Posted in: Jazz by Sean Langley on August 20th, 2007 | 0 Comments
The story of how a band and their music captured my heart, and delivered a night to remember.
Since the late nineteen-seventies, the music of avant-garde American Jazz-Rock legends Steely Dan has retained an element of mystery. In spite of being named after a steam-powered dildo from a William Burroughs novel “Naked Lunch”, the Dan, as they are more affectionately known, were recognized by many an expert as producing some of the most intricate and expansive music of both their generation and genre. The mystique stems mainly from an almost unintelligible catalogue of lyrics to their songs.
“We’ll jog with show folk on the sand, Drink kirschwasser from a shell;San Francisco show and tell;
Well I should know by now, That it’s just a spasm, Like a Sunday in T.J.”
Those lines, lifted from their 1980 classic hit “Babylon Sisters”, may give testimony to that indecipherability. But, it takes nothing away from the magic that their music stirs in me.
I didn’t pick up on Steely Dan until well after the release of their 1977 album “Aja”, around the time that they were involved in the soundtrack to the film “FM”. My attention was almost certainly galvanized as a direct result of Anne Nightingale using their version of Duke Ellington’s “East St Louis Toodle-oo” to close her Radio 1 request show, which I used to listen to whilst doing my homework on a Sunday afternoon. Nevertheless, I very quickly was drawn into their inimitable style and its unique combination of haunting melodies; exceptional musicianship; and, of course quirky song construction with those strange lyrics ! It was an eclectic mix and, to me, it became a toxic blend. Despite my affinity to other artists, by the turn of the century it was evident that they were my established favorites.
What makes Steely Dan so beguiling, almost ambiguous, is the curious juxtaposition of their songs’ lyrical content with the music. The words betray a laconic East Coast observation of a seemingly cold world, laid on top of such exquisite and sophisticated warming rhythms. The listener becomes intrigued.
Some people are emotionally touched by remarkable pieces of art; some by exceptional literature; some by outstanding examples of antique furniture. My Achilles-heel turns out to be the extraordinary music of New Yorkers Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, under the auspices of Steely Dan. When I listen, I can become transfixed and lost in the carefully crafted sound, laced with Fagen’s distinctive vocals. So much so that it almost feels a part of me and touches my very soul.
In England, where they are less-popular than in their homeland, it excites me when I hear their music played in public places – such a rare treat. For some reason, my friends have always found this somewhat amusing. Maybe it’s because I was always going on about them, I don’t know. So, why am I writing this now?
