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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
mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,204 posts
 
hilde45, if your system measures flat at the listening position then it has to be you who are bright because Aja and Goucho certainly are not. Maybe you need to tune your hearing aids? Maybe you did to many gummies? Or perhaps the system yo are using to measure your system is defective? Something is amiss and it is not Steely Dan's recordings. The early recordings if anything are a bit dull.
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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
1,053 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.
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