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Steely Dan — My Old School
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WonderLizard
(2,755.46 mi. due east of Paradise)
Posted: May 16, 2013 - 07:52
 
One of the great byproducts of Fagen's imagery is the stuff that simply doesn't make sense. For instance, Becker and Fagen met at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson in New York. That's the old school in Annandale. But he also writes about the oleanders blooming in the spring in Annandale--pretty much unlikely because oleanders are tropical and generally hardy in Zone 8 and higher, don't survive temps much below 0 degrees Celsius, and Annandale is on the border of Zones 5 and 6.

I've read that some recently developed mutations have had middling success in Zone 6, but that wasn't going on when Fagen wrote the lyrics. I prefer to think that Fagen simply like the image, the sound of the word, and how easily its meter fit into the song's metrics.

junebaby65
(Cleveland, OH)
Posted: May 16, 2013 - 07:46
 
God Bless Jeff Baxter-who played the solo on this.

drucev
(Brooklyn, NY)
Posted: May 16, 2013 - 07:40
 
EXT-PENCEY PREP

STEELY DAN'S MY OLD SCHOOL

JUSTIN BIEBER: 'PHONIES' MASSIVE FIREBALL.

FADE.

Baz Luhrman's CATCHER IN THE RYE

catnip
(mostly wearing lard)
Posted: Mar 14, 2013 - 13:56
 
A low evening, and then this blasts out.

What is there not to like? The horn arrangements lift the heart, the guitar sizzles, the lyrics are wonderful SD impenetrable nonsense (to my ears), the production is faultless, and suddenly the world looks a better place.

Great song. Time to go on a SD jag. The neighbours may complain...

What the hell, I feel better. 

unclehud
(now 50 feet above the planet in Boston)
Posted: Mar 14, 2013 - 13:49
 
 Bat wrote:
The sax run between "California tumbles into the sea" and "That'll be the day I go back to Anondale" is just fantastic, especially the final little umpf of the bass sax at the very end.
 
Yeah, man!  Little details like that, the "toot, toot" horns in the background, and the guitar wailing at low volumes behind the vocals and ripping during solos, drums and cymbals being bashed throughout the enitre song ... lots of little details adding together make a truly fabulous tune.

Dave_Mack
(Ball of Confusion)
Posted: Mar 14, 2013 - 13:45
 
 idiot_wind wrote:
How about Dr Wu once in awhile?

Trippy lyrics, a hint of forlorn, and great musicianship.
 
That's my favorite Dan song.  I have a soft spot for this one, cause we used to play it in the Stanford Band.

beans4tea
Posted: Dec 10, 2012 - 11:45
 
Steely Dan, the only band that sounds like them{#Crown}

rage
Posted: Dec 10, 2012 - 11:41
 
oh for a steely dan free world

Paul_Skybreakers
(Amsterdam, the Netherlands)
Posted: Nov 09, 2012 - 03:11
 
so bland...

kojiroh
(Istanbul, Turkey)
Posted: Nov 09, 2012 - 03:10
 
I love how obsessed these guys are with the production quality of their work. No wonder this song is so good.

Deckard
(long beach, Ca)
Posted: Oct 08, 2012 - 18:10
 
Call me crazy, but I love this song and it's probably one of my all time favorite SD songs. It's so well produced - I never get tired of listening to it.

idiot_wind
Posted: Jul 06, 2012 - 06:57
 
How about Dr Wu once in awhile?

Trippy lyrics, a hint of forlorn, and great musicianship.

yellowfish
Posted: May 03, 2012 - 17:55
 
How come there is no 11 rank? 

lily34
(lexvegas)
Posted: May 03, 2012 - 17:53
 
they can do no wrong in my book.

p2h2d2
(On the Lake)
Posted: Mar 01, 2012 - 08:40
 
Still among the best produced albums out there.  RIP Roger Nichols!

olivertwist
(Atlanta GA)
Posted: Mar 01, 2012 - 08:38
 
{#Dancingbanana_2}Steely Dan's greatest single!{#Bananajam}

cayenne
(in over my head)
Posted: Jan 29, 2012 - 17:10
 
 treatment_bound wrote:
Copy & paste the web address below into a new browsing session to read a really good article from about 5 years ago where Fagen discusses this song and college life:

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1174152,00.html

 
That was great, thanks! (For some reason, I've been thinking Annadale was in Maryland. Now I know!)


helgigermany
(Germany)
Posted: Dec 28, 2011 - 22:00
 
Very nice!

treatment_bound
(Duluth to Madison)
Posted: Dec 21, 2011 - 08:09
 
Copy & paste the web address below into a new browsing session to read a really good article from about 5 years ago where Fagen discusses this song and college life:

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1174152,00.html


Dinges,_the_Dude
(under sea-level, N52°22', E4°52')
Posted: Oct 27, 2011 - 12:28
 
My number 1 band by far!! Great album, great song!

Bat
(Austin)
Posted: Oct 26, 2011 - 13:51
 
The sax run between "California tumbles into the sea" and "That'll be the day I go back to Anondale" is just fantastic, especially the final little umpf of the bass sax at the very end.



bachbeet
Posted: Sep 24, 2011 - 21:26
 
Excellent song from an excellent album.  What a great band!

Pharlap
(Bahama, NC)
Posted: Aug 24, 2011 - 13:32
 
saw them in a rare 70's tour. Opening (that's right) for ELO. Early 1974.

mike_chouinard
Posted: Aug 24, 2011 - 12:42
 
I was thrilled to see Fagen and Becker in 1994, and was probably the only Slacker generation punk in the audience. I still love their evil cha cha music more than just about anything.

Huey
(Netherlands)
Posted: Jul 24, 2011 - 03:51
 
Wow this is "reeling in the years" for me. 9.

Dave_Mack
(Ball of Confusion)
Posted: Jun 22, 2011 - 14:34
 
Seeing them in two weeks!  w00t!

freddyb
(Perth, Western Australia)
Posted: May 21, 2011 - 22:16
 
Great double bill just announced coming to our town in October. Steely Dan and Steve Winwood.  I'm already counting the sleeps.

K_Love
(Central Florida)
Posted: Apr 20, 2011 - 08:45
 
God, I love Steely Dan.

Art_Carnage
(DeepintheheartofTexas)
Posted: Mar 19, 2011 - 20:20
 
Saw Steely Dan live a few years ago. This is the song they blew the roof off with. Not the one I would have expected, but they totally pulled out all the stops. The live version is a good 6 minutes long.

gabrielle7nt
(4.7 miles from my summer home)
Posted: Mar 19, 2011 - 20:17
 
 Dave_Mack wrote:
I always get goosebumps when I hear that sax section riff in the last verse.  Sooooooo  awesome!
 

Sax gives me goosebumps, too.

unclehud
(300 feet above the planet)
Posted: Feb 16, 2011 - 11:38
 

Excellent songwriters that surrounded themselves with excellent musicians.



Dave_Mack
(Five bus, Jive bus!)
Posted: Feb 16, 2011 - 11:38
 
I always get goosebumps when I hear that sax section riff in the last verse.  Sooooooo  awesome!

triviagal
(Just Outside Washington DC)
Posted: Feb 16, 2011 - 11:37
 
 apd wrote:
Song could use some more cowbell.
 
Was just going to post that!  Love those cowbells! 


Misterfixit
(Nashville)
Posted: Feb 16, 2011 - 11:35
 
 k_trout wrote:
your daddy was quite surprised
to find you with the working girls in the country jail
oooh - that's going to leave a mark!
 
Especially when he found out that you were in there because you were x-dressing as a Queen in a Fairy Tale .... and was wearing a Steely Dan III .. OMG!

{#Whipit}



apd
(Toronto, On)
Posted: Feb 16, 2011 - 11:35
 
Song could use some more cowbell.

sirdroseph
(Yes)
Posted: Feb 16, 2011 - 11:35
 
All Dan great! That is all.

Shesdifferent
(Just visiting this planet this is not my home)
Posted: Dec 15, 2010 - 19:32
 
The last 17 songs have been great.......12/15/2010 playlist....shit I hate to turn it off but I gotta go!

unclehud
(300 feet above the planet)
Posted: Dec 15, 2010 - 19:27
 
Never going back to my old school either.

Rooney
(Near Paradise)
Posted: Oct 13, 2010 - 09:10
 
driving up to Humboldt State in early 70's when I heard this song for the first time.  Nearly killed myself with joy driving and swerving and jumping up and down.  To this day, it remains one of my favorites...SD forever!{#Dancingbanana}{#Bananajam}

Shesdifferent
(Just visiting this planet this is not my home)
Posted: Oct 13, 2010 - 09:08
 
My Old School is right.....God does this CD bring it all back, kickin in London, 18 years old....great times.....love this whole album! Play any song from it...Steely Dan was at its best then! Such memories listening to this looking out my flat over Portobello Rd, drinking tea....sigh.......

jools
(Brighton UK)
Posted: Oct 13, 2010 - 09:07
 
 ICHawk wrote:
Love it! Probably my favorite SD tune.The horn licks on the last verse are wonderful.
 
Me too - lyrics are complete nonsense - but this track really rocks!!!!!!

k_trout
(Dream State)
Posted: Oct 13, 2010 - 09:07
 
your daddy was quite surprised
to find you with the working girls in the country jail
oooh - that's going to leave a mark!

ICHawk
Posted: Aug 10, 2010 - 14:04
 
Love it! Probably my favorite SD tune.The horn licks on the last verse are wonderful.

zipper
Posted: Aug 10, 2010 - 14:03
 
 Egrey wrote:
I know am gonna catch hell for this b/c a great many people think that Mr. Dan is one of the great innovators in Rock/Jazz. But this is slowly killing me. I am in sucko/barfo land here.
 
points and laughs.


justin_thyme
(Windward O`ahu, Hawai`i)
Posted: Jul 07, 2008 - 18:47
 
67nj wrote:
prophetic!

Prophetic indeed: my brilliant and gorgeous 20 year old goddaughter is a student at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson (the alma mater of Fagen and Becker). She's been a fan of Steely Dan since she was three years old.

Egrey
(WASH, DC)
Posted: Jul 07, 2008 - 18:43
 
I know am gonna catch hell for this b/c a great many people think that Mr. Dan is one of the great innovators in Rock/Jazz. But this is slowly killing me. I am in sucko/barfo land here.
67nj
(Ravenna, Italy)
Posted: Jun 06, 2008 - 06:16
 
prophetic!

steeler
(Staring, blankly, into the abyss)
Posted: Jun 06, 2008 - 06:15
 
I know there are those who think SD is fluff, but I think there is quite a bit of substance in their lyrics, even this one. You need to think a little . . .
Deccapod
(Utrecht)
Posted: Jun 06, 2008 - 06:14
 
Finally some Dan! For those of us who like our fruit round and full.
manchester1
(meanandrudeNJ)
Posted: Apr 04, 2008 - 08:59
 

Dig the guitar, escpecially as the song fades out.