Steely Dan Live 1996 at Manassas 5/23: Jack of Speed

[garwood34]

Holy shit...first time I've heard this with Walt singing. Awesome!! (But I think I like the CD lyrics better)

[pretorious700]

I like Walter's voice.

[mrpicky510]

Becker is best on this song, love it

[MadeInAmerica66]

I saw this tour in 96 at the shoreline amp. That guitarist blew out a lead in this song that 15 years later I still cant get out of my head, it reminded me of a fireworks, like one of those "flowers" that spin and dance and change colors. who is that guy?

[jp0531801]

This just goes to show how these boys build stuff up so much for several years before letting it out and releasing it....Cant wait till the next album. Its been 8 years!!

[MrSumitroy1979]

Liked it in spite of the grainy video, Steely rocks as always

[PMN]

Tom Barney's such a wonderful musician, you hardly ever see him without a huge grin on his face. Love it. The rest of them are pretty damned good too! This is a great version of this track, I love the album version but this is also awesome.

[calebzia]

who's the kid on guitar?

[fendweller]

@calebzia The 'kid' is Wayne Krantz. A serious jazz dude. Check him out - plenty of him on Youtube.

[GDarkstar74]

I think this is my favorite version. I like it better than the album version.

[tubricant]

I was at Alpine Valley during the Art Crimes tour; that sound Wayne Krantz had was very distinct and this is exactly how it sounded in Wisconsin. Different bridge chords here; they were changed for the album version.

[kenjajesfeelit]

I love SD and these gems that pop up. Oddly, I love Wally's singing. I know, it's wierd, it's odd, I'm odd, he's odd... I just dont know...

[kell1reilly2]

where can i find this dvd anyway? i really want it lol

[calebzia]

dude, walter, great shirt

[usdachoice]

I wonder how long they reworked this tune. It seems that they did a ton of editing on lyrics. This has been a real lesson on songwriting for me. Trying to convey a story and a character in the most essential lyrics and changing the generals to specifics. Great work everyone.

[DylanTMathews]

@usdachoice they probably rework a lot of songs. I mean, they are perfectionists when it comes to studio work. For instance, there's a video on youtube of "I Got the News" recorded circa Katy Lied 1974-75 that is very different from the Aja cut (though, to note, they also recorded a demo of "Black Cow" that is pretty much a carbon copy of the Aja version in terms of structure, harmony, lyrics, etc.)

[fluffydolly]

great dan tune......hot!!!!

[expenguin67]

1:08 - 1:09 Donald is FEELIN' it!

[BttfJunkie1]

@expenguin67 lmao, always entertaining to see donald in the groove.

[expenguin67]

Groove line you could hang your clothes on!

[SaxyDan54]

In-Deed!!!

[ubda1]

nice ;-)

[antonellalotto]

I love this groove!!!!

[StrayGator]

This sounds a little more like the classic Steely Dan sound, compared to the full out jazz on the studio cut.

[deadpan227]

This is the best of Walter's singing I've heard, but then I haven't heard his latest CD.

[pagingaudrey]

@deadpan227 his latest CD Circus Money is ridiculously awesome, buy it if you get the chance...

[deadpan227]

@pagingaudrey Thanks. I'm downloading the MP3. This and Cousin Dupree are two of my favorites.

[gregcoulson]

hmm hard to comment, but this is some what better than Donald's version, I don't know though, its a tad funkier as well, and the cowbell is cool too. phaser on the rhoads makes it sound fuller to.

any response?

[deadpan227]

Hey, Walter lived it.

I can really see what you mean. I like "bogus haircut" a lot better than "right wing hooey." Don't want no politics with my Dan. I like these words too, but in a different, more visceral way than the recorded version from 2VN.

What a delight to find this!

[crobins333]

anyone know about krantz's setup? i am right in thinking there is a smidgen of stereo chorus going on? loving that sparkle on the top end

[stuartrossdavies]

lawson is a mother fucker on this

[WNM52]

Oh how I love this band!

[tubricant]

I love this version. When compared with the studio version, the only thing that was bettered was the bridge. The last half of the studio bridge is superior and I'm glad they tinkered with it. It makes the entrance back into the verse much more smooth and enjoyable.

[robkelly123]

This version smokes the studio CD. Walter's tamber and attitude, plus the added verses' make this.

[snakeonthetrail]

Walter's version warms up the mood

a little.

[PLISKEN12]

donald's version is better.

[kell1reilly2]

i also like this version better than the album version. its more rock oriented and i think walts voice isnt as soft as dons is for this song. guitar and horns sound amazing!

[StrayGator]

I agree, I think there new albums, went a little too much into jazz teritory.

[kell1reilly2]

in 2000, steely dan performed on the today show in new york & they were complimented on how they were able to make their then-new alubm two against nature keep their origianl sound. i dont understand that. TAN sounds nothing like they used to sound

[Chublin2249]

I don't really understand that either. I like their "new sound" a lot though.

[wilkiemart]

The Jazz side of steely dan is what drew me to them in the first place, but either way this version kicks ass

[voxepisode]

Agreed. I actually like it better than their old sound. ... as good as that was. I like EMG too.

[kell1reilly2]

@StrayGator i agree. well, everything must go had sum good stuff on it. overall, two against nature i think was their jazziest & i just dont rly care 4 it

[snickle13]

Bass player hasn't changed a bit since then!

[trueBOOBfan1]

nothing short of brilliant

[voxepisode]

Boobs and Steely Dan ... my 1 and 2 loves as well!

[WNM52]

A diamond in the rough.

[blume137]

thats a killer solo

[taxiology]

I can't imagine seeing this and then having to wait four damn years before the album version came out.

[voxepisode]

Good point.  Torture!

[downtwothenleft]

I have to say the album version is better! Prefer fagen on vocals, and I think the album version is more funked up and refined! Smoother!

[voxepisode]

Notice the words in '96 were:

1) Sheena's party - there's a case in point

That bogus haircut sure stunk out the joint

since changed to

2) Sheena's party - there's a case in point

That right-wing hooey sure stunk up the joint

I prefer 1) because subtly is always better than overt political messages. Especially in jazz.

[b4nt2k]

I like most everything in this version better than the record version, except for the vocals. I like the rhodes the the phaser better than the wurlitzer on the record, I like how donald sustains the bvi chord rather than the pattern, the groove is better, the key is better (b 1 half step), the solo is better, and bridge is better. I just miss don's vocals. Walt just doesn't have it, Don's voice is so original, and he can get back into key after out-of-key changes better than Walt.

[bluesman50]

Ricky Lawson's got to be one of the best drummers ever, and with Tom Barney's bottom... these guys have a first class groove goin' on, despite the rough nature of this new song. The refined Plush TV version is awesome... check it out, I can't praise their precision enough.

[floberg]

what kind of guitars are they playing?

[3rdsne]

Walter is playing a Sadowsky Guitar.

[Jaytheguitarplayer]

He's playing a Statocaster. He plays a Sawdowsky on the TvN DVD

[ariehaar]

I'd like that mp3.

[ariehaar]

Walter has a better voice then Donald

[WNM52]

LOVE the "big band" sound of the horns and vocals-- back and front-- on this version. Very soulful, Mr. Becker. Right on!

[totenkopf98k]

walt's singin' on this version rock's,too bad he didn't do the delivery on the studio version.not that don can't deliver

[Angzity]

Sorry if anyone has said this before, but just before the recording, if i recall, don asked walt if he wanted to do the vocals, and he said no thanks.

[StrayGator]

Shame, a bit of variation would have been nice!

[smsm5128]

Wayne Krantz's guitar work on this is awesome!!

[steveviscious89]

This seems to be the only tune from the tour that remained half way intact all the way to the studio...can't say that I blame them..haha. I kinda like this higher energy version though.

[sheilus2]

Jack of Speed was released in 2000 (Two against nature album) - So how can this be live in 1996 ? Thanks for posting anyway, I like to listen Walter singing

[carlospc]

Just listen to the explanation that Walter gives before singing ;-)

[marolio1]

espectacular. for me, the best version of jack of speed ever. Steely Dan la mejor banda de la historia

[carlospc]

Thank you. I ripped the sound right from this DVD and made myself a nice set of mp3s.

[carlospc]

I guess those were the lyrics they had in 1996 for Jack of Speed.

[LadyFagen]

Everytime I listen to this song on here, I wish more and more there was a way to get it on cd. I wish so much that they would've released this version on one of their albulms. :(

[LadyFagen]

Oh wow. This sounds slightly different from what ended up on Two Against Nature. I know it's live but whoa what genius to have made this song all those years ago and what a shame it took until another 4 years before fans could buy the albulm with this song on it. I like Walter singing it as much as I like Donald singing it. :)

[carlospc]

Yes, I like this version as much as the one in 2AN.