If Steely Dan had a different vocalist
they'd be Monkey House.
I cannot believe I'd not heard of this band until discovering them just today.
If you like Dan (and who doesn't, really!) and haven't heard of MH, check them out.
"It's funny to hear Steely Dan and avant-garde in the same sentence." Why? When "Can't Buy a Thrill" came out, there was like nothing it and they continued to produce a unique blend of jazz, rock and funk until they disbanded. Monkey House make pretty good music, but it is based around the song catalogue of another band. That is not a positive. |
I have been hooked on SD since 1972, when Can't Buy a Thrill was released and have all of their catalog. Amazingly, I just bought CBAT as a used CD on e-bay, so their first album was the last added to my collection. They were without a doubt one of the most consistent producers of envelope-pushing music, with lyrics that painted sometimes outlandish pictures (like guys jumping off of buildings in Black Friday). I will definitely have to check out Monkey House, but no one will ever replace Steely Dan. |
Great recommendation, thanks! I listened to Monkey House and put them on my playlist. I’m not concerned with who they sound like or what they are considered. I prefer the Monkey House cover of the Walter Becker written and performed (Steely Dan version as well) song ‘Book of Liars’. But I like all versions… Hope you all have an awesome Friday night! My girl’s headed back to town tomorrow and we’re gonna play a little Backgammon and listen to some tunes. It’ll be more fun than a barrel of Monkey House. |
Just thought I’d share this song I recently found (although it’s almost 30 years old!!!) by Sonia Dada called “Lester’s Methadone Clinic” cause it’s a pretty cool song that to me has that elusive SD vibe/feel/groove and even some Dan-like lyrics. Sounds better on Qobuz, but this gives you the idea anyway… https://youtu.be/jhcjvbSh17s?si=_0FfssP2sj6nL9RG Enjoy! |
