Pretzel Logic by Donald Fagen w/ Michael McDonald Steely Dan

[bigbambo0m]

Best band in the world. Period.

[jbikemoore]

such understated vocals... spreading the good on thick

[driverayyz]

Thanks for this post, excellent!

[ClemsyDiggs]

Out freaking standing. Need to hear this LOUD! Thanks for sharing.

[Deadfreeeak]

Nice to see drew zing...

[MrSprite69]

THOSE DAYS ARE GONE FOREVER, DAM

[MrMcmovez]

Bad ass!

[RockinReeseBoyd]

This must be the best version of this gem on youtube! Thanks so much for sharing! I've heard this song several times before, but as with much of the music my the great Steely Dan, the subtle nuances, bluesy irony, beautiful chord progressions, horn arrangements, ect, etc. finally teach me that this too is one of "the best". - Mike (Reese's dad)

[plee13821]

No Jeff Baxter...I guess the new guys darn good too.

[jmusker54]

makes me miss walter becker because the singing was better.

[311Ceriah]

Fagen looks like my old science teacher in this video.

[SteelyDon1]

One of , If not the definitive, live versions of this song.I miss Drew playing with the boys!

[rimmyou69]

1 dislike. Always 1 imbecile in the crowd.

[tears4hias]

Gr8 solo ,but where are denny dias and jeff baxter ....

[julie223783]

outstanding!



[CFMD28]

The guy on the congas will prepare your cheeseburgers shortly!

[mistersloppy]

Jimmy Page on drums????

[cedarsands169]

yeah love it we love it

[cedarsands169]

yeah love it

[SteelyDon1]

Possibly my favourite live version! I miss Drew on tour.The boys should have him guest sometime.

[bigduke60]

I could live without Michael McDonald.

[Bravo6Whiskey]

Always the hottest backup singers and always damn fine music.

[Jeffpcmt]

If there is such thing as a perfect song, this is it!

[egyptianminor]

Shuoldn't say this, but I got 2 SD bootlegs from the 1993 tour w/ Drew Zingg, and his solos are a perfect mix of Post Bop and modern Hard Blues Rock- pretty much the way he plays here. Very fine version of Pretzel Logic.

[manabozho]

Drew Zingg, the fine guitar player here, is now looking for kickstarter contributions to help with his debut album as a leader. You can find the project easily, dzdap--stands for drew zingg debut album project--by putting his name in to google. If you'd like to help a great guy and a great player, doesn't take much. I'm a fan, already chipped in.

[Boddissatva]

Rockin my world.

[VEGANSAM]

MY GOOSEBUMPS...HAVE GOOSEBUMPS!!!

.

[papaslam]

Steely Dan were the American equivalent of the Beatles. Live performances could not fulfill the duo's artistic thirst for exploration and excellence. The band format became obsolete as their vision became broader and their quest for perfection greater. Drawing from such diverse sources as Duke Ellington, Southern Blues and the drug influenced street of New York City, this band defined a new era in musical sophistication, street smart poetic lyrics and elevating the craft of record making.

[adam872]

That really is a great solo. Smokin' guitar tone to go with it too.

[214kennedy]

great video

[whoof1]

I'm just sitting here singing "oh oh yeah...oh oh yeah...oh oh yeah". Not sure if i care who was where, or when they were there. I just know that i respect great music. i'll let you know if my opinion changes after July 3rd....not likely....

[pbyardh]

The guitarist is Drew Zingg.

[matt4270]

@pbyardh This is 93'-94'. Drew is an guitar NYC GOD!



[TheRonole]

Who is this guitar player. Let me know. ronole@gmail

[richdys]

Who is this guitarist that is a smoking hot solo. . . . Yeesh Mgeesh.

[Theryougo1]

Looks like this guy outplayed Walter Becker on lead...

[14369164]

@Theryougo1 That would not be difficult,having said that you will not find a better all round songsmith than Walter, he creates the fabric,others put the buttons on!

[MultiShades]

not as good as the studio

[MOSKII58]

who's the guitarist, he's very good, very soulful

[trackstaar]

I hate to be the stereotypical teenager that comments saying "I'm only 17 but this is my kind of music" but I feel the need to let the masses (you guys) know that not all of this generation likes the crap top 40 they're playing nowadays. My daddy may have not been the best father, but he sure raised me on good musical taste. Steely Dan is the epitome of fine music

[mstrshredder]

That is a nasty guitar solo!!!!

[1954tele]

I have always been so impressed with guitarist-Drew Zingg & his phrasing, very unorthadox but lyrical. Great Show !!

[Quentin4653]

I remember recording this on a VHS Tape . Thanks for posting this

[intrinsicx]

Soooo Sweet! :)

[pretorious700]

One thing I'm really tired of is the awkward dancing background singers. I think this is a tradition that should go away.

[whatk2]

@pretorious700 Disagree - not enough camera time for them. Classic spice, but not overdone. Hand movements are repetitive, sure, but that's how they get into the swing of things.

[Wrkoutguy08]

I have never met Napoleon, but I plan to find the time!

[capitansurfista]

Simply one of the best musicians of our times...simply classic stuff..keep reeling steely

[danardone]

I could see why the B/W - its all about the music.

Simple enough.

I've gotta see if NetFlix has the entire concert.

[pbyardh]

No other vids from this A&E production seem to be released. The audio album is available from Amazon, etc.

If you find more from the Beacon Theater shows, please let me know.

[TheShack2112]

@danardone ive looked for years and cannot find the video

[DrumzzKool]

NICE and LAID right back. Masters of dynamics...tasty. Steely Dan, solid and respectful students of THE Blues.

[KingMoses3]

HOLY SHIT THAT WAS INCREDIBLE!

[dixiechickntx]

I love it!!! I am 37 and SD is one of my favorite bands EVER!!!

[Guitfiddlejase]

My hands down favorite tune by Steely...

[MrGonzorhea]

If Donald Fagen ever ran for office, I'd vote for him, and I'm Canadian.

[MrGonzorhea]

very cool

[splicernyc]

Such sweet and tasteful guitar work.

[megatoasty100]

The band "could do without mcdonald"?? Donald Fagen didn't think so. It's not your business or place to even comment on it. And you're thumbing your nose at another supergroup from the 70's-The Dobbie Brothers.

[esterhay]

Saw the two of them with Boz Scaggs a month ago in NYC. Fantastic. If you have a chance to see them you should.

[freemusic1979]

Wonderful sound !!!

[rwhaller42]

That guitar player is damn good! Drew Zingg? Got to check him out.

[vintagevic1]

The band can do without mcdonald. He just doesnt seem to fit: even with the Doobies.

[sweettoothdrumsco]

Dennis McDermott looks like joey from anthrax

[acegotflows]

1 person must have missed the like button...

[hoosierkate]

@acegotflows That's funny--I thought so too, how could anyone vote it down???

[Killtone]

Not familiar with the guitar player, can anyone tell his full name, thanks

[August1977]

Stunning artists in their prime time, this is the best of what American culture has brought forth.

[eemukwada]

This is a masterpiece. The tone on Drew's guitar is, for want of a better word, beautiful.

A truly great performance.

[eemukwada]

This is a masterpiece. The tone on Drew's guitar is, for want of a better word, beautiful.

A trully great performance.

[kenpalmer1965]

This is the very best song off of the Rock and Soul Revue from 1991. I have it on a cassette tape somewhere and it was recorded live. Awesome stuff!

[floor993]

Dit is geweldig!!

[fabiosusini]

Sara' anche sound controllato ma è bella roba.

[mitch2360]

Why B/W ? Decent quality video ... pulled from a Quad tape ?

[pbyardh]

Taped directly from the original A&E broadcast. Yours is one of many questions about this show: are there more numbers archived; was this ever released commercially, etc. Fagen, Scaggs and McDonald are currently (2010) touring as an act (or were this past summer). Tix were in the hundreds of bucks in Boston......

[0marigolds]

@pbyardh still some shows left of the Dukes tour, ticket prices in a reasonable range.... initial shows on the tour were $300-500!!!

[edl868]

one of the greatest concerts ever....omg....fagen, becker, scaggs, snow, mcdonald, brigati....

[pbyardh]

Walter was not here - back in Hawaii, presumably. Agree a great show - it toured and I missed it!

[irenegade]

Great live version! And there's Drew Zingg on Guitar!

[dekbh99]

smoking lead guitar. Where did you those shoes?

[MsGracenote]

Great Song...

[MultiShades]

mike go away

[nyfrigger56]

Fagen is really singing well here. Just a great jam.

[Carlo952]

the drummer kinda plays frum the soul kinda reminds me of animal frum the muppet band

[upquidproquo]

I LOVE DONALD FAGEN!! Steely Dan is incomparable!!

[whoof1]

Dayum pbyardh, this has the feel of one of those "lost sessions", nice black and white, and amazing music from the Masters, this is the "in the dirt" version of what i think is one of America's best all-time songwriters and artist...my respect.

[dannybigs1]

this is so damn pimp...had the privilege of seeing them last summer, they straight rock

[ModernSaxDotCom]

the guitar lick at 5:02 is brilliant to me, guess it's just a musician thing

[GalaxyHorse]

@ModernSaxDotCom Agreed, and how about the beautiful tone of that 335, just love it...

[ModernSaxDotCom]

@GalaxyHorse yeah man!.........a finely crafted tune for sure!

[ebonics4everyone]

Forget Sammie Davis Jr. Donald Fagan is the greatest jazz vocalist ever.

[dodomick99]

Just fab ! Been a DANFAN since day1. This is nostalgic heaven for me. Shine on you crazy diamond. What a gem in a world of Cubic Zirconias. Steely Dan and Donal Fagan were the BEES KNEES...

[BigTroll22]

Nice to see and hear them pair up like this!!!

[marklubeski]

Drew is just great and so underappreciated.

[whoof1]

I'm wearing my happy feet....

[thumper14092]

So good it makes my teeth hurt

[pngaia]

Nice Guitar Solo, Onya mate..

[thevgmk1]

Boz Scaggs is a tasty player.... I'm taking in some great musicianship (great song), and some sexy guitar playing... Im contented...

[davieIII]

They coulda used Walter in this one

[August1977]

Who is the guitarist?

[KeepinBuzzy]

@August1977

Drew Zingg

[keesimo]

someone light me a cigarette and pass the whiskey

[kurtzim62]

unbelievable video! this band is trapped in time with ageless brillance.

[runthemachine]

Great, great performance. Thanks so much for posting.

So embarrassing to me, that I didn't know Michael could play anything but his pipes (so weird to imagine him singing for the Doobies, right?).

Killer song, awesome 'rendition' (love ya, Don. Big, BIG props, for decades now)... really enjoyed this.

Thanks again, pbyardh. Very nice.

[Blues353]

That guitarist might be better than Larry Carlton and that's a tall order!

[comickid420]

@Blues353 No....

[gdecamp]

An awesome rendition...wow, great guitar and vocals.

They are going back on tour again this summer - Fagan, McDonald, Skaggs, Jon Harrington on guitar. I for sure will be there in NY at Jones Beach.

[nman48]

This was not a Steely Dan gig. It was Fagen with McDonald, Eddie Brigati, Phoebe Snow, Boz Scaggs, Charles Brown and a backing band. I have heard the whole CD and it is excellent

[pbyardh]

You are right, this is not Steely Dan. Read the description.

[DDRaHolic]

@pbyardh

Do you know where I could find this cd?

[pbyardh]

@DDRaHolic

New York Rock and Soul Review - Live at the Beacon Theater is available at Amozon.com

[pbyardh]

@DDRaHolic

Make that AMAZON.com...sorry.

[chiprdr]

@pbyardh  yes Pretzel Logic CD

[ganspernanthy]

@DDRaHolic yes go to cduniverse,com it called "a night at the beacon " phoee snow bozz skaggs mike mcdaonald brigatti brothers donald fagan this version of pretzal logic. release date was 1991.ny rock and soul a night at the beacon

[steely4you]

It sounds like the Brooklyn Blues by Barry Manilow, you can see in youtube

Barry Manilow - Brooklyn Blues.wmv

Greetings from Vancouver

[pbyardh]

It has the feel - Barry (whom I have always admired) must have been inspired by SD.

Thanks for pointing this out!

[cuyesterday]

Who's playing lead guitar ???

Shit hot who ever he is!

[12RMS]

@cuyesterday - The guitar player is Drew Zingg ~ Formerly of Bill Block's Big Bang, now on tour with Boz Skaggs. You can hear more great playing from him on Steely Dan's "Alive In America."

[bardofwawa]

Isn't that Rebop Kwaku Bah on percussion?

[marklubeski]

This is one of the most important bands of the 20th century. Incredible arrangements and completely solid music. Anyone who thinks otherwise is just not in the loop.

[bardofwawa]

Isn't that Rebop Kwaku Bah on percussion?

[DeanLisi]

@marklubeski  FREAKIN yeah !

[tazie45]

yah, 'tour the southland in a travelin' minstral show' said in the jewish voice, I love Steely Dan forever...one of my fav songs.

[Domblick]

stands the test of time -----great performance and tender song

[amyniall]

god this is outstanding.....

[JFDEAB]

"coff-coff"..;;

ian.

[JFDEAB]

"coff-coff"..;;

Ian.

[dronai]

These guys would never hire "average" musicians. They would hire the best, especially in those days when all their songs were hits.

[rlstevenson1886]

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SWEEEET

[RedHtuna]

Great work, very evocative

[mtfsant]

Fantastic! There's no word

[yaesuman1234]

I think Drew sounds great

awesome

[MrRoadcrew]

Fabuloso

[awesomewelles90]

Great tune! Guitar is very average though compared with the studio cuts of Steely Dan songs.

[papalazerus22]

average !!! shut up you dickhead !

[awesomewelles90]

@papalazerus22 make me!

[mgara682]

Just watched this for the first time. Made my night! I have been a 'Dan fan since 1973. Truly great musicians and artists. One of the few truly original bands in rock/pop/soul world. Great sound with Michael McD and Mr. Zingg, too.

[MrTeleGib]

Me too! I got hooked on Countdown, after that I got Can't but and since then followed SD. In the last fifteen years they visited Europe a few times and I missed none of it!

I wondered who's the guitar player in this recording and yoe tell me it's Drew Zingg. Didn't hear anything of him lately

[denisewilbur1]

I knew Drew Zingg as a student. When he was 14 he was blowing away all the bands that came to play at the school. I don't want to say this was a while ago, but he was part of a brief class I taught on how to overdub multiple parts on reel to reel tape!

[nman48]

A lot of people here should, in the words of Dylan, "don't criticize what you can't understand".

There is a lot of cookie cutter music out there today. It's always nice to listen to an original sound.

[ELVISHAGA]

this drummer is awesome, a lot better than the guy they have in the band these days.. good lead guitar as well. thanx for posting!

[Asymmatrix]

Goosebumps.

[rmac1042]

I can't belive the peoplle that write disparaging remarks about these geniuses! These musicians are some of the most important singer-players in this genre in the last 50 years. And, no, I cannot imagine anyone else singing SD material. It's not about the voice as a perfect instrument, it's about the ambience created by that voice to paint and aural impression. These guys are great.

[chalone2]

I'm one of those who believe that Donald has a great voice!! try to imagine Steely Dan with anyone else doing the vocals!! I don't think so...

[JayBlanche]

they tried David Palmer at the start... they reallsed nobody else but DF could do it, even though he was reluctant to be the singer

[rrdrums110]

Oh wow did I sling an arrow at your love interest? Jesus Christ. quit pretending the fag is a good singer. Any real musician knows it's about the lyrics here. This dude is not a great singer.

[icarus212001]

@rrdrums110 It's called having emotion, but you obviously wouldn't know that.

[rrdrums110]

Not around? I'm near 60 stooge. I played a good portion of their hits in a cover band. Those were the least taxing of all drum pats. LOL.

[pooslinger10]

oh really I've never heard of you!!!!

[rrdrums110]

About as well sung as a b-karaoke dude.

I'm a drummer but i can sing a better song fo sho than this dickreed.

[pooslinger10]

prove it asshole

[pooslinger10]

really? i'm a guitarist- bassist- song writer-vocalist with perfect pitch . Post a song with better vocals (with you singing lead) or shut the fuck up asshole!!!!!!

[rrdrums110]

Oh really? Since when is whining flat vocals considered talent?

[pooslinger10]

you wouldn't know a flat note if it hit you in the ear!

[rrdrums110]

Ok. Is it too much to ask that the singer sing on key?

[archerjr66]

Go away sparky, I'm trying to listen to people who actually have talent.

[kenmeerlivermaile]

About as much as asking you to distinguish slightly off tonality from key signature. Fuckface.

[meanmud1]

Actually I think it is considered Pop - no need to call in Tony Williams....settle down.

[rrdrums110]

God these guys are not jazz!!! And so overated . Where's Tony Williams and Lifetime? jeez this shit belongs in a little known hotel in Reno or Laughlin

[DonWrangler]

They are not supposed to be jazz dumas if u want tony William's type it in .

[glasgowskyguy]

Interestingly, Tony Williams is a huge fan of Steely Dan. That is because he has a clue. You probably weren't around to experience the impact of "Can't Buy A Thrill" "Countdown to Ectstacy" or "Pretzel Logic." So why don't you check them out and shut the hell up?

[pooslinger10]

agreed, this guy sounds like a wanta be to me!

[CWS1963]

Obviously there is video for this concert I would love to have the whole show, have the CD but would love to have the DVD, where can you get it?

[pbyardh]

Call A&E, they did this. My calls are not returned.

[nman48]

I heard the album from this concert New York Rock and Soul review. Also has McDonald solo and duet with Phoebe Snow. Charles Brown, Boz Scaggs, Eddie Brigati and brother Dave Brigati. Excellent disc.

[myloveybunny]

One of the greatest concert tours ever!

[bluestreakbuck]

@nman48 wow what a line up, I need to find that one

[msmomo2u]

F@#kin great. . Must have been awesome Andy.

[andyinoregon]

Got to see Skunk and Denny tear this one up on Steely Dan's "Pretzel Logic" Tour in April 1975. McDonald was there on keyboards and backing vocals doing his usual superlative stuff. The highlight came during the long instrumental outro when Fagen left his piano and began to conduct the band like a maestro. It brought the entire crowd at Toledo University's arena to their feet. Still the best concert I've ever attended.

[rherbert57]

There sure are some gems on Youtube. Fantastic!

[GalaxyHorse]

The gems make up for all the bad vibes, and endless slinging matches between folks airing their tedious opinions about who is the best: guitar player/Drummer/singer ETC-as if anyone gives a crap about it...:-)

[MrToniRoll]

drew zingg is amaizing, its the first time i've been known about him. Could you tell some of his music staff?? in solitary, bands, etc, thank you

[RJiminez51]

great guitar solo

[pooslinger10]

I'm a guitarist myself (hard to impress) who is playing this video repeatedly to steal his licks>>>>>>>>>>>>>>SHIT!!!!

[0696Ray]

Great in concert, but lack personality and minimal interaction with their very long standing fans.

[myloveybunny]

Such, is (often), the manner of "genius"? Just a guess on my part.

[kitakashiwa]

Is that Jeff Goldblum or Donald Fagen?! LOL

[PabloAlcayaga]

@kitakashiwa hahahahahahahahahahahaha!!

[myloveybunny]

I saw this when the Rock n' Soul Revue came to St. Louis, MO. One of the best concerts...EVER!

[bluestreakbuck]

Fagan is a brilliant artist, takes his music very serious, I'm sure if you screw up a rif or come in a little late or flat he would tear you up backstage, a benchmark musican