Which Steely Dan song required the most takes in the studio?
When artists enter the studio, progress usually requires a healthy energy balance. Sometimes, music is recorded in one take, with musicians being able to generate an easy and effortless flow. Other times, however, it takes repeated attempts to get a sound exactly right, which can be arduous and even frustrating. Steely Dan occupied a middle ground, though sometimes it could take weeks or even months to perfect a single track.
When it comes to Steely Dan, everyone—from the musicians involved to the listeners—understands the level of perfectionism and complexities required. Rather than adopting a casual, intuitive approach, Donald Fagen and Walter Becker often adopt a more relentless approach, pushing anything and everything to its limits to squeeze the best possible performance out of everybody.
This tireless pursuit of perfectionism wouldn’t suit everybody, but it worked for Steely Dan because it made their music reach the standard most only dreamed of. In the studio, this manifested in multiple takes, time and time again, until they were completely happy with the sound of the music. Anything less wasn’t good enough, so they would keep going until something changed.
Many have observed Fagen and Becker’s meticulous approach since their emergence, noting their unrelenting commitment and attention to detail, as well as the nature of working alongside such high stakes in the studio. While some naturally reach their level of perfectionism quicker and easier than others, some tracks epitomised their strive more than others, which was the case for one specific track on their record Aja.
Which track required the most takes?
One of the most frequently sampled tracks, ‘Peg’, demonstrated the duo’s rigorous work ethic and precise compositional techniques. For this track, they enlisted the help of highly talented musicians for a session, scrapping every performance and then bringing in an entirely new band the next day.
Reflecting on the experience, their engineer Elliot Scheiner said: “Every track, every overdub had to be the perfect overdub. They didn’t settle for anything. They were always looking for the perfect.” The rhythm guitarist also said that there may have been a “license for abuse,” mainly because of their immunity to criticisms or lack of sales, creating an environment where “good enough” was strictly less than.
During these sessions, the pair were immensely stern, often going through several musicians before landing on those they deemed up to scratch. This was particularly harsh for the guitar solo, which was performed by Jay Graydon, who was chosen after seven previous guitarists. The musician didn’t seem to mind the severity, though, saying, “Every studio guitar player wanted to be on a Steely Dan record.”
Some might claim their approach to be too cutthroat, but all of these choices ultimately earned them their reputation as one of the most perfectionist outfits there is. Throughout history, there have been musicians who scraped by with half-baked attempts at creating music, but the same will never be said of a duo as stern as Fagen and Becker.
