Yep, he’s talking to a girl, one who keeps chasing after things she thinks are important (in verse 1, a summer love that she thinks will last; in verse 2, a weekend at a college presumably with a plan to hook a “smart” boyfriend, in verse 3 yet another man who has some quality she thinks is important). He’s saying to her that he’s been there all along with all the qualities that are really important and she can’t recognize it. Welcome to the Steely Dan rabbit hole!
She's an aging flower child trying to "reel in" the years of her lost youth as you'd reel in a fish on the line. "Your everlasting summer" is a reference to the "summer of love" in 1967, I think, when the hippie counterculture was at its height. By 1972 when this song was released the oldest of the baby boomers were turing thirty, the first year of reckoning. "Never trust anyone over thirty" had been a mantra of that generation. The counterculture was dying. The guy wants to settle down, but she is still behaving in an immature fashion, chasing every fad, every new love, when she should have learned better by now.
Okay, so, first, LOVE that your listening to Steely Dan. So many people of my generation (Gen X, 80s music people) were oblivious to how great "The Dan" was until much later in life when we all actually sat down and really listened to them. They're a band with a genre all their own, and IMO, their production value may be equaled, but never bested. Many, many of the musicians you hear on Steely Dan songs were simply the best studio guys available in the industry (And I mean the entire industry... not just, like "the best local guys"), guys like Larry Carlton, Bernard Purdie, Steve Gadd, with backup vocals by guys who were solo stars in their own right like Michael McDonald. All of that said, I'm really glad I found your channel. By all means you sound like a really intelligent guy who enjoys looking deeper than the average person and I admire that. Your lyrical interpretation is pretty spot on, though I'll warn you, as others have, not to expect to understand all of the lyrics immediately--I do recommend reading up on them, however, as the history and trivia behind their lyrics has never failed to satisfy. I'm really looking forward to following your journey, as we say, down the Steely Dan rabbit hole--it's one of the best trips you'll take (might I recommend a little 420 with some of their songs, if you partake). So, a list of recommendations... well, that's a long list. SD doesn't really have a bad tune. Everything ranges from Good to flat out amazing. Here's just some to get you started: Aja, Time out of Mind, Black Cow, FM, Babylon Sisters, Deacon Blues, Josie, My Old School, Bad Sneakers, Home at Last, and I see you've already done Kid Charlemagne... I'm about to go check that out. Enjoy!!!
@Dethstrok9, congratulations on your 1st 1k view video. I came over here to this channel from your other channel and have watched this channel grow with your great content. Keep on rocking brother!
On some of their songs you may never figure out what the meaning is, however, with both Fagen and Becker being literature majors in college, they have some very dark lyrics and shady figures dancing around in their songs. Many you can read about.
Steely Dan is a deep well. I already recommended “Green Earrings,” but there are many others: “Bodhisattva” “Your Gold Teeth” “Home At Last” “Do It Again” “Night By Night” “Aja” “Pretzel Logic” “Kid Charlemagne” Just to name a few. 🙂
I look at you and think, my grandson would have been your age now. We lost him two years ago to cancer. Very unexpected and quick; he was diagnosed and a month later, he left us. I think of how he enjoyed the music of my era, just as I watch you enjoying the very same music, and you have so much more to discover. I was so very fortunate to grow up in a time when music, was real music. The 60's, 70's and 80's, were when music was at it's peak, and after the 80's, the music died for me. Not sure what happened, it just seemed to fade somewhere, and forgotten.. I have no idea what is popular today, but I did happen to catch one video with a band that had grotesque masks on, and I had a "what in the world was that" moment. Is this what young people are listening to these days? Whoo boy... I truly hope you continue on your journey. It thrills me to see young people begin to realize that the music from a time long past, is appreciated and worth listening to.
The two guitar players on this song are Jeff "Skunk" Baxter and Denny Dias. Glad you love Steely Dan. You already heard "Don't Take Me Alive" that lead was played by the Legend Larry Carlton. You can see a live performance of this if you look up the song with "Midnight Special" after.
You have to read the album notes for each and every song. There are only two members of Steely Dan, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. Everyone else on their albums is a studio musician, carefully chosen for his or her sound, for each song. This allowed Becker and Fagen to get the very best of the best.
This was the first Steely Dan song I ever heard.Then every one after was another gem.Bodhisatva has good guitar too.What it means is great too..Always good hearing your thoughts to great music.✌
I thought Skunk Baxter played the second solo, not sure why I thought that. Anyway, Jeff “skunk” Baxter played a lot of leads for these guys. And ended up being a consultant for the DOD developing weapons defense systems as he saw parallels between music and computer programming.
music of MY youth is appreciated by another young generation - this does my heart good for someone to "get" this music - there's a bunch more to come - have fun
☺ I lost track after the first decade of Dan 😳 who was actually "in" the band besides Donald & Walter! Still see them do a month long Residency in NYC at the Beacon. A different Album every night. 🤯 Stuff I never dreamed of as a kid in the 70s jamming to th guitar solo in Reelin. 😒 Except this year due to Covid-19. 😭 No Aja, Royal Scam, Greatest Hits Nights, etc..... 🥺🐰 #ENRGYZRBunny
The 2 core members were Walter Becker (guitar) and Donald Fagen (keyboards). On their first album they were more of a real band but later they quit touring and became a studio band with those 2 guys hiring great musicians to play the songs. They're well known for their impeccable production, the space they gave each instrument, the layers, the mix. On the song 'Peg' they tried 7 or 8 different guitarists to get just the right solo, there's a You Tube video on it.
Reeling - (lose one's balance and stagger or lurch violently.) That is my understanding of the lyric. She is lurching through life off-balance, misdirected with the intention of gathering experiences. Fumbling through life without focussing on anything important, or how she impacts others. Misdirected. Gathering up the tears of those she disappoints and heartbreaks. "Have you had enough of mine?" As she moves on to the next shallow romance. Quantity of experiences over quality of such. The author is realizing all he was, was the next experience for her in his heartbreak.
Hey Dethstrok9, I really enjoyed this reaction video. Job well done. I think its awesome that you care enough to enjoy this type of music. While im not saying there is not still good new music out there, its certainly not like this music. Glad to see the next generation enjoying something that is close to 50 years old. I would suggest Yes's Roundabout as a good song to react to.
@@DiconDissectionalReactions Sorry about the acronym. Yes, the song is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. So is Steely Dan. Though I am proud they are, there are other artists that should be there and are unjustifiably absent.
I feel so lucky to have gotten to see them at Interlochen right before their lead singer died. It also makes me very happy that people your age are getting into Steely Dan, but it makes me sad that you won't be able to see them in concert, it was worth the time and money spent to see them. See however many of these bands in concert as you can!!! Is my point, I guess lol
Great to see your appreciation for this great band! If I could suggest another couple Steely Dan songs that you might enjoy, "The Caves of Altamira" and "Black Friday".
My Old School is another relationship gone wrong song, and Hey Nineteen, older guy can't talk to younger girl song, SD has so many good songs you just started. Many great guitarists, and Jazz guitarists proclaim Kid Charlemagne as having the most well conceived guitar parts ever created. Larry Carlton is a legendary guitarist and played on many SD tunes
I first heard Reelin in the Years in 1988. I had a terrible blind date and was driving in to Jr. College to drop out that Monday. Boy, did the words ring true that day. Plus, they make the best music. :)
The song was written by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker and features Fagen on vocals. In 2009 Rolling Stone describe the track as "a prime early example of what would become the Dan’s trademark vibe, marrying a sardonic kiss-off to an ex to a bouncy shuffle groove, and adding on some white-hot guitar dazzlement courtesy of Elliott Randall to bring the whole thing home." In the same interview, Fagen said "It’s dumb but effective," and Becker said "It’s no fun." The guitar solo on the original recorded version, by session player Elliott Randall, was recorded in one take. It has reportedly been rated by Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page as his favorite solo of all time, and he scored it 12/10. The solo was ranked the 40th best guitar solo of all time by the readers of Guitar World magazine.
I've always thought of this song as kind of an essay in cynicism -- the cynicism that's borne of being repeatedly heartbroken and overlooked by someone who, as you rightly noted, doesn't understand what's truly important in life ("the things you think are precious, I can't understand"). As for the chorus, "Reelin' In the Years" always seemed to be a way of saying that he has invested much effort and time in their relationship, but she never really made the same investment in him, because she was too busy chasing other dreams. That last verse is delivered with noticeable disgust in his voice as he realizes that all the money and time he gave her was wasted, leaving him shattered ("Are you gathering up the tears? Have you had enough of mine?"). Also, two things -- First, Elliott Randall. That's it, just Elliott By-God Randall. Second, I've always loved the sound of the piano underneath the verses. It has a very peppy, almost smiley-sounding melody to it -- almost like the theme for a children's TV show. Meanwhile, on top you hear the verse just dripping with cynicism and frustration. Wonderful contrast.
Don't spend too much time trying to figure out Steely Dan's lyrics. They usually tell a story that's filled with seedy and unsavory characters. A lot of them are almost autobiographical. But they also will put in some nonsense lyrics just for the fun of it and because the words sound good together to them.
Simply put the song is about a guy that got dumped by a girl for someone else. She didn’t realize that she already had a diamond, etc. Let me also add, don’t rack you brain trying to analyze Steely Dan’s lyrics. They are famously cryptic but amazing.
I'll add myove for the solo in this song. It's in the top 10 all time for me. Saw SD last year on a double bill with the Doobie Brothers, quite a show. The guitarist touring with SD these days tore it up on this song. Really an amazing rendition.
Sounds like a rocky relationship that had been going in since they were both 17. Sounds like she is speeding through her life too fast, not taking the time to dwell on the important things and, ultimately, leaving him behind.
You are my favorite reactor because you are the only one who really embraces and is affected by the lyrics. Kudos to you. BTW.. that is Walter Becker on guitar. Criminally underrated. Donald Fagen is the singer with his unique voice.
I was a young teen as the catalog came out and they were a bit over my head at the time but at 15 I really snapped to 'Do it again' and was down the rabbit hole myself. Led Zeppelin was starting to fizzle and I didn't care.
Lots of confusion in the comments, so let me give some background on this guitar solo. On Dec. 4, 1966, a 19 year-old music store guitar teacher in Lima, Ohio (NYC native Elliott Randall) attended a Yardbirds concert at the local Springbrook Gardens Teen Club. There he introduced himself to lead guitarist Jimmy Page (Jeff Beck was also in the band, but had left for London upset with conditions on Dick Clark's Caravan of the Stars winter bus tour). Several years later Randall joined Donald Fagen and Walter Becker as touring musicians for the group Jay & the Americans. That friendship led to Randall being summoned to L.A. in late 1972, when Steely Dan was recording their first album. He would compose and play the lead solos on "Reelin' In the Years," which his guitar hero Jimmy Page famously rated "12 on a scale of 10."
Yes it's a breakup song. Have you had enough of my tears? I never understood what you value, and what you don't grasp is worthwhile (like me for instance...).
Always fun to watch someone new react to my favorite band! If you want another guitar banger by Steely Dan, check out Kid Charlemagne. It features the same guitarist from Don’t take me alive (Larry Carlton) 😎 Or check out their more sleek stuff from their later albums (e.g., «Josie»). Both of those song’s lyrics might put your brain at work big time 😅
I can’t believe you’ve never heard of Steely Dan! Best band ever. Your lyric interpretations have been right on. I hope you continue down the Steely Dan rabbit hole. You might get addicted. I agree with some others on here, if you’re a guitar fan then “green earrings” or “kid charlemagne” would be a good one to do next. If you like jazzier stuff check out some of the stuff on their most famous album “Aja”. The title track is great, as are “black cow” and “Josie”.
He certainly did in concert in 1973-74, but session guitarist Elliott Randall played it on the album "Can't Buy a Thrill," which was recorded in late 1972.
Since it was written by both Fagen and Becker, i'll just say i've noticed that THEY had a way of writing almost like the main character is thinking out loud or talking to himself about what he would like to say to someone else. That is probably why it seems to be more like jumbled thoughts than an actual normal conversation.
I think he's reacting to a bitter break-up. She, to him, is a shallow person, even though she had a huge affect on him. She, in his eyes, is taking her time for granted, thinking that life is just a silly game for her to trifle with...He's bitter because he is actually the one who has wasted his OWN time on HER...Reelin' in the years just means that she's spending her valuable time, frivolously. He facetiously suggests that she's stowing away her time. Which, of course is ridiculous, because you can't stow away your time. Once it's gone, it's gone forever, right?...Idk. That's what I take from it...What the hell do I know?!
Hey dude loving the breakdowns.. Not many channels do it so keep it up✌️.. Could you please react to Deftones. Crenshaw punch.. I've never seen anyone do it and would love to hear your take on it
If you really want to go as deep into musicianship, and song construction, and sound engineering as you can get, try "Close To The Edge" by YES. Only if you think you are ready.
Steely Dan is just pure perfection. Denny Diaz on lead I believe here. I think Fagen and Becker responded to an ad by Diaz to get a band together.Must have seriously good Jazz chops. Well the rest is history!
As with most SD tunes there’s yet another possible way to read the lyrics. The narrator is putting all the blame for the breakup on her, saying she doesn’t value the right things and implying she doesn’t see how great he is. He points out her faults only and we have no idea what his mistakes might have been. But maybe she’s right to leave, and he’s just projecting. Maybe he sucks. Who knows for sure?
He wrote this to a gold digging ... partner, who ditched him on a trip to Hollywood. He knew she tossed away trunlove to chase fame and fortune. It’s also a poignient reminder that, yes, wisdom is a ‘gift’ of age. There is more to life than increasing its speed” - Mahatma Gandhi.
Hello young bro, I like your taste in music.! One of my favs from junior high/early high school days is The Thompson Twins. I'd love to see your reaction to their song "King for a day." Also just remembered - another favorite is another song called "King for a day" - this one by XTC. Maybe you could compare both? Power on!
many who have not seen any video of this or not good hearing separation do not know what that there are two guitars playing harmony at 6:05 and 8:59 in this video
Steely Dan's songs about women weren't like other bands songs. Tall Cool Woman by the Hollies - Stunning beauty. Evil Woman - ELO. She's evil. American Woman - The Guess Who. So hot, so dangerous. Neil Diamond - You'll Be A Woman Soon. Creepy around the edges. But Steely Dan goes right for the jugular. My Old School - Cruel. Reelin' in the Years - Self deception. Katie Lied - Loving a liar. So that's, cruel and self deception and liar. God! I love their music. It always tells a story.
The line "Reelin in the years" is a double entendre. The first meaning is a mixed metaphor: Reeling in a line on a fishing pole after catching a bite = Pulling in the memories you want desperately to keep and frame your identity with. The second meaning is deeper... Tossing and turning, full of self-doubt and desperation. Panic.😊
Yep, he’s talking to a girl, one who keeps chasing after things she thinks are important (in verse 1, a summer love that she thinks will last; in verse 2, a weekend at a college presumably with a plan to hook a “smart” boyfriend, in verse 3 yet another man who has some quality she thinks is important). He’s saying to her that he’s been there all along with all the qualities that are really important and she can’t recognize it. Welcome to the Steely Dan rabbit hole!
Thank you for the explanation, adds even more depth to something that was already amazing, for those who hadn't yet thought much about the lyrics...
The '70's - THE decade for music - this was just another gem from that period of wonderful musical inventiveness!
Do you notice the guitar riffs are NOT overstated? But well done and classy that fit the song? That is Steely Dan. Then they stab you with brilliance!
I have noticed that. The solos serve the song and are not just showing off, they all play off each other, which is awesome:)
She's an aging flower child trying to "reel in" the years of her lost youth as you'd reel in a fish on the line. "Your everlasting summer" is a reference to the "summer of love" in 1967, I think, when the hippie counterculture was at its height.
By 1972 when this song was released the oldest of the baby boomers were turing thirty, the first year of reckoning. "Never trust anyone over thirty" had been a mantra of that generation. The counterculture was dying. The guy wants to settle down, but she is still behaving in an immature fashion, chasing every fad, every new love, when she should have learned better by now.
Every Dan song is like Maxwell House Coffee...good to the last drop!
Okay, so, first, LOVE that your listening to Steely Dan. So many people of my generation (Gen X, 80s music people) were oblivious to how great "The Dan" was until much later in life when we all actually sat down and really listened to them. They're a band with a genre all their own, and IMO, their production value may be equaled, but never bested. Many, many of the musicians you hear on Steely Dan songs were simply the best studio guys available in the industry (And I mean the entire industry... not just, like "the best local guys"), guys like Larry Carlton, Bernard Purdie, Steve Gadd, with backup vocals by guys who were solo stars in their own right like Michael McDonald.
All of that said, I'm really glad I found your channel. By all means you sound like a really intelligent guy who enjoys looking deeper than the average person and I admire that. Your lyrical interpretation is pretty spot on, though I'll warn you, as others have, not to expect to understand all of the lyrics immediately--I do recommend reading up on them, however, as the history and trivia behind their lyrics has never failed to satisfy. I'm really looking forward to following your journey, as we say, down the Steely Dan rabbit hole--it's one of the best trips you'll take (might I recommend a little 420 with some of their songs, if you partake).
So, a list of recommendations... well, that's a long list. SD doesn't really have a bad tune. Everything ranges from Good to flat out amazing. Here's just some to get you started:
Aja, Time out of Mind, Black Cow, FM, Babylon Sisters, Deacon Blues, Josie, My Old School, Bad Sneakers, Home at Last, and I see you've already done Kid Charlemagne... I'm about to go check that out. Enjoy!!!
@Dethstrok9, congratulations on your 1st 1k view video. I came over here to this channel from your other channel and have watched this channel grow with your great content. Keep on rocking brother!
We are Legion.
Steely Dan is quite the rabbit hole. If you have time, check out Deacon Blues, Black Cow, Peg, and Boston Rag. They really didn’t make any bad songs.
Not all the songs from the 70s had deep meanings and most of us didnt care we just like the jam
#Facts 🤷🏾♀️
On some of their songs you may never figure out what the meaning is, however, with both Fagen and Becker being literature majors in college, they have some very dark lyrics and shady figures dancing around in their songs. Many you can read about.
Steely Dan is a deep well. I already recommended “Green Earrings,” but there are many others:
“Bodhisattva”
“Your Gold Teeth”
“Home At Last”
“Do It Again”
“Night By Night”
“Aja”
“Pretzel Logic”
“Kid Charlemagne”
Just to name a few. 🙂
Yes
I think Green Earrings will be next, since so many have recommended it:)
I look at you and think, my grandson would have been your age now. We lost him two years ago to cancer. Very unexpected and quick; he was diagnosed and a month later, he left us. I think of how he enjoyed the music of my era, just as I watch you enjoying the very same music, and you have so much more to discover. I was so very fortunate to grow up in a time when music, was real music. The 60's, 70's and 80's, were when music was at it's peak, and after the 80's, the music died for me. Not sure what happened, it just seemed to fade somewhere, and forgotten.. I have no idea what is popular today, but I did happen to catch one video with a band that had grotesque masks on, and I had a "what in the world was that" moment. Is this what young people are listening to these days? Whoo boy... I truly hope you continue on your journey. It thrills me to see young people begin to realize that the music from a time long past, is appreciated and worth listening to.
I forget how much I like Steely Dan...until I hear Steely Dan.
The two guitar players on this song are Jeff "Skunk" Baxter and Denny Dias. Glad you love Steely Dan. You already heard "Don't Take Me Alive" that lead was played by the Legend Larry Carlton. You can see a live performance of this if you look up the song with "Midnight Special" after.
You have to read the album notes for each and every song. There are only two members of Steely Dan, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. Everyone else on their albums is a studio musician, carefully chosen for his or her sound, for each song. This allowed Becker and Fagen to get the very best of the best.
Steely Dan is a super unique band, check out My Old School too. The guitarists on this track are Jeff Skunk Baxter and Denny Dias and Elliot Randall
You know it’s a great guitar solo when Jimmy Page says it’s his favorite.
Steely Dan is till today still the best musical band of all time nothing compared if you love music this is it !
I was ten when this came out, it's why I started playing guitar way back when, I had never heard tone like this, it blew me and everyone else away.
This was the first Steely Dan song I ever heard.Then every one after was another gem.Bodhisatva has good guitar too.What it means is great too..Always good hearing your thoughts to great music.✌
Elliott Randall on lead guitar, I have met him. he is a cool dude.
I thought Skunk Baxter played the second solo, not sure why I thought that.
Anyway, Jeff “skunk” Baxter played a lot of leads for these guys. And ended up being a consultant for the DOD developing weapons defense systems as he saw parallels between music and computer programming.
Eliott Randall a session guitar player did this solo in 1 take!!!!! Mind blown!
music of MY youth is appreciated by another young generation - this does my heart good for someone to "get" this music - there's a bunch more to come - have fun
This iconic solo was the work of Elliott Randall - he wasn't a full-time member of the Steely Dan lineup but an outstanding studio guitarist.
Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page once said Randall's guitar solo is his favorite of all time.
☺ I lost track after the first decade of Dan 😳 who was actually "in" the band besides Donald & Walter! Still see them do a month long Residency in NYC at the Beacon. A different Album every night. 🤯 Stuff I never dreamed of as a kid in the 70s jamming to th guitar solo in Reelin. 😒 Except this year due to Covid-19. 😭 No Aja, Royal Scam, Greatest Hits Nights, etc..... 🥺🐰 #ENRGYZRBunny
A first take, plugged straight into the board, recorded in a single pass. Unreal.
Jeff Baxter did the beginning and end solos. Randell did the middle. From the mouth of Skunk Baxter. Check out the Musicians Hall of Fame on RUclips.
The 2 core members were Walter Becker (guitar) and Donald Fagen (keyboards). On their first album they were more of a real band but later they quit touring and became a studio band with those 2 guys hiring great musicians to play the songs. They're well known for their impeccable production, the space they gave each instrument, the layers, the mix. On the song 'Peg' they tried 7 or 8 different guitarists to get just the right solo, there's a You Tube video on it.
Reeling - (lose one's balance and stagger or lurch violently.) That is my understanding of the lyric. She is lurching through life off-balance, misdirected with the intention of gathering experiences. Fumbling through life without focussing on anything important, or how she impacts others. Misdirected. Gathering up the tears of those she disappoints and heartbreaks. "Have you had enough of mine?" As she moves on to the next shallow romance. Quantity of experiences over quality of such. The author is realizing all he was, was the next experience for her in his heartbreak.
This is a great interpretation
It means you're getting older yet you're still trying to break hearts instead of committing.
yea, you got it. "Are you wasting your life' is what I used to picture.
Hey Dethstrok9, I really enjoyed this reaction video. Job well done. I think its awesome that you care enough to enjoy this type of music. While im not saying there is not still good new music out there, its certainly not like this music. Glad to see the next generation enjoying something that is close to 50 years old. I would suggest Yes's Roundabout as a good song to react to.
If you like lyrics, you gonna love Steely Dan. And the music is just as sophisticated.
Excellent analysis. Such a great band. Their production value and musicianship was top notch.
FYI....this song is in the RRHOF.
That the rock and roll hall of fame?
@@DiconDissectionalReactions Sorry about the acronym. Yes, the song is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. So is Steely Dan. Though I am proud they are, there are other artists that should be there and are unjustifiably absent.
I feel so lucky to have gotten to see them at Interlochen right before their lead singer died. It also makes me very happy that people your age are getting into Steely Dan, but it makes me sad that you won't be able to see them in concert, it was worth the time and money spent to see them. See however many of these bands in concert as you can!!! Is my point, I guess lol
Great to see your appreciation for this great band! If I could suggest another couple Steely Dan songs that you might enjoy, "The Caves of Altamira" and "Black Friday".
My Old School is another relationship gone wrong song, and Hey Nineteen, older guy can't talk to younger girl song, SD has so many good songs you just started. Many great guitarists,
and Jazz guitarists proclaim Kid Charlemagne as having the most well conceived guitar parts ever created. Larry Carlton is a legendary guitarist and played on many SD tunes
I first heard Reelin in the Years in 1988. I had a terrible blind date and was driving in to Jr. College to drop out that Monday. Boy, did the words ring true that day. Plus, they make the best music. :)
The song was written by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker and features Fagen on vocals. In 2009 Rolling Stone describe the track as "a prime early example of what would become the Dan’s trademark vibe, marrying a sardonic kiss-off to an ex to a bouncy shuffle groove, and adding on some white-hot guitar dazzlement courtesy of Elliott Randall to bring the whole thing home." In the same interview, Fagen said "It’s dumb but effective," and Becker said "It’s no fun."
The guitar solo on the original recorded version, by session player Elliott Randall, was recorded in one take. It has reportedly been rated by Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page as his favorite solo of all time, and he scored it 12/10. The solo was ranked the 40th best guitar solo of all time by the readers of Guitar World magazine.
I've always thought of this song as kind of an essay in cynicism -- the cynicism that's borne of being repeatedly heartbroken and overlooked by someone who, as you rightly noted, doesn't understand what's truly important in life ("the things you think are precious, I can't understand"). As for the chorus, "Reelin' In the Years" always seemed to be a way of saying that he has invested much effort and time in their relationship, but she never really made the same investment in him, because she was too busy chasing other dreams. That last verse is delivered with noticeable disgust in his voice as he realizes that all the money and time he gave her was wasted, leaving him shattered ("Are you gathering up the tears? Have you had enough of mine?").
Also, two things --
First, Elliott Randall. That's it, just Elliott By-God Randall.
Second, I've always loved the sound of the piano underneath the verses. It has a very peppy, almost smiley-sounding melody to it -- almost like the theme for a children's TV show. Meanwhile, on top you hear the verse just dripping with cynicism and frustration. Wonderful contrast.
Don't spend too much time trying to figure out Steely Dan's lyrics. They usually tell a story that's filled with seedy and unsavory characters. A lot of them are almost autobiographical. But they also will put in some nonsense lyrics just for the fun of it and because the words sound good together to them.
Fun Fact: Chevy Chase was their drummer (briefly) in college.
Give “Peg” a listen too. Another great solo. Steely Dan is about as good as it gets.
Simply put the song is about a guy that got dumped by a girl for someone else. She didn’t realize that she already had a diamond, etc.
Let me also add, don’t rack you brain trying to analyze Steely Dan’s lyrics. They are famously cryptic but amazing.
Well my friend, I'm still going to try to understand or relate the lyrics to myself in some way, but I'll take your word for it:)
Dicon Dissectional Reactions, thats the beauty of the Dan my man. Everybody has different interpretations to many of their songs.
Everyone’s Gone to the Movies is pretty straight forward too.
Good stuff huh? So happy to see your world being expanded by the fabulous music of Steely Dan.
That guy would be Jimmy Page that said that.
Denny Dias & Jeff " Skunk" Baxter played Guitar on this album
I'll add myove for the solo in this song. It's in the top 10 all time for me. Saw SD last year on a double bill with the Doobie Brothers, quite a show. The guitarist touring with SD these days tore it up on this song. Really an amazing rendition.
I grew up hearing this song on the FM. It was a key part of establishing a base for brilliant lyrics and amazing arrangement.
Fantastic eRlier song by this dynamic duo!
Wow! I was your age in 1972. Nice to see you enjoying great music.
Jeff Baxter really does it up on Lead Guitar!
That Drummer keeps this moving along nicely! Good Group.
Sounds like a rocky relationship that had been going in since they were both 17. Sounds like she is speeding through her life too fast, not taking the time to dwell on the important things and, ultimately, leaving him behind.
You are my favorite reactor because you are the only one who really embraces and is affected by the lyrics. Kudos to you. BTW.. that is Walter Becker on guitar. Criminally underrated. Donald Fagen is the singer with his unique voice.
I was a young teen as the catalog came out and they were a bit over my head at the time but at 15 I really snapped to 'Do it again' and was down the rabbit hole myself. Led Zeppelin was starting to fizzle and I didn't care.
Lots of confusion in the comments, so let me give some background on this guitar solo. On Dec. 4, 1966, a 19 year-old music store guitar teacher in Lima, Ohio (NYC native Elliott Randall) attended a Yardbirds concert at the local Springbrook Gardens Teen Club. There he introduced himself to lead guitarist Jimmy Page (Jeff Beck was also in the band, but had left for London upset with conditions on Dick Clark's Caravan of the Stars winter bus tour). Several years later Randall joined Donald Fagen and Walter Becker as touring musicians for the group Jay & the Americans. That friendship led to Randall being summoned to L.A. in late 1972, when Steely Dan was recording their first album. He would compose and play the lead solos on "Reelin' In the Years," which his guitar hero Jimmy Page famously rated "12 on a scale of 10."
Yes it's a breakup song. Have you had enough of my tears? I never understood what you value, and what you don't grasp is worthwhile (like me for instance...).
And more Dan recommendations:
FM
Pretzel Logic
My Old School
Black Friday
Kid Charlemagne
and then, the final exam, the song Aja.
Enjoy the journey!
With Steely Dan, you have to recommend entire albums because their catalog of great songs is so prolific.
Always fun to watch someone new react to my favorite band! If you want another guitar banger by Steely Dan, check out Kid Charlemagne. It features the same guitarist from Don’t take me alive (Larry Carlton) 😎 Or check out their more sleek stuff from their later albums (e.g., «Josie»). Both of those song’s lyrics might put your brain at work big time 😅
Kid Charlemagne is coming soon:) Thank you for the recommendations!
A great band from the 80s renowned for their cryptic lyrics was Echo and The Bunnymen. Check out their hit The Killing Moon! Thank you.
I can’t believe you’ve never heard of Steely Dan! Best band ever. Your lyric interpretations have been right on. I hope you continue down the Steely Dan rabbit hole. You might get addicted. I agree with some others on here, if you’re a guitar fan then “green earrings” or “kid charlemagne” would be a good one to do next. If you like jazzier stuff check out some of the stuff on their most famous album “Aja”. The title track is great, as are “black cow” and “Josie”.
Aja the title track? Oh my... musical heaven.
Just found your channel. I'm so happy other people like me listen to this stuff and love it!
I see you reacting well to YES, "Yours is no disgrace" or "Close to the edge" or "Starship Trooper" are a good place to start.
Guitarists Jeff " Skunk" Baxter ( Later of The Doobie Brothers) and Denny Dias
Skunk really nailed that guitar solo didn't he ? :)
He certainly did in concert in 1973-74, but session guitarist Elliott Randall played it on the album "Can't Buy a Thrill," which was recorded in late 1972.
Since it was written by both Fagen and Becker, i'll just say i've noticed that THEY had a way of writing almost like the main character is thinking out loud or talking to himself about what he would like to say to someone else. That is probably why it seems to be more like jumbled thoughts than an actual normal conversation.
Elliott Randall did the guitar solo
Yes he did, he is also on Sign in Stranger, Kings, Green Earings and Throw back the little ones!
Trying to catch up on some of your earlier videos, watching this on 9/11, can see from this and other videos that you "get it" right from the start.
There are no "old" songs, just great timeless ones.
reelin in the years ,time is passing you by .
I think he's reacting to a bitter break-up. She, to him, is a shallow person, even though she had a huge affect on him. She, in his eyes, is taking her time for granted, thinking that life is just a silly game for her to trifle with...He's bitter because he is actually the one who has wasted his OWN time on HER...Reelin' in the years just means that she's spending her valuable time, frivolously. He facetiously suggests that she's stowing away her time. Which, of course is ridiculous, because you can't stow away your time. Once it's gone, it's gone forever, right?...Idk. That's what I take from it...What the hell do I know?!
Legends. Rest In Peace Walter
The Guitar solo is done by Jimmy page of Led Zeplin.
Rikki don't lose that number... Amazing song...
Hey dude loving the breakdowns.. Not many channels do it so keep it up✌️.. Could you please react to Deftones. Crenshaw punch.. I've never seen anyone do it and would love to hear your take on it
It will be done my lord.
If you really want to go as deep into musicianship, and song construction, and sound engineering as you can get, try "Close To The Edge" by YES. Only if you think you are ready.
Love Steely Dan
React to Since Ive Been Loving You by Led Zeppelin, if you seek a really smooth and bluesey adventure ;-)
At one point, Elliott Randall was Jimmy Page's favorite guitarist.
Steely Dan is just pure perfection. Denny Diaz on lead I believe here. I think Fagen and Becker responded to an ad by Diaz to get a band together.Must have seriously good Jazz chops. Well the rest is history!
Killer guitar!
Wow life before song facts... still great stuff
'Wow' I agree
As with most SD tunes there’s yet another possible way to read the lyrics. The narrator is putting all the blame for the breakup on her, saying she doesn’t value the right things and implying she doesn’t see how great he is. He points out her faults only and we have no idea what his mistakes might have been. But maybe she’s right to leave, and he’s just projecting. Maybe he sucks.
Who knows for sure?
early genesis had some great songs songs try firth of fifth and stagnation
Thank you
Reeling in the years?: are you chasing youth and living in the the past?
There are so many sensational tr@cks from the D@n, if you are not careful it could be the soundtrack to your youth.
"Is he... talking to a girl?" - thanks mate.
Check the Gaucho album. Melodically amazing.
Reelin in the years...living in the past
He wrote this to a gold digging ... partner, who ditched him on a trip to Hollywood.
He knew she tossed away trunlove to chase fame and fortune.
It’s also a poignient reminder that, yes, wisdom is a ‘gift’ of age.
There is more to life than increasing its speed” - Mahatma Gandhi.
Hello young bro, I like your taste in music.! One of my favs from junior high/early high school days is The Thompson Twins. I'd love to see your reaction to their song "King for a day." Also just remembered - another favorite is another song called "King for a day" - this one by XTC. Maybe you could compare both? Power on!
Elliott Randall played the great guitar solos on this track.
you love guitar... one of my favourite SD guitar solos is on Gold Teeth II... check it out
many who have not seen any video of this or not good hearing separation do not know what that there are two guitars playing harmony at 6:05 and 8:59 in this video
Steely Dan's songs about women weren't like other bands songs. Tall Cool Woman by the Hollies - Stunning beauty. Evil Woman - ELO. She's evil. American Woman - The Guess Who. So hot, so dangerous. Neil Diamond - You'll Be A Woman Soon. Creepy around the edges. But Steely Dan goes right for the jugular. My Old School - Cruel. Reelin' in the Years - Self deception. Katie Lied - Loving a liar. So that's, cruel and self deception and liar. God! I love their music. It always tells a story.
The line "Reelin in the years" is a double entendre.
The first meaning is a mixed metaphor: Reeling in a line on a fishing pole after catching a bite = Pulling in the memories you want desperately to keep and frame your identity with.
The second meaning is deeper... Tossing and turning, full of self-doubt and desperation. Panic.😊
In a Steely Dan song if he is talking to someone it's nearly always a girl
This was always on the radio! ☺ Cool Memories! 😉 And those harmonies! 😍🐰 #ENRGYZRBunny
Elliott Randall on lead guitar.