Steve Albini roasting Steely Dan - turns out he's not a fan...

CaseOfAce

Steve Albini hates Steely Dan: "Christ, the amount of human effort wasted to sound like an SNL band warm up" | MusicRadar

some zingers in there.
I particularly enjoyed 
"music made for the sole purpose of letting the wedding band stretch out a little."

but the quip about the "jazz dork hands" runs it a close second.

I look forward to Donald Fagen's retort.

monquixote

I like Steely Dan, but "music made for the sole purpose of letting the wedding band stretch out a little." is perfect. 

My wife hates them for all the same reasons she will love this.

ICBM

I have to admit to hating them for decades and now quite liking them, but I completely agree with him about why .

roberty

ICBM said:

I have to admit to hating them for decades and now quite liking them, but I completely agree with him about why .

I have become what you might call Dan-curious lately too. But in small, controlled doses

Blueingreen

monquixote said:

I like Steely Dan, but "music made for the sole purpose of letting the wedding band stretch out a little." is perfect.

It's a nail on head put-down, but for all that I like Steely Dan's music more than anything I've heard by Albini. 

distressed

I really like some of the Dan stuff, but Steve is right as usual.

prowla

I watched a TV programme about Steely Dan and it was telling me how great they were, how the two blokes were masters of their art and pure genius.

That was all great, but the problem for me was that it just sounded like disco elevator music.

Keefy

prowla said:

I watched a TV programme about Steely Dan and it was telling me how great they were, how the two blokes were masters of their art and pure genius.

That was all great, but the problem for me was that it just sounded like disco elevator music.

I used to hate Steely Dan but now I love them. If I play some Dan, Mrs Keefy immediately says ‘elevator music’!

GoFish

This shakes my entire world view. Steve Albini - that Steve Albini  - is not fond of Steely Dan music?! I my need a sit down and a stiff drink...

He's got quite the way with words, doesn't he?

prowla

Keefy said:

prowla said:

I watched a TV programme about Steely Dan and it was telling me how great they were, how the two blokes were masters of their art and pure genius.

That was all great, but the problem for me was that it just sounded like disco elevator music.

I used to hate Steely Dan but now I love them. If I play some Dan, Mrs Keefy immediately says ‘elevator music’!

I don’t hate them; I’m just indifferent!
The Mrs has clocked it right, though. :-)

Philly_Q

I guess I'm more like than dislike, although I only know the "hits".... but that's pretty funny.

ICBM

prowla said:

I watched a TV programme about Steely Dan and it was telling me how great they were, how the two blokes were masters of their art and pure genius.

That was all great, but the problem for me was that it just sounded like disco elevator music.

It’s not the music that put me off so much - it’s them. The self-congratulatory pretentiousness of what they said about their music and arrogance about other musicians who they considered inferior just really grated on me.

They also seem to be worshipped by anyone who plays the sort of music I *really* detest - that smug jazz-funk wankery where they can’t help smiling at how unbelievably clever they are - which doesn’t endear them to me.

But I do actually quite like their music.

stickyfiddle

I agree with him entirely.  Same for Phish. Urgh

And it's all due for a revival because the 90s are in and that means TERRIBLE COD-JAZZ MUSIC-SCHOOL JAM BANDS 

Rowby1

Middle aged punk claims he still doesn’t like stuff that came out before punk came along. 

Shock headline.

oh_pollo

The Minutemen covered 'Dr Wu' on "Double Nickels..." so not *all* punks hate The Dan.

roberty

stickyfiddle said:

I agree with him entirely.  Same for Phish. Urgh

And it's all due for a revival because the 90s are in and that means TERRIBLE JAZZY MUSIC-SCHOOL JAM BANDS 

This is not that but your comment reminded me of it

distressed

ICBM said:

prowla said:

I watched a TV programme about Steely Dan and it was telling me how great they were, how the two blokes were masters of their art and pure genius.

That was all great, but the problem for me was that it just sounded like disco elevator music.

It’s not the music that put me off so much - it’s them. The self-congratulatory pretentiousness of what they said about their music and arrogance about other musicians who they considered inferior just really grated on me.

They also seem to be worshipped by anyone who plays the sort of music I *really* detest - that smug jazz-funk wankery where they can’t help smiling at how unbelievably clever they are - which doesn’t endear them to me.

But I do actually quite like their music.

Fagen on Bitches Brew:

"Rock and jazz musician Donald Fagen criticized the album as "essentially just a big trash-out for Miles ... To me it was just silly, and out of tune, and bad. I couldn't listen to it. It sounded like [Davis] was trying for a funk record, and just picked the wrong guys. They didn't understand how to play funk. They weren't steady enough."

stickyfiddle

roberty said:

stickyfiddle said:

I agree with him entirely.  Same for Phish. Urgh

And it's all due for a revival because the 90s are in and that means TERRIBLE JAZZY MUSIC-SCHOOL JAM BANDS 

This is not that but your comment reminded me of it

That's the stuff. I honestly have no clue if it's meant to be parody or not and that makes me feel very uncomfortable

Whitecat

Love “The Dan” but that was still hilarious. Loads of cool current musicians coming out to defend them as well which made him look kind of equally out of touch. I think it was all good-spirited. 

Anyway on one hand Steely Dan is one of my favourite bands, on the other hand Steve Albini has produced/recorded at least a couple of my favourite albums by other artists... for some reason I can easily reconcile this because I am a grownup!

Philly_Q

Although I found his comments quite amusing, the reference to "the not-bald one" grated a little.  He knows what their names are.  I find wilful - or pretend - ignorance annoying.

axisus

Amazing band that have written incredible iconic songs, which feature some of the all time classic guitar solos, gets dissed by some bloke I've never heard of. I'll pass thanks.