Guitar Player on Do It Again

Artwork by Thomas Neokleous

Steely Dan is a band that is sometimes categorized every bit yacht rock or soft rock etc. In fact, for a large portion of their career Steely Dan has not been a band at all. I'1000 sure at that place are however some people who think there is a guy named Steely Dan who's been recording pop songs since the 70s. The core members of Steely Dan take e'er been Donald Fagen and the late Walter Becker who passed abroad in 2017. The two met at Bard College in Annandale, New York in the 1960s. At college, they were both studying to become literature majors.

Besides their literature studies, Fagen and Becker had serious musical interests as well to put it lightly. Donald Fagen played keyboards while Walter Becker played bass and guitar. They headed up several bands in college including ane chosen Bad Rock Group which featured comedian Chevy Chase of Saturday Night Live fame on drums. After college, Fagen and Becker would piece of work on various musical projects such as film scoring and recording with Jay And The Americans from 1970-1971.

The birth of Steely Dan began in 1970 when guitarist Denny Dias placed an ad in The Hamlet Voice looking for a keyboard and bass player who had "Serious Jazz Chops!." Fagen and Becker answered the ad and began playing and recording in Dias' basement in Hicksville, Long Island. Eventually, Becker and Fagen took over the ring and fired them all the original musicians except Diaz. Walter Becker and Donald Fagen recruited some corking talent to supersede the fired band members. The new members included Jeff (Skunk) Baxter on guitar, Jim Hodder on drums and David Palmer (Dirty Work) on vocals.

In 1972, the group moved to California and recorded their first album entitled Can't Buy A Thrill.  They would keep this same basic lineup for their first 3 albums. The recordings besides featured a host of brilliant session musicians. Becker and Fagen seemed to have come to a realization early that the utilization of professional studio musicians enabled them to capture the sound they were looking to place on vinyl. It takes a special blazon of musician to play the parts perfectly when the ruddy light goes on. Almost band members fail miserably in the recording studio. In 1974, with the release of Pretzel Logic, Fagen and Becker would use studio musicians exclusively for their albums, with Dias and Baxter returning as hired guns on afterwards records.

The point of this article however is to embrace one item attribute of Steely Dan's piece of work. Steely Dan's recordings have been infused with some of the most iconic and vivid guitar solos in classic rock history. When it comes to Classic Rock, the guitar has to be the quintessential rock instrument. Steely Dan'southward list of guitar players reads like a who'due south who of the music business. From Walter Becker, Denny Dias and Skunk Baxter who were permanent fixtures to the likes of Larry Carlton, Elliott Randall, Rick Derringer, Lee Ritinour, Jay Graydon, Dean Parks and Steve Kahn.

This commodity presents forty of Steely Dan's greatest guitar tracks. Steely Dan's albums are saturated with impeccably recorded songs with amazing jazz voicings from what seems similar another planet. Their songs are filled with quirky lyrics almost sketchy characters and Donald and Walter's childhood memories and failed relationships. Still, in the end, this commodity is a tribute to all the neat musicians who played on these recordings.

# 40 – THE Last MALL

Everything Must Go –  Released: 2003

 Guitar: Walter Becker

Opening up our list is "The Concluding Mall," from the latest (and perhaps last) Steely Dan album Everything Must Go . The tune starts off with Walter Becker's guitar and his trademark sound and groove backed past a bouncy shuffle rhythm  played by Keith Carlock on drums, reminiscent of Donald Fagen's "I.G.Y.:

In the second verse nosotros hear a little call and answer between Fagen's song and Becker'due south guitar like to the ane in the melody "Pretzel Logic." Becker takes a solo around the 2:06 marking followed by more call and respond.

"The Last Mall," is a great case of Steely Dan presenting us with a prissy happy sounding tune containing some deep dark and depressing subject thing. The song seems to be nigh American consumerism and conformity or the stop of civilization as we know information technology, or both.

Either way, "The Last Mall," is a great track and not bad guitar piece of work by Walter Becker. As a side note, Walter Becker played bass on every track on this record equally well as Keith Carlock playing drums on all tracks. This is the kickoff and just Steely Dan record to take the aforementioned drummer and bassist on all tracks.

# 39 – W OF HOLLYWOOD

Two Confronting Nature – Released:  2000

Guitar : Walter Becker

Coming in at #39 is "West Of Hollywood," the concluding rail on Steely Dan's 2000 Grammy Honour winning release 2 Against Nature . This is Steely Dan'south longest track coming in at 8 minutes and 22 seconds .

It features real tasty guitar work by Walter Becker in the early stages of the tune. Perhaps the highlight of the song is in the extended outro, with an astonishing solo by Jazz saxophonist Chris Potter taking up about half the track.

The whole thing is backed past a driving 2\4 drumbeat played past Earth Wind & Burn down and session drummer Sonny Emory. The song'due south lyrics imply a relationship which has failed or ends in death .

Two Against Nature was Steely Dan'due south commencement album to be released since Gaucho in 1980 twenty years prior. The anthology was definitely worth the wait and there are more than songs on our list to follow.

# 38 – ANY MAJOR DUDE Will TELL You lot

Pretzel Logic – Released: 1974

Guitars: Dean Parks, Denny Dias, Jeff (Skunk) Baxter

In the number 30 eight spot is "Any Major Dude Volition Tell You," from Steely Dan'south 1974 release Pretzel Logic . The song was the "B" side of the unmarried "Rikki Don't Lose That Number," and is one of Steely Dan's most simple and beautiful songs played with cracking feeling past some of the best in the business organisation. The track opens up with audio-visual guitar played by Dean Parks. The electric guitars are played by Denny Dias and Jeff (Skunk) Baxter. Baxter actually played the final 5 notes of Dias' guitar parts because they required vibrato which Baxter'due south guitar had and Denny'due south didn't.

The Pretzel Logic anthology features the great 70's session drummer Jim Gordon on 10 of the 11 tracks including this one. Gordon'southward drumming forth with  Chuck Rainey's bass and electric pianos played by Donald Fagen and David Paich (of Toto) hold the entire song together perfectly.

Ane line in this song that stands out is Have you e'er seen a squonk's tears well wait at mine. A squonk is a mythical creature that lives in the Hemlock forest in Pennsylvania. He is a very ugly brute with wrinkled, baggy, wart covered skin and spends nigh of his fourth dimension hiding and crying because he is ashamed of his appearance . Hunters try to capture squonks  but are eluded past the squonk's uncanny ability to weep itself into a pool of tears when cornered leaving zilch but a puddle. Talk about lamentable! The following year Genesis would record a song entitled Squonk on their 1976 release A Trick Of The Tail .

# 37 – COUSIN DUPREE

Two Confronting Nature – Released:  2000

Guitar: Walter Becker

At #37 is another track off Two Against Nature . In 2001 "Cousin Dupree," won the Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Vocal Group, beating NSYNC'southward "Goodbye, Bye, Bye". An upbeat tune with creepy lyrics well-nigh a man named Dupree who's attracted to his blossoming young cousin.

Aside from the hysterical lyrics, the vocal features ane of Walter Becker's virtually tasty guitar solos. What makes many of Walter's solos and so great is they're non usually real flashy or incredibly dense, but the style he grooves with the bass and drums leaving plenty space for everything to "breathe" sort of similar jazz guitarist John Scofield'due south playing. This vocal is lots of fun and is Vintage Steely Dan.

# 36 – WHAT A SHAME Nigh ME

Two Against Nature – Released:  2000

Guitar: Walter Becker

Some other great rail off of Ii Against Nature takes the number 30 six Spot. In the song "What A Shame Virtually Me," the main character is a recovering drug addict "author" who's day task is working at The Strand (a famous book store in New York City), when he bumps into his ex girlfriend from higher, (Franny from NYU who by now has become a major star in Hollywood) in Stark contrast to the pathetic loser he is.

In spite of that, they conversation for a bit While he daydreams about Goddess similar images of her on the fire escape exterior her Jane Street apartment. This is followed by Walter's tasty guitar solo. She then offers him a "Mercy Hump" back at her hotel. The line "Why don't we take hold of a cab to my hotel and make believe nosotros're back at our old school" makes reference to the tune "My Old Schoolhouse," from Countdown to Ecstasy which appears at number seventeen on our listing.

# 35 – PARKERS BAND

Pretzel Logic – Released: 1974

Guitars: Jeff (Skunk) Baxter

A jazz inspired rock melody that pays tribute to Jazz Saxophonist Charlie Parker, the vocal opens up with a Be-Bop manner guitar solo by Baxter(in which he seems to riff on the tune of On Broadway) and is filled with references to Charlie Parker and Featherbrained Gillespe. The beat is driven past two drummers Jim Gordon and Jeff Porcaro.

There's a jazzy break about 1:33 where Fagen sings "we will spend a Dizzy weekend smacked into a trance (Smack (the street name for Heroin) the line hints at Charlie Parker'southward well documented struggle with addiction). Me and you will heed to a petty chip of what fabricated the preacher trip the light fantastic toe." Then back to the stone tune which the song opened with. This is the commencement of four songs from Pretzel Logic on our countdown.

# 34 – East ST. LOUIS TOODLE-OO

Pretzel Logic – Released: 1974

Guitars: Walter Becker and Jeff (Skunk) Baxter

Standing with our Killer Steely Dan Guitar Tracks article we take a look at another track from Pretzel Logic . Duke Ellington's "Eastward St. Louis Toodle-Oo," is the only instrumental to announced on a Steely Dan record. It is as well the but comprehend tune to exist on a Steely Dan record as well.

"East St. Louis Toodle-Oo," is the first Steely Dan runway to feature Walter Becker on guitar. Becker plays an electric guitar with a wha wha pedal which mimics the sound of a muted trumpet.

The song likewise features Baxter playing a cute pedal steel solo at around the 1:03 mark followed past a killer ragtime pianoforte solo by Fagen. A peachy tribute to an Icon of American music.

# 33 – I GOT THE NEWS

Aja – Released: 1977

Guitar: Larry Carlton

Steely Dan's classic vocal "I Got The News," features one of music'due south virtually legendary session guitarists, the great Larry Carlton. This track has all the ingredients of a classic Steely Dan song. Information technology'southward got a slap-up story in it'due south lyrics about a guy who is "friends" with presumably a sketchy "Lady" on the streets whom he obviously has some dirt nearly.

Its got a funky Disco blazon vanquish by Drummer Ed Greene which really kicks into gear during Larry's solo around 2:20. The incredible Michael McDonald is featured on the vocal section leading upwardly to the solo. Walter Becker also provides some tasty rhythmic guitar plucking underneath information technology all.

Donald Fagen sings atomic number 82 on this track besides equally some amazing airy jazz influenced piano playing. "I Got the News," could arguably be regarded as the weakest track on the Aja  album but that doesn't diminish it'due south greatness.

# 32 – DADDY DON'T LIVE IN THAT NEW YORK Urban center NO More than

Katy Lied – Released: 1975

Guitar: Larry Carlton

This is another bully song well-nigh an absentee father "Daddy" who drives around drinking in his Cadillac Eldorado and meeting shady characters until he meets his untimely end past either crashing his motorcar or getting whacked. Daddy don't demand no lock and key for the piece(gun) he stole down on Avenue "Thousand"(a street in the Alphabet city section of New York City with a large history of criminal offense).

This section is followed by a short but powerful solo by Larry Carlton.The residue of Larry's playing on this tune lends sort of a country meets Keith Richards type season to information technology. A very simple Rock tune with a dandy backbeat played by the tardily session and Toto drummer Jeff Porcaro provides a upbeat feel to an otherwise dark story.

# 31 – ROSE DARLING

Katy Lied – Released: 1975

Guitar: Dean Parks

Coming in at number thirty 1 is "Rose Darling," also from Katy Lied , a typical Steely Dan love song about a late night "Booty Phone call" Featuring session guitarist Dean Parks. He plays real tasty stuff throughout every bit well as a very sweet sounding solo towards the terminate of the track.

Smashing Drums again past Jeff Porcaro and perfect backing vocals by Michael McDonald. Another deep anthology cutting that's definitely worth a listen.

# 30 – Concatenation LIGHTENING

Katy Lied – Released: 1975

Guitar: Rick Derringer

"Concatenation Lightening," is some other track off Katy Lied . It features legendary Rock guitarist Rick Derringer (Rock and Roll Hoochie Coo, Hang On Sloopy). Information technology's a slow swinging blues number in the vein of Pretzel Logic (next on our list), with a laid back but powerful shuffle feel by Jeff Porcaro on drums.

Rick Derringer'due south guitar work is the star of the show here especially the killer solo that comes in at almost 58 seconds in and goes till i:53. It'due south a fairly extended solo for a iii minute song merely so proficient he could have went on for another 20 minutes.

# 29 – PRETZEL LOGIC

Pretzel Logic – Released: 1974

Guitar: Jeff (Skunk) Baxter

The title track off the 1974 record Pretzel Logic  deals with twisted thinking and delusions of grandeur and maybe a bit of fourth dimension travel. The song features ane of the great session drummers of the 1970's Jim Gordon. We tin can probably do an entire article on him. Timothy B. Schmidt (Poco, Eagles) performs bankroll vocals on this 1 equally well.

Walter Becker'southward guitar playing actually shines on this track from the early phone call and answer to Fagen's vocals to the two solos he plays. The solo that closes the vocal is one of his all-time.

# 28 – THROW Dorsum THE Piddling ONES

Katy Lied – Released: 1975

Guitar: Elliot Randell

"Throw Back The Trivial One,"south seems to employ line-fishing as metaphor for putting up with all the nonsense in the "Music Biz" and sell out a footling bit to eventually get the artistic freedom you want.

Elliott Randall plays guitar on this track (flawless as usual). Elliott as well played the iconic solo(southward) on Reelin' In The Years which may be appearing a little later in our countdown.

# 27 – NIGHT By Dark

Pretzel Logic – Released: 1974

Guitar: Jeff (Skunk) Baxter

"Night By Night," from Pretzel Logic  appears to exist about a homeless grifter biding his fourth dimension till something amend comes along or it'south about someone trying to kick a habit and rejoin gild or both or none. Steely Dan's songs are full of double and triple entendres and ambiguity. Another groovy rail with Jeff(Skunk) Baxter on guitar.

A great solo comes in at 2:01 and features a touch of octave playing in the solo at 2:15 sounding like Tony Iommi meets Wes Montgomery. Night Past Night marks the first studio recording of a then 19 year old drummer named Jeff Porcaro. And as they say the residuum is history.

# 26 – MIDNIGHT CRUISER

Tin't Buy A Thrill – Released: 1972

Guitar: Denny Dias

"Midnight Cruiser," features drummer Jim Hodder on lead vocals and Denny Dias on guitar. The song is either near a person who's life has somehow passed him by before he can realize his dreams missing many opportunities along the way failing to strike while the "Fe is hot".

Yet, if the first word of the song is Thelonious instead of Felonious, the song becomes almost jazz bully Thelonious Monk. The title "Midnight Cruiser" becomes reference to Monk's jazz classic Round Midnight . Either fashion its a sad song about regret and wishing one could become back to a better time.

The guitar piece of work on this track compliments the lyrics perfectly. Dias plays a George Harrison sounding lick later on each chorus so rounds it out with a beautiful solo with a double tracked guitar. Ane of Steely Dan'due south greatest songs.

# 25 – YOUR Gold TEETH ll

Katy Lied – Released: 1975

Guitar: Denny Dias

Throwing out your Gold Teeth is a metaphor for gambling away the concluding petty bit you are worth, in the case of this song it could refer to Fagen and Becker's exclusive utilize of hired guns to play on their records ("Who are these strangers who pass through the door who cover your action and go you one more.")

Aside from the intro, the song is basically a jazz waltz. Denny Dias was a founding fellow member of Steely Dan and past this indicate is not an actual ring member anymore but rather a hired gun to play on certain tracks.

Denny is a seasoned jazz guitarist and his solo on this song is i of his finest. Denny would be hired again in 1977 to play on the championship rails on the Aja album.

# 24 – SIGN IN STRANGER

The Majestic Scam – Released: 1976

Guitar: Elliott Randall

Sign in Stranger is the first of five tracks on our list from Steely Dan's 1976 masterpiece The Royal Scam. This is a song nigh someone (Zombie) signing his life away and joining a corrupt underworld organization. One time you lot "Sign In" there's simply 1 way out, thus the term Zombie.

The line "Pepe has a scar from ear to ear, he can make your mugshots disappear" refers to a guy who has been whacked but we'll say it's you (Zombie) instead . In return Zombie has to "Walk around collecting Marriage Dues" (Gambling debts).

The song is sort of a Reggae mode vamp with legendary session drummer Bernard Purdie in the driver'south seat. The whole matter kinda' opens upwardly in the finish with a brilliant guitar solo by Elliott Randall to accept us out.

# 23 – THIRD WORLD MAN

Gaucho – Released: 1980

Guitar: Larry Carlton

By many accounts, "Tertiary World Man," was a rail which was leftover from 1977's Aja sessions. The Gaucho album was supposed to include a vocal entitled "The Second Arrangement," which Donald Fagen spent many hours in the studio to obtain the perfect recording. The morning time after it was completed a studio technician came in and accidentally recorded a tone rail over the master (all was lost but the final few seconds of the fade out). Fagen attempted to re-tape an entirely new The 2d Arrangement simply it wasn't to his liking and never fabricated information technology on the album. The master of it has since "leaked" out and can be heard online if you Google The Lost Gaucho . Third World Man was basically a finished recording needing only a lead guitar track.

Third World Man was basically a finished recording needing just a lead guitar track. Larry Carlton was hired to play guitar on what would exist the last song on the last side of the last Steely Dan album of the 20th century. Information technology would be 20 years before Steely Dan would release their comeback anthology Two Against Nature . Third world Man is a very haunting and night sounding melody every bit every bit dark in information technology'south lyrics. The song is most likely well-nigh a war veteran suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome PTSD.

Keep in mind that Gaucho was released in 1980. The Viet Nam war had ended simply 5 years prior. In the song Johnny has flashbacks when he hears "Fireworks" thinking he's "dreaming" till he hears "the neighbors screaming". Perhaps he's even homeless and a drug addict such as the case with many vets. His condition has reduced him to a "3rd World" lifestyle.

The song may too be using combat as a metaphor for Water Becker'due south battle with heroin addiction at the time. Walter was largely absent during the Gaucho sessions leaving most of the heavy lifting to Fagen.

Johnny's flashback in the tune is accentuated past ii booming drum breaks by the legendary Steve Gadd and is followed by what many take referred to as Larry Carlton'south most emotional guitar solo.

# 22 – Alter OF THE GUARD

Can't Buy A Thrill – Released: 1972

Guitar: Jeff (Skunk) Baxter

Taking the number twenty 2 spot is "Change Of The Guard, from Steely Dan's debut record Can't Buy A Thrill . It'due south an upbeat Stone tune perhaps announcing or jubilant the ever changing music scene and Hippie counter culture of the 1960s.

Although Can't Buy A Thrill was released in 1972, it was merely the band's first record so it would exist entirely plausible that this tune could have been written a few years earlier. By the same token, if Donald and Walter had written information technology in '72 instead it becomes a sarcastic jab at the whole Hippie motion. Many of Steely Dan's tunes seem to serve as private jokes for the sole purpose of Becker and Fagen's personal amusement.

Jeff (Skunk) Baxter plays guitar on this track. The tune has some flavors of My Old School   from the band'due south adjacent release Countdown To Ecstasy 1973, which Baxter also plays on. Jeff begins a perfect solo at the ii:05 mark which ends with one of the best choice slides ever recorded. The tone of Jeff's guitar is amazing and cuts right through like a razor in a way that could remind us of the smashing Blues guitarist Albert Collins.

# 21 – KINGS

Tin't Buy A Thrill – Released: 1972

Guitar: Jeff (Skunk) Baxter

Kings is another song from Tin can't Buy A Thrill  and seems to use the story of King Richard The Lionhearted being succeeded past his brother King John equally a metaphor for Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy. Some other example of the recurring duality which permiates many of Steely Dan's songs. Fagen's night and driving piano opens the rails pounding away like Elton John on his 11-17-lxx album. Information technology continues as the band joins in.

Elliott Randall's guitar solo comes in at 2:09 leading up to the last poesy and chorus. The song closes out with a very optimistic almost ice cream truck sounding melody (a variation of the  1 which appears at 1:54 leading into the guitar solo) equally the song fades out.

# 20 – Light-green EARRINGS

The Royal Scam – Released: 1976

Guitar: Elliott Randall and Denny Dias

"Green Earrings," is a song about a jewel thief who personally knows his victims. The song has a really intense groove played by bassist Chuck Rainey and drummer Bernard Purdie. Purdie's drumming on this track plows through the song similar an out of command garbage truck making it a wild musical ride to say the very to the lowest degree.

There are two incredible solos on this tune, the kickoff solo is a wonderful airy jazz inspired riff by Denny Dias followed by a solo by Elliott Randall which is played very much in the style of Frank Zappa with a cool flanger upshot on his guitar (which mirrors the effect on the keyboard which opens the rails) and lots of pick hammering on the fretboard (a technique taught to Zappa by drummer Jim Gordon). Elliott's solo takes us all the mode out as the song fades. Green Earrings is always a favorite at Steely Dan'due south live shows.

# 19 – THE Royal SCAM

The Majestic Scam – Released: 1976

Guitar: Larry Carlton

At nineteen is the title track from Steely Dan's 1976 masterpiece The Royal Scam . Some consider this to be the band'due south finest anthology. The song is a dark and foreboding tale about capitalist guild and how immigrants (in this instance people from Puerto Rico or the Caribbean, but the model could apply to any immigrants who take suffered the same fate) come to America to "Live The Dream."

They are told the streets are paved with gold when the reality is that they are relegated to the lesser of the food concatenation forcing them to compete with the previous "wave" of immigrants who came earlier them. They have been scammed. In spite of that, they send messages home saying they're doing fine thus encouraging more "scam" victims to follow.

The age old tale of the haves and the take nots is ever nowadays in this vocal and is the basis for the unabridged concept of the album, from the songs to the anthology cover which depicts skyscrapers equally vicious animals (metaphor for corporate greed that chews y'all up and spits you out). On the street below the buildings is a man sleeping on a subway vent. He doesn't announced to be from a third world nation but rather a businessman. His clothes are worn and dirty and the soles of his shoes have holes in them. He's plain a casualty of the system and there's a long line of new victims waiting to take his identify.

The title rails nosotros speak of hither is as sonically dark equally it is lyrically. Every song on the record is almost a crime of some sort and the biggest criminal offence is a law-breaking against humanity which is depicted here in the last cut on the album.

Larry Carlton plays guitar on this vocal and adds to the overall mood of the slice with a little riff played on the lower strings of the guitar accompanied past some very scary sounding pianoforte notes played by Fagen which continues with each verse in the song.

The drumming in this song is very unusual merely very effective. Bernard Purdie (who plays on seven of the nine songs on this record) plays an almost armed forces style vamp on the snare pulsate backed past these picayune horn "stabs."  The snare drum is played on the downbeats which are on the 1 and 3, the opposite of traditional Rock songs with the snare on the backbeat (2 and 4). This alternates back and along with a traditional Rock department creating a series of starts and stops where the vocal takes off for a scrap but so gets pulled back down.

A great contrast in the song is where the background singers sing "See the glory of the Royal Scam". The voices sing over a more than upbeat experience implying an illusion of liberty or promise peradventure to lure more "victims" into the "Scam".

Guitarist Larry Carlton takes a curt solo about half way through which brings u.s.a. dorsum to Purdie's pounding beat forth with the horns. Some other important element of this tune is the muted trumpet played throughout the track by Chuck Findley. In the context of this song, the trumpet could be used to remind u.s.a. of the cries and suffering of the oppressed immigrants in this story. This is a killer guitar track considering of Larry's power to add together so much to a song with very minimum of playing.

# 18 – PEARL OF THE QUARTER

Countdown To Ecstasy – Released: 1973

Guitar: Jeff (Skunk) Baxter

The "Quarter" refers to the French Quarter in New Orleans where perhaps a human has fallen in beloved with a hooker. He visits her in one case in a while and tells his buddies to say hullo to her when they go downwardly there. Could this tune is a bit of Fagen and Becker's tongue in cheek approach to songwriting in the fact that information technology's a pretty tune with sketchy subject area matter?

The highlight of the vocal is definitely Jeff (Skunk) Baxter's Pedal Steel playing throughout the rails with an absolutely cute solo at ii:45. The song has a bit of a Land Western feel making it a pretty unusual Steely Dan vocal.

Inaugural To Ecstasy is a wonderful anthology with great songs and incredible playing but didn't sell very well. Fagen and Becker attributed this to the audio quality of the album non being up to their standard (as it was recorded quickly while the ring was on the road).

# 17 – MY One-time SCHOOL

Countdown To Ecstasy – Released: 1973

Guitar: Jeff (Skunk) Baxter

Coming in at 17 is My Old School  from Steely Dan's 2nd album Countdown To Ecstasy. It's virtually a marijuana bust at Bard College in Annandale New York where l students went to jail including Fagen and his girlfriend Dorothy White who was visiting him at the time. Dorothy White painted the album embrace for Countdown To Ecstasy also.

Fagen was mad at the college considering they posted bail for all of the students but not his girlfriend. Fagen later boycotted the school'south graduation ceremony saying he'd "Never go Dorsum", hence the title of the song. "My Old School,"  is an upbeat Rock tune with a piddling cowbell Cha-Cha department backed past wonderful horns reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen'southward E Street Ring.

Once more we are treated to some really great soloing by Jeff (Skunk) Baxter on this vocal. Baxter plays a total of three solos(over  the "Cha-Cha") with each one riffing on the 1 earlier it but a bit more than intense. Jeff's rhythm playing lays right in the pocket with Fagen's rocking pianoforte playing making "My Erstwhile School," a staple on Classic Rock radio likewise every bit Steely Dan's alive shows.

# sixteen – AJA

Aja – Released: 1977

Guitar: Denny Dias

The championship track from Steely Dan's 1977 Classic Aja album takes united states of america on an epic eight minute musical journey with a variety of textures throughout which plays out like a movie in your head. Up to this point, "Aja," is the longest Steely Dan song to date.

Donald Fagen had a high school friend who's brother married a Korean woman named Aja and thought it sounded like a prissy proper noun to base the song on. Fagen referred to "Aja," as a peaceful song near the tranquility of a relationship with a beautiful woman. He then adds that he combined that with the imagery of a Pw camp on "The Hill" and the possibility of a prison house break. As with many of Steely Dan's songs, information technology'south probably not that uncomplicated.

Fagen and Becker always kept their cards pretty close to their breast in this regard allowing the listener to discover his own pregnant in the song. Some say Donald had a trounce on Aja and some debate the song could exist nearly drug utilise and Jazz music.

This would be the concluding track founding Steely Dan guitarist Denny Dias plays on. Denny takes a solo at 3:09 as the vocal builds and leads united states into a actually intense saxophone and drum solo played by drummer Steve Gadd and legendary Jazz Saxophonist Wayne Shorter. Many drummers consider Gadd's drumming on "Aja," to be the best in pop music.In so many words, Shorter and Gadd were told to "Only play the "Hell" out of it." This section is repeated twice earlier another poesy and chorus and and then again at around vi:50 with just Gadd soloing over the outro of the song backed past some powerful piano stabs along with a synthesizer playing sort of a weird Scientific discipline Fiction\Horror movie outcome.

"Aja," is a slap-up piece of music featuring some of the world'southward finest musicians at the pinnacle of their game. That's why it's on our listing of killer guitar tracks.

# xv – HAITIAN DIVORCE

The Majestic Scam – Released: 1976

Talkbox Guitar: Dean Parks

Donald Fagen was quoted in Sounds Magazine in 1976 every bit saying this about Haitian Divorce . "Well, the start few verses are plain plenty. Babs and Clean Willy get married, correct? Merely things don't work out somehow, and off they go to Republic of haiti to grab themselves a quickie divorce. And so Babs heads off to some sleazy night club to drown her sorrows."

"If you've been paying attending, yous'll know she'southward in a drugged daze past now and probably doesn't know anything about it. She is afterward… er… impregnated by this exotic admirer. Afterwards she is reunited with Make clean Willy and they accept some rather baroque offspring ("Who'due south this kinky then-and-and so") And then the chorus marks a second expedient divorce."

The vocal is played in a Reggae style and features guitarist Dean Parks on Talkbox guitar. The effect of the talk box can exist heard on songs such equally Peter Frampton's Do Yous Experience Like We Do? , Aerosmith'southward Sweetness Emotion and Joe Walsh'due south Rocky Mountain Way.

# xiv – Blackness Fri

Katy Lied – Released: 1975

Guitar: Walter Becker

"Black Friday," is Not a song about shopping for toys the day after Thanksgiving. Information technology is a song about the stock market place crash and the economic depression that follows. The "grey men diving from the 14th flooring" makes reference to the 1955 novel by Sloan Wilson Man In The Grey Flannel Suit . They are businessmen committing suicide equally a outcome of the crash. In reality they are diving from the 13th flooring. Nearly builders avoid naming a floor #13 out of the superstitious belief that information technology is "bad luck", calculation a touch of irony to the song.

The tune is an up tempo Dejection shuffle with Jeff Porcaro behind the pulsate kit playing a beat similar to i he played on Boz Scaggs' vocal Lido Shuffle one year later on.

Walter Becker plays two smashing solos on this tune every bit well as some amazing rhythm playing throughout. The gritty tone of Becker'southward guitar over Fagen'southward mellow sounding electric piano adds perfect balance to this Steely Dan fan favorite.

# thirteen – BAD SNEAKERS

Katy Lied – Released: 1975

Guitar: Walter Becker

The second rail on Katy Lied is "Bad Sneakers," it could be about someone who's institute success in a new city simply is homesick and misses the skillful old days when life was more uncomplicated. He feels trapped and has essentially dug his ain grave. This is the first Steely Dan song in which we hear Michael McDonald on backing vocals.

A straight frontward rock melody which shifts to a half fourth dimension tempo where again Walter Becker plays the perfect solo. Backing him up brilliantly on this tune is Jeff Porcaro on drums and Michael Omartian on piano. Despite being such a great song Bad Sneakers only reached #103 in the U.S. charts.

# 12 – GASLIGHTING ABBIE

Two Against Nature – Released:  2000

Guitar: Walter Becker

Gaslighting is slang for "playing with someone's head" making them think they're losing their heed. Co-ordinate to Donald Fagen, the tune is inspired in office past the 1944 motion picture Gaslight .

The song depicts a Summertime romp between the narrator and his much younger mistress at his beach firm. He makes her wear clothes he has stolen from his wife every bit he prefers the mode they wait on her. He plans to somehow be rid of his wife by Labor Day.

As the song builds up we hither a really cool be-bop manner bass solo past Tom Barney doubled with Fagen's electric piano. This is followed by one of the most unproblematic nonetheless powerful guitar solos past Walter Becker. The solo is basically one annotation played over and over! In that location's a little string bending etc, but information technology's all about the attitude and groove that Walter plays it with that makes this a killer guitar track.

Donald Fagen was a perfectionist and would sometimes take as many equally 270 different mixes of one vocal earlier choosing the ane that would go on the record. "Gaslighting Abbie," (co-ordinate to engineer Dave Russell) took 26 eight hour days to complete. Their hard work paid off as 2 Confronting Nature won iv Grammys including Album Of The Year, Best Pop Song and Best Engineered  Recording.

# 11 – JOSIE

Aja – Released: 1977

Guitar: Walter Becker and Dean Parks

"Josie," is some other archetype from Aja. Information technology'due south a song about a neighborhood "Political party Girl" who's coming back to town. Everybody's brimming with excitement in anticipation of all the pandaemonium and commotion that's about to ensue.

The 2 guitarists on this track are Walter Becker on atomic number 82 and Dean Parks playing rhythm. The song opens up with ane of the nigh recognizable and haunting guitar intros in pop music.

In that location's two verses and two choruses most  who Josie is and what nosotros're gonna do when she gets here etc. At 2:16 Becker comes in with a Hawaiian sounding double guitar lick followed by a solo that grooves perfectly with Chuck Rainey'southward bass and a tight drumbeat by legendary session drummer Jim Keltner.

After another chorus the song stops for a second and is kicked up once more by a very short but constructive pulsate fill by Keltner and the outro which features a funky horn department arranged past saxophonist Tom Scott. Permit's move on to the tiptop ten.

# 10 – RIKKI DON'T LOSE THAT NUMBER

Pretzel Logic – Released: 1974

Guitar: Jeff (Skunk) Baxter

Equally nosotros get into the top x any 1 of these great songs is worthy of the number ane spot. Rikki Don't Lose That Number was Steely Dan's highest ranked single e'er reaching #4 on the US charts.

The opening piano line and Bossa Nova style drum beat is one that Fagen and Becker "borrowed" from Jazz great's Horace Silverish's Song For My Father . Stevie Wonder also borrowed from Song For My Father in his 1973 hitting Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing .

Rikki Don't Lose That Number   is a nice trivial Pop tune about daughter leaving college and a boy who has a shell on her. She has no interest in him only he gives her his number anyway in example she changes her mind. Probably not! There are many interpretations of the lyrics in this melody if you Google vocal meanings, so you lot be the judge.

Jim Gordon is on drums for this tune and he alternates betwixt the Bossa Nova beat , a Soft Rock beat and a traditional Rock beat until ii:56 where Jeff Baxter'due south guitar solo comes in. This department is pure Classic Stone. Later a brusque span the song comes back to where information technology started. The tune builds again and then goes out with the "Song For My Male parent" department to close it out. One of the greatest Archetype Rock songs of all fourth dimension.

Ps: On the album version of this song, you'll hear an musical instrument at the very beginning of this rail that sounds like a cantankerous between a marimba and a log drum. Information technology is a rare  instrument chosen a flapamba played by Victor Feldman although he is credited every bit having played the marimba on the song.

# 9 – HOME AT Final

Aja – Released: 1977

Guitar: Larry Carlton

In the song "Home At Last," Fagen and Becker apply Greek Mythology and the Tale of Ulysses every bit a metaphor for one finding his way "home." Home could hateful peace with one'southward cocky or a relationship of whatsoever kind. Larry Carlton plays guitar on this song and nosotros'll become to that in a second.

Perchance the nearly disquisitional chemical element of this song is the drum runway. Bernard Purdie is behind the pulsate kit on this one playing an incredibly swinging half time shuffle which he has aptly named "The Purdie Shuffle." In keeping with the theme of this song, this beat gives us a prissy petty "pocket" to sit in as it grabs hold of united states of america and rocks us just similar a female parent slowly rocking a babe. If Steely Dan had just recorded five and a one-half minutes of the Purdie Shuffle by itself it would withal be an astonishing track.

About ii thirds of the way in (3:30), Larry Carlton plays a overnice Jazzy solo the way only Larry Carlton can do. At this betoken information technology's merely guitar, piano, bass and drums perfectly balanced with each other.

The Chorus comes dorsum with the entire band playing backed by Steely Dan'south horn section arranged by Tom Scott. Another purely magical track from ane of the best records an American music.

# eight – DO Information technology Over again

Tin't Buy A Thrill – Released: 1972

Guitar: Denny Dias

This is the one that started it all. "Do Information technology Over again," is the very first song on the very first Steely Dan tape. The band's debut single would do pretty well as information technology reached #6 on the US charts. It'south a little wild westward tale of a man who kills someone for stealing his water and gets away with it. He doesn't quit while he'due south ahead but rather continues a life of crime. It's pretty much most self subversive behavior in general and how lying to oneself volition eventually come back to get you.

The song is played in a syncopated near Santana style rhythm in a dark minor key. Donald Fagen plays a cheap Yamaha YC-30 combo organ on this rail. The organ was capable of creating a diverseness of sounds including a portamento issue which is produced by sliding your finger across a pad. The sound was very similar to a synthesizer like outcome used in Science Fiction movies. This tin exist heard at 3:37 after Denny's solo on the anthology version only, as the organ solo along with the song intro and outro were cut from the 45 rpm single to shorten it from 5:56 to 4:14 for radio.

Denny Dias is featured playing an electric sitar giving the song a very center eastern psychedelic flavor. Electric sitar tin heard on The Beatles Norwegian Forest , The Rolling Stones Paint It Black and Traffic's Paper Sun.

# 7 – THE FEZ \ HERE AT THE WESTERN WORLD*

The Royal Scam – Released: 1976

Guitars: Walter Becker and Dean Parks

"Here At The Western World," was recorded during The Royal Scam sessions just didn't make the final cutting. It would somewhen exist released on Steely Dan's Greatest Hits . We put it at the number six spot forth with "The Fez," as information technology was probably a toss upwardly as to which track would be cutting.

They both come in at exactly iv:02 in length and for lack of a ameliorate word, can each exist considered the "weakest" tracks on a perfect album. Both tunes seem to have similarities in subject matter likewise.

So what in the world is a Fez? A Fez is a lid which originated in aboriginal Greece and was later worn past kings in The Ottoman Empire. The Fez hat is a red cylindrical shaped hat with a blackness tassle hanging from the meridian. The song is lyrically very unproblematic with the same verse repeated iii times. Apparently 2 people are doing something which requires wearing a "chapeau." One insists on the "lid" being worn and the other 1 non and then much. A classic case of "no glove, no beloved."

Walter Becker plays a really nice solo over a string section at the two:00 mark. Again Bernard Purdie'southward drums concord the whole thing together with a groove very similar to the ane he plays on "Kid Charlemagne," with a little Disco flavour.

"Here At The Western World," could be a vocal about gangsters running a brothel and all the "amenities" available to their clientele . As with most of Steely Dan's songs, at that place'south a lot of double entendre here, so it could also exist about drugs. Freud said that "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar." I guess in the Steely Dan Universe, "Sometimes a "silver cardinal that opens the red door" is just that". You be the judge. Dean Parks plays beautifully throughout taking a solo at 2:41.

It'southward difficult to imagine this great track beingness left off of The Majestic Scam , allow lonely being stored in some vault never seeing the light of twenty-four hours. Here At the Western World is definitely one of Steely Dan's Greatest Hits.

# half dozen -Testify BIZ KIDS / THE BOSTON RAG

Inaugural To Ecstasy – Released: 1973

Guitar: Jeff (Skunk) Baxter and Rick Derringer

"Show Biz Kids," is a pretty unusual Steely Dan Song as it has no chord changes. A basic Blues\Rock number telling a trivial tale of the haves vs. the accept nots. Information technology features stunning slide guitar piece of work by Rick Derringer.

The Boston Rag is a pretty thin organisation as far as Steely Dan songs go, simply with good reason. It's nigh a drug addict and his empty life in which he is caught between his dealer and his girlfriend. He seems to miss the skilful quondam days when things were simpler. Steely Dan would open many of their live shows with this number. Jeff (Skunk) Baxter's rhythm  guitar is real gritty and dirty sounding with plenty of mental attitude.

There is a pause around iii:30 where this petty "Tango" is played on piano and hi-hat. The guitar creeps in slowly and so Jeff tears into a solo. Another chorus repeats and carries out until the song fades. The remastered version of The Boston Rag on the Prove Biz Kids(The Steely Dan Story) anthology sounds incredible.

# 5 – BODHISATTVA

Countdown To Ecstasy – Released: 1973

Guitar: Jeff (Skunk) Baxter and Denny Dias

"Bodhisattva," is an up tempo Swing tune with a trivial Center Eastern season that actually rocks. The song could exist about giving upwards i'southward worldly possessions in the pursuit of being enlightened or maybe someone in search of something darker. Probably the latter. It doesn't matter, this is i wild ride!

The drums pound away starting this wicked fast number. Donald Fagen is playing some scary good piano chords throughout the melody. Amazing solos from Dias and Baxter as wells a little telephone call and response between keys and guitar. At one bespeak both guitars play together in an nigh "Allmanesque'" blazon fashion.

As far as killer guitar tracks go, nosotros put Bodhisattva on equal basis with any of the songs on this list including the four we are about to discuss.

# four – DON'T Take ME ALIVE

The Royal Scam – Released: 1976

Guitar: Larry Carlton

Who starts a song with the guitar solo??? Steely dan does, that's who. Larry Carlton opens this Steely Dan classic with one big distorted guitar chord. According to Ultimate Guitar dot com it's a G7#9 chord and in their instructions said "This may look similar an impossibility, like a cruel, unusual and unplayable chord but it can be done." Larry plays a stunning solo that leads us into the song.

Don't Take Me Alive is about an outlaw who's taken hostages and is in a standoff with the law. The vocal reminds u.s. of Dog Day Afternoon in the grade of a Classic Rock song. Rick Marotta's drumming , Fagen's electric piano and Chuck rainey'due south bass round out this track making it some other of our top picks.

# 3 – PEG

Aja – Released: 1977

Guitar: Jay Graydon

"Peg," is mayhap one of Steely Dan's well-nigh instantly recognizable songs by far. The lyrics on this vocal seem pretty straightforward. The title refers to actress Peg Entwistle who committed suicide at age twenty four in 1932 by jumping from the Hollywood sign. She was a stage actress who transitioned to film which did non go well for her every bit nigh of her performance in her first (and last) motion picture concluded upwardly united nations the cutting room floor.

The melody features an all star lineup including the great session drummer Rick Marotta (who up to this point had never heard any of the footling nuances in his playing captured this faithfully on tape before). The recording quality on Aja is impeccable.

Chuck Rainey is on bass adding a bear upon of slap bass to add some punch to the rails. In an interview Chuck said that Fagen and Becker didn't want him to do whatsoever of that slap bass stuff viewing it as to "gimmicky" equally it was a technique which was way overused on many Funk and Disco recordings in the mid to late 1970'southward. Chuck said he would turn his back from Donald and Walter when he played and then they couldn't see what he was doing.

Peg includes i of the best backing vocal tracks ever recorded. Michael  Mc Donald sings an amazing three office harmony with himself of three tracks layered on top of each other making really good use of basically two or iii words repeated over and over (Peg ,Dorsum to yous, Shadow on the wall, all in 3D, Foreign motion picture etc.)

Ii peachy guitarists play on Peg. Steve Kahn plays some really tasty picking underneath everything adding a dainty texture. This brings us to one of the most iconic guitar solos in Archetype Rock History.

Fagen and Becker were apparently super critical about the mode their albums sounded and Aja epitomizes that. Similar we said earlier, Steely Dan would apply hired guns to come up in and play on certain songs to accomplish a particular "flavor." They oft didn't know exactly what they wanted until they heard it. It wasn't unusual for them to bandy out an entire band at times. Y'all could have viii players working on a given track on Mon and then Tuesday take eight other guys having a go at the same tune.

Keeping that in listen, the boys had a hard fourth dimension finding the perfect guitar solo to fit with this song, they tried seven different guitarists on this runway (including Larry Carlton), but none could deliver the goods. Finally guitarist\record producer Jay Graydon was asked to take a shot at the solo. It took Jay over six hours to come up up with the solo that Archetype Rock fans have come to know and honey over the past four decades.

There'due south a video online of The Making of Aja where you lot tin see Fagen and Becker at the mixing panel having a laugh while listening to some of the solos that didn't make information technology. They describe Jay'south solo as having sort of a Hawaiian \ Polynesian sound to it. Peg was a pretty successful single reaching #8 on the Cash Box charts.

# 2 – Child CHARLEMAGNE

The Royal Scam – Released: 1976

Guitar: Larry Carlton

At number two is "Kid Charlemagne," which is a song based loosley on the exploits of Grateful Expressionless soundman\financier turned freelance LSD pharmacist Owsley "Bear" Stanley. Fagen pokes fun at Stanley in this song making fun of his Hippie followers and taking delight in his arrest.

Frank Zappa would also poke fun at Owsley and Hippie culture on his 1967 release We're Only In Information technology For The Money on the vocal Who Needs The Peace Corp s. A lyric in the song reads "I think I'll just drop out. I'll get to Frisco purchase a wig and sleep on Owsley'south floor." Perchance music history would be very different if Owsley hadn't "just by chance crossed the diamond with the pearl" (his special recipe which made everybody "happy".)

Two guitarists play on this tune, Walter Becker on rhythm playing a killer function that goes along with the keyboard runway.

The highlight of the song is the legendary solo played by none other than Larry Carlton. The solo comes in at 2:18 and is a mix of Swing and Rock that grooves extremely well on top of some tricky chord and rhythmic changes. As the solo builds and leads u.s.a. dorsum into the concluding poetry, Larry does a little hammer on matter on the guitar neck (a technique which would later exist made famous by Eddie Van Halen).

At two:58 Rainey plays this 70's "B" pic soundtrack-like bass riff followed by a simple nevertheless very powerful Tom-Tom fill past Purdie. We come dorsum to "Make clean this mess upward else we'll all end up n jail…..followed past the infamous "is there gas in the automobile? Yes there's gas in the car!! Fagen seems to be mimicking Owsley's girlfriend.

We can too hear Michael McDonald's backing vocals on the final chorus. The vocal only reached #82 in the charts and was voted #80 in Rolling Stone Magazine's Top 100 Guitar Songs.

# ane – REELIN' IN THE YEARS

Tin can't Purchase A Thrill – Released: 1972

Guitar: Elliot Randall

Released in March 1973, "Reelin' In The Years," is Steely Dan'south second unmarried off of Tin can't Buy A Thrill . The song reached #11 on the US Billboard charts . Jimmy Page was quoted in Guitar World maxim "Elliott Randall's guitar playing this tune is his favorite of all time.

Like "Don't Take me Live," this tune starts with the guitar solo and never lets up. The song sounds similar a story of a man in love with a daughter who takes him for granted but he stays with her anyhow…(until she finally dumps him.) He refers to the song "My Former School," with "the weekend at the college didn't turn out like yous planned" equally it was this girl who got them disrepair.

It's played in a shuffle rhythm similar to Jeff Beck'southward "Thruway Jam," from Accident By Blow . Randall's distorted guitar tone cuts through this song like a chainsaw through a cheesecake Randall plays three stunning solos on the track including the opener, 1 at 2:26 and the outro at 3:53.

One killer iconic riff is played right after "Are you gatherin' up the tears….at 1:57 and 3:38, with the last one double tracked. Reelin' In The years stands as one of the greatest Classic Rock songs of all time and has been a staple of Rock and Pop radio for nearly half a century. That's why Reelin' In The Years is our #i Killer Guitar Track

Updated November 13, 2020

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Source: https://www.classicrockhistory.com/40-steely-dan-killer-guitar-tracks/

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