@@omnibus4157 We're basically the same age. I used to hear this on late night radio stations. He's emulating someone on the album cover, can't remember who. 🤔
@@omnibus4157 I was a 22 when this came out & expecting my first child. This was my go to for relaxation ♥️🎶 I still listen to it today. Such great musicianship & production!
Another level of music. Who puts out stuff like this? Well, Donald Fagen does. So smooth, so classy, high quality, forever memorable and endless play time for the rest of your days.
Yup, had to buy the album 3 times because at a certain moment you could almost see right through it.. Aalways stand-by on the turntable. There was alwas a reason to play.
Oh course I am a humongous STEELY DAN fan but Donald's first solo album THE NIGHTFLY will be 40 years old soon and one of my all time fave albums. I'm 70 years old and was at the perfect place at the perfect time when these boys began.In fact, all this classic music you are enjoying I was literally there. I was there.
Thanks for playing this Jamel! The instrument you're referring to is a breath-controlled Yamaha digital synthesizer - possibly a DX-7 - playing a harmonica patch. While he's playing the melody on the keyboard, he's controlling the dynamic expression with a mouthpiece that translates his breath into voltage control of the sound. Most synths use a volume pedal to control expression. The breath controller is much more expressive. No sound happens until he blows into the mouthpiece. It's much closer to the way a harmonica player actually plays.That's why the volume swells are so natural sounding. The harmonica patch is created using FM synthesis, which Yamaha perfected. Hope this was helpful.
I always thought it was Fagen's much-loved Melodica. Talking of the Yamaha breath controller though - great idea ( keyboardists can always use another means of expression that doesn't involve the already-busy hands). Reasons why it didn't catch on widely... 1) If, like me, you were in the usual muso state-of-health......16 bars and you were on the floor hyperventilating. (There were a lot of fixes generally involving wads of kleenex to stifle the airflow) 2) if you were using the Mk1 controller - you looked like a ! (The Mk2 was a bit more visually subtle...)
One of the first digitally recorded album in the history of music, it took almost two or three years to finish it. And most people still use it to test their turnatables
This album is a true masterpiece. All 8 songs could have easily been A sides. It’s amazingly autobiographical and Fagen poured so much of himself in to this album.
Absolutely...however, absolutely place "Groucho" as in line right next to this puppy!! You cannot get music any better put together!!Peace my Steely Brethren. (@@)
"The Nightfly"- the title track has always been my favorite from this album. Actually love all of his Nightfly trilogy- The Nightfly, Kamakiriad and Morph the Cat. Sunken Condos is also a gem.
I agree. I am a Steely Dan fanatic. I think the best ever produced album is The Human League's "Dare" album. Give it a try. It is the only one I compare sonically to Steely Dan albums.
I remember when this record came out - I was a young single mom - I put this on and just danced away all my problems. I still do! You can't go wrong with this fine record! Thanks for reviewing!
You know Jamal, Donald Fagen is the other creative genius partner to now deceased Walter Becker. This a Fagen solo album. Together, THEY ARE STEELY DAN! They always had the best studio musicians on every album.
Uh oh, , I better step my game up because you are starting to catch me... when this album first came out I was mesmerized, and then when CDs came out it was one of the first I bought and it was basically on a loop at my house..
This song manages to be wondrous and nostalgic at the same time--hopeful about the future and melancholy about the past, when you were dreaming about how awesome tomorrow was going to be.
@@patricklewis7636 Fagen is one of the top five best rock lyricists ever. You can chew over his songs for years and keep finding new twists. Here he's mocking the things he found so thrilling back in the day. It's a real tightrope walk.
Love the lyrics of this song. It seems to be a nostalgic view of his youthful optimism. By '76 we'll be aok, 90 minutes from New York to Paris, undersea by rail... Sigh. How did that turn out? In the sleeve notes Fagen says that the songs are about the dreams of a suburban kid growing up in the 50s. The whole album has a nostalgic vibe about the American dream.
Well we did have the Concorde (no longer in existence) that made travel from New York to Paris nearly that quick, and The Channel Tunnel (Chunnel) undersea rail is a reality so...we did get those.
@SpuddySpud Exactly. It was an interesting perspective to take, looking back from the Reagan era. Suddenly, we were back to Cold War rhetoric and high-tech visions, just as we were in the late 50s/early 60s. Forget the intervening two decades, we were supposed to want that era back again. Fagin was actually being slyly cynical about it.
@@Historian212 I think the cynicism is quite overt in this tune - there were no two more sarcastic bastards in music than Donald Fagen and Walter Becker.
I am blessed to possess a world class stereo system. It easily exposes any and all flaws in any given recording. It is very difficult to find recordings that don't succumb to the ear test at volume. This track was so pristinely engineered and produced. I can turn it up as loud as any ear can tolerate and it is still crystal clear. Such awe inspiring production.
Imagine being in middle school in the mid 50s and dreaming about how wonderous the world will be by 1976....if only... But this is a song about that dream ❤️
The groove of the music is always going to be there but, Man! Donald Fagen's voice is GREAT! He's got one of the most distinctive voices in modern music! His singing is so underrated.
I came of age in the Cold War. In 1982, I was a young soldier in West Germany, when this album came out. It is chock full of references to the Atomic Age or also the Great Frontier, as JFK put it. This song has special, special meaning to me. I'm old, born in 1961. Thanks for playing this song, I just happened upon your channel. I think you can find a breakdown of the lyrics on wikipedia.
Nailed it. And written at the beginning of the Reagan administration when mutually assured nuclear destruction peaked in a way not seen since the early 1960s.
“A just machine to make big decisions Programmed by fellas With compassion and vision We'll be clean when their work is done We'll be eternally free yes and eternally young...” I mean, come on!! This is some real genius at work. Just too damn good! Quite simply one of the finest albums of all time.
Unfounded faith in the wisdom and benevolence of Leviathan, the eternal struggle of man compounded and complicated by technology that stacks the deck without his knowing. The lure of someone else bearing the burden and responsibility for doing the thinking and making the hard decisions for you. It's alive now, more than ever.
This reads like one of the most happy optimistic songs ever, but it's a beautifully composed tribute to cynicism and disappointment. Forty years on I think it's even more poignant. We done f*cked up even worse; compare and contrast our reality to the songs expectations. Well done Jamel, for covering this beauty. The whole LP is superb.
'Maxine' is my fave from this album. I played it for my Mom a few years back and she likened it to the dreams she and my Dad when they were first married and moved to a big city just outside Manhattan. Their 70th wedding anniversary is on Friday! Still dreaming after all this time!
@@lesliesterling826 Thank you for the comment. We had a very small family dinner for them. Special part of the evening was talking about the way they raised us and how much we appreciated their sacrifices for us.
If the Great American Songbook has a modern branch, Fagen is the biggest leaf. Very few come close to his songwriting talent, and the production values on this album have yet to be bettered. Used by engineers and musicians all over the world as a reference source for testing equipment, I sincerely believe this will stand the test of time in the same way that Beethoven, Mozart and Bach have. IGY should be the first music played when humans begin a colony on another world. Timeless genius.
I first heard this song mellowing out on nitrous oxide at the dentist office back in '82. I remember thinking, "Steely Dan never sounded better" lol. It was before I realized Fagan released a solo album.
Buddy, you need to get a copy of The Nightfly, some headphones, a glass of bourbon and just let your night be transported. This song is just the beginning of an amazing, epic journey of musical perfection! Cheers, my friend!
My favorite part of this song is that classy pre-chorus: “on that train of graphite and glitter” Fagen’s melody over that 2-chord progression is so catchy. It’s like, you’d totally expect that kind of melody, but at the same time, it’s so unique.
The sound engineering on this album was bang on and the range of instruments and vocals so well mixed it was amazing. Our sound man would use this to tune the PA when we set up for a show.
So true Talbot! about 15 years ago I walked into Stereo Exchange on Broadway in Greenwich Village...where I've spent way too much money on audiophile equipment through the years. A salesman I knew whispered, "Bill, come with me, we have a new room." We walked into a room housing a $200,000 system. The stylus alone was $4,000. He proceeded to put on Paul Simon's Graceland. I told him it wasn't one of my favorites. He said to give it a chance. 30 seconds in my jaw hit the floor. Then he went for the home run. Nightfly and IGY hit the turntable. It was an out of body, unworldly experience. This channel is such a guilty pleasure. I'm glued to Jamal. His joy and positivity are infectious...a bright light in the dark times.
A great Album. His lyrics and music on this album seems to transport you back to to the late 50's and early 60's, for a glimpse into what he may have impressed him as a youth growing up.
what you got to understand like a Steely Dan you have to look at the as I call it the Wikipedia page for Donald Fagan the nightfly and go to where it says personnel and look at the players he had on here that's why it sounds so damn good
This album has been on hard rotation in my life for almost 40 years and that’s how it’s going to continue. A paen to an adolescent growing up in 50s American suburbia. So smooooooth and it sooooothes the soul. The cooooolest album and album cover ever.
This album was so impeccably recorded for the highest fidelity possible, that sound engineers and producers still use it to test sound systems and speakers, as a reference track for their equipment, to this day. Such an amazing album.
The Nightfly (1982), Kamakiriad (1993), Morph the Cat (2006), and Sunken Condos (2012). All fantastic solo albums from DF. The Nightfly is my favorite. I think it’s his best.
Forgot to mention, but Walter Becker also had a solo career too, with "11 Tracks of Whack" (1994) and "Circus Money" (2008). Definitely check those out.
Another good DF solo is No static at all?, is the track called that, or FM? Someone out there will correct/confirm please As for Jamals reaction, pure joy and happiness, priceless. Makes everything seem good again,, gives us hope on our hearts ❤️💕
Just can't believe it's been forty years now. Seems like only yesterday that I bought the album, took it out of it's sleeve and heard this incredible sound. IGY has such a nice sound. Another solo song Jamal should try out is Walk Between the Raindrops from Kamakiriad.
I cannot stress enough how incredible this entire album is. It is my favorite of all time. The levels of musicianship, sound production, and songwriting genius are second to absolutely nothing.
I've mentioned this once or twice, but check out The Dukes of September live stuff. Fagan, Boz Skaggs, and Michael McDonald doing their greatest hits with a seriously kickass backing band. There's a bunch of it on RUclips.
I got this album when it came out in 82. This record has everything. Great lyrical content, infectious hook, unforgettable ad libs. If that wasn’t enough engineered to perfection. One of the greatest records of Donald Fagan’s career. Timeless is this masterpiece and I always get emotional because that what great music does! May Peace be upon all of you who listen and love without reserve.
Donald plays the melodica .... The melodica (the alien sounding instrument) is a free-reed instrument similar to the pump organ and harmonica. It has a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument.
When IGY happened in 1957 - 1976 seemed a lifetime away. This song is a vision of the future written from the perspective of technology dreamers of what might happen 20 years into the future. Well now - it's been 20 years (times three) since 1957 - and we still don't have hotel wheels in the sky - underwater trains from NYC to Paris - but - the fix is in - machines make big decisions programmed by fellows with compassion and vision. IGY is a great song - a song that has stood the test of time.
Morph and Condo get pretty funky! Lot of what sounds like 5 or 6 string bass. I totally did not make these albums (not a one), so I can't say for sure.
This was the last album I bought on vinyl and the first on CD. Nearly fourty years later and still one of my "go to" albums. It's as near "perfect" as an album could be.
Steely Dan is the perfect mix of jazz and rock in my opinion. Donald and Walter shared songwriting duties. There are so many great Steely Dan songs it's impossible to pick out the best. Grab an album and enjoy, doesn't matter which one
@@arthurking6846 What?! Surprising to hear that. Listen to any Donald Fagen solo album and you’ll find all the marks of a Steely Dan album. Jazz chord voicings, great story telling, master musicians, super production... need I go on? Now compare any Donald Fagen album to any Walter Becker solo effort. No comparison.
"New Frontier" by Donald Fagen makes a great companion reaction track to this one. Those two tracks kick off the respective sides of this amazing, life-changing album.
Utter musical genius. This was the first all digitally recorded album. Check out Walk Between The Raindrops. I don't recall who said it, but the song is summed up nicely by, "...the paradoxical relationship between promising dreams and discouraging truths." Always enjoy your reactions. Keep great music alive!
Goosebumps, you bet!! You know, i get you man, i know how you process music - you can hear it, all the instruments, simultaneously both separated and together harmonizing, all the details and nuances... yeah... I feel you! Great song indeed! Jamel is legit, great channel!
Jamel, it was great to see you so enjoy this music. The lyrics have been always been a puzzle. There was a time 45+ years ago that all I had in my car to listen to were 6 Steely Dan eight tracks, and that was enough.
I was 18 when this came out, I heard it on the radio all the time but was neutral in opinion to it. I now hear it's quality, and it doesn't seem to be stuck in the era it was created.
Hi, I'm Brazilian, and as I love this song, so RUclips recommended watching your channel. How cool, ! You are very funny, what a pity that the Portuguese subtitle is not enabled on your channel. Congratulations on the reaction, bye ! 🇧🇷🇧🇷👍😉
Recommendations from this album: The Whole Album.
Right? I was 13 when this came out and I loved it, even though I didn't understand most of it until I was a senior in high school.
@@omnibus4157 found it after discovering steely dan. This Album is perfect for long drives at night through a neon lighted city
@@omnibus4157
We're basically the same age. I used to hear this on late night radio stations. He's emulating someone on the album cover, can't remember who. 🤔
@@omnibus4157 I was a 22 when this came out & expecting my first child. This was my go to for relaxation ♥️🎶 I still listen to it today. Such great musicianship & production!
LOL
One of the most slept on albums ever, but those who know, know.
I know :)
yes we do KNOW!!!
We know 🙌🏼
Yes!
Took me 35 years to find the Nightfly but it’s up in my top 5 ever now. Love it love love it. Thank you Donald
There is a reason why engineers use this album as a benchmark.
The ears can really tell when something is recorded well. Sorry, it just came out that way.
Another level of music. Who puts out stuff like this? Well, Donald Fagen does. So smooth, so classy, high quality, forever memorable and endless play time for the rest of your days.
Steely Dan is one of those timeless artists.
There's a reason we sat and listened to entire albums.
THIS.
we used to listen to WHOLE ALBUM SIDES
Amen, brother!
Yup, had to buy the album 3 times because at a certain moment you could almost see right through it.. Aalways stand-by on the turntable. There was alwas a reason to play.
What a glorious time to be free Terry!
Miss those days...actually Rock On
Oh course I am a humongous STEELY DAN fan but Donald's first solo album THE NIGHTFLY will be 40 years old soon and one of my all time fave albums. I'm 70 years old and was at the perfect place at the perfect time when these boys began.In fact, all this classic music you are enjoying I was literally there. I was there.
You're so right, brother! (71 here)
Yeah, me too!
So true Unca Buzz !! I remember when this album came out, I wore it out.
50 here😁
We are all here...similar vintage...
Thanks for playing this Jamel! The instrument you're referring to is a breath-controlled Yamaha digital synthesizer - possibly a DX-7 - playing a harmonica patch. While he's playing the melody on the keyboard, he's controlling the dynamic expression with a mouthpiece that translates his breath into voltage control of the sound. Most synths use a volume pedal to control expression. The breath controller is much more expressive. No sound happens until he blows into the mouthpiece. It's much closer to the way a harmonica player actually plays.That's why the volume swells are so natural sounding. The harmonica patch is created using FM synthesis, which Yamaha perfected. Hope this was helpful.
The synth used was a Synergy. The DX-7 didn’t come out until 1983. But the Synergy was one of a handful,of synths that the DX-7 put out of production.
I stand corrected. I had no idea this was a digital synth. It sounds so natural! Thanks
This was recorded before the DX7 existed.
I always thought it was Fagen's much-loved Melodica.
Talking of the Yamaha breath controller though - great idea ( keyboardists can always use another means of expression that doesn't involve the already-busy hands). Reasons why it didn't catch on widely...
1) If, like me, you were in the usual muso state-of-health......16 bars and you were on the floor hyperventilating. (There were a lot of fixes generally involving wads of kleenex to stifle the airflow)
2) if you were using the Mk1 controller - you looked like a !
(The Mk2 was a bit more visually subtle...)
One of the first digitally recorded album in the history of music, it took almost two or three years to finish it. And most people still use it to test their turnatables
This is false. It took 8 months to record and ten days to mix.
@@marciamakesmusic by “finish” he probably included the preproduction process, including the writing, arranging, planning, so on and so forth
the album you were referring to was Gaucho, it was recorded between 78 and 80
This album is soooo smooth. It's like having a glass of aged bourbon on a bed of silk sheets smooth.
Yes, DF knows how
I'll take a shot of that, brother.
Thred Count, 5999
I'll drink scotch whiskey to that! There's so many killer songs on that album, mastered beautifully
Great analogy!
We didn't know what to expect when Steely Dan basically called it quits after Gaucho. Then Donald did this amazing work.
This album is a true masterpiece. All 8 songs could have easily been A sides. It’s amazingly autobiographical and Fagen poured so much of himself in to this album.
I believe this was his first solo hit outside of Steely Dan. He also covered Dion and the Belmonts' "Ruby Baby"
@@kenrutherford1109 yep..IGY was the first single followed by New Frontier and Ruby Baby. Nominated for 7 Grammy’s.
Hearing this song now reminds me of something else we had in the 80s that we don’t have now-hope for the future.
I was listening to this album along side of Joe Jackson’s “Night and Day” back then.
Me too - they complemented each other quite well.
There's a live JJ solo cover on here of "Any Major Dude Will Tell You" that's worth seeking out
@@NebulizerChi Joe also did a live cover of "King of the World", and he jams on it
Yup
Our man Joe was seriously underrated.
This album is a masterpiece. One of the best albums ever. The title track is my favourite, but you can't go wrong with any of the songs on this album.
Absolutely...however, absolutely place "Groucho" as in line right next to this puppy!! You cannot get music any better put together!!Peace my Steely Brethren. (@@)
I agree. Love The Nightfly single
Facts!
Yes! The title track is my favorite, too
Like an old cool friend you haven't seen in years, you pick up right where you left off...
Agree! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the ENTIRE album. Takes me back to my college days. ☺️
Life is just a whole lot better with Jamel in it.
yeah, I'll say it...I love the man! Goodness just comes through his pores.
I can dig THAT my Nubian brethren!!(@@)
From the same album you can’t go wrong with New Frontier.
I love his cover of the old song "Ruby Baby" on there as well.
@@codjh9 yes indeed!
Maxine is one of my favorite from this album.
"The Nightfly"- the title track has always been my favorite from this album. Actually love all of his Nightfly trilogy- The Nightfly, Kamakiriad and Morph the Cat. Sunken Condos is also a gem.
Dont forget the animated New Frontier ( cartoon).
The most sonically perfect album ever...I have never, ever got tired of one song on this album....
I agree. I am a Steely Dan fanatic. I think the best ever produced album is The Human League's "Dare" album. Give it a try. It is the only one I compare sonically to Steely Dan albums.
agreed!!!
Aja?
The Royal Scams my fave tho Maxine is slept on;)
me too..it never gets old!
I remember when this record came out - I was a young single mom - I put this on and just danced away all my problems. I still do! You can't go wrong with this fine record! Thanks for reviewing!
Hope life has treated you well......
You know Jamal, Donald Fagen is the other creative genius partner to now deceased Walter Becker. This a Fagen solo album. Together, THEY ARE STEELY DAN! They always had the best studio musicians on every album.
This album sounded both futuristic and nostalgic to me, like taking an Orient Express train ride on the Moon...
What a brilliant description! 🤩👌👌
That is a great way to put it…
Well said! You nailed it!
Your Comment is Gold 🙏
Excellent perspective, “futuristic and nostalgic”. Wonderful.
Most underrated album ever. Must have listened to it one million times. 🇺🇸😎👍
This one and "Avalon" by Roxy Music for me.
same here woody, loved this album..i think Fagen was ahead of his time.... this music is a masterpiece... :-)
Uh oh, , I better step my game up because you are starting to catch me... when this album first came out I was mesmerized, and then when CDs came out it was one of the first I bought and it was basically on a loop at my house..
@@leon1231435 Absolutely right!
Possibly one of the best studio recordings in history. SQ is sublime.
This song manages to be wondrous and nostalgic at the same time--hopeful about the future and melancholy about the past, when you were dreaming about how awesome tomorrow was going to be.
Yeah, only he can be critical by showing us how optimistic we used to be. The snark is sharp here
@@patricklewis7636 Fagen is one of the top five best rock lyricists ever. You can chew over his songs for years and keep finding new twists. Here he's mocking the things he found so thrilling back in the day. It's a real tightrope walk.
This album was released in 1982, 39 years ago. Donald Fagen, and his work with Steely Dan are timeless.
Love the lyrics of this song. It seems to be a nostalgic view of his youthful optimism. By '76 we'll be aok, 90 minutes from New York to Paris, undersea by rail... Sigh. How did that turn out? In the sleeve notes Fagen says that the songs are about the dreams of a suburban kid growing up in the 50s. The whole album has a nostalgic vibe about the American dream.
Well we did have the Concorde (no longer in existence) that made travel from New York to Paris nearly that quick, and The Channel Tunnel (Chunnel) undersea rail is a reality so...we did get those.
the 'royal scam'
@SpuddySpud Exactly. It was an interesting perspective to take, looking back from the Reagan era. Suddenly, we were back to Cold War rhetoric and high-tech visions, just as we were in the late 50s/early 60s. Forget the intervening two decades, we were supposed to want that era back again. Fagin was actually being slyly cynical about it.
I was going to comment, but this one pretty much said it all.
@@Historian212 I think the cynicism is quite overt in this tune - there were no two more sarcastic bastards in music than Donald Fagen and Walter Becker.
When I was a child I didn’t know if I was listening to Steely or Don’s solo stuff. Both versions of him are just sheer pleasure to the ears and soul.
I am blessed to possess a world class stereo system. It easily exposes any and all flaws in any given recording. It is very difficult to find recordings that don't succumb to the ear test at volume. This track was so pristinely engineered and produced. I can turn it up as loud as any ear can tolerate and it is still crystal clear. Such awe inspiring production.
Imagine being in middle school in the mid 50s and dreaming about how wonderous the world will be by 1976....if only... But this is a song about that dream ❤️
Yay! Donald Fagan! Do more please. "The Nightfly" is a gem!
One of the first fully digitally recorded albums. Sounds so good.
Soon as I started watching this, I knew he'd enjoy when the horns first come in. Sets the mood of the entire song. Smooth is right.
yep & i knew he'd like the background singers "what a beautiful world this will be"...that GETS everyone!
The groove of the music is always going to be there but, Man! Donald Fagen's voice is GREAT! He's got one of the most distinctive voices in modern music! His singing is so underrated.
What a gift to be hearing this song for the first time. I was 15 when this came out and had no idea what I was listening to, only that I liked it.
I was 15 as well. What a time.
I came of age in the Cold War. In 1982, I was a young soldier in West Germany, when this album came out. It is chock full of references to the Atomic Age or also the Great Frontier, as JFK put it. This song has special, special meaning to me. I'm old, born in 1961. Thanks for playing this song, I just happened upon your channel. I think you can find a breakdown of the lyrics on wikipedia.
This entire album is worth a review. Musicians at their best and engineered perfectly.
This song for me has always been a dichotomy of limitless hope and possibilities and profound despair and misery; incredible song.
Nailed it. And written at the beginning of the Reagan administration when mutually assured nuclear destruction peaked in a way not seen since the early 1960s.
“A just machine to make big decisions
Programmed by fellas
With compassion and vision
We'll be clean when their work is done
We'll be eternally free yes and eternally young...”
I mean, come on!! This is some real genius at work. Just too damn good!
Quite simply one of the finest albums of all time.
You said it all brother. It certainly is the work of absolute brilliance!
Should be the theme song for The Green New Deal
Unfounded faith in the wisdom and benevolence of Leviathan, the eternal struggle of man compounded and complicated by technology that stacks the deck without his knowing. The lure of someone else bearing the burden and responsibility for doing the thinking and making the hard decisions for you. It's alive now, more than ever.
@@submandave1125 just seen this. Well said, sir. 🙌🏼
that "eternally free yes and eternally young" really hits different, it feels nostalgic and gives me life at the same time hahaha
Ruby, Ruby is perfection, a slice of perfection like the entire album.
The whole album is a masterpiece of musical production, so many levels
This reads like one of the most happy optimistic songs ever, but it's a beautifully composed tribute to cynicism and disappointment. Forty years on I think it's even more poignant. We done f*cked up even worse; compare and contrast our reality to the songs expectations. Well done Jamel, for covering this beauty. The whole LP is superb.
Well done indeed 👏👏👏👏👏👏
No lies detected.
We only screwed up by being asleep while globalists did thier thing. We woke up just in time...well, some of us did.
@@nancy9478 i fear it's all too late Nancy. I'm in the UK and am particularly gloomy.
'Maxine' is my fave from this album. I played it for my Mom a few years back and she likened it to the dreams she and my Dad when they were first married and moved to a big city just outside Manhattan. Their 70th wedding anniversary is on Friday! Still dreaming after all this time!
i hope they had a wonderful celebration!!! Diamond anniversary!!!
@@lesliesterling826 Thank you for the comment. We had a very small family dinner for them. Special part of the evening was talking about the way they raised us and how much we appreciated their sacrifices for us.
I grew up out on LI. At that time, the suburbs were a great place to be in the 60s.
70 year wedding anniversary? Amazing. Thank you for sharing.
If the Great American Songbook has a modern branch, Fagen is the biggest leaf. Very few come close to his songwriting talent, and the production values on this album have yet to be bettered. Used by engineers and musicians all over the world as a reference source for testing equipment, I sincerely believe this will stand the test of time in the same way that Beethoven, Mozart and Bach have. IGY should be the first music played when humans begin a colony on another world. Timeless genius.
The quality of the sound, for this album, is unrivalled. Perfect for showing off audio gear.
That entire album is EPIC. There's not a "b" track on it.
Right! The consistency is outrageous!
When you listen to this song, the windows of your car low by themselves.
seemingly so huh. Nice memory.
One of the best comments I have ever read! Nicely Done
😂😅🤣😅🤣😅🤣That's the best comment I have ever heard Seriously, off the scale.. 😍😘😘😘
I salute you.
LOL
Simply the best written, best performed, best sounding album ever.
I first heard this song mellowing out on nitrous oxide at the dentist office back in '82. I remember thinking, "Steely Dan never sounded better" lol. It was before I realized Fagan released a solo album.
Sounds like a great day
Buddy, you need to get a copy of The Nightfly, some headphones, a glass of bourbon and just let your night be transported. This song is just the beginning of an amazing, epic journey of musical perfection! Cheers, my friend!
I agree
And borrow some fine Colombian, from another album . . .
A man after my own heart
yep..
Won't you pour me A Cuban breeze Gretchen!
And not one single note of auto tune. #RealMusic
Nor quantization.
#musiciansthatcankeeptime
My favorite part of this song is that classy pre-chorus: “on that train of graphite and glitter” Fagen’s melody over that 2-chord progression is so catchy. It’s like, you’d totally expect that kind of melody, but at the same time, it’s so unique.
The sound engineering on this album was bang on and the range of instruments and vocals so well mixed it was amazing. Our sound man would use this to tune the PA when we set up for a show.
hifi-stores used this song to show off speakers and amplifiers back in the days. Cause it's so well produced :-).
So true Talbot! about 15 years ago I walked into Stereo Exchange on Broadway in Greenwich Village...where I've spent way too much money on audiophile equipment through the years.
A salesman I knew whispered, "Bill, come with me, we have a new room." We walked into a room housing a $200,000 system. The stylus alone was $4,000.
He proceeded to put on Paul Simon's Graceland. I told him it wasn't one of my favorites. He said to give it a chance. 30 seconds in my jaw hit the floor.
Then he went for the home run. Nightfly and IGY hit the turntable. It was an out of body, unworldly experience.
This channel is such a guilty pleasure. I'm glued to Jamal. His joy and positivity are infectious...a bright light in the dark times.
Before that, they used "Aja."
@@hoppysport2872 Amen on Jamal.
@@Itelkner Yeah, that's a great album.
audio engineers and sound guys still use it to test and demo studio setups and live sound systems
A great Album. His lyrics and music on this album seems to transport you back to to the late 50's and early 60's, for a glimpse into what he may have impressed him as a youth growing up.
what you got to understand like a Steely Dan you have to look at the as I call it the Wikipedia page for Donald Fagan the nightfly and go to where it says personnel and look at the players he had on here that's why it sounds so damn good
I remember hearing this song on Daddy’s car radio back in the day-it’s still great!👏🏾❤️
This song is one of my favorite jams to this day. I loved it as a kid and I still jam it now.
The bass playing on this whole album is outstanding.
5 different bassists each bringing their own thing
I think it's Anthony Jackson on this track.
This album has been on hard rotation in my life for almost 40 years and that’s how it’s going to continue. A paen to an adolescent growing up in 50s American suburbia. So smooooooth and it sooooothes the soul. The cooooolest album and album cover ever.
The whole album is a masterpiece
This album was so impeccably recorded for the highest fidelity possible, that sound engineers and producers still use it to test sound systems and speakers, as a reference track for their equipment, to this day. Such an amazing album.
I had no idea Donald Fagen had a solo carrier. Thank you Jamel, I'll have to check out more from him👍
You won’t be disappointed!
The Nightfly album is awesome. Check out the title track
The Nightfly (1982), Kamakiriad (1993), Morph the Cat (2006), and Sunken Condos (2012). All fantastic solo albums from DF. The Nightfly is my favorite. I think it’s his best.
Forgot to mention, but Walter Becker also had a solo career too, with "11 Tracks of Whack" (1994) and "Circus Money" (2008). Definitely check those out.
Another good DF solo is No static at all?, is the track called that, or FM? Someone out there will correct/confirm please As for Jamals reaction, pure joy and happiness, priceless. Makes everything seem good again,, gives us hope on our hearts ❤️💕
Patti Austin on back up vocals. Brilliant stuff from 40 years ago !!
I read it was Valerie Simpson from Ashford and Simpson
@@jeffw6912 ok, well Valerie Simpspn it is then.
Just can't believe it's been forty years now. Seems like only yesterday that I bought the album, took it out of it's sleeve and heard this incredible sound. IGY has such a nice sound.
Another solo song Jamal should try out is Walk Between the Raindrops from Kamakiriad.
I never knew either woman was associated with this song.
Thanks for the info. Somehow I think it would be Patti Austin.
I remember this album was so good that the great Mel Torme did covers of the last two songs "The Good-Bye Look" and "Walk Between The Raindrops."
I cannot stress enough how incredible this entire album is. It is my favorite of all time. The levels of musicianship, sound production, and songwriting genius are second to absolutely nothing.
This whole album is great! Love it! New Frontier has to be my favorite off the Night Fly
Yup, mine too
Next up!👍😄
Fantastic song AND video both!
That song contains, possibly, the most perfect self-harmonizing background vocal (found in the bridge) ever recorded.
@@MX-S Like a lot of Dan stuff, it sounds so easy but it's as meticulous as a Swiss watch. Never a stray note.
I've mentioned this once or twice, but check out The Dukes of September live stuff. Fagan, Boz Skaggs, and Michael McDonald doing their greatest hits with a seriously kickass backing band. There's a bunch of it on RUclips.
Love Boz doing *The Same Thing* on that concert!!!
Oh wow👏
Dude...I've been listening to this song for 40 years and it still give me chills, too. And a few tears.
This album is pure magic. Drummer Jeff Porcaro laid a lot of these tracks.
Goosebumps, indeed! What a great song.
I couldn't click on this video fast enough. Donald Fagen's The Nightfly is top 5 or 3 favorite album of mine.
Same! Good taste!
Be interested to know the others ..
I got this album when it came out in 82. This record has everything. Great lyrical content, infectious hook, unforgettable ad libs. If that wasn’t enough engineered to perfection. One of the greatest records of Donald Fagan’s career. Timeless is this masterpiece and I always get emotional because that what great music does! May Peace be upon all of you who listen and love without reserve.
Donald plays the melodica .... The melodica (the alien sounding instrument) is a free-reed instrument similar to the pump organ and harmonica. It has a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument.
If that’s another word for recorder ... melodica ???
I.e. a grown-up, electronic Keymonica?
This album is a wonderful musical representation of Atomic Age nostalgia. Mid century modern at its best. "Duck and Cover" everyone.
Up next: New Frontier
When IGY happened in 1957 - 1976 seemed a lifetime away. This song is a vision of the future written from the perspective of technology dreamers of what might happen 20 years into the future. Well now - it's been 20 years (times three) since 1957 - and we still don't have hotel wheels in the sky - underwater trains from NYC to Paris - but - the fix is in - machines make big decisions programmed by fellows with compassion and vision. IGY is a great song - a song that has stood the test of time.
he's just unmatched. so creative and lyrical and the production is superb.
my brother, it's like butter. it's smooth and inspiring. thank you for sharing.
It's a brilliant album, maybe you could give "Ruby Baby" a spin on the old turntable as well
Yes...
Fagen slap tore up Ruby Baby...who'dathunk that Leiber/Stoller tune for the Drifters could turn out quite so smooth!
@@victorhawkins3461 So smooth even ice would slip and fall.
I liked "IGY," but hearing "Ruby Baby" is what made me jump and buy this album.
Love it
Kamakiriad album is a hidden gem. Funkiest Donald Fagen album.
love Teahouse on the Tracks. But the entire album is great.
Morph and Condo get pretty funky! Lot of what sounds like 5 or 6 string bass.
I totally did not make these albums (not a one), so I can't say for sure.
🏆JAMEL: How perfect is this song? LOVE how you are going all in with Steely Dan and Donald Fagen!
This was the last album I bought on vinyl and the first on CD. Nearly fourty years later and still one of my "go to" albums. It's as near "perfect" as an album could be.
Donald Fagan was the primary singer songwriter for Steely Dan.
Steely Dan is the perfect mix of jazz and rock in my opinion. Donald and Walter shared songwriting duties. There are so many great Steely Dan songs it's impossible to pick out the best. Grab an album and enjoy, doesn't matter which one
Walther Becker's not slouch though :) Listen to Bob Is Not Your Uncle Anymore from his Circus Money-album.
Becker did most of the writing and production
No way
@@arthurking6846 What?! Surprising to hear that. Listen to any Donald Fagen solo album and you’ll find all the marks of a Steely Dan album. Jazz chord voicings, great story telling, master musicians, super production... need I go on? Now compare any Donald Fagen album to any Walter Becker solo effort. No comparison.
"New Frontier" by Donald Fagen makes a great companion reaction track to this one. Those two tracks kick off the respective sides of this amazing, life-changing album.
Utter musical genius. This was the first all digitally recorded album. Check out Walk Between The Raindrops.
I don't recall who said it, but the song is summed up nicely by, "...the paradoxical relationship between promising dreams and discouraging truths."
Always enjoy your reactions. Keep great music alive!
Love when you get the stank face when the song starts! This is one of my all-time favorite songs!
I will donate $25 to your channel if you review the entire album. No joke.
Same tho haha
Agree!
Deal!
Ditto!
I’m in too
I love his cover of "Ruby Baby" from the same album
I Llllove tha song!
Goosebumps, you bet!! You know, i get you man, i know how you process music - you can hear it, all the instruments, simultaneously both separated and together harmonizing, all the details and nuances... yeah... I feel you! Great song indeed! Jamel is legit, great channel!
I never thought you would do this album! It’s niche but such a timeless symphony for the soul.
omg
Finally a reaction for Donald Fagen!!
Saw him live (finally) before Walter Becker passed away. This world still ain't ready for Donald or Steely Dan. ;)
What a wonderful world this would be
If we had music like this today to sing,
Jamal, one of the GREATEST albums of ALL TIME!
I knew a big Steely Dan fan like you would get around to this one!
A great song from a phenomenal album.
Jamel, it was great to see you so enjoy this music. The lyrics have been always been a puzzle. There was a time 45+ years ago that all I had in my car to listen to were 6 Steely Dan eight tracks, and that was enough.
I was 18 when this came out, I heard it on the radio all the time but was neutral in opinion to it. I now hear it's quality, and it doesn't seem to be stuck in the era it was created.
It's the true definition of Timeless
Steely Dan - Night By Night!! It’s a banger! Funkiest track and meanest guitar solo on any Dan record!
Yep....I’ve been pushing for this one and Caves of Altimara.
Man, you’re going DEEP! Keep Diggin’ Brother! So much Great Music to Explore and Change the Soul!
Haven’t listened to this joint in years man Thanks brother
Hi, I'm Brazilian, and as I love this song, so RUclips recommended watching your channel. How cool, ! You are very funny, what a pity that the Portuguese subtitle is not enabled on your channel. Congratulations on the reaction, bye ! 🇧🇷🇧🇷👍😉