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Steely Dan
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Searching for Steely Dan is the story of Eddie Zittner, a 29-year-old New Yorker who is obsessed with Steely Dan. And his life is going nowhere. He's an aspiring writer who has stopped writing. He's bouncing from one dead-end job to another. His parents are constantly on his case. And his marriage is a mess.
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Steely Dan is an American jazz rock band based around musicians and songwriters Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, both of whom have ... released solo work. The name of the group is derived from the steam-powered dildo featured in the William S. Burroughs novel "The Naked Lunch". Their music is characterized by complex jazz-influenced structures and harmonies, literate but sometimes obscure or ambiguous lyrics filled with dark sarcasm, and their adroit musicianship and studio perfectionism.
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The Royal Scam, like most Steely Dan albums, sold well (#15, 1976) and presented some of Becker/Fagen's most mordant lyrics. The seven-song Aja (#3, 1977), which included FM favorites like "Peg" (#11, 1977) and "Deacon Blues" (#19, 1978), played by such expert sidemen as the Crusaders, Wayne Shorter, and Lee Ritenour, went Top 5 within three weeks of its release, and became the band's first platinum album. In 1978 jazz bandleader Woody Herman's Thundering Herd Big Band recorded five Becker-Fagen songs, selected by and under the supervision of the duo. A subsequent contractual dispute with MCA (which had absorbed ABC Records) delayed the release of Gaucho (#9, 1980), which yielded "Hey Nineteen" (#10, 1980) and featured guitar work by Mark Knopfler and Rick Derringer. Its B side was Steely Dan's only live recording, "Bodhisattva," from the 1974 tour. Also in 1978, Steely Dan's contribution to the movie FM, "FM (No Static at All)" (#22), was that soundtrack's highlight.
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After Steely Dan's eventual descent into madness, he decided to go back on tour with an all new all-star backing band, not featuring anybody worth mention, except perhaps a well-disguised Andy Kaufman. The tour carried him, unfortuantely, to Hoboken, New Jersey, well known to be a convenient expressway to the deepest level of hell, and Dan was confronted with the tortured soul of Barbara Streisand. Dan was killed during a fierce breakdance battle with Barbara Streisand, while trying desperately to defend Andy Kaufman, with whom Dan had developed a close friendship. Despite Dan's good intentions, he was smacked down by that bitch, causing irreparable damage to his processor, killing him instantly. Upon witnessing his savior's demise, Andy Kaufman cast down his disguise, revealing himself in his true and ultimate form, Ultraman, and with his divine powers, cast Barbara Streisand back to hell, where she is punished at all hours by having to share a room, with Henny Youngman, which is, in reality, a great deal of fun for him. With the divine intervention of Ultraman/Andy Kaufman, Steely Dan was guaranteed a place in heaven, alongside Lance Henrickson, and Tim Thomerson, neither of whom are actually dead yet.
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The first Steely Dan single was released in 1972, earlier the same year as their debut album. It contained 2 non-LP songs: "Dallas" as its A-side and "Sail The Waterway" as its B-side. These songs are easier to identify as Steely Dan works. Not all of the essential ingredients were together yet; both songs are just a notch or two above demo quality. Still, these are two reasonably appealing songs that gave a good hint as to what was ahead. In 1978, both songs were included (along with "Do It Again" and "Haitian Divorce") on the four-song EP Plus Fours (ABC Records ABE 12003).
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Steely Dan was a musical robot that performed jazz rock in the 1970's. Steely Dan was designed and programmed by Steve Wozniak. He is based upon the blueprints to his robotic predecessor, David Bowie (... known as Mega Man).
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Steely Dan