- DVD
- Steely Dan
- Format DVD
Steely Dan has not had a new studio album in twenty years–”Two Against Nature” was worth the wait! This concert, recorded live in New York at the Sony Studios, contains new songs as well as classic hits from the minds of Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. Together, they deliver a unique music experience that is truly unforgettable. Songs: Green Earrings, Cousin Dupree, Bad Sneakers, Janie Runaway, Josie, FM, Gaslighting Abbie, Black Friday, Babylon Sisters, Kid Charlemagne, Jack of Speed, Peg, What a Shame About Me, Pretzel Logic.
Full Frame – Color – English – 5.1 Dolby Digital, 5.1 DTSHaving discreetly disbanded at the dawn of the MTV era, the 1970s’ most stubbornly faceless pop subversives returned after 19 years with their first new studio album, followed in short order by this stunning long-form video project. Part concert, part documentary, Steely Dan: Two Against Nature offers a savvy cross-section of both old and new material performed by the latest incarnation of the formidable stage bands that founders Walter Becker and Donald Fagen have assembled for the periodic tours unleashed since their early ’90s concert reunion. True to form, they preside over immaculately arranged, flawlessly executed performances that confirm the Dan’s state-of-the-art standards, then undercut that achievement with devilish audience sound bites and their own faux cable-access interviews, as if to debunk their artistry with a blast of anticelebrity.
For hardcore Dan fans (including this reviewer), Becker and Fagen long ago distanced themselves from rock culture, their music steeped more in ’50s jazz and rhythm & blues, and their lyrics pitched to a darker, funnier world-view divorced from youth culture and self-congratulatory rock personae. Fagen, with his close-cropped hair, austere beard, tinted glasses, and prominent incisors resembles a pale, vampiric Ray Charles as he huddles over his keyboards and croons those dangerous lyrics. His partner’s longer locks and steel-rimmed glasses reinforce the spectre of a postbop Franz Schubert who’s traded clavichords for custom electric guitars–a studious image reinforced by his dry, articulate gibes in the interviews, if undercut by the twisted imagery and shadowy, second-person perspectives pervasive in the band’s lyrics (like the music, written by both men, but conspicuously shaped by Becker).
The material hews to the group’s later albums recorded after they downsized the band into a de facto studio laboratory and dialed up the jazz accents, with understandable showcases for the sneaky new songs on the Two Against Nature album: sleek, seductive songs about incest, midlife crises, pyromania, designer drugs, and other fun stuff. Sonically, the performances are as meticulously recorded and mixed as the duo’s albums, with the performance footage beautifully shot and edited. We’d knock director Earle Sebastian for a few too many tilted camera angles, but then we might have to wait another 19 years for the next one. –Sam Sutherland
Rating: 
(out of 96 reviews)
List Price: $ 14.99
Price: $ 8.37
Related Blogs
- Related Blogs on Against
September 30, 2010
#1
Review by Michael D. Moran
Rating:
If you’ve scrolled down the page this far, it’s obvious that you’re a Steely Dan fan and you, therefore, don’t require a long-winded biography of this most unique band and its principal founders, Donald Fagan and Walter Becker. You already know they write great songs with memorable hooks, fascinating lyrics, and keen, jazz-influenced harmony. And no doubt you know that their latest studio album, “Two Against Nature,” is their first in nearly twenty years.This extraordinary video concert, taped at Sony Studios in New York this past winter and now available on VHS and DVD, was first presented by PBS Television as an installment of its “In The Spotlight” series. I purchased the DVD and it is remarkable in terms of both the performance and the overall production. If you’ve seen the PBS version, be advised that the DVD offers essentially the same program, only with few more interview segments, rehearsal footage and short clips of Becker and Fagan humorously interrogating various friends and band members. It also includes an energetic performance of “FM” edited out during my PBS station’s pledge week, perhaps to allow more time to pitch tote bags and umbrellas.The old songs like “Kid Charlemagne,” “Pretzel Logic,” and “Babylon Sisters” sound better than ever. And the new material is superb as well. Thankfully, the concert is produced without the usual obligatory special effects that so often make concert videos annoying. It simply looks and sounds great.While you’re waiting for the Steely Dan tour to hit your town this summer, this DVD will have to do it the meantime. And it will do just fine.
September 30, 2010
#2
Review by G. Ulbrich
Rating:
After the VH-1 “Storytellers” edition featuring Steely Dan, I honestly didn’t have too high hopes for this DVD. “Storytellers” left me wanting for better sound (of course…TV, what could one expect? ), and quite frankly, something that didn’t smack of simply “PR” for the new disc. This disc, however, laid all fears to rest. From the opening moments of “Green Earrings”, I knew this one was a true winner. This disc features “bang-on” performances from the entire ensemble…no slackers in this crew. Where do they find these guys, anyway? Is there some top-secret underground facility that cultivates and raises top-notch session musicians for Becker and Fagan’s private stock? Hmmm….. Sound-wise, there are three choices of mix: Dolby Digital 5.1, which seems to be the most balanced; DTS 5.1, which features far better separation of channels, but typical “overdone” bass; and 2- channel PCM Dolby Stereo. The folks at Digital Theatre Systems (DTS) seem hell-bent on demonstrating the extended headroom DTS is touted to offer over Dolby Digital by trying to blast viewers out of the room with bottom end. While it works wonders for movies such as “Saving Private Ryan”, it really is overkill here. The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is well-balanced, and just about as good as it can get for a live performance. Highly recommended for Dan Fans!
September 30, 2010
#3
Review by John A. Michl
Rating:
Oh, if only they could have separated the interviews! The music portion of the DVD is great but every song is followed by a goofy interview. I found this very distracting. Also, the video footage of the concert is a bit too “modern” for my tastes. Funky camera angles – in one shot the bottom 1/4th of the screen shows the heads of the background singers will the upper 3/4ths of the screen shows the top of the soundstage! Huh? Also, the lighting is distracting. Fagen’s face is usually in shadows. Finally, the dts mix was so heavy on subwoofer, the furniture started to move and my dog barked. Dolby 5.1 sounded much better.In sum, I’m glad I bought since I have everything Steely Dan, but I wish they spent the time to allow an option to watch the concert straight through.
September 30, 2010
#4
Review by J. Lund
Rating:
Steely Dan is on the short list of musical artists who have created a distinctive, textured approach that retains its freshness amid the constant shifts in popular music tastes and styles. The video shows that even after nearly three decades they are able to maintain a creative edge without overhauling the “jazz-rock” blueprint best heard on the albums AJA, THE ROYAL SCAM, and TWO AGAINST NATURE. To my delight, the 5.1 digital mix gives the rhythm section a funk-jazzy wallop ala late-period Miles Davis or Marcus Miller. Yet the subtleties of the lyrics, melodies, harmonies, and clever arrangements aren’t sacrificed by the punchier mix. Fagen and Becker have done an excellent job of selecting musicians who are disciplined in the right way–avoiding superfluous, cliched gestures while maintaining a controlled looseness and vitality. The rhythm section is fluid, the horns tight (and able to contribute worthy solos when called upon), and the backing vocalists able to provide added textures behind Fagen’s pleasantly raspy lead vocals. Equally commendable is their choice of material–a healthy mix of tracks from their new album with some well-chosen classics that continue to inspire the level of performance that made them memorable in the first place. In-between each tune are documentary-like inserts that take the viewer behind-the-scenes. As witty and illuminating as these clips are, the music itself is so impressive that I found myself anxiously waiting for the next tune to begin. Highly recommended to fans of Steely Dan…or anybody who likes jazz-inflected popular music that combines an rich variety of influences into something that continues to challenge and reward the listener with no end in sight.
September 30, 2010
#5
Review by Steven A
Rating:
First off let me say that I am a huge Steely Dan fan so I really anticipated enjoying this DVD. The song performances are all first rate and some like the final track (Pretzel Logic) are outstanding, but despite this Two Against Nature is not a compelling DVD purchase.The band does not put on a very visually oriented performance (but I already knew that, I’m more interested in great music anyway) which works against the DVD medium. The problem with this package is that it fails to take advantage of the DVD format. There is no way to eliminate the interviews between cuts without hitting the remote so you’re out of luck if you just want to watch the show. Also, there are no lyrics or other added features which frequently enhance DVD’s. Other than superior sound and images this could have been released on videotape with little loss of functionality.Bottom line: When I want to enjoy their music I’m more likely to turn to my CDs than this DVD.