Now where'd we sample those legs?
June 1, 2011 8:16 AM Subscribe
Electronic musician Gabe Shultz (fka Fusebox) has created Day Glow Freaks, a free 12-track album comprised entirely of Steely Dan samples.
Listen (Flash), download 192k version or 320k version. Complete liner notes, appendix of samples, and song-by-song timeline here (PDF).
A brief history of sampling SD. See you uptown, baby.
Listen (Flash), download 192k version or 320k version. Complete liner notes, appendix of samples, and song-by-song timeline here (PDF).
A brief history of sampling SD. See you uptown, baby.
I really wanted to like this (and the presentation was certainly slick) but I found the tracks really monotonous and uninspired. Yeah, Steely Dan hooks are catchy, let's listen to this one a hundred times in a row over a dull tekno beat.
posted by nanojath at 8:29 AM on June 1, 2011
posted by nanojath at 8:29 AM on June 1, 2011
The interface showing where the samples come from is excellent. Take a look
posted by Outlawyr at 8:31 AM on June 1, 2011
posted by Outlawyr at 8:31 AM on June 1, 2011
Somehow I don't think Steely Dan will be supportive of this crap.
posted by ReeMonster at 8:43 AM on June 1, 2011
posted by ReeMonster at 8:43 AM on June 1, 2011
Pianist Keith Jarrett sued Steely Dan in 1981 after Becker and Fagen admitted -- initially off-the-record -- in a lengthy Musician interview with David Breskin that the intro to the title track of Gaucho was very similar to a song he had written himself and recorded with Jan Garbarek entitled Long As You Know You're Living Yours (on their 1974 ECM album, Belonging).
"We were heavily influenced by that particular piece of music," Donald said.
"I love it," Walter continued. (They later approved their off-the-record comments for publication.)
"We were talking about borrowing," Breskin said.
Donald Fagen: "Hell, we steal. We're the robber barons of rock 'n' roll."
posted by Trurl at 8:51 AM on June 1, 2011
"We were heavily influenced by that particular piece of music," Donald said.
"I love it," Walter continued. (They later approved their off-the-record comments for publication.)
"We were talking about borrowing," Breskin said.
Donald Fagen: "Hell, we steal. We're the robber barons of rock 'n' roll."
posted by Trurl at 8:51 AM on June 1, 2011
Cex made this album 4 years ago... Cex - Dannibal
Everything new is old again.
posted by cloeburner at 9:00 AM on June 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
Everything new is old again.
posted by cloeburner at 9:00 AM on June 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
I'm not that big a fan of Steely Dan (loved the first album - everything else got progressively too ... something), but I would never deny the masterful finesse with which they wrote, produced, performed their songs, which makes the decision to break these songs down and recombine them into something else ... curious. That is, in no way was this recombined sum-of-the-parts ever going to match the originals.
Sampling works best when you grab loose bits and pieces from any number of weird sources, often isolating precisely that quarter-second snare shot or half-second of vocal overload which is the only reason worth listening to a particularly unremarkable piece of dreck found in the corner of your parents' record collection.
posted by philip-random at 9:03 AM on June 1, 2011
Sampling works best when you grab loose bits and pieces from any number of weird sources, often isolating precisely that quarter-second snare shot or half-second of vocal overload which is the only reason worth listening to a particularly unremarkable piece of dreck found in the corner of your parents' record collection.
posted by philip-random at 9:03 AM on June 1, 2011
Speaking of "borrowing", this Horace Silver song might also sound familiar.
I really wanted to like this, but part of what I like about Steely Dan is that the songs have a lot going on. These tracks select a few things and loop them and it's just not as fun to me in that context. It's like it was a little too chained to the concept.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 9:10 AM on June 1, 2011
I really wanted to like this, but part of what I like about Steely Dan is that the songs have a lot going on. These tracks select a few things and loop them and it's just not as fun to me in that context. It's like it was a little too chained to the concept.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 9:10 AM on June 1, 2011
Hippybear: I have that If 60's Was 90's, and like you love it, if for nothing more than the way they absolutely explained every sample. I think I like the idea of it more than I like the execution. A couple of tracks were right on and moving, some of it seemed like filler.
mintcake!: you just made my day. I loved the first note of Steely Dan on, still do, always will. If you hooked me up to a heart machine, I am pretty sure the reading would be exactly that of the conga part from Do It Again. I owe you. Or at least least the charmer under you.
posted by timsteil at 9:21 AM on June 1, 2011
mintcake!: you just made my day. I loved the first note of Steely Dan on, still do, always will. If you hooked me up to a heart machine, I am pretty sure the reading would be exactly that of the conga part from Do It Again. I owe you. Or at least least the charmer under you.
posted by timsteil at 9:21 AM on June 1, 2011
a song he had written himself and recorded with Jan Garbarek entitled Long As You Know You're Living Yours
Holy shit, that's the Writers and Company themesong!
"Hello, I'm Eleanor Wachtel, and this is Writers and Company. And when I laugh, I sound like a skeleton having an orgasm!"
Also: Horace Silver v. Steely Dan
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 9:42 AM on June 1, 2011
Holy shit, that's the Writers and Company themesong!
"Hello, I'm Eleanor Wachtel, and this is Writers and Company. And when I laugh, I sound like a skeleton having an orgasm!"
Also: Horace Silver v. Steely Dan
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 9:42 AM on June 1, 2011
you snooze you lose alvy!
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 9:50 AM on June 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 9:50 AM on June 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
Dagnabbit, I read your comment, but missed the first sentence.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 9:58 AM on June 1, 2011
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 9:58 AM on June 1, 2011
My favorite use of a Steely Dan sample is Super Furry Animals "The Man Don't Give A Fuck". It samples Steely Dan's "Showbiz Kids".
posted by ericthegardener at 10:12 AM on June 1, 2011
posted by ericthegardener at 10:12 AM on June 1, 2011
I wish this had been done by the Avalanches, or Girl Talk. I wanted to like it, but find myself echoing so many other people's opinions - it held promise, and some tracks open strong but then there's just no there, there.
posted by kcds at 10:24 AM on June 1, 2011
posted by kcds at 10:24 AM on June 1, 2011
I'm sad that so many people are kind of down on this because it sounds like an interesting project and I love the Dan, so I want it to be great. Fortunately by the time I get around to listening to this, I'll have forgotten the negative reviews. The pointer is much appreciated, no matter how it turns out.
posted by immlass at 10:56 AM on June 1, 2011
posted by immlass at 10:56 AM on June 1, 2011
« Older Golden Age | SAN loss Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by OmieWise at 8:18 AM on June 1, 2011