Walter Becker and Donald Fagen have complementing talents — that’s a major reason of what made their partnership such a success — but there’s some overlap too, and one of the things they are both big on is making their songs groove. We’ve come to expect that from Fagan since The Nightfly, which when you think about it, has monstrous grooves on nearly every tune. It was a pleasant surprise to find that Becker was just as capable of groovin’ when left to his own devices too, and he often finds different ways to do it.
That is, quite simply, the big appeal of “Medical Science.” With an upfront skittering beat and clipped keyboard chords on the two, it pointed the way to how “Gaslighting Abbey” was later arranged. A trombone(?) lurks in the background and those fat, precision bass lines can’t be by anyone else but Becker himself. Not the strongest of melodies, although the chorus has a good funky hook to it.
This track isn’t really an outtake but rather, a bonus track on the Japanese version of 11 Tracks Of Whack, and it’s a real head scratcher as to why it got left off the American version. It’s no “Surf And/Or Die” but it belonged on the same album. A good groove goes a long way.
[amazon_enhanced asin=”B00122R5GC” /] [amazon_enhanced asin=”B000002L2L” /] [amazon_enhanced asin=”B00122NY5S” /] [amazon_enhanced asin=”B000002MIY” /] [amazon_enhanced asin=”B000002L42″ /]
- Nick Millevoi – ‘Moon Pulses’ (2024) - April 23, 2024
- Cannonball Adderley – ‘Poppin’ in Paris: Live at L’Olympia 1972′ (2024) - April 20, 2024
- Christian Marien Quartett – ‘How Long Is Now’ (2024) - April 18, 2024
