Steely Dan
Overview
Steely Dan is an American rock band; its core members are Donald Fagen
Donald Fagen
Donald Jay Fagen is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the co-founder, lead singer, and the principal songwriter of the rock band Steely Dan ....

 and Walter Becker
Walter Becker
Walter Carl Becker is an American musician, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the co-founder, guitarist, bassist and a co-writer of Steely Dan.-Career:...

. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...

, rock
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...

, funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...

, R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...

, and pop. Rolling Stone has called them "the perfect musical antiheroes for the Seventies."

The band's music is characterized by complex jazz-influenced structures and harmonies played by Becker and Fagen along with a revolving cast of rock and pop studio musicians.
Quotations

Any major dude with half a heart surely will tell you my friend Any minor world that breaks apart falls together again

Any Major Dude Will Tell You (1974)

This is the day Of the expanding man That shape is my shade There where I used to stand

Deacon Blues (1977)

They got a name for the winners in the world I want a name when I lose They call Alabama the Crimson Tide Call me Deacon Blues

Deacon Blues (1977)

I cried when I wrote this song Sue me if I play too long This brother is free I'll be what I want to be

Deacon Blues (1977)

Katy tried I was halfway crucified I was on the other side Of no tomorrow

Dr. Wu (1975)

Are you with me Doctor Wu? Are you really just a shadow Of the man that I once knew?

Dr. Wu (1975)

She thinks I'm crazy But I'm just growing old

Hey 19 (1980)

The Cuervo Gold The fine Colombian Make tonight a wonderful thing

Hey 19 (1980)

Peg It will come back to you Then the shutter falls You see it all in 3-D It's your favorite foreign movie

Peg (1977)

I have never met Napoleon But I plan to find the time

Pretzel Logic (1974)

 
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