Steely Dan Tribute Wall..

es347 · « **on:** 15 Oct 2009, 03:32 am »

Thought you guys might enjoy seeing my latest "room treatment"...

keith · « **Reply #1 on:** 15 Oct 2009, 03:47 am »

Nice one Gavin

es347 · « **Reply #2 on:** 15 Oct 2009, 03:55 am »

Thanks Keith!

McTwins · « **Reply #3 on:** 15 Oct 2009, 09:29 am »

Hi
Those five albums in the middle I do have, but those other two on the left and right have I never seen. Nice pic.

Thanks

es347 · « **Reply #4 on:** 15 Oct 2009, 01:15 pm »

Hi McTwins..

CAN'T BUY A THRILL and THE ROYAL SCAM ? If you don't have them, drop whatever you're doing, run out and buy them... now

Spirit · « **Reply #5 on:** 15 Oct 2009, 01:25 pm »

And speaking of Steely Dan:
http://www.pretzellogic.ca/
Saw them a few weeks ago at a small club in Toronto and they are virtually note-for-note perfect!

htradtk · « **Reply #6 on:** 15 Oct 2009, 11:10 pm »

Hey Gavin,

LOVE the wall. I'm a SD freak also, I know Gaucho is the only one released on SACD, are there any plans to release any of the others? Aja would be nice on SACD!! aa

Take care,
Henry

es347 · « **Reply #7 on:** 15 Oct 2009, 11:47 pm »

Hi Henry,

From what I have read on line, Aja will not be released on SACD. They say it's because the master tapes are missing...which I find very hard to believe since the redbook Aja was remastered in 1999 and going back further to some time in the early 90s, MFSL remastered it. So I find it hard to believe that the master tapes mysteriously disappeared. Who knows the real skinny...no one has ever gotten a straight answer from Fagen and Becker on anything. They did make some great music though.

I hope things are going well.

Gavin

BobM · « **Reply #8 on:** 16 Oct 2009, 12:35 pm »

I also like you little Nipper

DRjam · « **Reply #9 on:** 16 Oct 2009, 01:16 pm »

Very nice Gavin. Nice collection.

Mike Nomad · « **Reply #10 on:** 16 Oct 2009, 02:26 pm »

Very tasty room treatment. With regards to Aja and SACD, there's a little bit of terminology shear going on...

Yes, Aja has been remastered a couple of times over the years. The problem is that for an SACD re-issue, The Boys want to go back to the studio multi-tracks. To get the most out of the SACD format (and to do any sort of >2 channel mix), there is no other way.

For Gaucho, they did not work off of any of the two channel mixes that are used to make stampers (which is what MoFi does unless otherwise noted. Steve Hoffman is the only person I know of that goes to the multi-tracks by default). They went to the multi-tracks to get past two things: Gen loss, and EQ settings to formats they are not using.

I doubt there is any sort of mystery behind the missing Aja reels. When it comes to vault maintenance, the labels have only recently pulled their heads out of their arses.

The tapes are no doubt mis-filed. So, 20 years from now when somebody goes looking for a missing Patsy Cline reel...

es347 · « **Reply #11 on:** 16 Oct 2009, 04:30 pm »

Nomad, to your point, yes the multi-track is what they need and they have it. Take a look at the "Making of Aja" dvd. The boys are sitting at the console playing individual tracks...Mike McDonald vocals and guitar solos (Jay Graydon + outtakes) on Peg--that's the smoking gun. I'm betting they already have the Patsy Cline multi-track as well.

Mike Nomad · « **Reply #12 on:** 16 Oct 2009, 07:26 pm »

To Gavin,

I've never watched the DVD. Sounds like I need to. The Boys may be listening to _a_ multi-track take of Peg, but that's not the same thing as having _the_ multi-track for the issued takes. And the number of takes for the tracks on Aja album is legendary.

And if MCA has the Patsy Cline thing all sorted out, they can move on to Johnny Ace. #8^)

Mike

es347 · « **Reply #13 on:** 16 Oct 2009, 08:01 pm »

Hey Mike,

I'm old and slow so take that into account but I think they have the whole enchilada. Here's as assignment for you. Order the dvd from Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Albums-Steely-Dan-Aja/dp/6305772649

and report back. Don't miss the very first review.

Gavin

Mike Nomad · « **Reply #14 on:** 16 Oct 2009, 09:24 pm »

Hey Gavin,

Dang. Homework again ;^)

I'll be a bit in reporting back. The first thing I need to do is get a fresh taste of the album (hmmm... could take a few passes to digest all the nuance, etc.), then the video. I hadn't thought about this mess for quite a while. Should be interesting.

And I just realized, this won't be conclusive: They might be working off a duped safety.

This reminds me of the screw up with Fagen's Nightfly, and why it wasn't the first US CD to be released...

Mike

htradtk · « **Reply #15 on:** 16 Oct 2009, 11:20 pm »

Gavin/Mike,

Thanks for the interesting information on SD, Yes, Becker and Fagen are masters at what they did in the studio, I too find it hard to believe they lost the master tapes of Aja!!

. Speaking of Aja, I have the MFSL CD of Aja and it sounds pretty good. Since we are on the remastering subject, I read a great article in Stereophile on the remastering of the entire Beatles catelog, which is on my Christmas list!!! If I remember correctly, I believe the article is in the September issue, enjoy your weekend!

Henry

McTwins · « **Reply #16 on:** 17 Oct 2009, 05:48 am »

Quote from: es347 on 15 Oct 2009, 01:15 pm

Hi McTwins..

CAN'T BUY A THRILL and THE ROYAL SCAM ? If you don't have them, drop whatever you're doing, run out and buy them... now

Thanks for the tip, this means if I get these albums I have it all.

opnly bafld · « **Reply #17 on:** 17 Oct 2009, 11:54 am »

Steely Dan discography.
1972: Can't Buy A Thrill
1973: Countdown to Ecstasy
1974: Pretzel Logic
1975: Katy Lied
1976: The Royal Scam
1977: Aja
1980: Gaucho
2000: Two Against Nature
2003: Everything Must Go

MaxCast · « **Reply #18 on:** 17 Oct 2009, 12:41 pm »

I've always gotten by with the best of SD. I just picked up Aja 2 months ago and have Two against Nature. What do you SD fans recommend for my next two discs?

SwedeSound · « **Reply #19 on:** 17 Oct 2009, 02:25 pm »

For my money, The Royal Scam. Not their biggest hits necessarily, but some of their strongest musicianship. Really amazing stuff. First two songs are maybe my fave Dan tunes of all-time.

Side one

1. "Kid Charlemagne" ? 4:38
* Guitar solo by Larry Carlton
2. "The Caves of Altamira" ? 3:33[1]
3. "Don't Take Me Alive" ? 4:16
* Guitar solo by Larry Carlton
4. "Sign in Stranger" ? 4:23
* Piano Solo by Paul Griffin
* Guitar Solo by Elliot Randall
5. "The Fez" (Becker, Fagen, Paul Griffin) ? 4:01
* Guitar solo by Walter Becker

[edit] Side two

6. "Green Earrings" ? 4:05
* Guitar solos by Denny Dias (1st) and Elliot Randall (2nd)
7. "Haitian Divorce" ? 5:51
* Talk box guitar solo by Dean Parks, altered by Walter Becker
8. "Everything You Did" ? 3:55
* Guitar solo by Larry Carlton
9. "The Royal Scam" ? 6:30