Sample this: Steely Dan pt. 2

Speaking of maniacal perfectionism, this section really gets into the level of frustration Fagan and Becker inflicted on their musical brethren. All legendary in their own right, musicians were put through hours of grueling musical direction, only to be replaced by an entirely different band the next day. The section where Michael McDonald talks about singing backup vocals over himself, and trying to get the intonation right on Peg, is mindblowing. These are they types of things you only hear and appreciate after listening closely several times, because there is so much going on in these songs, which becomes all the more apparent when Fagan and Becker are messing around in the studio with outtakes and isolated vocal tracks. Any producers watching this video are salivating over those raw studio tracks...

Sample This: Steely Dan rules

Their versatile catalog spans numerous genres, with classics in several eras. The "ultimate rock antiheroes", Steely Dan has a special place in the hearts of music fans from multiple generations. You only have to watch 10 seconds of this video to see why, when Donald Fagan starts singing the hook to "Uptown Baby" over the intro to Black Cow. This song has been sampled numerous times, including the obvious one that Fagan refers to in the video, and the possibly less well known, more subtle Doom sample on Gas Drawls.

This whole Classic Albums episode about the Steely Dan album Aja is great. You really get an insight into the type of perfectionists these guys were on a musical level, as well as some of the intricacies of their lyrics. The documentary gives music fans a completely different appreciation for two of the most talented perfectionists ever to grace a studio.