Great interview, thanks Jake and Don. I love the Aja book, bought it when it was first out. Man, I would love to hear the raw tape of Don's sit-down with DF! (that's a hint, guys! :-)
Great article, I enjoyed my copy of the little "Aja" book and it really is as good as a discussion of technique could get without full-bore music theory.
As for "Lazy Nina": what a hidden gem! Greg Phillinganes does an excellent take, but it's a -cover- all the same, akin to Patti Austin singing "IGY" on SNL. Discovering false floors and hidden keyholes in SD/Donald/Walter songs is often a matter of finding a structural mismatch between the lyrics and the singer. A pity we don't have a demo tape with the Fagen's own rendition.
Thanks, Jake, as always, for the insides and insights into the Daniverse. One quibble I have here is the not-your, and not-Breithaupt’s, but nevertheless the article’s assumption—presumption, really—that Irving Azoff’s line about what Donald does/doesn’t do is fair or accurate or otherwise attributable to Mr. Fagen. Let me say that I have NO idea. But given Azoff’s reputation (c/o Eagles, et al., and cf. Fagen’s “Eminent Hipsters” memoir-cum-touring-journal), I have … questions. :-)
In your piece, via Breithaupt’s recollection: "Fagen’s manager, Irving Azoff, explained to me, ‘Donald doesn’t really do sit-down interviews, especially long ones when he’s got nothing to promote.’”
Um, sure, maybe. Especially re the first bit about doing interviews; … but the capper—that Donald isn’t available “when he’s got nothing to promote”—sounds exactly like a PR/manager/ gatekeeper/industry asshole (which, okay, that’s probably in the job description: to say “No!") rather than necessarily Donald’s take. Which, again though, it MAY be; and the dynamic duo [but, well, they were BOTH “Batman”] were notoriously snarky-while-amiable personae during interviews … but the key phrase there is DURING INTERVIEWS, because the guys did in fact do plenty of those—as, not ironically, your “Expanding Dan” Substack routinely shares. Again, thanks as always for all this-that-the-other!
Thus, yes, I can imagine that Donald (and Walter) appreciated Azoff’s gatekeeping “No" role; nevertheless, I would not think readers here/elsewhere ought to assume Azoff’s statement (AS PROMOTER, of PROMOTING PROMOTIONS, to PROMOTE something) ;-) represents Fagen’s own view of (not-)being available until Fagen has something to promote. But that’s how this comes off in the article: as Azoff speaking accurately(???) on behalf of Donald.
Surely, that IS Azoff’s position on the matter. As for Donald’s, you or someone would have to ask the Major Dude himself.
Great interview, thanks Jake and Don. I love the Aja book, bought it when it was first out. Man, I would love to hear the raw tape of Don's sit-down with DF! (that's a hint, guys! :-)
Great article, I enjoyed my copy of the little "Aja" book and it really is as good as a discussion of technique could get without full-bore music theory.
As for "Lazy Nina": what a hidden gem! Greg Phillinganes does an excellent take, but it's a -cover- all the same, akin to Patti Austin singing "IGY" on SNL. Discovering false floors and hidden keyholes in SD/Donald/Walter songs is often a matter of finding a structural mismatch between the lyrics and the singer. A pity we don't have a demo tape with the Fagen's own rendition.
Thanks, Jake, as always, for the insides and insights into the Daniverse. One quibble I have here is the not-your, and not-Breithaupt’s, but nevertheless the article’s assumption—presumption, really—that Irving Azoff’s line about what Donald does/doesn’t do is fair or accurate or otherwise attributable to Mr. Fagen. Let me say that I have NO idea. But given Azoff’s reputation (c/o Eagles, et al., and cf. Fagen’s “Eminent Hipsters” memoir-cum-touring-journal), I have … questions. :-)
In your piece, via Breithaupt’s recollection: "Fagen’s manager, Irving Azoff, explained to me, ‘Donald doesn’t really do sit-down interviews, especially long ones when he’s got nothing to promote.’”
Um, sure, maybe. Especially re the first bit about doing interviews; … but the capper—that Donald isn’t available “when he’s got nothing to promote”—sounds exactly like a PR/manager/ gatekeeper/industry asshole (which, okay, that’s probably in the job description: to say “No!") rather than necessarily Donald’s take. Which, again though, it MAY be; and the dynamic duo [but, well, they were BOTH “Batman”] were notoriously snarky-while-amiable personae during interviews … but the key phrase there is DURING INTERVIEWS, because the guys did in fact do plenty of those—as, not ironically, your “Expanding Dan” Substack routinely shares. Again, thanks as always for all this-that-the-other!
Thus, yes, I can imagine that Donald (and Walter) appreciated Azoff’s gatekeeping “No" role; nevertheless, I would not think readers here/elsewhere ought to assume Azoff’s statement (AS PROMOTER, of PROMOTING PROMOTIONS, to PROMOTE something) ;-) represents Fagen’s own view of (not-)being available until Fagen has something to promote. But that’s how this comes off in the article: as Azoff speaking accurately(???) on behalf of Donald.
Surely, that IS Azoff’s position on the matter. As for Donald’s, you or someone would have to ask the Major Dude himself.