When Walter Becker left us on Sept. 3, 2017, he’d already created a fantastic legacy with Steely Dan. His solo work was less heralded, but no less interesting. Becker’s estate began consistently releasing material after his passing, and as you’ll see, that’s only furthered his legacy:
“LOVE IN THE 4th (LIES I CAN BELIEVE)”: This is among many great releases from www.WalterBeckerMedia.com. He wrote “Love in the 4th” (a.k.a. “Lies I Can Believe“) with ace guitarist Dean Parks, forgoing the drum machine backbeat found elsewhere on Becker’s stellar 11 Track of Whack for John Keane’s acoustic drums. The session featured the same group of players Becker used on his demo of the song “Cringemaker,” with Neil Stubenhaus on bass, John Beasley on keyboards, Bob Sheppard on alto sax, and Parks handling guitars and the fretless guitar solo. Bob Sheppard’s solo work and melodic touches further cement this as a favorite of Walter Becker Media releases. The song’s feel is contemporary and laid back, with a warmer sonic feel than those on 11 Tracks of Whack. The vocals are from a demo version of “Love in the 4th,” carefully synced to the backing music. Becker is confident as the sole vocalist, as he delivers revealing, confessional lyrics. The result is another gem that should not go unheard.
“GIRL NEXT DOOR AT THE METHADONE CLINIC (LIVE AT SLIM’S, 1995)”: Yes, a live Walter Becker song! Recorded at his one-off gig to celebrate 11 Track of Whack album, Becker delivers a dark, yet funny take on woe. Interestingly credited to Becker, his then-wife Elinor Becker, Donald Fagen and his wife Libby Titus, “Girl Next Door” is dynamic and dark. Becker’s vocals are equally dark and weary and the band reflects the mood with delicate rhythm playing by Adam Rogers, along with laid-back brush work by Ben Perowsky. Is there a hidden message Becker wanted to convey beyond imploring the listener not to go to the methadone clinic? Maybe, but this is an interesting footnote in the Walter Becker canon.
“BLACK DOG”: This is an irresistible shuffle anchored by the great Rick Marotta and complemented by the bass work of Neil Stubenhaus. “Black Dog” has a groove that is irrefutable, and again raises the question: Why were the band recordings not used for 11 Tracks of Whack? In this case, the lyrics are not quite up to Walter Becker’s exacting standards: “Black dog is barkin’ all night long, don’t wanna tell anybody – but black dog is barkin’ all night long.” Still, with bluesy guitar work from Dean Parks and a biting organ from John Beasley, the song is easily more than the sum of its parts.
“HE WANTS YOU (OUT)”: Plenty of drum machine-driven whack. Walter Becker’s multitracked vocals are strong and emotive. Add guitars, and real bass, and the song would have been a great addition to 11 Tracks of Whack. I can easily imagine a Becker guitar solo replacing the fittingly cheesy synthesizer solo, and maybe an end-of-the-song Bob Sheppard tenor solo. According to Becker Media, what we got was what was intended. Becker’s musical library curator asked him: “So, these are rejects from Whack?” He replied, “Nah, just a few things he’d been working on lately.”
“THREE PICTURE DEAL (DEMO)”: Written with bassist and producer Larry Klein for Becker’s Circus Money, “Three Picture Deal” is one of my favorite Becker songs. He doesn’t go too deep, but the lyrics are as good as anything on Donald Fagen’s last two albums. The demo version relies on Becker’s vocals to sell it, since the demo contains drum machines and sequencing, along with splashes of Fender Rhodes and acoustic piano. Sure, you don’t get the mighty Roger Rosenberg baritone sax solo like on the original, but this stripped-down version confirms just how strong the song is.
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