145 - Steely Dan - Aja - Big Jay Oakerson

Summary

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The 500 with Josh Adam Meyers

Episode 145: Steely Dan – “Aja” (1977) w/ Big Jay Oakerson
August 27, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this episode, comedian Josh Adam Meyers and special guest Big Jay Oakerson dive into Steely Dan’s classic album Aja—Rolling Stone’s #145 on the “500 Greatest Albums” list. With the trademark mix of irreverence, honest music appreciation, and comic banter, Josh and Jay explore the legacy and sound of Steely Dan, especially the band’s association with “yacht rock.” The conversation roams from the album’s famously meticulous production and jazz-pop style to personal stories about growing up with this music, as well as the appeal—and mockery—of the yacht rock aesthetic. The episode also features lively tangents, reflections on musical tastes, and plenty of jokes, blending insight and comedy for both diehard Steely Dan fans and the uninitiated.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Big Jay’s Eclectic Taste & Yacht Rock Love

• Big Jay’s Past Selections: Jay has discussed everything from Cyndi Lauper to Def Leppard, Jethro Tull, and Red Hot Chili Peppers on the show. Josh remarks:

  “You might have the most eclectic… you coined the term California Queef Rock.” (08:31)

• Yacht Rock Roots: Jay explains his deep connection to yacht rock, crediting his mother’s musical tastes driving at night in the '80s as an early influence.

  "That's back-on-my-mom's-car music. So it's soothing in that regard.” (16:50)

• Silk Shirt Rock: Jay preferred his own term before yacht rock took hold:

  “I used to call it Silk Shirt Rock...all these guys wearing silk shirts...the beard, the hair, the music seems so corny, but you know they were smashing.” (18:25)

2. What Makes Steely Dan Unique

• Studio Band or Live Group? The hosts discuss Steely Dan’s persona as studio perfectionists—rarely touring, and more jazz nerds than rock stars.

  "They don’t even tour, like, at all… they’re just studio guys." (20:22)

• The Perfection Factor: The duo marvel at Steely Dan’s ability to assemble superstar musicians for each track.

  “They literally would pull in perfect people for every single instrument on what they felt the vibe of the song was.” (29:33)

3. Aja’s Reputation vs. Personal Preference

• Is Aja Overrated? The standard critical take is that Aja is Steely Dan’s best, but both hosts admit they have personal favorites elsewhere in the catalog.

  “Out of the other two records we’ve listened to, I enjoyed those way more than I enjoyed this one." (27:07) — Josh
  “This doesn't have… not for me, not for my time, but a lot of people, I understand that completely.” (50:16) — Jay

4. Track-by-Track Highlights

• Black Cow: Noted for its hip-hop samples and smooth, melancholy vibe.

  "Heavily, heavily sampled song in hip hop. Uptown Baby… MF Doom, Beyoncé, Tone Lōc...” (30:08–33:11)

• Aja (the title track): Noted for mythic, sensual lyrical inspiration, and Steve Gadd’s legendary drumming—performed in one take.

  “This is literally one of the greatest drum performances ever.” (36:19)

• Peg: Celebrated for Michael McDonald's iconic “back to you” harmonies and extensive sampling.

  [Plays McDonald’s isolated vocals:]
  "Can we give you more, Michael? You’re a good voice, dude." (52:03)

• Deacon Blues: The showstopper for Jay, tied to personal memories and inside jokes (“Deacon Boobs” as a road-trip parody song).

  “I always have a soft spot for [Deacon Blues]...it catches me, a much darker parody song than me and you would sing when there’s no cameras.” (44:34)

5. The Yacht Rock Genre – Corny or Sexy?

• Rebranding Yacht Rock: Jay resists the genre’s reputation as old-people-on-a-boat music:

  “To me, it’s sexier than that… it’s these guys wearing silk shirts going out and, like, getting the chicks that love guys with long hair and silk shirts." (21:12)

• “Ambrosia” and Silk Shirt Vibes:

  “My mind keeps coming back to Ambrosia… They really encapsulate that thing. The music is so queefy, but that main guy was cool...curly, kind of long...looked like John Holmes almost.” (71:24)

6. Sampling, Musical Influence & Legacy

• Who’s Sampled More? The hosts debate the most-sampled acts, landing on James Brown and The Winstons, but noting Steely Dan’s huge hip-hop impact.

  “If we consider all genres… the highest ever: James Brown—617." (44:02)

• Steely Dan’s Niche Status: They discuss how the band’s lack of touring may have kept them "niche," but their influence is enduring:

  “They’re the godfathers, unwittingly, of a genre… and it’s macaroni and cheese—warm as f***.” (63:16)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Steely Dan’s Studio Musicianship:

  “They don’t even tour, they’re just studio guys… they just make albums in the studio and put them out…” — Big Jay (20:22)

• Jay’s Ideal ‘70s Life:

  “If you could be born at a different time… whatever would have made me a formidable teenager straight through the ‘70s… I would have really enjoyed…” (72:28)

• On Genre Crossover:

  “I’m into rock and roll… I don’t look weird if I go to a Slipknot concert dressed that same way somehow.” — Jay (13:47)

• Josh on discovering the depth in yacht rock:

  “After talking to Nick from the Goddamn Comedy Jam, you realize how complicated this music is… speed this up, this is progressive rock.” (19:03)

• Deacon Blues Road Parody:

  “They call Alabama the Crimson Tide, call me Deacon Boobs made us laugh… I don’t even have these kind of laughs anymore…” — Jay (44:57)

• On the appeal of yacht rock:

  "Warm as f***...it's me sitting in the back of a car, that music...I get a night where I don't have to just lay in bed..." — Jay (63:42)

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Important Timestamps

• Yacht Rock & Silk Shirt Origins: 16:50 – 18:25
• Steely Dan’s Unique Approach: 19:18 – 21:12
• Aja vs. Other Albums: 27:07 – 29:09
• Track Analysis – Black Cow: 30:08 – 33:11
• Track Analysis – Aja: 34:03 – 36:19
• Track Analysis – Peg & Michael McDonald Vocals: 51:26 – 52:39
• Jay’s ‘Deacon Boobs’ story: 44:34 – 47:30
• Who Samples Whom / Hip-Hop Connections: 38:10 – 44:13
• Closing Thoughts on Yacht Rock & Album Legacy: 63:07 – 74:56

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Final Thoughts & Summary

• Album Elevator Pitch (Big Jay):

  "You're gonna get three songs. It's gonna let you know immediately if you are into Steely Dan’s vibe or not. Those three songs are Steely Dan songs. A mega chorus… studio music so they make it. Steely Dan fills the speakers with sound." (69:02)

• On Aja’s Place in Steely Dan’s Legacy: The hosts agree that while Aja is highly acclaimed, their personal favorites might lie elsewhere—yet Aja remains a monument to musicianship, lush studio production, and Steely Dan's unique fusion of jazz, pop, and rock.

• Big Jay's Yacht Rock Champion: Ambrosia, with Steely Dan right up there as the genre's “godfathers.” (71:24)

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Where to Find the Hosts

• Big Jay Okerson:

  • @bigjokerson on YouTube and all socials
  • Tour dates at BigJComedy.com
  • Podcasts: Legion of Skanks, The Bonfire, Story Wars

• Josh Adam Meyers:

  • @joshadammeyers on all socials
  • Show info at The500Podcast.com

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Up next:
Episode 146 – N.W.A., Straight Outta Compton

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For New Listeners

This episode blends comic riffing with genuine musical insight. If you’re new to Steely Dan or looking for an intro to Aja, expect a mix of irreverence, nostalgia, and nuanced appreciation—plus a strong case for giving yacht rock a second chance.

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Transcript

[Josh Adam Myers]

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[Josh Adam Myers]

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[Guest Musician or Singer]

The 500 the 500 JM been walking us down through that 2012 edition, so it ain't nothing too new.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Hundreds more to go. When in need of a friend the.

[Guest Musician or Singer]

King of peace for angelo Talking the 500 until the end Talking the 500 until the end with my man JL on the 500 Talking the 500 until the end I crawl like a viper through these suburban streets make love to.

[Josh Adam Myers]

These women Languid and bittersweet Ah, that is Deacon Blues by Steely dan from the 1972 record. 77th. I'm sorry, not 72nd, but is it the second record? I don't even know what I'm saying. The album's Asia Summer 145 out of 500 on the 500 with Josh Adam Myers. What's up, party people? I am a comedian and I'm going through Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums from 500 down to 1. And we are chipping away. All right. I think I'm probably back by now. I don't know when this one's coming out, but if I am, I'm coming back the next week. Either way, I'm in Europe. I'm having the time of my life or I'm dead. We'll find out. Am I posting on social media? Who knows? But when I get back, I am off to the races on tour. August 29th and the 30th, I will be at the Plano Mic Drop Comedy Club. Then in September, I will be in Dubai with Bill Burr. I will be in Jacksonville. I will be in Fort Lauderdale. I will be in Pittsburgh. More and more stuff is coming up. Vancouver, Phoenix, Vegas, La Jolla, Los Angeles, New York, Baltimore. I've got DC. I mean, so much stuff is coming up. Josh adams.com for tickets. Support me any way you can follow me on social media if that's all you can do. Subscribe to my YouTube. Whatever you guys can do to help me. It would mean the world to me. I want to make this next year the best year of my life. So let's rock and roll, guys. Support everybody with the show. DJ Morty Coyle, JT Peter Adam, Emily Kagan. Just the loves of our lives all work hard on the show. And that's why you should subscribe to the Patreon. Patreon.com backslash the 500 podcast. For $5, you support and show love. For 25 you support. Show love and we give you merch.

[Big J Okerson]

Yep.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Subscribe to the YouTube. Do what you can. Patreon.com backslash the 500 podcast. All right, this is our third Steely Dan record. And at this point now I'm a fan. And I got a real fan of yacht rock. Someone that I recently just went to see. Toto, Christopher Cross, I Spaced out and Men at Work with the one and only Big J Okerson. He's been on before. He's been one of the most eclectic people on here. He's done Cyndi Lauper, he's done Weezer, he's done Jethro Tull. He's done, he's done Def Leppard. He's done California Queefrock with Red Hot Chili Peppers. I don't know if he's been back in a while, but here he is, man, the one and only Big J. One of the funniest guys I know. One third of the legion of skanks, one half of the bonfire and he's got, you know, he's just one of the funniest people I know. He's got a brand new special, they Them. It's a two parter. It's a crowd work comedy special. It's on his YouTube. Support him. YouTube.com BigJokerson I should have said BigJokerson it's @bigjokerson on all social media except for the Facebook, which is Jay Okerson and he is on the road. So go see this guy. Raid review. And most importantly, subscribe to the 500 listen free on all platforms or any way you get your podcast. Follow me at Josh Adam Myers on all social media. Follow the podcast at the 500 podcast. Email the [e-mail]. Follow the Facebook group run by Crazy Evan. And for all things 500, go to the website the 500podcast.com follow. All right, y'.

[Big J Okerson]

All.

[Josh Adam Myers]

It's my fifth intro I've recorded today. Hopefully I'm done. Here we go. 145 out of 500 with Asia by Steely Dan. We get you funky and you chunky too we gonna celebrate with you.

[Big J Okerson]

Come on now.

[Josh Adam Myers]

It's the same song, dude. It's the same song. Ah, guys, this is a big deal. This isn't just a regular episode. Oh, I see the camera, Dill. This isn't just a regular episode. We are breaking in Big J Okerson's home studio where he will now moving forward on things on the Internet and build an enormous following in that fucking chair. That's. Dude, it's beyond.

[Big J Okerson]

I. I think Dylan says he's. This is going to be a good.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Idea, but I. I think you're gonna.

[Big J Okerson]

Have to convince me to buy this Glow in the Dark computer.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah, that's why you convinced me to.

[Big J Okerson]

Build this studio that I believe is draining the electricity in the neighborhood.

[Josh Adam Myers]

And like in the middle of the podcast, it's just gonna go boom. There's all the lights on the block go out.

[Big J Okerson]

Come back on though.

[Josh Adam Myers]

The generators are at max. Big J Okerson's watching non compliance videos. I'm pulling up right now. God, we had a. We had a fun week so far and we still have a good week coming up. We have. So.

[Big J Okerson]

We have. Well, it's funny Friday. We are going to a yacht. What can only be described as a yacht rock concert.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I would say so.

[Big J Okerson]

And today, the album we're talking about is by the. What the documentary at least will tell you.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I haven't watched that yet.

[Big J Okerson]

Fathers of yacht rock is that it all starts. They are the center of the web of yacht rock you've.

[Josh Adam Myers]

You've done. Before we get into this, I'm looking over at all the albums that you've done, including the songs that you've done on the Jam. Jay, I feel like you might have the most eclectic. Like you first came on for Cindy Lauper, which is actually the first album that I did for the podcast.

[Big J Okerson]

You think you know what you're doing.

[Josh Adam Myers]

We did that. Then the second one. Can you name it? Do you remember the second one you did?

[Big J Okerson]

Chili Peps?

[Josh Adam Myers]

Nope. Def Leppard, Hysteria.

[Big J Okerson]

Oh, that was with the Scars. Yeah.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Because we were doing those all at Moon Tower.

[Big J Okerson]

Yep.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Then Big J Osen. Big J Okerson. It's been a minute. Oh, hold on.

[Big J Okerson]

Wait.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Where the. I guess. Oh, get 20.

[Big J Okerson]

California.

[Josh Adam Myers]

2020. You did California CA. Yes.

[Big J Okerson]

Hip damage. Flapping on My Jam and Hipping on.

[Josh Adam Myers]

My Hammer, which you called it and coined the term California Queef Rock.

[Big J Okerson]

Yeah, it is.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Don't. For that.

[Big J Okerson]

It is Queefrock.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I. Yeah, I just. That's one band I just can't get into. I don't hate.

[Big J Okerson]

I've seen them live, and they put on a show for sure. Like, they. You realize how many hits they have, which is important, but they really do. They're just. It's music for. This is definitely people I wouldn't want to kick it with. Yeah.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Just ball sack, bass player, and like.

[Big J Okerson]

Oh, who checked the surf? Who checked the surf on the news?

[Josh Adam Myers]

But I'll tell you this much. John Frusciante does rule. He is an incredible guitar player. And also, I love the fact that he, like, he.

[Big J Okerson]

How about Dave Navarro just joined the band, the French Kiss. Anthony Kiedis. For a minute.

[Josh Adam Myers]

For a minute. And nobody talks about that. They don't play any songs of that album. It does. Like, it didn't exist One Hot Minute. Bought it for my sister. But John Frusciante, their music was so bad. He got a horrible heroin addiction.

[Big J Okerson]

Yeah.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Left the band and then sobered up and was like, oh, they're making money now.

[Big J Okerson]

He's like, if I'm gonna play this gas music, I need to be on heroin.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Be on H, bro.

[Big J Okerson]

Scamma Flamma whipping on Ma Jama something on Dip Dap. Suck My Kiss.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Dylan, can you turn my mic up a little bit in my earphones?

[Big J Okerson]

So you don't want.

[Josh Adam Myers]

You're.

[Big J Okerson]

You're Redding out.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Am I reading?

[Big J Okerson]

Yes. I lowered a little bit. Oh, but your levels are good. You sound good, bud.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Thank you, baby. All right. And I'm looking at what else, Big J Okerson. Oh, we did. You did Weezer. Weezer Blue record. We did that live at Moon Tower. We did Jethro Tull, Aqua Lung.

[Big J Okerson]

Nice.

[Josh Adam Myers]

We did that.

[Big J Okerson]

Oh, that was at a moon tower also. That was at Moon also.

[Josh Adam Myers]

All right, so I think the last record that you did actually was the blue record. I don't. I think it's been that long.

[Big J Okerson]

And the wheeze.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah, dude. And the funny thing is I'm looking. I think that has been. It is, you know, with everybody when we look at you now, especially because I think when you first kind of became onto the scene, you were like. And it was just growing up in Philly and just, you know, because you're. You started in black rooms, so you're like kind of going. And also it's the urban rooms. Urban. Urban diggy masala. But you, you. You were like. You've turned into what I would call like, I don't know, and call you like not a rock comic, but you know what I mean? It's like your vibe is like metal rock and roll. And yet when I get in the.

[Big J Okerson]

Car with you, I think it's very like thinly veiled wigger.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I don't think you can still say the wigger word anymore.

[Big J Okerson]

100% you can.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I've said it in front of people and like, they get awkward.

[Big J Okerson]

Well, wiggers.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Who'S. Who was the first wigger that you ever met that you really were like, oh, this is because Lindsay Kelly was like.

[Big J Okerson]

She was like a world class.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

Oh, you talking about a girl? Well, no, I told the story. I told the story on Ari's thing before about the girl. When I moved to South Jersey, I thought I can reinvent a little bit because no one knew me there. And I wasn't just like the silly fat kid. Yeah, I was already wearing the hip hop clothes because that's what big and tall had to offer a name brand only.

[Josh Adam Myers]

What was dad clothes echo, Fat farm.

[Big J Okerson]

South Pole, Rocaware, Sean Paul or Sean's big. Sean John.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Sean John.

[Big J Okerson]

Yes, Also those. And you paid out the ass for the extra material for your big fat ass. But I looked the part of like. And that was always what I was drawn to. More like look wise. Strangely, when I was young, it would have been rock and roll, but I was always too fat. I say we may have said this on the show before even probably the Led Zeppelin three quarter length fucking angel swan song. The angel going across with the three quarter sleeves, black softball tee. Yeah, that was the. I was like, man, if I could rock that look, that's the look. But it didn't work out for me in that regard. Then when the style became hip hop, it was that look of like. That's what got me was like baggy top, long shorts. It's a very. It's a very Ghost Face Killer ice cream video idea where it's like, if you're a big guy. Well, I think me and him both share. Why have this kinship to Ghostface Killer? It's a similar build. I was definitely fatter than him at a point, but he's also been fat at points, too. And it's just. But you have. Keep them small ankles. When you get to keep them small, small ankles, it's awesome. Like, that'll. That bought me a lot. That probably saved me getting laid at all was that I showed my ankles off a lot. And if you look at just the ankles, you're like, maybe this guy isn't morbidly obese.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Not. You could tell. He's got. He's got great calves and ankles. Like, he doesn't have pudge feet.

[Big J Okerson]

There's no way that this guy. And that's the look. So that's what, you know, I kind of adopted, like, hoodies, even with the shorts, you know, I mean, the long shorts or whatever. So it's been a very. Like, I've kept that kind of thing. But I know what you. But they definitely. I'm into rock and roll, you know, like rock music and stuff like that. I also. I don't look weird if I go to a Slipknot concert dressed that same way somehow.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Not at all. But the thing is. And to bring it all back to what we were talking about in the album is that I get in the car with you and it's yacht rock, you know, and we can. We can say we saw SWV and of course there's going to be the 90s and 80s, like R& B.

[Big J Okerson]

Sure.

[Josh Adam Myers]

But, dude, you know all the lyric to every yacht rock song. You always have this moment, guys, where he'll be like, you know this one? And I'll be like, I don't know this one. And then he's like, just wait. Just wait. And you know all the lyrics in the first. I'm like, I don't think I know it. And then it's like, you know, and then it's like, oh, this is ambrosia. Like, I know. You know what I mean? So it was Steely Dan. When I threw the album idea out to you, it just felt like it made sense to complete the circle of the. That you've done. We. I mean, we don't have, like, metal, I think, on this.

[Big J Okerson]

Oh, this is a circle completion. This is my last one.

[Josh Adam Myers]

No. God, no. Dude, you're coming. Dude, you're doing. If I could see Anything you're definitely.

[Big J Okerson]

Doing just sounds like you're xing me out.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I mean, you should do nwa.

[Big J Okerson]

Which one? It's straight out of Compton.

[Josh Adam Myers]

We're not doing 2,000 miles and running.

[Big J Okerson]

No, I would do. I'll say it backwards because I know how it looks in the COVID If Phil forzagging.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I always bought that T shirt. 700 bucks at fucking the store in downtown LA.

[Big J Okerson]

You know, I've rocked on so many things and I still have it. I wear it. My hoodie that's Los. Says in the front, Legion of Skanks.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

And it's in the font of NWA in the red. And on the back it's.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I've seen that. Yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

On the back it says real and it's N with the asterisks.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

Rio ends with big dicks. That's the line from always into something MC Ren.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

My favorite thing. And so I have that to shirt. I love that album was one of my, like, straight throughs. No. Skips Hip hop. No. I didn't have to skip one. And the other one too. That always got me. And this was when. Because there was a time where my stereo in my car, my mom's Chevette that she kind of let me just use. Yeah. Stick shift Chevette. No stereo. No stereo at all. And so I had a boombox in the back seat. And so you had to put in albums that you were like, I can't Drive and Flip CDs in the back seat of the car.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

And so I would do. Onyx was one of the first, like, CDs or tapes that I could just go straight through on it.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I never got.

[Big J Okerson]

I'm getting introducement to gathering a Juggalos this year.

[Josh Adam Myers]

That's amazing. That is amazing. Dude, your. Your career is. It's. It's a cream dream at this point for you.

[Big J Okerson]

But the gathering of the Juggalos, is that your pot? Is that your pinnacle?

[Josh Adam Myers]

Dude, it's. Dude, it's like, I want to do Shiprocked. I want to play with Fuel. Why can't I play with Fuel? I'm the skadoodle.

[Big J Okerson]

Dude, you're the Skadoodle.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah, man.

[Big J Okerson]

You should know Brett from.

[Josh Adam Myers]

From F. Dude, I should know Josh from Buck Cherry. How did you get. Where did it start? Like, where did yacht rock love start? Because I would say. And if I'm wrong, I would say it's in the top.01% of the music that you actually listen to that when it. Get in your car. So how did your love for yacht rock in specifically Steely Dan.

[Big J Okerson]

It's Steely Dan. Just part of the mix in that to me, honestly. But it's. It's that. It's. I call it. That's back on my mom's car music. So it's soothing in that regard. It was the 80s and going on and the songs that would hit cool on a night. Like my mom was young, you know.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

So it was like a night where maybe I thought we were just going to be going home and I had school the next day. But she's a kid who would get a, you know, text.

[Josh Adam Myers]

How much. How much older is your mom than you?

[Big J Okerson]

19 years.

[Josh Adam Myers]

That's it. Oh, wow.

[Big J Okerson]

So when I was like, you know, like 5, she was like 23 or 24. She might get a call on a weekday when it's like, you know, I'm supposed to be going to bed and it would be like her friends are going to watch Top Gun because somebody got it on VHS or something.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

And it's like I'd get to go over and it's just like it's getting in the car. Nighttime. Because a lot of those songs, y rock has that synth thing to it. Before Synth became straight, like 80s synth rock.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

Like the Wang Chung, the Phil Collins.

[Josh Adam Myers]

When Phil Collins started kind of what you're saying, like Kuju Jaja.

[Big J Okerson]

And it's. No, it's really. It's before the voice of the 80s came in, which is, you know. You know, they always had the same, like, Wang Chung. It's always like guy in fucking suit rock.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

Do you know what I mean? It kind of. But the yacht rock still holds the air of like the 70s to it. Like the set of call before it was called Yacht Rock, I call it Silk shirt Rock. Christine will tell you that. However many years ago, before it was officially called yacht rock.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Okay.

[Big J Okerson]

I used to call it Silk Ambrosia. Silk Show. I'm like, look at these guys. They're all wearing silk shirts and like, it's such a watch. Look at. Look at ambrosia in the 70s. I mean, these guys were doing it and they just look sexy doing it.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I love the hair.

[Big J Okerson]

No, that's what I'm saying. The beard, the hair. And. And these guys. And the music seems so corny, but, you know, they were smashing.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Oh, my God. You know what's funny is after talking to Nick from the goddamn comedy Jam, you turn this down a little bit. After talking to Nick from the goddamn comedy Jam, you realize how complicated this music is and I feel like. Because this is more. If you speed this up, this is progressive rock.

[Big J Okerson]

And.

[Josh Adam Myers]

And that's the thing about Steely Dan.

[Big J Okerson]

I'm gonna stop so you don't get struck. Copyright, strike.

[Josh Adam Myers]

That's the thing about Steely Dan is that they're this literally a group of, you know, two music nerds and then probably them collecting the most talented musicians that they could ever assemble to make these records. So it's Steely Dan. So, like, you just heard that in the background.

[Big J Okerson]

Also born of. I think a lot of these. If you look at, like, bands that are, well, fall into yacht rock, Toto and bands like that, they're bands that were comprised of studio guys. These were guys that were, like, not even touring musicians as much. I believe they're studio musicians. And that was the funny thing, like, when you start learning about this music at all when it's coming out like Steely Dan from the time I was young. One of the top two facts you ever hear about. One, it's like it's two guys, neither named Dan, you know, I mean, what's it fucking. I know the name. Donald Fagan and Walter.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Walter Becker.

[Big J Okerson]

Becker. But they. The big thing was like, yeah, they don't even tour, like, at all. Like, they're just studio guy. They just make albums in the studio and put them out and do it like that. Toto is just a. All the studio musicians that did, like, Thriller and everything just go and like, hey, we'll do a band. You know, we can't always just play background for Stevie Nicks. You know, sometimes we got to. Let's start a band to make our own music. And they did. And, like, so I think it's an interesting. But to me, yacht rock. Why. I know it's considered corny, like an old lady and. And her husband, like, that's the picture. So I don't like the term yacht rock. To me, it's sexier than that. To me, than that situation. Yeah, like I said it. To me, it's like, it's this. It's these guys wearing silk shirts going out and, like, getting the chicks that love guys with long hair and silk shirts.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

You know, I mean, it was at a time getting ass music. It wasn't laughing about, like, being rich and having a boat. That's not why these guys made this music. These guys were trying to crush.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Why do you think that? What is there in. I never watched a documentary yet, but why do they call it yacht rock? Is it just because it's music?

[Big J Okerson]

It's Completely vibe. It's just the. It's the vibe. And they're right. It's the perfect music. I would have called it again, daytime driving music. Now, a lot of yacht rock is awesome at night, but it's also a kind of music that's during the day. We've mentioned Onyx before, you know, I mean, like, nobody wants to hear Onyx during the day. It's strange.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I go into a fight music.

[Big J Okerson]

Yeah, strange. I go on SiriusXM Yacht Rock Station to get my inspiration when I'm driving in. During the day. Anywhere.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

And then I'll go to my own, like, Apple music or whatever and like. Oh, now it's. Oh, yeah, that's right. That makes me want to hear this song.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Sure.

[Big J Okerson]

And you get into the zone of it like that. For sure. So it's daytime rocks. That's what it is. It's like put it on when you're in a pool. Put it on. So it became like yacht rock because it really is. It's just. And also, I have to assume. I'm sure there's. I'm not the first person to think of this. I mean, quintessential cornerstone song of yacht rock is the song Sailing.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Oh, God, yeah. I can't wait to see that on Friday.

[Big J Okerson]

Me either.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Christopher Cross is Christopher Cross. Men at Work feels like the odd man out on this. You know what I mean? Like, it's. But nothing against Men at Work.

[Big J Okerson]

No, but they're gonna do. Who can it be? They're gonna go.

[Josh Adam Myers]

That's gonna. Yeah, of course. And. But Christopher Cross, to me, I mean, I'm excited for Toto, but Christopher Cross is the one that I'm excited for. I actually was lucky enough to see. Have you seen Steely Dan?

[Big J Okerson]

No. And I know. And they play. They used to play the Beacon all the time. And I think they are still going to again, but it will be obviously without Walter.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Without Walter. So just so. So everybody listening. We're not going to go through the history like we did on the first two records because we did Pretzel Logic with Jeff Cohen. Is he still your lawyer?

[Big J Okerson]

Oh, is it Goonies? Jeff.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Goonies.

[Big J Okerson]

Jeff. No, but I love Jeff.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Are you with Bradley?

[Big J Okerson]

Yes. They split in the company.

[Josh Adam Myers]

No, I know, I know.

[Big J Okerson]

I went with. But he was the one I worked with always over there. I mean, I love Jeff.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I work. I mean, if I had more work, I'd give it to Bradley. Did all my work, too.

[Big J Okerson]

I love Jeff. Who an enormous, funny. It's a funny, fun fact. We should always just tell Jeff Cohen, who was a lawyer for a lot of entertainment Lawyer, big time entertainment lawyer. Is hilariously chunk from the Goonies. Yeah, actually chunk from Goonies.

[Josh Adam Myers]

It really is. And.

[Big J Okerson]

And the sweetest guy and not fat at all.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Slim Pre all the shots. He did it.

[Big J Okerson]

He did hit naturally, by the way. Slim handsome. Yeah. Guy like successful as dude killing it.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Still at friends with Corey Feldman. Still. I don't think anybody could be friends with Corey.

[Big J Okerson]

I was gonna say Jeff and me will have a couple good laughs about Corey film. But I, you know, I don't want to. Yeah, yeah. They are friends.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah. And.

[Big J Okerson]

And absolutely did that. Goonies together, they're bound for life.

[Josh Adam Myers]

So the first record we did was Pretzel Logic. We did that with Jeff Cohen. Then I did their debut album, Can't Buy a Thrill, with my writer DJ Morty Coyle and his buddy Jordan. And so this is the third record that we've done Asia, which for the long time I was calling it Aja, which I know that's.

[Big J Okerson]

You know what's hilarious was I know people would always say I never bought Steely Dan albums per se, but like, people would always say like Steely Dan Asia is like the best. And I just thought that was different. That when I'd see this in CD stores or you know, tapes, the same goodie or whatever, I would always. I would also think it's Aja.

[Josh Adam Myers]

So did I.

[Big J Okerson]

And I just. And didn't even like, occur to me that I was like saying one wrong than the other. And then then eventually, you know, just like through time. That's one of the ones you learn.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I mean, it's developed a cult following.

[Big J Okerson]

Jeff Ro Tull is a place, not a person. Do you know that?

[Josh Adam Myers]

Really?

[Big J Okerson]

Yeah. Where?

[Josh Adam Myers]

It's a farm in.

[Big J Okerson]

Oh, I don't know.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Okay, well, you got back up that. You got Wikipedia that shit. Before you drop a comment like that, dude, would you please look that shit up, dude.

[Big J Okerson]

Yeah, I should look it up. Okay, you're right. I should look it up. Fuck. But Steely Dan new tab. I got this.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of fame in 2001.

[Big J Okerson]

Pothead. Hang on. What are they looking up?

[Josh Adam Myers]

I forgot, dude. Oh, good. Jethro tolls from as you do that. Steely Dan inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of fame in 2001. They've sold more than 40 million records worldwide. They won album of the year for a record that came out of new material in. In 2002 against nature. So they did get back Together. But from my understanding, there's only one more record after this. Gaucho.

[Big J Okerson]

Okay, I hate to interrupt.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

I hate to interrupt. But it is also the name of an English agronomist, agriculturist, writer and inventor whose ideas help form the basis of modern British agriculture. Is that I wanted to be more than that. I wanted to be more than that so much. But I don't feel like it's gonna be history. Bibbidi bop, bing bang. This is gonna be good. They saw the Beatles. Boring. Something sounds. They moved to England and then pick the name. They suck.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Don't worry about it.

[Big J Okerson]

No, I hate these.

[Josh Adam Myers]

We're talking Asia, dude. Let's talk Asia.

[Big J Okerson]

Asia.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I wish. It's. It's. It's Asia, dude. I want to call it Asia. Some little facts. Ken Tucker from Rolling Stone writes, what Asia offered was about the opposite of the quirky, opaque little pop tunes with which Baker or Becker and Fagan had commenced their career. And the album allowed lots of pop fans to feel they penetrated the cool precincts of jazz. Is exactly the moment when cool was making a comeback via disco for the first time. A massive audience had gotten a bead of Steely Dan and millions liked what they'd deduced. Hitmakers behaving like cult artists. See, that's the thing.

[Big J Okerson]

Well, you know what's fucking crazy?

[Josh Adam Myers]

What's that?

[Big J Okerson]

And this, I think is fucking nuts. Robert Christgal of the Village Voice said that he hated the record for quite a while before he realized that unlike the royal scam, it was stretching him some.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Well, this is the thing, is that I kind of. Out of the other two records we've listened to, I enjoyed those way more than I enjoyed this one. And this is the record that everybody says is their best record.

[Big J Okerson]

Can I see if I agree with you? Tell me the other ones. Pretzel Logic.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Pretzel Logic.

[Big J Okerson]

Okay, let me take a peekers because I know that I know this. This whole albums. Pretzel Logic.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Let's take a peek, look at what's on there.

[Big J Okerson]

I'm going to. Right now.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Faster.

[Big J Okerson]

I don't need to be fucking yelled at, dude. I mean, right here, I'm gonna tell you my why this might be because more than any song. And I love Deacon Blues and I love Peg. Call me a hack if you want. Ricky. Don't lose that number is one of my favorite songs by them.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Such a great song.

[Big J Okerson]

But outside of that and Pretzel Logic on this one. And maybe they'll make big fan shitty. These there's not again. Steely Dan. I hate to say I'm a little surface with. But they have a lot of surface. They have a lot of surface songs.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Sure.

[Big J Okerson]

So on this one only, Ricky, don't lose that number. And it's the first track, but it is. Come on. They say you're leaving and they can't buy. Okay, what's the other album?

[Josh Adam Myers]

Can't Buy a Thrill which has got you gotten back track. Do it again also.

[Big J Okerson]

Dude, I'm gonna play that on guitar here.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Dude. They did that.

[Big J Okerson]

Hang on. Do it again. Killer. Dirty work.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Oh, yeah. Dirty work.

[Big J Okerson]

Real in the years Killer.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Only a fool would say that. See, this. This record, to me was a little bit more accessible. And Pretzel Logic was a nice way to introduce.

[Big J Okerson]

And Skunk Banks. Skunk Baxter was on guitars and pedal steel guitar.

[Josh Adam Myers]

This record.

[Big J Okerson]

A lot of people don't know that, dude.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I knew that because I got the notes right in front of me. You know that for sure.

[Big J Okerson]

And you know for sure that David Palmer hit lead vocals on a bunch of the things, dude. And Victor Feldman did some loose percussion, but that's. These are just the facts. Everybody knows. I'm looking at Dylan over there, like he's going like. He's like, acting like he's yawning because he's like, dude. Everybody knows that Jim Hotter played drums, percussion, lead vocals for four songs and backing vocals. But Dylan's like, dude, snoozer. Get to the good stuff. Everyone knows this.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I mean, if you look at every song, they have different musicians playing everything. I think that's why this band is so interesting, is that they literally would pull in perfect people for every single instrument on what they felt the vibe of the song was.

[Big J Okerson]

How many times was what's His Face used? I mean, you know he's in here somewhere. What's his face? Michael McDonald. The guy could not be involved.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Well, let's. Let's start. Let's start at the beginning of this record. Let's go through a couple of the tracks. It opens with Black Cow, which, again.

[Big J Okerson]

Heavily, heavily sampled song in hip hop.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yes, it is. It is heavily sampled.

[Big J Okerson]

Uptown Baby yeah. Which was Lord Tariq, Peter Guns.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yes.

[Big J Okerson]

Isn't that also mean. Was it used in Hipstone Lie? No, it wasn't using Hipstone Lie. That's the other part of the song.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Black Cow is a cold drink made with root beer and ice cream. A root beer float. That's. That's. That's. That's what it's called. Oh, no. But they Put bourbon or Kahlua in it. Donald Fagan and Walter Becker offered some insight as to what they had in mind. It starts out with this guy talking about his girl he used to be involved with. She's sitting at a counter and that describes her behavior and habits. And out of that you begin to see her character and the relationship. He said the black cow is a beverage. I guess she's probably drinking that never released as a single but earned a lot of airplay on FM radio. Supposedly the multi track masters of this song had gone missing which make it impossible to do surround sound versions of these tracks. And the band offered a 600 reward for information leading to the return. What's the most?

[Big J Okerson]

Do you want to hear them?

[Josh Adam Myers]

I want to ask you this question.

[Big J Okerson]

Sure.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Because what is the thing you regret losing most?

[Big J Okerson]

My anal virginity.

[Josh Adam Myers]

No, you didn't. Oh, the gun.

[Big J Okerson]

I don't want to talk about it. He's a bad man doing a bad thing tonight. Can I tell you this? The samples of this.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Sure, go ahead.

[Big J Okerson]

This is the song Black Cow, opening song of Asia by Steely Dan sampled starting in 1997. The first one was in fact Lord Tariq and Peter Guns.

[Josh Adam Myers]

You love hip hop.

[Big J Okerson]

MF Doom came in after for Gastrals. Me, Myself and I. Beyonce did that tone loke in 89. That was actually the first time it was used in a song called Cutting Rhythms. Tatiana Ali Lord Three Computer Guns. I guess they jumped in on Fresh Prince's little cousin.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Oh yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

When she put out that song. Is that Filter Sinew?

[Josh Adam Myers]

Oh no, it's new.

[Big J Okerson]

Do you know them?

[Josh Adam Myers]

No, but I thought that looked like the filter I helped him cover for the first time.

[Big J Okerson]

Keep It Gangster by a band called two one three Been in Love by Eric Robertson. Shit and Shine Love Them Did a song called you were Very High on the level though by the Fat Fat Cat Click Flip the Script by the Neighborhood Threat featuring B Dubose and R Williams. But I think Strong Chance Dylan's in that group. Love Affair by jsol Sia Deco, you uspuno and Run around by the Dysfunctional Family. Now what I will say about this, I'm curious. It's been sampled a lot. There's no fucking way Siya on Deco U ospuno was able to afford paying for that. I mean that's some of these must have been. I bet they were lawsuits or they just didn't give a. Because Uptown Baby probably paid for it.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah, for sure.

[Big J Okerson]

But after that, man, I'm Beyonce. I'm sure.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Maybe they just like Will give it to somebody because they. They're such artists as musicians that they're like, yeah, just let them, you know, pay us what you can.

[Big J Okerson]

Yeah. Hey, Donald Fagan, Beyonce wants to use your song.

[Josh Adam Myers]

She doesn't have enough cash.

[Big J Okerson]

Oh, the colored broad that color broader sings about the bills. But I'm Donald Fagan, and this is probably how I talk.

[Josh Adam Myers]

No cell phones out while we're performing. All right, what about Asia, the title track? Dude, in pronounced, it says pronounce Asia. Inspired by the continent, Steely Dan, in several songs with a far right influence, believes it's a symbol of sensuality. He told Rolling Stone magazine that the title came from a high school friend whose brother was in the army and came back with a Korean wife.

[Big J Okerson]

Nice, dude. Oh, so, dude, are they actually racistly saying Asia?

[Josh Adam Myers]

But I go, it says, yeah, because he goes. Although he had. He wasn't sure how she spelled it.

[Big J Okerson]

What a piece of shit. Wait, whose wife was it?

[Josh Adam Myers]

A friend of Donald.

[Big J Okerson]

I like when everybody does something creepy. It's their friend. You know, the guy who, when they asked the guy who. She's just 16 years old, leave her alone. They say, Benny Mardones. When interviewed, he says, oh, yeah, no, I. I had a friend over my house.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

And when my 16 year old dog walker came over, when she walked out with the dog, he was like, yo, dude. Huh? Like, how about her? And I was like, bro, she's just 16 years old. Leave her alone. He goes, why didn't you say that in the song? In the song, you say you're fighting from the perspective of a guy who wants to, this 16 year old, steal her and kidnap her from her parents. If society would allow it, he would kidnap her from her parents.

[Josh Adam Myers]

And then for the second half of the song, he's just yelling at the microphone.

[Big J Okerson]

And I'll tell you what, the voice is so good. At the end of the song, if I would give. Give him a child. Yeah, of course I would go, dude, at least let him hook up for a weekend. Because this guy, he means it.

[Josh Adam Myers]

He earned it.

[Big J Okerson]

Dude, he wants to. That's. I've never even. There's. So there's a strong chance this is ajah. They're being racist and going, that's how she would say it. Ajah. Oh no. I'm gonna spread that rumor hard.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Kenny Arnov.

[Big J Okerson]

Justin Silver's texting me. He must smell that you're here on me.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Kenny Arnov, a top session drummer who appeared on tracks by Stevie Nicks, Joe Jackson, Bob Dylan, and many Others put Steve Gad's work on Asia in his list of the top five drum performances of all time. Everybody knows that this is an absolute genius. Steve Gad, his musicality, the iconic drum fills, his feel, his delicacy and the balance on the drum kit. He did it in one take. Every take that he did was a full take with the whole band playing together. And that was a performance. And he says, in the days of Pro Tools, the people mixing and fixing. He goes, this is not one of those. This is literally one of the greatest drum performances ever.

[Big J Okerson]

It was fine. It wasn't my thing. Let's see, how many times. How about this? How many times was Peg sampled? I'm going with the two populars.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Okay, we gotta do your song after this, dude.

[Big J Okerson]

Oh, yeah.

[Josh Adam Myers]

What do you think? So if you don't think this is some of the best drumming, what's your favorite song of all time? What do you think? Drumming wise, what's your favorite drum song?

[Big J Okerson]

Straight out of Line, by God Smack. I'm sort of kidding.

[Josh Adam Myers]

It is pretty badass, dude.

[Big J Okerson]

Dude, let me tell you something. I'm always impressed with a song where the rhythm of the song is not just keeping time with like high hat kick drum.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Sure, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

Different types and so say what you will about God Smack. I've said it all myself too. It's. It's funny. But live performance and seeing them before. He knows drums well. And the drum, he's not. That other drummer's not there anymore. Shannon Larkin. But yeah, dude, they would go in on the. And straight out of line, that song. While the verses. When he's singing the verses, not the chorus, the whole thing's going. It's like all over the place.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

Pretty impressive.

[Josh Adam Myers]

It really is.

[Big J Okerson]

So. But probably not that.

[Josh Adam Myers]

It's probably not that. I think he's the only person saying a Godsmack drum solo.

[Big J Okerson]

I mean, listen, I'm so sick of. And I'm okay to never hear Tom Sawyer again, but I mean, come on. The part.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Oh, yeah. My first drummer. Not my first drummer, but one of the drummers in one of my. One of my early bands was obsessed with Pert and it was just. He was trying to do these crazy drum fills and it just never felt right in like my grunge songs.

[Big J Okerson]

Whoa.

[Josh Adam Myers]

What? Peg.

[Big J Okerson]

Peg has been sampled 170. How many times to say it's great? Well, now, by the way, this is 170 sometimes. Now it says 22 times. De la Soul, Joe Public, Larry Carlton sleeve. Alex Preston, House Republic. The Brand new heavies and Q Tip Daje yz, Jean Luc Ponty, Disco junkie. I mean it just falls off.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Is there a, is there another band that's been as sampled you think SD Lead and would you, would you check to see is who's the most sampled band of all time?

[Big J Okerson]

Let's take guesses first. Beatles. I want to say Beatles.

[Josh Adam Myers]

You think that they people can afford and the Beatles are going to give up their samples like what other besides the Danger Mouse album?

[Big J Okerson]

I don't know. Led Zeppelin.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Then that drum from when the Levy Breaks probably.

[Big J Okerson]

Stop breaking it down, dude. Just make your guess and let's look it up.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I might go with Steely Dan because every time I listen to them I hear take a look while you do that before we talk about it.

[Big J Okerson]

First of all, dude, you're out of your fucking mind.

[Josh Adam Myers]

You're out of your fucking mind just because you're sitting in your king chair behind your brand new studio, dude, you're.

[Big J Okerson]

Out of your mind.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Don't make me put on Californiacation again. And we could go deep into California Queefrock. Hang on while you look that up before. Let's, let's, let's leave Peg sitting there.

[Big J Okerson]

Let's talk about Mando Blues. Dude, Mando is deodorant for your whole, for your whole body, your grundle, all the dirty.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I love that commercial. Who's putting cream in their nether regions? Like, oh man, I'm a little stinky down here. Let me get some Mando. Honey, can you grab, grab the Mando.

[Big J Okerson]

Guys real quick before we get into Deacon Blues and how many times that was sampled. Can I talk to you real quick? Are you guys having problems keeping your wanker hard? Because if I get a solution for you.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Hey everybody. So you guys have probably heard me talk about how I've been in bands my whole life. I love writing songs and performing in front of crowds. Just like with comedy. As a musician, it can be kind of hard to cut through the noise and really stand out as an artist. I feel like half the music projects I've been in have ended just because we couldn't figure out the answer to that eternal question of how do we get people to hear us? But then again, that was before there was Distrokid. Distrokid is a digital music distribution service that brings your sound to the masses. It's a one stop shop for getting your songs on Itunes, Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon, Deezer, Tidal, and many more. What's Deezer? I never even Heard of Deezer? How many of them are there? I know. That's like the holy grail of streaming services though. And getting paid. We want to get you paid for your music. That's huge because a lot of bands go broke before they get big. But Distrokid collects earnings and payments and sends 100% of these earnings to artists minus banking fees and applicable taxes. And that's just one of the tons of benefits of using Distrokid. You can send big files to anyone with their Instant Share feature. You can use the Hyper Follow feature to promote your release and get pre saves on your song. You can even create personal landing pages for yourself, your band, your brand, and whatever you like. It has a free Spotify Canvas generator too, to generate your own Spotify Canvas for your songs. And the Mixia feature instantly masters your tracks for higher quality audio. So if you're ready to bring your band to the next level, it's time to check out Distrokid. The Distrokid app is now available on iOS and Android. Go to the app or Play Store to download it. Listeners of this show can get 30% off their first year by going to distrokid.com VIP the 500. That's distrokid.com VIP the500 for 30% off your first year. Dig it. Abercrombie denim is everything right now. Denim should feel like this. Confident, easy, like your butt has never looked better. If you didn't know, Abercrombie's Curved Love denim went viral in 2019 for eliminating waist gap. And it's still a game changer. Between that and their classic fits with a straighter line from waist to hip, the perfect denim does exist. Shop Abercrombie Denim in the app online.

[Big J Okerson]

And in store it is been.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Let's see, it's the Winstons due to their iconic Amen brother. Track six second drum break has been sampled thousands of times while James Brown is the most sampled artist overall with his band the jb.

[Big J Okerson]

Well, I have completely different answers than you.

[Josh Adam Myers]

What do you got?

[Big J Okerson]

I've got the most sampled band of all time is Mountain, which is Leslie West. I remember from being a Stern fan he would always have Leslie west on and they were the band. Mountain is hilarious. Only band who held out who held out on Woodstock movie.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Really?

[Big J Okerson]

Yeah.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Why didn't they want to do it?

[Big J Okerson]

Just I don't know. But they're the one holdout.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I think no one knows.

[Big J Okerson]

One of them maybe, or if it's one of the few holdouts. But Like. Like they went and murdered and they were like, yeah, now we're good. You don't have to put it in the movie. We're not getting paid for that.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I've got this.

[Big J Okerson]

Everyone's got it. Says Mountain's been sampled 173 times in hip hop. Other bands with higher numbers of samples include the Beatles. 112. Billy Squire. 111. Queen. 109. Steve Miller. 77. Jimi Hendrix. 76. Led Zeppelin. 75. Haul and Oats. 59.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Holland Oates.

[Big J Okerson]

But if we consider all genres. Here we go. The highest ever. James Brown.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yep. The JB.

[Big J Okerson]

617.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I don't even see. I don't. I'm looking at this other list too of the who's sampled. And they. They said they're racist. Steely. It is. It is very heavily.

[Big J Okerson]

No, they're bad people.

[Josh Adam Myers]

This is James Brown. The Winstons.

[Big J Okerson]

Then I have Lynn Collins and sample.com actually messaged me. From the river to the Sea.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I'm looking at who sample.com too, bro.

[Big J Okerson]

I know I won't. I'll stay in clear of that because they said some pretty anti semitic things recently. You.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Deacon Blues is. Is. Is a song that you and boobs. Yeah. How did that start?

[Big J Okerson]

So Deacon Blues I always have a soft spot for because it was interesting when I would drive. I think it was always a funny thing too. And I'd have new friends come into my life as an adult. Louis J. Gomez being one of them. Everybody had. I'm sure Dylan had that. I'm sure you may have had it even when you just first met me. Some kind of like, oh, I know.

[Josh Adam Myers]

What our song, but we can't sing it.

[Big J Okerson]

An objective idea of, like, who I was and what I listened to. And like, Lewis probably thought, we're gonna get in the car and listen like Limp Bizkit the whole way. Because he's looking at me and whatever. Or maybe heavy. Heavy metal, you know, I mean, he might have thought that too or something. And then we get in the car and it's like, what was interesting with him? Maybe Dave, too, to some degree. I'm sure to Dave also. I love music so much, which I know means a lot of our friendship is bonded over that. But I also love showing these guys. I'm like, God, you don't even know. You remember these songs. It was the same thing. It's like it was in the back seat when you were in your mom's car. And, you know, I mean, like taking them out of, like, they're like, Kind of one dimensional comfort zone at all. What they're listening to.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

And nobody. That's one that you should. Yeah, that's a great. Or even just listening to Toto today. Mine was gonna hold you back. Now it's like, why would a. When I met you know what, 24 when I met you, like, person even be seeking that song out? It's gotta be put in front of you. Yeah. And then you go, oh, there's something like warm about this. And so it's like, I had fun doing that. So me and Lewis would do a lot of long drive. We did a gig almost every year for a while in Montreal, Canada. We would drive it always.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yuk Yuks.

[Big J Okerson]

Yeah. And we would drive up there and our two fun things we did was like, sing along with the radio. And also we always made a sign that said show your boobs. That we would just put on the thing if the girls drove by.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

It's the funniest thing never, by the way. No one ever showed their boobs once. The fun of it was just like, you do it and you see, it's like you get. There's two reactions. Like somebody get kind of shitty. Like, you give you the finger, whatever. But when girls just kind of laugh it off and like, like around, you know, I mean, it's almost like they're just cool.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

Like laughing it off. Like they see we're just being stupid and flirty, basically.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Maybe they fake it and they're like. Right, right.

[Big J Okerson]

Yeah, exactly. It's like, sure, you know, but we've also had like, then like put their phone number up and like, we'd call them from like, you know, our car to their car. And for a minute it was like, stupid.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Sure.

[Big J Okerson]

But part of that drive was me playing. And when this song came on, I couldn't tell you who thought of it first or how it was said. But that chorus, they got a name for the winners in the world I want a name when I lose they call Alabama the crimson tide Call me Dick and boobs made us laugh. Like, I don't even have these kind of laughs anymore. It was so many years ago. Like, this kind of laugh ain't happening anymore. It's got to be something that catches me. A much darker parody song than Me and you would sing when there's no cameras. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Josh Adam Myers]

It's such a. It's such a good song, though. This is number 214 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of all Time came in just behind Paint It Black by Rolling Stones and just ahead of Mob Deeds, Shook Ones, Part two.

[Big J Okerson]

Interesting, I will say about this song. I've tried, especially when I listened to it back today, just to kind of go through it. I'm listening, I, I, there's, I do not hear a coherent story in the song at all. It seems like jibber jabberly.

[Josh Adam Myers]

So do you want to know what it's about? It's about Becker describes as a triple loser. The protagonist is not a musician. He just sort of imagines that would be one of the most one of the mythic forms of loserdom to which he might aspire. And who's to say that he's not right? And Fagan said it's about as close to autobiography as our tunes get. We were both kids who grew up in the suburbs and we both felt fairly alienated like a lot of kids in their 50s. Well, I mean they're, dude, they were like dorks, dude.

[Big J Okerson]

Yeah, these guys sound like.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Assholes isn't the right word. They're nerds, dude. Jerk offs, not jerk offy.

[Big J Okerson]

But dude, they're jerk off.

[Josh Adam Myers]

When the song was near completion, Becker and Fagan decided they wanted a sax solo. And they had a very specific sound in mind. The tenor sax from the going, that's from the commercial of the Tonight show starring Johnny Carson. So the track down, the sax player who did that, Pete, Chris Leeb, who recorded his part after taping the show and he did it in 30 minutes. That's pretty dope, dude. All right, start aside to your song, Peg.

[Big J Okerson]

It will come back to you.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Where's the song with. With Michael McDonald in the background on this one. Yeah, let me find it.

[Big J Okerson]

I guess it's Deacon Blues, I would guess.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Let me take a look at this dude. Michael McDonald. Michael McDonald. There it is. I got the news. Oh, and Peg, see if you can find Michael McDonald's isolated backing vocals from Peg. DJ Morty Coyle follow him on all social media told me that it is funny as damn, dude. The reviews of this record, everybody gave it except for Christo who changed his tune. He said he hated the record like you said. But then he came back and he said he loved it because he gave it a perfect. Oh no. Gave it a B plus on his go round.

[Big J Okerson]

You gotta be a jerk off to like say it's a. I don't get it at all. I mean there's clearly just like Steely Dan exact bangers. Like what you would expect if you were into it, you know. I mean, if you were into fucking Steely Dan's other albums at all. Yeah, come on.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Do you think this is their best record?

[Big J Okerson]

No, this doesn't have. Not for me, not for my time, but a lot of people, I understand that it completely.

[Josh Adam Myers]

But why would this be ahead of those other two records? And I'm going to double check.

[Big J Okerson]

Racism.

[Josh Adam Myers]

It's all racism.

[Big J Okerson]

Do you want my actual answer, dude? Blinding racism, Josh. Do you want me to just fucking kick it? You want me to speak from the fucking guts, dude?

[Josh Adam Myers]

Be real, dude.

[Big J Okerson]

I'll tell you what it is, dude. Aggressive, blinding racism.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Because they're white.

[Big J Okerson]

Yes. The music community's been coming down on the white man for years. I realize now this podcast has taken a weird turn, but it's time for people to hear it. The white man needs to rise. Back up. No, hear me out.

[Josh Adam Myers]

All right? You're making good points, dude. Keep going.

[Big J Okerson]

Peg, how many times we sampled?

[Josh Adam Myers]

No, we're Talking from Michael McDonald. Isolated vocals.

[Big J Okerson]

Peg, you want to find that?

[Josh Adam Myers]

I would love for you to find that. In this song, Peg is an aspiring actress who's breaking into the business. It's told from the perspective of her ex boyfriend, whom she ditched because he couldn't advance her career. Wow.

[Big J Okerson]

Michael McDonald. And isolated lyrics. Isolated vocals, Peg. Got it. Here we go, dude.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Let's hear it.

[Guest Musician or Singer]

Back to you.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Back to you.

[Big J Okerson]

It's your biggest power movie.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Is that it?

[Big J Okerson]

No, it's coming back.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Can we give you more, Michael? You're a good voice, dude. I know we've talked about.

[Big J Okerson]

Foreign movie.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I love Michael McDonald.

[Big J Okerson]

Who doesn't, dude? This is his whole career. Can you show up for 8 seconds for this song?

[Guest Musician or Singer]

How are you?

[Josh Adam Myers]

Chevy Chase also attended Bard college where Becker and Fagan went, and he was in a band with them called the Leather Canary.

[Big J Okerson]

Yeah, that's what he says. Who's a weird.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Who's a person that you. That you. That from your past. That. That is. That's like. Nobody would know that you're connected to at all.

[Big J Okerson]

Nate. Nate's always people that people are surprised that we're like, friends.

[Josh Adam Myers]

It really is interesting. It's like you can't.

[Big J Okerson]

It's. It's not that like, it's not a wacky to me in any way. But I get. Again, I just know Nate when I knew him.

[Josh Adam Myers]

So how did that happen? How did you guys suddenly become friends? Because he's, you know, especially back then, he was wearing the glasses. He was like, kind of like dorky. He's not all good looking. And cut like he is now.

[Big J Okerson]

No, he was. Nate was funny as.

[Josh Adam Myers]

No, he's fun. No, no, I'm not taking him as comedy. He wore, like, puka shell necklaces.

[Big J Okerson]

Yeah. But I'm saying my whole thing was like. I just. We started hanging out. I think it was starting to play basketball a little bit together. And I just thought he was really funny. And I saw this guy had him kind of under his thumb at a comedy club, kind of treat him like. And I thought Nate was funny enough that even the limited amount of, like, headlining I was doing, I'd be like, come with. You know, come to these shows with me and take them around to the clubs and it kind of introduce them a little bit to people. And then we just started hanging out because we said similar. Very similar. We went to concerts together, played, you know, here's the thing also, Nate's a sports guy, so it was also. We'd like, you know, we could watch football together. We could watch basketball together, a lot of video games to get, you know, playing like, NBA and shit. And Madden.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

And. And then I got them in a part. An apartment, him and his now wife. Oh, his wife then actually, too. I got them an apartment while they were gone. And we, like. It was. We also lived near. We were neighbors for a long time, driving in the city together and stuff. So, yeah, it was very organic friendship. And, you know, I think we both find each other very funny.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I find it insulting that he doesn't let you open for him now.

[Big J Okerson]

Give me a shot.

[Josh Adam Myers]

The first thing you go is, what's up?

[Big J Okerson]

What's up?

[Josh Adam Myers]

You. You ever a black guy, Grandma? Oh, my God.

[Big J Okerson]

Oh, what are you, bunch of religious fruits?

[Josh Adam Myers]

I think our Outback Steakhouse is here, so let's start wrapping this up. Dude, you know what's a bummer, dude? They don't sing Dirty Work.

[Big J Okerson]

You're about to crush your.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Oh, I got a ribeye with some schism.

[Big J Okerson]

You're about to crush your coconut shrimp.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Morty's probably mad at me right now.

[Big J Okerson]

Why?

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah, we didn't talk about the record as much as we should have. Well, we did.

[Big J Okerson]

I thought we did. Actually.

[Josh Adam Myers]

We did.

[Big J Okerson]

Probably more than any other album we've talked about.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah, no, don't say that. Don't tell everybody that Wikipedia is involved at all.

[Big J Okerson]

Yeah, it doesn't even exist.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Well, I. This is.

[Big J Okerson]

The thing is, I recalled everything that I knew about them. And listen, it's just things I got.

[Josh Adam Myers]

When I'm sitting down with Jeff Daniels and Rob Lowe. Like, I've got a. You know, of course, cover. The COVID the mama jama to make sure we get it right. When I'm sitting there with one of my best friends, it's like, ladies and gentlemen, you're getting. Just two guys hanging out, talking about.

[Big J Okerson]

Steely D, the song number seven, the closing song is Josie.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

Do you know about a girl that's definitely fat now or dead? Peg and Josie, basically both dead. But you know who's alive? The Asian girl that went Aja. Well, you should call the album Aja.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Look up, just. Just so we make sure we're doing it right. Look up the Michael McDonald isolated vocals for I Got the News. Maybe that was the one that was funnier. I keep seeing Donald Fagan and I keep, for some reason, keeping thinking it was like the black dude from Scrubs. Why is the black guy from Scrubs.

[Big J Okerson]

And all these not Donald Fagan too, though? I think it's like, no, no, he's Donald Fagan. No, he's Donald Faison.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Faison.

[Big J Okerson]

And we're thinking, yeah.

[Josh Adam Myers]

And then we mistaken with Faison.

[Big J Okerson]

Love. What you're asking for appears to not exist.

[Josh Adam Myers]

So then we got the right thing.

[Big J Okerson]

Yeah. Your friend just thinks things that are funny that aren't.

[Josh Adam Myers]

God, I love that look. I love that Michael McDonald look.

[Big J Okerson]

Yeah, dude, it's. I'm talking about the 70s. You can kind of hide under shit and still be cool as fuck.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Long beard, like a mop of a hair. Yeah, I saw Steely Dan open for Eagles. And no Becker. No, of course no Becker, unfortunately, because he passed away. And it was arguably some of the best musicianship I had ever seen live. Not saying.

[Big J Okerson]

Yeah, dude, they didn't.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I mean, was the show the best?

[Big J Okerson]

No, I think you're gonna feel that with Toto. Same thing. These guys are cut from the same core. They're studio. They're perfectionists musically. They're, you know, they hit machines. Yeah, I guess, sort of. But I mean, also, like, I don't know how much it crosses generations and how long it will, but I mean, like.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Let me ask you a question, though, because. Let's talk it to. Comedy is like, what do you feel about a comic that. That is put out some great shit and then just stops touring? Like someone like Eddie Murphy or, you know, you know, who. What other examples like Steve Martin, somebody.

[Big J Okerson]

Murphy's thing. Well, here's what I think they both knew. If you really go back and study those specials, they're fine.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Sure. They're of the time.

[Big J Okerson]

Like I said, if you say these Things hold up hard. They really don't particularly. What's funny is I thought the interesting change in something like that, which I think happens too with taste in music. I think there can happen like the maturity makes you go, this actual album is better than the one I thought I liked when I was younger.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

And what the. What we're saying right before that, because I had a good example attached to it.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Eddie Murphy, Steve.

[Big J Okerson]

Eddie Murphy. When I was a kid, I would have told you probably through my twenties without even watching them again from a child, I'd be like, delirious is the actual one. Raw is like, whatever. Yeah, for sure sucks Rawls. Wait, that was like his. Like, I'm already famous and who gives a now I hilariously when I watched them both again as an adult to just kind of refresh. Like, are these hold up at all? Raw is far better than Delirious. Delirious is such low hanging fruit. And what you're really seeing is because it is what he was is a 19 year old. And that's the thing. Even like music, like, but music, you have a much smaller window to mature to make something great than you do in comedy. If you put out your thing at 40 at the first time in comedy that people go like, yo, this guy's arrived. Don't matter. You'll ride it out then from there 100% in music, you have to find it and still also be young and cool. You know, I mean, unless you're a novelty act being like a Susan Boyle where it's like, the idea is like, hey, look at this troll that could sing good, but if you want to be like a cool rock star, you're not showing up at fucking 40 and doing.

[Josh Adam Myers]

But why do do you think, do you think Steely Dan made that right decision just to focus on the records and not try to make money on touring? Like, because there's so much money on the table. I mean, the Beatles are the biggest band of all time and probably have sold more records. I think they have sold more records than everybody.

[Big J Okerson]

Can we say it also? It also counts on what you know. You know, we saw Tyler the Creator this week and I said one of the things that impresses me about that show, not only his performance, but I was like, he's taking a financial like hit. I'm sure he's making money on this tour. Just also it's him. It is technically the end of the day, he's not a group, he's not a band. But he's spending a huge amount of Money on the production.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Oh, my God. Yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

The show's production is really, really big. And I just know from, like, knowing enough people in bands at this point, like, you know, I said, I watched Korn pull a pyro oil tanker. Like, pyro gag. What do you call it?

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah, Just like. Yeah, yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

They had on stage, and second week of the tour, it was the out when we did mayhem. I asked the guy, I'm like, hey, why is the thing not up yesterday or today? And he was like, no, he didn't feel like the audience was, like, giving it enough. Like, whoa, when it would go off.

[Josh Adam Myers]

And it's too much. And they were.

[Big J Okerson]

That. They were like, so fucking send it back, dude. We're not paying for this. I know.

[Josh Adam Myers]

It's like $500,000 to rent it.

[Big J Okerson]

Yeah, I was. I didn't know. And I was like, oh, if they want to have an effect on stage, that's completely out of their pocket. I didn't even overthink what that would be. So he's spending a lot of money on that. It also, Gilly gives perspective to the amount of money that Nate and Shane and these people are making when it's like. And they're pay and they're. And. And I don't know Nate, but I know Nate's a good person, so I'm sure he pays very good to his people, takes care of his people. But I just know from doing ones with Shane, like, he takes care of you good. You know what I mean? And he still. He can do that because he has to be making a bazillion dollars because it's him. And then they ship the stuff, you know, the stage, of course, and whatever.

[Josh Adam Myers]

He's got trucks. Yeah. And they. They go. You know, he's on the road. He's got a van, or not a van, but a bus.

[Big J Okerson]

No, no, no, no, no. It's just two cities. And then he's done. He does two or three, like, almost like a weekend on the road, and just bounces to them real quick.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Oh, wow.

[Big J Okerson]

And then just goes home. So then the bus can go to, like, chill somewhere in between.

[Josh Adam Myers]

And then he flies to the next thing, and then they go to the bus and they do three. They do three arenas, and he's done.

[Big J Okerson]

Yeah.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Wow.

[Big J Okerson]

It's really, like. And I'm saying. And it's just him and the production is just screens. Four screens and. And a stage. It's really. It. It makes you realize, like, holy, like, Shane makes out better than Wu Tang New Kids on The block in sync even. You know these bands that come like, because, because it's, it's really the overheads of her. I mean, by the way, at a touring company, of course they have to make their money back, but.

[Josh Adam Myers]

But my question is, is like, is that. Is this the reason why so many people feel this is a niche band? I don't want to call it a niche band, but I mean, someone like me that I used to make fun of, Steely Dan, I didn't know any. I thought they were the, the Simply Red band for Super Super Solo. I really did. And, and now that I've done listen to the three albums on the podcast and I've listened to more of their music, like, I really think it's all live. I was like, wow, man, they're so talented. They're so great. Do you think if they would have toured they would be a much bigger band in the discussion of the greatest bands of all time?

[Big J Okerson]

No.

[Josh Adam Myers]

You don't think so?

[Big J Okerson]

No, because even what they did, they were influential enough when we can see even by. That's just the samples off this album, dude. Mega sampled.

[Josh Adam Myers]

It's a lot.

[Big J Okerson]

They're been used a lot and they're just. Again, they. They're the Godfather, unwillingly and unwittingly, it seems, godfathers of a genre of music that now has a genre title, yacht rock. And it's just, it's. It's. It's macaroni and cheese. It's your mom's shitty stew or, or grape stew or chicken cutlet, whatever she made. Do you know what I mean?

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

It's such a warm as. It just. It's me sitting in the back of a car, that music and like. Oh, man, my mom's gonna let me be up past midnight tonight because she wants to hang out with friends. Yeah. So it's like I get a night where I don't have to just lay in bed with no TV and like, you know, I'll fall asleep with this, this, this dude or chick's house.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

And then, you know, by the time I get home, I'm smacked. Yeah, it's over.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I think that's why I love Tears for Fear so much, is because my first knowing of music. The curtain, the weird name.

[Big J Okerson]

The weird named one Queer New Walk.

[Josh Adam Myers]

No, I just remember Head Over Heels. I just. I remember being a kid and hall of Notes too, man, those.

[Big J Okerson]

And it was the closest things. Your mom wasn't going to put on rap. My mom wasn't going to put on rap, but like she would have on, like, top 40 of the time. And that music at that, you know.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Early age is what it was. Yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

Was top 40, that. So those songs come on and, like, there's ones that were like, cynthia enough in there that had a thing that was like, again, I call. You know, I'm a big person on night, daytime, nighttime music.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I know that. Yeah. We'll put on a song. It's not late enough yet.

[Big J Okerson]

Sun's got to be down.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah, for sure.

[Big J Okerson]

We Was that Lord Huron. I love that song so much. You put that on at 11am though, you'd be like, this is stupid. It's supposed to be. You're driving, you're stoned. It's pure, straight, dark highway.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah, but if the sun's out.

[Big J Okerson]

No, sun's gone.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Sun's got to be gone, dude.

[Big J Okerson]

If the sun's out, it takes everything away from it. It takes the cool away completely. Yacht rock can still feel cool during the day. That's the beauty of it.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Now, you're right. You are right. It is. It is the perfect background music. Any dinner party at any. Any function, a wedding, a bar, mit.

[Big J Okerson]

I'm never dressed like this. But if you're dressed like an ass wearing some white shorts and a fucking flower top, even if you're just doing it to be funny, it all makes sense. When fucking. A little yacht or a little. You know what I mean?

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

Little George Benz. Give me the night, by the way. That guy, Poor guy. He didn't ask for that. George Benson. Thought he was R B. Oh. Because that's all. The problem is you get white people. Have a good time going.

[Josh Adam Myers]

And we'll go out tonight and we'll be loved. I mean, that's all.

[Big J Okerson]

Rip it up.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah. I don't know the words, you know.

[Big J Okerson]

I don't know where we're gonna ride through paradise and if you feel all right Then we can be lovers Because I see that starlight look in your.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Eyes what are you wearing? What are you wearing? To Toto.

[Big J Okerson]

Wait, what are you wearing?

[Josh Adam Myers]

A Toto and Christopher crossfit sweater over my shoulders.

[Big J Okerson]

I'm not going to. I'm gonna wear his clothes.

[Josh Adam Myers]

But come on, dude.

[Big J Okerson]

Should we do it?

[Josh Adam Myers]

I think we should yacht it up, dude. Let's yacht it up. If everybody does it, it would be great. Let's do it. Let's have fun. We gotta.

[Big J Okerson]

Everybody will agree.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Everybody does it.

[Big J Okerson]

Dave Smith's not gonna agree.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Well, I know, but, you know, buzz kill it. But then all of us, and then him, and we on him the whole.

[Big J Okerson]

Night for not going full.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah, we say we all go. We all pro Israel, too.

[Big J Okerson]

It's also funny if none of us do it and just you show up just like an.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Don't do that, dude. I'll do it, you know, I don't.

[Big J Okerson]

Give a. Dude, that'd be great. Well, you know why? Because you're gonna be the only one with the. Because of your shaved chimp body. You're gonna look great in those clothes. Everybody else is gonna like fat turds. And you're gonna be like, I'm pulling it out.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I'm killing this. I'm talented.

[Big J Okerson]

Dude, you have a blue and onion upstairs waiting.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I know. All right, let's wrap this up. This has been great. All right. What's your favorite song on this record?

[Big J Okerson]

Deacon Blues.

[Josh Adam Myers]

All right. Least favorite. What do you skip over?

[Big J Okerson]

Oh, it's the. Let me go back to the minute.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Seven of eight of.

[Big J Okerson]

I don't. I don't care for Joe. I mean, the ones I. The ones that I don't. I mean, listen to. Three biggies are the ones that I find to be. They're the ones, you know, I mean, those are the ones I listen to for sure. As lame as that may be. Yeah, it's like that. What's the. The home. The long way home. Is that what it is?

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah, we see.

[Big J Okerson]

I gotta get back to.

[Josh Adam Myers]

No, not long way home. Home at last.

[Big J Okerson]

Home at last. Yeah, that's a snoozer for sure. But Asia's also the name of an American rapper and drag queen, but you didn't know that, asshole.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Nope, did not.

[Big J Okerson]

Well, it is.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Where was that? Where were those notes?

[Big J Okerson]

Adam, Would you like me to look up. Would you like me to look up Asia, the Asian drag queen entertainer?

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah. See if you can find it. Can you fuck to this record and have you.

[Big J Okerson]

These songs have definitely come on When I fucked, but I've changed. Fucking. Fucking music is first of all, you know, it's first and foremost Deftones for sure. But it's got. But not even that. Like, that's the energy of it. Like, if I made a. My own, like, fucking set list, it wouldn't be just Deftones, but it's all going to be in that format of that. But I'd even throw in that Lord Huron songs as much as you think it wouldn't. That will go in there.

[Josh Adam Myers]

You have the opening track to Wu Tang Forever with Papa Woo.

[Big J Okerson]

She was on the third and tenth season of RuPaul's Dragstar. All right. Her name Is Asia spelled exactly? And she's also known mononymously as that. Oh, I love her, man. Drag queens. What a waste of everyone's time. What a waste of everyone's goddamn time.

[Josh Adam Myers]

All right, how would you sum this record up? How do you sum this record up? How do you. What's your elevator pitch? To get someone to listen to this.

[Big J Okerson]

Album, you're gonna get three songs. It's gonna let you know immediately if you are into Steely Dan's vibe or not. Those three songs are Steely Dan songs. A mega chorus.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

Of, you know, multiple track record. Because they're so. They're so studio. Multiple track record.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I mean, it's so good.

[Big J Okerson]

And it always sounds perfectly. Exactly. That combination of girl voice and their voices in that chorus of song. And if you like that, you're gonna like Steely. Damn you, Ricky. Don't lose that number.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Oh, God.

[Big J Okerson]

It's never less than.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I had a really.

[Big J Okerson]

Never less than eight voices looping at once, so. Sure.

[Josh Adam Myers]

So.

[Big J Okerson]

Which is what makes it sound so full. They're. They're studio music, so they make it. Rob Zombie. We said before, if you don't like Rob Zombie, one thing you should appreciate about him is if you put on a Rob Zombie album in your car, it fills the car. Does that make sense?

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yes.

[Big J Okerson]

He fills the. The music with sound, and Steely Dan fills the speakers with sound.

[Josh Adam Myers]

You know what really made me fall on.

[Big J Okerson]

They thumped the strings. Horns.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Some of the most talented musicians on record. Going with what you're saying. I was. Me and my mom. You know, my mom's really old, and we were going somewhere in ocean. She got a bra and it ain't doing. Dude.

[Big J Okerson]

I don't give a. Dude. Suck them, dude.

[Josh Adam Myers]

She almost won that. That hot mom contest. She should have. And I submitted.

[Big J Okerson]

I'll flick the paper clip and floor dust on her titty off. Give her the nips, please.

[Josh Adam Myers]

My mom, she wants it. But we were in the car going to somewhere.

[Big J Okerson]

She's so hot for my dick.

[Josh Adam Myers]

She's so hot for your dick. Like, we were going somewhere in Ocean City and do it Again. I was getting ready to do Camp by A Thrill, and we listened to Do It Again. And it was just so cool seeing her light up and sing it.

[Big J Okerson]

Yeah.

[Josh Adam Myers]

You know what I mean? And it's like, that's. That's the greatness of Steely Dan. It's like, it might not be for everybody, but, man, if you get it, I could see why Jeff Cohen's seen him 30, 40 times. If and probably more than that. Yeah. Incredible band, incredible hangout hits.

[Big J Okerson]

You could have a comfortable two and a half hour show where you don't like three songs.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Sure. Oh, I did.

[Big J Okerson]

Which is good number.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I knew. I knew. I knew almost every song that was there and even the records that I. That I haven't listened to all the way through. But I. I know it's not a question that I usually would ask, but who would you say is the greatest yacht rock band of all time? Would you say it's Steely Dan or would you?

[Big J Okerson]

To me.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah, to you.

[Big J Okerson]

I'm trying to think a little outside the box, but my mind keeps coming back to Ambrosia. They really encapsulate that thing. Dude, those guys were like, the music is so queefy. But that main guy was cool. Look. He was like the cool looking thing of that time. Curly, kind of long.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

He almost had like a. Like a BG vibe to him. But like cool, like a. More American. Because I believe they are.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Oh yeah, no, they are.

[Big J Okerson]

I do.

[Josh Adam Myers]

There's a guy from them.

[Big J Okerson]

I'm saying like the guy with the curly. Like the main guy.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

With the cr. He just had like. Like that. He looks like John Holmes. Almost.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Almost.

[Big J Okerson]

No, he's better looking than John Holmes.

[Josh Adam Myers]

It was Ron Holmes.

[Big J Okerson]

His brother, Ron Holmes. Both though, I love that.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I. I could agree with that, I think.

[Big J Okerson]

And they're just. I said they if you asked me. Because the real question when Christine would ask me, that's why the term silk, silk shirt rock came about and me and her having conversations like if you could be born at a different time, what is it? I go, whatever would have made me a formidable teenager straight through the 70s, like 1970. Being like 14.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

And then taking me to 24 through the 70s, I think I would have really enjoyed. I would have liked to flourish. Dude. I see my dad in a picture with high waisted pants with a button over, you know. Well, to the left of the zipper.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

You know, and a stupid beige with some kind of brown flowery pattern, like silk shirt on. And I go, I know my dad was crushing. And the music's very easy to dance to. Just. It's very easy to groove to.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Very groovy.

[Big J Okerson]

It's not disco where you have to spread the dance floor for yourself. It's a little. You could sway your hips a bunch and look good to it. You could almost slow dance to all of it or kind of groove dance to it. It's just. It would have been a. It's fun Music for a time. That's why I said I see it to go full circle. I said it's considered like an old lady with a floppy hat and her big dumb sunglasses on a boat with her older husband.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

Cranking the sail. I think it's a much sexier genre than that.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I agree.

[Big J Okerson]

I find it to be a much sexy. Weirdly enough. I just do.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I think it's a music.

[Big J Okerson]

I know it's funny music.

[Josh Adam Myers]

No, no, no.

[Big J Okerson]

But like the idea of the. You know, Bobby, I pointed out we did a little yacht rock channel. Like they let us like give a playlist.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

To be like, you know, cross promotion. And Bobby wanted them to be picked right away, which is one of them I would have picked because they gave us a list and it was Ambrosia. How much I feel. He's like, it's great because, you know, it's a beautiful song. You know, I got a wife and blah, blah, blah. And I go, bobby definitely doesn't know what this song's about. I go, the song is literally telling him he misses his ex girlfriend and he wishes they got together. And then the third verse is him informing the ex girlfriend. He's asking how she's been. And when I fuck my wife, I think of you. That's the last line of the song before it gets to the chorus again. So it's like, you know, it's Josie's on a vacation far away. It's like, is that a bubbly song, dude? Yeah, it's a song about his chicks away. He asked her to come over and fuck she does. And then he tells her, don't bitch, leave. That's the last verse. As you're leaving, please would you close the door? And don't forget what I told you.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I love it. I love it.

[Big J Okerson]

Dude, as you're leaving, please close her. Hey, Scranton, we did it. And the song say, I just want to use your love tonight. But everyone just sings it.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

Because they're like feel good bubbly 80s songs. But then I think Ambrosia is like, it's such a cool time, like to. To call that one out especially. I'm like, it's a dark song.

[Josh Adam Myers]

I know. It's like, it's a very Smith. See where it's like, oh, it sounds like it's all fun, but it's really like the head master beat me and I got my ass.

[Big J Okerson]

It's a dark song.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah. Yeah. Promote away, please. Where can they find you?

[Big J Okerson]

Comedy dot com. I think I have a punch up dot live slash big J Okerson follow my on YouTube.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

With @ Big J Okerson I Believe is my YouTube where you can get my specials weekly clips going up and we're start doing some streaming. Some streaming stuff where I'm gonna fucking just watch dumb shit on the Internet. There's no unique ideas but I think I will be particularly good at entertaining you watching nonsense. I've done it with all my friends for years.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Tummy time is my favorite time, dude.

[Big J Okerson]

So we'll sit there and just fucking look at whatever my algorithm brings.

[Josh Adam Myers]

It's such a. It's such a chunky algorithm, dude.

[Big J Okerson]

Hate talk about comedians.

[Josh Adam Myers]

It's a lot non compliance cops.

[Big J Okerson]

Oh sovereign citizens and then lots of.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah like child predator exposes.

[Big J Okerson]

Some child predator exposes black women getting tasered.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Dude. We watched 15 minutes of people getting tasered. It was my favorite thing ever, dude.

[Big J Okerson]

It's just so yeah. A live copy concert.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Yeah.

[Big J Okerson]

All. All kinds of good. Whatever comes across my plate. We will start a journey down a rabbit hole of whatever is to the side of that related videos and then we'll go from there.

[Josh Adam Myers]

And that was what. That was what. You know, it's so great to be able to do that again with you because I haven't had anybody with that since Angelo. That was our. That's how we connected. Watching. Watching. Watching YouTube clips, dude. And just getting lost.

[Big J Okerson]

Hell yeah. So everybody and of course Story wars, Legion of Skanks and the bonfire with me and Robert.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Support everything this guy does. If you've never seen him live, ladies and gentlemen, he's been on a bunch. He's one of my best friends. Thank you for coming on. Let's go eat some Outback steakhouse.

[Big J Okerson]

Yeah.

[Josh Adam Myers]

What did I tell you? What did I tell you? The one and only Big J Okerson. Follow him on all social media at Big J overison. Go to Big J comedy.com for Tor. He is out on the road and check out them they it's a two part crowd work special. Also dog belly. He is one of the funniest human beings I know. BigJComedy.com for everything go to his YouTube. He's got a great stuff. Check everything out. We're streaming. We're doing stuff together. He is the best. Now we just listened to 1977's Asia by Steely Dan for new music pick this week brought to you in part by distrokid is Take me back by Chris Chris. You rule, dude. This is a great song. B E R A R D O There you go. You can Find links to the music on our website the 500 podcast and if you were in a band or directly influenced by one of these albums or artists and you want your music featured on the 500, send your song to 500podcast gmail.com. put the album and artist and influence you in the subject line. Next week it's NWA week as we dig into 144s straight out of Compton. Oh the police. You damn right dig into the music guys. We love you.

[Guest Musician or Singer]

Stay Fleecy Going up Out of the darkness I have been torn up good and this one will leave a mark Turn inside out and tear my sin away Roll me over a throat I But I still believe cause I am still breathing but tonight my mind rolled.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Back.

[Guest Musician or Singer]

When my young heart blew so.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Free.

[Guest Musician or Singer]

Every wild and perfect dream laid out in front of you Take me back to my own.

[Big J Okerson]

Home.

[Guest Musician or Singer]

Raise me up Take back where where I started again Heal me now I am broken Take me back let me start again I'm breathing in the thick green spring the salt air tide the young girl's golden hair and I'd give by one more moment there now I'm bearing the cross of time A scar upon my skin for every time I have a weekend for the light I have wasted but tonight I'll close my eyes Lift my heart fember 1st maybe if the wind is right I'll be back there again Take me back to my Raise me up Take me up back where I started again Heal me now I am broken Take me back let me.

[Big J Okerson]

Start again.

[Josh Adam Myers]

It.

[Guest Musician or Singer]

Every wild and perfect dream that I'm from you Take me back to my old home.

[Big J Okerson]

Raise raise.

[Guest Musician or Singer]

Me up Take me back where I started again Heal me now I am broken Take me back let me start again Sam the 500 keeping it fleecy for the Police Nation on the 500 the 500.

[Josh Adam Myers]

Next Chapter podcasts.