Various Artists - Royal Dan A Tribute to Genius of Steely Dan (10 tracks) +Album Reviews

Nitpicky, Nitpicky, Nitpicky!!!

BatznDaBelfry | Bakersfield, Ca. United States | 10/08/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Reviews like some of the others provide some of the best evidence of why instrumental music is dying in this society and being supplanted by an army of "American Idol"-type drones. This album wasn't designed to please Donald and Walter (quite frankly, I've heard that's almost impossible!). It was created to present these tunes in a different musical landscape by people who admire their writing and emphasis on guitar. Don't confuse a different slant with being contrived. Buy Steely Dan records if you only want one flavor. If you REALLY love these tunes so much, appreciate the fact that some of the greatest players in the world do too and don't compare them to the originals."

Excellent jazz, don't expect the Dan sound

Michael Young | 01/09/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is an excellent Jazz album with all Steely Dan songs, but the various artists play using their own interpertation so don't expect to capture that Steely Dan feeling. If you like their songs no matter who plays them, and us real fans do, this is for you. What Donald and Walter created in their early albums can not be repeated so I guess I am glad others don't try to duplicate."

Clean, sharp with no soul

Ian Martin | Auckland New Zealand | 09/27/2007

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I loved the 'Fusion for Miles: A Guitar Tribute and gave a 4 star review. The 'Royal Dan' is produced by the same clearly gifted guitarist, Jeff Richman and showcases some great musicianship and clever arrangements - a clean, sharp recording but unfortunately no soul.

This is not a convincing album and at worst is the fuzak elevator music that is played in Department stores. At times so close to the original it sounded like the Steely Dan band having a little fun during a sound check without Donald singing. That's like listening to the Beatles without vocals - it doesn't work!

Having heard Steely Dan this past Saturday live in Auckland, I realise how cold this particular album is. There may be great players and guitarists on this album but it really sounds as if they are just going through the motions. The real problem is that they are playing classics whose original tracks are so tightly arranged that you hear the original inside your head alongside these attempts.

You can try too hard - an odd time signature for 'Josie' is maybe clever but it sounds wrong. Start 'Aja' with the drum solo and have Al di Meola play acoustic and you think it's interesting the first time. Mike Stern sounds like...well, er, Mike Stern playing a Steely Dan cover.

I still play this as background music in the car...so maybe 3 stars?"

Why?

Bjorn Jensen | California | 11/23/2009

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Seriously, this sounds like a bunch of guitarists playing over nasty karaoke backing tracks of Steely Dan songs. I wouldn't blame anyone who was introduced to Steely Dan through this CD to think that Fagen and Becker had written some of the lamest, cheesiest and most moronic music ever in existence - which is in reality, about as far from the truth as you could possibly get. These recorded performances are simply unnecessary. The shocking thing to me is that there are actually some musicians who play on this album who are great soloists and/or session players in their own right, but that still doesn't lift the music. But, by the same token - in regard to the soloists, it can be noted that Becker and Fagen always called in guitarists who did often have notable technique, but always knew the right time to put their technique into action (well, at least that can be said of whoever it was that made the final take). The inclusion of several guitarists here who are best known for playing many notes really baffles me.

Even the front cover is pretty nasty. Anyone who has read the liner notes written by Fagen and Becker for the reissue of "The Royal Scam" might recall this comment regarding the cover art of the album - "before long we find ourselves staring into the maw of the most hideous album cover of the seventies, bar none". I would love to know what they think of this cover (what do the four bizarre jack in the box creatures have to do with this music?).

The initiator of this recording had their heart in the right place, but really, what more is there to add to the original recordings of this music? The originals are some of the few pieces of recorded music in history(!) that emphasize total precision (in the fields of both playing and production), but still remain full of life, spirit and soul (even if the lyrical subtext is considerably dark). I would get so much more joy out of listening to Aja or Katy Lied than sitting through this.

If you are looking for a place to start listening to Steely Dan, get Aja, The Royal Scam or Gaucho (or nearly any Steely Dan album)."

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	Various Artists Royal Dan: A Tribute to Genius of Steely Dan Genres: Jazz, Pop, Rock Track Listings (10) - Disc #1 PEG BODHISATTVA HOME AT LAST AJA PRETZEL LOGIC JOSIE DIRTY WORK THE FEZ FM HEY NINETEEN
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