The sax solo in "Deacon Blues" is thin. There. I said it.

ROHfan

As good as the album, Aja, sounds as a whole, I have yet to hear--on any kind of speakers or any system anywhere--where the sax solo sounds anything but thin, shrill, and lacking in any depth. I find it hard to believe that the mastering on that album is so well-regarded yet they somehow let a very important solo get no real attention whatsoever. Being that the instrument is a focal point of the lyrics shouldn't it have been treated better than that? As a musician, I've played with saxophonists before and none of them sounded like the one in "Deacon Blues." Does anyone agree? Or does it sound good on your system? If so...I'm coming over to listen.

voltz

LOL, and I never knew he was saying "PEG" until I saw the title I thought he was just saying HEY!

gudnoyez

http://www.steelydan.com/lyraja.html#track3

Love Aja listen to it at least once a week for the past 30 years it never leaves the stereo rack the wife prefers Royal Scam but for reference listening Black Cow and Deacon Blues does it for me. This is the day of the expanding man! I guess I will ha e to listen to the Sax solo as the CD is within arms reach.

soundfreak1

Are you listening to a cd or vintage vinyl? Just listened to both anr the cd is thin but not my copy on vinyl.

ROHfan

soundfreak1 wrote: »

Are you listening to a cd or vintage vinyl? Just listened to both anr the cd is thin but not my copy on vinyl.

I don't do vinyl...yet

It's weird. It's like Donald Fagen told the sound engineer "don't worry about the sax. It's good enough."

cincycat13

...must be the beer... I can clearly read you typed that with an "a" and not an "e" ... but that sax solo title got my attention...never mind...

LeftCoast

I don't have that cd, but I can hear the song and the sax solo in my head. I don't think there is anything wrong with the recording. It is probably a soprano sax being played, or a sopranino sax.

voltz

I agree now that I paid more attention to it, it just seems a little lackluster considering the lyrics!

recoveryone

All the winners have a name, I like one when I lose, they call Alabama the crimson tide, Call me Deacon Blues

I'll have to go home and really listen to the sax, its always been about the lyrics to me, great story line in the song.

ROHfan

It's a tenor sax, by the way.

recoveryone

I agree with Rohfan it is a tenor sax in the solo, but during the chours part you can hear trumpet and maybe a bit of trombone and alto sax. The thin sound may come from that the tenor sax was not mic separately during the recording. Just my two cents

ROHfan

recoveryone wrote: »

I agree with Rohfan it is a tenor sax in the solo, but during the chours part you can hear trumpet and maybe a bit of trombone and alto sax. The thin sound may come from that the tenor sax was not mic separately during the recording. Just my two cents

Very doubtful the solo instrument wasn't separately mixed. In fact, the sax player was probably the only musician at the studio at the time of to solo takes. I've done a lot of studio recording. Just can't figure this one out.

StantonZ

The sax player (Pete Christlieb) on Deacon Blues (and FM) was the tenor sax soloist you would hear blowing his brains out every time Johnny Carson came back from a break; he was definitely recorded separately. If you listen to both pieces/solos, you'll notice that it's just his "sound" (reed/instrument/etc.); Fagen & Becker loved his playing so much they actually produced a solo (jazz) album for him, but he was so difficult to deal with that it never went beyond that period of a year or so between Aja and FM. Checkout a review I wrote a few years ago at http://www.audioholics.com/music-reviews/steely-dan-aja-1977-cd-review

ROHfan

Great write up, Stanton. I enjoyed reading that.

bthogan

I kinda think the horns in general aren't as present or forward in the mix as they are on other Dan albums, like (for instance) Gaucho. With the exception of Mr. Shorter's.