By Chris Ellis Creative Loafing She puts on a record, metallic cocaine be-bop. This line, from the harrowing “A.J.’s Annual Party” scene in William S. Burroughs’ Naked Lunch, seems a portent of the distinctive sound and ambience of Steely Dan, a band legendary for its cryptic lyrics, opium den demeanor and flawless musicianship. After 19 years […]
Tag Archives | Walter Becker
Road Trip Highlights Combination of Genres
By Greg Haymes Albany Times Union Saratoga Springs, NY — Don’t call it a comeback. Despite the fact that the recent Two Against Nature is Steely Dan’s first new studio album in two decades, guitarist Walter Becker — who along with keyboardist-vocalist Donald Fagen helms the band — insists that another album never seemed all that far […]
Walter Becker takes the solos on Steely Dan’s first studio release in 20 years
By Darrin Fox Guitar World Even though two decades have passed since Steely Dan’s last studio album (Gaucho), their new release, Two Against Nature (Giant), bears all the trademarks fans expect from Donald Fagen and Walter Becker: complex, yet musical songs, stellar production values, and — of course — exceptional guitar work. The guitar is […]
BBC Online Chat
BBC Host Welcome to the Steely Dan Live Chat, with Walter Becker and Donald Fagen joining us live from the US. We’ll be chatting tonight about the chequered history of one of the most important and intelligent bands the US has produced. You can ask your own question by typing in the box at the bottom […]
Walter Becker: Reelin’ in the Gear
By Ken Micallef Guitar.com In the history of ’70s rock the guitar solos of Steely Dan loom large. On such albums as Katy Lied, Pretzel Logic, Royal Scam and Aja, the odd-looking masterminds — guitarist/bassist Walter Becker and singer/keyboardist Donald Fagen — found ways to coax blistering performances out of bored session guitarists who had […]
Steely Dan’s “Jazz Weenie” Roast
By Jerry McCulley Amazon.com Steely Dan’s Walter Becker and Donald Fagen aren’t exactly providing their undivided attention as they check in via phone from New York to promote Two Against Nature, their first studio album in 20 years. “There’s a cartoon on the TV here with the sound off. This one concerns a disconcerted beaver, I would say,” notes […]
Becker and Fagen Do It Again
By Eric Deggans St. Petersburg Times As might be expected from a group named after a fictional sex toy, Steely Dan masterminds Walter Becker and Donald Fagen present a cynically hilarious, though sometimes confused, demeanor in person. Taking on interviewers like two tag team wrestlers over the telephone, the duo makes sure that — whatever […]
Interview with Walter Becker on America Online
OnlineHost: He hooked up with Donald Fagen to form Steely Dan. That was twenty-odd years ago. Their first album Can’t Buy a Thrill quickly went gold. The group went on to record a total of seven commercially successful and critically acclaimed albums which included Pretzel Logic (1974), Aja (1977), and Gaucho (1979) as well as numerous hit singles. OnlineHost: About 1980 or so, Steely Dan […]
Steely Dan (Half of It, That Is) Strikes Back
By Jon Pareles The New York Times Fifteen years later, we find out who put the edge into Steely Dan. It was Walter Becker, who played bass and guitar and left the lead vocals to his songwriting partner, Donald Fagen. On his first solo album, 11 Tracks of Whack, Becker brings back everything fans cherished […]
Press release from Walter Becker’s 11 Tracks of Whack
Born in New York City in 1950. Mr. Becker makes his debut as a music lover while huddled in the back seat of his father’s cream and flesh colored Ford Fairlane. As it hurtles down the Henry Hudson Parkway, he watches the advertising billboards slide by and is hypnotized by the rhythmic swooshing of the […]
