I dig this

For the Boomers. Nice guitar work on this one. Once it moves outside thematic to harmonies, supposedly it's Diaz on the main solo. Who am I to correct the record, but it sounds more like Skunk to me. Hodder on lead vocal.

 
I beg to differ. Although Larry Carlton's solo is a strong feature of Kid Charlemagne, there's a lot more that could be said of the song/recording. And wouldn't you just know I'd be the one to say it.

There's a lot going on. Bernard Purdie on drums, and Chuck Rainey bass. Man. Right in the pocket, building throughout the song, each verse better than the last. Rainey's slides up the neck. The clavinet, funky. First two lines of each verse kind of a holding one note thing, then funking out for the remainder. Guitar accents throughout, finding spaces in between. There's a dark themed keyboard, maybe a Rhodes? Dark, ominous at the beginning of each verse, then hammer strokes. I love that Rhodes, or whatever it is.

The cool ass lyrics...."Clean this mess up or we'll all end up in jail, the test tubes and the scales, just get 'em all out of here.....Is there gas in the car? Yes there's gas in the car. I think the people down the hall know who you are."

And yes, of course there is Larry Carlton's solo. Stellar, top shelf, probably a 335, kind of warm but with a bite.

I've slapped on the headphones and listened to that tune probably close to 30 times in one sitting, and still never got bored. Each time listening to a single instrument. An answer call quality, and how each instrument finds its own space. In my mind and to my ears, Kid Charlemagne is the absolute high mark of Steely Dan offerings. The only criticism I could offer is the outro. Too gimmicky, doesn't fit the mood of the song.
 
Mick Doobie said:
I beg to differ. Although Larry Carlton's solo is a strong feature of Kid Charlemagne, there's a lot more that could be said of the song/recording. And wouldn't you just know I'd be the one to say it.

There's a lot going on. Bernard Purdie on drums, and Chuck Rainey bass. Man. Right in the pocket, building throughout the song, each verse better than the last. Rainey's slides up the neck. The clavinet, funky. First two lines of each verse kind of a holding one note thing, then funking out for the remainder. Guitar accents throughout, finding spaces in between. There's a dark themed keyboard, maybe a Rhodes? Dark, ominous at the beginning of each verse, then hammer strokes. I love that Rhodes, or whatever it is.

The cool ass lyrics...."Clean this mess up or we'll all end up in jail, the test tubes and the scales, just get 'em all out of here.....Is there gas in the car? Yes there's gas in the car. I think the people down the hall know who you are."

And yes, of course there is Larry Carlton's solo. Stellar, top shelf, probably a 335, kind of warm but with a bite.

I've slapped on the headphones and listened to that tune probably close to 30 times in one sitting, and still never got bored. Each time listening to a single instrument. An answer call quality, and how each instrument finds its own space. In my mind and to my ears, Kid Charlemagne is the absolute high mark of Steely Dan offerings. The only criticism I could offer is the outro. Too gimmicky, doesn't fit the mood of the song.
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Chuck slapped on Peg even though Don and Walt told him not to 😆😆
 
Subjectively speaking I dig most all of Steely Dan's work in all it's iterations. That said for sure and don't get me wrong I love a lot of what they did after it.. Can't buy a thrill is just an epic album and I was lucky enough to see it performed live a million years ago...just brilliant songs on all levels.
 
TAE said:
Subjectively speaking I dig most all of Steely Dan's work in all it's iterations. That said for sure and don't get me wrong I love a lot of what they did after it.. Can't buy a thrill is just an epic album and I was lucky enough to see it performed live a million years ago...just brilliant songs on all levels.
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Brooklyn was such a beautiful piece of work xxx

It is a thing of beauty

 
TAE said:
Subjectively speaking I dig most all of Steely Dan's work in all it's iterations. That said for sure and don't get me wrong I love a lot of what they did after it.. Can't buy a thrill is just an epic album and I was lucky enough to see it performed live a million years ago...just brilliant songs on all levels.
Click to expand...
Just Skunks playing on the pedal steel, and the gentle vocal and the guitar vibe. It is perfect. A beautiful ballad
 
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Mick Doobie said:
I beg to differ. Although Larry Carlton's solo is a strong feature of Kid Charlemagne, there's a lot more that could be said of the song/recording. And wouldn't you just know I'd be the one to say it.

There's a lot going on. Bernard Purdie on drums, and Chuck Rainey bass. Man. Right in the pocket, building throughout the song, each verse better than the last. Rainey's slides up the neck. The clavinet, funky. First two lines of each verse kind of a holding one note thing, then funking out for the remainder. Guitar accents throughout, finding spaces in between. There's a dark themed keyboard, maybe a Rhodes? Dark, ominous at the beginning of each verse, then hammer strokes. I love that Rhodes, or whatever it is.

The cool ass lyrics...."Clean this mess up or we'll all end up in jail, the test tubes and the scales, just get 'em all out of here.....Is there gas in the car? Yes there's gas in the car. I think the people down the hall know who you are."

And yes, of course there is Larry Carlton's solo. Stellar, top shelf, probably a 335, kind of warm but with a bite.

I've slapped on the headphones and listened to that tune probably close to 30 times in one sitting, and still never got bored. Each time listening to a single instrument. An answer call quality, and how each instrument finds its own space. In my mind and to my ears, Kid Charlemagne is the absolute high mark of Steely Dan offerings. The only criticism I could offer is the outro. Too gimmicky, doesn't fit the mood of the song.
Click to expand...
Purdie and Chuck were just epic together man !
 
We have a pretty damn good Steely Dan cover band here in LA called Pretzel Logic.... This a demo of all live performance's with no "tricks" just pure live experience...

 
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