FEATURE:
Any Major Dude Will Tell You
IN THIS PHOTO: Walter Becker (who died on 3rd September, 2017)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images
The Cool King of Queens: Remembering Walter Becker
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IF you had to ask me which artist/band...
IN THIS PHOTO: Donald Fagen and Walter Becker’s Steely Dan were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2001/PHOTO CREDIT: Rock Hall Library and Archive
is seriously underrated and deserves bigger appreciation, I would not hesitate when it came to giving a name: Steely Dan. I will talk about their music more in a minute but, when I think about them, I sort of grin. Steely Dan had various members through the years but, in essence, it was the moniker and child of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. The musicians were known perfectionists…and I can imagine the New Jersey-born Donald Fagen and the New York-born Walter Becker sort of sitting in the control room auditioning a roster of musicians. In terms of personality, Fagen seems slightly stricter and sterner whereas Becker is more lighthearted but equally passionate. They complimented each other fantastically and, when it came to laying down these incredible songs, the duo put their heart, soul and minds into everything. It is amazing to consider that such hard-working and exacting musicians released an album a year for a time – it was only after 1977’s masterpiece, Aja, that Steely Dan took a little while to release Gaucho (1980) – they then split and it was many more years until we heard some new Steely Dan jams. I remember hearing the news of Walter Becker’s death on 3rd September, 2017 and being shattered! I did not even know he was ill and, having fallen in love with Steely Dan as early as about seven or eight years of age, it was a huge loss. The stoic and strong Fagen is still playing as Steely Dan but one can only imagine the emotions he felt when Becker’s death was announced.
PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images
The two were practically brothers and had been playing together for decades – Becker’s death ended any possibility of new Steely Dan work (a travesty and hugely sad realisation). Walter Becker was born in 1950 in Queens, New York and met Donald Fagen when the two were students in Bard College. They started life in New York but, soon, relocated to Los Angeles. Like Beastie Boys, I always associate New York with Steely Dan, yet a lot of their music took shape on the West Coast. Maybe it is a sense of cynicism and cutting humour that makes me think of New York when listening to Steely Dan. That said, many see their music as Yacht-Rock and, when listening to songs like Reelin’ in the Years and Peg, you get a definite blast of sea, sun and scintillation. I digress, naturally. Walter Becker did move to Hawaii when Steely Dan split – and continued to work as a musician – but the group did get back together in 1993; releasing Two Against Nature in 2000 and putting out their final album, Everything Must Go, in 2003. It is a shame there was not a further Steely Dan album between 2003-2017 (or before Becker was diagnosed with cancer) because it would have been fascinating to see where they were heading. Becker himself put out two solo albums: the underrated and excellent 11 Tracks of Whack (1994) and Circus Money (2008).
I shall talk about my love of Steely Dan and why we should all mark two years since Becker’s passing on 3rd September but, before then, let us head back. Although Becker’s parents separated when he was young, it is clear music was a big part of his life. Becker’s mother, who was English, returned to Britain and the young Becker was raised in Queens and Scarsdale by his dad and grandmother. After graduating university in 1967, Becker learned guitar after starting out playing the saxophone. It was clear music resonated and spoke to Becker and, coming from a rather turbulent and disruptive home, maybe music was a language and calling; an outlet where Becker could immerse himself and find answers. The story goes Donald Fagen heard Becker playing guitar at their campus café back at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York – listen to Steely Dan’s My Old School (Countdown to Ecstasy) and they name-check Annandale. Fagen was clearly impressed by the professionalism and chops of Becker. One can only imagine the tentative cooing and seduction between these kindred spirits. I can imagine these two very cool-yet-studious dudes of the 1960s playing Jazz and Blues whereas their peers would have been immersed in the music of the times. By the end of the 1960s, Becker and Fagen moved to Brooklyn and played as much as they could. Whilst they did not release any albums during this time, they gained some valuable experience and were keen to expand their horizons.
In 1971, they moved to Los Angeles and formed Steely Dan with guitarists Denny Dias and Jeff ‘Skunk’ Baxter. Alongside Jim Hodder and singer David Palmer, the line-up was complete – Palmer was sacked after the band’s debut, Can’t Buy a Thrill, and Fagen assumed greater vocal responsibilities. In the earliest days, Fagen did some vocals but was mainly at the back. He and Becker wrote and, with the peerless and wonderful Walter Becker adding his bass genius to the Dan pot, here was this unique and utterly beguiling outfit. I will end by talking about a new Steely Dan tour but, for the most part, the band was a studio outfit. They toured a bit until 1974 but, by that point, they stopped it altogether – that was the year they released Pretzel Logic and reached new heights of genius. By 1974, Becker moved to guitar and felt less need to bring his bass everywhere – with an expanding crew of musicians and Wilton Felder and Chuck Rainey handling bass duties, Becker was moving in new directions. I will cover Steely Dan’s music in a second but, by 1977, Becker was experiencing personal problems. Maybe it was the growing success of Steely Dan or the pressures of their perfectionism. Becker formed an addiction to narcotics after 1977 and his girlfriend, Karen Roberta Stanley, overdosed in 1978. Soon after, Becker was hit by a minicab in Manhattan and was forced to use crutches.
This accounts for the three-year gap after Aja in 1977 – 1978 was the first year Becker and Fagen did not release a Steely Dan album since their formation – and the pressure on their shoulders preceding 1980’s Gaucho. Aja is seen by many as Steely Dan’s crowning achievement – I think Pretzel Logic bumps it into second – and there was mighty expectation following that album. Gaucho has some wonderful moments – Babylon Sisters and Hey Nineteen are two blissful cuts – but there are too many fillers and aimless songs. The experimentation and ambition that makes Aja so wonderful was sort of lost by the time Gaucho rolled around. Strains between Fagen and Becker could be held responsible and, by 1981, the two had suspended their partnership. Although there was a little stress and bad blood between them at this time, the two were brothers and it was a relief when they resumed their narrative in 1993. In 2017, few of us were expecting any bombshells regarding Walter Becker and his health. He died of esophageal cancer in Manhattan and, according to his widow, Delia Becker, the legendary musicians struggled with the disease; he was noble and strong until the very end. It is heartbreaking to think of Becker being rocked by the diagnosis and having to endure a painful decline. I am not sure whether there are any unreleased Steely Dan songs in the vault but, the fact there have not been any albums since Everything Must Go suggests we have heard everything recorded from Walter Becker and Donald Fagen – or at least everything Fagen deems worthy of release!
IN THIS PHOTO: The original Steely Dan line-up with Walter Becker (right)/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images
There seems to be a new music biopic released every week and, whilst it is great to see popular artists portrayed on the screen, it is a bit hit-and-miss regarding quality, authenticity and accuracy (Renée Zellweger’s portrayal of Judy Garland in Judy has received some mixed reactions). It would be great to see a young and aspiring Walter Becker portrayed on screen as he and Donald Fagen start their careers. Not only would that bring Steely Dan’s music to new listeners but it would be an illuminating and incredible film. Maybe there is not enough scandal in Becker’s past; some might find a Steely Dan story a bit boring but, with their music remaining incredibly powerful, nuanced and compelling, I feel there is space for a new project – maybe a documentary or a tribute to Becker. He was an essential part of the Steely Dan machine and is, in my view, one of the most accomplished musicians ever. He and Donald Fagen did not give many interviews but, as you can see from this documentary about Aja, Becker is a passionate and hugely intelligent artist. I will end this feature by including some brilliant Walter Becker tracks – both solo and from Steely Dan – but, rather than make this a dry and factual feature, I wanted to bring in some personal recollections. Steely Dan fans are not like fans of other bands. We do not just love the wonderful choruses and hits: Steely Dan’s music is so rich and layered that one can become obsessed by the musicianship and interplay.
As I mentioned earlier, Steely Dan came into my life when I was very young (luckily, I did not learn about the origin of their name until I was a lot older!). I do not remember the act time but I know Can’t Buy a Thrill was the first album of Steely Dan I encountered. It was in my family home and, I think, remains there still. It is one of those records that is so varied and has so much going on. From the striking riffs of Reelin’ in the Years to the underrated Kings and Midnite Cruiser; the opening one-two of Do It Again and Dirty Work to the hypnotic Change of the Guard. Maybe reviews at the time (1972) were not universally hot for Can’t Buy a Thrill - but it is rightly seen as a classic now. Annoyingly, it is a right bugger tracking down Steely Dan albums on vinyl. I don’t think one can find a new (not second-hand) copy of the album in this country. I have a used copy of Pretzel Logic…and it is only really Aja that is freely and easily available – let’s hope Donald Fagen remasters and re-releases all Steely Dan albums onto vinyl; the format where they belong! Although Can’t Buy a Thrill is not my favourite Dan album (it is second), I was captured by this incredible group that sounded like nothing else I was listening to! When Steely Dan first came into my life, it would have been the early-1990s and I was hearing a lot of Dance and Pop music: Steely Dan were a revelation where musical depth and intellect were higher up the list than banging beats and commercial choruses. I have shared my memories before but, as it is relevant to this feature, I will briefly recall them again.
Not only was Can’t Buy a Thrill a key part of my childhood but, with my aunt also being a big Steely Dan fan, I got to hear a lot of their music when visiting her. She lived in Chesham, Buckinghamshire (we lived in Surrey) so visits to her house were not as common as we’d have liked. I recall hearing tracks from Countdown to Ecstasy (1973) whilst we are driving with her. The underrated Katy Lied (1975) and The Royal Scam (1976) were part of the rotation – songs like Chain Lightning and Haitian Divorce were delighting and educating my budding and tender ears! Which songs most stand out from my visits? To be fair, a lot of Aja and Gaucho were being played. Hey Nineteen particularly stands in mind and, whilst it is my mum’s favourite Steely Dan song (I find the song wanders a bit at the end), it was one particular song from Aja that sort of changed everything – I shall end with that. A lot of the later Steely Dan stuff was played at that time but I think most of my memories revolve around Can’t Buy a Thrill and the epic Pretzel Logic. Rikki Don’t Lose That Number and Night By Night (Pretzel Logic) stunned my senses; Dirty Work and Midnite Cruiser (Can’t Buy a Thrill) are gems that still bounce around my head now. It is because of my family that I became hooked on Steely Dan and listen to them passionately today.
Whilst the catchiness of the songs and the incredible variety resonated with me when I was a child, now it is the musicianship and sophisticated songwriting that speaks louder. Walter Becker was a key part of the legendary and notorious Steely Dan machine. Yes, the songwriters were perfectionists and often rehearsed and drilled musicians to extreme lengths. After the looser feel of Can’t Buy a Thrill, Steely Dan became more inspired and potent afterwards. More musicians were added to the fold and the songwriting got stronger. Whilst, for a time, there was a focused core of musicians (including Jeff Baxter), each album sounded different and unique because of the session musicians they brought in. You’d often hear new drummers between albums; several drummers on an album and riffs and licks from different guitarists. Now, bands often do not employ beyond their own camp and I feel even genres like Jazz are not as ambitious and expansive as Steely Dan were. Consider a popular group now using so many different musicians and bringing so many different strands to an album. It is staggering Steely Dan crafted an album a year because of the sheer detail and work that went into every outing! Walter Becker penned a couple of solo albums but we did not hear him take on a lead vocal until Everything Must Go’s Slang of Ages in 2003 – maybe I am wrong, but I think that his sole Steely Dan lead vocal.
Becker’s brilliance was not only reserved to songwriting and bass work: he played guitar and other instruments but it is his passion, aura and leadership that helped bring these incredible songs to life. Not too much is known about the writing process Becker and Fagen employed. One assumes that they’d be attentively locked in a room, scribbling notes, musical notes and technical details for hours and hours; screwing up the pages and starting again until they got a perfect song – not exerting too much emotion when the song was complete; maybe a wry smile or witty line here and there. I am sure the reality is very different but, when it comes to iconic songwriters and musicians, not too many people speak of Walter Becker. Maybe it is because Steely Dan hold such an important place in my heart but the world is much poorer because Becker is no longer in it. One of my lifelong campaigns is to get more people invested in Steely Dan. Even now, forty-seven years after Can’t Buy a Thrill’s release, Steely Dan fans are not as visible and widespread as you’d imagine. I’d like to think only a certain person can truly appreciate Steely Dan but I think a relatively lack of radioplay contributes to this issue. I hope, as the years go by, more radio stations spin Steely Dan and ensure these phenomenal songs survive the generations. Whilst Becker is not looking over us – once you are gone you are gone – I know he got to see a lot of people enjoy Steely Dan’s work; his work touched so many people and he brought joy to the adoring masses – two years after his death, we remember this giant and genius songwriter. I know there are bands and artists inspired by Steely Dan but there is something peerless and accomplished about Steely Dan’s music that means it is hard to equal and replicate.
PHOTO CREDIT: Ebet Roberts/Redferns
Before finishing this article, I want to talk about my favourite song ever: Aja’s centrepiece, Deacon Blues. Walter Becker plays bass on the track and I’d love to hear the isolated bass part as it is so majestic, flowing and characterful; filled with emotion, feel and heart. I can rhapsodise about the song for ages – but will not do so now just to keep things fairly focused – but listen to all the different strands and players on the song. From Larry Carlton’s guitar brilliance to Pete Christlieb’s gorgeous tenor saxophone; Bernard ‘Pretty’ Purdie’s amazing drums (listen to the introduction and the fact he starts off playing off the cymbals before teeing up the song with some sweet beats!); Venetta Fields, Clydie King and Sherlie Matthews adding sumptuous backing vocals and Donald Fagen adding some stunning syths – it is a bittersweet symphony; the song of a hopeful loser that knows not where he goes or what the night will hold. The protagonist of the song is an ingénue Jazz player who ‘works’ the saxophone rather than plays it. He is a night-dwelling crawler who seduced women and has these hopeless dreams that never seem to materialise. Everything about the song is flawless and Deacon Blues is my favourite track. One of my favourite lyrical snippets from the song, “I cried when I wrote this song/Sue me if I play too long” actually inspired a 1982 song by Prince, 1999 (in that song, we hear the lines: “I was dreaming when I wrote this, so sue me if it goes too fast”).
Steely Dan’s 1978-released masterpiece was written at Donald Fagen’s house in Malibu and was prompted by an observation that the University of Alabama’s college football team was called ‘The Crimson Tide’. He and Walter Becker noted how that was a grandiose name for something as insignificant and modest as a college football side. If so-called winners could have a name as ridiculous as that, surely the losers in the world could have one: “Call me Deacon Blues” was the response. The songwriters were inspired by this random story and, before they knew it, they had this gem on their hands. They claim it is, perhaps, the most autobiographical song. Hailing from New York and moving to L.A. to chase success and pursue their dreams, surely the timbre and autobiography of Deacon Blues rang bells; it was an extension of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen’s past. The only football player the duo knew as Deacon Jones: that translated to the anti-hero of Deacon Blues.
PHOTO CREDIT: Danny Clinch
I want to end by bringing in an interview Walter Becker gave to Time Out New York in 2008 to promote his solo album, Circus Money. Becker was also rehearsing for a Steely Dan – it was a perfect opportunity to talk to this masterful musician:
Can you give a nutshell breakdown of the division of labor in Steely Dan? It’s hard for an outsider to know who’s responsible for what.
Yeah, I think that with most partnerships that run for a certain amount of time—and ours has run for a pretty long time—the division of labor is very ad hoc. So whatever needs to be done, sometimes I’ve got something to start with, sometimes Donald’s got something to start with. Sometimes we really work very closely, collaboratively on every little silly millimeter on the writing of the song and certainly of the records, and sometimes less so. And so over the course of the partnership, I think we’ve done all sorts of different things different ways, and probably that still is changing in a way, because if I can speculate on Donald’s behalf, I think there is a level of perfection, polish, sophistication, and abundance of detail and structural stuff that he wants to hear in his music that I sort of ran out of patience to do. My attention span is not that good anymore, and I sort of believe—and maybe the lyrics somewhere say this—that the perfect is the enemy of the good. And one of the real dangers of doing the kind of thing that we do, where people let you do whatever you want and you have money, is burnout. You go too far; there’s no one there to stop you; you keep going; you keep working on things. So I have to learn, and even sort of create artificial boundaries so that doesn’t happen.
So I’m pretty positive you guys are familiar with this whole Yacht Rock thing…
Yeah! [Laughs].
I wanted to ask you about it because I think it’s kind of strange and interesting that you guys are involved with that. There’s this whole idea of smooth music, with the Doobie Brothers and Kenny Loggins and people like that. What is your feeling about being lumped in with that, and do you feel it’s accurate?
That’s just basically a gag, and I see why we would be lumped in with it. There are a lot of reasons why we would be lumped in with it, and yet there are a lot of—I mean, for example, to take someone who’s probably the furthest from where we are, like Christopher Cross, okay, who’s just doing these very simple songs; he was doing them I’m sure with some of the same musicians that we used, in some of the same studios with some of the same sonic goals in mind: a very smooth or shall we say polished product. And we ended up doing that—or maybe I should say we started out doing that, because it was our perception that if you were going to use jazz harmonies, it had to sound tight, professional; nothing sounds worse than sloppy—than kids playing jazz, you know what I mean? And so we sort of felt obliged to do that because of the kind of music we were doing. And so I think it’s great. I think it’s very amusing, the idea that all of these people knew each other, and I suppose, you know, we certainly knew Mike [McDonald], we worked with Mike, and we knew the Eagles, not as well, and the idea that we were sort of battling with each other in various types of feuds and situations, I think it’s pretty funny. I think it’s great.
Do you think that we can pretty much expect a yearly Steely Dan show and maybe another album?
I don’t know about yearly tours. I don’t take it for granted that the business of touring in this way is going to continue. And this is the third year in a row for us, we’re in uncharted territory, so I don’t know about that. But there’s so many other things to do: I mean, you just get into a little club or place in town and play periodically. We have a very stable band that’s mostly New Yorkers, which I think was an important thing to try for because it makes it easier for us to do things. And we can jump up and—for the first time last year, I think it was—the winter before last, we did a few gigs, just like four or five gigs in a row. So there’s lots of different ways we can do it. I’m certainly not counting on it becoming a summer routine. I don’t think it’s gonna work that way.
I will end with a heart-aching question that we know the answer to - eleven years after Walter Becker was interviewed:
“But is there another album in the works?
Not right now, but it could always be. I don’t know what Donald is working on, and he spends more time working than I do. I spend more time goofing off and listening to reggae records”.
Sadly, there would not be another Steely Dan album. One can only guess whether there were plans for new songs or dates when Becker died in 2017 but, now, Donald Fagen is taking a slightly reframed Steely Dan on the road. The new Sweet tour has been announced and the setlist has been revealed. A lot of the classics are being covered and, whilst Deacon Blues is not in the show, I do hope Steely Dan come to the U.K. I would love to see a show just so I can see if Donald Fagen talks about Walter Becker; how these songs he wrote with his late friend sound in 2019. There might be the odd nod to Becker two years after his death but I hope there is more attention; a few of his greatest tracks (with Steely Dan and as a solo artist) are covered. It is so sad he is no longer with us but, forever, this cool king of Queens will inspire, affect and resonate. I will play as much Steely Dan music as I can on Tuesday and, when thinking of the great Walter Becker, I will lift…
A glass in his name.