Posted on 09/03/2017 6:37:19 AM PDT by Wolfie
R.I.P. Walter Becker of Steely Dan 1950-2017
Steely Dan legend Walter Becker has died at the age of 67, his official website ha announced.
Becker recently missed shows with Steely Dan for the Classic East and West concerts in the USA. No details of his death have been revealed at this point.
Walter Becker founded Steely Dan with Donald Fagen in 1972. Steely Dan were an instant hit with their first album ‘Can’t Buy A Thrill’ in 1972. The album featured two of the band’s now signature tunes ‘Do It Again’ and ‘Reeling In The Years’ as well as ‘Dirty Work’.
Steely Dan is one of my all-time favorites. One of the few bands that never get tired. No matter how many times I hear their songs, I never get tired of them. Though they could maybe play “Reelin’ in the Years” a little less and “Haitian Divorce” a little more.
So glad I finally got to see them live last summer.
So sorry to hear this....Great band!
I'm not for sure on this, but I think I read somewhere or it's on Snopes or something...but anyway, it's IMPOSSIBLE to overplay any Eagles song.
I do think that drugs and smoke and maybe alcohol really does have a limiting factor on longevity. 10, 20 years of more drugs than nutrition appears to not bode well. I am not speaking of Steely Dan (I don’t know their drug use) but in general. It has been proven, say, for alcohol, that some of the worst brain deficits from alcohol are from the lack of nutrients eaten, as the calories or personal intake was REPLACED by taking in high quantities of alcohol. People on various drugs don’t eat or care for their bodies well.
Well, just damn. Thanks for the great tunes, Walt!
Wow. You’re lucky. I missed out on a lot of these “last times.”
We will have to disagree on this.
IMO, (and this will be my final post on this b/c I will not be drawn into this argument AGAIN) the Eagles are the most overrated band ever.
Their music belongs on elevators. And, yes, it is possible to overplay Eagles - or any other group’s songs (such as ‘Reeling in the Years’).
“Royal Scam” is sometimes called their “Guitar Album” as the great Larry Carlton arranged & played lead on most of the tracks.
The Moody Blues and Bruce Springsteen are ahead of the Eagles in my overrated list.
Great video...thanks.
Steely Dan- FM (No Static At All)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HV3zWSawJiw
kid Charlemagne, My Old School, Hey 19, Peg - fantastic songs!
FM, no static at all....RIP
Arguably the most under-appreciated group in rock history.
Huge gap between the respect and popularity the public viewed them with and how professional musicians viewed them.
There was a time when working with them was the most prestigious job for LA studio musicians.
Very few groups were more innovative both musically and lyrically. Everyone of their albums was a classic. Aja was indeed a Masterpiece but so were Royal Scam, Gaucho,Pretzel Logic and Can’t Buy a Thrill.
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.
Aja: In 2010 the Library of Congress selected Aja for inclusion in the United States National Recording Registry based on its cultural, artistic or historical significance. The album was included in the book “1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.”
Arguably the best catalog of lyrics ever produced by any artist, duo, or collaboration in the history of rock/jazz.
https://www.steelydan.com/lyrics.html
Every aspiring shitbird rap “artist” should be required to listen and read this catalog prior to even thinking about foisting the garbage in their heads upon the listening public.
Becker and Fagen were/are true craftsmen, and I consider myself blessed and lucky to have been alive when they were practicing and perfecting their talents.
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