Even more evidence that Steely Dan is the LAMEST BAND EVER!

The actual letter reads like it was written by couple of stoner kids flunking remedial English.

I wonder how they felt about John Cusack's character in One Crazy Summer being named Hoops McCann (from the song Glamour Profession off Gaucho)?

Speaking of which, the storyline in Gaucho is just begging for adaptation. Alan Ball, get to work!

I thought of "Dupree's Diamond Blues" that the Grateful Dead used to do... I was a diehard Steely Dan fan but I've never listened to the two latter-day albums more than a few times -- never learned the song titles... are they nuts?

If you read their other writings, you'll see quickly that their language in the letter was an affectation. They're two of the most literate musicians you might ever meet.

It looks to me as though they have a point, although copyright law may not support them. For example, I don't think titles are protected.

FWIW, I really like their most recent work, better than some of their older classic stuff. I have my quibbles with some of it (guitar sounds are too similar from song to song), but the songs are great. They are unique artists that will be listened to for a long time to come.

As far as their literacy, I'm having trouble thinking of a more literate band. Certainly nothing from this millenium.

Just my opinion....

Although it may not be on quite the same level, it is a bit ironic that this is coming from a band who took their name from William Burrough's novel 'Naked Lunch'

C'mon readers, it is a joke! A pretty funny one at that. Owen should just go down, sit in for a few songs on bongos, maybe take Luke, and get a few t-shirts. Doesn't anybody have a sense of humor anymore?

Well, that part about the Russian may not be a joke, but why quibble?

I don't think so. Their letter has the tone of someone who is trying to talk on the readers level. It's a spoof on the genX lingo that literate genX'ers like me feel is beneath them. Any literate person could see that.

We've got heavy rollers

I think you should know

Try again tomorrow

The first thing I did when I read this article was to see if Owen Wilson wrote the screenplay for You, Me and Dupree (I doubted it because he usually writes good things with Wes Anderson). And he didn't write this screenplay. So my question to Steely Dan is why do they have a beef with Owen when he didn't even write the screenplay the movie was based upon?

Owen Wilson was a producer of the movie, and he's the big name, so he can bear the burden.

For those who feel the Steely Dan letter is lame, the word is 'irony'.. look it up..

For those who feel Steely Dan is lame, you are hereby condemned to a life of listening to Limp Bizkit!

BTW, why does Owen Wilson play exactly the same character in every movie?

I love, love, love the Dan, but isn't it funny that they're having their fun with this, when the entire musical structure of the intro and intra-verses from "Gaucho" were lifted, virtually note for note, from a Keith Jarrett track ("Long As You Know You're Living Yours"), and the opening riff from "Ricki Don't Lose That Number" was copped from Horace Silver's "Song For My Father?" Hey, guys -- pot? As in, calling the kettle black?...

The Dan are just kidding around, as always. It's not written by a couple of stoners (Becker and Fagen are some of the most literate musicians around), it's *targeted* towards a potential stoner. Although that's a joke too...

Love those guys! Always on top of their game. Although I'm sure they didn't expect the media circus around this "letter" :-)