I do quiet work in a place filled with distracting human noises.  When I’m feeling misophonic, I listen to music.  Lately, one of my favorite bands to “work with” is Steely Dan.

Walter Becker and Donald Fagen.

To an amateur musician-geek, Becker and Fagen are interesting guys.  I’m not an eloquent music writer, but Stephen Thomas Erlewine at Allmusic is,  and he sums them up nicely.

Steely Dan created a sophisticated, distinctive sound with accessible melodic hooks, complex harmonies and time signatures, and a devotion to the recording studio.

One of my favorite and most popular Dan songs is Peg.  The happy mood, lively rhythm, and deep layers of harmony and texture wash over my mind and get into all the little cracks.  I can work or I can listen.  And when I listen, the song continues to amaze me.

I enjoy musical documentaries too, especially when artists and engineers talk in the recording studio.  So what could be better than breaking down Peg?