Last weekend I finally caught up on organizing all of the amazing shows I’ve downloaded since I started this column 16 months ago. One thing that blew me away was how many incredible sounding (and looking) Steely Dan bootlegs that I’ve grabbed from the torrent and MP3 bootleg sites. I thought instead of being a selfish chazer (Yiddish anyone?), I’d take this opportunity to compile all of the kickass Dan recordings for those who may have missed out in the past.

We’ve got links to 10 of the best Steely Dan bootlegs you could possibly find. Hopefully you enjoy them as much as I am. Let’s check ‘em out:

Steely Dan 03/20/1974 FM (FLAC, MP3):

After listening to one of Steely Dan’s rare live gigs from the ’70s, I’m just confused as to why these guys didn’t tour behind any of their legendary albums. The Dan absolutely tore it up in the live setting with a band that included Michael McDonald, Denny Dias and Jeff “Skunk” Baxter. To see what I’m talking about, download this crispy-as-fuck radio show Steely Dan recorded on March 20th, 1974.

I’ve had a copy of this show for years, but the hiss on the analog tape made it unlistenable. But last week a pristine copy of the set made its way to the torrent sites. My old copy has now become my new coaster. The show begins with a high-energy romp through Bodhisattva that features Baxter and Walter Becker trading mind-blowing licks. Do It Again is a little more groovin’ than the album version thanks to McDonald’s work on the Rhodes. Other nuggets on this recording include the nasty solos in Rikki Don’t Lose That Number and a soulful version of Any Major Dude. We can only hope that more crispy recordings from the Dan’s epic 1974 tour surface soon. Read on for much more GTA…

Steely Dan 8/22/93 SBD (FLAC, MP3):

When I first started collecting live music, you couldn’t find many Steely Dan shows. But recently a nice little flurry of soundboard recordings from the band’s 1993 and 1996 tours have found their way out of hiding. Today we take a look at this recording from a stop in Saratoga Springs on the band’s 1993 reunion tour. All the classics can be found, as well as a few lesser-known songs like Book of Liars and Black Friday. Becker and Fagen seem to come out of their shell on this night and share a few stories with the extremely attentive crowd. Plus Donald Fagen plays a keytar, so this show automatically rules.

The final few songs of the show are from a decent quality audience tape, and the My Old School/FM combo to end the show with Walter Becker’s eight-year old son is a worthwhile listen. No band fused jazz and rock together like the Dan, especially in a live setting. Get on this one and get down…

Steely Dan w/ Michael McDonald 08/12/2006 PROSHOT (DVD, MP3):

Nearly every shed in America these days has those screens that show video of the concert to people with bad views. Most of the footage from these screens either doesn’t get recorded or gets stashed in the archives of the venue or the performer. Once in a while, though, video from one of these concerts leaks onto the ‘net. The latest of these leaks comes from last summer’s Steely Dan tour, which featured special guest and longtime HT idol Michael McDonald.

The Dan was feelin’ it this night, rolling through magnificent performances of hits such as Hey 19, Green Earrings, and Josie. Mikey Mac adds his husky vocals to the last seven songs of the set, including the kickass My Old School closer. The Steely Dan Orchestra backing band is made up of extremely talented musicians. Keith Carlock is a revelation on the drums — at times there is so much going on that you wonder whether there are two drummers behind the kit. Backup vocalists Carolyn Leonhart-Escoffery and Cindy Mizelle both look and sing beautifully.

The quality of this footage is unbelievably good, allowing a nice look at the ladies as they sing their hearts out during Dirty Work. The crispy soundboard feed that supplies the audio is also top notch, and worth the download by itself. I can honestly say that in my four years of collecting live concert DVDs, this puppy may take the cake as the best in my collection. It’s that good.

If that isn’t enough to feed your Dan addiction here are seven additional high quality Steely Dan bootlegs from various points throughout their illustrious career:

  • Memphis, TN 4/30/1974 (MP3)
  • London, UK 5/20/1974 (FLAC, MP3)
  • St. Louis, MO 9/01/1993 (FLAC, MP3)
  • Manassas, VA 7/21/1996 (DVD, FLAC)
  • George, WA 08/14/1996 (MP3)
  • Clarkston, MI 08/11/2003 (DVD)
  • Universal City, CA 10/02/2003 (MP3)

Are there any great Becker/Fagen boots I’ve missed? Share with the class…