Old News on Kasongo

[Hans Sprungfeld]

I'm friends with Rikki.

Friends with Becker's older school buddies. (Stuyvesant, not Bard)

 

[upstater]

Friends with Becker's older school buddies. (Stuyvesant, not Bard)

Bard in that time was kind of infamous, a lot of people showed up there at the same time.

 

[Dogbreath2U]

Outstanding musicians but they hated to tour in the old days. Glad to see they are alive and kicking.

After taking about 20 years off, I think they began touring after coming out with their Two Against Nature album around 2001. I saw them for the first time in about 2006, maybe. A concert at the Mohegan Sun arena and the sound sucked. Next saw them at the Oakdale and it was the best concert I've ever attended. Very hard to get center seats at the MGM Grand no matter how early you buy.

 

[AtlHusky]

Another band that is aging well is Steely Dan....saw them at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods last Saturday....another great show! They did an even better job of highlighting all the great solo performances throughout the sets, having the sax, trumptet, and trombone guys come front and center to play solos. The pianist who has always been kind of hidden in the back was featured with close-ups on the big screens and the backup singers bring some soul. Surprisingly, Donald Fagen's voice was much stronger than the year before and Walter Becker seemed to do even more featured guitar solos. The quality of the music and musicians was fantastic. I've always loved bands that have a horn section and their music moves from one amazing solo to another. The drummer is powerful and ended the show (prior to encore) with an amazing solo. For those who have a taste for jazz with their rock music, there is no better.

Steely Dan has been a favorite of mine for as long as I can remember and I've seen them a number of times since the started touring about a dozen years or so ago. I saw them last month in Atlanta. They opened the show by playing the Aja album start to finish and throughout, the musicianship was outstanding. Unfortunately, Fagan's voice didn't hold out well at all that night and he struggled, particularly in the second half of the show. I chalked it up to age, but it sounds like it may have just been a bad night. Thanks for sharing your experience...I may change my mind and see them again if I get a chance

 

[nomar]

I saw them at the Meadows after Two Against Nature came out. They were on point. The good news was, all of the songs sounded just like the album versions. That was the bad news, too. But I think that's more good news than bad. They encored with Rikki and My Old School.

Best band named after a dildo - ever.

 

[huskiesNhoos]

This thread is helping me feel younger

 

[alexd]

After taking about 20 years off, I think they began touring after coming out with their Two Against Nature album around 2001. I saw them for the first time in about 2006, maybe. A concert at the Mohegan Sun arena and the sound sucked. Next saw them at the Oakdale and it was the best concert I've ever attended. Very hard to get center seats at the MGM Grand no matter how early you buy.

Even without a new CD, the Dan actually toured the US in 1993/94 and came out with a Live CD recorded on that tour. It took them till 2000 and the Two Against nature CD to come out with new material and another tour.

1977's "Aja" is still one of the great LP's of all time IMHO. No one used more (or more talented) session guys than SD did back then.

 

[OkaForPrez]

I've always had a healthy respect for SD but holy hook this thread has gone off the tracks.

 

[WhartonHusky]

Have tickets for next Tuesday night at the Beacon. Best place to see a concert. Can't wait. Have seen countless shows at the Beacon, but never Steely Dan. It's the greatest hits night (other nights are dedicated to specific albums) so I am psyched!!

I am also anxiously awaiting the special guests who are likely to sit in.....yummie!!

 

[alexd]

I've always had a healthy respect for SD but holy hook this thread has gone off the tracks.

Ray Kasongo and Steely Dan....forever linked...

 

[OkaForPrez]

"Oh No, Eugene and The Ducks Wont Do"

 

[upstater]

Ray Kasongo and Steely Dan....forever linked...

How does that Kasongo?

RK don't lose that number.
We hear you're visiting Oregon, that's ok
I think your time in Storrs has just begun
They pressured you to commit, but you did the smart thing, turned and run
Listen to your change of heart

RK, don't lose that number
Just call Ollie and nobody else
Send it off in a letter to yourself

RK, don't lose that number

 

[WhartonHusky]

Lets hope it's not a Black Friday....

 

[AtlHusky]

Ray Kasongo and Steely Dan....forever linked...

..and hopefully not cuz he wears Bad Sneakers (and drinks pina coladas), my friend.

 

[8893]

Saw SD at the Beacon a few years ago, when they first starting doing these album-themed shows. I was hoping some of the older albums would be candidates as I prefer Can't Buy a Thrill, Pretzel Logic and probably even Katy Lied to Aja or Gaucho, and I had a conflict with the Royal Scam night. So I got tickets for the all-request night, figuring we'd see a lot more of the earlier gems and rarities from the albums I preferred.

As it turns out, the fan requests resulted in every song from Aja being chosen--except the title track itself--so they started the show by announcing their executive decision to play Aja in its entirety anyway, and it was awesome (complete with needle drop and album flip mid-way through). And "Aja"--the song--was a definite highlight of the show with that freaking awesome drum solo.

That show was Larry Carlton's first time joining them on that tour, so that was quite a treat, but he had just started to ease his way into the set list and didn't take nearly as many leads as I would have hoped, especially the "Kid Charlemagne" solo I was waiting for, which was very brief.

Great show though. And the second half did include a few gems. Saw them at the Meadows a long time ago and that was a remarkably clean, record-perfect show too, especially for an outdoor show. As Nomar notes, that can be a blessing or a curse, but with this band it's mostly a blessing. Their signature is their polish, not their improvisation.

To bring this drift full circle to where it started, in that sense they are probably the polar opposite of the likes of the ABB, but I love them both for what they are.

 

[mauconnfan]

"Oh No, Eugene and The Ducks Wont Do"

"....and if I didn't think Kasongo would be so good......i'm never going back to My Old Ducks.."

 

[HobokenHusky]

Ray Kasongo. . . . . . Did you realize . . . that you were a champion in their eyes?

 

[HobokenHusky]

Which was then turned into this:

 

[Dogbreath2U]

Even without a new CD, the Dan actually toured the US in 1993/94 and came out with a Live CD recorded on that tour. It took them till 2000 and the Two Against nature CD to come out with new material and another tour.

1977's "Aja" is still one of the great LP's of all time IMHO. No one uesed more (or more talented) session guys than SD did back then.

Totally agree...just a masterpiece. In another aside and linking to the best drummer debate from a while back, Steve Gadd was brought in to play on Aja and was brilliant on that song.

 

[8893]

Did you feel like Jesus [Shuttleworth]?

 

[WhartonHusky]

If the kid does commit and does truly read the board - he better choose to wear #19. It would be poetic and he'd be an instant favorite in my eyes.

 

[8893]

Interesting Fagen aside is that he is married to the mother of Amy Helm (Libby Titus), whose father is Levon; and they all got along so hunky dory that Fagen, who lives nearby, was a frequent guest of the Midnight Ramble Band. Saw him perform with them many times before Levon passed. Even did "Black Friday" one show.

 

[Dove]

This thread...

 

[The Viking]

Can we start a Steely Dan thread somewhere

 

[AtlantaHusky]

This thread - why is there a cork on the fork?