Becker and Fagen: was it really 50/50?

re: their voices. As far as 2009 goes, I prefer Walt's

my favourite (with Katy Lied). the highs ARE high

 

You're correct with your last statement but his singing style on a live version of "Haitian Divorce" really killed the song for me. The quirky vocals are essential to this tune (as are the quirky, fuzzy guitars) and even the background singers couldn't compensate for his mumbling. That's like Dylan singing "Bohemian Rhapsody", it just doesn't fit...

I really like "Book Of Liars" BTW but a whole album of him singing is just too much. Same goes for Roger Waters' singing (make that: SCREAMING) on his albums. Fortunately both use a lot of female background singers to good effect (e.g. "Amused To Death", title track).

 

>but his singing style on a live version of "Haitian Divorce" really killed the song for me.<

Right, I have heard a version of that one on the Tube that I wasn't so crazy about either!

But his Gaucho in Montreal, July '08 (first concert, that I have attended), was cool. I will always prefer Donald's perfectly unique and moving rendition, but it was nice that Walter did his own take on that one.

 

I agree with your assessment.

Listen to Fagen's solo albums, and they basically sound like Steely Dan albums, post-Aja. Listen to Becker's solo albums and you hear the esoteric lyrics in a lot of Dan tracks, but a lot more musical adventure, at least in 11TOW. Circus Money moves him closer to the Dan's sonic aesthetic, IMO.

 

There's no consensus 'round these parts on Walter's solo albums. I liked most of 11 Tracks and little of Circus Money other than "Selfish Gene".

 

I agree, just saw it on YouTube. Fits his vocal style better. But the day he sings "Dirty Work" he seriously has to go...

 

I'm a (semi-) purist in the sense that if Becker didn't sing it originally, I really don't want to hear him sing it now, or ever. Yet, I'll take Fagen singing anything, especially the stuff David Palmer sang originally.

 

My favorite off that track: "Six-o-fiiiiiiiive..."

 

+2 and it was Becker who brought that "attitude" to the lyrics.

 

Denny Dias says much the same thing about them in the Classic Albums: Aja DVD too. Enjoyed his commment about Becker & Fagen's "highbrow, intellectual humour......you don't get any fart jokes with those guys".

 

I'm sure they complemented each other's skills just fine, but I do remember listening to The Nightfly and wondering just what it was that Becker brought to the partnership. A lot of intangibles, it seems, as opposed to the more concrete compositional skill Fagen had.

 

For my money, the respective solo albums pretty much confirmed that Becker writes the hooks.

 

Walter Becker was not available during the recording of that album. He was busted with an ounce of coke on a beach somewhere in the US and got a five years sentence at the beginning of the 80ies. Not sure how much time he actually did, the whole affair was not that well documented by the press nor the record company or Walter or Donald talked about that afaik; but that was probably the reason why SD didn't put out more albums after Gaucho and a perfect opportunity for Donald to come up with this great Solo album, which to me is the best Solo album from a group member I can think of at the moment.

 

I haven't heard any hooks on Circus Money, mostly just pleasant grooves. "Selfish Gene" is the only song on there I can get into.

 

Right -- I meant that The Nightfly made me wonder what he contributed to Steely Dan.

 

Oh no my friend, it IS my favorite album of theirs. One of the VERY few pop records whose music doesn't PROPEL you forward, I find instead it is kind of like waves slowly lapping into the shore.

#1 nominee for "best album clearly made in a mellowly stoned frame of mind" in my opinion...

 

I sure didn't know that. Good info....

 

There is a 5 year gap in his AllMusic profile...between Gaucho (1980) and producing China Crisis' Flaunt The Imperfection (1985). He definitely seems to have cleaned himself up during that period.