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Steely Dan Live..


bubinga5
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Totally dig this track.. amazing tight funk from Steely Dan.. love the space in this one... im rapidly becoming a big fan of Tom Barney... hes got a fantastic groove going on in this... generally i think Steely and Fagans music is the best crafted music ive ever heard... it really shows how tight they are, in there live stuff....


[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qd_1NYc11u0[/media]

this is awsome also.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSVjwbiXRvI&feature=related

Edited by bubinga5
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Poor old Donald looks like Dracula in some of those shots too much fangs bless him ! :)

Have to agree about the well crafted and recorded music , an it is great to see them able to pull this quality off live.

Saw them a few years ago up in Brum NIA with some muso friends , it was a tough night I can tell you , it was a toss up between burning all our kit or shovelling it into a big hole !!! :)

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I can understand that horn-players are reading charts but the fact that Barney is reading all of the time puzzles me a bit.
I'm aware that SD-songs aren't easy but it's not impossible to learn these songs by heart.
Perhaps a detail but it spoils the fun a bit when I see someone reading during every gig...after ten gigs you should be familiar enough with the songs to play them from scratch.
I remain a huge SD-fan..just listened to Aja this weekend and it still sounds fresh.

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[quote name='wombatboter' timestamp='1317049511' post='1385962']
I can understand that horn-players are reading charts but the fact that Barney is reading all of the time puzzles me a bit.
I'm aware that SD-songs aren't easy but it's not impossible to learn these songs by heart.
Perhaps a detail but it spoils the fun a bit when I see someone reading during every gig...after ten gigs you should be familiar enough with the songs to play them from scratch.
I remain a huge SD-fan..just listened to Aja this weekend and it still sounds fresh.
[/quote]

I've noticed this, and it pisses me off, too. I think it's part of the Steely Dan Orchestra thing they had going on.

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I can't see what the difference is?? If you can play as well from a chart as from memory then what on earth is wrong with having a chart there?
[quote name='wombatboter' timestamp='1317049511' post='1385962']
I can understand that horn-players are reading charts but the fact that Barney is reading all of the time puzzles me a bit.
I'm aware that SD-songs aren't easy but it's not impossible to learn these songs by heart.
Perhaps a detail but it spoils the fun a bit when I see someone reading during every gig...after ten gigs you should be familiar enough with the songs to play them from scratch.
I remain a huge SD-fan..just listened to Aja this weekend and it still sounds fresh.
[/quote]

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[quote name='jakesbass' timestamp='1317415986' post='1390637']
I can't see what the difference is?? If you can play as well from a chart as from memory then what on earth is wrong with having a chart there?
[/quote]

I think it takes a lot of energy out of the performance, although with the greatest of respect to both Walter and Donald, I do believe that this is something they do lack live anyway (don't kill me Pete! I love 'em all the same). I don't expect Tom Barney to be jumping around/pogo-ing or anything but I dunno... comes across as very sterile in a live environment, to me at least.

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[quote name='risingson' timestamp='1317416900' post='1390651']

I think it takes a lot of energy out of the performance, although with the greatest of respect to both Walter and Donald, I do believe that this is something they do lack live anyway (don't kill me Pete! I love 'em all the same). I don't expect Tom Barney to be jumping around/pogo-ing or anything but I dunno... comes across as very sterile in a live environment, to me at least.
[/quote]

I couldn't disagree more... !
The "energy" you speak of in my view is what I think could possibly be construed as showmanship, as far as I'm concerned this music is cerebral, and I for one love it for that, it is the epitome of considered, crafted, and placed music, the idea that it is somehow sterile because there is a chart on stage is a highly spurious and visually driven adjudication as far as I'm concerned, so I would therefore suggest listening with ears and not eyes to [i]hear [/i]just how great these performances are.

The Irony here is that when I played in Hgang (another SD tribute that Pete is aware of) I learned the entire pad :)

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[quote name='jakesbass' timestamp='1317415986' post='1390637']I can't see what the difference is?? If you can play as well from a chart as from memory then what on earth is wrong with having a chart there?
[/quote]
This.
I don't think it's a big deal,especially as people are saying how great the music is.

Also,just slightly off-what makes it different for rhythm section players than horn players?

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[quote name='jakesbass' timestamp='1317420357' post='1390699']

I couldn't disagree more... !
The "energy" you speak of in my view is what I think could possibly be construed as showmanship, as far as I'm concerned this music is cerebral, and I for one love it for that, it is the epitome of considered, crafted, and placed music, the idea that it is somehow sterile because there is a chart on stage is a highly spurious and visually driven adjudication as far as I'm concerned, so I would therefore suggest listening with ears and not eyes to [i]hear [/i]just how great these performances are.
[/quote]

I was indeed speaking from a musical perspective as opposed to a visual one, but I would certainly say that disengaging as a reader and being sunk into a band situation without having the dots there lends itself to a totally different kind of performance from the performer concerned in many situations. I happen to think all round that Steely Dan can often come across both live and on recording as a sterile band sometimes. I've listened to them from a very young age, and have enjoyed their music for many years but I think that they do lack a more real 'human' touch sometimes... the pitfalls of an imperfect performance perhaps, or a less than perfect approach to production would be have been interesting to hear from time to time. This is not a criticism, more a personal preference, and I feel not in any way spurious on my part.

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[quote name='risingson' timestamp='1317421584' post='1390714']

I was indeed speaking from a musical perspective as opposed to a visual one, but I would certainly say that disengaging as a reader and being sunk into a band situation without having the dots there lends itself to a totally different kind of performance from the performer concerned in many situations. I happen to think all round that Steely Dan can often come across both live and on recording as a sterile band sometimes. I've listened to them from a very young age, and have enjoyed their music for many years but I think that they do lack a more real 'human' touch sometimes... the pitfalls of an imperfect performance perhaps, or a less than perfect approach to production would be have been interesting to hear from time to time. This is not a criticism, more a personal preference, and I feel not in any way spurious on my part.
[/quote]
Fair comment, and spurious was a poor turn of phrase on my part in relation to your view, it's just that I feel in general it certainly is the case that in music, far more often than should be the case, it is exactly what I said, a visual view of talent rather than musical excellence, especially where any form of commercialism is concerned, and to me that's a massive shame.

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[quote name='jakesbass' timestamp='1317904476' post='1395976']
Fair comment, and spurious was a poor turn of phrase on my part in relation to your view, it's just that I feel in general it certainly is the case that in music, far more often than should be the case, it is exactly what I said, a visual view of talent rather than musical excellence, especially where any form of commercialism is concerned, and to me that's a massive shame.
[/quote]

I couldn't agree more for the most part Jake. The visual aspect of a musical performance should come secondary to the strength of the musicians on stage in the first place.

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Great steady playing all round, great writing, great harmony arranging, [The above SD Vids ]
Charts or no charts won't really take away from that, or make a jot of difference with the quality of those guys.
[Michel Camilo - New York Band, [b]with charts[/b] "Not Yet" comes to mind]
If visuals are your thing along with the Music, SD are never going to do it, and never have.

I went to a Berliner Philharmoniker concert a few months back - never crossed my mind that they were using charts,
Or indeed if it was losing energy because of the charts.

Just been listening to 'AJA' again - Wey Hey, Top stuff.

Of course, each to their own. :)


Garry

Edited by lowdown
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[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1317907435' post='1396038']
Charts or no charts won't really take away from that, or make a jot of difference with the quality of those guys.
[Michel Camilo - New York Band, [b]with charts[/b] "Not Yet" comes to mind]
[/quote]

My mind was totally blown the first time I saw that, Anthony Jackson didn't drop a note.

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[quote name='risingson' timestamp='1317941107' post='1396625']

My mind was totally blown the first time I saw that, Anthony Jackson didn't drop a note.
[/quote]

Yep, fantastic skill for sure from AJ - I am also knocked out with the whole arrangement on that tune...superb all round.


Garry

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I can't help it but it still gives me the impression that someone doesn't take the music that serious if he has to read it..I know that sounds more harsh than it is supposed to.
Songs I really love I don't have to read since I would like to know them by heart..
With all due respect to Barney but anyone with serious reading skills should be able to reproduce the same part as long as it's written out...
When I see someone without charts he/she gives me the impression that it's the musician him/herself I hear and not the person who has written out the bass-line..

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