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Nightfly

The Life of Steely Dan's Donald Fagen
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( 167 ratings, 25 reviews)
Brief Description
Donald Fagen will forever be associated with Steely Dan, the band he formed with Walter Becker and four other musicians in 1972. The smooth, radio-friendly veneer of the duo's songs made Steely Dan internationally popular and famous in the 1970s, but the polish glossed over the... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Donald Fagen will forever be associated with Steely Dan, the band he formed with Walter Becker and four other musicians in 1972.

The smooth, radio-friendly veneer of the duo's songs made Steely Dan internationally popular and famous in the 1970s, but the polish glossed over the underlying layers of anger, disappointment, sleaze, and often downright weirdness lurking just beneath the surface. The elliptical lyrics wereβ€”and continue to beβ€”an endless source of fascination. What kind of person was capable of writing such songs?

Fagen has always kept his true self hidden behind walls of irony, confounding most journalistic enquiries with a mixture of obscurity and sarcasm. Nightfly cracks open the door to reveal the life behind the lyrics and traces Fagen's story from early family life in suburban New Jersey, to his first encounter with Walter Becker at Bard College, their long struggle for recognition as songwriters, and the formation of Steely Dan. The band's break-up in 1981, re-formation in 1993, and Fagen's parallel solo career are covered in detail.

Author Peter Jones seeks to explain the public's continuing fascination with Fagen's music, both in collaboration with Becker and as a solo artist.

Fagen fans will find this detailed account a worthy complement to the singer's own memoir, Eminent Hipsters. Publishers Weekly

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780913705292

Publisher: Chicago Review Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 02 April 2024

Country: United States

Imprint: Chicago Review Press

Edition: Expanded edition

Illustration: Illustrations

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 33.0mm

Width: 152.0mm

Height: 228.0mm

Weight: 639g

Pages: 368

About the Author

Peter Jones is a jazz musician, journalist, and author. His two recent books are This Is Hip: The Life of Mark Murphy and This Is Bop: Jon Hendricks and the Art of Vocal Jazz. He performs regularly at jazz clubs in his hometown of London and throughout the UK.

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