40+ years and still floored by that solo: the note choices, the guitar tone, those crazy bends, and that phrasing. And he's in and out before you know it, and you just think - whoa, what the hell was that?!
@@markpeate7366 Imagine telling Larry Carlton, and Robben Ford, "No, sorry, that's not what we're looking for, have a nice day." HaHa! I think Jay Graydon just had a Zen moment, not "thinking" anything, but "doing," and it was a miracle. And yes, still a mystery.
@@markpeate7366He obviously had a techinique repertoire, and he seemed to just run through random fragments of technique without thinking. Try it yourself: If you grab your instrument of choice and just play it, your muscles will just do random things that may sound cool toghether.
This is a solo that is 100x greater than the sum of its parts. It just blends together elements that shouldn't work, but they do, perfectly. Maybe one of the best solos ever
I first discovered Jay Graydon as the Executive Producer of Al Jarreau's "Breaking Away" album. To discover that HE played this solo and HE wrote EWF's "After The Love Is Gone" and George Benson's "Turn Your Love Around" is too much information at once. I literally had to sit down after watching this video. This guy is legendary.
acbulgin2 I'd have to disagree. I see what you are saying but I think Steely Dan's music has genuine staying power due to the unique blend of carefully-crafted musical elements and sardonic humour. I didn't grow up with Steely Dan but happened upon them in my mid teens (late 90s) and I've been a fan ever since. The comparison with classical music I think is a bit unfair as it's essentially comparing apples with pears. The goals are inherently different however the complexity of a steely dan song and arrangement (inc solos) is certainly equal to that of a short piece of classical music, like a Schubert song, for example. Chordally, the Dan are far more advanced than a lot pieces from the Baroque and early Classical period. In terms of depth of emotion, I think songs like Deacon Blues are quite profound. However, I think what you have to remember about the Dan is that their primary literary influence was black comedy, so really humour was the central aim. That said, is that any less noble a goal than say whining about one's broken heart? Or pleading to an imaginary deity? I'm not sure it is.
acbulgin2 Yes, it is often riff based and I think you are right that Fagen didn't have much confidence in their early work but by the Royal Scam and Aja the work is very assured and complex and I think they were both rightly proud of Aja as a whole. It's also worth noting that repetition is an almost essential component of music from fugues to fandangos to folk and in my opinion is not sth to be automatically put off by. Anyway, nice to conduct an orderly discussion with you. Have a good day!
Apart from the (stellar) technique involved in playing this, it can't be stressed enough that Jay went to work that day not knowing what Becker and Fagen were going to want at all but knowing well how demanding they were in the studio... and he came up with this monumental solo *on the spot* despite being in a high-pressure situation. It's great to hear him talking about the theory involved in this, but the fact is, he didn't have the luxury of analysis on that day; he just had to play something great, and he sure did! Thanks to Tim and Jay for sharing this!
It’s fascinating to hear the ones that didn’t make it (there a whole programme on utube on the making of Aja and they find 2 outtakes still on the master tape) especially when you know they ere either Becker, dean parks, Rick derringer, Robben Ford, they were all soooofar off the Mark....graydon was clearly the man for the job . Great video,
Guess when he did it, it was all in one take, so that was 'on the spot', but he was messing around with Bebop for the first hour, so stuff was circulating in his head. He was learning the progression.
Steely Dan were Architects of Music . They Mathematically Built a Song . In my 57 years on God's Green Earth , I don't remember anything like them EVER ☮️
My all time favorite Dan song and never ever get tired of listening to it. Jay's spectacular 'cliche free' solo is one for the ages. A legendary player and great guy!
The solo on Peg is perfectly crafted for the song. As an aspiring guitarist, I grew up listening to Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Skynryd, ABB etc. Then I came across Steely Dan and a whole other musical world opened up. I remember wearing out the vinyl learning Don’t Take Me Alive, Reelin, and Josie. Their music I’d timeless.
This dates from the golden age of studio musicians hired in sessions to do solos like these. I used to read the credits on everything to learn the new artists to check out. A very magical time in music.
The amazing thing is his solo was not charted -- he made it up on the spot -- i heard the other solos that were played by other guitarists that were brought in and they were forgettable -- but this one - man it fits like a glove -- it is perfect -- magical and it never gets old - i could hear it over and over - Jay Graydon's PEG solo will live on and on and be admired forever!!!
It's amazing how the solo captured the bouncy carefree nature of the melody and added all the funky flourishes, embellishments and punctuations. It reminds me of singer scatting. It's sounds totally organic yet it's so sophisticated in its structure. Pure genius and feel.
@@funkdragon7659 dude I was literally about to put that about the Beatles too but I didn’t want to get a giant argument thread going, but yeah I totally agree.
@@rythaguy1893 Not too many drum-solos, but Steve Gadd is epic on "Aja". Actually I don't remember any more drum-solos on Dan-records. But a lot of phantastic drum-parts. 🥰
@@funklover24 The trouble is, it's *all* master-level playing, by selection and stratospheric quality demands... ...which means that fewer amazing things "stand out". Ironic really.
I just found a new favorite video! What in the WORLD must if feel like to wake up every day and say, “I played on steely Dan’s PEG! I also recorded one of the best solo’s ever laid to tape!”. Who needs coffee when they have THAT
I think a lot of the studio guys were really,the solos weren't hyper-composed. As Grayson says though, there's a very vague roadmap and then it's just creativity in the moment. This is how a lot of bebop guys did their stuff in studio too (vs very improv live stuff), judging by alt. takes... they have ideas but it is still essentially improvised.
One of the most talented and skillful solos in my opinion. The fact that he winged it is mind boggling. Steely Dan never fucked around when it came to music. And this shows with the love of their work regarding generations afterward. I'm a metal guy yet I'm in love with this song and the quality and heart of this solo is genius to me.
Pure love! And when I think of SD, I find it so miraculous, serendipitous, and yet totally appropriate, that Jake is in there as a classic moment in the SD history. It HAD to happen eventually. Paich, Omartian, Porcaro, Gadd, Carlton, Watts, Woods, Christleib, and Scott are all there. Dean Parks, Rick Derringer, Skunk Baxter and all the greats are apart of the SD history so I JUST KNEW JAKE WOULD COME THROUGH at some point in the SD Story. and he did....LIKE A WALK OFF HOMER. HE HAD TO HE'S IN THEIR CLASS. IT'S PERFECT.
Becker and Fagen always had an eye for talent. Their perfection is rumoured to have driven many a musician crazy. That said, they always seemed to get the most out of their studio musicians. This Graydon solo is as close to perfection as I have ever heard. When you think of Peg, your mind always winds up with this Graydon solo...My Goodness...!!
I wish I could give this video 20 thumbs up. Thank you SO much for posting this. I've been a bad guitarist for 30 years now, and Steely Dan is my favorite all-time band. I'm still horrible at the guitar, but I LOVE to see things like this because I love knowing all the little intricacies and idiosyncrasies and stories behind some of the greatest songs ever made. Especially on the guitar parts. SO glad I found your channel, today. This video made my day. Thank you once again, Tim. Stuff like this really means a lot to me.
I never really noticed that sustain when listening to the album, but I'm not a guitar player, so taken as a whole, it never stood out to me. Time to go back and listen to the album! :-)
The fact that he winged this in front of Donald and Walter is pure genius. This solo and Carlton's on Kid Charlemagne are just about my two favs ever. I love them now more than ever. Thank you Jay and Tim for this.
In my opinion steely Dan is for every mood. If I am ready to go out the door and one of their songs is playing, I have to listen to the whole song. It’s sacrilege to stop the song before it ends. Peg is one my favorites. Really cool to hear how he did the solo. Just winging it. Massive chops. Thanks for sharing Tim. ❤️
There's some Godlike Humility on display here: 1) Tim and Dean's: Both absolute masters, yet they go to the teacher. 2) Jay's: Patience, kindness and Encouragement of Tim and Dean. 3) All of the above: Letting us see this; no Smaug-like hoarding here :-)
Jay's a monster & a half player. When I lived in Cambria I saw him play at the Hamlet a few times, always on & always playing jaw-dropping licks & a really nice guy to boot!
I was a punk rocker when this song came out and hated everything about it. I now find myself cranking it and dancing in my seat slapping time to it on the steering wheel every time it comes on the “adult listening” radio station. With age comes wisdom.
I watched this video over and over because I always loved this song, the solo is brilliant 👏 I can copy but can't dream this up, he's at a whole different level.
the best 30 second solo I ever heard on a record was Jay Graydons Twilight zone. It jut keeps building. if the song were longer the solo would have vaporized the studio. He and you are wonderful players. I've been playing for 55 years
Such a tasteful iconic solo. Hearing snippets of the other solo guitarist's tracks on the making of 'Aja' makes it crystal-clear why Jay's 'made the cut'. It's simply the 'right' one. Thanks Tim for posting!
@@PhilUKNet yea I've seen that, it's actually how I learned to play the kid Charlemagne solo. I can't seem to nail the tone on the track, seems to be like a mid / treble boosted type thing.
Jonathan Bolger I guess the hardcore Dan fans watch all the same videos! I can't help with any technical details. There's a lot of talent here. Whenever I watch a few RUclips music videos it seems I'm the only one who can't pick up a guitar and launch into a Steely Dan guitar solo.
Genius solo. Fagen played a couple of excerpts on a documentary from some of the solos that others had tried up to the point that Jay saved the day, and Donald was totally frustrated cuz they just weren't good. And they were from top session players. It never ceases to amaze me how some of the great solos are so perfect, every note, and you just can't imagine them played any other way.
Thanks for sharing, Steely Dan has always made beautiful music and Earth Wind and Fire, After The Love Is Gone is an amazing song. Jay is an Icon. Tim you never cease to amaze musicians everywhere, you always come up with something so cool and educational. I hope you have a wonderful day. Thank you.
That solo right there brings me back to being a young kid in the late 1970s and hearing this song on my mom's AM radio while playing in the backyard in the summertime... Great memories!
This Peg solo is the most creative guitar solo ever. (Yes, I'm also a fan of Jimmy Page.) This solo is just endlessly surprising and truly devoid of any cliches. It seems impossible, but there it is. It should be credited as composition, like Clare Torry's work on Pink Floyd's Great Gig in the Sky, which was finally credited as composition.
Shawn thank you so much, yeah if you tell me when I was a kid that I was going to get to do this... I would have started floating a few feet off the ground
This video is priceless. It doesn't get any better then this ! Mighty tasteful sounds coming from Jays guitar !! 💫💫👍💫💫 ONE OF THE COOLEST VIDEOS IVE EVER SEEN .
Absolutely FABULOUS! Never knew it was Jay who played one of the most famous solo’s in music history. Love his style & personality.. shines through in his music. Thankyou Mr Graydon for years of beautiful sounds!
"A Steely Dan Bedtime Story" Once upon a time, there was a king, named Richard, who ruled Mizar. He fell madly in love with his darling, Rose. After a short engagement, they were married by a Deacon in a blue suit. They honeymooned near the caves of Altamira and did it again quite frequently without a fez. Night after night, it was a countdown to ecstasy. Soon, they were home at last, and Rose and King Richard, in the months and years to follow, would have a castle full of show biz kids. Their first kid, a boy, was named Charlemagne. Later, daughters, Josie and Peg, would beautify the castle with their French twists. Rikki, their youngest, was a mathematics prodigy who never lost track of her numbers. The parents were strict with their daughters, but the girls didn't seem to care. The family would vacation by carriage to the sea and when the children got too loud, King Richard would say, "keep it down, just until we get out of town." During their holiday, the family would sit under a banyan tree and watch the sun go down on the crimson tide. They let the children play up on the hill near the black cows. The king, however, had a mistress at this seaside Eldorado resort. When confronted by Rose, Katy lied and said there was nothing to it. Katy was only nineteen at the time. Rose knew the fix was in. Later, Rose told King Richard that she knew of the affair and was planning on a trip to Haiti for a divorce. She said, "I can't cry anymore while you run around." Upon hearing this news, King Richard summoned his therapist, Dr. Wu. After a lengthy discussion about the king's infidelity, Dr. Wu responded, "the things you think are useless I can't understand." Rose, still reelin' from this news demanded, "I want to know everything you did." King Richard confessed to an affair with Katy's sister, Pearl. He defended himself by saying, "it was just a fling with a couple of skinny girls." King Richard hastily had his family return to Castle Bravo, coincidentally, at the changing of the guard. He met with his generals to discuss the expansion of his kingdom to new frontiers. He told them he wanted to be king of the world. Rose, however, took a gift from the king, a pair of green earrings, and threw them in the moat. She realized that she had been royally scammed. King Richard went to Rose's bedroom and told her it would never happen again, but she replied, "after what you've done, only a fool would say that." She gave him the goodbye look before she lit the candle and put a lock upon the door. King Richard, in a rage, threatened harm to their children by drowning them in the moat when he said, "I'll throw back the little ones." At that very moment, there was fire in the hole as the castle came under ambush by battle apples! King Richard became suicidal and thought about taking his life with a gun. His last words were, "Don't Take Me Alive!" The day after the king's demise, Rose had lunch with Gina, her best friend. They drank kirschwasser from a shell. Gina advised Rose to sell her home and move to a place called the Custerdome. The next day, Rose put a sign in front of the castle that read: Everything Must Go.
Absolutely classic lick! I've listened to that song thousands of times since I was a kid and that solo never fails to blow me away. Thank you so much Mr. Graydon...
I once read that a journalist said to a famous physicist, "I hear there are three people on the planet that actually understand general relativity (*)", and the physicist replied, "Who's the third?" * it might have been quantum mechanics
Such a great comment by Jay ... a bit of a teasing tone with hints of truth as in, "Finally, you great players can move onto my table and we can have beers together, finally ..."
There is a reason why Steely Dan’s music sounds as fresh and new today as it did 45 yrs ago. Genius level stuff.
The same thing can be said about Debussy's music, composed a century ago.
Oh hush. It doesn’t sound fresh and new. It sounds like the period it was made in!
@@brbadge People likes to talk a lot of shit in the comment section.
NSS 😅
Well said. It sounds fresh because it was master level in an era when real music was being played.
40+ years and still floored by that solo: the note choices, the guitar tone, those crazy bends, and that phrasing. And he's in and out before you know it, and you just think - whoa, what the hell was that?!
100%. Who thinks that stuff up? Awesome.
@@markpeate7366 Imagine telling Larry Carlton, and Robben Ford, "No, sorry, that's not what we're looking for, have a nice day." HaHa! I think Jay Graydon just had a Zen moment, not "thinking" anything, but "doing," and it was a miracle. And yes, still a mystery.
@@MrCaramelSnow that's the eternal beauty of the guitar bro. Keep playing!
@@markpeate7366He obviously had a techinique repertoire, and he seemed to just run through random fragments of technique without thinking. Try it yourself: If you grab your instrument of choice and just play it, your muscles will just do random things that may sound cool toghether.
whoa, what the hell was that?!
So right! That was my feeling, and is to this day.
The fact that in 2019 we still obsess over the solos of steely dan shows the genius of those guys. Thank you for this video.
How right you are! Chapeau for bigging up The DAN!!
totally!!!
Bounty Hunter Bootcamp indeed. What’s better? Nothing.
Not only solos...but the lyric subject matter as well.
Walt becker was one of the best, these men are the closest I've seen or heard ,rock on.......
This is a solo that is 100x greater than the sum of its parts. It just blends together elements that shouldn't work, but they do, perfectly. Maybe one of the best solos ever
I, like Tim and probably 1000s of other players, thought that there were slide elements in it. Crazy to see Jay play it and blow all of our minds!
@@billvill61 Ditto
It blew my mind when I first heard it at 20 yrs old and still does! Jay is an extraordinary player. What an imagination!!
42 years after the solo was laid down and it is still being discussed. This is why I love music.
🍉🍉🍉🍉
I first discovered Jay Graydon as the Executive Producer of Al Jarreau's "Breaking Away" album. To discover that HE played this solo and HE wrote EWF's "After The Love Is Gone" and George Benson's "Turn Your Love Around" is too much information at once. I literally had to sit down after watching this video. This guy is legendary.
My parents bought that album, but is was me who played it the most. Loved it as a kid! Never realised Jay was involved with that album.
WOW!
Yeah, I caught that (almost)...it was said so fast. Very real deal professional.
This is why he was picked by Becker and fagen, they were incredible at picking the best studio musicians out there to nail their sound
"It worked." What an understatement! That 25 seconds of Graydon brilliance will live forever.
Rick Beato needs him on his show!. C'mon Rick.
Hes not a fan of Rick from what I gathered when we spoke
Love how supportive Jay is…”Really good, Tim!”
Tim, a very accomplished professional player, getting church from Jay is so cool
This is gold! Just turned a whole classroom of HS kids onto Steely Dan today! They love it!
It's basically a perfect solo. Nothing else over those changes could top this.
I'm unsubscribing.
Obviously a troll, and a shit one at that
That wig is extraordinary. Nothing else could cover that scalp any better.
@@sumsar0125 Its cheaper than plugs.
acbulgin2 I'd have to disagree. I see what you are saying but I think Steely Dan's music has genuine staying power due to the unique blend of carefully-crafted musical elements and sardonic humour. I didn't grow up with Steely Dan but happened upon them in my mid teens (late 90s) and I've been a fan ever since. The comparison with classical music I think is a bit unfair as it's essentially comparing apples with pears. The goals are inherently different however the complexity of a steely dan song and arrangement (inc solos) is certainly equal to that of a short piece of classical music, like a Schubert song, for example. Chordally, the Dan are far more advanced than a lot pieces from the Baroque and early Classical period. In terms of depth of emotion, I think songs like Deacon Blues are quite profound. However, I think what you have to remember about the Dan is that their primary literary influence was black comedy, so really humour was the central aim. That said, is that any less noble a goal than say whining about one's broken heart? Or pleading to an imaginary deity? I'm not sure it is.
acbulgin2 Yes, it is often riff based and I think you are right that Fagen didn't have much confidence in their early work but by the Royal Scam and Aja the work is very assured and complex and I think they were both rightly proud of Aja as a whole. It's also worth noting that repetition is an almost essential component of music from fugues to fandangos to folk and in my opinion is not sth to be automatically put off by. Anyway, nice to conduct an orderly discussion with you. Have a good day!
WOW. This solo is even more accomplished than I realized. This guy is a master.
Among the best most original guitar solos of all time!
Not among....THE best most original guitar solos of all time
Andy Wilkinson Led Zepp holds the position for that
@@sirmcfrank Page is awesome...but....Peg is one of my favorites songs.....(as are most Zep songs)...btw ....I guess we can agree to disagree?
Andy Wilkinson true that then. I like peg a lot too
@@sirmcfrank Page is sloppy on electric. He's a much better acoustic guitar player.
One of the best solos on record - ever. Perfect in every way.
True
Guess I'll go ahead and redundantly say this is one of the greatest rock solos ever.
It is one of the greatest ever
And I will redundantly agree.
Agreed! Jay killed it!
I agree 100%
Apart from the (stellar) technique involved in playing this, it can't be stressed enough that Jay went to work that day not knowing what Becker and Fagen were going to want at all but knowing well how demanding they were in the studio... and he came up with this monumental solo *on the spot* despite being in a high-pressure situation. It's great to hear him talking about the theory involved in this, but the fact is, he didn't have the luxury of analysis on that day; he just had to play something great, and he sure did! Thanks to Tim and Jay for sharing this!
I reckon it's the 'winging it' element that makes it great. It sounds off the cuff even if it is kind of complex.
It's always seemed like one of those improvised solos where something miraculously perfect happened.
That's the beauty of improvising, analyze it all you want it only lives in the moment. :)
It’s fascinating to hear the ones that didn’t make it (there a whole programme on utube on the making of Aja and they find 2 outtakes still on the master tape) especially when you know they ere either Becker, dean parks, Rick derringer, Robben Ford, they were all soooofar off the Mark....graydon was clearly the man for the job . Great video,
Guess when he did it, it was all in one take, so that was 'on the spot', but he was messing around with Bebop for the first hour, so stuff was circulating in his head. He was learning the progression.
There’s Steely Dan, then there’s everyone else. It’s really just that simple.
Steely Dan vs the sound of my ass after a can of VanDeCamps. My ass for sure.
123spleege Not surprised. Imagine Dragons fans usually don’t like Steely Dan. Oh well...🤷🏼♂️
@@chrisamerriman I'm fucking with you of course. I am actually wearing my Steely Dan tour shirt from 1990 as I type this. I'm a Dennisons fan anyway.
123spleege 😂 I get it now... Merry Christmas, shitter’s full!
Steely Dan were Architects of Music . They Mathematically Built a Song . In my 57 years on God's Green Earth , I don't remember anything like them EVER ☮️
My all time favorite Dan song and never ever get tired of listening to it. Jay's spectacular 'cliche free' solo is one for the ages. A legendary player and great guy!
One of Mine to..No Question Bruh :) (y)
Idk Kid Charlemagne is rite up there to.
“Cliche free”. Perfect description 👍🏻
And he got in a Dean Parks plug too!
My Old School -- Skunk Baxter has a similar vibe of staccato abandon
The solo on Peg is perfectly crafted for the song. As an aspiring guitarist, I grew up listening to Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Skynryd, ABB etc. Then I came across Steely Dan and a whole other musical world opened up. I remember wearing out the vinyl learning Don’t Take Me Alive, Reelin, and Josie. Their music I’d timeless.
This dates from the golden age of studio musicians hired in sessions to do solos like these. I used to read the credits on everything to learn the new artists to check out. A very magical time in music.
You are spot on. The guys hired for these sessions absolutely the best with their craft. Even Wayne Shorter is on the album Aja.
The amazing thing is his solo was not charted -- he made it up on the spot -- i heard the other solos that were played by other guitarists that were brought in and they were forgettable -- but this one - man it fits like a glove -- it is perfect -- magical and it never gets old - i could hear it over and over - Jay Graydon's PEG solo will live on and on and be admired forever!!!
It's not the notes, it's the feel and the timing. It's so relaxed and ..cool!!
It's very cool. And it definitely suits the song and Steely Dan, for that matter. 😎👍
Yes, it’s actually really relaxed and it has an effortless feel to it. Amazing.
It's amazing how the solo captured the bouncy carefree nature of the melody and added all the funky flourishes, embellishments and punctuations. It reminds me of singer scatting. It's sounds totally organic yet it's so sophisticated in its structure. Pure genius and feel.
That's a great way to describe it. Those qualities must have been driving his musical imagination.
The TONE aspect is vital too. Jay's guitar sound is so much spicier than the solos that didn't make the cut.
where is a copy of the other solos?
@@AlienSexGod You can hear some of them on the 'Aja' Classic Albums doc, here it is: ruclips.net/video/waIBA6_0GQc/видео.html
It’s almost mystical how amazing Steely Dan was.
It’s tru! Beatles and Steely Dan are the only bands I’ve genuinely ever thought this of
@@funkdragon7659 dude I was literally about to put that about the Beatles too but I didn’t want to get a giant argument thread going, but yeah I totally agree.
Man I love how we're all still talking about this song and Jay's solo.
Rumor has it, Mr Jay Graydon did this in one take❤
Steely Dan, guitar solos That are timeless. Light years ahead of their time. All of them..
Some legendary drum and sax solos as well...
@@rythaguy1893 Not too many drum-solos, but Steve Gadd is epic on "Aja". Actually I don't remember any more drum-solos on Dan-records. But a lot of phantastic drum-parts. 🥰
@@funklover24 The trouble is, it's *all* master-level playing, by selection and stratospheric quality demands...
...which means that fewer amazing things "stand out".
Ironic really.
One of the greatest pop songs in music history. Flawless, ageless Steely Dan.
Jay Graydon has such a unique touch. His fingers make that sound even as he recreates the solo here. Such an ingenious solo played by a unique talent.
I love the almost slack key Hawaiian nature of this solo.
Brock Landers that’s exactly what Becker says when he heard it back on the “making of Aja” TV program
Great analogy to Hawaiian-style guitar ...
This is quite possibly the single best guitar lesson on YT. Those Steely Dan songs and solos are timelessly great.
One of the best guitar solo's EVER.
I just found a new favorite video! What in the WORLD must if feel like to wake up every day and say, “I played on steely Dan’s PEG! I also recorded one of the best solo’s ever laid to tape!”.
Who needs coffee when they have THAT
Amazing how a guy can just be winging it and end up with one of the greatest solos.
I think a lot of the studio guys were really,the solos weren't hyper-composed. As Grayson says though, there's a very vague roadmap and then it's just creativity in the moment.
This is how a lot of bebop guys did their stuff in studio too (vs very improv live stuff), judging by alt. takes... they have ideas but it is still essentially improvised.
Wigging it
Billy Hubbard ‘winging’ it - i.e. improvising
Other Becker/Fagen interviews point to a "I'll know it when I hear it" composing bent.
@@cartnhorse He was making a pun referring to the man's "hair"
Jay is a genius as a guitarist as well as a producer. Actually he produced my favorite records of Al Jarreau. 🥰
BREAKIN AWAY!
@John Galt Dough We have something in common, bro. 🙂👍🤝
One of the most talented and skillful solos in my opinion. The fact that he winged it is mind boggling. Steely Dan never fucked around when it came to music. And this shows with the love of their work regarding generations afterward. I'm a metal guy yet I'm in love with this song and the quality and heart of this solo is genius to me.
@@miko1975guitar yup!!
One of the most creative and addictive solos in history. Every listen has always left me in a better place. Full stop.
Pure love! And when I think of SD, I find it so miraculous, serendipitous, and yet totally appropriate, that Jake is in there as a classic moment in the SD history. It HAD to happen eventually. Paich, Omartian, Porcaro, Gadd, Carlton, Watts, Woods, Christleib, and Scott are all there. Dean Parks, Rick Derringer, Skunk Baxter and all the greats are apart of the SD history so I JUST KNEW JAKE WOULD COME THROUGH at some point in the SD Story. and he did....LIKE A WALK OFF HOMER. HE HAD TO HE'S IN THEIR CLASS. IT'S PERFECT.
Becker and Fagen always had an eye for talent. Their perfection is rumoured to have driven many a musician crazy. That said, they always seemed to get the most out of their studio musicians. This Graydon solo is as close to perfection as I have ever heard. When you think of Peg, your mind always winds up with this Graydon solo...My Goodness...!!
That man, that take, that day - genius!
He sounds like the Gary Shandling of session guitar. What an awesome talent!!!
I wish I could give this video 20 thumbs up. Thank you SO much for posting this. I've been a bad guitarist for 30 years now, and Steely Dan is my favorite all-time band. I'm still horrible at the guitar, but I LOVE to see things like this because I love knowing all the little intricacies and idiosyncrasies and stories behind some of the greatest songs ever made. Especially on the guitar parts. SO glad I found your channel, today. This video made my day. Thank you once again, Tim. Stuff like this really means a lot to me.
I'm right on your heels. 23 years and multiple guitars. I still suck at it.
Jay is a National Treasure and will never be replaced!
A truly iconic solo. I really love the way it sustains into the next verse. Beautiful!
I never really noticed that sustain when listening to the album, but I'm not a guitar player, so taken as a whole, it never stood out to me. Time to go back and listen to the album! :-)
Probably the Orange Squeezer that's responsible for the sustain!
Fantastic video!!! Jay breezed through this in 1977, and here we are in 2019, still trying to figure this out correctly....Jay is SO the man!
Cool. For 40+ years I've been believing that this was a Jeff Skunk Baxter solo... Love learning. Thanks a million.
Jay Graydon is such a pro.
And now there's pro tools.
That solo is pure brilliance
I really do like how Tim is always trying to learn something new.
The fact that he winged this in front of Donald and Walter is pure genius. This solo and Carlton's on Kid Charlemagne are just about my two favs ever. I love them now more than ever.
Thank you Jay and Tim for this.
In my opinion steely Dan is for every mood. If I am ready to go out the door and one of their songs is playing, I have to listen to the whole song. It’s sacrilege to stop the song before it ends. Peg is one my favorites. Really cool to hear how he did the solo. Just winging it. Massive chops. Thanks for sharing Tim. ❤️
My favorite solo of all time.
I almost didn't want to see the magic behind the curtain... that mysterious solo has been in my head for decades! Thanks for the share!
Still my favourite guitar solo, and Steely Dan track. Just brilliant. Timeless Genius.
I'm so glad I grew up in this time of the greatest musicians of all time. LOVE THIS VIDEO
It’s like God explaining what he did and how he did it on day 5.
Nice
There's some Godlike Humility on display here:
1) Tim and Dean's: Both absolute masters, yet they go to the teacher.
2) Jay's: Patience, kindness and Encouragement of Tim and Dean.
3) All of the above: Letting us see this; no Smaug-like hoarding here :-)
Jay's a monster & a half player. When I lived in Cambria I saw him play at the Hamlet a few times, always on & always playing jaw-dropping licks & a really nice guy to boot!
I was a punk rocker when this song came out and hated everything about it. I now find myself cranking it and dancing in my seat slapping time to it on the steering wheel every time it comes on the “adult listening” radio station. With age comes wisdom.
I’ve waited 10 RUclips years for this!!,!
I was just thinking this! insane!
tony - oh, that's not good. that's how it starts. stop listening to this music and maybe you will regain some control.
One of the top 3 studio guitarists ever. So polished and knowledgeable. A true legend.
I watched this video over and over because I always loved this song, the solo is brilliant 👏 I can copy but can't dream this up, he's at a whole different level.
One take or not, just the creativity enshrined in this solo is mind-blowing.
the best 30 second solo I ever heard on a record was Jay Graydons Twilight zone. It jut keeps building. if the song were longer the solo would have vaporized the studio. He and you are wonderful players. I've been playing for 55 years
Such a tasteful iconic solo. Hearing snippets of the other solo guitarist's tracks on the making of 'Aja' makes it crystal-clear why Jay's 'made the cut'. It's simply the 'right' one. Thanks Tim for posting!
“Shoulda been rollin’, that was perfect”😂 awesome!
Love Jay’s studio, especially the Yamaha NS-1000s!
Holy crap the Lord blessed that man with a full head of hair yet at 70. Wow
You know he had some thick a... hair
@Tony Brophy As long as it isn't *too* far down the back, I guess that sounds alright.
Looks like an Irish.
…. and the moral of the story?? Stay in the Studio and OFF the road...
Hair plugs
I first heard Peg as a young lad in the 70s on am radio. The song is incredible, the solo hasn't got old, one of the most memorable of the decade.
Awesome video! I love this solo! Get Larry Carleton on to talk about Kid Charlemagne next
David Rothberg or the iconic Don’t take me Alive?
That fkn solo is a masterpiece
Rick Beato does a pretty good job in his 'What Makes This Song Great?' series.
@@PhilUKNet yea I've seen that, it's actually how I learned to play the kid Charlemagne solo. I can't seem to nail the tone on the track, seems to be like a mid / treble boosted type thing.
Jonathan Bolger I guess the hardcore Dan fans watch all the same videos! I can't help with any technical details. There's a lot of talent here. Whenever I watch a few RUclips music videos it seems I'm the only one who can't pick up a guitar and launch into a Steely Dan guitar solo.
Peg and Kid Charlemagne, two of the finest guitar solo's known to man. God bless you Walter and Donald.
Genius solo. Fagen played a couple of excerpts on a documentary from some of the solos that others had tried up to the point that Jay saved the day, and Donald was totally frustrated cuz they just weren't good. And they were from top session players. It never ceases to amaze me how some of the great solos are so perfect, every note, and you just can't imagine them played any other way.
Perfect notes, wrong vibe. Fagen wanted a specific kind of feel for Peg, hence the lineup. Even Becker tried and it didn't quite work out.
The greatest steely Dan solo for sure it's also the Hardest to play and perform Jay Grayson my Guitar Hero
The perfect electric guitar solo
Thanks for sharing, Steely Dan has always made beautiful music and Earth Wind and Fire, After The Love Is Gone is an amazing song. Jay is an Icon. Tim you never cease to amaze musicians everywhere, you always come up with something so cool and educational. I hope you have a wonderful day. Thank you.
That solo right there brings me back to being a young kid in the late 1970s and hearing this song on my mom's AM radio while playing in the backyard in the summertime... Great memories!
This Peg solo is the most creative guitar solo ever. (Yes, I'm also a fan of Jimmy Page.) This solo is just endlessly surprising and truly devoid of any cliches. It seems impossible, but there it is. It should be credited as composition, like Clare Torry's work on Pink Floyd's Great Gig in the Sky, which was finally credited as composition.
Just.....incredible!
This is AWESOME!!!
Shawn thank you so much, yeah if you tell me when I was a kid that I was going to get to do this... I would have started floating a few feet off the ground
I bet! Good for you Tim! Hope things are going well.
Shawn Tubbs you’re pretty awesome yourself. Would like to see some lessons from you
Tremendous solo. Anyone with talent can imitate and emulate. Genius and talent creates.
This video is priceless. It doesn't get any better then this ! Mighty tasteful sounds coming from Jays guitar !! 💫💫👍💫💫 ONE OF THE COOLEST VIDEOS IVE EVER SEEN .
I love seeing this guy go back and relearn and teach his own solo. Its so wholesome.
One of my favorite solos of all time. Thank you for showing this!
Fagan and Becker strived for the very best in every detail. So glad this gentleman showcased his talents for millions to listen to.
One of the great guitar solos I’ve ever heard. Beast mode! ❤️🎸💥
I really like it when I can see the guy who did it explain what he did, how he did it and why he did it that way. VERY cool!
Absolutely FABULOUS! Never knew it was Jay who played one of the most famous solo’s in music history. Love his style & personality.. shines through in his music. Thankyou Mr Graydon for years of beautiful sounds!
One of the greatest Lead solos of ALL TIME! Love It.
That solo is a real treasure, to hear and see how it was created was just awesome! Thank you!
Boy Tim! Your channel has brought all these legendary solos down to earth. Then lifted them up to heaven again. Thank you!😎
"A Steely Dan Bedtime Story"
Once upon a time, there was a king, named Richard, who ruled Mizar. He fell madly in love with his darling, Rose. After a short engagement, they were married by a Deacon in a blue suit. They honeymooned near the caves of Altamira and did it again quite frequently without a fez. Night after night, it was a countdown to ecstasy. Soon, they were home at last, and Rose and King Richard, in the months and years to follow, would have a castle full of show biz kids. Their first kid, a boy, was named Charlemagne. Later, daughters, Josie and Peg, would beautify the castle with their French twists. Rikki, their youngest, was a mathematics prodigy who never lost track of her numbers. The parents were strict with their daughters, but the girls didn't seem to care. The family would vacation by carriage to the sea and when the children got too loud, King Richard would say, "keep it down, just until we get out of town." During their holiday, the family would sit under a banyan tree and watch the sun go down on the crimson tide. They let the children play up on the hill near the black cows. The king, however, had a mistress at this seaside Eldorado resort. When confronted by Rose, Katy lied and said there was nothing to it. Katy was only nineteen at the time. Rose knew the fix was in. Later, Rose told King Richard that she knew of the affair and was planning on a trip to Haiti for a divorce. She said, "I can't cry anymore while you run around." Upon hearing this news, King Richard summoned his therapist, Dr. Wu. After a lengthy discussion about the king's infidelity, Dr. Wu responded, "the things you think are useless I can't understand." Rose, still reelin' from this news demanded, "I want to know everything you did." King Richard confessed to an affair with Katy's sister, Pearl. He defended himself by saying, "it was just a fling with a couple of skinny girls." King Richard hastily had his family return to Castle Bravo, coincidentally, at the changing of the guard. He met with his generals to discuss the expansion of his kingdom to new frontiers. He told them he wanted to be king of the world. Rose, however, took a gift from the king, a pair of green earrings, and threw them in the moat. She realized that she had been royally scammed. King Richard went to Rose's bedroom and told her it would never happen again, but she replied, "after what you've done, only a fool would say that." She gave him the goodbye look before she lit the candle and put a lock upon the door. King Richard, in a rage, threatened harm to their children by drowning them in the moat when he said, "I'll throw back the little ones." At that very moment, there was fire in the hole as the castle came under ambush by battle apples! King Richard became suicidal and thought about taking his life with a gun. His last words were, "Don't Take Me Alive!" The day after the king's demise, Rose had lunch with Gina, her best friend. They drank kirschwasser from a shell. Gina advised Rose to sell her home and move to a place called the Custerdome. The next day, Rose put a sign in front of the castle that read: Everything Must Go.
Very creative.
Edward, that is GREAT!!!!
Well done although of course the Black Cow referred to in the song is a choc-milk drink. You are creative.
you made me wait for that Gaucho reference -- I was getting itchy.
The tone is so perfect. I think it could be the finest solo on a Steely Dan recording as well ?
Absolutely classic lick! I've listened to that song thousands of times since I was a kid and that solo never fails to blow me away. Thank you so much Mr. Graydon...
Wow Tim! So unbelievable! The guy remembered everything about that day. One of the best videos I’ve ever seen. ❤
I have honestly thought for years this was one of the most creative solos of all time. Thanks guys!
Thanks for the video Tim!!
👍👍👍
Cool to see the details of a great solo. "Now you and Dean Parks can both play the solo", lol.
I once read that a journalist said to a famous physicist, "I hear there are three people on the planet that actually understand general relativity (*)", and the physicist replied, "Who's the third?"
* it might have been quantum mechanics
XD
Such a great comment by Jay ... a bit of a teasing tone with hints of truth as in, "Finally, you great players can move onto my table and we can have beers together, finally ..."
That is one of the most beautiful solos Ever done.
Perhaps the greatest rock guitar solo of all time!
That lead was made for that song. You can't get any better than that! It was totally organic! Wow! What wonderful lead break! Thanks Jay! 🎸
One of the most beautifully unique solos ever. Thank you!
Thank you Tim Pierce for bringing that to us. Thank you Jay Graydon, for sharing the thought process. Fantastic!