DONALD FAGEN of Steely Dan - I G Y REACTION - First time hearing
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- Опубликовано: 15 июл 2024
- Music reaction video of Donald Fagen IGY.The Steely Dan band member with a groovy and infectious number.
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#steelydan
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This song makes me happy. Thanks for listening to it.
Donald Fagen was waaaayyyyyy ahead of his time. So creatively talented and cool. A musical trend setter if you will.
IGY = International Geophysical Year
This song is one of the most sublime critiques of modernity that has ever been proffered. An immediate favorite of anyone with two spare IQ points to rub together to start a fire.
... Nice ! ... Well said. ...
Yeah, it’s basically a response to all those people who think technology will just fix everything eventually that does so by putting the guy who says “relax everything’s going to be better” 30 years in the past where we can see how silly that utopia, and by extent all utopias, look in retrospect.
This is one of the most criminally underrated and unappreciated albums ever recorded. It is perfection in every way. Musically, lyrically and it is meticulously produced with incredibly clear precision. My favourite is 'The Goodbye Look' but the harmonies on 'Ruby Baby' are unsurpassed. And then there's 'Walk Between the Raindrops'. Dammit I lied. I can't decide what my favourite song on this album is. Just listen to whole thing!
I fully agree with you when you say it is meticulously produced. I think it is a highly appreciated album, though especially amongst musicians and fans of great music. But I get what you are saying. It isn't mentioned in the same breath as Sgt pepper or pet sounds, etc.
"Maxine" is absolutely sublime.
“The Goodbye Look” is great, too, about a tourist who’s on Cuba when Castro takes over and notices how all the people who used to be so friendly to him are now giving him “the goodbye look”. It’s such a great album in general with deep, thought provoking lyrics and of course great music.
The whole album is a masterpiece, but I would go with New Frontier. That piano line is too funky.
@@wuodbonde that song also has that classic Donald Fagen cynicism; it's ostensibly about being forward-thinking and all that but really it's about a dude trying to get into someone's pants.
The Nightfly was one of the first full digital recordings. Sound engineers still use it to test their systems. I remember hearing it for the first time in J&R Music World in Manhattan the week it was released in 1982. I was already a Steely Dan fan, but the pristine sound quality blew my mind, and I had to buy it immediately.
Most proper studio engineers, producers use whichever reference track suits their needs at the moment (and they don't mind listening to over and over again.) This is per-session, though. For a true system test, say a new pair of mid-field monitors you want to try in an actual studio, you're gonna be running a battery of stuff like pink noise, sine-wave sweeps, bursts, and measuring via specialized hardware, not your ears. After the numbers/placement look good, you'll shoot out music, but, necessarily lots of different types of music.
Like for instance, my go-to Hard Rock reference in a studio has always been AC/DC's Back in Black, one of the most well-balanced rock records ever mixed-sounds great through any system, even a freakin' walkie-talkie. For jazz, I've always reffed Brubeck's Time Out (funnily enough, here). There are many others. It's also funny to look at the different refs of studio engineers/producers vs. live FOH engineers, especially touring ones. I went on the road once in a band with a very prominent, successful FOH/tour manager who would absolutely *POUND* this one Nine Inch Nails track to near-excruciating levels every afternoon, constantly apologizing over the talkback. God help you if you showed up early for soundcheck, or he was made to run late. 😛
What's more interesting (and funny) to me is how salespeople at hi-fi outlets in the '80s would use it (or Aja) to demo their systems for wide-eyed customers with thick wallets. Fagen & co. just inadvertently boosting sales of overpriced, mediocre junk that looked cool.
That is still true to this day. I would put up this album against anything released on the last 10 years in terms of sound quality. It remains the Gold standard
No sound system of any type will sound as good than playing this album. Settle in on a relaxing evening and pull up Maxine
Truley Masters of their Craft
"Maxine" (from this album) is a tight-harmony ballad that melts in your mouth like fine chocolate.
TRUE be that... Best saxophone solo on the whole album, "Maxine" is a very, VERY yummy ballad...
Those harmonies are divine!
Facts!!
Great reaction. Donald Fagen doesn't play saxophone on any of his solo albums. The session musicians handle that. There's only 1 song I know of that Fagen plays sax on and it's an instrumental jam cover of a Duke Ellington song called "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo" from the Steely Dan album "Pretzel Logic".
Donald Fagen - vocals, synthesizer, synth-harmonica
Greg Phillinganes - electric piano
Rob Mounsey - synthesizer, horn arrangement
Anthony Jackson - bass
Hugh McCracken - guitar
James Gadson - drums
Jeff Porcaro - additional drums
Roger Nichols - drum/percussion programming
Starz Vanderlocket - percussion
Randy Brecker - trumpet
Dave Tofani - alto saxophone
Michael Brecker - tenor saxophone
Ronnie Cuber - baritone saxophone
Dave Bargeron - trombone
Valerie Simpson, Zack Sanders, Frank Floyd, Gordon Grody - backing vocals
Impeccable album, every song utterly amazing.
Absolutely
I listen to this album on a regular basis. It is sheer perfection.
The International Geophysical Year
This man can paint a picture.
I'm pretty sure this song is meant to be ironic. During the International Geophysical Year (1957-58), or IGY, many countries participated in a scientific project, marking a pause after a long period during the cold war where cooperation among the countries was interrupted. In Fagan's song, hope was high during that project that a lot of mankind's problems would be solved. Of course, if you compare that to today, you night say not enough was accomplished. Steely Dan are good at composing tunes that are cheery with lyrics which are not so much. Check out "King of the World", for instance. As long as you're looking at the Nightfly album, check out the title song, and "The Goodbye Look", which is cheery, yet chilling. Also, kudos to you and your reactions. They are really good.
That is exactly what I either read or heard that DonLd said in N interview.
@@joelliebler5690 That may be where I picked up the idea some time ago. I've got 3 or four books about SD on my shelf, so it could also have been from one of them.
The entire Nightfly album is a series of vignettes reflecting life and popular American culture during the 1950s, when Fagen was growing up in the northeast U.S.
It’s 100% ironic; pretty much all of Fagen’s work here and with Steely Dan are heavily steeped in irony.
Glad to see you doing Fagan and Steely Dan. Man, you are all over the place covering a LOT of great music!!! I can't keep up!
This entire album, Harri-absolutely essential listening. You hit the opening track here-hope you complete the journey. It's not a concept album, in the sense of there being a narrative, song order being super-important etc., but there is an overall theme running through-a rare look at Fagen revisiting his childhood, coming of age as a suburban kid in the mid-20th century, with all its cold-war nuclear fears, his suspicions of the de facto unbridled US optimism toward *The Future!* (as witnessed here), awkward teen romance, and escapist fantasies of (mis)adventures in exotic locales. It's a gorgeously written and produced album that deserves a hard copy on your shelf!
Oh, and that is definitely a synth, not a melodica, Harri. Far-different timbre. It _is_ possible to pitch-bend notes on a melodica, but not like that, and not for Fagen. It's listed in the liner notes as "synth blues harp."
Great explanation. Spot on!
Perhaps the greatest solo album of all time!
Only hipsters understand and appreciate the creative musical nuances of The Dan and or Donald Fagen thx Harri for spreading the Gospel! I also bought this CD in 1982! Caio Clayton
Do yourself a favor and listen to the whole album. You will be glad you did.
There are vanishingly few albums I can listen to without wanting to skip a track - this is one of those.
The lyrics of the song are about what someone in the IGY (International Geophysical Year) of 1958 imagines life in the mid 1970s will be like.
Walter and Donald were like no one else in modern music, spanning about half a century of playing and recording one of a kind brilliant music. Awesome, original, the master’s masters. Donald was the prolific writer.
I picked a vinyl copy of this album for 40pence in a second hand store ,definitely the best record purchase of my life.
My favorite song of Donald Fagen is a cover song he did called "Ruby Baby". I recommend you react to that one next.
IGY stands for the International Geophysical Year, that lasted from July 1957 to December 1958. It was a multinational effort of multi-disciplines to study the planet. The song then is from the viewpoint of a young, naive, and hopeful young boy. As Fagen has said, the lyrics are without cynicism, just youthful enthusiasm.
Love the line, "On that train, all graphite and glitter..."
Great song from a great album! I'd suggest checking out the title cut, The Nightfly. It's my favorite on this very special album!
This album has been in my collection since its release! Even upgraded to the 24-bit MFSL release. Check out Kamakiria, his 2nd solo release. Tomorrow's Girls is a stand-out track! It has a funky groove throughout! Thanks Harri!
Agree. You left the D off of Kamakiriad
The groove on this one is hypnotic. The album is a masterpiece. Thanks.
Harri there was a guy Cornelius Bumpus who played sax for Steely Dan from 1993 -2003 , he also toured with the Doobie Brothers who he played organ and sang lead sometimes 2 super groups, with Steely Dan, Cornelius would sometimes switch to a baritone sax and it was almost as tall as him,it went from the top of his head to mid calf. He was fabulous he died from heart attack on a plane in 2004.ok Harri.
This whole album, The Nightfly is one of my all-time faves. All great songs!
I’ve loved this album since it’s release and I’ve listened to it over and over and over. I really like Green Flower Street…the chord changes, the guitar, the harmonies!!!
I'd always just assumed this was a Steely Dan song. Sounds more like Steely Dan, than Steely Dan. Cool song.
Donald creates the most interesting stories with the best music to accompany it .. timeless tunes... It's amazing to hear people of ALL ages singing right along with him in his concerts. Fans are die hard, saw him at Red Rocks Amphitheater, it was pouring rain but NOBODY bailed, even live, the harmonies are so close you couldn't slide a sheet of paper between them . 😉👍🏻👏🏻🙌🏻😁 Another great album is "Gaucho"
i would also point out his consistent use of wonderful, SOULFULL background singers; gives his music some sweet R&B vibes....he's a pure genius; melder of genres unlike all
Donald Fagan is a genius..... especially when it comes to combining several genres in one song. I doubt anyone could single out one genre to this song. It has so many layers of ear candy. You have to listen to his music for the best set of headphones that you can get your hands on. There are so many musical nuances that headphones will pick up.
This track is an absolute masterpiece, I could listen to this over and over and never get bored!
Same album, check out “Walk between the Raindrops” quirky and bouncy 😏
Last track on album I believe !
One of the first albums I always play on new audio equipment. Love this album. RIP PJ.
Apart from the historical references to International Geophysical Year and its naïveté, I think this song was inspired by Louis Armstrong “What a Wonderful World”. On the surface that song is irrepressibly optimistic, but undoubtedly born from great pain in the tradition of gospel music. The tension between the praise and the pain is so poignant. And to me, Fagan’s take on that is about how our great aspirations of science, freedom, and progress are also tied to our potential to destroy ourselves and our world.
Harri when Donald Fagan was only 16 his uncle use to get him into all the Jazz clubs in NYC he was under age, and that time period there was a lot of Jazz Giants, Harri from the USA, your the Best no pun intended.
Hello Harri, I think you will be totally blown away with a song from a concert called The New York Rock & Soul Revue (Live from the Beacon) called “Chain Lightning”, it features Donald Fagen and an incredible group of musicians. The entire LP is total ear candy
Please give this some consideration. Thanks from Rochester, NY
Chain Lighting is a Steely Dan song. Fagan was lead singer on original.
I saw this group at Jones Beach in about 93? Boz Scaggs, Michael McDonald? 😎
@@NoCanDu yup and Phoebe Snow.
such an elastic reggae beat! the lyrics are from a 1950s US east coast suburban point-of-view. DF's got a lot of songs. This one and New Frontier, are from 1982, there's "Countermoon" (and "The Dunes," of course) from 1993, "What I Do" from 2007, and "I'm Not the Same Without You" from 2012, come to mind, in a span. All his stuff is great; tough to narrow down!
1957 was the International Geophysical Year (IGY), at which time the state 'scientists' practically promised we'd all be travelling by rail under the Atlantic, vacationing on the moon, and flying around like the Jetsons before the century was over! This song is a parody of all that farsighted optimism. New Wave/Reggae Fusion? Not sure what you'd call it. My favorite off this is NEW FRONTIER.
Thanks for playing this song.
When I first heard I.G.Y and New Frontier I had to take a step back. Been a better person since.
I like your channel a lot. Watching you react to the music just seems to make me fall back in love with music that I have heard 1000’s of times.
Hi, Neal from Massachusetts here! I've been a huge Steely Dan fan since I was a kid and consequently, became a huge fan of Donald Fagen's solo material. There's a group of Nashville session musicians/singers who performed the entire Nightfly album live back in 2018 and there are good quality videos of every song. There doing it again tonight, April 12'th, for the 40'th anniversary of the Nightfly album (I can't believe it's been 40 years!...I'm freaking old! 😭). I was hoping to make it to the performance, but as the saying goes..."It ain't gonna happen". Most of the same musicians/singers were also part of a band called Tim Akers and the Smoking Section who did some simply incredible covers (look them up!). Unfortunately, Tim Akers recently passed away from cancer. Here's the link to the video of them performing this song, IGY, live in 2018 if you're interested... ruclips.net/video/r90eYPgWD_U/видео.html
1982 Classic.The complete Lp.Thank you very much ❤️ God Bless
Best song on the album is "New Frontier".
I agree!
Totally agree the song has more of that Steely Dan vibe than any song on the album IMO but when I first heard the album I thought it was the Dan band but there’s no mistaken it’s Donald Fagan the instant you hear it as great as the Instrumental’s are the songs wouldn’t quit work with out his vocals
One of my fav albums ever..
The entire album is a brilliant work of art. Musically it’s part of a trilogy with Aja and Gaucho in its musical themes. The songs all evoke the fresh hope during the early 60’s. Lots of cultural references throughout to that time. Steely Dan uses reggae beats on many of their songs!
By the way...IGY definition: International Geophysical Year (Jul 1, 1957 - Dec 31, 1958), an international scientific project that lasted from 1 July 1957 to 31 December 1958. It marked the end of a long period during the Cold War when scientific interchange between East and West had been seriously interrupted.
I don't know if Michael McDonald had any part in I.G.Y.,but his footprint is in this sound.
I’ve never thought of this song as reggae but I get what you are saying and I can hear it. Wow 40 years later and hearing the song in a different way. Awesome
Harri you crack me up!!! Mate, such keen instincts of music for each artist you possess!! You shoulda been there....I was and so blessed! Thus musica was made for gents like you!!! Mahalo for posting this treasure....these rude boys were the quality SHYTE mate!!!
This vinyl album was always know by many to be one of the best sound engineered album of its time. Many people would tell you they would put this album on when wanting to hear if sound system had good quality. It is a wonderful album. All tracks are solid almost masterpiece.
That is still true to this day. I would put up this album against anything released on the last 10 years in terms of sound quality. It remains the Gold standard.
I’m a big fan of this song. I should point out though that like a lot of Fagen / Steely Dan stuff, this is *very* sardonic. It’s basically speaking from the perspective of the 1950s about how by 1976 we will have created a utopia. As this song came out in the early 80s, he knows this never happened. If you listen down to the lyrics, too, you’ll hear that they’re patently ridiculous at times - “perfect weather for a streamlined world / there’ll be Spandex jackets, one for everyone” - which is part of the point as well. It’s a low key very bittersweet song.
Incidentally Fagen also wrote a rebuttal to “Imagine” by John Lennon called “Only A Fool Would Believe” where basically the thesis is, it’s all well and good for you to say “imagine no possessions” when you have so many of them, but when you’re actually poor you want to survive, not renounce everything so you can maybe live in someone else’s vision of a utopia. Or “Hey Nineteen”, which is about how Fagen in his 30s is trying to relate to and hit on a 19 year old girl(? Could be a guy; in any case it’s clearly a physical thing) but he can’t connect because she(?) doesn’t know who Aretha Franklin is (although they resolve it at the end by snorting coke and drinking Cuervo Gold so it all works out I guess). Or “Kid Charlemagne”, based on the true story of a drug dealer from the 60s who can’t keep up with coke and heroin dealers in the 70s.
Amazing awesome song
Pure satire
Donald knows human nature
90 minutes from New York to Paris...... The Concord (Remember?)
Harri my good man, the Sultan ventures on his own to discover a brilliant track by Donald Fagen. Several months back I requested you react to "New Frontier" which is on this same album as IGY. I can scratch this one off my list now...lol. This is my favorite track from the Nightfly album. Digged the reaction Harri!
His Nightfly album is good. Also Morph the Cat. Different than Steely Dan but you can hear SD in some of the songs and production.
Many years since I’ve heard this. Quite honestly, I always assumed this was Steely Dan, never realizing it was a Donald Fagen solo. Anyway Harri, I always love your insights 🌺✌️
You've got to listen to the rest of this album.It's a masterpiece.I love all the songs but New Frontier is my favourite,such a groove.👍🎹🎶
This album "The Nightfly" was so underrated when it came out in 1982. I.G.Y. stands for International Geophysical Year (July 1,1957--December 31, 1958)This whole album is based on Donald Fagen's growing up in the 1950s.
oh yeah can't beat this great reaction
Harri, just go through the whole album, well worth your time. 😃
Hi Harri..... I'll say it again…..1,524,964 views so far. YOU will like it too
4 black brothers with a white drummer created this ICONIC Masterpiece from the 60’s Psychedelic Era Trust me…. You do not want your life to end without hearing this song.
“TIME HAS COME TODAY“- The Chambers Brothers - Album Long version, then Live. PLEASE and Thank You.
Listen to Steely Dan’s Haitian Divorce track, more reggae for you👍🎶
A top ten favourite as good as any Steely Dan song. 'Under sea by rail, 90 minutes from New York to Paris' - memorable.
Love!!! You need to listen to Steely Dan!
Snowbound and Mona! Please react to these master pieces of Donald Fagan!✌️
The whole album oozes class 🙏
Harrri, glad to see this is Sultan's pick himself. A fantastic song as well. Not a bad song on this album.
The great Anthony Jackson on bass.
Great music once again . Thank you.
Great channel enjoy your reaction. Yeah the night Fly Album is fantastic.
wayne shorter is one of his MAIN sax dudes; and tom scott; he has best sidemen in da world
MAN WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN???... THIS MAN IS LEGENDARY! & IM A BLACK WOMAN!.... CHECK OUT HIS SONG TIME OUT MIND LIVE....& BABYLON SISTER... TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!
Ok Brittany who is the last signing back ground in this song. She is a black lady and it will surprise you as she also sung back up on a few of the Steely Dan songs. Valerie Simpson of Ashford and Simpson.
The title track "The nightfly" and "Maxine" are my favourites from this album
Donald Fagen "Century's End". Check it out. GREAT SONG that's getting slept on. If you like IGY you'll love Century's End !!
I adore this track but never actually thought about the reggae structure to it. Good call.
Remember the to S,S,s Steely Dan and Stevie Wonder, it don,t get any better than these to artists!
Check out the Dukes of September live
Donald /Micheal McDonald /Boz Scaggs all together
You're in for a treat...!
Brilliant - New Frontier
Please check out "The goodbye look" for your own listening pleasure if not as a reaction.
Valerie Simpson of Ashford and Simpson is singing back ground in this song
I don’t know why I thought that was sting singing the song haha it would be cool if he cover it though.
🎶🎵🎼💓
Check out bright nightgown from morph the cat !
Dons optimistic!
wow,,,never even noticed the raggeaness
Check out eye to eye produced with gary katz and some steely dan studio players.
check out Steely Dan's Gaucho LP
📻 😋
Check out Trans-Island Skyway!!!
I hate to disagree with you Harri, but that is nothing like a reggae vibe. Nevertheless, the album features 31 of the finest jazz musicians in history, most of whom's recordings I have in my collection. Please check out proper Jamaican reggae on youtube. Otherwise, it was a good reaction in that you didn't stop it every 5 seconds and spend 5 minutes talking about those 5 seconds, unlike some other reaction vids.
T.G.I.F.I.G.Y.
Search up symarip. Cheers from Canada buddy.
Reacts to Ronnie Milsap 'no gettin over me'
It's Steeley Harri