STEELY DAN - Kid Charlemagne REACTION - First time hearing
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- čas přidán 11. 07. 2024
- STEELY DAN - Kid Charlemagne REACTION - First time hearing of this enchanting groovy number by the American band other musicians love to love.
#steelydan
#musicreactions
#musicvideoreaction - Hudba
Thanks Harri. Let me give you a synopsis of this song. Kid Charlemagne tells the story of the rise and fall of a San Francisco drug manufacturer. In a 2000 online chat with the BBC, Walter Becker revealed that the lyrics were based on Owsley Stanley, a famous LSD chemist of the 1960s known professionally as Bear. Who else could make such a funky song and with one of the most famous guitar solos about a drug dealer? Well, that would be Steely Dan. The guitar solo was by the famous Larry Carlton. That solo has been attempted by many on CZcams. I never tire of any SD song or ANY song by the great Stevie Wonder.
i remember white owsley. is that a good thing ? ! 1968 and 15 years old. yikes.
@@thedocofrock1890 OK that's pretty dope!
Rick Beato rates it the best solo ever recorded. It's not impossible for a good player to recreate but , as Rick himself says, you'd need days, maybe weeks to get it right. Carlton did the first part of the solo in 2 takes. The run-out solo was just improv -- 1 take. Unbelievable.
Excellent commentary Mike.👍
@@mikeloomis687 ha ha !
Ridiculous lyrics and arrangement 💪🏻😎👌🏻
Listening to Steely Dan makes my day considerably better.
I know from experience because I had a 'boom box' with the mandatory "Kid Charlemagne" by Steely Dan.
What's amazing is the music is so good yet doesn't distract me from what I'm doing.
Larry Carlton guitar, Bernard 'Pretty' Purdie drums, Chuck Rainey bass. Enough said.
Agreed 👍 Fagen & Becker always assembled the best players.
One of the best guitar solos, the great Larry Carlton. So many great Dan songs
Thanks, my memory was failing...I was debating if it was Scofield or Carlton in my head. I was about to Google it, but you made it easier...lol
Carlton was such a great guitarist. Instead of a session guitarist he should have been a solo artist or lead guitarist in a super group full time.
It's been called one of the best guitar solos in rock. Such great stuff!
@@cosmo1eleven855 He had quite a solo career and released a number of albums.
This and green earrings stick in my head for days at a time
Green Earrings might be my favorite deep cut song by SD, along with King of the World.
Steely Dan is a huge part of the soundtrack of my life!
As others have mentioned - this was about "Bear" Stanley - he collaborated with the Grateful Dead as a bit of a mad scientist / genius guy. He designed the band's most recognizable logo - the skull with lightning bolt (Steal Your Face logo aka 'Stealie') as a way to tag the band's gear on the road. He also helped engineer some of the live sound for the Dead - some innovations that became the standards for live music in the years that followed (check out the Dead's Wall of Sound)
owlesly
@@diane6149 czcams.com/video/41NEoJ0RPQk/video.html
One of their best - that's saying a lot considering their resume .
Any time someone makes the mistake of asking if there’s gas in the car, you can be sure I’ll sing “Yes, there’s gas in the car...” 🎶
you really cant go wrong with ANYTHING by this band, seriously.
Started listening to SD my freshman year in college - 1974 and a fan ever since. Great studio musicians, cryptic lyrics and musical arrangements.
You're right about Songs in the Key of Life. One of the best albums ever. Right up there with Gaucho and Revolver and Blonde on Blonde. Always appreciate your thoughtful insight and authentic reactions. I'll be happy to listen to whatever you, Harry, are listening to.
Reeling in the Years
Rikki Don't Lose That Number
Peg
Aja
Pretzel Logic
40 Million Records have been sold by Steely Dan. Such a great band with a collection of diverse hits. Great reaction Harri.You were close to air guitar a few times. Lol Cheers from Canada 🇨🇦
The song is about a guy really good at making strong clean batches of LSD . Supplied the Grateful Dead among others
Merry Pranksters!
The 'Stevie Wonder instrument' you were talking about is called the clavinet. It really does spice up a funk groove.
I concur. The clavinet (played as an electronic keyboard) has such a unique and recognizable sound. Fits quite nicely with jazz and funk.
@@jackndew2 especially when Herbie Hancock first got his hands on one...pure magic!
Or "Clav" in musician parlance. A great punctuation piece that is used in funk, jazz, pop and more.
The " Is there gas in the car " lyric--Reportedly, the man this song is about was on the lam, but was caught...because his car ran out of gas. Walter and Donald chose to give him a happier ending
Just another piece of perfection from 2 guys who knew no other way .
These are some of the most revered musicians playing on this track. You just entered the Steely Dan Rabbit hole....ENJOY THE RIDE...They do not have a single bad track
Anything by steely Dan is FINE by me 👍🏻
You are awesome this is steel dan. Donald Fagan at its best .I grew up with this. I'm going to cry right now. thank you God that you 🙏 did this
Love love love Steely Dan
My favorite Steely Dan song and there are so... many to choose from!
One of the best of a stellar repertoire. A guitar solo unmatched.
This is a great path to follow, doesn't lead to any rabbit holes and drops you off where you began, Steely Dan and feet in the sand with a drink and a smoke no joke.
Larry Carlton, a jazz/fusion guitarist who played with Chick Corea's fusion band Return to Forever, did the solo. Steely Dan had 3 different guitarists (including Skunk Baxter) record the solo ---without informing them there were others! Carlton's was the best. IMHO one of the best gtr solos of the rock era, especially given the untypical chord changes he played over: melodic, lyrical, technically superb, and with unique note selection..
Through 1980, Steely Dan has no bad tracks. They only have less-good tracks. This, though, is an all-time great track from anyone.
The Royal Scam Is a must have album...We were rocking this on the corner in the late 70's, here in philly...Hot summer nights, hangin on the corner...
One of their signature tunes of many like My Old School and Deacon Blues!
How’d I miss this one for two days? My favorite SD song. “Is there gas in the car?” You always have to be ready to GO!
“Is there gas in the car? Yes, there’s gas in the car.”
That line has always stuck with me…
Higher Ground is the Stevie Wonder song you were looking for 😁✌✌ Peace!
Yessir! That guitar solo is nuts!!!✌🏻
Great song, I haven’t heard this in ages, thanks for playing and reacting
Sir, I think this song would be at home in just about ANY jazz venue in the world! Don't usually think of a guitar as a jazz instrument, but Steely Dan NAILED it. If you haven't already, you may want to check out "Reelin' In The Years", another thought-provoking song. Thank you, sir, for reacting to such amazing artists!
I'm glad you enjoyed it! I'm sure your many fans will clarify the details on the track. Thanks Harri.
Yes Songs in the Key of Life is up there among the best albums of the 1970’s right next to AJA by Steely Dan! Hari try that album, you’ll like it!
The great drumming. It's called the Purdy shuffle. Hope the spelling is correct. The Dan. They..meaning the late 👍 great waltet Becker and Donald Fagan. Everyone else are separate and distinct studio musicians if you will, brought to the party. Steely Dan was awesome 👌
Huge SD fan (50 years and counting). Saw them Sunday on their Earth After Hours Tour in Chicago. They just keep sounding better and better although no guitarist (or lyricist) will ever replace Becker. SD fans out there, go see them. They are the absolute best and what a performance!
You need to check out the title song from this album The Royal Scam imo their best song!!
A clavinet (an electrified clavichord--similar to a harpsichord), and "Superstition" "You Haven't Done Nothin'" and "Higher Ground" by Stevie Wonder, had a whole lot of clavinet on them too! Definitely an iconic funky keyboard sound! The guitarist is Larry Carlton (he also plays on "Don't Take Me Alive" "Deacon Blue" "Josie" "Third World Man" and others too).
SD pure awesomeness !!! Brings much happiness and so groovy!! Have always loved this band !! The Royal Scam is a great great song too!!
Man your hitting my childhood! Rock on.
Just the best. Hi-end audio shops used their albums to demo top-flight systems.
Augustus Stanley Owsley III, aka 'Bear'. LSD chemist non-pareil, designed the Grateful dead's massive, groundbreaking Wall of Sound PA system. A true legend.
The lyrics remind me of a gorgeous Einstein quote: "Princeton is a wonderful little spot. A quaint and ceremonious village of puny demigods on stilts." BANG!
The album with this song, The Royal Scam, was Steely Dan's 5th album released in 1976. Loved this band (I was 21-years-old when this album/song was released). I think this song references a drug dealer who was very good and very popular in the l1960's for making LSD. .I believe you've already reacted to "Don't Take Me Alive," the 3rd track from the same album. Could you also react to the 2nd track "Sign In Stranger," the 4th track "The Caves of Altamira," the 5th track "The Fez," and the 9th/title track "The Royal Scam"? Another song I believe you would like is "Rikki Don't Loose That Number," which is the 1st track from their 1974 album Pretzel Logic.
Harri, several great ones to hear: "Josie", "Bodhisattva", "Babylon Sisters" and "Black Friday"!!!!
Absolutely love the guitar work on Bodhisattva, second that request.
Gonna see them this Thursday.
Harri "" Songs in the Keys of Life "" 👍👍👍👍👍👍😎
Hi Harri.
So your num 1 album of all time is “Songs in the Key…..”
I cannot argue,Stevie is a God to me,but as you’ve named it,do you mind having a special where you list your top 20 albums,and how that’s changed since you discovered all these other genres?
I’d be interested for sure as you’re a music lover obviously.
ALWAYS love me some DAN
Michael McDonald also on backgrounds. Great job Harri...just subbed. More Steely and some Elvis Costello would be great!
Sweet! "Kid Charlemagne" ruled the radio for a time back in 1976, at least, I remember hearing it on the radio when I was a kid often enough to mistake some of the lyrics. I had no idea back then that it was a story about an actual person, Owsley Stanley, and not some made up character on the run and making a get-away -- "Is there gas in the car \ Yes, there's gas in the car" ... Owsley Stanley was the soundman for the Grateful Dead who became more famous for cooking the best acid or at least the most acid during the 1960's -- more than 5 million doses in two years reportedly.
Not really one that was played often on the radio. Up in the NYC area it was songs such as Ricky Don’t Lose That Number,Do It Again, and Reelin’’ In Then Years were played very often. A year or 2 later the whole AJA album was played frequently on WNEW!
@@joelliebler5690 Yes, well, I remember hearing those on the radio too, in the car with my parents on the AM pop radio station they listened to in the early 70's -- Ricky in particular. And yet I know I heard KidC on the radio often enough in the later 70's to mistake "champion" for Italian and to think that ethnicity had something to do with the line about the "white" men on the street, which it didn't. Perhaps AJA prompted the DJ's here in Central California to dig into their back catalog and that's how I got the impression. Also remember that regionalism was still a thing back then, before the corporates took over radio and homogenized it.
@@mikecaetano Good to know. How is the weather in SoCal?
There are two men running this show. Walter Becker (Lead Guitar) and Donald Fagen (Key board with many sound effects) and lead vocalist, FYI
Harri, I implore you, please do their Glamour Profession. I know you like guitar and the licks in Glamour throughout are DELICIOUS!!
Yeah isn't that a killer drum groove known as the"Purdie Shuffle" by the
great Bernard Purdie!!! Oh yeeeah man!
The great Larry Carlton on guitar. Try 'Third World Man'. For more Larry. Great stuff.
Glad to hear that this song is not about Tim Leary, whom we have had the pleasure to meet, twice. He was a Harvard psychologist not a dealer, but some thought the song may have been about him. Rob, to be specific. You don't know Rob so it probably doesn't matter. Y'all would love each other. Steely Dan was the name of the main character in William Burrough's beat classic, "Naked Lunch"'s dildo, or godemiche if this is a family show. Science says that other Steely classics are "Aja", "Royal Scam", "Babylon Sisters", "Don't Take Me Alive", "Do It Again", "Reeling in the Years", "Charlie Freak", "Gold Teeth II", "Any World I'm Welcome To", "My Old School", "Bodhisattva" and "Barrytown".
!!!"ANY MAJOR DUDE WILL TELL YOU"!!! (please)
"Black Cow", "Josie", "Caves Of Altamira", "Night By Night"... are just a few more.
Is there gas in the car? Yes, there’s gas in the car!
Oh yeah Larry Carlton
THE KID WAS A PRIMO LSD COOKER IN THE 60's & 70'S.
IF YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW THE MEANINGS OF MANY OF STEELY DAN'S MUSIC WATCH STEELY BEN ON CZcams....
MUSIC AND COOL VIDEO THAT EXPLAIN THE LYRICS.
More background. Illicit LSD chemist Owsley Stanley got himself busted by running out of gas with drugs in his car. After that, he famously would ask "Is there gas in the car?" before driving anywhere.
Steely Dan, Donald Fagen, and Walter Becker are the gift that keeps on giving.
Carlton's solo is fantastic but the real star of this track is Chuck Rainey on the bass. It is incredible what he is doing. You can search out a 'bass only' version of this track which isolates his playing.
You...just can't beat the Dan ..
Stevie Wonder ~ "Livin For The City"....!
I think Bob Weir still owns an "A-Frame" in Mill Valley.
This song is a classic example of Steely Dan fusing funk, jazz and rock with a killer guitar solo by Larry Carlton.
If you haven't checked them out already, I would like to suggest the title song of this album "The Royal Scam". That and "Black Friday" are my two faves by them.
It's about a famous drug chemist in San Francisco in the late 60s, Hippie, and Flower children era.
That's a guitar solo 😎
Clavinet
Harri if you want to hear another fantastic guitar solo by Larry Carlton check out Spiral by the Crusaders. He played with them for a while.👍🏽🎸🏝️
The song is about Owsley Stanley.
LSD 🧡💛💚💙💜
The sound you’re thinking of by Stevie Wonder is called a clavinet. The world could use more funk right now. This is my fav Steely Dan album.
Larry Carlton guitar 🎸
This is from their royal scam album which I think is their best. The others not far behind
Harri the reference is there gas in the car was how many people got busted doing things by running out of gas a cop checking them out, that keyboard sounds like stevie Wonder on the song "" Superstition "". OK Harri
Look up Tonto's Expanding Headband. Big influence on Stevie Wonder in the 70s.
Another great use of the clavinet can be found on "Baby I Love You" by Cold Blood, a Bay Area group that goes too unrecognized. The way they build the funky groove on that song is something you've got to hear: czcams.com/video/U4JzqBr3QNY/video.html
😎HI !
46 years young. You've led a sheltered life not to have heard this beaut before Harri. I really dig the outro guitar solo just as much as the first one. Songs In The Key Of Life was released in September 1976, The Royal Scam came out in May of the same year. I believe that Steveland was a major fan. My favourite Stevie is Innervisions - perhaps I'm older than you.
As you already know Steely Dan don't do poor or even mediocre songs. This is one of their best. I suggest Green Earrings as the next destination; bur seriously just buy Citizen Steely Dan. They may *just* supplant Stevie W as your favourite. The song is about drugz (lsd) being supplanted by cocaine/heroin as they were more lucrative...
Did you catch Michael McDonald on back up vocals there Harri?
Please do Trains by Porcupine Tree. Sorta prog but great.
That was one of the best guitar solos in my lifetime.NO-not in volume you spinal tappers;)
Clav. Short for clavinova
Yes. There's gas in the car.... :-)
Song is about making lsd
bit more complex than Stevies stuff...
Wonder tune = very superstitious. The instrument is a clavinova put through an envelope filter.
Superstition , Stevie wonder
It's about a drug dealer going out of business.
Drug dealer,I get?
Love
Steely
Dan