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  • Cast/crew biographies - Discography

Steely Dan - Aja

Warner Vision/Warner Vision . R4 . COLOR . 60 mins . G . PAL

  Feature
Contract

They say that jazz is a music for the mind, not the soul, and perhaps that's the reason that Steely Dan just don't work for me. Wait, that can't be it, because I love Coltrane. So perhaps it's the sense I get that every part has been rehearsed a hundred times before recording begins, strangling the life out of it. Yeah, that's it. Watching Walter Becker play guitar, I'm reminded of a man doing his taxes, such is the lack of excitement on his face. And if he isn't excited, why should I be?

You've likely seen at least a couple of these Classic Album docos on TV of late, and they seem to be pretty well-done, with a lot depending on how much the band is willing to contribute. However, you'd really have to like the featured band to want to see the disc more than once.

  Video
Contract

The image is full-frame, and fairly typical of a modern documentary, the picture quality varying from well-shot interview video to decades-old live footage, complete with horrible colour. Of course, you expect that when talking about a band that decided not to tour for nearly 20 years, right?

There's nothing to exult about here, but equally nothing wrong with the transfer to disc. What you see on TV is pretty much what you get on DVD, only without bad reception!

  Audio
Contract

I'd like to discuss the amazing use of surrounds, the pinpoint imaging on the side walls, but obviously this is a stereo presentation and even engaging Pro-Logic decoding collapses the sound to the centre channel, so don't even think about it!

When Fagan and Becker take you through some of the individual instrument tracks, you can tell they're well-recorded. The bass guitar and drums sound especially nice. I just wish they hadn't been mixed so as not to draw attention to themselves.

  Extras
Contract

A discography.

  Overall  
Contract

Maybe I'm closed-minded, but I can't imagine anybody proclaiming, "I LOVE Steely Dan!". The songs just seem too bland and laidback to really grab anybody, but obviously they did!

I pricked my ears up during the song, 'Peg'; then I realised that I'd heard a cover or reworking of the tune (maybe by De La Soul?) that had a lot more energy than the original. Obviously fans will have a different opinion, but I'd recommend viewing the documentary first, as Fagan and Becker don't bother explaining much about their motivations for writing the songs, only about who played the individual parts. Technicians 'till the end.


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      Review Equipment
    • DVD Rom:
          Pioneer 103(s)
    • MPEG Card:
          RealMagic Hollywood Plus
    • TV:
          Mitsubishi Diva 33
    • Amplifier:
          Yamaha DSP-A1
    • Speakers:
          Richter Excalibur
    • Centre Speaker:
          Richter Unicorn
    • Surrounds:
          Richter Hydras
    • Audio Cables:
          Monster RCA
    • Video Cables:
          Monster s-video
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