New Frontier - Donald Fagen

[BootinUp]

[mr_lebowski]

1. You know how sometimes, the whole can be much greater than the sum of the parts?

This is kinda one of those times that proves that particular axiom

[BootinUp]

2. Fagen is an artist.

Visionary even.

[mr_lebowski]

3. Still is ... but he's better with the late, great Walter Becker ...

You know it's funny, I think I could honestly count on 2 fingers the people that I would say were even greater as solo artists than they were with the bands in which they became famous (outside of originally lame bands like N-Sync and Wham!) ... and those are Paul Simon and Rod Stewart.

And even Rod is debatable, cause Faces were pretty great and Rod solo was only MAAAYBE a little better.

And I'd say Sting ALMOST makes the list, but not quite.

I guess Beyonce would make the list too, in retrospect, but ... don't really care

And some would say Clapton, but ... I disagree. He had more success, but not much of his solo work is better than Cream if you ask me. And Derek & The Dominoes doesn't count, it's not solo.

Hell, not even Daryl Hall was better outside Hall & Oates, and he WAS Hall & Oates ... know what I'm sayin?

Not saying Fagen's solo stuff is bad by any stretch ... but ... it's Steely Dan without ... the Dan.

[BootinUp]

4. I didn't read anything I could disagree with there.

cheers

[mr_lebowski]

5. Back atcha my friend ...

That vid does me back to cold war days ... it's a good one!

Feels like it would've been a REALLY good Dan song, though, know what I'm sayin?

[The Polack MSgt]

6. After "Gaucho" was released and we all thought Steely Dan was done

Donald Fagen released this and IMHO it's a damn master piece of studio craft.

Remember that "Night Fly" was recorded in 1981 using 1st generation digital recording processes and Don was making a lot of it up as he went.

Yeah it sounded like Steely Dan, but it was better than Gaucho... and if you play it loud it still amazes. So pure so crisp.

So while I agree that the best Steely Dan is better, I can't dismiss this record

?list=PLi-Y73aIHeoMHMveasbE98fxgP8ageu9O

I've got a girl and Ruby is her name... The arrangement on this song in particular is pure genious

?list=PLi-Y73aIHeoMHMveasbE98fxgP8ageu9O