We'll also have to take the fact that if you're a Steely Dan fan, you'll predictably love this stuff, and if you're not, you'll predictably hate it. Fast forward half a decade later and my dad and I are at Wembley Arena together, watching Steely Dan play their first UK dates since co-founder Walter Becker passed away in 2017. Their fusion of bebop, pop, R&B and prog has the the laid back attitude of LA but the chaos and humour of New York. Their lyrics are often dark and ironic, the product of troubled minds, but their sound – for all its uneasy melodic progressions – lands sunny side up. But those foundational cultural touchstones are both evergreen and apparent, even if they are buried in conceptual lyricism (Frank Zappa called it “downer surrealism”) and instrumentals so intricately put together that if you remove one element the whole thing would collapse like a house of cards. Whenever my dad put it on or played it on his keyboard at home, it would make my muscles tense up involuntarily. Aja, Steely Dan. Their fusion of bebop, pop, R&B and prog has the the laid back attitude of LA but the chaos and humour of New York. Fucking fight me, I dare you. Let’s face it, it’s sort of a weird band that’s too jazzy to be progressive rock, and too rock to be considered jazz, that was slotted into the slosh pit of the classic rock space by Clear Channel some 35 years ago, and asked to fend for itself among legacy AC/DC and Lynyrd Skynyrd cuts. New York beatniks who moved to Los Angeles, the Dan hated hippies and loved cocaine, dark sarcasm and subtle wordplay. Despite being a sit-down affair and without the unassuming but powerful presence of Walter Becker, the Wembley show feels very much like the last bastion of beat generation-inspired jazz. Pulitzer Prize-winning New York magazine art critic Jerry Saltz’s tweets caused a storm, with many rushing to defend the band, to counter his perception of the … They looked like ghosts – black turtlenecks and skin so white that it looked like yogurt. Blending elements of rock, jazz, latin music, R&B, blues and sophisticated studio production with cryptic and ironic lyrics, the band enjoyed critical and commercial success starting from the early 1970s until breaking up in 1981. fetchmybeer. It’s difficult, in the UK, to get a good gauge on what the average Steely Dan fan looks like. 148. A lot of people hate that list, but I'll tell you what, there are some really good albums on that list and Aja rated higher than 355 of them. I would here it on the radio and was like" Why do they play so much Steely Dan". No one on stage seems to mind though. Self-importance is a big issue on this list, and Steely Dan can only be topped in that regard by the first 2 on this list. They were a “serious jazz fusion rock band” but most of their tracks were simply too busy and lacking structure for most fans to enjoy. Some acts are all about giving the fans what they want. They are a genre unto themselves. Pretzel Logic, Steely Dan. With that said, I hate Steely Dan with a passion. THE STEELY DAN ALBUM!!!! Rolling Stone magazine rated three Steely Dan records on their Greatest 500 Albums of All Time. Also big high security gigs full of mainly middle-aged British people is a sombre vibe before the fourth pint. XLAN Unisex Winter Hats Skull CapsKnit Hat Cap Beanie Cap Plain Winter Warm Ski Caps for Men/Womens. Went on to say that Steely Dan was a great band. Sure, tracks like "Reelin' In The Years" are good and all, but the jazzier stuff is incredible. We call ourselves “Danfans” — amazing, right? I'm Danfan number one. Look, Steely Dan is not for everyone. Their sound mashes up every bit and bob of black music to come down the pike since rhythm and blues, including jazz, funk and even reggae. But they're also heart-on-your sleeve romantics in the shyest, most endearing way possible. By signing up to the VICE newsletter you agree to receive electronic communications from VICE that may sometimes include advertisements or sponsored content. Becker and Fagen shared a Kubrickian neurosis when it came to art, working under punishing, self-imposed regimes and running an endless string of the world’s greatest musicians through the studio in the pursuit of perfection. For all their subversions, Steely Dan have to be some of the most mass-marketable outsiders the music industry has ever seen.