Conference cookie::notes$archive:cd_v1

This has nothing to do with compact discs directly but if there are any Steely
Dan fans out there, you might be interested in this.  I've heard through
unreliable sources that Fagen and Becker are reuniting and that there is
a new album in the works. (to be seen sometime in March, hopefully)  We should
be able to look forward to another DDD CD ala "Nightfly".  Personally, I'm
thrilled!

BTW the same source tells me that they (Fagen, Becker, and undoubtedly several
session types) are planning a tour following the release of the album.  Odd,
considering that they stopped touring in the mid 70's saying that they would
never Do It Again.

Already in line for my tickets,
Gary
    

I'm not a Dan fan, though I've heard so many good things about Fagen's
NIGHTFLY cd, that I've been tempted to give it a try. Anyways, I always
thought that the reason they gave up touring was because an increasing
amount of their production was being done in the studio and they couldn't
reasonably duplicate it on stage.

--- jerry

I am not even a fan of rock 'n roll (with notable exceptions). I think the
Steely Dan productions in the past have been first rate. Their tunes, studio
work, and mastering are very well executed and among the few which deserve
play on HiFi systems.     It seems most of the rest use a car radio as their
studio monitor, from the sound anyway.

Walt

re: .2
  Yes, the story is that they haven't wanted to tour because they would have
a hell of a time reproducing their work on stage, but I think it also has
to do with the fact that both Fagen and Becker are reclusive types who are
somewhat shy of stage performances.  They supposedly feel that their ablities
as performers are not up to snuff.  Whatever.
  Jerry, from what I've seen, your tastes seem to be quite varied.  You just
might enjoy the Nightfly. Technically, it is superb.  I have the same feelings
about the music but then I'm a heavily biased fan.

Gary

    Coincident with MCA picking up the rights to Steely Dan's stuff,
    I have seen all their albums out on CD.  If I only had a player...
    
    Dave W.

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Note 33.0                New Steely Dan / Rosie Vella                    1 reply
COMET::LEVETT "Charlie Manson, Name that tune!"      25 lines   5-AUG-1986 10:21
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    Last night while trying to sleep I heard the dj on the radio mention
    that they'd be playing the new Steely Dan single after awhile. That
    woke me up!  I called the station to find out if I heard correctly
    and what the jock told me was the song "MAGIC SMILE" was by Steely
    Dan FEATURING Rosie Vella stating everyone knows Steely Dan but
    that Rosie is an unknown. Just before playing the record he said
    that this recording was the beginnings of Becker/Fagen collaborating
    again.  
    
    The song is definately in the vein of S.D. although I don't know
    which one wrote the song. Classic guitar riffs, typical Dan keyboards
    and Rosie sounds like she's been singing this type of material for
    years!  Her voice sounds like a cross between Laura Brannigan and
    Joni Mitchell...alto in general range but crossing into falsetto
    soprano (like Joni).  Her voice doesn't stand out as much as say
    Sade but it is memorable in that she doesn't sound like 90% of the
    other female singers around today. Maybe it's the material...
    
    Anyway I taped the song and have given it 6 or 7 listens...I like
    it!!  I'm going to call a record store about the album and go pick
    it up if it's available.  Does anyone know who Rosie Veller is,
    where she came from, is it a Steely Dan album featuring Rosie or
    a Rosie album with Steely?  When I find out more I'll post it.
    
    _stew-

    Bless you, sir!  I live in a backward part of the country and have
    heard no details about the new LP let alone actually hearing a cut
    from it.  Please do let us know when/where/if you find the album.
    (Especially if you find the CD.)
    
    Waiting a little less patiently now,
    Gary

    I called the local record stores and as of yet they have nothing
    on the shelves or any news of a official release...I'll keep you
    folks informed.
    
    _stew- (in colorado springs)

    There was something about this in the latest Rolling Stone that
    I read at the library last night.  It's actually Rosie's album,
    and I believe she wrote the majority of the music, but I really
    don't remember the details.  Apparently, she is a model, who uses
    the money from modeling to support her musical habits and has her
    own studio in her apartment, where she demoed the majority of the
    album herself.  Better check this out yourself to be sure, it's
    in the issue with Boy George on the cover.
    
    Richard

    For more on Rosie's albums see note 33.6 in the records file.
    COMET::RECORDS
    
    _stew-

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Note 33.8                New Steely Dan / Rosie Vella                     8 of 8
COMET::LEVETT "hearing `voices in the sky'"          24 lines  12-AUG-1986 16:32
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    	I was expecting the worse when I bought the Rosie Vela album
    ZAZU. How many times have you heard a good song by a new artist
    and after buying the album...bleah!  This is not Steely Dan! Although
    Fagen, who is on 9 cuts, and Becker, who is on 3, appear on the
    lp, the only song that *really* sounds like Steely Dan is MAGIC
    SMILE the tune I mentioned earlier. This song is receiving more
    air play here in Colorado Springs.  All songs on the album are written
    by Rosie, produced by Steve Katz and most of the guitar work is
    by Rick Derringer with Russ Kunkell on drums.
    
    	The album is a GOOD album with one noteable exception...I wish
    Rosie would break loose and do a *real* upbeat rocker. Most songs
    are medium tempo. She does tend to write in the vein of Steely Dan
    and she ends her phrases musically the same many times but this
    is definetely her album.  The cuts that stick out at the moment
    are MAGIC SMILE, INTERLUDE, BOXES and ZAZU. 
    
    	I hope this album catches on and if you're a Dan fan I believe
    you'll like her stuff. She could go far!
    
    	The album jacket said this is also available on cd.
                                            
    _stew-
    

    Was remote controlling my way down the TV dial tonight and happened
    onto something interesting.  I saw a woman dancing in a montage
    of B&W and color footage.  I heard a woman with a good voice singing
    that had a familiar strangeness to it.  And I heard musical phrasing
    that I've heard before.  I knew even before MTV put up the credits
    at the end that it was Rosie.  It sounded good and I must hear it
    again.
    
    Gary

    
    
    	I'm confused here.....The video wouldn't be Eddie Money's
    	with Ronnie Spector as background would it.  It decribes 
    	exactly the video "TAKE ME HOMW TONITE".  Just curious ???
    	Because this background vocals is great, although I wish I
    	heard more.
    
    				/mike
    

    re -.1:
    
    No. The Eddie Money video shows Eddie on stage in an empty auditorium,
    with Ronnie S. standing backlit in one of the entrances.  Rosie's
    video is of her dancing around singing inside a house and out in
    the countryside.  Both are B/W.  (Rosie's is somewhat similar to
    Belinda Carlisle's `Mad About You'.)
    
    Richard

    
    
    Thanks, I was confused.  I picked up the Rosie Vela CD yesterday.
    I like it very much.  Very laid back.  
    
    			/mike
    

    Back to the Steely Dan CD's:
    
    I got Pretzel Logic and Katy Lied this weekend after noticing how noisy
    my old albums were.  The new CD's are definitely an improvement over
    the old albums!  Good sound for the mid-70's (there's some hiss,
    like in the vibe solo at the start of Rikki).  Two of my favorite
    rock albums now have a new lease on life.
    
    MCA is pretty cheap with their packaging.  Katy Lied has no lyric
    sheet, nor does it have the pictures of group members that are on the
    back cover of the album.  It does include the description of the record
    cutting machinery used for the LP, which would be amusing if they
    hadn't cut out more relevant material.  Pretzel Logic doesn't have a
    lyric sheet either, but then neither did my LP version. 
    
    Do any of the other Steely Dan CD's have lyric sheets?  Fagen's
    Nightfly CD does.
    
    Michael

    I have not yet completed my Steely Dan CD collection, (Christmas
    is coming :-) but of those I do have:
    Countdown To Ecstasy
    Katy Lied
    The Royal Scam
    Aja
    Gaucho
    & Decade of...
    
    only "Aja" and "Gaucho" have lyric sheets.
    
    Gary

    
    I got 'em all, and the ones Gary mentions are the only ones with
    lyric sheets.
    
    Of course, when someone sings nice and clear, you don't need them
    as much.
    
    DFW

    There is a "new" CD showing up in favorite CD emporia everywhere.
    It's called "Berry Town" and is performed by Fagen and Becker. 
    Only true Dan disciples will be able to resist the temptation to
    immediately return it to the aforementioned emporium.  The liner
    notes are all but nonexistant and there are no warnings on the cover
    concerning this but, this CD contains material that is ancient.
    It appears to be Fagen & Becker's rough cuts.  There are about 3
    or 4 ROUGH versions of songs that appear on other Steely Dan albums
    and the rest are songs that we've never heard before.  For some,
    this is a good reason for this.  2 or 3 of them are just plain BAD.
    There *are* some very nice rough cut gems in here that it would
    be nice to see what a little polishing would have done for them.
    But the overall emphasis here is ROUGH.  (You mean you hadn't gotten
    that idea yet? :-)  The recording quality of this CD goes beyond
    bad into grotesque.  It was obviously recorded on a first generation
    1 7/8 ips reel-to-reel onto tape that was used about 5000 times
    previously and was subsequently stored on top of a radiator.  Lord,
    it isn't good.  One does not generally expect to hear dropouts on
    a CD, but they are here in all their glory.  In short, only those
    who are interested in hearing raw Fagen and Becker need apply. 
    Most of the cuts are just Fagen on piano or organ singing lead,
    with Becker singing backup. (His voice isn't as bad as he claims.)
    There is some guitar and bass present but not much.  
    
    This CD is only for diehards.  Buy it if you wish but the LP version
    would be preferable because of the price.  I hope we don't see too
    many more poorly labeled (or unlabeled) archives type CD's, it's
    bad for the industry *and* the consumer.
    
    Just thought you needed to know.
    
    Harumph! And I was so hoping for a new Steely Dan album,
    Gary

    I have the CD but wonder still, is this out in any other form other
    than CD.  68 minutes seems pretty short to put out on a two-album
    set.
    
    Speaking of long CD's.  I got one yeterday with 72m 28s.  Must be
    close to the max.

                
    A long one, Cleo Lane, "Cleo at Carnegie - The 10th Anniversary
    Concert" it is either 73:01 (time on disc when I first put it into
    the cd player) or 72:58 (time remaining on disc) or 71:45 (which is
    what it says on the label on the back) or "over 70 minutes of music"
    (which is what it says on the front label).
    
    Whatever, it's a great disc, but a little pricey, but who cares,
    she's on her way to Symphony and I have a pair of tickets.
    
		    						-mr. bill