Now where'd we sample those legs?
June 1, 2011 8:16 AM   Subscribe

Electronic musician Gabe Shultz (fka Fusebox) has created Day Glow Freaks, a free 12-track album comprised entirely of Steely Dan samples.

Listen (Flash), download 192k version or 320k version. Complete liner notes, appendix of samples, and song-by-song timeline here (PDF).


A brief history of sampling SD. See you uptown, baby.
posted by mintcake! (21 comments total) 18 users marked this as a favorite
 
Shit, I forgot my headphones today! I can't wait to listen to this.
posted by OmieWise at 8:18 AM on June 1, 2011


Come and take a piece of Mr. Fagen's band.
posted by Trurl at 8:22 AM on June 1, 2011


I really wanted to like this (and the presentation was certainly slick) but I found the tracks really monotonous and uninspired. Yeah, Steely Dan hooks are catchy, let's listen to this one a hundred times in a row over a dull tekno beat.
posted by nanojath at 8:29 AM on June 1, 2011


Oh, wow. This is going to be quite interesting, I can tell already.

Just from the description and stuff, it reminds me very strongly of the entirely ignored and completely brilliant If 60s were 90s by Beautiful People. That album was built entirely out of Jimi Hendrix samples, and came with a chart which let you look and see what was sourced to build each track. I bought the cassette from a 50-cent clearance bin at some store AGES ago and became an instant fan.

Here's a sample from that particular work, Comin' To Get You

Okay, my download of this FPP album is done now. Off to listen!
posted by hippybear at 8:30 AM on June 1, 2011 [3 favorites]


The interface showing where the samples come from is excellent. Take a look
posted by Outlawyr at 8:31 AM on June 1, 2011


Somehow I don't think Steely Dan will be supportive of this crap.
posted by ReeMonster at 8:43 AM on June 1, 2011


Okay, so the first three tracks didn't do much for me, but I'm enjoying the groove and structure of track 4, "Lady Bayside".
posted by hippybear at 8:50 AM on June 1, 2011


It does kind of lose the studio luster...
posted by MisterMo at 8:50 AM on June 1, 2011


Pianist Keith Jarrett sued Steely Dan in 1981 after Becker and Fagen admitted -- initially off-the-record -- in a lengthy Musician interview with David Breskin that the intro to the title track of Gaucho was very similar to a song he had written himself and recorded with Jan Garbarek entitled Long As You Know You're Living Yours (on their 1974 ECM album, Belonging).

"We were heavily influenced by that particular piece of music," Donald said.

"I love it," Walter continued. (They later approved their off-the-record comments for publication.)

"We were talking about borrowing," Breskin said.

Donald Fagen: "Hell, we steal. We're the robber barons of rock 'n' roll."

posted by Trurl at 8:51 AM on June 1, 2011


Cex made this album 4 years ago... Cex - Dannibal

Everything new is old again.
posted by cloeburner at 9:00 AM on June 1, 2011 [1 favorite]


I'm not that big a fan of Steely Dan (loved the first album - everything else got progressively too ... something), but I would never deny the masterful finesse with which they wrote, produced, performed their songs, which makes the decision to break these songs down and recombine them into something else ... curious. That is, in no way was this recombined sum-of-the-parts ever going to match the originals.

Sampling works best when you grab loose bits and pieces from any number of weird sources, often isolating precisely that quarter-second snare shot or half-second of vocal overload which is the only reason worth listening to a particularly unremarkable piece of dreck found in the corner of your parents' record collection.
posted by philip-random at 9:03 AM on June 1, 2011


Speaking of "borrowing", this Horace Silver song might also sound familiar.

I really wanted to like this, but part of what I like about Steely Dan is that the songs have a lot going on. These tracks select a few things and loop them and it's just not as fun to me in that context. It's like it was a little too chained to the concept.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 9:10 AM on June 1, 2011


Okay, track 9 "Strangers" also held my interest. And track 10 "The Lovers" is showing potential.

Unfortunately, a lot of these tracks just feel kind of flat to me. I can't really describe it beyond that. It's like it feels like a groove or loop is set up and then nothing interesting actually happens during the track.

I'm sure this album will appeal to some people, and I'm really happy to be listening to it right now, but I can't see it going into heavy rotation in my music library.

Now, that album I linked earlier in this thread... That's something I listen to all the time. So I know this kind of project CAN work and be to my taste.
posted by hippybear at 9:13 AM on June 1, 2011


Hippybear: I have that If 60's Was 90's, and like you love it, if for nothing more than the way they absolutely explained every sample. I think I like the idea of it more than I like the execution. A couple of tracks were right on and moving, some of it seemed like filler.

mintcake!: you just made my day. I loved the first note of Steely Dan on, still do, always will. If you hooked me up to a heart machine, I am pretty sure the reading would be exactly that of the conga part from Do It Again. I owe you. Or at least least the charmer under you.
posted by timsteil at 9:21 AM on June 1, 2011


a song he had written himself and recorded with Jan Garbarek entitled Long As You Know You're Living Yours

Holy shit, that's the Writers and Company themesong!

"Hello, I'm Eleanor Wachtel, and this is Writers and Company. And when I laugh, I sound like a skeleton having an orgasm!"

Also: Horace Silver v. Steely Dan
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 9:42 AM on June 1, 2011


you snooze you lose alvy!
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 9:50 AM on June 1, 2011 [1 favorite]


Dagnabbit, I read your comment, but missed the first sentence.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 9:58 AM on June 1, 2011


My favorite use of a Steely Dan sample is Super Furry Animals "The Man Don't Give A Fuck". It samples Steely Dan's "Showbiz Kids".
posted by ericthegardener at 10:12 AM on June 1, 2011


I wish this had been done by the Avalanches, or Girl Talk. I wanted to like it, but find myself echoing so many other people's opinions - it held promise, and some tracks open strong but then there's just no there, there.
posted by kcds at 10:24 AM on June 1, 2011


I'm sad that so many people are kind of down on this because it sounds like an interesting project and I love the Dan, so I want it to be great. Fortunately by the time I get around to listening to this, I'll have forgotten the negative reviews. The pointer is much appreciated, no matter how it turns out.
posted by immlass at 10:56 AM on June 1, 2011


immlass: don't let my negative comments put you off liking it. I tried to be clear -- there are some tracks which did grab me, and I can see where it would be to some people's taste. It just isn't to MY taste, and that doesn't in any way detract from the quality of the project (which is obsessively detailed and well executed).
posted by hippybear at 11:01 AM on June 1, 2011


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