Dirty Work: The Oral History of Recording with Steely Dan – Part V
Donald and Walter ratchet up the search for the definitive performance.
What follows is Part V of “Dirty Work,” my oral history of recording with Steely Dan. (Read the introduction, Part I, Part II, Part III, and Part IV.) Only paid subscribers to Expanding Dan get access to all seven parts.
Part V: In Search of the Definitive Performance
Daniel Levitin (consultant): Aja was a gamechanger for Donald and Walter. Donald told me it was really the first time they felt the freedom to do whatever they wanted. They had reached a financial position to hire who they wanted and pay them well and take as much time as they needed to get it right.
Elliott Randall: After The Royal Scam, I felt they became a little too focused on perfect everything.
Lenise Bent (assistant engineer): While recording Aja, Donald would wear this T-shirt that always made me laugh. It said “ALMOST PERFECT,” and the word “perfect” was kind of askew.
Donald Fagen: In those days, we didn’t even rehearse with those guys. We’d hand out charts, play a demo of the song, and just start playing. We’d fix some rough spots, get a groove, and then start doing takes. Typically, we’d all go listen in the control room, discuss a few things, and, more often than not, do a few more takes. Then we’d take a dinner break, come back all relaxed and get a nice take.