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RIP Walter Becker (1 Viewer)

RIP (67 far too young).

Steely Dan leaves a massive legacy for their work in the '70s - '80s. Their brilliant, withering cynicism set like a jewel inside of masterfully crafted pop/rock/soul/jazz melodies captured the spirit of their age like few others.

Formerly bands HAD to tour to promote their albums, but Becker and Fagen had the vision and talent to succeed on their own terms by rewriting the rules, (like post-Revolver Beatles) existing largely as a studio creation, giving them the freedom to employ their favorite session musicians (like guitarist Larry Carlton) to flesh out the individual requirements for each song - in that sense, they were like the pop/rock equivalent of symphonic, orchestral composers.

Rolling Stone has a good tribute in his honor - Steely Dan: 10 Essential Songs

Also, long RS retro article circa '74 - Steely Dan Comes Up Swinging

* Recommended videos on YouTube:

Classic Albums - Making of Aja (1 hour)

Two Against Nature - Studio concert interspersed with band interviews (90 minutes).

** Some favorite albums - Pretzel Logic, Royal Scam, Aja, Gaucho (Can't Buy A Thrill, Countdown To Ecstasy, Katy Lied also classic, not as familiar with their post-Gaucho work). 

*** Rare song not on studio album (that I'm aware of) - This All Too Mobile Home (the extended version from Rainbow Theatre '74 is outstanding, as is Pretzel Logic from same show).

Favorite cover song - Pretzel Logic instrumental by the late, great, original Most Dangerous Band In The World guitarist Hiram Bullock.

 
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As I often do when we lose a music icon, I will send people a massive live Steely Dan collection to anyone that wants it. For free, no cost, no strings attached. PM me your name and postal mailing address. 

 
"This is the night
Of the expanding the man
I take one last drag
As I approach the stand
I cried when I wrote this song
Sue me if I play too long
This brother is free
I'll be what I want to be"

RIP Walter Becker   :sadbanana:

 
Everybody knows Steely Dan, few people know Becker (adding former to thread title would no doubt generate wider attention), yet another way in which he was able to sort of back into success on his own terms.

In interviews, Fagen and Becker seemed to have a deep rapport and intuitive understanding of each other, and almost came across as an old married couple or sci fi creature with one brain in two bodies, finishing each other's sentences. They both have a wickedly droll, sardonic, wry, ascerbic sense of humor, and are/were also imo among the most literate and smartest artists in rock (with Fripp and Eno).

 
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Bob Magaw said:
Everybody knows Steely Dan, few people know Becker (adding former to thread title would no doubt generate wider attention), yet another way in which he was able to sort of back into success on his own terms.

In interviews, Fagen and Becker seemed to have a deep rapport and intuitive understanding of each other, and almost came across as an old married couple or sci fi creature with one brain in two bodies, finishing each other's sentences. They both have a wickedly droll, sardonic, wry, ascerbic sense of humor, and are/were also imo among the most literate and smartest artists in rock (with Fripp and Eno).
Click to expand...
evidence

 
Bob Magaw said:
I would expect few bands have been as successful that were named after a personal, manual sexual device from a William S. Burroughs novel.
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yeah, Kajagoogoo was named after the sound a penis-enlarger made in Kilgore Trout's Rename the Moon, but they were nowhere near as big

 
wikkidpissah said:
yeah, Kajagoogoo was named after the sound a penis-enlarger made in Kilgore Trout's Rename the Moon, but they were nowhere near as big
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The band, or the device (Hey-o!)?

* "One book, Swedish Enlargers and Me, That Is My Thing Baby! by Austin Powers."

"Oh."

"Just sign here, please."

** There is a kind of perfection and sonic miracle in the stacked (poly)rhythms of a song like Peg, Josie or Black Cow (as some of the participants in the sessions noted, the key was to first lay down a killer drum track - you could always dub around that later) which is an art form and thing of beauty unto itself, like a soul/funk variant of Bach.

 
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his solo album Eleven Tracks of Whack is outstanding..  love Steely Dan, and his guitar solo on Reelin in In the Years is one of the best of all time..  RIP :(

 
Parrothead said:
his solo album Eleven Tracks of Whack is outstanding..  love Steely Dan, and his guitar solo on Reelin in In the Years is one of the best of all time..  RIP :(
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That was Elliott Randall.  Becker usually (or most frequently) played the bass on Dan tracks, but he turned in some nifty guitar work as well.  I believe he did the awesome solo on "Bad Sneakers."

 
Had to go to the store yesterday and as I turned on the radio on the way home, I didn't know the song but instantly recognized it as Steely Dan.  Turns out it was Hatian Divorce, one of the few songs of theirs I had never listened to before.  Turns out, it was for just a time like this; I got one last musical treat from him at his passing.

 
Steely Dan is not yacht rock.  Yacht rock is Christopher Cross, Michael McDonald, etc with very unadventurous and light lyrics.  Yacht rockers are not meeting Jive Miguel from Bogota at Mr Chow's after they close the deal.

 
Jefferson the Caregiver said:
Steely Dan is not yacht rock.  Yacht rock is Christopher Cross, Michael McDonald, etc with very unadventurous and light lyrics.  Yacht rockers are not meeting Jive Miguel from Bogota at Mr Chow's after they close the deal.
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shshshshshshshhsh!!!! The Dan (and others) are members of the Real Peoples' Army's Yacht Infiltration Patrol (YIP)

 
other than Zeppelin, Steely Dan is my favorite band.  Saw them every summer for a good 5 or 6 years.  Smooth, jazzy, funky, bluesy rock.  Good for the soul, music to fit any mood.

Their most under rated song IMO Home At Last

RIP Walter :(

 
Saw them last summer at the Hollywood Bowl. Glad I did. Becker seemed in fine form then. Genius musicians both of them. Top 5 for me. Whatever mood I'm in, there's a Steely Dan song for the occasion. In the end, the cuervo gold and fine columbian take their payment I guess.

 
John Bender said:
other than Zeppelin, Steely Dan is my favorite band.  Saw them every summer for a good 5 or 6 years.  Smooth, jazzy, funky, bluesy rock.  Good for the soul, music to fit any mood.

Their most under rated song IMO Home At Last

RIP Walter :(
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I've been listening to them today from when I heard he passed and came across a couple more good links re: Home At Last (one of my fave's too btw)...

Musicians' take on recording that song -- Bernard Purdie starts talking at 2:54

Purdie talking about his Purdie shuffle -- was instrumental to that song.

Truly amazing song by an amazing duo...

 
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