How Steely Dan Wrote “Deacon Blues,” the Song Audiophiles Use to Test High-End Stereos
Steely Dan (Fagen & Becker) were definitely into high quality/audiophile sound reproduction aided and abetted by their longtime engineer, Roger Nichols who was a nuclear engineer and all around creative genius.
Beginning with the GREAT “Katy Lied” album, they used ultra high-end audiophile equipment (Audio Research vacuum tube amplifiers driving double-stacked Magneplanar Loudspeakers) to mix the studio tapes.
“Aja” and “Gaucho” were the pinnacle of their high-end audio sonic quality and, IIRC, Elliot Scheiner assisted Roger Nichols in recording & mixdown.
Fun Fact: Elliot Scheiner was the subject of the song “Hey Nineteen” when he dated a 19-y/o girl during the Gaucho recording period. He also went on to design the sound system for the high end Acura cars.