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Does Steely Dan sound bright to you?

This is going to sound like a somewhat random question but I’m wondering how many of you find Steely Dan’s recordings to sound a bit bright. I’m particularly thinking of Gaucho, and Aja but some other recent recordings, too, such as Fagen’s Nightfly.

My typical media include streaming (CD and HD quality) and CD’s. I have not played my old vinyl because I’m presently without a turntable.

At first I thought it was my system and it was driving me a little bit mental; eventually, I decided it wasn't my stuff, it was their stuff. Because most other recordings on the same system with no other changes don’t typically have the brightness of Steely Dan.

Whether or not you’re a fan (I am) Steely Dan has often been a go-to for testing out equipment, so I imagine there will be experiences people have had about this.

P.S. Any other recordings which, for you are unnaturally bright?


128x128hilde45
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idigmusic64
56 posts
 
What an interesting timing of this thread as I have been wondering when the entire Steely Dan catalog will be remastered and reissued on vinyl. I know that "Two Against Nature" is  up  next.

Like many I  just picked up the reissued version of " The Nightfly". Someone mentioned it was mastered from digital source and not the original analog masters...bummer. It is a very nice  pressing and sounds  excellent, for  me this was always little bright but that might be  more of  by-product of the early 1980's influences on recording production.

I do have an original copy of " Aja" and it is not bright as at. I have owned many versions of  Steely Dan & Fagen solo on DVD Audio and SACD, and  vinyl back in the day, and they have never sounded bright IMHO. If you have the  chance to hear the boxed set "Citizen Dan" it is quite  good.

Sometime  back I  did a  review of that on the music thread.
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/citizen-dan-boxed-set?highlight=Citizen%2BDan%2Bboxed%2Bset

sokogear
1,097 posts
 
@idigmusic64 - how do you know 2 Against Nature is up next? Are any others being planned or is it wishful thinking?

I thought there were rights issues preventing some reissues as they changed labels I think 3 or more times. There certainly would be no problem selling a good size pressing run.
speakermaster
738 posts
 
I can say that gaucho is a wonderful recording and it is properly balanced but i only have it on vinyl i am not such a big fan of aja it does not sound nearly as good as gaucho on vinyl at all and it do not understand why gaucho is not mentioned more often.
sokogear
1,097 posts
 
@speakermaster - it’s not just about the sound quality. I have Gaucho on a Japanese pressing and it is one of my top sounding records, easily. That doesn’t mean it’s one of the best compared to Aja, Royal Scam, Pretzel Logic....

IMO Aja is one of the greatest albums of all time up there with DSOTM and several Beatles records, Dylan, you name it. That’s why you don’t hear more about Gaucho. It is great (all Steely Dan albums are) but not close to Aja.
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