"Most rock & roll bands are a tightly wound unit that developed their music through years of playing in garages and clubs around their hometown. Steely Dan never subscribed to that aesthetic. As the vehicle for the songwriting of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, Steely Dan defied all rock & roll conventions. Becker and Fagen never truly enjoyed rock -- with their ironic humor and cryptic lyrics, their eclectic body of work shows some debt to Bob Dylan -- preferring jazz, traditional pop, blues, and R&B. Steely Dan created a sophisticated, distinctive sound with accessible melodic hooks, complex harmonies and time signatures, and a devotion to the recording studio." - allmusic.com
Elvis Costello has aged gracefully over the course of the nearly four decades of his music career. With his "Angry Young Man" personality, punk-rock leanings and Buddy Holly aesthetic, he was a definitive act in British New Wave of the late 1970s. Instead of resting on his laurels, Costello eventually began experimenting with his approach to music, releasing records that highlighted his eclectic tastes. After forays into soul, country and R&B, he continued to release a steady supply of post-punk hits. In the last half-decade, however, Costello has turned towards Americana and roots rock to make albums reflective of an Angry Young Man who grew old.
"Most rock & roll bands are a tightly wound unit that developed their music through years of playing in garages and clubs around their hometown. Steely Dan never subscribed to that aesthetic. As the vehicle for the songwriting of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, Steely Dan defied all rock & roll conventions. Becker and Fagen never truly enjoyed rock -- with their ironic humor and cryptic lyrics, their eclectic body of work shows some debt to Bob Dylan -- preferring jazz, traditional pop, blues, and R&B. Steely Dan created a sophisticated, distinctive sound with accessible melodic hooks, complex harmonies and time signatures, and a devotion to the recording studio." - allmusic.com
Elvis Costello has aged gracefully over the course of the nearly four decades of his music career. With his "Angry Young Man" personality, punk-rock leanings and Buddy Holly aesthetic, he was a definitive act in British New Wave of the late 1970s. Instead of resting on his laurels, Costello eventually began experimenting with his approach to music, releasing records that highlighted his eclectic tastes. After forays into soul, country and R&B, he continued to release a steady supply of post-punk hits. In the last half-decade, however, Costello has turned towards Americana and roots rock to make albums reflective of an Angry Young Man who grew old.
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