I like their laid back sound.

I like them too, but did they really deserve to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Shame?

Currently, I only have two of their discs: Can't Buy a Thrill and Pretzel Logic. The only other one I want is Aja. That would give me all but one Steely Dan I want, and that would be "FM (No Static At All)".

Their best songs are "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" and "Deacon Blues".

I suppose that we are aware of the origin of the band's name?

Pretzel Logic is a great album, and a great title tracks.

And yes, some of us are aware of the origin. But, since (per Phil) this is a family friendly site, we won't discuss it further.

Well...then we'll leave Pink Floyd out of this too...

Any major dude will tell you...

For the most part I'm amazed at how these guys managed to produce music that lives and breathes in such a controlling atmosphere. An exception to every rule, I suppose. In their heyday they recorded what most fans and critics alike agree are three "perfect" albums, four if you count Aja. The big three: Countdown to Ecstasy, Katy Lied, and Pretzel Logic, I always liked The Royal Scam also though it generally is not held in the same esteem.

All of my copies of these discs are on vinyl, and I don't even remember the last time I played one but I can't even begin to quibble with their induction into the R&R hall of fame. They were an AOR mainstay for so long and certainly had a major influence on their contemporaries and those who followed. They took the music so seriously but managed to be fresh and hip rather than stifling and pretentious. Plus they had a secret weapon in one Mr. Denny Diaz.

Um, as I recall, Pink Floyd took their name from two blues artists. Pink Anderson and Floyd Council. Maybe somebody's lying.

Incidentally, I have read the Williams Burroughs book, SD got their name. Bizarre. (And pretty sick really.)

It's probably both, you know how deceptive these rock stars can be with their true intent

In any event, it certainly became a "euphanism" after their rise to popularity.

And, so long as we're way off topic, I dig Pink Anderson!

I almost bought one of his discs. So, he is a good bluesman, eh? I'll have to see about getting something by him. Any recommendations?

I haven't heard anything else as the origin for the name of the Floyd. As a matter of fact, I had looked in The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock to double-check. They certainly don't shy away from revealing the source of Steely Dan's name. I also have another book, The Rolling Stone Book of Rock Lists. One catagory in it is a list of bands whose names are such euphemisms. Again, Pink Floyd is not mentioned. The association may have come after the fact. Of course, I've heard members of The Doobie Brothers deny they knew what a "doobie" was when they came up with the band's name. Yeah. Right.

So, he is a good bluesman, eh? I'll have to see about getting something by him. Any recommendations
All that's available are compilations and they're all good as far as I can tell. If you can find it get the one with the classic "Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning", which Hot Tuna would later turn into an epic jam song. Roy Bookbinder later recorded some of his stuff also. And there was Syd Barrett...

...may be time for another thread? If we do it should probably be expanded to include all acoustic blues like Rev. Davis, Son House, Sonny and Brownie, etc...

Blind Lemon Jefferson, Robert Johnson. But stop at only acoustic blues? Why not just The Blues?

Have to see what I can dig up on Anderson.

The best comment I ever heard about Steely Dan was the could sound cool and hot at the same time.

The writer of the ER episode that aired on 4/3/03 must be a Dan fan, as there was a one shot character named Dr. Wu.
"Boddhisathva" (did I spell it right?) and "Dirty Work" are probably my favorite Dan songs.

Steely Dan and Owen Wilson are (kind of) feuding, over Wilson's movie You, Me and Dupree. See my post in the "Legal Musings" page for more.

George Carlin didn't like them. Listen to his "People Who Oughta Be Killed" where he says so!

Well, too bad for him.

My favorite song by them, hands down, is "Peg".

My second favorite is "Do It Again". And Smash Mouth did a really bad cover of it. Yeeessh!

I also really liked Donald Fagen's solo albums. Three to be exact!

I recently had the pleasure of a)Seeing the Dan live in concert and B) listening to DOnald Fagen's solo albums in surround sound. Both experiences were brilliant.

My favourite Steely Dan numbers are "Black Friday", "Cousin Dupree" and "Aja"

I like "Pretzel Logic" and "Do It Again"

"Boddhisathva" (did I spell it right?) and "Dirty Work" are probably my favorite Dan songs.
They did both at the show last night, along with many others, over the course of the 2 1/4 hours they performed. I saw The Dan, along with Rickie Lee Jones, at the Beacon Theater last night. All I'll say is - it was an awesome show.

I'd love them to get back in the studio and do another album together. It's been 13 years since "Everything Must Go"....

Won't happen, now that Walter Becker passed away last year. Maybe Donald Fagen could cut another solo album... The Dan seems more of a touring band now. Which was good for me, as I've seen them three times this year - twice by themselves (in their current stand at the Beacon Theater in NYC, where they're performing entire albums) and last July in concert with The Doobie Brothers at the PNC Bank Arts Center. At the Beacon shows, they've left a microphone empty, presumably as a tribute to Walter Becker. I can't remember if they did that at the PNC show.