I've written a couple of academic articles about Steely Dan And in my research I learned that on this track when they brought in Phil Woods to do the sax he brought along this huge entourage of jazz buddies from L.A. that hung out with Phil out in the studio parking lot and traded stories for a long time...producer Gary Katz was reportedly bemused at this unusual congregation!
The saxophone solo is the most beautiful one I've ever heard in a rock/pop song. It's by the late Phil Woods, one of the best bebop players in jazz history. He did it in one take, and the back story of his gig with Fagen and Becker is hilarious.
@@mjsmcd According to Woods himself, when Becker and Fagen hired him for the gig, they put him up at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Woods "invited every alto player in California and racked up the largest room service bill of anybody who played an overdub for a rock and roll group." In the studio, Woods knocked out the solo in half an hour.
This was the song that did it for me. My friend that played several songs by them I didn't care for oh, and this one turn me on and I never looked back
Lyrics about a Love + Dope triangle. 'Dr. Wu' is a personification of an opioid habit. Protagonist + Katy + Dr. Wu (heroin, opium et.al.). Drugs in the relationship push them apart. Dr. Wu did it.
@@markblom8039 I think Katy is 'sly' because by the end of the narrative, the protagonist realizes that she's become totally involved w/ 'Dr. Wu' - meaning she's become an addict, too, yet he had no idea, she had fooled him big time. because remember, towards the end of the final verse, the narrator/protagonist goes '...Katy lies, you can see it her eyes/But imagine my surprise when I saw you....' The 'you' in question is 'Dr' Wu'. Meaning the narrator had a suspicion Katy was no longer being honest, something in her behaviour was off, felt her eyes somehow lied to him, and finally realizes she's stoned on heroin. Hence the narrator's 'surprise' .He sees Katy's pinned pupils, a big giveaway of opioid effects and realizes 'Dr. Wu' now inhabits Katy. in the beginning Katy was likely sober or perhaps a bit of a dabbler... 'Katy tried....' whereas the narrator is already an addict, ' I was on the other side of no tomorrow' meaning he might be jonesing w/ withdrawal. The he somehow manages to score... ' you walked in and my life began again, just when I spent the last Piester I could borrow'. He always refers to Katy in the third person, but the pronoun 'you' is employed only when referring to 'Dr. Wu'. I mean that's the way I hear it. Guns and Roses used a similar device in 'Mr' Borwnsone' - some types of poorly refined heroin are supposedly a brownish powder. Pure heroin is a crystalline white powder. 'China White' they call it.
If you're ever trying to think of more video ideas, might I suggest doing a video together where you rank the Steely Dan albums or something like that. I noticed you seem to have reacted to pretty much all of their discography, or a lot of it, I'm sure that people would love to know each of your top 10 favorite songs, or how both of you would rank the albums, etc.
everytime I call Dr Wu he says he is waiting to get on...He KEEPS HOLDING ME AT BAY....Best west coast studio yo cats....and that mid 70 production values that become common with all music after.
I'll put it this way...Steely dan was the best sound any pop artist was making at the time...melodically good..and 1st rate production values.Most people who never went below the surface of popular music this is the highest musical level they reach...
Heard this whole album on capitol radio with nick Horne back in the 70s.Lay in my bed and was overcome.At last some decent music pushing all the 70s shit aka 'pop music' to the side.Purchased it the next day.Have most albums now.I shall be playing 'do it again' at my funeral.Its what my family would expect.🙂
Here's my take guys: Katy is actually the junk,,The Heroin. Dr Wu is the dealer and the narrator goes looking for him at the end and finds that Katy has taken over his dealer and he's now addicted to his own product. By the way, the cover of the album is a bug called a Katydid. I love Pretzel logic, but I would skip it just for now..If you want that POW, BANG of Steely Dan music, go right to The Royal scam, which is one of Dan's 2 flawless album masterpieces. It has that power for the songs, production and other reasons; Larry Carlton, Chuck Rainey, and Bernard Purdie who came into top prominence in their studio recordings on this album. THEN you can go to Pretzel Logic after that high of Royal scam, and understand where they came from better. Peace!
Interesting take! Very cool to hear. Honestly we feel bad we missed pretzel Logic, and we want to continue hearing their progression, so we’ll probably do that one next. Anyway, thanks for watching!
@@steelyd2 Sorry friend I did not. I don't really care for Steely Ben's videos. excellent gesture on his part and a great service to put up videos with lyrics, however If I want to see videos with lyrics, I'll search for videos with just lyrics and not narrative cartoons with it. My friend and i came up with this theory years ago sitting in his basement listening to music.
@@melvinperry9393 oh I was just messing with you because I commented something similar on steely bens video that got a lot of traction. I know it’s a fairly popular interpretation of the lyrics. That’s the great thing about music, particularly by this band, that you can sit around with friends debating lyrics forever. It’s a great testament to the level of artistry in their music.
Great song, eh? Pretty sure that is Michael Omartian playing the piano here and across the album. He’s got the right touch for these songs - some light and tasty playing. Can’t fool you guys on those lyrics. Music to be bummed by.
Who was expoecting a sax solo? Especially of this calibre. Fagan and Becker often wrote about what was happening around them. I don't believe thay were part of all of these stories..... most likely observers. Musically this is another gem of a song. The way that they introcuce instruments and the timing is simply amazing. They have a way of "layering" music that simply EAR CANDY as far as I am concerned.
Steely Dan definitely paints a mood of colors you've never heard! Please react to Hall and Oats They were popular but so underrated. I suggest songs from "Along The Red Ledge" my favs "It's A Laugh" "Melody For A Memory" "Last Time" "I Don't Want To Lose You" "Have I Been Away Too Long" Also I think you'd appreciate Karen Carpenter, her voice is the purest of all honey. She was known as "One take Karen" Thank you for your videos and loving THE great music ❤
Blond on blond was dylans heroin album . I think they recorded it in Memphis to get dylan away from the NYC heroin scene . Every park used to be some sort of drug park . alphabet city dirty and gritty but as long as the diesel wasn't schitty white boys would venture there at night to feel alright . BTW if you want to use my lyrics I give them away for free .just give me a shout out . I've dropped many a poem on You Tube .
I remember all the homeless people living in Thompson square. There was a weird sense of community . Polocks in the polish section . Punk rocker kinda serving as the mayor . Drunken bums and junkies scattered all over the place . Throw some crazy people into the mix and presto there's the community
As far as I know, Steely Dan rarely explained what their lyrics were about. But this one they did. It is about drugs but that's only the subplot otherwise you are way off. Piano bar? Give us a break
Checking in late because I just found y’all. (Wake up, people! Give Sight After Dark some clicks!) As big a SD fan as I am, I’m not crazy about this album, despite the fact that it has two of their strongest songs on it. It also has some weak ones, and this is one of them. It’s just kind of “blah” for me. They did better dope songs than this one. Hear “Time Out of Mind” on the “Gaucho” album, for instance.
If you enjoyed this, check out our podcast on Steely Dan!
ruclips.net/video/2tNasxBrqnM/видео.html
One of Steely Dan’s best. .
Absolutely!
Probably the purest and most beautiful song they ever did.
It’s a good one!
The Dan just seems to have made music that is timeless .. it amazes me just like the first time I heard it ...
Absolutely
The drummer on this album was a 19 year old (late, great) Jeff Porcaro.
The piano in this is so beautiful - juxtaposed - to the insane lyrics of the false hope of heroine addiction.
That chorus is just insanely good.
You know it!
I've written a couple of academic articles about Steely Dan And in my research I learned that on this track when they brought in Phil Woods to do the sax he brought along this huge entourage of jazz buddies from L.A. that hung out with Phil out in the studio parking lot and traded stories for a long time...producer Gary Katz was reportedly bemused at this unusual congregation!
Maybe the finest example of 'jazz-pop' that one can find. The melody, harmonies, amazing sax solo, vulnerable vocals from Fagen....wonderful song
Agreed! Absolutely wonderful! Thanks for watching Tim!
The great Phil Woods on Alto..............
The saxophone solo is the most beautiful one I've ever heard in a rock/pop song. It's by the late Phil Woods, one of the best bebop players in jazz history. He did it in one take, and the back story of his gig with Fagen and Becker is hilarious.
love hearing one take stories. They’re so impressive
@@SightAfterDark Did do it in one take but they asked him to do a second one just so they could hear it again live.
Whats the story
@@mjsmcd According to Woods himself, when Becker and Fagen hired him for the gig, they put him up at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Woods "invited every alto player in California and racked up the largest room service bill of anybody who played an overdub for a rock and roll group." In the studio, Woods knocked out the solo in half an hour.
I'M 64 AND I CAN REMEMBER BUYING THIS ALBUM THE WEEK IT CAME OUT....GREAT TO SEE YOU REACT TO THEM...KENT IN OHIO
This was the song that did it for me. My friend that played several songs by them I didn't care for oh, and this one turn me on and I never looked back
Sometimes one is all it takes!
Love how the verse melody is a 3x repeat but each time with different harmonies. Who else writes pop songs like that?
Nobody!
Dr Wu the best cut from this album.
Best of all of their songs, IMO.
Lyrics about a Love + Dope triangle. 'Dr. Wu' is a personification of an opioid habit. Protagonist + Katy + Dr. Wu (heroin, opium et.al.). Drugs in the relationship push them apart. Dr. Wu did it.
That damn Doctor Wu at it again!
Funny I always thought Katy (she's sly) was the drug
@@markblom8039 I think Katy is 'sly' because by the end of the narrative, the protagonist realizes that she's become totally involved w/ 'Dr. Wu' - meaning she's become an addict, too, yet he had no idea, she had fooled him big time. because remember, towards the end of the final verse, the narrator/protagonist goes '...Katy lies, you can see it her eyes/But imagine my surprise when I saw you....' The 'you' in question is 'Dr' Wu'. Meaning the narrator had a suspicion Katy was no longer being honest, something in her behaviour was off, felt her eyes somehow lied to him, and finally realizes she's stoned on heroin. Hence the narrator's 'surprise' .He sees Katy's pinned pupils, a big giveaway of opioid effects and realizes 'Dr. Wu' now inhabits Katy. in the beginning Katy was likely sober or perhaps a bit of a dabbler... 'Katy tried....' whereas the narrator is already an addict, ' I was on the other side of no tomorrow' meaning he might be jonesing w/ withdrawal. The he somehow manages to score... ' you walked in and my life began again, just when I spent the last Piester I could borrow'. He always refers to Katy in the third person, but the pronoun 'you' is employed only when referring to 'Dr. Wu'. I mean that's the way I hear it. Guns and Roses used a similar device in 'Mr' Borwnsone' - some types of poorly refined heroin are supposedly a brownish powder. Pure heroin is a crystalline white powder. 'China White' they call it.
Exactly. Dr. Wu was also an alternative medicine doctor for strung out stars of the 1970s.
i like to think of Dr Wu as a drug dealer, Katy as a drug (opiod, heroin, etc), and by the end "Dr" Wu has OD'd from his own supply
I love the statement about the way they painted moods! Perfectly put!
Glad you agree Joel!
I love the half way crucified image of a needle in one arm.
Love the verse melody, but the atmosphere is truely unbeatable.
Agreed!
It's about drug addiction. It's one of their best, because it is always honest
If you're ever trying to think of more video ideas, might I suggest doing a video together where you rank the Steely Dan albums or something like that. I noticed you seem to have reacted to pretty much all of their discography, or a lot of it, I'm sure that people would love to know each of your top 10 favorite songs, or how both of you would rank the albums, etc.
everytime I call Dr Wu he says he is waiting to get on...He KEEPS HOLDING ME AT BAY....Best west coast studio yo cats....and that mid 70 production values that become common with all music after.
I'll put it this way...Steely dan was the best sound any pop artist was making at the time...melodically good..and 1st rate production values.Most people who never went below the surface of popular music this is the highest musical level they reach...
If somebody asked me for one song to check out SD for the first time, this would be it.
It’s a great one!
Tied for my favorite Steely Dan song...Along with 50 other ones. The lyrics might be depressing but the melody is very uplifting.
Heard this whole album on capitol radio with nick Horne back in the 70s.Lay in my bed and was overcome.At last some decent music pushing all the 70s shit aka 'pop music' to the side.Purchased it the next day.Have most albums now.I shall be playing 'do it again' at my funeral.Its what my family would expect.🙂
Here's my take guys: Katy is actually the junk,,The Heroin. Dr Wu is the dealer and the narrator goes looking for him at the end and finds that Katy has taken over his dealer and he's now addicted to his own product. By the way, the cover of the album is a bug called a Katydid.
I love Pretzel logic, but I would skip it just for now..If you want that POW, BANG of Steely Dan music, go right to The Royal scam, which is one of Dan's 2 flawless album masterpieces. It has that power for the songs, production and other reasons; Larry Carlton, Chuck Rainey, and Bernard Purdie who came into top prominence in their studio recordings on this album. THEN you can go to Pretzel Logic after that high of Royal scam, and understand where they came from better. Peace!
Interesting take! Very cool to hear. Honestly we feel bad we missed pretzel Logic, and we want to continue hearing their progression, so we’ll probably do that one next. Anyway, thanks for watching!
You didn’t happen to steal that from my comment on steely bens video did you?
@@steelyd2 Sorry friend I did not. I don't really care for Steely Ben's videos. excellent gesture on his part and a great service to put up videos with lyrics, however If I want to see videos with lyrics, I'll search for videos with just lyrics and not narrative cartoons with it. My friend and i came up with this theory years ago sitting in his basement listening to music.
@@melvinperry9393 oh I was just messing with you because I commented something similar on steely bens video that got a lot of traction. I know it’s a fairly popular interpretation of the lyrics. That’s the great thing about music, particularly by this band, that you can sit around with friends debating lyrics forever. It’s a great testament to the level of artistry in their music.
Great song, eh?
Pretty sure that is Michael Omartian playing the piano here and across the album. He’s got the right touch for these songs - some light and tasty playing.
Can’t fool you guys on those lyrics. Music to be bummed by.
Great song!
What's your point?
Who was expoecting a sax solo? Especially of this calibre. Fagan and Becker often wrote about what was happening around them. I don't believe thay were part of all of these stories..... most likely observers. Musically this is another gem of a song. The way that they introcuce instruments and the timing is simply amazing. They have a way of "layering" music that simply EAR CANDY as far as I am concerned.
Well said Rayce!
I was reading Jojolion and the author made a reference to this song. Once I looked it up and heard this song, I’ve been a fan!
It’s a great one!
Great videos. Can't wait for The Royal Scam.
Soon! Thanks for watching Roger!
Phil Woods on the saxophone
Shoutout to Phil!
Steely Dan definitely paints a mood of colors you've never heard!
Please react to Hall and Oats
They were popular but so underrated. I suggest songs from "Along The Red Ledge" my favs
"It's A Laugh"
"Melody For A Memory"
"Last Time"
"I Don't Want To Lose You"
"Have I Been Away Too Long"
Also I think you'd appreciate Karen Carpenter, her voice is the purest of all honey. She was known as "One take Karen"
Thank you for your videos and loving THE great music ❤
Love Hall and Oats! Thanks for watching Geri!
Tom Scott on sax 🎷
No, this song is Phil Woods on Alto...
@@scottsil1060 very good, my bad
Steely Dan lyrics have always been famous for being cryptic and dismaying..
Blond on blond was dylans heroin album . I think they recorded it in Memphis to get dylan away from the NYC heroin scene . Every park used to be some sort of drug park . alphabet city dirty and gritty but as long as the diesel wasn't schitty white boys would venture there at night to feel alright . BTW if you want to use my lyrics I give them away for free .just give me a shout out . I've dropped many a poem on You Tube .
Appreciate you! Which park was worse back in the day, Washington or Thompkins square? Just curious
I remember all the homeless people living in Thompson square. There was a weird sense of community . Polocks in the polish section . Punk rocker kinda serving as the mayor . Drunken bums and junkies scattered all over the place . Throw some crazy people into the mix and presto there's the community
Atmospheres?
??
As far as I know, Steely Dan rarely explained what their lyrics were about. But this one they did. It is about drugs but that's only the subplot otherwise you are way off. Piano bar? Give us a break
No breaks for you. We’re gonna double down and say this song is definitely about a piano bar on Mars 😂
Yeah no sight, don’t “double down”. You’re completely missing the point. Listen closer. It’s a masterpiece if you breathe and dig deeper.
Bead curtain Saigon. ...
About their Heroin addiction.
💉😬
Ok silly question, but is Katy Heroin and Dr Wu, the drug dealer??
We’re not sure☺️ and never really are with Steely Dan.
@@SightAfterDark Ok Thank you! Good to know I am not alone in that regard lol!
Now , this is a song about drugs. Lol
LOL
Checking in late because I just found y’all. (Wake up, people! Give Sight After Dark some clicks!)
As big a SD fan as I am, I’m not crazy about this album, despite the fact that it has two of their strongest songs on it. It also has some weak ones, and this is one of them. It’s just kind of “blah” for me. They did better dope songs than this one. Hear “Time Out of Mind” on the “Gaucho” album, for instance.
We agree
Y’all didn’t like this song. Very disappointing. It’s brilliant. But to each their own.