Black Cow - Music
Black Cow by Steely Dan
Steely Dan
Artist Biography For Steely Dan
Steely Dan Is An American Jazz Rock Band Which Formed In 1972. The Band Was Formed By Donald Fagen Vocals Keyboards And Walter Becker Guitar Bass Who Met In 1967 While Both Attended Bard College In Annandale-On-Hudson New York And Began A Songwriting Partnership Shortly Thereafter. Their Music Is Characterized By Dark Witty Lyrical Narratives Obscure Lyrical Allusions And Complex Jazz-Influenced Instrumentation And Chord Sequences Overlying More Ordinary Popular Song Structures. Their Fastidious Standards In The Studio And Use Of World-Class Sessions Players Has Also Been A Hallmark Of Their Work. For This Special Credit Should Be Given To Their Long-Time Producer Gary Katz And Engineer Roger Nichols. The Band Was Originally A Six-Piece Consisting Of Fagen Becker David Palmer Vocals Jeff "Skunk" Baxter Guitar Denny Dias Guitar And Jim Hodder Drums But By 1975 Only Fagen And Becker Remained. The Band's History Can Be Divided Into Three Stages. In Its Original Conception The Group Was A Relatively Conventional Rock Band That Toured From 1972 To 1974 Releasing The Singles-Chart Successes 'Do It Again' 'Reelin' In The Years' 'My Old School' And 'Rikki Don't Lose That Number'. The Group's Name Was Derived From A Series Of Dildos In The 1959 Novel 'Naked Lunch' By The Avant-Garde Writer William S. Burroughs The Phrase First Used In The Lyrics Of An Early Pre-Steely Dan Fagen/Becker Song Soul Ram. In Its Second Stage 1975 - 1980 The Group Now Consisting Solely Of Fagen And Becker Became A Purely Studio-Based Act Their Album Releases Showing A Growing Obsession With Polished Production Values And Whose Output Became Increasingly Jazz-Orientated Culminating In The Highly Successful 'Aja' 1977 And 'Gaucho' 1980 . The Two Split In 1981 Following A Tumultuous Recording Process For The Latter Album And Personal Problems For Both Members. In The Eighties Fagen Released His Seminal Debut Album 'The Nightfly' And Took Time Away From The Music Industry Whilst Becker After Recovering From Drug Dependence Was In Frequent Work As A Producer. The Third Stage Came When Fagen And Becker Reunited In 1993 Followed By A World Tour Their First Touring Dates In 20 Years . In 2000 The Grammy-Award-Winning 'Two Against Nature' Was Released To Critical And Surprising Commercial Success. Its Successor Followed Swiftly 'Everything Must Go' Being Released In 2003. The Two Albums Show A More Relaxed Attitude To Production Less Morbid Lyrical Themes And An Upbeat Jazz Pop Sound But With The Characteristic Wit And Musical Complexity Of Their 20th Century Work Remaining. Walter Becker Passed Away On September 3 2017. This Was Followed By Legal Action Between Becker's Estate And Fagen Over Ownership Of Material. Fagen With Additional Bandmates Continues To Tour As Steely Dan. --
Steely Dan's Homepage
Wikipedia Article
Frogtoon Music - Song Info: Black Cow
Steely-Dan - Aja
"Black Cow" Has A Number Of Lyrical Interpretations A Troubled Relationship An Ode To Self-Doubt A Commentary On Nightlife And A Reference To Hindu Culture Cows Are Sacred . Or It Could Be About Thelonious Monk The American Jazz Composer Who Is Often Regarded As The Father Of Bebop. In The 'Classic Albums' Episode On The Album Aja Donald Fagen And Walter Becker Perhaps Showing Their Wry Sense Of Humor Described The Lyric As "self-Explanatory " But Did Offer Some Insight As To What They Had In Mind. "It Starts Out With This Guy Talking About This Girl He Used To Be Involved With " Fagan Said. "She's Sitting At A Counter And He Describes Her Behavior And Habits And Out Of That You Begin To See Her Character And Their Relationship." He Added That The "black Cow" Is A Beverage - Depending On Where You Live It Can Be A Milkshake Or A Coke Float Like A Root Beer Float But With Coke . But It's Something You Would Get At A Soda Fountain Where The Song Takes Place. In The '50s Fagen And Becker Spent A Lot Of Time At These Soda Fountains. This Was Never Released As A Single But It Earned Lots Of Airplay On FM Radio And Became A Steely Dan Favorite With The Band Often Playing It In Concert. It Was Released As The B-Side Of "Josie." Note The Deceptively Simple Disco-Era Instrumental Starting Out With A Bass Line And Drums Then Sneaking In Layers Of Complexity With Saxophone Accompaniment And The Electric Piano Solo. Steely Dan Made A Name For Themselves With Highly Polished Productions Using A Wide Array Of Session Musicians. Becker And Fagan Would Sometimes Record A Song With One Group Of Musicians Decide It Wasn't Working And Try It Again With An Entirely New Set Of Players - Rinse And Repeat Until It Was Right. Aja Was Their Sixth Album By This Time Fagen And Becker Had Refined Their System And Developed An Uncommon Rapport Where They Could Almost Read Each Other's Musical Minds. Aja's Perfectionism Was Rewarded With The 1978 Grammy For Best Engineered Non-Classical Recording. It Is The Best-Selling Steely Dan Album With Over 2 Million Copies Sold In America.
Tom Scott Who Did The Horn Arrangements On The Aja Album Also Played Tenor Sax On This Track And Victor Feldman Did The Fender Rhodes Solo. The Multi-Track Masters For "Black Cow" And "Aja" Have Gone Missing Which Makes It Impossible To Do Surround-Sound Versions Of These Tracks. In The Liner Notes To The Stereo Remaster Of The Aja Album The Band Offered A $600 Reward For Information Leading To Their Return. The 1998 Hip-Hop Hit "Deja Vu Uptown Baby " By Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz Samples Significant Portions Of "Black Cow." So Much So That Walter Becker And Donald Fagen Are Listed As The Writers On The Track.
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Biography - Steely Dan
Steely Dan Is An American Jazz Rock Band Which Formed In 1972. The Band Was Formed By Donald Fagen Vocals Keyboards And Walter Becker Guitar Bass Who Met In 1967 While Both Attended Bard College In Annandale-On-Hudson New York And Began A Songwriting Partnership Shortly Thereafter. Their Music Is Characterized By Dark Witty Lyrical Narratives Obscure Lyrical Allusions And Complex Jazz-Influenced Instrumentation And Chord Sequences Overlying More Ordinary Popular Song Structures. Their Fastidious Standards In The Studio And Use Of World-Class Sessions Players Has Also Been A Hallmark Of Their Work. For This Special Credit Should Be Given To Their Long-Time Producer Gary Katz And Engineer Roger Nichols. The Band Was Originally A Six-Piece Consisting Of Fagen Becker David Palmer Vocals Jeff "Skunk" Baxter Guitar Denny Dias Guitar And Jim Hodder Drums But By 1975 Only Fagen And Becker Remained. The Band's History Can Be Divided Into Three Stages. In Its Original Conception The Group Was A Relatively Conventional Rock Band That Toured From 1972 To 1974 Releasing The Singles-Chart Successes 'Do It Again' 'Reelin' In The Years' 'My Old School' And 'Rikki Don't Lose That Number'. The Group's Name Was Derived From A Series Of Dildos In The 1959 Novel 'Naked Lunch' By The Avant-Garde Writer William S. Burroughs The Phrase First Used In The Lyrics Of An Early Pre-Steely Dan Fagen/Becker Song Soul Ram. In Its Second Stage 1975 - 1980 The Group Now Consisting Solely Of Fagen And Becker Became A Purely Studio-Based Act Their Album Releases Showing A Growing Obsession With Polished Production Values And Whose Output Became Increasingly Jazz-Orientated Culminating In The Highly Successful 'Aja' 1977 And 'Gaucho' 1980 . The Two Split In 1981 Following A Tumultuous Recording Process For The Latter Album And Personal Problems For Both Members. In The Eighties Fagen Released His Seminal Debut Album 'The Nightfly' And Took Time Away From The Music Industry Whilst Becker After Recovering From Drug Dependence Was In Frequent Work As A Producer. The Third Stage Came When Fagen And Becker Reunited In 1993 Followed By A World Tour Their First Touring Dates In 20 Years . In 2000 The Grammy-Award-Winning 'Two Against Nature' Was Released To Critical And Surprising Commercial Success. Its Successor Followed Swiftly 'Everything Must Go' Being Released In 2003. The Two Albums Show A More Relaxed Attitude To Production Less Morbid Lyrical Themes And An Upbeat Jazz Pop Sound But With The Characteristic Wit And Musical Complexity Of Their 20th Century Work Remaining. Walter Becker Passed Away On September 3 2017. This Was Followed By Legal Action Between Becker's Estate And Fagen Over Ownership Of Material. Fagen With Additional Bandmates Continues To Tour As Steely Dan. --
Steely Dan's Homepage
Wikipedia Article read less
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Steely Dan's Homepage
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16 Similar Artists To Steely Dan - Frogtoon Music
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"Black Cow" has a number of lyrical interpretations: a troubled relationship, an ode to self-doubt, a commentary on nightlife, and a reference to Hindu culture (cows are sacred). Or it could be about Thelonious Monk, the American jazz composer who is often regarded as the father of bebop.
In the 'Classic Albums' episode on the album Aja, Donald Fagen, and Walter Becker, perhaps showing their wry sense of humor, described the lyric as "self-explanatory," but did offer some insight as to what they had in mind.
"It starts out with this guy talking about this girl he used to be involved with," Fagan said. "She's sitting at a counter, and he describes her behavior and habits, and out of that you begin to see her character and their relationship."
He added that the "black cow" is a beverage - depending on where you live, it can be a milkshake or a coke float (like a root beer float, but with coke). But it's something you would get at a soda fountain, where the song takes place. In the '50s, Fagen and Becker spent a lot of time at these soda fountains. This was never released as a single, but it earned lots of airplay on FM radio and became a Steely Dan favorite, with the band often playing it in concert. It was released as the B-side of "Josie."
Note the deceptively simple disco-era instrumental starting out with a bass line and drums, then sneaking in layers of complexity with saxophone accompaniment and the electric piano solo. Steely Dan made a name for themselves with highly polished productions using a wide array of session musicians. Becker and Fagan would sometimes record a song with one group of musicians, decide it wasn't working, and try it again with an entirely new set of players - rinse and repeat until it was right. Aja was their sixth album; by this time Fagen and Becker had refined their system and developed an uncommon rapport where they could almost read each other's musical minds.
Aja's perfectionism was rewarded with the 1978 Grammy for Best Engineered Non-Classical Recording. It is the best-selling Steely Dan album, with over 2 million copies sold in America.
Tom Scott, who did the horn arrangements on the Aja album, also played tenor sax on this track, and Victor Feldman did the Fender Rhodes solo.
The multi-track masters for "Black Cow" and "Aja" have gone missing, which makes it impossible to do surround-sound versions of these tracks. In the liner notes to the stereo remaster of the Aja album, the band offered a $600 reward for information leading to their return.
The 1998 hip-hop hit "Deja Vu (Uptown Baby)" by Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz samples significant portions of "Black Cow." So much so that Walter Becker and Donald Fagen are listed as the writers on the track. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.