I was curious about the posts on Steely Dan in this thread, after hearing a couple of my SD favorites on the radio in the last few days. 2 posters posted on "Do It Again" (in 2014 and 2020), and one poster posted on"Hey Nineteen" (in 2009), a song which is probably more relevant to the subject matter of this board than any other SD song, as it is about the an older man seeing a younger woman and recognizing the cultural gap between the two.
In fact, Do It Again, at #5, and the two songs I heard, "Time Out of Mind" (#8) and "Hey Nineteen" (#10) all come in ranked in the top 15 of songs as ranked by Billboard on this Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Band:
When "Gaucho" came out in 1980, I was in high school, and familiar with the music of Steely Dan up to that point. SD had been releasing consistently good albums up to that point, and I considered them very unique in their combination of jazz influences into a rock sound. In my opinion, "Hey Nineteen" and "Time Out of Mind" and the other songs on the Gaucho album had (to me) a cleaner, more polished sound than some of Steely Dan's earlier hits. I think the album was likely well engineered, but these 2 guys were master studio technicians. I found"Hey Nineteen" to be a very stylish song and very representative of SD's music (maybe more than any other song they ever wrote). Awesome electrical guitar by Walter Becker. Although "Hey Nineteen" was the biggest hit on that album, it was somewhat controversial among music critics because of its celebration of an older man dating a much younger woman and pondering their age difference as reflected in their differing musical tastes.
"Time out of Mind", which is probably more well thought of by critics, has just an incredible beat. I think these 2 songs are underrated by Billboard, but you guys tell me what you think- "Hey Nineteen" and"Time Out of Mind":
Hey NIneteen Lyrics:
Way back when in '67
I was the dandy gamma chi
Sweet things from Boston so young and willing
Moved down to Scarsdale
Where the hell am I?
Hey nineteen
(No we can't dance together) We can't dance together
(No we can't talk at all)
Please take me along when you slide on down
Hey nineteen
That's 'Retha Franklin
She don't remember Queen of Soul
It's hard times befallen soul survivors
She thinks I'm crazy but I'm just growing old
Hey nineteen
(No we got nothing in common) We can't dance together
(No we can't talk at all)
Please take me along when you slide on down
Nice
Sure looks good
Umm-umm-umm
Skate a little lower now
(The cuervo gold)
(The fine colombian)
(Make tonight a wonderful thing)
Say it again
(The cuervo gold)
(The fine colombian)
(Make tonight a wonderful thing)
(The cuervo gold)
(The fine colombian)
(Make tonight a wonderful thing)
(No we can't dance together)
(No we can't talk at all)