He's an artist; a pioneer.

The key word is survival on the New Frontier.

I believe The Nightfly was the first all-digitally recorded album, no?

Awesome song, great video. "The Nightfly" is easily an all-time great rock album, kind of like Steely Dan redux, and there's certainly nothing wrong with that. Fagen is a genius. Thanks for posting.

Mega_Doof, don't know if it was the very first but it was one of them. The production is immaculate throughout.

Oh, and yes, a beautiful-sounding record, you're absolutely right about that.

I listened to it, and i just thought it was okay/good. Nothing special. But then again, I'm not the biggest fan of steely dan.
[a few tracks from "Aja" are good, IMHO. Oh, and "The Fez" from one of their earlier albums --- i think it was "the Royal Scam"].

By "it", i meant "The Nightfly" album.

Springtseen's The River album was recorded in digital, which was two years before Nightfly.

I love the video for New Frontier, very very cool, real eye candy. Great animation. Although the link wasn't working for me. It used to get a lot of airplay on the Toronto TV stations' video shows at the time.

This album was one of the first to open my eyes (ears?) to the possibility that not all music had to cater to the lowest common denominator. Even though my taste in music ultimately took a different turn, and I don't often listen to Fagen, this is undeniably true artistry.

/best (as in most professional) concert I ever attended was Steely Dan in Houston, '94 (or was it '93? I'm getting old...)

"Yes, we got rid of that for you. Youre welcome."

About a year ago my kids were finally old enough for me to tell them the truth... That talented, creative people used to write, sing and play their own work and succeed in doing so - even though they may not have been the most asthetically pleasing humans.

Needless to say, they could not comprehend such a concept.

/old

Mega_Doof: I believe The Nightfly was the first all-digitally recorded album, no?

I think it was Ry Cooder's "Bop 'til You Drop" from '79.

"The Nightfly" is on my all-time top ten list, that's a great album no matter how you judge it. I'm particularly fond of "IGY" and the wonderfully cynical lyric "We'll be eternally free and eternally young."

Nightfly is one of my favorites. Thanks subby, now have it playing in my office.

1982, IMHO, was one of the great years for pop music.

Third_Uncle_Eno: I listened to it, and i just thought it was okay/good. Nothing special. But then again, I'm not the biggest fan of steely dan.
[a few tracks from "Aja" are good, IMHO. Oh, and "The Fez" from one of their earlier albums --- i think it was "the Royal Scam"].

I remember not thinking much about this back in the '80's...my brother had the album and I gave a few spins, but I couldn't get into it. A few years down the road, something happened and I finally understood. This song, the album, the whole Steely Dan catalog...it's smart, it's funny, sophisticated, and it keeps paying off now, every time I listen.

OldManDownDRoad

You are correct, sir! "Bop 'til You Drop" was the first album recorded, mixed, and mastered entirely in the digital domain. I have it, & it's pretty great.

"The Nightfly" is a timeless classic, really. One of the finest pop albums ever recorded. The music is fantastic, and the sonics make it a reference quality recording. I have the Quiex II vinyl promo, and when I want to show friends what vinyl can sound like when played back on a good quality, properly set-up system, that's the one I grab.

A few other LPs that kick sonic butt:

Supertramp - "Breakfast In America"
Joe Jackson - "Body And Soul"
Steely Dan - "Aja"
Sting - "Nothing Like The Sun"
Dire Straits - "Brothers In Arms"

HappyHarryHardOn: "Yes, we got rid of that for you. Youre welcome."

I feel very ambiguous about punk. I do think it served a valuable function clearing the decks of shiat like Emerson, Lake, and Palmer spending an hour in a concert bludgeoning "Pictures In An Exhibition", but, at the same time, it soon turned into this tired movement that punished any attempt to go beyond the most minimalist sort of rock.

Besides, I think The Clash provided a far better blueprint for what a band can and should do than the Sex Pistols did. Malcom McLaren is pretty much full of shiat when he claims that the Pistols were entirely his creation, but they were still more of a media movement than an interesting band.

Very well done! The walking piano part is especially nice.

"but, at the same time, it soon turned into this tired movement that punished any attempt to go beyond the most minimalist sort of rock.




That is why everything that punk ever needed was this one perfect album. Everything else was said after that.

carmody: 1982, IMHO, was one of the great years for pop music.

I think '78 through '82, - There was so much good music coming out all over in pop, rock, punk and new wave.

The video is no longer available.

Knucklepopper: The video is no longer available.

Nevar fear! (clicky)

+1

It's not fading disco skinny-tie suck, it's elevator music synth-heavy Muzak suck.

Eufah Kennidiets: It's not fading disco skinny-tie suck, it's elevator music synth-heavy Muzak suck.

Im pretty sure it was the drum machine.

jake_lex: I feel very ambiguous about punk. I do think it served a valuable function clearing the decks of shiat like Emerson, Lake, and Palmer spending an hour in a concert bludgeoning "Pictures In An Exhibition", but, at the same time, it soon turned into this tired movement that punished any attempt to go beyond the most minimalist sort of rock.

Pretty good summation, altho I was more annoyed by The Eagles (insert Lebowski reference here) at the time that "Never Mind the Bollocks" came out.

I can remember a guy I worked with going to NYC on vacation and coming back with a handful of tapes: Ramones, the Voidoids, Sex Pistols. We'd go to lunch, get blasted, and listen to them on the car stereo - the perfect conditions for listening to punk. It was a welcome relief since rock had otherwise fallen into one of its periodic comas.

And, yeah, within a year or two it was over. No worries as Elvis Costello and XTC had come along for our further amusement.

82 was when a flock of seagulls released their debut

/they weren't a one hit wonder band dammit!

Digital? Sounds good? Not to my ears.

amazing_live_seamonkeys: Eufah Kennidiets: It's not fading disco skinny-tie suck, it's elevator music synth-heavy Muzak suck.

Im pretty sure it was the drum machine.

That "drum machine" is the late, great Jeff Porcarro...

jake_lex

I feel very ambiguous about punk. I do think it served a valuable function clearing the decks of shiat like Emerson, Lake, and Palmer spending an hour in a concert bludgeoning "Pictures In An Exhibition"

Tarkus is better.

1982 also had Rio.

One of my all-time favorite albums. The DVD-Audio version is farking spectacular.

I had a girlfriend in highschool who had a bomb shelter.
We used it to smoke weed and fark.

pngwnpwr 2008-01-09 01:37:45 PM
Digital? Sounds good? Not to my ears.

Save up and buy a good CD player, there are some fine units out there. Not all digital to analog converters are the same.

You do know that most all of today's vinyl pressings go through a digital process at one point or another. Or are you just a luddite?

The Nightfly is a beautiful recording. Great album cover too.

I love this song. Trying to use the threat of imminentnooclear war to get laid was SO '80's.

Not my cup 'o tea.

Blech.

Sounds....completely bloodless.

Yeah these guys - with Becker- are techinical wizards that produce music in which they have ZERO emotional investement.

'investement' - it's French for investment.

1982 = greatness

xtc - english settlement
elvis costello - imperial bedroom
bruce springsteen - nebraska
prince - 1999
joe jackson - night and day
roxy music - avalon
marshall crenshaw - marshall crenshaw
lou reed - the blue mask
marvin gaye - midnight love
the cure - pornography
peter gabriel - security
duran duran - rio

Eufah Kennidiets: It's not fading disco skinny-tie suck, it's elevator music synth-heavy Muzak suck.

While you might been kidding, there is no synth in that piece. A Rhodes, layered vocals, a few well placed licks and just enough space to let the rythym section carry the groove.

To date this is one of my favorite DF songs. Didn't realize it's from that long ago.

Thanks for making me feel old again, subby

Macular Degenerate: To date this is one of my favorite DF songs. Didn't realize it's from that long ago.

Thanks for making me feel old again, subby

Yup. I remember having to wait until MTV played it on teh cable.

I like skinny ties.

yes, punk was a reaction against prog rock like ELP. But some of us do prefer music by people that can actually play their instruments and write songs with more than 2 chords,,,

farking hate Supertramp, though

I'll follow that up with some Deacon Blues I think

RockIsDead wrote:
"I like skinny ties."

+1

Yeah these guys - with Becker- are techinical wizards that produce music in which they have ZERO emotional investement.

If you say so, but I think you're missing out. Fagen is a top-notch craftsman who puts real attention and effort into his music, so I highly doubt he has no emotional investment. For this listener, there's plenty to get emotionally involved in when it comes to Steely Dan and Fagen's solo work. You're guaranteed a great vibe when you stick a Rhodes in front of Fagen's magical fingers.

As for the whole punk versus prog rock thing, it's not an either/or equation. There's plenty of room for both, and comparisons between the two tend to be shallow and exclusionary. The true music lover will find things to appreciate in both, and often for totally different reasons. People who get stuck on genres are really limiting themselves.

Disco? Just because it uses a drum machine and has a defined, steady beat? Please.

-100 subby

Nobody rocks a Fender Rhodes like Fagan.

Except Herbie. Nobuddy farks with Herbie's Rhodes.

Anyway great link.

I'm just mad about Brubeck. I like your eyes I like him too.