Welcome to a new season on the music of Steely Dan

Mike here. In This Episode, Dre and I begin diving into the history and music of the band Steely Dan starting with their debut album "Can't Buy A Thrill".

Each episode, we'll have a guest musician on the show to talk about their history with Steely Dan. In the minisodes, we'll feature a performance with me and the guest on a Steely Dan song of their choice.

We're not afraid to get into the weeds on music theory, but Dre is always here to ask questions as a newcomer to the band. If you're an old fan or new to the Dan, there's something here for you.

This week's guest is Dan Jackson

Dan Recommends

• Bandsplain Podcast
• Burt Sugarman’s Midnight Special with Steely Dan
• Raye - this album may contain hope
• The Brook and the Bluff
• Dan’s Chicago RPG store
• Dan on instagram

Join us next Sunday where we talk to Dan about the song Dirty Work. Then stick around and hear us perform a duet of the song.

The following week, we'll be back with another full-length episode on steely dan with special guest John Szymanski. Join us as we cover the albums "Countdown to Ecstasy" and "Pretzel Logic".

Chapter Times

I'm working on adding chapters to the podcast. In the meantime, here's the next best thing in case you really can't stand the monologue. Or are only here for the quiz.

00:02 - Opening Monologue

08:31 - Walter Beckons

29:35 - Any Major Dre Will Tell You

34:00 - David Palmer Memory Quiz

41:44 - Dirty Work

Read the show notes here

Mike On Instagram

Dre On Instagram

Dre On Bluesky

All music by Mike Slater

Listen to Mike's daily steely dan songs on instagram for #80daysofdan

Stick around to the end of this one for the debut of the Greerleaders podcast theme.

In this minisode… Bob and Tiff Hellbound, we add Low Gain to the team, Etienne as Victor Wembanyama, Etienne as Krang, the only ethical load and  WW ‘84, Etienne zazzes up, what’s in the boombox?, the right-wing “Are you there God? It’s me Margaret”, another reason Mike can’t be Magus, Heavy’s ego, extended Greer talk, the 2.5 good X-Men movies, more Greertalk, Greerleaders is born.

This week's guest is Logan Trent.

Listen to Logan Trent

WNBYay Podcast with friend of the show Adam Tod Brown

Wrestlemania Podcast with friend of the show John Reiman

For the next full episode, we move on to our next topic and cover Steely Dan with Special Guest Daniel "D-Jax" Jackson. In the first episode, we'll be covering their first album "Can't Buy A Thrill".

Read the show notes here

Mike On Instagram

Dre On Instagram

Dre On Bluesky

All music by Mike Slater

This episode covers the third collected volume of "The Power Fantasy", issues #12-16, an Image comic by Kieron Gillen and Casper Wijngaard. We highly recommend you read the comics first as this episode gets into heavy spoilers.

In This Episode… picking up the pace with shorter topics, JMS steamrolls in, Wrestlemovia… the first podcast with segments, Etienne as Krang, making art dumber than yourself, Jubilee gets her due, Segdre got me so good, Baby Etienne experiences the holocaust, Heavy really really sucks, The Yin to the Golden Rule’s Yang, and Eliza emerges as the best artist of the Superpowers.

This week's guest is Logan Trent.

Listen to Logan Trent

WNBYay Podcast with friend of the show Adam Tod Brown

Wrestlemania Podcast with friend of the show John Reiman

Logan Recommends

• Hoopla
• The History of Charging the Mound

For the next full episode, we move on to our next topic and cover Steely Dan with Special Guest Daniel "D-Jax" Jackson. In the first episode, we'll be covering their first album "Can't Buy A Thrill".

Read the show notes here

Mike On Instagram

Dre On Instagram

Dre On Bluesky

All music by Mike Slater

In This Minisode… Atif and Mike talk Batman / Superman, Atif becomes Bat-Man, we steal a Sus Stories segment and decide how we would f&$k up the Superpowers, Dre apologizes profusely for demolishing Atif on the quiz, Mike describes how to use colors when playing bass like Gillen and Wijngaard use dynamics, we compare producing our respective podcasts, Mike attempts to fix his internet issues, Atif’s nerdy book kid story, a dollar a page gets you what you need and breaking up over nerd passions.

This week's guest is Atif Myers.

Atif is a stand-up comic, writer and occasional actor from LA.

Check out Atif’s Standup on YouTube.

Check out Atif’s podcast Sus Stories, Featuring special guest Mike Slater

For the next full episode, we finish our coverage of Kieron Gillen and Casper Wijngaard's "The Power Fantasy" comic with special guest Logan Trent

Read the show notes here

Mike On Instagram

Dre On Instagram

Dre On Bluesky

All music by Mike Slater

This episode covers the second collected volume of "The Power Fantasy", issues #6-11, an Image comic by Kieron Gillen and Casper Wijngaard. We highly recommend you read the comics first as this episode gets into heavy spoilers.

In This Episode… the genius of making your podcast short, everything we know about comics we learned from Wic/Div, who would want to join a cult obliterated by the devil lady, Atif could hack into a Commodore 64, Dre believes the real Kid Ignition is still out there…throughout the episode we have a good time with this story and offer all our insane theories on what’s coming next.

There is a ton of plot in this run of issues and we actually stay focused and on topic.

This week's guest is Atif Myers.

Atif is a stand-up comic, writer and occasional actor from LA.

Check out Atif’s Standup on YouTube.

Check out Atif’s podcast Sus Stories, Featuring special guest Mike Slater

Atif Recommends

• Fury of Firestorm

Mike Recommends

• The Wicked and the Divine

Dre Recommends

• Patreon Exclusive Sus Stories Content

For the next full episode, we finish our coverage of Kieron Gillen and Casper Wijngaard's "The Power Fantasy" comic with special guest Logan Trent

Read the show notes here

Mike On Instagram

Dre On Instagram

Dre On Bluesky

All music by Mike Slater

In this series, we are covering "The Power Fantasy", an Image comic by Kieron Gillen and Casper Wijngaard. We highly recommend you read the comics before listening.

In This Episode… assembling a team of dumb superpowers, Casper’s nice touches in Heavy's design, Mike swallows that fa-ta-tas, the best use of a Hickman timeline graphic, if the book is released you are the master of time, we compare nerdy book stories, Judy Blue vs. Beverly Cleary, and Carin Um Actually!’s us a bunch.

This week's guest is Carin Slater.

Carin Slater from the “Hey, Have You Read This Yet?” podcast returns. Carin is an avid reader of sci-fi, romance and horror novels but took a break from all that to read Volume I of The Power Fantasy.

Check out Hey, Have You Read This Yet?, Carin's book club podcast for kids and adults who like to read together. Send in book recommendations to [email protected].

For the next full episode, we continue our coverage of Kieron Gillen and Casper Wijngaard's "The Power Fantasy" comic with special guest Atif Myers. We focus on issues #6-11 of the second collected volume.

Read the show notes here

Mike On Instagram

Dre On Instagram

Dre On Bluesky

All music by Mike Slater

This is the first episode of our season on "The Power Fantasy", an Image comic by Kieron Gillen and Casper Wijngaard.

This episode covers the first collected volume of "The Power Fantasy", issues #1-5. We highly recommend you read the comics first as this episode gets into heavy spoilers.

In this episode… the boys attempt to move forward without that Babylon 5 crutch, starting a podcast to deter your son from Dogman, Mike gets all the cookies and bars he wants, the quiz segment lives on, Dre gets on the Slater family chore point board, the president should have gone for the head, you can’t exact revenge without taking out a few friends along the way, Masumi the depression Hulk is awesome, the ethical threshold of lying, Heavy makes a human meatball, and Dre makes parfait out of a layer cake.

This week's guest is Carin Slater.

Carin Slater from the “Hey, Have You Read This Yet?” podcast returns. Carin is an avid reader of sci-fi, romance and horror novels but took a break from all that to read Volume I of The Power Fantasy.

Check out Hey, Have You Read This Yet?, Carin's book club podcast for kids and adults who like to read together. Send in book recommendations to [email protected].

Carin Recommends

• Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
• Um Actually… - Dropout TV show
• Silo - Apple TV series

Mike Recommends

• Decompressed - Kieron Gillen’s Podcast
• Die & Die: Loaded - Gillen’s Current Series

For the next full episode, we continue our coverage of Kieron Gillen and Casper Wijngaard's "The Power Fantasy" comic with special guest Atif Myers

Read the show notes here

Mike On Instagram

Dre On Instagram

Dre On Bluesky

All music by Mike Slater

In this episode… Dre’s fan theory on fan theories from Jeff’s fan theory on the fate of Sheridan’s Soul, Karl ties it to Carl Sagan, Mike brings it back to early Babylon 5 soul mythos, Karl’s LOTR comparisons expanded to outer rim fan theories, Mike lets Dre sit in the bit, the Simpsons Trivia Trap backfires compliments of Pete Johnston, Dre takes a moment to thank the guests, a bonus bonus question, Dre sticks up for Grey 17 one last time… and it kinda works! Also… Dre adds a surprise category on Fan Theories, and Blitzcast as a concert.

This week's guess is Karl Wolf. Karl Wolf is a singer and Babylon 5 enthusiast from Detroit.

Karl works for a non-profit organization in Detroit called Samaritas that works to help immigrants in the area. Please donate to samaritas.org if you are able.

For the next full episode, we begin our coverage of Kieron Gillen and Casper Wijngaard "The Power Fantasy" comic with Carin Slater. To follow along, read Volume I which covers issues #1-5

Read the show notes here

Mike On Instagram

Dre On Instagram

Dre On Bluesky

All music by Mike Slater

In This Episode… Dre and Mike wrap up their coverage of Babylon 5, Karl reaffirms Christopher Franke, what if Ivonava had stayed, Karl relitigates coverage of Sleeping in Light, STICKERS!!!, but most important... Franklin and the walkabout get their due

We pick favorite Characters, Episodes and Moments of Babylon 5 to close out the first season of You Gotta Check This Out.

This week's guess is Karl Wolf. Karl Wolf is a singer and Babylon 5 enthusiast from Detroit.

Karl works for a non-profit organization in Detroit called Samaritas that works to help immigrants in the area. Please donate to samaritas.org if you are able.

For the next full episode, we begin our coverage of Kieron Gillen and Casper Wijngaard "The Power Fantasy" comic with Carin Slater.

Read the show notes here

Mike On Instagram

Dre On Instagram

Dre On Bluesky

All music by Mike Slater

In this episode… what’s up with that bone - I gotta f&@k that thing, we all learn how to pronounce Mumy, Babylon 5 with Nitro bumpers, 8/18 Babylon 5 cast members mortality rate, Dre sneaks in Basketball talk, managing the expectations of the viewers through poor editing, hairocracy, babble on five, and Babylon 5 flash mashups.

Dre sings in this one

This week's guests are still Adam Tod Brown and Jeff May.

Adam Tod Brown runs the "You Don't Even like..." podcast network. Check out his shows at youdontevenlike.com

Jeff May has several shows on Patreon, patreon.com/jeffmay - including Nerd! with Dre Alvarez.

In a fitting twist of fate, Babylon 5 is no longer available for free or with a subscription on any service. We suggest looking for the DVDs at your library. Or if you live near Dre or Mike, we'll likely loan you our copies.

For the next full episode, we wrap up out coverage of Babylon 5 with Karl Wolf and reveal where the podcast will be going next.

Read the show notes here

Mike On Instagram

Dre On Instagram

Dre On Bluesky

All music by Mike Slater