Marking the passing of Steely Dan’s Walter Becker, Twang, Tiggerlion, Nick Duvet and Feedback File convene in the pod to reflect on topics such as what did Walter bring to the Dan, was he his own man or simply one half of a greater whole, how did the boys work together and a quick skim over Walter’s many finest moments (a grammatical absurdity our hero would have appreciated).
The Afterword #60: The Beckercast
by 109 Comments
The team’s handy guide to the best of Walter…
Hurrah!
Just a shame it has taken an event like that to see the return of the podcast.
Good work, chums! This is going in the phone for Friday’s project planning meeting.
Great to see the ‘cast back. Looking forward to listening
There were comments in there about catchiness of their music, which set me thinking that there was something more cunning going on. There was the appearance of catchiness which was then subverted by dashes of wilful peculiarity and complexity. I think this is why so many pop-oriented listeners have difficulty with The Dan.
You say that as if it’s a bad thing. I know what Walter would have said.
I don’t think it was a bad thing at all.
Walter would have scoffed. Probably rolled his eyes and dismissed me with a slight wave of his hand.
But their records are often catchy, just out and out, gloriously, pop-catchy, full of hooks – hence the hits, the record sales. Rikki Don’t Lose That Number being a prime example. To say there was the appearance of catchiness which was then subverted, as if they were somehow above, or better than pop, seems to me like confirming the suspicions of the naysayers that they are some sneery, too clever for their own good act.
Not catchy enough to snare the average pop punter, it would seem, which is what a hook in a song is supposed to do. Only 3 top-ten US singles in their career. Do It Again (#6), Rikki Don’t Lose That Number (#4) and Hey Nineteen (#10). None over here in the UK. Plenty of album success, of course, which was a different kettle of fish back in the days of their run from Pretzel Logic to Gaucho. The hooks were certainly there, in abundance. Perhaps the bait was at fault.
They were (and Donald Fagen still is, of course) clever, sophisticated guys who I think had trouble containing their cleverness and often seemed to have no great wish to do so. There is a story implying that they liked to set themselves musical puzzles to solve.
As a bit of a music nerd, in my youth I was instantly onside with their first 3 albums, increasingly less so with the next 4 until my taste had had time to mature.
The two “revival” albums are, remarkably, an almost seamless continuation from where they left off all those years before.
3 top ten hits in US is quite a feat though regardless. Too much subtelty for more I suppose or not enough pushing of other singles. Big hits tend not to be subtle. There’s a playfulness which makes their records often amusing or at least worthy of a wry smile. There is a lot of pop there, impeccably made though it may be. People talk about jazz but I don’t hear that so much. R’n’b yes, blues yes. I think it’s pretty commercial, crowd pleasing music in a lot of ways.
To be fair, both Reelin’ In The Years and Peg got to number 11 in the US.
Interestingly Haitian Divorce, one of their most catchy numbers to me, was never released as an A-side in the US. It reached no 17 over here. FM (No Static At All) is another really catchy one that got to no 22 in the US, though Donald Fagen reckoned it would have done even better if the film FM it had been made for had been more successful.
Really interesting hour – made me dig out stuff I haven’t heard for a long time.
Also forgotten about Donald Fagen’s “Snowbound” – and didn’t know Walter played on it – or that there was this strange official video.
He didn’t just play on it, both bass and guitar, he produced and co-wrote it. It’s a Steely Dan track, I tell you! It also rescues an album that is flagging up to that point.
Agreed re the album flagging – it just sort of slides by with the exception of this track & On The Dunes. This is a great track to test your hi-fi; the bass is particularly brilliant.
Actually I would say the run of three songs on the Kamakiriad album – Snowbound, Tomorrows Girls and Florida Room represent Walters finest moment. Co-author of one, producer, guitarist and bassist on all. The guitar sound and style that he deployed on those three tracks defined his playing at it’s very best. The songs are pure Steely Dan.
The Snowbound video is fascinating – I’ve not seen it for years. The imagery and snarky take on automation (and automatons) precedes the novel Cloud Atlas by at least ten years. What vision!
Slight!y pissed after a hard day’s painting in Corsica: you guys have just made my holiday. My heartfelt thanks for a very fitting tribute.
Well done, Twang. Beautifully hosted and put together as always. I’m amazed how all of you can speak in whole sentences so easily.
Decades of talking utter bollocks. It just flows now. The whole team did great. Thanks all.
Good stuff – thanks for the work you’ve put in.
Drew Zingg, who played guitar on the first reunion tour with Steely Dan (check out his playing on Third World Man from the Alive in America album) provided this little insight: “Because of the cynical air of his lyrics and inscrutable public persona, perhaps the most disarming and refreshing thing about Walter was how upbeat, affable and accessible I always found him to be. My inner Steely Dan geek (they had been my favorite band since I bought their first album, “Can’t Buy A Thrill” in eighth grade) was extremely anxious to get answers to the many questions I had since the age of 14; Walter was always more than happy to fill me in. What guitar did you use on the solo (perhaps my favorite of his) on “Pretzel Logic”? Answer: an old Epiphone solid body. What is a “squonk”? (now, of course, you can wiki it). Who were some of the others on the legendarily large list of guitarists who took a stab at the solo to “Peg”? (He told me that Robben Ford had recorded an especially awesome solo.)
After a Roseland gig in NYC in ’96 I think, I met Drew Zingg in Le Bar Bat nightclub where The Dan after show parties were always held (Don & Walt never attended!) and gushed at him about his guitar playing on Third World Man live and his playing in general…He also accommodated me when I asked all sorts of questions about The Dan. Nice chap and great guitarist.
Still to listen to the podcast but look forward to it, thanks chaps.
Great stuff, chaps & a worthy tribute to WB.
I’m totally with Tigger re: Two Against Nature & Everything Must Go – EMG is second only to Gaucho for me as a fave.
I’m going to have another tilt at WB’s two solo albums on the strength of the podcast, having failed to connect previously – his love of reggae rhythm is apparent esp. on Circus Money but not the kind of reggae I dig. Maybe the penny will drop this time.
Thanks again.
Turn the bass to eleven!
Will do. Look out woofers!
Cracker of a podcast. Full of informed comment and a lot of stuff I didn’t know.
Re Horses Darryl Braithwaite was a teenage heart throb in a band called Sherbet. He did Horses as a solo artist and ,yes, it was huge. He’s sung it at football grand finals to crowd singalongs and one of the top AFL teams adopted it as “their song” for a singalong after wins.
Most Aussies would think it was written for him.
Well done folks. Concur with Junior’s comments above.
I did my own little tribute on my radio show yesterday – link here, scroll down
http://eastsidefm.org/onesizefitsall/
Ah they had a bit in the UK back in the 70s. Warning: contains “Hairy Cornflake”.
This was a less lame song
Great ‘cast guy’s and I’m so sorry my technology failed and robbed me of a few inane contributions.
I’ll just leave this anecdote here, as it was coincidental as unexpected.
On the Tuesday after Walt’s passing I visited my dental hygienist – a genial chatty lady a few years younger than me. After the pleasantries she got down to business.
While gawking at the ceiling, avoiding eye contact and settling into the hum of some mechanical thing whirring round my mouth, I became aware of some vague music being played at a very low volume. The sound wafted in and out and it struck me as familiar – funky bass lines, female backing vocals, melody.
At some point the hygienist turned away to record the bad news and I then realised I’d been listening to Lunch With Gina and the whole album was playing.
‘This is Steely Dan’, I said.
‘Yes, it’s a CD called Everything Must Go – it’s really good’ she replied.
‘I know’ and added ‘Very sad news, though’
‘Oh, why’s that?’
‘Well Walter Becker passed away two days ago’ I said solemnly.
‘Oh. That’s so sad’ followed by a pregnant (and I thought reflective) pause, ‘Who’s Walter Becker?’
Walt would have loved that.
Bloody civillians.
I think it’s time that I split from the ‘cast. It’s being dragged in two diverse directions and it needs a conformity of tone rather than the current bipolar state.
Will have to work out the practicalities of hosting / billing etc but I’m sure we can sort it
I’m not sure it’s necessary…. The whole place is multi polar isn’t it? 😂
I agree. Variety is the spice.
I enjoy DFBspodcasts also and hope they continue
I agree. It’s the variety and breadth which is good.
I think it’s the response to this podcast which has made me realise that is a minority view. It’s a lot of work for just silence and frankly, I don’t need it anymore
I’ve done plenty which got zip reaction. Make the ones you want to make and if someone likes it so much the better.
Yes. Indie Bonus right there. Do what you like and we will listen.
If it is any consolation, DFB, I listen to them all – but normally in batch mode when I’m doing something major, like decorating. By which time it seems too late to comment.
Ditto….
It’s never too late to comment.
Looking at the last dozen casts, including yours, dfb, the number of comments is way more than the last two dozen Nights In reviews. And that doesn’t necessarily reflect the number of listeners. I appreciate it’s more involved and takes more time but I do not believe you are getting just silence.
Can’t add much to the above but I really appreciate all the time it takes to get people to participate and to record, edit and get it out there. I also listen to them all but they’re sometimes on subjects I know little about so I don’t bring much to the party oher than ‘thanks, I learnt something and enjoyed it’.
Being an often-flakey part-time participant, I know getting us lot to agree a date and time is like herding cats- so it’s very much appreciated.
I think people might not listen/particpate/comment for all sorts of reasons, none of which are anything to do with the quality of the podcast or our appreciation of it.
But thanks, keep on buggering on (please).
Hear hear, most of Twangs get as much tumbleweed as yours. 😉
( If you did a Danny Steel one, you would get an equivalent showing of the AW undead waving their shrouds. Keep the faith, Dave!)
They fucking hated your Simon Nicol one which took months to set up. And I don’t care! 👀
My thoughts entirely. Really. Ungrates.
(The pisser was that Simon Nicol had no memory of it when I challenged him for the proffered pint at Cropredy, but my back is broad.)
I listen to and enjoy all the podcasts, regardless of who drives them or what the subject matter is, because I like the fact that they’re not done by “professionals” and because of that its often a very different perspective to other podcasts (Bigmouth would be a current example)
Ultimately though I think you’ve got make your decision whether or not you carry on around why you do them? The audience will always be limited here – many people visit the site, far fewer ever post, fewer still will listen to a podcast and fewer still will comment on it.
If you enjoy doing them, carry on.
I make them about subjects I think are fun and interesting on the basis that the podcasts I like are enthusiasts talking about stuff they’re passionnate about.
Just listening to the podcast now and can answer the question about China Crisis and how Walter came to produce them.
I used to bump into Eddie Lundon of China Crisis on occasion and sat next to Eddie & Gary Daly to see Steely Dan in Birmingham NEC (in 2000 I believe) as we all had crew tickets.
Eddie once told me that their record company asked them who they wanted to produce their new album. They both loved The Dan and asked for Walter or Donald to produce, never thinking that it would actually happen, and the record company got in touch with Walter and he said yes…They couldn’t believe it.
It still could be because he misheard their name.
Flaunt The Imperfection (along with Difficult Shapes….) is being re-released in a 2 disc ‘deluxe version’ format later this month.
Another good story Razor Boy, thanks
Dave, conformity of tone is, I would have thought, what we don’t want. Whether it’s your style or anyone else’s, what we want to hear, as Twang says, is the passion.
@Dogfacedboy Nick speaks the truth
Thing is the pods I’m interested in doing I can’t get the participants for and have had a string of flaky volunteers who just don’t return my mails when I get in touch with dates.
Plus a couple of faithful listeners have said they are put off listening altogether because it’s ‘bloody prog’ or ‘not bloody prog.’
It’s a lot of time for precious little support unless you kick up about it. And the waning of my connection with the blog and its core interests doesn’t help
This is the dilemma for most of us amateur creatives. You can make stuff people want, but you won’t feel good about that. Or you can make the stuff you want to, in which case you can’t demand an audience. But once in a while you produce something that does both and makes it all worthwhile
This.
Just recently, we sent out our new song to about 50+ “influential” blogs which are supposedly the places trawled by the Spotify Discover / Apple New For You playlisters. We got rejected by all of them. Every single one. Some of them were so nice about the song we couldn’t work out why they’d knocked us back – if you love it that much, feature it! Some of them were breathtakingly and hilariously rude. Most just said “not feeling it / not our thing”.
Oddly, being fairly thin-skinned about people being unnecessarily cunty about our stuff (and, let’s face it, reasonably oversensitive in general) this bothered me only extremely briefly after the first knockback. And why? Because for every aspect of our music that one blog said was bad, one or two others singled that exact aspect out for praise. Turns out people’s opinions don’t mean much! You’ve just got to make something you’re personally pleased with and forget about the audience. It’s all you *can* do. Everything else is a route to sadness.
The other thing to note is that people generally don’t empathise that hard with how much we have emotionally invested in our creative work. It’s just one more thing to them. It’s so easy for them to forget about it after the initial tweet/email/FB update.
We’re really lucky in that we do have a really supportive (albeit tiny) audience and so have recouped maybe 10% of the cost of the record in pre-orders, but I also do realise that we’ve probably now reached our ceiling. 90% of the money and emotional investment will never be recouped in terms of audience engagement, but do I regret making the record? Fuck no. As soon as I’ve built my savings up a bit, I’m gonna do it again. Hardly anyone will buy that one either.
It used to bother me. Even some of my closest friends don’t lift a finger to help get the word out. Some do, but just by clicking “share”: no personal recommendation or anything. The literal bare minimum they could do without doing literally nothing. This used to really hurt, but then how many things cross your social media feed daily which you just skate past? Hundreds – I know I do.
Your podcasts are great, Dave. If you don’t enjoy doing them, don’t do them. But if you do, keep at them. The audience can’t be the reason. 🙂
Echo that sentiment – you have to do them, be they podcasts or reviews, because you enjoy doing them, not for the reaction they receive – otherwise you’ll be permanently disappointed.
For what it’s worth, I listen to all the casts, even if it’s a topic I’m not especially interested in – lack of comments doesn’t equate to lack of interest.
That’s a brilliant post Bob
Oh thanks, dude. V nice of you to say so.
FWIW we got reviewed/featured on what someone tells me is a reasonably “influential” blog today. It was an amazing review, a proper beaut. I wasn’t THAT happy (pleased of course) but not ecstatic. Which maybe means I am starting to treat the two imposters just the same. I hope so.
So what pods ARE you interested in doing? If you don’t tell us how are we to know?
Have asked on the past – got nowt, it doesn’t work
I thought we were talking about an R.E.M. one? I’m totally up for that, and so are a couple of others IIRC.
Yep mean given up asking on the blog. Twitter is different
Next time you do a Beatles one, I’m in!
I thi k it’s @Twang being reluctant to embrace the punning title that may be the stumbling block.
It’s Good To Becker
Walter We Gonna Do Now?
Look What You Gone & Dan
But I am coming round to ‘fuck it, let’s get the band back together and play to 4 men and a dog’
Good for you. Publish and be damned I say. If you get any acknowledgement for anything in this life that’s a bonus. The question is whether you think it’s good. The rest is added bunce.
I did a radio show on 3RRR ,the pre eminent indie radio station in Melbourne. It went for 10 years 1984 -94. It was hard core African from Afro pop to tribal ethno musicaology. I then expanded to the connections with blues reggae gospel . Play Manu Dibango , link to Isaac Hayes etc. When I got shunted I wasn’t happy though in hindsight I’d run out of puff. I asked listeners to voice their support before we got flicked. Not one call. In later years I’ve had people come up to me saying the show changed their musical taste, announcers who hooked onto African stuff via the show, high school kids passing around tapes of the show and people in the UK talking about this path breaking show in Melbourne . But feedback at the time – zip.
Yeah! Go for it dfb.
Up
The public can be an ungrateful mob, Junior. Radio DJs have had an influence on me (sometimes subconsciously) that is almost impossible to calculate & the great ones – whether household names or people I’ve forgotten – I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to.
I’m pretty sure I’d have been a fan of your show if I’d heard it ( you had me with Manu Dibango) but like most of the punters out there, I’d probably have been too lazy to speak out.
The rewards have to be those unacknowledged connections & passions that your shows helped propogate I guess.
All the ups you want Dave.
We are swimming in stuff these days. I’ve found TV clips on the ether that remind me of how great something created 40 years or more ago was, and I’ve listened to ‘casts made less than a year ago that I’ve found enthralling and informative.
Can’t let the authors of the TV clips know that I still love what they did in the 1970s or whenever, and likewise can’t let the ‘cast creator know that their efforts bore fruit and were appreciated, when they uploaded it two seasons back; it’s history to them, but it’s still fresh to me.
There’s at least one man and his dog right here who wants the band to get back together pronto.
I’m up for another – there was talk of a Peppercast..?!
You were brill on your debut so would like you to return.
Yes, maybe we’ve missed the Pepper boat but as always with the Beatles – any excuse
You are too kind.
Maybe a look back at the Pepper release now the hoo ha has died down and what it may mean for future releases. The rumoured White Album remix? And we never did talk about Anthology!
I just bought Sgt Pepper. Never owned it before so I’d be interested in listening to that.
This made me laugh…I went into the radio studio yesterday afternoon, and the presenter who was before me said ‘A guitarist died this week…played with that band who a hit….’All Around My Hat”
Hilarious Nigel!
Now there’s a great idea for a covers band: Steeleye Dan.
The Becker and Fagen songbook done in an English folkie style.
“All around my fez I will wear the green willow
All around my fez for a twelve-month and a day”
We are on to something here!
The Reelin’ in the Years Reel
Hey nonny no Nineteen
(Tent) Peg
Maddy don’t lose that number
Any major druid will tell you
Alternatively:
‘The talk
The sex
Somebody to trust
The Audi TT
The house on the Vineyard
The house on the Gold Coast
All kinds of everything
Remind me of you’
– Steely Dana
Steely Dana? Wow
This is a Dana I’d like to meet. Contact details please. ASAP.
And now an intergalactic tribute band: ….Steely Dan Dare.
Playing all your favourite hits
Digby Work
Hey Ninetreen
Mekon Blues
Oh, that’s good! *applause*
Thoroughly enjoyed the podcast – nice work! Now heading over to Spotify….
Very good stuff chaps! Learnt a lot.
I will never see them live, had a ticket to see them 4 years ago at an open air concert in Toronto, but was starting a new job in Ottawa the day after and couldn’t have managed it without showing up a few hours late on my first day! So I sold the ticket. No interest in seeing a Becker less Dan. Reports I have read of the recent live experience are pretty un-complementary, but maybe “The Don” might mix it up more, like insisting on playing The Nightfly in full! For me, an album up there with the best of Steely Dan, my personal favourite is actually their first one.
May have missed it, but did you mention this album as being an extra curricular one? It’s the one that first came to my mind.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zazu_(album)
Checking wiki, I had no idea they originated in “Annandale-on-Hudson” in Dutchess County, NY, I used to live about 15 miles from there.
No we missed Zazu somehow – it was on my crib sheet! I listened to it quite recently and it hasn’t worn well I don’t think.
I’ll report back on the Waltless Dan in October!
It has been recently remastered on Cherry Red. I think the sound has improved & the first three songs are quality.
It was actually Gary Katz that was behind it & it was pivotal in bringing the boys back together. Gary got Walt to visit & he was impressed. He started tinkering on a keyboard. It didn’t take long for them to realise that they knew a better keyboard player.
They didn’t actually write any of the material, nor produce, merely guesting as musicians. However, it was the first time they worked in the same studio since Gaucho and it led to some writing & Snowbound, 11 Tracks Of Whack. The rest, as they say…
Rosie Vela is apparently sick and living in reduced circumstances. Hope she gets some royalties.
https://www.gofundme.com/rosie-vela-needs-our-urgent-help
There was some question as to whether that was a scam but most seem to believe it is for real.
Without Rosie, there might never have been a Dan reunion and all the endless pleasure I’ve had with Everything Must Go would have been lost.
The best thing we could all do is buy the album.
A Royal Scam?
Well done.
Have to say the more recent live clips of The Dan that I’ve seen suggest that D. Fagen esq.’s not-great-in-the-first-place voice has deteriorated a fair bit. Ace band though.
True fact: Chevy Chase played the drums in their college band, Leather Canary.
I’ve listened to the Live In America album for the first time, which is OK, but there are loads of radio broadcast live albums out there too. Any recommendations?
The best live Dan recording I’ve heard is 2000’s Plush TV Jazz-Rock Party.
I’d agree but add the “Southlands” set for hearing the first band live. Two great quality radio sessions from the 70s.
I’ll just leave this here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnGy8wbeO1s&feature=share
Gave this a lis today whilst doing a few jobs. Lovely! Ta for posting.
A sweet spot I think, that early live band from the first reunion tour. With Peter Erskine on drums, bringing more of a swing feel (and funking up Green Earrings) and Drew Zingg outstanding on guitar.
Yes I thought that was him. The Friends of Dan podcast I mentioned had a good interview with him, and there’s a Steely Dan special compiling the best bits of discussions with many of the side men.
http://www.friendsofdanmusicpodcast.com/steely-dan-special/
PM me your email address if you would like a recording of the SD show at Hammersmith in 2000. I will share the dropbox files with you
We forgot I Mean To Shine performed by Barbra Streisand in 1971, a song Becker & Fagen wrote pre-Dan when they were trying to make a living as Brill Building composers.
Not really one of their finest hours, but a bit of that got recycled into “Fire In The Hole”, I reckon.
Dog Eat Dog from the soundtrack of a Richard Prior movie, You Gotta Walk It Like You Talk It. Again, pre-Dan.
Just putting this here FYI.
https://www.jambase.com/article/donald-fagen-reveals-steely-dan-partner-walter-becker-sick-years
Late on the ball here, but I enjoyed this and it prompted me to play their Definitive Collection. I’m sure they’re not an ideal band for a best of, but I enjoyed that too.
Thank you, gentlemen.
Saucey’s recommendation
Thomas Jefferson Kaye – American Lovers
Not wanting to start a new Dan thread but there’s a good podcast interview with Donald here, talking about Walter, the band, writing, the future…
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/donald-fagen-on-walter-beckers-death-steely-dans-future-w514440