Two Against Nature
Encyclopedia
Two Against Nature is the eighth album
by Steely Dan
, released in 2000. The album won the group four Grammy Award
s including Album of the Year
, and marked the first Steely Dan studio album in 20 years, following 1980's Gaucho
. It has been certified 2x platinum in the US.
Two Against Nature marked Steely Dan's long-awaited debut for Warner Bros. Records
- through a sub-label, Giant Records
. They intended to release Gaucho on Warner Bros. after their longtime label ABC Records
merged with MCA Records
, but MCA claimed ownership of the master recordings. As a result, the band was forced to release Gaucho on MCA (which has since been absorbed into Geffen Records
, ironically once associated with Warners). It is also famous for beating The Marshall Mathers LP
by Eminem
and Kid A
by Radiohead
for Album of the Year
at the Grammys
, which led to much criticism.
and Donald Fagen
.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by Steely Dan
Steely Dan
Steely Dan is an American rock band; its core members are Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop...
, released in 2000. The album won the group four Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s including Album of the Year
Grammy Award for Album of the Year
The Grammy Award for Album of the Year is the most prestigious award category at the Grammys. It has been awarded since 1959 and though it was originally presented to the artist alone, the award is now presented to the artist, the producer, the engineer and/or mixer and the mastering engineer...
, and marked the first Steely Dan studio album in 20 years, following 1980's Gaucho
Gaucho (album)
Gaucho is the seventh studio album by the American Jazz rock band Steely Dan, released in 1980. The sessions for Gaucho represented the peak of Steely Dan's recording studio perfectionism and obsessive recording techniques...
. It has been certified 2x platinum in the US.
Two Against Nature marked Steely Dan's long-awaited debut for Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
- through a sub-label, Giant Records
Giant Records
Giant Records was launched in 1990 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. Records and Irving Azoff, who had sold his companies to MCA Records for $15.7 million. Azoff initially intended for the label to be called Big Records, but that name had been taken....
. They intended to release Gaucho on Warner Bros. after their longtime label ABC Records
ABC Records
ABC Records was an American record label, founded in New York City in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records. It originated as the main popular music label operated the Am-Par Record Corporation, the music subsidiary of the American Broadcasting Company . ABC-Paramount Records' first president was Samuel H....
merged with MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
, but MCA claimed ownership of the master recordings. As a result, the band was forced to release Gaucho on MCA (which has since been absorbed into Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
, ironically once associated with Warners). It is also famous for beating The Marshall Mathers LP
The Marshall Mathers LP
The Marshall Mathers LP is the third studio album by American rapper Eminem. Released May 23, 2000, the album sold more than 1.76 million copies in its first week just in the US. In 2001, the album won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album and was nominated for Album of the Year...
by Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
and Kid A
Kid A
Kid A is the fourth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released in October 2000 by the Parlophone label. A commercial success worldwide, Kid A went platinum in its first week of release in the United Kingdom. Despite the lack of an official single or music video as publicity, Kid A...
by Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
for Album of the Year
Grammy Award for Album of the Year
The Grammy Award for Album of the Year is the most prestigious award category at the Grammys. It has been awarded since 1959 and though it was originally presented to the artist alone, the award is now presented to the artist, the producer, the engineer and/or mixer and the mastering engineer...
at the Grammys
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
, which led to much criticism.
Track listing
All songs written by Walter BeckerWalter Becker
Walter Carl Becker is an American musician, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the co-founder, guitarist, bassist and a co-writer of Steely Dan.-Career:...
and Donald Fagen
Donald Fagen
Donald Jay Fagen is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the co-founder, lead singer, and the principal songwriter of the rock band Steely Dan ....
.
- "Gaslighting AbbieGaslighting Abbie"Gaslighting Abbie" is the first track on Steely Dan's 2000 Grammy Award-winning album Two Against Nature. The song is about a husband and his mistress plotting to drive his wife crazy.-Explanation of the title:...
" – 5:53 - "What a Shame About Me" – 5:17
- "Two Against Nature" – 6:17
- "Janie RunawayJanie Runaway"Janie Runaway" is the fourth single from Steely Dan's 2000 album Two Against Nature.At first glance the lyrics read like an optimistic love song, with the narrator singing the praises of his new love "Janie"; but a closer examination reveals a relationship between a female runaway youth and a...
" – 4:09 - "Almost Gothic" – 4:09
- "Jack of Speed" – 6:17
- "Cousin DupreeCousin Dupree"Cousin Dupree" is the first single from Steely Dan's 2000 album Two Against Nature. The song describes the desire a young man has for his attractive cousin...
" – 5:28 - "Negative Girl" – 5:34
- "West of Hollywood" – 8:21
Personnel
- Walter BeckerWalter BeckerWalter Carl Becker is an American musician, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the co-founder, guitarist, bassist and a co-writer of Steely Dan.-Career:...
- bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Donald FagenDonald FagenDonald Jay Fagen is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the co-founder, lead singer, and the principal songwriter of the rock band Steely Dan ....
- organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, Fender Rhodes, WurlitzerWurlitzerThe Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to simply as Wurlitzer, was an American company that produced stringed instruments, woodwinds, brass instruments, theatre organs, band organs, orchestrions, electronic organs, electric pianos and jukeboxes....
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
- Tom Barney - bass
- Ted Baker - piano, Fender Rhodes
- Jon HeringtonJon HeringtonJon Herington is an American guitarist, singer-songwriter and record producer, most known for being a session musician. Currently, he is known for being Steely Dan's lead guitarist...
- acoustic guitarSteel-string acoustic guitarA steel-string acoustic guitar is a modern form of guitar descended from the classical guitar, but strung with steel strings for a brighter, louder sound...
, rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together... - Paul Jackson Jr. - guitar
- Hugh McCrackenHugh McCrackenHugh McCracken is a rhythm guitar player and session musician, arranger and producer based in New York.Especially in demand in the 60s, 70s and 80s, he appears on many recordings by Steely Dan, as well as albums by Donald Fagen, Jimmy Rushing, Billy Joel, Roland Kirk, Roberta Flack, B. B...
- guitar - Dean ParksDean ParksDean Parks is an American session guitarist and record producer from Ft. Worth, TX.-Albums:Dean was member of The North Texas State One O'clock Lab Band before moving to Los Angeles to work with Sonny and Cher in 1970. Dean is best-known through his many contributions to albums by Steely Dan...
- guitar - Lawrence Feldman - clarinetClarinetThe clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
, tenor saxophoneTenor saxophoneThe tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble... - Amy Helm - whistle
- Michael Hitchcock - trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
- Michael LeonhartMichael LeonhartMichael Leonhart is a noted trumpet player, producer, multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and singer-songwriter. He has performed with such diverse artists as Steely Dan, Yoko Ono, Bobby McFerrin, and Mos Def....
- trumpet, conductor, wurlitzer - Lou MariniLou MariniLou Marini, Jr. is an American saxophonist, arranger and composer. He is noted for his work in the jazz, rock, blues and soul music traditions.-Early life and range of musical experience:...
- alto saxophoneAlto saxophoneThe alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in 1841. It is smaller than the tenor but larger than the soprano, and is the type most used in classical compositions... - Chris PotterChris Potter (jazz saxophonist)Chris Potter is an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist.-Biography:Born in Chicago, Illinois, Potter spent most of his childhood in Columbia, South Carolina where his mother taught psychology at the University of South Carolina...
- alto saxophone, tenor saxophone - Jim PughJames E. PughJames Edward Pugh is a trombonist, composer, and educator. He is noted as the lead trombonist with Woody Herman's Thundering Herd and Chick Corea's Return to Forever Band . For 25 years, he worked as a freelance trombonist in New York City...
- tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate... - Roger Rosenberg - bass clarinetBass clarinetThe bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. Like the more common soprano B clarinet, it is usually pitched in B , but it plays notes an octave below the soprano B clarinet...
, baritone saxophoneBaritone saxophoneThe baritone saxophone, often called "bari sax" , is one of the largest and lowest pitched members of the saxophone family. It was invented by Adolphe Sax. The baritone is distinguished from smaller sizes of saxophone by the extra loop near its mouthpiece... - David Tofani - saxophone
- Keith CarlockKeith CarlockKeith Carlock is an American drummer originally from Clinton, Mississippi. He currently resides in New York City, NY. He has recorded and/or toured with musicians that include Sting, John Mayer, Steely Dan, James Taylor, Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, Diana Ross, Faith Hill, The Blues Brothers Band,...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Leroy Clouden - drums
- Vinnie ColaiutaVinnie ColaiutaVincent Colaiuta is an American drummer based in Los Angeles. Originally from Republic, Pennsylvania, he began playing drums as a child and received his first full drum kit from his parents at the age of 14...
- drums - Sonny EmorySonny EmorySonny Emory is a freelance touring and studio drummer. He has worked with many famous acts, including Earth, Wind & Fire, Steely Dan, Bruce Hornsby, and the B-52's.-Early years:...
- drums - Ricky LawsonRicky Lawson- Overview :Ricky Lawson started playing drums at the age of 16. He would borrow is Uncle's drum set, and would carry it to his house all the way across town via the Detroit Buses that ran in the town. In high school Lawson played in his high school jazz band, which consisted of only 5 members...
- drums - Michael White - drums
- Gordon Gottlieb - percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
- Will LeeWill Lee (bassist)Will Lee aka William Franklin Lee IV is an American musician and bassist, best known for his work on the CBS television program The Late Show with David Letterman as part of the CBS Orchestra....
- percussion - Daniel Sadownick - percussion, timbalesTimbalesTimbales are shallow single-headed drums with metal casing, invented in Cuba. They are shallower in shape than single-headed tom-toms, and usually much higher tuned...
- David Shank - vibraphoneVibraphoneThe vibraphone, sometimes called the vibraharp or simply the vibes, is a musical instrument in the struck idiophone subfamily of the percussion family....
- Steve ShapiroSteve ShapiroSteve Shapiro is an American music producer, session musician, and jazz vibraphonist.-Biography:Shapiro grew up in Connecticut and graduated from Yale University in 1985 after studying with artists Steve Swallow, Dave Samuels and Anthony Davis. He was an early proponent of midi synthesizers, and...
- vibraphone - Cynthia Calhoun - background vocals
- Mike Harvey - background vocals
- Carolyn Leonhart - background vocals
Production
- Producers: Walter Becker, Donald Fagen
- Executive engineer: Roger Nichols
- Engineers: Phil Burnett, Per-Christian Nielsen, Johan Edlund, Anthony Gorman, Roger Nichols, Ken Ross, Dave Russell, Jay A. Ryan, Elliot Scheiner, Peta Scriba
- Mixing: Roger Nichols, Dave Russell
- Mastering: Scott Hull
- Assistants: Suzy Barrows, Reaann Zschokke
- Technician: Roger Nichols
- Editing: Jan Folkson
- Horn arrangements: Walter Becker, Donald Fagen, Michael LeonhartMichael LeonhartMichael Leonhart is a noted trumpet player, producer, multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and singer-songwriter. He has performed with such diverse artists as Steely Dan, Yoko Ono, Bobby McFerrin, and Mos Def....
- Project Manager: Jill Dell'Abate
- Project Coordinator: Suzana Haugh
- Consultant: Michael Leonhart
- Piano Tuner: Sam Berd
- Design: Carol Bobolts
- Photography: Michael Northrup/Jason Fulford
- Copyist: Michael Leonhart
Charts
| Chart (2000) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| The Billboard 200 | 6 |
| Top Internet Albums | 2 |
Awards
2001 Grammy Awards| Winner | Category |
|---|---|
| "Cousin Dupree" | Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal The Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals was awarded between 1966 and 2011... |
| Two Against Nature | Album of the Year Grammy Award for Album of the Year The Grammy Award for Album of the Year is the most prestigious award category at the Grammys. It has been awarded since 1959 and though it was originally presented to the artist alone, the award is now presented to the artist, the producer, the engineer and/or mixer and the mastering engineer... |
| Two Against Nature | Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical |
| Two Against Nature | Best Pop Vocal Album Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album The Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality pop music albums... |