Best Steely Dan Guitar Solos

**wolflen** · 10-16-2020, 05:51 PM

SD is a very unique space in "Pop" music...not a rock group and not a jazz group..yet appealed to both camps in some ways
they had some of the top studio and live performance players on their albums..and considering that many their songs were
obscure in their story line and the use of many unique chords in the progressions ..they made it work into a very successful
"band"

We have to remember the guitarists (and all the solo players) created their work on the spot..they didnt have any idea what Fagen/Becker
wanted and so it seems they didn't either before the fact..Jay Graydon said he didnt know if they liked his solo on Peg..until he heard it on the radio

I would think if you have never heard a tune and you are then asked to play a solo and not get any feedback..your BP might spike a bit if there is a second or more takes

we hear stories of how they tried six or seven players before they "thought" of asking Larry Carlton to play

so for me all the players they used are in the A team league ..they had Wayne Shorter on some tracks..it dosent get any better !!

**jameslovestal** · 10-16-2020, 08:59 PM

**MarkRhodes** · 10-17-2020, 04:24 PM

Denny Dias and Elliott Randall join forces on "Green Earrings"

**fep** · 10-17-2020, 05:28 PM

Dean Parks... "ou know what he told me? He has never used a talk box in his life! He said the he recorded that guitar part straight into the board and Walter Becker added the talk box effect after!! He also said he preferred the original clean track. "

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWYchJI0Cv8

**Flat** · 10-17-2020, 06:40 PM

When I was at GIT in 1984, Larry Carlton came in one afternoon to do a lesson seminar thing. An hour or two on stage in one of the smaller performance stage rooms. Let everyone check out his small pedal board. I remember some TC electronics gear. They were pretty new at the time. And a ProCo RAT. I walked down Hollywood Blvd and bought one on my way home. (Still have it!)

(That was one of the perks of GIT. They would recruit great players to come in and do a quickie talk or lesson. Steve Morse came in one time too. And of course Howard Roberts would come in every few weeks for his seminars, which were beyond brilliant.)

Larry passed out copies of his lead sheet for one of the big hits--I think it was Josie. Fat chance I could ever find it in my files, but if I do I'll post it here. Walked everybody through the changes and parts.

It was pretty stunning to watch him up close. Such great control on deep sustained bends and slides. I always knew that guy was great, but up close like that was something to see. And hear.

**MarkRhodes** · 10-17-2020, 09:26 PM

Originally Posted by fep

Dean Parks... "ou know what he told me? He has never used a talk box in his life! He said the he recorded that guitar part straight into the board and Walter Becker added the talk box effect after!! He also said he preferred the original clean track. "

Hard for me to imagine what that would sound like. Wonder where Becker got the idea to use a talk box on that track....I didn't know that one could (back then) add such an effect after a part was recorded. (What would that involve, anyway?)

**wolflen** · 10-17-2020, 10:10 PM

Originally Posted by MarkRhodes

Hard for me to imagine what that would sound like. Wonder where Becker got the idea to use a talk box on that track....I didn't know that one could (back then) add such an effect after a part was recorded. (What would that involve, anyway?)

the late 60's was a time of sound experimentation in the studio and if you were under a label and didnt have to worry about time/money..you could play your guitar parts backward (Beatles Hendrix and others) or use a very high tech
effect..the Kazoo (Hendrix/Cross Town Traffic)..consider how much time SD spent on sweetening the tracks..mixing and re-mix..Im sure some of the "hard to satisify" stories are true..I have met some players that even disliked Perfect..?

**Doctor Jeff** · 10-18-2020, 09:37 AM

Originally Posted by jazzgtrl4

the correct answer is Drew Zingggggg

That is indeed a very good show. I saw them about the same time...don’t remember the guitarist, though. Donald reminds me of Count Basie, perhaps with Walter his Billy Strayhorn.

I didn’t watch the whole thing, but the Boddhisatva solos are outstanding. Just a thought that Drew could have used a little more dirt in his tone, which was one thing I thought the SD guitarists like Skunk and Denny and Larry always had going for them.

Also, Becker acquits himself very well—must be hard to play alongside some of the hired guns SD has used over the years. He is underappreciated as an instrumentalist, and probably could have been the center of a lot of bands if he had gone that route. (Not that I like his solo stuff that much, but I think he would work well in the small group format.)

**MarkRhodes** · 10-18-2020, 09:54 AM

Originally Posted by wolflen

..consider how much time SD spent on sweetening the tracks..mixing and re-mix..Im sure some of the "hard to satisify" stories are true..I have met some players that even disliked Perfect..?

I understand the time. But back in the mid-'70s, I don't know how an analog talk-box signal could be added to guitar track after the track was laid down. I don't doubt it happened. I'm wondering HOW. Mind you, my knowledge of recording techniques is limited. But if Becker added a talk-box to the guitar track Dean Parks laid down without one, I'm wondering how he did it.

**fep** · 10-18-2020, 10:56 AM

Originally Posted by MarkRhodes

I understand the time. But back in the mid-'70s, I don't know how an analog talk-box signal could be added to guitar track after the track was laid down. I don't doubt it happened. I'm wondering HOW. Mind you, my knowledge of recording techniques is limited. But if Becker added a talk-box to the guitar track Dean Parks laid down without one, I'm wondering how he did it.

If it's true that he recorded direct into the board from the guitar...

There is a technique that's been around for a long time called reamping. You send the direct recorded track out, use a reamp box to get the impedance correct, send it through a mic'd amp and record another track of the reamped signal. You can also send it through pedals or anything else you'd do with a guitar signal.

In the Haitian Divorce example, you'd need to really memorize the guitar track so as to move your mouth correctly when doing the talk box.

Just in case someone wants to change an amp or amp settings after recording... Guitar to direct box which splits the signal, one going to the mic'd amp another direct to the mixing board, records to two tracks. Didn't like the Fender amp, let's reamp it and see how it sounds with a Marshal (no need for the guitarist to play it again). If you're willing to dive way into the details like Steely Dan, you can spend a lot of time doing these kind of things.

**dazzaman** · 10-25-2020, 04:47 PM

I have, by coincidence, spent most of the afternoon with Steely Dan music on in the background. I have always thought that if one was to come up with a "10 best guitar solos of all time by different guitarists" there could easily be five or six SD songs in there.

For me, I would say that my favourites are Jay Graydon on Peg, and Skunk Baxter on Rikki Don't Lose That Number and on My Old School.

That isn't to take anything away from the other players or solos at all, and I always feel slightly guilty that I don't include Kid Charlemagne in the top three, and it certainly is a brilliant solo.

**steve burchfield** · 10-25-2020, 11:37 PM

I liked them better before they came out with GODWACKER I will REPAY HE SAYS !!!

**Average Joe** · 10-26-2020, 05:29 AM

Originally Posted by steve burchfield

I liked them better before they came out with GODWACKER I will REPAY HE SAYS !!!

I like that track - it's yet another one of those blues with a bridge things thery did so well. The rythm guitar is a lot of fun to play w a band, and on the record the whole band is funky. And it's one of the tracks where Becker's late era lead playing actually works.

In hindsight I think EMG was underappreciated as an album. It feels a bit more organic, like an actual band, compared to 2AN. The same could be said for Sunken Condoes vs Morph the Cat

**Doctor Jeff** · 10-26-2020, 08:13 AM

Originally Posted by dazzaman

I have, by coincidence, spent most of the afternoon with Steely Dan music on in the background. I have always thought that if one was to come up with a "10 best guitar solos of all time by different guitarists" there could easily be five or six SD songs in there.

For me, I would say that my favourites are Jay Graydon on Peg, and Skunk Baxter on Rikki Don't Lose That Number and on My Old School.

That isn't to take anything away from the other players or solos at all, and I always feel slightly guilty that I don't include Kid Charlemagne in the top three, and it certainly is a brilliant solo.

By coincidence a couple of Sirius stations have been playing My Old School a lot lately. Off the charts brilliant soloing—I think it’s just Skunk on lead? He pulls out all his tricks there. Just when you think he can’t throw anything else at you, he does. It’s like a clinic for rock guitar lead playing. The fadeout might have the best lick in the song.

He sure played a lot back in the day. It’s too bad his talents were underused with the Doobies. They could have really benefited from letting the guitarists stretch out more.