So glad you're hitting The Royal Scam. In some ways I love this album even better than Aja, their full-on masterwork -- Kid Charlemagne is one big reason why. Epic rhythm section of Bernard Purdie and Chuck Rainey, the perfectly tasty Larry Carlton guitar solo, big strutting funk rock baseline, and some of Becker and Fagen's greatest lyrical storytelling. In their comeback tour shows the audience took to singing along with the "Yes there's gas in the car" line. And this is just the opening bang-up cut to a whole bunch of great stuff. Looking forward to watching you work your way through it!
I feel the same, Aja is up there, but some days this is my favorite. Then other times Gaucho just seems so perfect. I’ve realized now that those three albums were the the only albums they could have made at that moment in time. Their evolution of style is beautiful to witness, and has enriched my life beyond words. I’m so grateful I have had Steely Dans music to enjoy my whole life.
God I love that outro! Larry Carlton just killin’ it. The masterful Bernard Purdie on drums. Get your boarding pass ready for the trip to The Caves of Altamira. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Check out the wikipedia article about Owsley Stanley. He was not the creator of LSD, but he certainly was "the best in town" and made literally millions of doses in his East Bay underground lab and "turned it on the world", while moonlighting as the Grateful Dead's first sound engineer. "Those San Francisco nights" would be "The Matrix", "Avalon Ballroom" and those other tiny acid-drenched venues the nascent San Francisco sound began in. Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead owned an "A-frame" house in Mill Valley in Marin county and probably had Owsley's number on the wall. "Those day-glo freaks who used to paint the face have joined the human race." The daisy-chain hippies in Golden Gate Park with the painted faces eventually got jobs like their parents. Owlsey did go down to LA and supplied the six Acid Tests between Feb and March of '66 in southern California. "Still an outlaw in their eyes" ... LSD became outlawed in California in October of '66. Anyway ... yeah, it's a potent song in many ways. Pregnant with meaning.
..and of course Stanley was supposedly caught by the police when his van ran out of gas. The "white men on the street is a reference to the cocaine dealers which at that time pushed LSD aside as the drug of choice for artists, the affluent, and even the average guy on the street.
My favorite SD album. Thanks for appreciating these amazing guys that I just took for granted when I was in my 20’s (1970’s) because there was so much great talent around. Walter and Donald were in a class of their own, along with the great studio musicians they always pulled in. Love your reactions.
I jammed with Larry Carlton didnt realize till after my friends dad told me, he deserves his reputation we did Kansas City, Ocean Pearl and Layin Pipe he ripped I was impressed not even knowing about Steely Dan and his contributions, Im a huge Steely fan now of course.
Every time I come across one of your vids it's a song I happen to love and I thoroughly enjoy your take on it! I had to hear this song to improve my mood and doing it with you was even better! I see this has been up for a minute...hope you're still doing these!
"Is there gas in the cah? Yes there's gas in the cah" IMHO, The Royal Scam is Walter and Donald's finest album. While Aja is their highly acclaimed (deservedly so) masterpiece, with The Royal Scam you'll find Steely Dan at their gritty, funky, groovin' best. Every track is unique, masterfully crafted and musically impeccable. Enjoy the ride!
Lyrics roughly based on Augustus Owsley Stanley III, arguably the most prolific and definitely the most famous 'underground chemist' of the late 1960s, responsible for producing millions of doses of very pure, high dose-containing LSD tabs, known by names such as 'Owsley's Blue Cheer' (or Owsley's Blues') and 'White Lightning. However, 'Kid Charlemagne' has some fictional twists, since when Stanley got busted, still in the late 1960s, psychedelics were still very popular, whereas the character in this song 'gets by' until the mid 1970s, a time when LSD was no longer really in vogue and cocaine was one of the main drugs of choice of the day - hence the line: 'You are obsolete, look at all the white man on the street' 'White Man' = Slang for Cocaine Dealer/Cocaine user.
This is about Owsley Stanley (audio engineer and clandestine chemist) created LSD in San Francisco. "White men on the street" were cocaine dealers. Caught when his car ran out of gas!! "Is there gas in the car? Yes there's gas in the car" Fagen is BRILLIANT!
Royal Scam now your journey will continue with their holy grail albums Royal Scam , Aja, Gaucho and Two against Nature also imo ! The groove masters ! 👍👍
I heard a funny story that goes along with this .....Donald and Walter flew into NYC and got into a cab with a chatty cab driver ...when they told the cabbie they were musicians ...they started talking about music and the cabbie...not knowing who they were told them he really liked Steely Dan but he thought their lyrics were dumb...as a reference he sited "Is there gas in the car?..Yes there's gas in the car"....
Okay now for context, "Imagine if you will", hearing this the first time as a teenager in kansas , mid seventies, and actually trippin' balls on window pane. Yes, they and a few others, were the daily discovered new soundtracks of our lives. Thanks for your post. Good shit, Sir.
There is a much deeper meaning to their music. The underlying message is profound and Beautiful. They made 7 albums with Aja being the last album i think. The songs dirty work, do it again, Rikki don't lose that number, are all on their first album for a reason. You have to do the work. You might have to do it again but God gives you a number to guide you. I knew none of this. Supertramp and Toto wrote songs the same way with deep spiritual truths. The royal scam was and is my favorite steely dan album before i knew more about their story.
Thanks for letting me know about you finishing the Katy Lied album. I had no idea and really thought you were just taking a break from Steely Dan. I didn't even think to look on the community tab. Guess I need to check it out from now on. But I'm glad you liked the album. I also saw your Donald Fagen-Nightfly reaction and enjoyed it as well. That whole album is so well made and it's the best Fagen solo album to me personally. I can see why audiophiles use to test speakers.
Larry Carlton. “Mr. ES-335”. That’s all you have to say. Watch Rick Beato’s breakdown video of that incredibly complex guitar work, found here on the CZcamss. So…sublime.
The next song (Caves of Altamira) is SD’s most underrated track. That’s a hard thing to say, for sure. My assessment is a formula that goes...best song with the least acclaim.
I hooked up to your channel cuz of the wonderful influence of my indigenous daughter. Bless you out there for your heart and passion on what is good and descent. Send me more links on indigenous music
Very pleased with your selections and your perseverance! You might want to have a look at Summertime by Bobby Hatfield, it is on a taped show mid-60s but not an arrangement one usually hears. Glad to hear SD again.
I was just waiting for you to get to the Larry Carlton Guitar solo......when you paused right before it.....LOL....then you knew it was going to be there LOL
How bad would you like to hear all of the tape on the cutting room floor? Some of the fade-outs, in Steely Dan songs, leave me in near despair to hear the rest of that guitar mastery. I'd bet Larry Carlton riffed for two more minutes on this groove. I'd pay good money to hear the excerpts.
I've recently come around to the same conclusion. AJA is wonderful but the two album sides are completely different from one another. i rate side one as my favorite side of any album, with side 2 as good, but i can take or leave it. Other people favor side 2 over 1. Scam is just good start to finish. I just can't figure out how 'Caves' fits in with the dark cynicism of the rest of the album.
You should do Van Halen albums. At least the David Lee Roth ones It's was pure late 70's early 80"s rock. Just before it hit mainstream. It's always the best before it hits mainstream. :).
DramasydETV, a while back you apologized on misunderstanding who Elvis was. You said, you'd look into who Elvis really was. You may have already discovered two short documentaries on Elvis: Elvis Presley -Black Music Influence and Elvis and the black community. Both will show how important Elvis was to having black music integrate in the mainstream music scene and his contribution to civil rights. Elvis unlike most people who want notoriety in performing charitable deeds. Elvis did countless of good deeds silently! I n the true Christian spirit of storing your treasures in heaven and not to gain praise here on earth. Only one black entertainer, Ray Charles, seem jealous of Elvis's fame! Shows you can be blind in more then one way. He is countered by Stevie Wonder, James Brown The Blossoms, Muhamad Ali, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Sammy Davis jr., Rufus Thomas, and so many more who really knew Elvis. I'm sadden when this humble and kind man is disparaged from straight out lies. All the good Elvis did for oppressed and especially the black people saddens me, because Elvis truly deserves to be revered as an entertainer and human being.
Just so ya know some of those lyrics written on video are wrong. For Instance he crossed the diamond (crystal meth) with the Earl ( heroin) making the concoction John Belushi died of. The quite popular drug called a “speedball” that faded from use. Not Pearl but Earl ( reference drug slang).
Ed Collins you’re mistaken the diamond and the earl not pearl as lyrics read. Check drug slang , Hollywood culture, it’s about mixing crystal with heroin . John Belushi died from the Speedball fad .
They’re talking about how he created LSD not doing speedballs. He “crossed the diamond with the pearl” and made a new drug that he turned on the world.
Don't take every single piece of these lyrics so literally. That was just poetic license. 'Day Glo Freaks' drug of choice was psychedelics, not 'uppers and downers'.
Did you know that (Chevy Chase) was the original guitarist. The name of the band was "bad rock band" he left for comedy and the band changed names and moved on.
THE Larry Carlton on guitar. Masterful
Butter
And they went thru a bunch before Larry nailed it
Watching you groove to a Steely Dan song is like watching a kid unwrap a coveted Christmas present!
So glad you're hitting The Royal Scam. In some ways I love this album even better than Aja, their full-on masterwork -- Kid Charlemagne is one big reason why. Epic rhythm section of Bernard Purdie and Chuck Rainey, the perfectly tasty Larry Carlton guitar solo, big strutting funk rock baseline, and some of Becker and Fagen's greatest lyrical storytelling. In their comeback tour shows the audience took to singing along with the "Yes there's gas in the car" line. And this is just the opening bang-up cut to a whole bunch of great stuff. Looking forward to watching you work your way through it!
Ellen Brenner Amen!👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
I feel the same, Aja is up there, but some days this is my favorite. Then other times Gaucho just seems so perfect. I’ve realized now that those three albums were the the only albums they could have made at that moment in time. Their evolution of style is beautiful to witness, and has enriched my life beyond words. I’m so grateful I have had Steely Dans music to enjoy my whole life.
Favorite Steely Dan song, Anytime I hear it I want to grab a guitar and see If I can still do those guitar solos, still can, best ever, Thanks!
A sheer masterpiece.The musicianship is off the Wall with this song, maybe my favorite Steely Dan song!👍🏻❤️☮️
Thanks for the update. Glad you’re continuing the Steely Dan journey.
God I love that outro! Larry Carlton just killin’ it. The masterful Bernard Purdie on drums. Get your boarding pass ready for the trip to The Caves of Altamira. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
I could listen to these guys from A to Z every day.
Check out the wikipedia article about Owsley Stanley. He was not the creator of LSD, but he certainly was "the best in town" and made literally millions of doses in his East Bay underground lab and "turned it on the world", while moonlighting as the Grateful Dead's first sound engineer. "Those San Francisco nights" would be "The Matrix", "Avalon Ballroom" and those other tiny acid-drenched venues the nascent San Francisco sound began in. Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead owned an "A-frame" house in Mill Valley in Marin county and probably had Owsley's number on the wall. "Those day-glo freaks who used to paint the face have joined the human race." The daisy-chain hippies in Golden Gate Park with the painted faces eventually got jobs like their parents. Owlsey did go down to LA and supplied the six Acid Tests between Feb and March of '66 in southern California. "Still an outlaw in their eyes" ... LSD became outlawed in California in October of '66. Anyway ... yeah, it's a potent song in many ways. Pregnant with meaning.
..and of course Stanley was supposedly caught by the police when his van ran out of gas. The "white men on the street is a reference to the cocaine dealers which at that time pushed LSD aside as the drug of choice for artists, the affluent, and even the average guy on the street.
Thanks
there is no bad track on this LP, you sir, are in for a ride !
that solo at the end makes the song for me, it makes you want to listen to the song again immediately just so you can build up to it and enjoy
Great choice! I never tire of Steely Dan or Donald Fagen. Thanks.
The solo is such a masterful blend of jazz bop and rock. Terrific!
My favorite SD album. Thanks for appreciating these amazing guys that I just took for granted when I was in my 20’s (1970’s) because there was so much great talent around. Walter and Donald were in a class of their own, along with the great studio musicians they always pulled in. Love your reactions.
Welcome back brother Mike 🤘🏼🤠🎤🎧
This is one of my favorites by Steely Dan - thank you!
I jammed with Larry Carlton didnt realize till after my friends dad told me, he deserves his reputation we did Kansas City, Ocean Pearl and Layin Pipe he ripped I was impressed not even knowing about Steely Dan and his contributions, Im a huge Steely fan now of course.
When I bought albums as a kid, the first thrill was listening to it in full. The 2nd thrill was playing for friends
bad ass choice. thanks
Every time I come across one of your vids it's a song I happen to love and I thoroughly enjoy your take on it! I had to hear this song to improve my mood and doing it with you was even better! I see this has been up for a minute...hope you're still doing these!
Absolutely one of my top 5 rock songs of all time. Larry Carlton once again shows his genius as a guitarist.
"Is there gas in the cah? Yes there's gas in the cah" IMHO, The Royal Scam is Walter and Donald's finest album. While Aja is their highly acclaimed (deservedly so) masterpiece, with The Royal Scam you'll find Steely Dan at their gritty, funky, groovin' best. Every track is unique, masterfully crafted and musically impeccable. Enjoy the ride!
Lyrics roughly based on Augustus Owsley Stanley III, arguably the most prolific and definitely the most famous 'underground chemist' of the late 1960s, responsible for producing millions of doses of very pure, high dose-containing LSD tabs, known by names such as 'Owsley's Blue Cheer' (or Owsley's Blues') and 'White Lightning. However, 'Kid Charlemagne' has some fictional twists, since when Stanley got busted, still in the late 1960s, psychedelics were still very popular, whereas the character in this song 'gets by' until the mid 1970s, a time when LSD was no longer really in vogue and cocaine was one of the main drugs of choice of the day - hence the line: 'You are obsolete, look at all the white man on the street' 'White Man' = Slang for Cocaine Dealer/Cocaine user.
Great journey drama you won’t regret it
So glad you are getting going on The Royal Scam. Going to be a great listen. Really love this album. So many great musicians play on these tracks.
Great music
This is about Owsley Stanley (audio engineer and clandestine chemist) created LSD in San Francisco. "White men on the street" were cocaine dealers. Caught when his car ran out of gas!! "Is there gas in the car? Yes there's gas in the car" Fagen is BRILLIANT!
You'll notice starting with Pretzel Logic some of their songs get a touch of more Jazz and Blues. LOVE it!
Good to have you back!
Oh my God.. I can't believe they blocked your king crimson reaction... That would have been epic.
Masterpiece
You’re the 👑. Brilliant channel.
Steely Dan music is genius and with a great stereo to listen with is amazing. Another great video Drama
With Rainey and Purdie in the rhythm section
Oh thank you for this great reaction!
Royal Scam now your journey will continue with their holy grail albums Royal Scam , Aja, Gaucho and Two against Nature also imo ! The groove masters ! 👍👍
yep
Can't say I like Gaucho more than Katylied, Pretzel Logic, Can't Buy a Thrill, or Countdown to Ecstasy
I think I was like 15 or 16 when this came out. My guitar teacher taught me this solo. So great. Great reaction as always!
Larry, genius, end of
I heard a funny story that goes along with this .....Donald and Walter flew into NYC and got into a cab with a chatty cab driver ...when they told the cabbie they were musicians ...they started talking about music and the cabbie...not knowing who they were told them he really liked Steely Dan but he thought their lyrics were dumb...as a reference he sited "Is there gas in the car?..Yes there's gas in the car"....
Okay now for context, "Imagine if you will", hearing this the first time as a teenager in kansas , mid seventies, and actually trippin' balls on window pane. Yes, they and a few others, were the daily discovered new soundtracks of our lives.
Thanks for your post. Good shit, Sir.
Subbed before even watching the video. I'm in for the whole ride...
There is a much deeper meaning to their music. The underlying message is profound and Beautiful. They made 7 albums with Aja being the last album i think. The songs dirty work, do it again, Rikki don't lose that number, are all on their first album for a reason. You have to do the work. You might have to do it again but God gives you a number to guide you. I knew none of this. Supertramp and Toto wrote songs the same way with deep spiritual truths. The royal scam was and is my favorite steely dan album before i knew more about their story.
Rikki Don't Lose That Number is not on their first album.
Thanks for letting me know about you finishing the Katy Lied album. I had no idea and really thought you were just taking a break from Steely Dan. I didn't even think to look on the community tab. Guess I need to check it out from now on. But I'm glad you liked the album. I also saw your Donald Fagen-Nightfly reaction and enjoyed it as well. That whole album is so well made and it's the best Fagen solo album to me personally. I can see why audiophiles use to test speakers.
The genius of Streely Dan never ceases to amaze ....
Larry Carlton. “Mr. ES-335”. That’s all you have to say. Watch Rick Beato’s breakdown video of that incredibly complex guitar work, found here on the CZcamss. So…sublime.
The next song (Caves of Altamira) is SD’s most underrated track. That’s a hard thing to say, for sure. My assessment is a formula that goes...best song with the least acclaim.
Same thing I say about Haitian divorce with the talk box guitar.
Caves of Altamira is in my list of top favorite Dan songs, for sure!
Caves is a masterpiece. what a sax solo!
Yes! My fave SD album. Let's go!
Yes! Back to my favorite band!
Don't worry dude it's still all good you can only do what you can do no worries! Love the Channel 😃✌
yes the guitar solos!! my old school is one of my favorites!
Owsley and the Electric Coolaid Acid Test
There was a video on Utube at one time with the bed track to Kid. It is amazing how locked in this rhythm section is.
Michael McDonald on backing vocals
Good morning and thank you for all your work😊
"But I'm sure people were happy to see color for the first time."
LOL!! That's fucking priceless!
I really appreciate all time and effort you put into this.
'Royal Scam' the song is hypnotic, dude. Trust.
Clav supreme.
About a drug dealer they was rapping before rappers Larry smooth as hell
this song is about the creator of LSD
Not really. The creator of LSD was a Swiss chemist called Albert Hoffmann.
I hooked up to your channel cuz of the wonderful influence of my indigenous daughter. Bless you out there for your heart and passion on what is good and descent. Send me more links on indigenous music
Very pleased with your selections and your perseverance! You might want to have a look at Summertime by Bobby Hatfield, it is on a taped show mid-60s but not an arrangement one usually hears. Glad to hear SD again.
Hi I was sent to you by jamal jamel❤
I was just waiting for you to get to the Larry Carlton Guitar solo......when you paused right before it.....LOL....then you knew it was going to be there LOL
I can't believe I used to play this. Now I am terrible. I can't stand listening to myself. Getting old sucks.
This whole album is Fire.
kid Charlemagne keep the show on the main , white men is glowing men,
Kid Charemaigne = Mr. Owsley.He was the premiere LSD chemist. The song is about him getting busted.
best reactions to The Dan on youtube
So basically... Breaking Bad, season 5 plot.
This song is about AOS a mobile lsd chemist who used to tour with the grateful Dead.
There's that guitar--I knew it was gonna come...
Now you will do multiple songs at a time.
In the guitar world, these 2 solos by the great Larry Carlton, are considered the best guitar solos of all time.BY ANYONE
Home Free has The Gambler cover out! Love Steely Dan!
How bad would you like to hear all of the tape on the cutting room floor? Some of the fade-outs, in Steely Dan songs, leave me in near despair to hear the rest of that guitar mastery. I'd bet Larry Carlton riffed for two more minutes on this groove. I'd pay good money to hear the excerpts.
Larry Carlton- Mr. 335
Kid Charlemagne is classic. No fault for the DMCA stuff. You rule.
I would just like to hear the collection of guitar solos they decide not to use
There is a making of video floating around on youtube I have seen with Donald Fagen and Walter Becker going through some of them.
Larry said he made two runs at it but thinks they took the first take. Gotta love a guy who comes prepared for his session.
This song is about a famous drug chemist who turned half the west coast onto some good acid.
One of there best albums for sure wait to you listen to the title track Royal Scam I think it’s the best cut on the album
Funny that one of my favorite Steely Dan songs is about a drug dealer. But it is
This one is better than Aja. There, I said it :)
I've recently come around to the same conclusion. AJA is wonderful but the two album sides are completely different from one another. i rate side one as my favorite side of any album, with side 2 as good, but i can take or leave it. Other people favor side 2 over 1. Scam is just good start to finish. I just can't figure out how 'Caves' fits in with the dark cynicism of the rest of the album.
That’s bold lol. I agree.
Larry Carlton!
AJA please
You should do Van Halen albums. At least the David Lee Roth ones
It's was pure late 70's early 80"s rock. Just before it hit mainstream.
It's always the best before it hits mainstream.
:).
Does anyone know where they got their name? Hint...read Naked Lunch.
Can you react to Tomi P no time to die
DramasydETV, a while back you apologized on misunderstanding who Elvis was. You said, you'd look into who Elvis really was. You may have already discovered two short documentaries on Elvis: Elvis Presley -Black Music Influence and Elvis and the black community. Both will show how important Elvis was to having black music integrate in the mainstream music scene and his contribution to civil rights. Elvis unlike most people who want notoriety in performing charitable deeds. Elvis did countless of good deeds silently! I n the true Christian spirit of storing your treasures in heaven and not to gain praise here on earth. Only one black entertainer, Ray Charles, seem jealous of Elvis's fame! Shows you can be blind in more then one way. He is countered by Stevie Wonder, James Brown The Blossoms, Muhamad Ali, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Sammy Davis jr., Rufus Thomas, and so many more who really knew Elvis. I'm sadden when this humble and kind man is disparaged from straight out lies. All the good Elvis did for oppressed and especially the black people saddens me, because Elvis truly deserves to be revered as an entertainer and human being.
Your technicolor motorhome.
LSD
But Asia is the best. By far.
Are you single? Lmao 😜
Are you? 😜
Just so ya know some of those lyrics written on video are wrong. For Instance he crossed the diamond (crystal meth) with the Earl ( heroin) making the concoction John Belushi died of. The quite popular drug called a “speedball” that faded from use. Not Pearl but Earl ( reference drug slang).
This song is base on a real drug dealer
David Ryder East coast LSD production has nothing to do with West coast “speedball”craze of Hollywood types.
Ed Collins you’re mistaken the diamond and the earl not pearl as lyrics read. Check drug slang , Hollywood culture, it’s about mixing crystal with heroin . John Belushi died from the Speedball fad .
They’re talking about how he created LSD not doing speedballs. He “crossed the diamond with the pearl” and made a new drug that he turned on the world.
Don't take every single piece of these lyrics so literally. That was just poetic license. 'Day Glo Freaks' drug of choice was psychedelics, not 'uppers and downers'.
Did you know that (Chevy Chase) was the original guitarist. The name of the band was "bad rock band" he left for comedy and the band changed names and moved on.
I'm a huge Steely Dan fan but I just don't feel this one.