Anyone pick up the new Steely Dan yet? (1 Viewer)

[Lee Scoggins]

My favorite tracks are Blues Beach, Godwhacker, and Lunch with Gina.

By the way, the track listing on the back does not mention 24/192...Do you think this is a packaging mistake?

Also, did anyone notice it was mastered by Sony Music in NYC? How ironic given the format.

 

[Michael_T]

By the way, the track listing on the back does not mention 24/192...Do you think this is a packaging mistake?

Also, did anyone notice it was mastered by Sony Music in NYC? How ironic given the format.

Yes and Yes.

Actually I was quite surprised when I found out that my DVD-A player was telling me the stereo track was 192/24 (and not 96/24 as the package states).

Regarding Sony I thought the same thing. In fact, if I remember (I am now at work) the credited mastering engineer in Darcy Proper (I think that is the name), and again if memory serves he has been credited on quite a few Sony SACDs as mastering engineer. Quite ironic. But then again if Sony can do SACD so well, what would be so different from them doing DVD-A? I guess money talks in this situation (over format).

 

[JerryLA]

These days any new "Dan" is good "Dan"! Personally after my first listen I thought it was a bit more pop oriented than 2AN. Steely Dan Confessions cracked me up. I wonder if "Reeling in the Sheeves" will every be released on DVD A?

 

[Andrew 'Ange Hamm' Hamm]

Ehh.

It's a fine Dan album. Pretty uneventful and unimaginative, though certainly enjoyable. It's lightweight and fun, but there aren't any really new ideas here. Kind of Steely Dan Lite. The apocalyptic lyrics are kind of interesting; it's like the whole theme of the album is a party held at the end of the world by a people who don't really give a damn.

I think that Phil Hamm has hit the nail on the head: there isn't a song on it that wouldn't be helped by more imaginative drumming. Even I could hear fills and flourishes that wanted to be there, and I'm about the most straightforward 1-2-3-4 drummer on the Eastern seaboard.

Everything Must Go grades a B- where Two Against Nature was a solid A.

 

[Philip Hamm]

Interesting, the DVD-A was $18.99 at Tower, not on sale. The combo CD/DVD set was $19.99 on sale, and the CD was $13.99.

I think I got more for my money with the DVD-Audio version. I got the only one left in the store.

 

[Bill Eberhardt]

My wife ordered it off of circuitcity.com.

The DVD-A is 13.99, the CD is 10.99 and the combo is 14.99, all with free shipping.

 

[Gary->dee]

Ok, so I slagged off for a few days by not picking this up on the first day it came out and to top it off I bought it from the Wherehouse for $13.99 instead of waiting to get off of work and get it from Best Buy for $11.99 just so I can listen to it at work(as I'm doing now). And I only bought the CD, not the CD/DVD combo.

Anyway I like what I'm hearing. Yes it's Steely Dan, nothing revolutionary in terms of the sound. But it's still good standard-issue-late-career Dan. And compared to anything else new that's out there right now I think it's probably the best and I'll happily take it. The stand-out tracks to me are:

Godwhacker

Slang of Ages-love Becker's voice on this track, very fitting somehow and nice change of pace that almost harkens back to the Dan's first album in which Fagen didn't sing on every track

Green Book

Pixeleen

Everything Must Go

I'm still warming up to everything else and no doubt I'll end up liking just about all the tracks. As many have said it's very much in the 2 Against Nature ilk, but that's not surprising since that album came out 3 years ago and they probably had some of these tracks on that album to spare.

I'd give it 3 out of 5 stars, with Aja being perfection at 5 stars.

 

[Philip Hamm]

I must be the only one who loves "Things I Miss The Most" more than anything else. Of course I own an Audi.... Not a TT though...

 

[Gary->dee]

I'm actually listening to that track right now and it's nice, no doubt. It definitely reminds me of a 2AN track, which isn't a bad thing. It's growing on me...

By next week I'll probably love Things I Miss The Most and the entire album for that matter much more than I do now since I'm only just listening to it for the first time(ok 3rd rotation at this point).

That's the thing about the initial listen to any album. Seems awkward at first but then the music and lyrics begin to become firmly entrenched in your psyche. Or something like that. :wink:

 

[Gary->dee]

Correction- it won't take until next week because I'm already loving this new album. I think I officially declared my love for it at some point last night. I find it difficult to pry from my machine.

Am I missing much on the DVD? What exactly is on it?

 

[Lee Scoggins]

I am finding the album is growing on me.

There is more depth on the third and fourth listen.

Any Dan is good Dan to me. I do find it more pop oriented than 2AN.

I give it 4 out of 5 :star:

 

[Doug Smith]

This is a Steely Dan fan album - I don't see anything much here being played on the radio (perhaps "The Last Mall"?) - but a great album. Kind of reminds me of "Royal Scam" from their earlier days - not the music, but the fact it kind of grows on you! This is the first time I have ever bought a DVD A version first - so I imagine I will find it interestihe first time I hear the CD being played somewhere only in 2.0

 

[Andrew 'Ange Hamm' Hamm]

The DVD is a 22-minute film of Fagen and Becker taking a cab around Las Vegas and picking up random attractive girls and talking about random stuff with them. There's a bit of discussion about the album, too.

My opinion of the album has risen after a couple more listens. I am absolutely obsessed with "Pixeleen" right now.

 

[Gary->dee]

Oh yeah Pixeleen is a sweet track and thanks for the info about the DVD. Now I don't feel like I'm missing out on too much unless there were live performances of any of the songs. I think Godwhacker is probably my favorite but it's so hard to choose. After just over a week I will say this though, I'm enjoying this album more than 2 Against Nature and I thought that was a great album. I'm upgrading my opinion of it to 4 out of 5 stars, possibly even 4 1/2.

Best album of the year by far.

 

[Mike Broadman]

I just picked up the DVD-A. Can't wait to spin it. I've only listened to the CD once so that the DVD-A listening will be more fresh.

 

[Roberto Carlo]

I must be the only one who loves "Things I Miss The Most" more than anything else. Of course I own an Audi.... Not a TT though...

Nope. It's my favorite, too. I used the lyrics in a Father's Day piece I wrote just to be able to write the words "Audi TT." (I want one, too. The six-cylinder with the DSG tranny.)

 

[Patrick Larkin]

I like the new CD a lot. I like it more than 2 Against Nature. It seems like it fits with Gaucho era to me.

But, I have to say, the disc really stumbles on Track 5, Slang of Angels and stays down on Track 6, Green Book. Thankfully, the CD comes back very strong with the last 3 tracks. Like Two Against Nature, it ends with the best song on the CD. The title track is incredible.

Walter Becker just shouldn't sing at all. The line in Slang of Angels where Becker goes "You say she's from the Neth-er-lands" makes me skip the song every time.

 

[Gary->dee]

I have to admit Slang of Ages is probably one of my favorite tracks on the new album. I like Becker's voice, his delivery, the old hipster/bluesy vibe, the counter culture drug theme, the chorus, love the sax at the end... definitely one of my favorite tracks. Maybe because it's so different for a Dan tune, unconventional. I think Becker's voice has a certain slick but relaxed quality to it. Doesn't seem forced. I can imagine these pretty Hollywood type showgirls on a stage sparkling around this dude wearing jeans and a t-shirt as he casually delivers the lyrics. And when it ends and Fagen comes back with Green Book I think it's musical perfection. As if it could have been done no other way.

Can you tell I like this song?

The one song I don't care for is Blues Beach. Oh and I absolutely love the intro to Everything Must Go, as well as the entire track for that matter.

 

[MarkO]

Funny how everyone has a favorite song on this release that differs from the next person. Blues Beach is one of my favorite tracks.

 

[Tom McA]

It's getting lots of play in my car right now. Like with most albums that end up being faves, my first reaction was "meh...", but now it's growing on me. A lot. I guess it needs more than one casual listen to sink in.

Spent last weekend crawling around the attic in our new house (well, old house - new to us) running surround speaker wiring SPECIFICALLY so I'll be ready to listen to:

(from the SD website) "On Tuesday, June 24, Kamakiriad is released in Surround Sound DVD-A,
which includes an advanced resolution stereo mix,
the '93 videos for "Tomorrow's Girls" and "Snowbound",
plus bonus behind-the-scenes video." YES!!!

Also a semi-related observation: I've been to two Dan concerts so far, and I already have my tix for this summer. Sad how when Becker steps up to sing a song, you can see half the arena emptying like rats off a sinking ship for beer & whiz runs. Poor fella.