Talk:Katy Lied

Praying mantis?
Are you sure it isn't a katydid? That would make more sense. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.30.200.199 (talk) 18:10, 4 May 2008 (UTC)

Wiki Editor Lied
An unsourced section of this article says "To most audiophiles and fans of the group it is difficult, if not impossible, to hear the alleged sound imperfections."

Sure, half the fans of the group probably smoke as much goof grass now as they did in 1975 and aren't even listening for the cops anymore, but audiophiles? Really?

You aren't even qualified to be an AM radio listener if you can't hear the sonic problems here.

The good news is that the most obvious portion of the damage is limited to the cymbals, but any chimp can hear it. The cymbals, especially the crash cymbals, are badly distorted and phased so much that they just appear as a spritzy splash of swooshing, wholly without body or clarity. Compared to the cymbal sounds on Aja, which are crystal clear, it is a difference as great as night and day. If that were a rack-mounted signal processor doing that as an effect, it would be an awesome and possibly widely used effect (in music like Gary Wright and Devo), but it is very, very much out of place on the totally natural, hi fidelity recordings of the great mister Steely Dan and whatever.--208.127.100.74 (talk) 09:21, 2 February 2011 (UTC)

While I agree I would  1] not use quite the same language to describe fan impressions of an album but  2] use Pretzel Logic as a better gauge of audio quality: Compared to the earlier PL session, Katy Lied does indeed sound 'flatter' and lack in 'sparkle' compared to what would under normal circumstances be an earlier therefor cruder product....that being said years before I became a professional musician and sound engineer I noticed myself that KL sounded like crap even back in the day on my crude turntable and heavily colored consumer grade loudspeakers. I say axe it or at least change it to say some fans don't or can't hear what the fuss is about. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.41.52.195 (talk) 21:35, 12 June 2012 (UTC)


 * Agreed; the line has been removed. I tagged that line for citation needed over half a year ago as it did sound suspiciously like a tone-deaf fan transferring his own inability to hear the sound imperfections onto everyone else. Looking at it again now, the specific claim that audiophiles generally wouldn't be able to recognize the imperfections is worse than suspect. You do have to be an audiophile to pick up on them; I'm an avid music listener (some three or four hundred albums see regular rotation on my phonograph or CD player), and while I'd probably be able to recognize the problems if someone were to point out and explain them to me, just listening on my own I have no idea what Becker and Fagen are talking about. But listening to audiophiles discuss music recordings, you can tell these guys would know if a flea had landed on the roof of the recording studio while it was being cut. If the musicians say the album has sound quality issues, there's no way audiophiles wouldn't be able to hear them.--Martin IIIa (talk) 13:35, 14 June 2012 (UTC)

Album title
I'm surprised that no one has mentioned that the German word for song is Lied. The album title could be a multilingual pun for "Katy Song." RT68 (talk) 18:50, 6 May 2011 (UTC)

Muswellbrook : FWIW
FWIW:

This NSW town's name is pronounced by locals as 'Muss'l-brook', i.e. two-and-a-bit slurred syllables, not MUZ-WELL-BROOK, as the Dan sings it, so it doesn't scan with 'Litt-le Black Book'.

We Steely Dan fans from Down Under somehow heard that Fagen, or maybe Becker, had an aunt in Muss'lbrook, and that's how the town got a Guernsey ( as we say here ) in the 'Black Friday' lyric. How bitter to learn the truth.

Wonder if Becker, or maybe Fagen, ever tried feeding a wild kangaroo?

A lifetime fan of the Dan, I long ago decided that it doesn't pay to examine their lyrics too closely. There's frequently more sound there than sense. Impressionist, not narrative art.

Bluedawe 01:39, 10 March 2017 (UTC)

Electric sitar?
Electric sitar on "Bad Sneakers" is mentioned in a few blogs e.g. Coral Electric Sitar on the gearpage. Is there a good source? I'm looking at the back cover of my original 1975 vinyl LP and the only credit given to Denny Dias is "guitars". Thanks. Martinevans123 (talk) 18:52, 7 January 2018 (UTC)
 * Looking at Brian Sweet's book online (Omnibus Press, 9 Feb 2015) I can see only one mention of electric sitar and that's, as fully expected, for the 1972 "Do It Again". Martinevans123 (talk) 19:29, 7 January 2018 (UTC)
 * User:Steelyd9843, you added that book as a source, but you have not provided a page. Which page is it? Thanks. Martinevans123 (talk) 19:50, 7 January 2018 (UTC)
 * In fact that source says about the "Do It Again" solo: "Dias hadn't played an electric sitar before and hasn't since". So I'm removing it. Martinevans123 (talk) 13:05, 8 January 2018 (UTC)I
 * I apologize if I'm doing this wrong, I'm sure I'm not following the correct protocol so any pointers would be appreciated. Again, these are the first edit's I've ever made so bare with me. I'm gonna watch some youtube vidoes on how to edit properly so I'm not annoying everyone. but to the task at hand- On page 140 of Anthony Robustelli's book "Steely Dan FAQ" (published 2017 by Backbeat Books, Hal Leonard), is the quote "Although the rhythm section laid down the foundation for the tune, the addition of Victor Feldman's vibraphone and Denny Dias's Coral Electric sitar, the first time heard on a Dan song since "Do it Again", adds another musical layer that makes the song much more interesting". — Preceding unsigned comment added by Steelyd9843 (talk • contribs) 20:47, 8 January 2018 (UTC)

Sitar.
The mention of Denny Dias playing the sitar on bad sneakers is actually from Anthony robustellis book. Not Brian sweets. That’s my mistake. I knew I read it somewhere. There’s obviously one being played in the song and Dias would make the most sense. I’ll find the page number and update it. I’m new to this whole editing thing. I just made a profile. I’m just a huge steely dan nerd and wanted to fix some of the mistakes/omissions/etc. I saw on here. Steelyd9843 (talk) 19:59, 8 January 2018 (UTC)
 * It would be useful if you could give the details of that book here, thanks. Obviously Robustelli's claim is totally contrary to the claim in Sweet's book, which is considered a perfectly reliable source. I must say that I've seen a few blog references to "guitar disguised as sitar" for this track. I'm not convinced one way or the other. I know the band originally wanted an acoustic sitar for "Do It Again". If you don't mind, I'll join this thread onto the one I started immediately above, as it's the same topic. There's a similar thread at the Bad Sneakers article. Many thanks. Martinevans123 (talk) 20:14, 8 January 2018 (UTC)
 * No objections after 5 years, so now joined as a subsection to the immediately preceding thread. Martinevans123 (talk) 15:08, 16 November 2023 (UTC)

dorophone
Hello Tobyhoward. Many thanks for your edit summary here. I also thought that was surprising, given that Porcaro was a drummer. What other instrument do you think that might have been? I searched for sources and found nothing reliable. Discogs names the instrument for the original UK release here and for the original US release here. There's no mention at the Jeff Porcaro blog and nothing I can find in the online version of the book by Brian Sweet (2018). "Dorophone" is printed very plainly on the back cover. Here's a link to an image online. It's the same on the back cover of my copy (ABC 5094). Perhaps it was just joke? But, if so, a joke 33$1/undefined$ years before it's time? Thanks. Martinevans123 (talk) 15:03, 16 November 2023 (UTC) Perhaps Jeff was always late for the recording sessions?


 * Hi Martinevans123 ! Thanks for contacting me. I'm as mystified by this as you are! Last time it came up -- I think it was 6 months or a year ago? -- I remember doing the same research as you mention. I am guessing it's a joke -- maybe Jeff played a fire extinguisher or something lying around that had a nice sound (a la trashcan lid on Josie) -- and W&D thought "let's give this an exotic name like some avant garde instrument" :-). I guess we will never know... best wishes! Tobyhoward (talk) 16:49, 16 November 2023 (UTC)


 * Haha, yes. A likely explanation. I had no idea about that trashcan lid overdub! Not in the credits on the cover for Aja of course and not directly mentioned in "Josie" .... but here's Jim Keltner telling the background to it to John DeChristopher (see 11:11), on 14 November 2022. It's now in Nashville, apparently! Martinevans123 (talk) 18:10, 16 November 2023 (UTC)
 * Martinevans123 Great interview, thanks for the link! Tobyhoward (talk) 08:50, 17 November 2023 (UTC)