By Kevin O’Hare
Newhouse News Service
With their first new studio album in 20 years set for release, two of the most enigmatic stars to ever grace the pop scene are starting to actually interact with the real world.
That might not seem like a big deal to some, but when it comes to Donald Fagen and Walter Becker — better known as Steely Dan — it’s a borderline miracle.
The pair, who recorded a series of classic albums including Countdown to Ecstasy, The Royal Scam, Katy Lied and Aja in the 1970s, have always been known for their cryptic lyrics and ultra-reclusive tendencies. At the peak of their career, they went so far as to quit performing in public, favoring the seclusion of the studio.
But in the past few years, Steely Dan has returned to the road for several successful tours. And on Feb. 29, the duo will release Two Against Nature, their first new studio set since Gaucho in 1980.
What’s even more surprising is that Becker and Fagen look to be downright ubiquitous in the coming weeks and months.
They’re planning a large-scale tour, and they recently taped two major television specials at Sony Studios in New York. The first, In the Spotlight, will air on PBS in March. The second, Storytellers, will be broadcast on VH1 in April.
Fans will be happy to learn that Steely Dan’s music sounds better than ever. At the Storytellers taping, Becker and Fagen were backed by a magnificent eight-piece band and three vocalists. Together, they shone on vintage songs such as “FM,” “Peg,” “Josie” and an achingly nostalgic version of “Bad Sneakers.” They turned in convincing versions of “Cousin Dupree” and “What a Shame About Me,” the first two singles from the upcoming album. And they brought the house down late in the show with a drum-thundering, horn-popping “Do It Again,” a strikingly revamped “Kid Charlemagne” and the soulful finale, “Pretzel Logic.”
It was insightful and at times amusing to see Becker and Fagen deal with the format of Storytellers. The popular VH1 program includes not only a performance, but a lengthy question-and-answer session with audience members, focusing on the music and how the songs were written. That’s something Becker and Fagen have rarely, if ever, done in such a public setting, and they often struggled with it.
Asked if any of their songs were autobiographical, Becker quickly said, “No,” and drew laughs. But Fagen said that the writing process is based on “partially your experiences, partially observations and partially dreams.”
They seemed taken aback by one audience member who said she was troubled by the lecherous relative detailed in “Cousin Dupree.” Becker said the song was a joke take on “an original Southern theme.” Fagen modified that to say it was “a rural narrative.” He then stressed that if listeners pay close attention, they’ll realize that Cousin Dupree’s advances are ultimately rejected.
As for their music’s staying power, Fagen and Becker seemed rather amazed.
“We just wrote songs to amuse ourselves,” Fagen said. “We never thought we’d be standing here 30 years later.”
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