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Created on: 05/27/09 10:04 PM Views: 2243 Replies: 26
Hall of Fame: Album
Posted Wednesday, May 27, 2009 05:04 PM

Okay, let's start with the debate all Steely Dan fans seem to have, or at least the one Paul Anderson, Brad Patton and I have.  While Aja generally is regarded as Dan's highest achievement, I think Katy Lied is better and is top 10 album of the 70's.  Then again I'd still put Aja there too, so obviously I am too big of a Dan fan to judge.  And anyone who's a real Parrothead knows A1A is Jimmy Buffetts best and belongs there.

That's a start.  I can think of some others but will leave that you the rest of you.

Oh and willing to admit A1A probably won't make the cut for most of you and I am [sigh] okay with that.

BZook

 
RE: Hall of Fame: Album
Posted Wednesday, May 27, 2009 09:55 PM

Yes to A1A my brother, Aja rules.  When I get more time I will jump all over this topic that you know I hold dear.

 

Peace

 
RE: Hall of Fame: Album
Posted Friday, May 29, 2009 02:44 AM

 

In no particular order....just off the top of my head randomly! (and I had to disqualify great ones such as Rumours or Tusk cause I didn't even buy them...I'll be just listing ones I actually bought, played, and wore out--and I'm only listing purely music albums since if we're talking top 10 vinyl any category in the 70s I'd have to put the Monty Python and the Holy Grail album in the top 10 as well)

City To City - Gerry Rafferty

Breakfast In America - Supertramp

Boston - Boston

Don't Look Back - Boston

A Night At The Opera - Queen

A Day At The Races - Queen

Aja - Steely Dan

Out Of The Blue - ELO

Sheer Heart Attack - Queen

Queen II - Queen

THESE GO TO ELEVEN!

 
Edited 05/29/09 02:48 AM
RE: Hall of Fame: Album
Posted Saturday, May 30, 2009 07:13 PM

 

Aja vs. Katy Lied
 
It’s akin to debating, who’s your favorite Becker or Fagen. True, Don Fagen is better known and, I suppose, more prolific. However, “they” are Steely Dan. 
 
I think it is fair to say most, or many of us are fans of the music. I recall going to the dunes with Paul (“smokes” & beer) and listening to Katy Lied and various Super Tramp all afternoon. Bruce Rodgers often tells of his favorite riverboat moments digging Katy with Paul and Phil. B. Zook tells similar stories based on Sioux land youth; Katy was the sound track. Regardless, I know there are many great Steely Dan tunes I cannot think of any off hand.
 
Katy Lied is brilliant; it is a collection of numbers Rikki would be proud of even today. However, at our age spending time reelin in the years, it’s often feels as if we can’t buy a thrill. Granted, the thought of my old school and the reunion has transformed into a countdown to ecstasy. In July, the class of 79 will do it again and these little debates will seem like an exercise in pretzel logic, any major dude will tell you the same thing. 
 
If I were to make it back for the reunion, I would hope to arrive no later than black Friday wearing a pair of bad sneakers. My friend Doctor Wu is my podiatrist who often tells me that wearing these shoes is bad for my feet and will great a problems like chain lightning. Regardless, I go back “Jack” and do it again. Honest, I don’t know why I pay him for advice, it’s a royal scam.  I’d be better off taking advice from Kid Charlemagne. By the way, the kid is down right now, he just went through a Haitian divorce, time out of mind to be sure. 
 
I digress.
 
I’ll be brief. Aja and Katy are great LPs (CDs). Then there is this fact, when we go back for Thanksgiving dinner there are two tables. The children sit at the Katy table while the adults enjoy fine dinning of delicately blended offerings they wash down with slow sips of Malibu Republic wine.
 
TOP FIVE LPs.
 
This is too complex a conundrum for me to handle. In 1975 my favorite all time LP was Dark Side of the Moon, in 1976 it was Tommy Bolin’s Teaser, 1977 I went retro with Hendrix & the definitive must have LP, Electric Lady Land. 1978-79 was all about fusion jazz i.e., Miles Davis, Tony Williams, Weather Report, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Return to Forever, Billy Cobham, Jean-Luc Ponty, Santana (Nach Jackson), etc . . . .   Keith Jarrett (Koln) was my fav when alone along with Sonny Criss (if you are not familiar with his work I recommend Sonny’s Dream “Birth of the New Cool”).  It's safe to say Little Feat and Billy Joel got more airtime when driving around town with the crew. For God sake, Waiting for Columbus!?!, I still know the words to every song. 
In the 80’s I turned to Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Buffet, Merle Haggard, George Strait, Jimmy Cliff, “THE” Bob Marley, Mozart, Handel (Water Music), and Wang Chung. Ok, Wang Chung not so much, just seeing if you are paying attention. 
The 90’s was much the same with the inclusion of Peal Jam, Nirvana, Queensryche, and assorted dabbling with hip hop, smooth Jazz, old country/blue grass etc . . .
 
As you can see, I am very confused. My wife and I saw K.D. Lang a few weeks ago; she was amazing still (the female Elvis). I like all of Bob’s picks but I’ll bet Bob would pick a different top five next month, maybe?
 
Music is like people or sports. Some days you want to hang out with some guys on the golf course, other days your wife at the lake swimming and sunning. Music is like life, it is complex, interesting, exciting, happy, sad, ridiculous, restrictive, inviting, loud and then soft. 
 
Well, this is my long way of saying I can't pick a top 5. 
 
Now I have this chunk of beef that's been marinating for 48 hour. I need a favorite beverage to go with the meat. In the refrigerator I have Stella Artois and Peroni, two favorite beers. Sitting in the center island stands a bottle of Cuvee Quebrada from our friend in the Republic of Malibu. All three are good picks. Life presents tough choices. Hmm, Cuvee Quebrada.
 
RE: Hall of Fame: Album
Posted Sunday, May 31, 2009 01:36 AM

wow, that was amazing!

yeah I might pick 5 more by next week 'cause 10 of something usually ain't enough (remember when 'ain't' wasn't a word in the dictionary?)

and since you mentioned Billy Joel I forgot all about wearing out 'The Stranger' in the mid 70s. I also give props to Patton for urging me to get the Queen back-catalogue when 'Night At The Opera' came out and Bohemian Rhapsody was hitting number 1 at it's full almost 6 minutes, one of the few longer-format hits during top 40 radio NOT to be whittled down to a radio edit. And thankfully radio never did edit that song.

shame those radio edits. they messed up 'Blinded By The Light' and other classics. Even last year the BBC and XFM radio edited Elbow's great tune 'The Bones Of You' and they destroyed it by taking out the instrumental bridge which had a great Radiohead sound to it, probably an homage to that band I think.

but I digress.

I'll probably start a topic of our favorite albums of the naughties since we already have a 70s top albums thread.

and the composers. the decomposing composers.....

yes my favorite, as Charles Emerson Winchester would say, would be,  "shhhhhh.......Mozart"

little Pinto from Animal House as Wolfie in the movie AMADEUS. brills that

 

 

THESE GO TO ELEVEN!

 
Edited 05/31/09 01:37 AM
RE: Hall of Fame: Album
Posted Monday, June 1, 2009 04:30 PM

Brad:

You nearly had me conceding to Aja because of the wittiness of your reply but then you had to throw in that "The children sit at the Katy table" thing. Must I remind you that the Katy table is where all the fun is? It's where "delicately blended offerings" are a result of us being creative with our food resulting in new and exciting dishes. Where we don't sniff the cork and sip our wine but instead relish it's flavor in large gulps and don't worry if we spill. It's about cutting loose and enjoying life which is what Katy Lied does as it takes you through a multi-level musical journey using a timeless mixture of rock and jazz. Although I do enjoy Aja, it is Steely Dan's attempt at a pure jazz album and as a result and in my humble opinion, an album that limits itself to specific moments and moods whereas Katy Lied can be enjoyed at any time.

Onward with the great music debate but I don't think any minds will ever be changed so might I suggest a good old Hank Aaron vs. Babe Ruth debate.

Paul

 
RE: Hall of Fame: Album
Posted Monday, June 1, 2009 08:40 PM

Hank

 
RE: Hall of Fame: Album
Posted Monday, June 1, 2009 09:32 PM

Babe Ruth was the man...Plain and simple!!! Hank wasn't a pimple on his ass! Hot-dogs, beer, and pop-corn! The king of swing! The old Babe kicked everyones ass in his day!

 
RE: Hall of Fame: Album
Posted Tuesday, June 2, 2009 09:44 PM

 

Hey Brad

That's quite some music commentary,  maybe you should write for Rolling Stone.!  I've alway enjoyed Katy Lied, but don't remember the details you guys do.  Although I do remember buying my first album ever.  I was riding in the car (I think with my Dad) and heard "Fly like an eagle"  by Steve Miller.  I still love hearing it.  I haven't seen you in so many years, are you a fairly intense kind of guy?  It wasn't clear with that black friday comment if you are actually coming back in July, are you?

 
RE: Hall of Fame: Album
Posted Wednesday, June 3, 2009 11:10 PM

I believe it was in 10th grade Algebra...John Lucas was talking to a few of us about how he thought Steely Dan was great and I believe in unison we told him that he was full of sh*t.

 

how effing wrong were we?

I think it was back in the day when we were put off by 'rikki don't lose...' and we just didn't have an appreciation for it yet.

and where the f*ck is Lucas?!

THESE GO TO ELEVEN!

 
RE: Hall of Fame: Album
Posted Thursday, June 4, 2009 07:31 AM

Let's all take a leap of faith off the jazz rock fusion band wagon for just a second and remember there were other groups in the 70's.  The greatest music of all time either came out of the 60's and early 70's or was influenced by those groups.  I can't pick a favorite but will list a few from time to time.

 

Led Zeppelin- Houses of the Holy

Houses of the Holy

 Say no more!!!

 
Edited 06/04/09 07:32 AM
RE: Hall of Fame: Album
Posted Thursday, June 4, 2009 09:34 PM

Steve,

I will say NO MORE!

 
RE: Hall of Fame: Album
Posted Friday, June 5, 2009 06:50 AM

Brad I'm so disappointed.  Ok here we go... anyone's Hall of Fame would only be a farce with out the inclusion of this album.  This should be considered the most influential musical release of all time with perhaps the exception of Robert Johnson.  No genre has gone untouched by this album. 

 

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

 
RE: Hall of Fame: Album
Posted Friday, June 5, 2009 10:57 PM

One group that sang the Tommy Bolin song Post Toastie back in 1979 really sounded pretty good. The Post Toastie basketball team sang this song before their games during warm-up which ultimately helped them to win the school championship. If you were hard of hearing and tone deaf and had no beat at all you would have enjoyed their version. I almost suggested we record our version...fame and fortune lost, oh well, I don't think we could have survived the media attention! And it might have been harmful to our friendships as well...hell, everyone knows I sing better than Brad Patton!?!? Ha, ha, ha!!!

 
RE: Hall of Fame: Album
Posted Saturday, June 6, 2009 01:26 AM

almost forgot.

Reeling in the Years one of the best rock era instrumental intros ever. To add to the list from the 'other' message board

;o)

www.youtube.com/watch

see this dude rip up the strat to reelin in the years

THESE GO TO ELEVEN!

 
RE: Hall of Fame: Album
Posted Sunday, June 7, 2009 08:04 PM

 

 

Steve,
This WAS a nice little thread where people could chat about silly things like Steely Dan LPs or musical influences. It was quaint with nothing more than occasional miner skirmishes, but no one got hurt.
Then you came along.
You just had to call in the Beatles Air Strike, didn’t you! Others were playing around with plastic guns and rubber knives; was the Air Strike necessary? 
 
Then, if I’m reading this right, you go NUCLEAR by dropping the Robert Johnson bomb. Are you kidding me? "THE" Robert Johnson? The “I sold my soul (not rubber soul) to the devil” Robert Johnson? My God, the humanity of it. This ain’t the cross roads out side of Dockery, Mississippi but it is a cross road of this thread. 
So . . . are you going to tell us where Johnson is buried? Is he at Mt. Zion Baptist or is it Little Zion Church in Greenwood, Mississippi just off “Money Road?” Then too, was it a bottle of Laced whisky that caused him to roll, cough, vomit, and convulse to death, or was he locked in battle with Satin, struggling to retain his soul? 
 
Steve, my brother, this is consecrated ground we now walk on. The father of rock&roll is the topic and you are the topic master. I will take a knee, bow to the east, and await your words.   
 
 
RE: Hall of Fame: Album
Posted Sunday, June 7, 2009 08:14 PM

Matt, that's not saying much. By the way, Charlie Barker was or best singer. He had to be, he couldn't buy a basket.  Just joking with you Charlie, you couldn't sing either.
 
RE: Hall of Fame: Album
Posted Monday, June 8, 2009 08:10 AM

Brad,

Robert Johnson is the Holy Grail for which they seek and never quite find, the Dalai Lama from which draw wisdom, every great guitarist has borrowed from but none have mastered. Legend grows out of the unknown which is usually much more interesting than reality.  I would like to believe he was killed by a jealous husband it just adds to the mystic and lifestyle from which his music was born.  It really doesn't matter where he was buried all that really matters is we were lucky that a very small portion of his music survived and the world was able to listen in awe.


Robert Johnson's studio portrait, circa 1935—one of only two known published photographs

 
RE: Hall of Fame: Album
Posted Monday, June 8, 2009 09:59 AM

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

While the topic was "top albums from the '70s", I would give Steve a lot of credit for pointing out Sgt. Peppers' influence on subsequent albums from other artists down the line.  For one thing, it is common knowledge that when it was released all the other bands/artists spent a LOT of time listening to it.  Sgt. Peppers was not simply an "instant classic", it was revolutionary - a "game changer".  It didn't sound anything like anything else at the time.  In fact, it might have been the very first '70s album, despite being released in summer of '67.

BZook

 
RE: Hall of Fame: Album
Posted Monday, June 8, 2009 08:48 PM

I've seen Mark Thompson in person...and I prefer his music...any of his music! What a talent! Plus, he was a great quarters player too and a good friend...can't beat that in my simple mind!

I'm still unclear about Bruce being a half-wit?!? It troubles me! I always thought I was a half-wit?!? Hopefully, Bruce was just under rated because he was smarter than me. If Bruce is a half-wit...I'm reduced to a quarter-wit!?! Yikes!!! Bruce, please tell me you were considered at least a three quarters-wit! It will make me feel better!

And Mark Thompson...I'd love to hear you sing something at the reunion...please, please, please!!!

 
RE: Hall of Fame: Album
Posted Monday, June 8, 2009 09:43 PM

So true Bruce.  To think Bruce Zook wrote that note, coming from a guy who owns every song by the Starland Vocal Band.  Life is funny that way.

God bless

PS:  Bruce, I'll never forget the night you called a sang WHITE HORSE by Taylor Swift.  We cried together that night.  You moved me.

 
RE: Hall of Fame: Album
Posted Tuesday, June 9, 2009 07:49 AM


Brad Patton wrote:

So true Bruce.  To think Bruce Zook wrote that note, coming from a guy who owns every song by the Starland Vocal Band.  Life is funny that way.

God bless

PS:  Bruce, I'll never forget the night you called a sang WHITE HORSE by Taylor Swift.  We cried together that night.  You moved me.

Bruce Zook's response:

Funny, except that means you actually KNOW a specific song by Taylor Swift, which I did not.  Please tell me you had to look that up!

As for the Starland Vocal Band, their only hit is the dumbest song ever about having sex in the middle of the day.  Was kind of catchy though.  The Anchorman's version is the best, surpassing the original.

BZook

 
RE: Hall of Fame: Album
Posted Tuesday, June 9, 2009 09:03 AM

I guess it is time to pull on that thread a little more and see what it unravels.  I was always "that kid" who when he saw the thread couldn't resist (as if the thread were taunting me) had to tug on it.  So Brad can you tell me What's going on? You could say Marvin Gaye was Flyin High in 1971 when he changed Motown forever. Featuring introspective lyrics about drug abuse, poverty and the Vietnam War, the album was also the first to reflect the beginning of a new trend in soul music. Before it's release Barry Gordy considered "What's Going On" far too political to be released on radio and went as far as to say it was the worst record he had ever heard.  It did not fit his commercial popular radio "Hitsville USA" formula and he refused to release it for over a year.  It gained instantaneous critical and popular praise and remains relevant to this day. This was actually followed by the second greatest Motown album ever released "Lets Get It On" making in my humble opinion the two greatest back to back releases ever in any genre.  Marvin Gaye...argue his greatness.  Pull thread see what unravels...don't listen to your mother!!!


What's Going On cover

Let's Get It On cover

 
RE: Hall of Fame: Album
Posted Wednesday, June 10, 2009 03:45 AM

www.youtube.com/watch

(Anchorman Afternoon Delight)

someone say Starland Vocal Band?

 

go f*ck yourself San Diego!

THESE GO TO ELEVEN!

 
RE: Hall of Fame: Album
Posted Tuesday, June 16, 2009 03:48 AM

I never had an appreciation for the Beach Boys until hall of fame DJ Don Geronimo exhibited such a passion for Brian Wilson's genius that he'd repeatedly talk about Brian and the beach-men on his radio show. And did a killer interview with Brian a few years ago when he was still doing the Don&Mike Show.

and of course, Brian went and had something happen to him, and he ended up sounding exactly like Carl Spackler! funny and sad all at once.

I never bought anything by the Beatles and the closest I came to anything there was liking Band on the Run so much that it was my song of the year in the early 70s. and Live And Let Die was good too.

and then in that same year I heard the Brian Wilson interview, some numbnuts kid ends up getting an MTV gig because he sang THE SUPER BOWL IS GAY.

sheesh.....I think we're gonna lose this one.

THESE GO TO ELEVEN!

 
RE: Hall of Fame: Album
Posted Thursday, July 2, 2009 05:30 PM

Only song that ever made me cry was back in the 80s...last call for alcohol...heard it several times...not sure who sung it!?!? Instead of singing the blues we all just stopped at 7-11 and bought beer and partied at my roommates and my house...for those of you that know law enforcement or fire fighters back than they called it  "The Animal House." We didn't allow guys like the nerd in the movie Animal House playing the guitar on the steps...otherwise the real Bluto would probably have smashed the guitar too!

 
RE: Hall of Fame: Album
Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 09:42 PM
la_vie_dansant_a1a.mp4

 

La Vie Dansante – If Bruce won’t, I will.
 
I haven’t looked at this message board for a few days; events of surreal life can take one captive. 
 
People may differ regarding soul touching music.  Love of music is unique, as individual as the ears receiving it. Nevertheless, what of music enjoyed with other classmates, i.e., shared passion associated with West High brethren. 
 
In the mid 80’s summers some of us tripped for a week of fishing, beer drinking and, (to the point) music listening while skimming waters of LAKE OF THE WOODS in Ontario, Canada. The trip, a brainchild of Bruce Rogers (Moose) & Bruce Zook (Slats) would come to fruition to include Bob Cole (Mr. Entertainment), Paul Anderson (Andy), Jon Freyer (Azog), me (Tinsley), and later Ken Isaacson (Ike). 
 
Before the first or second trip (help me out Slats) Zook reserved time at KWIT studios where we gathered to record cassette tapes played during the long beer infested drive north as well as evenings on the top deck of a ten bed house boat. The premise, to create OUR perfect radio station. We were the personalities playing music longed for; each were frustrated when flipping through the various ridged formats prevalent within radio stations of Sioux land. OUR radio station, call signKCUF 96, better backwards”, well, enough said . . . .
 
Each of us had a show preformed in a style befitting our handle. Several tapes had various “DJ’s” together, particularly Tinsley & Slats. In truth, Slats and Tinsley never met a microphone they weren’t in love with; know what I’m saying? We recorded 17.5 hours of radio. However, Slats was doing some recording on the side, no DJ’s, just music, Jimmy Buffet music. 
 
Granted, shipmates were familiar with Buffet, but Slats was more professor than fan in regards to Buffet. He produced two amazing tapes perfectly formatted resulting in the displacement of KCUF in favor of one Jimmy song after another, after another . . . .
 
I’m not saying Buffet is a great singer or musician; however, I’ll claim he’s the most under rated songwriter of our lifetime.  True, many are co-written, but what of it. To be a prolific co-writer/writer of such a body of work is phenomenal. Much like Frank Zappa, Buffet is a musician’s musician. That fact is important; Mark Thompson will have my back on that.
 
During the second fishing trip (A.K.A. Skipback Classic) Slats introduced new Buffet compilations once again finding there way into boom boxes, one below deck, the other topside. Under a Canadian sun during the days of Wang Chung, Tears for Fears, Simple Minds, Mr. Mister, Def Leppard, and Genesis, we bathed our cochlea with the nectar of A1A, A White Sport Coat & Pink Crustacean, Havana Dreaming, Boat Drinks, One Particular Harbor, and Grapefruit Juicy fruit. I recall rewinding Grapefruit Juicy Fruit to the point of wrapping the cassette tape, sorry guys. 
 
Within three weeks divided by two summers, Slats brainwashed approximately 15* guys who are, to this day, hard-core Buffet fans. I’ll take it one-step farther; during the second Buffet lesion, I promised the heart it would captain a sailboat in the Caribbean. Why not, the heart was already familiar with the concept of “La Vie Dansante” expressed through mountain climbs, marathons, and skiing. Life Dancing is the bedrock of soul; based on West High web site observation, many others share the concept of La Vie Dansante. 
 
Years later after sailing off Mexico, lakes in Washington, Idaho, and later, harbor sails in Ukuska and Okinawa, Japan, providing amazing vistas within the South China Sea, the Caribbean still waited a world away. Slat’s and his Buffet renderings remained a sub plot consuming free moments devoid of golf, mountains, skiing, and running. Life goals should never rest on the back burner, however, we occasionally allow interlopers to confuse the dance card.  Thanks to Slats (or should I say “Captain Tony”), thanks for sharing your La via Dansante prompting me to take it as my own. Because of music shared, the Caribbean was finally sail in 2006 with subsequent sails as well as plans along the Lesser Antilles. Through the music of Jimmy Buffet, I’ve been blessed to enjoy a special version of La Vie Dansante. 
 
Never underestimate the power of friends; never underestimate the force of our mutual experience/mutual likes during or after the days of West. In some way, great or small, each touched another while another touched someone outside the bricked walls atop 2001 Casselman Street. Regardless the will, in a small or large way we are the same. 
 
Vive Jimmy
 
click links:
 
Edited 07/06/09 09:46 PM