Nightfly

The Life of Steely Dan's Donald Fagen

By: Peter Jones

Narrated by: Michael Butler Murray

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—were—and continue to be-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, reformation in 1993, and Fagen's parallel solo career are covered in detail.

©2022 Peter Jones (P)2022 Tantor

The deets

It was a nice experience to get updated. Good to hear that he weathered the decades well.

Mispronunciation

"Enveloping" was pronounced with the accent on the first syllable, like a word that doesn't exist.

Not even done yet

Peter Jones does a magnificent job of telling the story of one rock & rolls most unique outfits, Steely Dan as well as the life of Donald Fagen. I love the stories of the record making experiences as well as the glimpse into the world of Donald Fagen. This a must read for any hardcore fan or someone daring to get into something different musically. A+++

Great book

Lots of fun facts and details. Liked the timeline approach. Learned a lot I didn’t know

Eccentric. Great Detailed Story

Loved the details and story. Some happy with many says. Glad SD is still touring. Going to checkout all the stuff I missed.