Musical extremes: Joy Division & Steely Dan
I've been listening to Donald Fagan's The Nightfly recently, & that has renewed an interest in Steely Dan's music. I've also seen two DVDs: Control & Joy Division (a documentary about the band). I never was a big fan of that stuff but I now find myself drawn to it. I think it's because of the raw energy & sincere delivery.
My iPod is going to explode.
Re: Musical extremes: Joy Division & Steely Dan
Joy Division and Steely Dan...two great bands. I wouldn't have them on the same playlist, lol....but I like em both just the same.
Which one is the dramatized film, and which one the documentary? I'd like to see the latter.
On a not-so-related note I watched an out-of-print documentary on Nico the other night. I think I know why it's out of print.
Re: Musical extremes: Joy Division & Steely Dan
If this ain't honest delivery I don't know what is. Some great dancing too!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZwMs2fLoVE
Re: Musical extremes: Joy Division & Steely Dan
I think that must be the first Joy Division I've heard. Not what I imagined a band called "Joy Division" would produce...but I like it. I'll have to see if Rhapsody has any Joy Division -- what's a good album to start with?
Re: Musical extremes: Joy Division & Steely Dan
Well there's only two albums that I know of, Unknown Pleasures, & Closer, so you're not going to be out a big investment if you buy the entire catalog, lol. I'm sure that there are a bunch of EPs & outtakes & remixes out there now, though.
Joy Division is the documentary about the band. I saw Control first, which is Ian Curtis' biopic. The only "big" star in it is Samantha Morton.
It's pretty good; all the actors actually learned & played the band's songs for the movie. I can imagine it wasn't too difficult!
Re: Musical extremes: Joy Division & Steely Dan
Quote:
Originally Posted by
boobtube21
Good to see a bit of JCC at the start also, saw him not long ago, still doing the same 'punk' poetry.
Re: Musical extremes: Joy Division & Steely Dan
Oh yeah! He's in the movie, too, for a minute. He looks the same.
Re: Musical extremes: Joy Division & Steely Dan
I never conciously heard Joy Division until I recently became transfixed by the music in an Absolut Vodka commercial, that uses a part of the song "Ceremony."
The ad uses a version more like the later, more fleshed out version, by New Order, after Ian Curtis' death.
It's my current favorite guitar lick/groove ever.
I'm just about certain no one in my high school listened to Joy Division, or New Order. In retrospect, I'd say we were deprived.
As for The Nighfly, that's one of my favorite albums.
"We've got to have some music for the new frontieeeeeer..." :party:
Re: Musical extremes: Joy Division & Steely Dan
Re: Musical extremes: Joy Division & Steely Dan
Quote:
Originally Posted by
NeoFauve
............As for The Nighfly, that's one of my favorite albums.
"We've got to have some music for the new frontieeeeeer..." :party:
+1
I love Fagen's Nightfly. As for Joy Division and New Order, I literally never heard of them until this thread. That may be because it's not what I would have been listening to in the late 70's or early 80's.
Re: Musical extremes: Joy Division & Steely Dan
I enjoy the Joy Division. Also from the same Brit post-punk era came Scritti Politti, whom I really dig for their weird fusion of everything that floated by.
But Steely Dan... well, that's just the absolute freaking apex of pop music. As good as it ever got. Mr. Stevie Dan occupies the top shelf. Donald Fagen is the most complete songwriting craftsman of the rock era, and their demand for excellence in musicianship set those songs like jewels in gold.
Re: Musical extremes: Joy Division & Steely Dan
Love that vid and the tune in it Neo. Cool. :party:
Re: Musical extremes: Joy Division & Steely Dan
I can actually imagine me being a different kid, or at least having a very different flow of musical interests, had I known about something like that Joy Division/new Order tune when it was new. I was about 14, 15.
But no. Instead, it was covering Journey, Duran Duran, while also obsessing over the riffs in "Black Dog."
I was so grabbed by sound on that commercial, I actually sat down one night and worked out a formula for "Vodka Tone" :D with my Casino>Dbl Drive>RVB Boost>Prince G.
The Carbon Copy may been in there too.
It's a great, hypnotic little lick.
Re: Musical extremes: Joy Division & Steely Dan
Quote:
Originally Posted by
silent j.
Donald Fagen is the most complete songwriting craftsman of the rock era...
Having recently finally replaced my CD copy of The Nightfly, I really want to round out the trilogy with Kamakiriad and Morph The Cat.
I didn't realize, 'til now, there actually IS a collection called The Nightfly Trilogy.
Re: Musical extremes: Joy Division & Steely Dan
Neo, I'm ready to buy that boxed set just to get the video for "Snowbound."
I love Fagen's sci-fi leanings. My fave latter-day Steely D tune is "Pixeleen" from the album Everything Must Go. A great description of a stock-house anime heroine, with a wry self-referential joke underneath it all... man, that guy is a sort of junkie Johnny Mercer.
"If it feels right
Just drive for the light
That's the groovessential facts
Someday we'll all meet at the end of the street
At the Teahouse on the Tracks ."
Re: Musical extremes: Joy Division & Steely Dan
I love Kamakiriad even more than I love The Nightfly. Fagen's a talented bastard. :D