As a fan who grew up listening to the rich tapestry of music that the 70s and 80s had to offer, I find myself both intrigued and dismayed by Donald Fagen’s perspective on music. While his contribution to Steely Dan is undeniable, his apparent dismissal of artists like Nirvana and Talking Heads leaves me scratching my head.
Donald Fagen has a deep understanding of himself. He firmly believes that supporters of his old band, Steely Dan, will stand by him to the very last. If you enjoyed Steely Dan, you were seen as intelligent, and if you didn’t, it was perceived as a lack thereof. This seems to be the sentiment among many Steely Dan fans.
To some listeners, Steely Dan’s music might seem overly mechanical due to their meticulous playing style and lyrics that can be abstract. Interestingly, for a jazz enthusiast like Fagen, Steely Dan offered limited opportunities for improvisation on their albums, not in the genuine sense like legendary jazz artists Miles Davis or John Coltrane did.
Despite the fact that Fagen’s band’s tunes were played alongside groups like the Allman Brothers on the same radio stations, he didn’t particularly enjoy rock music at all. The music industry tends to categorize artists, whether they like it or not. If you aim to earn a living from music, you might have to compromise a bit and accept being labeled.
Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen clearly does not appreciate Nirvana and the Talking Heads
What trips up Fagen is his overconfidence about the merit of his music compared to others, as simply producing a different style or sound doesn’t justify questioning another artist’s authenticity. In his 2013 memoir, “Eminent Hipster,” Fagen criticizes Kurt Cobain of Nirvana as a “fascist” due to the loud rock music they played.
In simpler terms, Fagen stated that he isn’t fond of rock music, to put it bluntly. He knows David Byrne and may have heard Nirvana, but for him, loud, anthemic rock music is essentially associated with fascism – anything created to stir up large groups of people feels politically objectionable to him.
Fagen’s critical comment about Nirvana is a personal matter. Just because he may not appreciate their music, doesn’t mean others can’t enjoy it too. Moreover, it seems inaccurate for him to suggest that Cobain aimed to move large crowds with his music – it’s unclear what he meant by that. The truth is, Cobain created the music he wanted to, and there was no premeditated plan for Nirvana to achieve the level of success they did.
It was partially their sudden fame that contributed to Cobain’s mental struggles, and Fagen’s remarks in light of this seem rather insensitive.
If it appears that Fagen is suggesting that a band gaining a large fanbase is undesirable, this could stem from envy. While Steely Dan does have a dedicated fanbase, their audience is minuscule compared to Nirvana’s. Essentially, Fagen should try to be less critical and possibly appreciate music outside his usual preferences if it’s skillfully crafted.
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2024-11-07 20:01