Steely Dan Do It Again Solo

Artwork by Thomas Neokleous

Steely Dan is a band that is sometimes categorized every bit yacht rock or soft rock etc. In fact, for a large portion of their career Steely Dan has non been a band at all. I'm sure there are yet some people who recall there is a guy named Steely Dan who's been recording popular songs since the 70s. The core members of Steely Dan have always been Donald Fagen and the late Walter Becker who passed abroad in 2017. The two met at Bard College in Annandale, New York in the 1960s. At college, they were both studying to become literature majors.

Besides their literature studies, Fagen and Becker had serious musical interests every bit well to put it lightly. Donald Fagen played keyboards while Walter Becker played bass and guitar. They headed up several bands in higher including one called Bad Stone Group which featured comedian Chevy Chase of Sat Night Alive fame on drums. Afterwards higher, Fagen and Becker would piece of work on various musical projects such as film scoring and recording with Jay And The Americans from 1970-1971.

The birth of Steely Dan began in 1970 when guitarist Denny Dias placed an advertising in The Village Voice looking for a keyboard and bass player who had "Serious Jazz Chops!." Fagen and Becker answered the advertisement and began playing and recording in Dias' basement in Hicksville, Long Island. Eventually, Becker and Fagen took over the band and fired them all the original musicians except Diaz. Walter Becker and Donald Fagen recruited some groovy talent to replace the fired band members. The new members included Jeff (Skunk) Baxter on guitar, Jim Hodder on drums and David Palmer (Dirty Work) on vocals.

In 1972, the group moved to California and recorded their first album entitled Can't Buy A Thrill.  They would continue this same bones lineup for their first iii albums. The recordings also featured a host of brilliant session musicians. Becker and Fagen seemed to accept come to a realization early on that the utilization of professional studio musicians enabled them to capture the audio they were looking to place on vinyl. Information technology takes a special type of musician to play the parts perfectly when the red light goes on. Most band members fail miserably in the recording studio. In 1974, with the release of Pretzel Logic, Fagen and Becker would use studio musicians exclusively for their albums, with Dias and Baxter returning as hired guns on afterwards records.

The betoken of this article nevertheless is to comprehend one particular attribute of Steely Dan'due south piece of work. Steely Dan's recordings have been infused with some of the nigh iconic and brilliant guitar solos in classic rock history. When information technology comes to Classic Stone, the guitar has to be the quintessential rock instrument. Steely Dan's list of guitar players reads like a who's who of the music business concern. From Walter Becker, Denny Dias and Skunk Baxter who were permanent fixtures to the likes of Larry Carlton, Elliott Randall, Rick Derringer, Lee Ritinour, Jay Graydon, Dean Parks and Steve Kahn.

This commodity presents forty of Steely Dan's greatest guitar tracks. Steely Dan's albums are saturated with impeccably recorded songs with amazing jazz voicings from what seems like another planet. Their songs are filled with quirky lyrics about sketchy characters and Donald and Walter's babyhood memories and failed relationships. Nevertheless, in the end, this article is a tribute to all the corking musicians who played on these recordings.

# 40 – THE Last MALL

Everything Must Go –  Released: 2003

 Guitar: Walter Becker

Opening up our listing is "The Last Mall," from the latest (and possibly last) Steely Dan anthology Everything Must Go . The tune starts off with Walter Becker's guitar and his trademark audio and groove backed by a boisterous shuffle rhythm  played by Keith Carlock on drums, reminiscent of Donald Fagen's "I.G.Y.:

In the 2nd verse nosotros hear a picayune telephone call and respond betwixt Fagen's vocal and Becker's guitar similar to the one in the tune "Pretzel Logic." Becker takes a solo around the 2:06 marker followed by more than call and answer.

"The Final Mall," is a peachy example of Steely Dan presenting usa with a prissy happy sounding tune containing some deep dark and depressing subject matter. The song seems to be nearly American consumerism and conformity or the end of civilisation as we know it, or both.

Either way, "The Last Mall," is a peachy rails and great guitar work by Walter Becker. As a side note, Walter Becker played bass on every rails on this record besides as Keith Carlock playing drums on all tracks. This is the start and only Steely Dan tape to accept the same drummer and bassist on all tracks.

# 39 – West OF HOLLYWOOD

Two Confronting Nature – Released:  2000

Guitar : Walter Becker

Coming in at #39 is "West Of Hollywood," the last runway on Steely Dan'south 2000 Grammy Honor winning release Two Against Nature . This is Steely Dan's longest rail coming in at 8 minutes and 22 seconds .

It features real tasty guitar piece of work past Walter Becker in the early stages of the melody. Perchance the highlight of the song is in the extended outro, with an astonishing solo by Jazz saxophonist Chris Potter taking up near half the track.

The whole thing is backed by a driving 2\4 drumbeat played by Earth Current of air & Fire and session drummer Sonny Emory. The song's lyrics imply a relationship which has failed or ends in death .

Two Against Nature was Steely Dan'southward kickoff album to be released since Gaucho in 1980 twenty years prior. The album was definitely worth the await and in that location are more songs on our list to follow.

# 38 – Any MAJOR DUDE Will TELL Y'all

Pretzel Logic – Released: 1974

Guitars: Dean Parks, Denny Dias, Jeff (Skunk) Baxter

In the number thirty eight spot is "Any Major Dude Volition Tell You," from Steely Dan'southward 1974 release Pretzel Logic . The song was the "B" side of the unmarried "Rikki Don't Lose That Number," and is one of Steely Dan's nigh simple and beautiful songs played with slap-up feeling by some of the best in the business. The track opens up with acoustic guitar played by Dean Parks. The electrical guitars are played by Denny Dias and Jeff (Skunk) Baxter. Baxter actually played the final five notes of Dias' guitar parts because they required vibrato which Baxter's guitar had and Denny's didn't.

The Pretzel Logic album features the nifty seventy's session drummer Jim Gordon on x of the xi tracks including this one. Gordon's drumming forth with  Chuck Rainey'due south bass and electric pianos played by Donald Fagen and David Paich (of Toto) hold the entire vocal together perfectly.

One line in this song that stands out is Have y'all ever seen a squonk's tears well look at mine. A squonk is a mythical fauna that lives in the Hemlock forest in Pennsylvania. He is a very ugly fauna with wrinkled, baggy, wart covered skin and spends nearly of his time hiding and crying because he is aback of his appearance . Hunters try to capture squonks  but are eluded by the squonk's uncanny ability to cry itself into a pool of tears when cornered leaving nothing only a puddle. Talk about deplorable! The following year Genesis would record a song entitled Squonk on their 1976 release A Trick Of The Tail .

# 37 – COUSIN DUPREE

Two Confronting Nature – Released:  2000

Guitar: Walter Becker

At #37 is some other track off 2 Against Nature . In 2001 "Cousin Dupree," won the Grammy for Best Popular Performance past a Song Grouping, beating NSYNC's "Bye, Bye, Goodbye". An upbeat melody with creepy lyrics almost a homo named Dupree who's attracted to his blossoming immature cousin.

Aside from the hysterical lyrics, the song features i of Walter Becker's most tasty guitar solos. What makes many of Walter's solos then keen is they're not usually real flashy or incredibly dumbo, simply the way he grooves with the bass and drums leaving enough space for everything to "breathe" sort of like jazz guitarist John Scofield'due south playing. This song is lots of fun and is Vintage Steely Dan.

# 36 – WHAT A SHAME Almost ME

Two Against Nature – Released:  2000

Guitar: Walter Becker

Some other bang-up rails off of Two Against Nature takes the number 30 six Spot. In the song "What A Shame About Me," the main character is a recovering drug addict "writer" who'due south day chore is working at The Strand (a famous book store in New York City), when he bumps into his ex girlfriend from college, (Franny from NYU who by now has become a major star in Hollywood) in Stark contrast to the pathetic loser he is.

In spite of that, they chat for a bit While he daydreams about Goddess like images of her on the fire escape outside her Jane Street apartment. This is followed by Walter's tasty guitar solo. She then offers him a "Mercy Hump" dorsum at her hotel. The line "Why don't we grab a cab to my hotel and make believe we're back at our old schoolhouse" makes reference to the tune "My Quondam School," from Countdown to Ecstasy which appears at number seventeen on our list.

# 35 – PARKERS BAND

Pretzel Logic – Released: 1974

Guitars: Jeff (Skunk) Baxter

A jazz inspired rock tune that pays tribute to Jazz Saxophonist Charlie Parker, the song opens up with a Be-Bop style guitar solo by Baxter(in which he seems to riff on the melody of On Broadway) and is filled with references to Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespe. The beat is driven by two drummers Jim Gordon and Jeff Porcaro.

There'southward a jazzy break about ane:33 where Fagen sings "we volition spend a Airheaded weekend smacked into a trance (Smack (the street proper name for Heroin) the line hints at Charlie Parker'southward well documented struggle with addiction). Me and yous will mind to a little chip of what made the preacher dance." And so back to the rock tune which the vocal opened with. This is the first of four songs from Pretzel Logic on our countdown.

# 34 – EAST ST. LOUIS TOODLE-OO

Pretzel Logic – Released: 1974

Guitars: Walter Becker and Jeff (Skunk) Baxter

Continuing with our Killer Steely Dan Guitar Tracks article we take a expect at another runway from Pretzel Logic . Knuckles Ellington'due south "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo," is the only instrumental to appear on a Steely Dan record. Information technology is as well the but cover tune to be on a Steely Dan record likewise.

"East St. Louis Toodle-Oo," is the first Steely Dan rails to feature Walter Becker on guitar. Becker plays an electrical guitar with a wha wha pedal which mimics the sound of a muted trumpet.

The vocal also features Baxter playing a beautiful pedal steel solo at around the i:03 mark followed past a killer ragtime piano solo by Fagen. A great tribute to an Icon of American music.

# 33 – I GOT THE NEWS

Aja – Released: 1977

Guitar: Larry Carlton

Steely Dan's classic vocal "I Got The News," features i of music's almost legendary session guitarists, the great Larry Carlton. This track has all the ingredients of a archetype Steely Dan vocal. Information technology's got a keen story in it'south lyrics well-nigh a guy who is "friends" with presumably a sketchy "Lady" on the streets whom he plainly has some dirt almost.

Its got a funky Disco type trounce by Drummer Ed Greene which really kicks into gear during Larry'south solo around 2:20. The incredible Michael McDonald is featured on the song section leading upwardly to the solo. Walter Becker likewise provides some tasty rhythmic guitar plucking underneath information technology all.

Donald Fagen sings lead on this track too every bit some amazing airy jazz influenced piano playing. "I Got the News," could arguably be regarded as the weakest track on the Aja  anthology but that doesn't diminish it's greatness.

# 32 – DADDY DON'T Live IN THAT NEW YORK CITY NO MORE

Katy Lied – Released: 1975

Guitar: Larry Carlton

This is another great song most an absentee father "Daddy" who drives around drinking in his Cadillac Eldorado and coming together shady characters until he meets his untimely end by either crashing his automobile or getting whacked. Daddy don't need no lock and key for the slice(gun) he stole downwards on Avenue "G"(a street in the Alphabet metropolis section of New York City with a large history of crime).

This section is followed by a curt but powerful solo by Larry Carlton.The rest of Larry's playing on this tune lends sort of a land meets Keith Richards type flavor to it. A very simple Rock tune with a groovy backbeat played by the late session and Toto drummer Jeff Porcaro provides a upbeat experience to an otherwise dark story.

# 31 – ROSE DARLING

Katy Lied – Released: 1975

Guitar: Dean Parks

Coming in at number 30 one is "Rose Darling," also from Katy Lied , a typical Steely Dan love song virtually a late night "Booty Call" Featuring session guitarist Dean Parks. He plays real tasty stuff throughout also as a very sweet sounding solo towards the cease of the track.

Not bad Drums again by Jeff Porcaro and perfect bankroll vocals by Michael McDonald. Another deep album cutting that'south definitely worth a listen.

# thirty – Chain LIGHTENING

Katy Lied – Released: 1975

Guitar: Rick Derringer

"Chain Lightening," is another track off Katy Lied . It features legendary Stone guitarist Rick Derringer (Rock and Whorl Hoochie Coo, Hang On Sloopy). It's a tedious swinging blues number in the vein of Pretzel Logic (next on our list), with a laid back but powerful shuffle feel by Jeff Porcaro on drums.

Rick Derringer'due south guitar work is the star of the testify here especially the killer solo that comes in at near 58 seconds in and goes till 1:53. Information technology'south a fairly extended solo for a 3 minute song but then good he could take went on for another xx minutes.

# 29 – PRETZEL LOGIC

Pretzel Logic – Released: 1974

Guitar: Jeff (Skunk) Baxter

The title track off the 1974 tape Pretzel Logic  deals with twisted thinking and delusions of grandeur and peradventure a fleck of fourth dimension travel. The song features i of the great session drummers of the 1970's Jim Gordon. We can probably do an entire article on him. Timothy B. Schmidt (Poco, Eagles) performs bankroll vocals on this one likewise.

Walter Becker's guitar playing actually shines on this rails from the early call and answer to Fagen's vocals to the two solos he plays. The solo that closes the song is one of his best.

# 28 – THROW Dorsum THE Little ONES

Katy Lied – Released: 1975

Guitar: Elliot Randell

"Throw Back The Little 1,"south seems to utilise fishing as metaphor for putting up with all the nonsense in the "Music Biz" and sell out a little bit to somewhen get the artistic freedom you desire.

Elliott Randall plays guitar on this rails (flawless as usual). Elliott also played the iconic solo(s) on Reelin' In The Years which may be actualization a little later in our inaugural.

# 27 – Dark By NIGHT

Pretzel Logic – Released: 1974

Guitar: Jeff (Skunk) Baxter

"Nighttime Past Dark," from Pretzel Logic  appears to be almost a homeless grifter biding his time till something better comes forth or it's about someone trying to kicking a addiction and rejoin society or both or none. Steely Dan's songs are total of double and triple entendres and ambivalence. Another neat track with Jeff(Skunk) Baxter on guitar.

A great solo comes in at ii:01 and features a impact of octave playing in the solo at 2:15 sounding like Tony Iommi meets Wes Montgomery. Night By Dark marks the offset studio recording of a then xix twelvemonth old drummer named Jeff Porcaro. And every bit they say the rest is history.

# 26 – MIDNIGHT CRUISER

Can't Buy A Thrill – Released: 1972

Guitar: Denny Dias

"Midnight Cruiser," features drummer Jim Hodder on atomic number 82 vocals and Denny Dias on guitar. The vocal is either virtually a person who's life has somehow passed him by before he tin realize his dreams missing many opportunities along the way failing to strike while the "Atomic number 26 is hot".

However, if the offset word of the song is Thelonious instead of Felonious, the vocal becomes about jazz great Thelonious Monk. The title "Midnight Cruiser" becomes reference to Monk's jazz classic Circular Midnight . Either style its a sad vocal about regret and wishing one could go back to a better fourth dimension.

The guitar work on this track compliments the lyrics perfectly. Dias plays a George Harrison sounding lick after each chorus and and then rounds it out with a beautiful solo with a double tracked guitar. One of Steely Dan's greatest songs.

# 25 – YOUR Golden TEETH ll

Katy Lied – Released: 1975

Guitar: Denny Dias

Throwing out your Gold Teeth is a metaphor for gambling away the last little chip you are worth, in the case of this song it could refer to Fagen and Becker's sectional utilise of hired guns to play on their records ("Who are these strangers who pass through the door who embrace your activity and become y'all ane more.")

Aside from the intro, the vocal is basically a jazz waltz. Denny Dias was a founding fellow member of Steely Dan and past this bespeak is not an actual band member anymore but rather a hired gun to play on sure tracks.

Denny is a seasoned jazz guitarist and his solo on this song is one of his finest. Denny would be hired again in 1977 to play on the title runway on the Aja album.

# 24 – SIGN IN STRANGER

The Royal Scam – Released: 1976

Guitar: Elliott Randall

Sign in Stranger is the first of 5 tracks on our list from Steely Dan'southward 1976 masterpiece The Royal Scam. This is a song about someone (Zombie) signing his life away and joining a corrupt underworld organization. Once you "Sign In" there's only one way out, thus the term Zombie.

The line "Pepe has a scar from ear to ear, he can make your mugshots disappear" refers to a guy who has been whacked just we'll say it's you lot (Zombie) instead . In render Zombie has to "Walk around collecting Union Dues" (Gambling debts).

The song is sort of a Reggae manner vamp with legendary session drummer Bernard Purdie in the driver'south seat. The whole affair kinda' opens up in the stop with a brilliant guitar solo by Elliott Randall to take us out.

# 23 – THIRD Earth Man

Gaucho – Released: 1980

Guitar: Larry Carlton

Past many accounts, "Third World Man," was a track which was leftover from 1977's Aja sessions. The Gaucho album was supposed to include a song entitled "The Second Arrangement," which Donald Fagen spent many hours in the studio to obtain the perfect recording. The morning after it was completed a studio technician came in and accidentally recorded a tone track over the master (all was lost just the terminal few seconds of the fade out). Fagen attempted to re-tape an entirely new The Second Organisation simply information technology wasn't to his liking and never fabricated information technology on the anthology. The chief of information technology has since "leaked" out and can exist heard online if you Google The Lost Gaucho . Third World Human being was basically a finished recording needing only a lead guitar track.

3rd World Human was basically a finished recording needing merely a lead guitar rails. Larry Carlton was hired to play guitar on what would be the last song on the last side of the last Steely Dan album of the 20th century. Information technology would be 20 years before Steely Dan would release their improvement album Two Against Nature . 3rd world Human being is a very haunting and dark sounding tune equally equally dark in it'southward lyrics. The vocal is most probable about a war veteran suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome PTSD.

Go along in listen that Gaucho was released in 1980. The Viet Nam war had concluded only five years prior. In the song Johnny has flashbacks when he hears "Fireworks" thinking he'south "dreaming" till he hears "the neighbors screaming". Perhaps he's even homeless and a drug addict such every bit the example with many vets. His condition has reduced him to a "Third World" lifestyle.

The song may also be using combat equally a metaphor for H2o Becker's battle with heroin addiction at the fourth dimension. Walter was largely absent during the Gaucho sessions leaving nigh of the heavy lifting to Fagen.

Johnny'south flashback in the tune is accentuated by two booming drum breaks by the legendary Steve Gadd and is followed by what many have referred to as Larry Carlton'south most emotional guitar solo.

# 22 – CHANGE OF THE GUARD

Can't Buy A Thrill – Released: 1972

Guitar: Jeff (Skunk) Baxter

Taking the number 20 two spot is "Modify Of The Guard, from Steely Dan's debut record Tin can't Buy A Thrill . It'due south an upbeat Stone melody perhaps announcing or celebrating the ever irresolute music scene and Hippie counter culture of the 1960s.

Although Can't Buy A Thrill was released in 1972, it was only the band's commencement record then information technology would be entirely plausible that this tune could have been written a few years earlier. By the same token, if Donald and Walter had written information technology in '72 instead it becomes a sarcastic jab at the whole Hippie motility. Many of Steely Dan's tunes seem to serve as private jokes for the sole purpose of Becker and Fagen's personal entertainment.

Jeff (Skunk) Baxter plays guitar on this runway. The melody has some flavors of My One-time School   from the band's adjacent release Countdown To Ecstasy 1973, which Baxter also plays on. Jeff begins a perfect solo at the 2:05 marker which ends with one of the best pick slides ever recorded. The tone of Jeff's guitar is amazing and cuts right through similar a razor in a way that could remind us of the groovy Dejection guitarist Albert Collins.

# 21 – KINGS

Tin't Purchase A Thrill – Released: 1972

Guitar: Jeff (Skunk) Baxter

Kings is another vocal from Can't Buy A Thrill  and seems to utilize the story of King Richard The Lionhearted being succeeded by his blood brother Male monarch John as a metaphor for Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy. Another example of the recurring duality which permiates many of Steely Dan's songs. Fagen's night and driving piano opens the rails pounding abroad like Elton John on his 11-17-70 album. It continues equally the band joins in.

Elliott Randall's guitar solo comes in at 2:09 leading up to the last poetry and chorus. The song closes out with a very optimistic almost ice cream truck sounding melody (a variation of the  one which appears at 1:54 leading into the guitar solo) as the song fades out.

# 20 – Greenish EARRINGS

The Royal Scam – Released: 1976

Guitar: Elliott Randall and Denny Dias

"Green Earrings," is a vocal near a gem thief who personally knows his victims. The vocal has a really intense groove played by bassist Chuck Rainey and drummer Bernard Purdie. Purdie'due south drumming on this track plows through the song like an out of control garbage truck making it a wild musical ride to say the very least.

There are two incredible solos on this tune, the kickoff solo is a wonderful airy jazz inspired riff by Denny Dias followed past a solo by Elliott Randall which is played very much in the way of Frank Zappa with a absurd flanger effect on his guitar (which mirrors the outcome on the keyboard which opens the track) and lots of selection hammering on the fretboard (a technique taught to Zappa past drummer Jim Gordon). Elliott'southward solo takes united states all the way out equally the song fades. Green Earrings is e'er a favorite at Steely Dan'southward alive shows.

# 19 – THE Purple SCAM

The Royal Scam – Released: 1976

Guitar: Larry Carlton

At 19 is the title track from Steely Dan's 1976 masterpiece The Majestic Scam . Some consider this to be the band'southward finest album. The song is a dark and foreboding tale almost capitalist society and how immigrants (in this instance people from Puerto Rico or the Caribbean, simply the model could utilise to any immigrants who have suffered the same fate) come to America to "Alive The Dream."

They are told the streets are paved with gilt when the reality is that they are relegated to the bottom of the food chain forcing them to compete with the previous "wave" of immigrants who came before them. They have been scammed. In spite of that, they ship messages home saying they're doing fine thus encouraging more "scam" victims to follow.

The age onetime tale of the haves and the have nots is e'er nowadays in this song and is the basis for the unabridged concept of the album, from the songs to the album comprehend which depicts skyscrapers as vicious animals (metaphor for corporate greed that chews you up and spits yous out). On the street below the buildings is a man sleeping on a subway vent. He doesn't appear to be from a third globe nation but rather a businessman. His clothes are worn and muddy and the soles of his shoes have holes in them. He'southward plainly a casualty of the organization and in that location's a long line of new victims waiting to accept his place.

The title track we speak of here is as sonically night as it is lyrically. Every song on the record is about a law-breaking of some sort and the biggest criminal offense is a crime confronting humanity which is depicted here in the final cut on the album.

Larry Carlton plays guitar on this song and adds to the overall mood of the slice with a little riff played on the lower strings of the guitar accompanied by some very scary sounding piano notes played past Fagen which continues with each verse in the song.

The drumming in this song is very unusual only very effective. Bernard Purdie (who plays on seven of the nine songs on this record) plays an near military style vamp on the snare pulsate backed past these little horn "stabs."  The snare drum is played on the downbeats which are on the 1 and iii, the opposite of traditional Stone songs with the snare on the backbeat (2 and 4). This alternates back and forth with a traditional Rock section creating a series of starts and stops where the song takes off for a bit but so gets pulled back down.

A great contrast in the song is where the background singers sing "Encounter the glory of the Royal Scam". The voices sing over a more upbeat feel implying an illusion of freedom or hope perhaps to lure more "victims" into the "Scam".

Guitarist Larry Carlton takes a short solo about half way through which brings us back to Purdie's pounding beat along with the horns. Some other of import chemical element of this melody is the muted trumpet played throughout the rails by Chuck Findley. In the context of this vocal, the trumpet could be used to remind us of the cries and suffering of the oppressed immigrants in this story. This is a killer guitar runway considering of Larry's ability to add together so much to a song with very minimum of playing.

# xviii – PEARL OF THE QUARTER

Inaugural To Ecstasy – Released: 1973

Guitar: Jeff (Skunk) Baxter

The "Quarter" refers to the French Quarter in New Orleans where mayhap a human being has fallen in love with a hooker. He visits her one time in a while and tells his buddies to say hi to her when they go down at that place. Could this melody is a bit of Fagen and Becker's tongue in cheek approach to songwriting in the fact that it's a pretty melody with sketchy subject matter?

The highlight of the song is definitely Jeff (Skunk) Baxter'southward Pedal Steel playing throughout the track with an admittedly cute solo at 2:45. The song has a bit of a Country Western experience making it a pretty unusual Steely Dan song.

Inaugural To Ecstasy is a wonderful album with dandy songs and incredible playing but didn't sell very well. Fagen and Becker attributed this to the audio quality of the album not beingness upwardly to their standard (as it was recorded quickly while the band was on the route).

# 17 – MY Sometime School

Countdown To Ecstasy – Released: 1973

Guitar: Jeff (Skunk) Baxter

Coming in at 17 is My Former School  from Steely Dan'south 2nd album Countdown To Ecstasy. It's almost a marijuana bust at Bard College in Annandale New York where fifty students went to jail including Fagen and his girlfriend Dorothy White who was visiting him at the time. Dorothy White painted the album embrace for Countdown To Ecstasy as well.

Fagen was mad at the college because they posted bond for all of the students just not his girlfriend. Fagen later boycotted the school's graduation ceremony maxim he'd "Never go Dorsum", hence the title of the vocal. "My Sometime School,"  is an upbeat Stone melody with a piddling cowbell Cha-Cha section backed past wonderful horns reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen'southward E Street Band.

Again we are treated to some really bang-up soloing past Jeff (Skunk) Baxter on this song. Baxter plays a total of three solos(over  the "Cha-Cha") with each ane riffing on the one before information technology but a bit more than intense. Jeff'due south rhythm playing lays correct in the pocket with Fagen'southward rocking piano playing making "My Onetime Schoolhouse," a staple on Classic Rock radio as well equally Steely Dan'due south live shows.

# sixteen – AJA

Aja – Released: 1977

Guitar: Denny Dias

The championship track from Steely Dan'south 1977 Classic Aja album takes us on an ballsy eight minute musical journey with a variety of textures throughout which plays out like a picture in your head. Up to this point, "Aja," is the longest Steely Dan song to date.

Donald Fagen had a loftier school friend who'due south brother married a Korean woman named Aja and thought it sounded like a nice name to base of operations the vocal on. Fagen referred to "Aja," as a peaceful song about the tranquility of a relationship with a beautiful woman. He then adds that he combined that with the imagery of a Pw camp on "The Hill" and the possibility of a prison house break. Every bit with many of Steely Dan'southward songs, it'southward probably non that simple.

Fagen and Becker always kept their cards pretty close to their chest in this regard allowing the listener to find his own meaning in the song. Some say Donald had a beat on Aja and some contend the song could be nearly drug utilize and Jazz music.

This would be the terminal rail founding Steely Dan guitarist Denny Dias plays on. Denny takes a solo at 3:09 as the song builds and leads us into a really intense saxophone and drum solo played by drummer Steve Gadd and legendary Jazz Saxophonist Wayne Shorter. Many drummers consider Gadd's drumming on "Aja," to be the best in popular music.In so many words, Shorter and Gadd were told to "Just play the "Hell" out of it." This section is repeated twice before another verse and chorus and so again at around 6:50 with simply Gadd soloing over the outro of the song backed past some powerful piano stabs along with a synthesizer playing sort of a weird Scientific discipline Fiction\Horror movie effect.

"Aja," is a great piece of music featuring some of the earth's finest musicians at the peak of their game. That'due south why it's on our listing of killer guitar tracks.

# fifteen – HAITIAN DIVORCE

The Royal Scam – Released: 1976

Talkbox Guitar: Dean Parks

Donald Fagen was quoted in Sounds Magazine in 1976 every bit proverb this about Haitian Divorce . "Well, the first few verses are plain enough. Babs and Clean Willy go married, correct? Simply things don't work out somehow, and off they become to Haiti to grab themselves a quickie divorce. Then Babs heads off to some sleazy nighttime club to drown her sorrows."

"If you've been paying attention, you'll know she's in a drugged shock past at present and probably doesn't know anything about it. She is afterward… er… impregnated by this exotic gentleman. Afterwards she is reunited with Clean Willy and they have some rather bizarre offspring ("Who's this kinky so-and-and then") And then the chorus marks a 2d expedient divorce."

The song is played in a Reggae style and features guitarist Dean Parks on Talkbox guitar. The consequence of the talk box can exist heard on songs such as Peter Frampton's Exercise You Feel Like We Do? , Aerosmith's Sweet Emotion and Joe Walsh'due south Rocky Mount Way.

# 14 – Black FRIDAY

Katy Lied – Released: 1975

Guitar: Walter Becker

"Black Fri," is NOT a vocal most shopping for toys the day after Thanksgiving. It is a song about the stock market crash and the economic low that follows. The "grey men diving from the 14th flooring" makes reference to the 1955 novel past Sloan Wilson Man In The Grey Flannel Accommodate . They are businessmen committing suicide as a result of the crash. In reality they are diving from the 13th floor. Most builders avoid naming a flooring #13 out of the superstitious belief that it is "bad luck", adding a bear on of irony to the vocal.

The tune is an up tempo Dejection shuffle with Jeff Porcaro behind the pulsate kit playing a beat similar to one he played on Boz Scaggs' vocal Lido Shuffle i year later.

Walter Becker plays two great solos on this melody as well every bit some amazing rhythm playing throughout. The gritty tone of Becker's guitar over Fagen's mellow sounding electric piano adds perfect balance to this Steely Dan fan favorite.

# xiii – BAD SNEAKERS

Katy Lied – Released: 1975

Guitar: Walter Becker

The second rail on Katy Lied is "Bad Sneakers," information technology could be about someone who's plant success in a new city but is homesick and misses the good old days when life was more than elementary. He feels trapped and has essentially dug his own grave. This is the first Steely Dan song in which we hear Michael McDonald on bankroll vocals.

A directly forward rock tune which shifts to a one-half fourth dimension tempo where again Walter Becker plays the perfect solo. Bankroll him up brilliantly on this melody is Jeff Porcaro on drums and Michael Omartian on pianoforte. Despite being such a neat song Bad Sneakers only reached #103 in the U.S. charts.

# 12 – GASLIGHTING ABBIE

2 Against Nature – Released:  2000

Guitar: Walter Becker

Gaslighting is slang for "playing with someone's head" making them recall they're losing their mind. Co-ordinate to Donald Fagen, the tune is inspired in part by the 1944 moving-picture show Gaslight .

The song depicts a Summertime romp between the narrator and his much younger mistress at his embankment house. He makes her clothing clothes he has stolen from his wife as he prefers the way they look on her. He plans to somehow exist rid of his wife by Labor Twenty-four hour period.

As the song builds upward we here a really cool be-bop fashion bass solo by Tom Barney doubled with Fagen'due south electric piano. This is followed by one of the most simple nevertheless powerful guitar solos past Walter Becker. The solo is basically one annotation played over and over! There'southward a little string bending etc, but it'south all about the attitude and groove that Walter plays it with that makes this a killer guitar rails.

Donald Fagen was a perfectionist and would sometimes have as many every bit 270 different mixes of one song earlier choosing the 1 that would proceed the record. "Gaslighting Abbie," (according to engineer Dave Russell) took 26 eight hour days to consummate. Their hard piece of work paid off as Ii Against Nature won four Grammys including Album Of The Twelvemonth, Best Pop Vocal and Best Engineered  Recording.

# 11 – JOSIE

Aja – Released: 1977

Guitar: Walter Becker and Dean Parks

"Josie," is some other classic from Aja. It's a song about a neighborhood "Party Girl" who's coming back to town. Everybody'south brimming with excitement in anticipation of all the pandaemonium and mayhem that'southward about to ensue.

The ii guitarists on this track are Walter Becker on lead and Dean Parks playing rhythm. The song opens up with one of the almost recognizable and haunting guitar intros in popular music.

There's ii verses and two choruses about  who Josie is and what nosotros're gonna practice when she gets here etc. At 2:16 Becker comes in with a Hawaiian sounding double guitar lick followed by a solo that grooves perfectly with Chuck Rainey's bass and a tight drumbeat past legendary session drummer Jim Keltner.

After another chorus the song stops for a 2nd and is kicked up again by a very short simply effective drum fill by Keltner and the outro which features a funky horn section arranged by saxophonist Tom Scott. Let's motion on to the top x.

# x – RIKKI DON'T LOSE THAT NUMBER

Pretzel Logic – Released: 1974

Guitar: Jeff (Skunk) Baxter

As we go into the peak 10 any i of these corking songs is worthy of the number one spot. Rikki Don't Lose That Number was Steely Dan's highest ranked single ever reaching #4 on the United states charts.

The opening pianoforte line and Bossa Nova style pulsate shell is 1 that Fagen and Becker "borrowed" from Jazz slap-up'due south Horace Silvery's Song For My Begetter . Stevie Wonder besides borrowed from Song For My Father in his 1973 hit Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing .

Rikki Don't Lose That Number   is a nice niggling Pop tune nearly daughter leaving college and a male child who has a crush on her. She has no interest in him but he gives her his number anyway in case she changes her mind. Probably not! There are many interpretations of the lyrics in this melody if you Google song meanings, then you be the judge.

Jim Gordon is on drums for this tune and he alternates betwixt the Bossa Nova beat , a Soft Rock shell and a traditional Rock trounce until 2:56 where Jeff Baxter'south guitar solo comes in. This section is pure Classic Rock. After a short span the vocal comes back to where it started. The tune builds again so goes out with the "Song For My Father" section to close it out. I of the greatest Archetype Rock songs of all time.

Ps: On the album version of this song, you'll hear an instrument at the very kickoff of this track that sounds similar a cross between a marimba and a log drum. It is a rare  instrument called a flapamba played by Victor Feldman although he is credited as having played the marimba on the vocal.

# 9 – HOME AT LAST

Aja – Released: 1977

Guitar: Larry Carlton

In the song "Dwelling At Last," Fagen and Becker utilise Greek Mythology and the Tale of Ulysses as a metaphor for i finding his way "abode." Home could mean peace with i'due south self or a relationship of any kind. Larry Carlton plays guitar on this vocal and we'll get to that in a second.

Mayhap the near critical element of this song is the drum track. Bernard Purdie is behind the drum kit on this one playing an incredibly swinging half time shuffle which he has aptly named "The Purdie Shuffle." In keeping with the theme of this song, this beat gives us a nice little "pocket" to sit in as information technology grabs concord of united states of america and rocks usa only like a mother slowly rocking a baby. If Steely Dan had just recorded v and a half minutes of the Purdie Shuffle by itself it would still be an amazing rail.

About ii thirds of the way in (iii:xxx), Larry Carlton plays a squeamish Jazzy solo the style but Larry Carlton can do. At this point it'south merely guitar, pianoforte, bass and drums perfectly counterbalanced with each other.

The Chorus comes back with the entire ring playing backed by Steely Dan's horn department arranged past Tom Scott. Some other purely magical track from one of the best records an American music.

# 8 – Do Information technology Over again

Can't Purchase A Thrill – Released: 1972

Guitar: Denny Dias

This is the one that started it all. "Practise It Again," is the very first vocal on the very first Steely Dan tape. The band's debut single would do pretty well every bit it reached #6 on the The states charts. It'south a little wild west tale of a homo who kills someone for stealing his water and gets away with it. He doesn't quit while he's alee only rather continues a life of crime. It'southward pretty much about self destructive behavior in general and how lying to oneself will somewhen come back to get you.

The song is played in a syncopated almost Santana manner rhythm in a nighttime minor key. Donald Fagen plays a cheap Yamaha YC-30 philharmonic organ on this track. The organ was capable of creating a multifariousness of sounds including a portamento effect which is produced by sliding your finger across a pad. The sound was very similar to a synthesizer like event used in Science Fiction movies. This can be heard at 3:37 after Denny's solo on the album version only, every bit the organ solo along with the song intro and outro were cut from the 45 rpm single to shorten it from five:56 to 4:14 for radio.

Denny Dias is featured playing an electric sitar giving the song a very center eastern psychedelic flavor. Electrical sitar can heard on The Beatles Norwegian Wood , The Rolling Stones Paint It Blackness and Traffic'south Paper Sun.

# 7 – THE FEZ \ HERE AT THE WESTERN WORLD*

The Royal Scam – Released: 1976

Guitars: Walter Becker and Dean Parks

"Here At The Western World," was recorded during The Royal Scam sessions simply didn't make the final cutting. Information technology would somewhen be released on Steely Dan's Greatest Hits . We put it at the number six spot forth with "The Fez," as it was probably a toss up as to which rail would be cut.

They both come in at exactly four:02 in length and for lack of a better word, tin each exist considered the "weakest" tracks on a perfect anthology. Both tunes seem to have similarities in subject matter as well.

And then what in the world is a Fez? A Fez is a chapeau which originated in ancient Hellenic republic and was later worn past kings in The Ottoman Empire. The Fez hat is a red cylindrical shaped lid with a blackness tassle hanging from the top. The song is lyrically very simple with the same poesy repeated 3 times. Apparently two people are doing something which requires wearing a "hat." 1 insists on the "hat" being worn and the other one not so much. A classic case of "no glove, no dearest."

Walter Becker plays a really nice solo over a cord section at the 2:00 mark. Once again Bernard Purdie's drums agree the whole thing together with a groove very similar to the one he plays on "Kid Charlemagne," with a piffling Disco flavor.

"Hither At The Western World," could be a song about gangsters running a brothel and all the "civilities" bachelor to their clientele . Every bit with most of Steely Dan's songs, there'southward a lot of double entendre hither, so it could also be nigh drugs. Freud said that "Sometimes a cigar is only a cigar." I guess in the Steely Dan Universe, "Sometimes a "silvery key that opens the red door" is just that". You be the judge. Dean Parks plays beautifully throughout taking a solo at two:41.

It's difficult to imagine this great runway being left off of The Royal Scam , let alone being stored in some vault never seeing the light of day. Here At the Western Earth is definitely one of Steely Dan's Greatest Hits.

# 6 -SHOW BIZ KIDS / THE BOSTON RAG

Inaugural To Ecstasy – Released: 1973

Guitar: Jeff (Skunk) Baxter and Rick Derringer

"Testify Biz Kids," is a pretty unusual Steely Dan Song as information technology has no chord changes. A basic Blues\Stone number telling a petty tale of the haves vs. the have nots. It features stunning slide guitar work by Rick Derringer.

The Boston Rag is a pretty sparse organization as far as Steely Dan songs go, only with good reason. Information technology's about a drug addict and his empty life in which he is caught between his dealer and his girlfriend. He seems to miss the good quondam days when things were simpler. Steely Dan would open many of their alive shows with this number. Jeff (Skunk) Baxter's rhythm  guitar is real gritty and dirty sounding with enough of mental attitude.

At that place is a interruption around iii:30 where this fiddling "Tango" is played on piano and how-do-you-do-hat. The guitar creeps in slowly and then Jeff tears into a solo. Another chorus repeats and carries out until the vocal fades. The remastered version of The Boston Rag on the Bear witness Biz Kids(The Steely Dan Story) anthology sounds incredible.

# v – BODHISATTVA

Inaugural To Ecstasy – Released: 1973

Guitar: Jeff (Skunk) Baxter and Denny Dias

"Bodhisattva," is an up tempo Swing tune with a little Middle Eastern flavor that really rocks. The song could exist about giving upwardly one's worldly possessions in the pursuit of being enlightened or perhaps someone in search of something darker. Probably the latter. It doesn't matter, this is one wild ride!

The drums pound away starting this wicked fast number. Donald Fagen is playing some scary good pianoforte chords throughout the tune. Amazing solos from Dias and Baxter equally wells a piddling call and response between keys and guitar. At 1 signal both guitars play together in an almost "Allmanesque'" type fashion.

As far as killer guitar tracks go, we put Bodhisattva on equal basis with whatsoever of the songs on this list including the four we are almost to discuss.

# 4 – DON'T Have ME ALIVE

The Royal Scam – Released: 1976

Guitar: Larry Carlton

Who starts a song with the guitar solo??? Steely dan does, that'south who. Larry Carlton opens this Steely Dan archetype with one large distorted guitar chord. Co-ordinate to Ultimate Guitar dot com information technology's a G7#9 chord and in their instructions said "This may wait like an impossibility, like a cruel, unusual and unplayable chord simply it can be done." Larry plays a stunning solo that leads us into the vocal.

Don't Accept Me Alive is about an outlaw who's taken hostages and is in a standoff with the police. The song reminds us of Dog Day Afternoon in the form of a Classic Rock song. Rick Marotta's drumming , Fagen's electric piano and Chuck rainey's bass round out this track making it some other of our top picks.

# three – PEG

Aja – Released: 1977

Guitar: Jay Graydon

"Peg," is perhaps 1 of Steely Dan'due south most instantly recognizable songs by far. The lyrics on this vocal seem pretty straightforward. The title refers to actress Peg Entwistle who committed suicide at age xx four in 1932 past jumping from the Hollywood sign. She was a stage actress who transitioned to film which did non go well for her as most of her performance in her first (and final) pic concluded up un the cutting room floor.

The melody features an all star lineup including the keen session drummer Rick Marotta (who up to this point had never heard any of the little nuances in his playing captured this faithfully on tape before). The recording quality on Aja is impeccable.

Chuck Rainey is on bass calculation a touch of slap bass to add together some punch to the runway. In an interview Chuck said that Fagen and Becker didn't want him to practice any of that slap bass stuff viewing it as to "gimmicky" as it was a technique which was manner overused on many Funk and Disco recordings in the mid to late 1970's. Chuck said he would turn his back from Donald and Walter when he played so they couldn't see what he was doing.

Peg includes 1 of the all-time backing vocal tracks ever recorded. Michael  Mc Donald sings an amazing 3 part harmony with himself of three tracks layered on top of each other making actually good utilise of basically two or 3 words repeated over and over (Peg ,Back to you, Shadow on the wall, all in 3D, Foreign movie etc.)

Two slap-up guitarists play on Peg. Steve Kahn plays some actually tasty picking underneath everything adding a nice texture. This brings u.s. to one of the most iconic guitar solos in Archetype Rock History.

Fagen and Becker were patently super critical nigh the manner their albums sounded and Aja epitomizes that. Like nosotros said before, Steely Dan would utilize hired guns to come up in and play on certain songs to attain a particular "flavor." They often didn't know exactly what they wanted until they heard it. It wasn't unusual for them to swap out an entire band at times. You could have 8 players working on a given runway on Monday and so Tuesday take eight other guys having a go at the aforementioned tune.

Keeping that in mind, the boys had a difficult time finding the perfect guitar solo to fit with this song, they tried vii different guitarists on this runway (including Larry Carlton), just none could deliver the goods. Finally guitarist\record producer Jay Graydon was asked to have a shot at the solo. It took Jay over six hours to come upwards with the solo that Archetype Rock fans take come to know and dearest over the past iv decades.

There's a video online of The Making of Aja where you can meet Fagen and Becker at the mixing console having a laugh while listening to some of the solos that didn't make information technology. They draw Jay's solo equally having sort of a Hawaiian \ Polynesian sound to it. Peg was a pretty successful single reaching #eight on the Cash Box charts.

# 2 – KID CHARLEMAGNE

The Royal Scam – Released: 1976

Guitar: Larry Carlton

At number two is "Kid Charlemagne," which is a song based loosley on the exploits of Grateful Dead soundman\financier turned freelance LSD pharmacist Owsley "Bear" Stanley. Fagen pokes fun at Stanley in this song making fun of his Hippie followers and taking delight in his arrest.

Frank Zappa would also poke fun at Owsley and Hippie culture on his 1967 release We're Only In Information technology For The Coin on the vocal Who Needs The Peace Corp s. A lyric in the song reads "I think I'll but drop out. I'll go to Frisco buy a wig and sleep on Owsley's floor." Perhaps music history would be very dissimilar if Owsley hadn't "just past chance crossed the diamond with the pearl" (his special recipe which made everybody "happy".)

Ii guitarists play on this melody, Walter Becker on rhythm playing a killer part that goes forth with the keyboard track.

The highlight of the song is the legendary solo played by none other than Larry Carlton. The solo comes in at ii:eighteen and is a mix of Swing and Rock that grooves extremely well on top of some tricky chord and rhythmic changes. Every bit the solo builds and leads u.s.a. back into the final poetry, Larry does a little hammer on thing on the guitar neck (a technique which would later be made famous by Eddie Van Halen).

At 2:58 Rainey plays this 70's "B" pic soundtrack-like bass riff followed by a simple withal very powerful Tom-Tom fill by Purdie. We come back to "Make clean this mess up else we'll all finish upward n jail…..followed by the infamous "is there gas in the motorcar? Yes there'due south gas in the car!! Fagen seems to be mimicking Owsley's girlfriend.

We tin can as well hear Michael McDonald's backing vocals on the final chorus. The vocal merely reached #82 in the charts and was voted #80 in Rolling Rock Mag's Superlative 100 Guitar Songs.

# 1 – REELIN' IN THE YEARS

Can't Buy A Thrill – Released: 1972

Guitar: Elliot Randall

Released in March 1973, "Reelin' In The Years," is Steely Dan'south second unmarried off of Can't Buy A Thrill . The vocal reached #xi on the US Billboard charts . Jimmy Page was quoted in Guitar World saying "Elliott Randall's guitar playing this melody is his favorite of all time.

Like "Don't Accept me Alive," this tune starts with the guitar solo and never lets up. The song sounds similar a story of a human in love with a girl who takes him for granted just he stays with her anyway…(until she finally dumps him.) He refers to the song "My Old School," with "the weekend at the college didn't turn out like you planned" as it was this daughter who got them busted.

It's played in a shuffle rhythm similar to Jeff Beck's "Superhighway Jam," from Accident Past Blow . Randall'south distorted guitar tone cuts through this vocal like a chainsaw through a cheesecake Randall plays iii stunning solos on the track including the opener, one at 2:26 and the outro at iii:53.

I killer iconic riff is played right after "Are you gatherin' upwardly the tears….at one:57 and 3:38, with the final ane double tracked. Reelin' In The years stands as 1 of the greatest Archetype Rock songs of all time and has been a staple of Rock and Popular radio for nigh half a century. That's why Reelin' In The Years is our #1 Killer Guitar Track

Updated November 13, 2020

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Source: https://www.classicrockhistory.com/40-steely-dan-killer-guitar-tracks/

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