on The Second Arrangement is smokin'! I finally got to hear that song after reading all the mentions of it on here. I think it's a great tune. I'd be disappointed if it's not on The New One.

KD - I'd like to hear your guitar. Sounds like it's got some great tones. Will we hear it on the GB Compilation?

Hutch

Mr. Chow: let any baseball team in the world challenge the Yankees in a best of 7....I'm certain as to who will come out on top. Perhaps in another sweep, if not in 5. Some of the Latin teams might present a formidable challenge, or even the Japanese. Nonetheless, the result would be the same.
Just because you don't deem the current hierarchy of professional baseball champions as valid doesn't mean that the Yankee's aren't World Champions.
Perhaps your wild and beautiful country - as well as yourself - doesn't understand the skills necessary to field a dominant or even challenging baseball team.

ygk

Clas - Erols is my internet service provider. I'm going to forward the message with the forged header to their anti-spam department so they can do something about it.

KD: Freddie, in my opinion had the best voice in all of rock music history,( even better than Donald's, yes I said it!! ) and his overbite was sexy. If he was still alive, and straight...I'd turn him out!!

JDF

P.S. I'd turn out Donald too, if I ever got the chance...

I finally decifered the titles of the new songs. here they are listed by their numbers when you click on them.

1. Wrong hole, stupid

2. Don't Jump, Donald changed the lyrics to Wetside!

3a. Bowler Stogie (monica's lover)

3b. Boca Rattan

4. Kamakiri II

5. Boy, do I Hate Sarah Mclahlan

6. Jackoff Speed

7. Buy the new one and we'll have sweet chicks and a stuffed piggy bank (cash-only musicians)

8. at every payphone somebody's cryin' II

9. west of la la

yours,

ben folds

KD - In answer to your question, it should be a good game. We've a good chance to be world champions of both cricket and rugby tomorrow night (true world champions too).

JW Malibu - The music is on its way. Just has to cross the Pacific Ocean - should take about 6 days. Cheers.

Hutch is right on. You wanna a good electric guitar for $150 then test-drive the Squires.

However, I recommend that novices start with an acoustic guitar. I'm sure this will generate some flak but even the great electricians eventually get back to the box, if you know what I mean.

I'm surprised no one's talking about the new one. Can you believe that title? Hahaha! They really danned us with that! And track #3!!! Who is Anna Karokinna?

Stockin'

Fingers

re Green/Red Book; "IT was the wrong color"

C

AjaRunToMe - what you mean girl? Am I "fucking with you" when I say I don't like 2:nd Arrangement? And that I don't think the song will be on the New One? Please explain.

Jw Malibu - no, I was the wrong color, I mixed them up, the Green Git-Book: "...I fly down to my swell Brooks". I'll check where the book is printed.

The Stranger - yeah, it's time for a change, I'm exhausted.

Altamira - I have also got some strange emails, very strange. But StAl's name was NOT involved.

Scary shit I think. Will you please explain what Erols is?

Minimizing my internet time,

C

I don't own one and don't play them, but a Strat's the way to go. Everyone loves the 335's, but unless you got a nice chunk o dough to plunk, go with the Strat. Plus, 335 may sound better than anything else, but if you have a Strat, you can do ANYTHING.

But I love my Brian May guitar. Three single coils that can lock up and play like a humbucker, octave like a Barney Kessel or 135 or something, and plunk like a Tele/Strat. Plus they can phase each other out and get some weird ass sounds, like an electric sitar. Mainly I go with the bridge single coil for my Steve Cropper tone.

But you just can't go wrong with a Strat, you don't want to be Shaq or John Stockton, go with Scottie Pippen.

JDF:

Milla's wonderful. I never saw 'Fifth Element', so I'm not a huge oogler, but I do oogle. I do. She's not used to dealing with people like Dave, which is why she didn't get why people were laughing or why her answers weren't sufficient. She's so locked up in her little world, has been all her life, surrounded by the weirdos-she's an odd one, but a nice one. The only girl I feel secure enough to pin pictures of in my room, anything else is just really lame and cliched.

and she has the overbite I like, her and Illeana Douglas.

And Freddie Mercury.

sorry for my outburst tony - i'm sure that you want to be like everyone else in the fukkkking world so get a stratttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt.

god! no vision no creativity -no adventure left in the fukkkking world

'puke

yeow tony try a 335 strats are so boring. if you want to be know as the player who was famous for bring interest to a new guitar instead of playing the sam old shit be the first persa0on to make it big playing a reverend theyare cool and so are you. whats with the marchdate posted on the metal leg page.fuk that. I'lkl be toooo booombed at the worlds 2nd largest stpats day parade to be able to listen to dons whinny new 'sweet regular guy" lyrics without pukkking green beeer. theys gotsta put it out in the dead of winter so that I 'll like it enough to get me through the hell of it all.my buddy told me that he heard a new dan tune on the radiop in a restaurant- hlaf FM half black cow with the chicjk singers. anyone hear that somethiong slippe dout alreadty???? libberty schooll merlot - goodd stuff.

mayans say world ends dec 23 2012 hope the new friggggging cd will be out before that wally!!!!

screw TB

St. Al - There's some weird shit going down on my e-mail. I got a spam from stalfnzo@seanet.com advising me about some interactive sex-related websites. I am not pleased to see some asshole forging your name for such nefarious and annoying purposes, and I will report this to Erols tomorrow when I have a bit more energy - Erols recently merged with Lycos and Starpower so I'll have to figure out how to contact them now that their addresses and phone numbers have changed. I just thought you'd like to know what's going on in your name; you may have learned about it already, but I wanted to mention it in case you either hadn't heard or it would be useful for you to find out where else this miserable spam has ended up.

Tony V. - I forgot to tell you they're making strats now with Humbucking pick-ups in the bridge position (they're using Seymour Duncans and DiMarzios)so you can get the single coil Fender tone AND a Les Paul type tone. Best of both worlds.

H.

Tony V. - You're definitely on the right track there for your next guitar. I highly recommend a Fender Strat. It's been my guitar of choice for a long time. They've got a great tone with or without distortion, they're comfortable to play and I like the way the volume knob is like half an inch from the high E string so you can hook your pinky finger around it for volume adjustments without moving your pick away from the strings. It's a good design. Leo Fender didn't know how to play guitar but he was a hell of an engineer. You might want to check out the Squire Strats. Some of them sound and feel pretty good and they're a lot less expensive than the American Standards. You have to try a bunch of the Squires to find a good one though. Stay away from the Mexican made ones. It'll say in fine print on the head stock where it's made.
Good luck!

Hutch

KD- I'm still playing my first guitar, after 2 years i still got this crappy Ibanez, oh my god i hate the thing so much, i really do. It's got the worst tone, and it buzzes, and god i hate it. The only good thing about it is that it's got a nice neck, but besides that blah! I am saving for a new guitar, but i'm hard pressed to find one that i like. I like the action nice and high so i might get a start or something like that, but i still don't know. Thanks for the cool site Hutch, lots of good stuff there!

Halloween in New Orleans is GREAT. Man, the freaks do come out.
There is so much spooky stuff in this city, its amazing. I asked Marie LaVeau about the new one, she said "HEY, I busy". I backed off.

Ole: It's Gumbo weather. This week it's seafood gumbo. Ya know I haven't picked a date yet!

O-yeah: YES at House Of Blues was awesome!

Lots of new posters of late. Cool.

For the one who asked about where Charlottesvillians go to hang out . . . the answer is Richmond or DC. No good haunts in town. Either too collegeified or populated by too many damn preppy lawyers. There is a pretty good C @ W bar (Max) but that's prone to a little too much knife play for my tastes

Why do I suddenly wish I was a truck driver in California?

JWMalibu: I was in your "studio" today. All that water/ice/snow is quite refreshing! Is that you on the board? btw, I read your Sequoia Camping Trips muse. I could practically hear you singing "Got No Strings." (I can hear across space/time - its a gift.)

Stanger: I wanted to use you, but my teen had such a crisis we didn't stay the night. I would much rather have been hold up in a nice LA hotel than driving 99 at 3:am, amidst 10,000 semis.

You know, they can see right into everybody's vehicles! Can you imagine the fun I had getting those trucker's attention? Of course, my Mr became a bit scandalized with me, so I quit - but he also saw the humor. He loves me for me, thank GOD.

Let's plan to not listen to the New One together - or not. Which would be an affirmative, good buddy.

rb

Hey DanFans,
Wow! I have missed you guys! I've also missed a lot of posting. I can't wait to hear the GB compilation CD. Sounds like a winner. Has anyone seen/heard from Katy? I miss my sister!!
KD:I saw it too..I had pegged her for a ditz, but she was kinda witty, in a ultra beautiful girl way. Her new movie looks great though. I noticed she was very nervous, but if I was talking to Dave, I'd be nervous too.
It's nice to see other young ones on the GB, myself ranking in at an early 21. We are proving not only can dan bridge generation gaps, but that not all of the younger generation is lost completely to gangsta rap, and the Backstreet Boys... *shuttering with disgust as I type those words*

Tony: Welcome!! I understand how you feel, I've been a DanFan since I was around 10 or 11, and NONE of my friends then even knew anything except New Kids On The Block songs ( yuck ) Hang in there kiddo, at least you have us!

ta ta for now...
JDF

If D&W wait 'till the Year of the Dragon I'll be surprised. As a matter of fact, I suspect the new one is out right now.

Can you imagine passing around your music before its release date? Boy, you must really trust those people. Like SD surely must trust the Turners...

Barbarella: "Donny, who made the Kamakiriad and would I be a beautiful insect?"

Donny: "Yes and yes."

Tedarella: "Donny, can I buy the Kamakiriad? I want to give it to some poor people in Sherwood forest."

Walt (Interrupting): "Don't answer that Donald. It's a trick!"

Donny (not hearing): "Yes and yes."

So there you have it. Release date was at least today if not earlier. Perhaps sooner but I doubt it.

Paul Shaffer's band played 'Josie' as my favorite lady of all time, Milla Jovovich, walked over to meet Dave Letterman on tonight's show.

she will be mine, oh yes, she will be mine

Jesus just left Chicago on a cablecar bound for Jericho..?

I saw the photo.

Hey All!

The GB Compilation is evolving into a nice little project! We've got 12 artists contributing ~ please, if you know of someone who SHOULD be on the album but isn't, please let them know! We've got room for 2 or 3 more songs...

Midnite ~ Those ragdolls are gorgeous! You must be pretty darn proud of that covershot...your cat's a pinup! Glad to have you on the CD as well...

Tony V, Kristen & aja-runtome ~ Welcome! You're in the right place...OMIO knows the subversive agenda, Tony...slip 'em the Varese! A little "Ionization" never hurt anyone!

Clas ~ My "red book" say "Muswell"...crazy, huh? Must be a British printing...

Doc Ole ~ Yeah, the HCV is a lurker all right! Some days I feel like a 20 year-old, some days I feel like I've been hit by a Mack truck...comes and goes like the tides. Problem is, the tide keeps gettin' higher! Hopefully they'll find a cure for this shit soon...

I did another "Dan-esque" called "Custerdome" ~ check it out at:

http://www.thekatbox.com/casellastudio/custer.htm

It's good we have new people in here because a lot of the older ones have died of old age or drunk themselves to death waiting for the new CD.

Life imitating art imitating life department: today's much-publicized Seattle shootings happened in *my* neighborhood, about 15 blocks due south-ish of where I now sit typing this. Yikes!

I was away at work during the brouhaha, but one of my friends on a local BBS was at home, and kept us apprised of happenings: SWAT teams working their way down her street, cops plumbing the shrubbery in her backyard, the Chief of Police peering under her car, etc. etc. etc.

As of this moment the perp is still on the loose--most likely long gone, but conceivably still holed up in a cellar somewhere. Charming, huh?

/the duckling

My bet for the release is this: I would say if the first quarter of the moon appeared on a Tuesday in January in USA, then it is that day; However, I say it will be the first quarter of the year, ie. 1-25, Tuesday the 25th of Jan. Plenty of time to get the end caps loaded at Best Buy and Circus City in time for H of F.

My wager? All seven Steely Dan CDs appearing Digitally Alphabetized by Title for the first time ever. (ie. enter titles into MS Word--> Tools --> Sort. Do A's, An's, and The's count?)

Hutch....I'm from Danville too and I never got a welcome that nice! j/k!!

Kristen....welcome aboard from a fellow Danvillian. I'm actually in Pittsylvania county now but Danville has been home all my life. Did you see Steely Dan at Walnut Creek on the Art Crimes tour? I got to see them then too. I think it was '96? Anyway, nice to see someone else from home posting here. We used to have foxinsocks posting here but she's retreated to her MUD's and ICQ.
Good bunch of folks here and it's usually pretty interesting.

aja-

Listened to the Damned version, very nice. Actually, nice to hear the bloody song for the first time. Wow. Great guitar, do we know who played on the original? (Parks, McCracken, WB?)

When dealing with Clas, just remember high school English: three dots...

'Kama' reminds me more of 'Aja' then any other Dan-related piece of work out there, in the length of songs and especially the R+B influence of it all. Also, the steady and laid-back lead guitar of Walter Becker is very similar to his work on 'Aja.'

One thing I miss: Timothy B. Schmidt. Wait. No I don't. Not at all.

Tony V:

You remind me so much of myself at that age, it's scary. Have you gotten a hold of a good real guitar yet or are you still playing your first? I started playing in 6th grade and started washing dishes for a local sports bar the same year. By freshman year I had saved enough to go half-sies with my parents on a Guild model Brian May signature, and got lucky and they sent me serial number 0001, the first made. It was my first real guitar after playing a Kramer knockoff and it's been the only electric I've played since.

Baxter's the man, but as time goes on you'll wish Mr. Dias was just as impressive (if not more). 'My Old School' taught me how to bend strings with taste, that song and watching Skunk play on a Rock and Roll documentary around '94 or '95. See Buddy Guy for more on the art of the giant bend.

Still, the bottom line is, rhythm and the chords underneath are what made the Dan so interesting. For every Dias/Skunk/Carlton jaw dropper. There is a Lee Ritenour or Dean Parks underneath making things work. There's where you realize how important Becker and Fagen were with their songwriting genius.

And good to see the love of Led Zep is there. For all the stick they get, the band is a great way for youngsters to learn their roots: 'Lemon Song'=Albert King, the Robert Johnson stuff, Burt Jansch (sp?), and Page's Country and Western influences.

Just picked up Dexter Gordon's 'Live at Carnegie Hall.' Would have been really nice to get this guy on a Dan album stroking his tenor, but apparently he wasn't in the U.S. until '78 or so. I spose that would have been the most famous sax guest.

Does anyone else think/wish that it's Mr. Becker dropping those occasional weird posts like 'the PBS Mordor Series?' Or anything about Rudy G.

Ozzies:

How about Healy leaving before breaking that record or playing his last match at home? When does the Aussie Rugby team take on the Frogs? How bout them beating the All Blacks?!?

aja - You should run out and buy Kamakiriad immediatly, if not sooner! As JosieDanFan said, "It's a thing of beauty." Donald delivers the goods on this one in a big way. And with Walter playing bass and lead guitar solos on all the songs what have you got? Well, for you it's a new Steely Dan album to listen to while you're waiting for The New One! You'll be up and dancing before the first song is done... guaranteed!
Clas is fucking with you already? He fucks with everybody but we still love him. Yes, you have officially won the Swedish Seal of Approval.

Kristen - Welcome from a fellow Virginian! One of my best buddies in college was from Danville. A great place to be if you're a DanFan, eh? ... danville... dan fan... get it? hmmm.

Tony V. - Yeah, My Old School has always been one of my favorites too. Some pretty slick licks from Skunk. I like the little descending run he does just before the song finally fades out. Turn up the volume as the song is fading and you'll hear it.
I'm a guitar player too. I started playing about the same age as you. Keep working hard. Don't let anything stop you. You'll be burnin' the fretboard up before you know it!
Here's a great web site with correct Steely Dan chords and tablature for guitar. Check it out.

www.ph.ed.ac.uk/~haw/music/tabfiles.html

Hutch

Hutch- Well it's hard to say what my favorite Steely Dan Album is, i would have to say either Can't buy a thrill, Countdown to Ecstacy, Katy Lied, or Aja. Hehe I know thats just about all of them, but it's hard for me to pick! One of my most favorite songs is "My Old School" becuase of the astounding guitar work by Jeff "The Skunk" Baxter. It just blows me away, all the little things he does on those solos, not just in "My Old School" but everyone other one. Don't get me wrong, i still love the other guys, but I just think Jeff is phenomanal. I play guitar myself, but i know very little Steely Dan as of yet. I can play everything on "Reeling in the Years" and some of "Don't Take me Alive" but thats about it as of now. I've only been playing for 2 years, so this stuff is kinda hard for me. Right now i'm contemplating on which song to learn "Bad Sneakers" or "My Old School" it's kinda hard to decide. I love every single Steely Dan song and i want to learn them all!

Been a Steely Dan fan for a while. Got to see them in '95. They played songs like "King of the World", "Green Earings", and "Razor Boy". They rock. Email me to talk more about them.

Peace,
Kristen

Antichrist Revealed!!

Start with the given:

1. CUTE PURPLE DINOSAUR

2. Change all the Uâs to Vâs (which is proper Latin anyway)=
CVTE PVRPLE DINOSAVR

3. Extract all the Roman Numerals=
C V V L D I V

4. Convert these to Arabic values.=
100 5 5 50 500 1 5

5. Add them up. Total = 666

There you have it! Proof that Barney is the Antichrist. Please pass this on to every prophecy student you know. It is imperative that the truth gets out before it is too late!

Just took a few minutes to read the archives and get an idea of who everyone is. What a diverse bunch. On only my second post Clas was fucking with me-can I consider myself initiated? Glad to see a lot of other 2nd Arrangement fans. I too, hope the lamplight hint was for that song! Here's to reckless lovers!

Oh, I remember my first corruption, thanks to the Steely Damned, and now it's a habit! Speaking of which, I've never heard Kamakiriad. If my favorite album is AJA (what a surprise) will I like Kamakiriad, and will it satisfy me until the new one is here?

KD-did you listen to the Steely Damned's version of 2nd Arrangement? Isn't that guitarist (Hank Easton) amazing?

aja

Steve V. - Yowie. My hat's off to you. Looking forward to seeing more of your labor of love.

Tony V. and aja - welcome. You'll like it here, even when things get a little hot. Just jump right in when you have something to say.

OMIO - I like the way you put it in perspective.

Miz Ducky - Well done, soldier! Keep up the good work!

KD - e me re: 2nd Arrangement.