Nightfly: The Life of Steely Dan's Donald Fagen

(Paperback, Expanded edition)

Available Formats

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

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 duos 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 wereand continue to bean 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 Fagens 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 bands break-up in 1981, re-formation in 1993, and Fagens parallel solo career are covered in detail.

Author Peter Jones seeks to explain the publics continuing fascination with Fagens music, both in collaboration with Becker and as a solo artist.

Reviews

In Nightfly, Peter Jones has done an impeccable job illuminating one of musics most mercurial and mysterious figures. Exhaustive research, rich storytelling and keen observations make this a must-read not just for Fagen fans and Steely Dan devotees, but any music fans that relish compelling inside stories from the vinyl era. A comprehensive, critical biography that will also help you listen to classic albums likePretzel Logic,Katy Lied,Ajaand others with fresh new ears." - Chris Epting, author of James Dean Died Here and other books

"Nightfly is a must-read for every Steely Dan fan. In this book Peter Jones covers all aspects of Donald Fagens career, both with his band Steely Dan and as a solo artist. I am amazed at the level of detail in the descriptions of the recording sessions and the analyses of the lyrics of the songs. There is no doubt Jones has put a lot of work into doing accurate research.Being an avid film noir buff myself, I can only agree with Peters note, 'Steely Dan were the closest thing in rock music to film noir." - Jay Graydon, Grammyaward winning songwriter and musician

"Fagen fans will find this detailed account a worthy complement to the singers own memoir, Eminent Hipsters." - Publishers Weekly

Author Bio

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.