Solo ‘Circus Money’ Has Deep Grooves

By Mr. Bonzai MixOnline.Com Walter Becker and Donald Fagen have been on the road all summer leading Steely Dan through its paces, drawing enthusiastic crowds to their Think Fast tour. Meanwhile, Becker has a little side treat for us: His second solo album, Circus Money, thrills with exquisite musicianship and just the right touch of Dan […]

Continue Reading · Comments { 0 }

Steely Dan in Fine Form at Nokia

By Mallary Jean Tenore The Dallas Morning News Grand Prairie, Tex. — The Nokia Theatre became a haven for cheering fans when Steely Dan took the stage Thursday night. Wearing black shades and a white jacket, legendary singer Donald Fagen and guitarist Walter Becker graced the stage following a short instrumental. The first song they […]

Continue Reading · Comments { 0 }

Steely Dan Shows It Is As Vibrant As Ever

By Preston Jones Fort Worth Star-Telegram GRAND PRAIRIE — Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, the men who comprise the core of Steely Dan, have grown from sour, sharp-tongued hipsters into irascible iconoclasts over the course of their 25-year, stop-and-start career. During Thursday night’s set at Nokia Theatre, as the Grammy-winning duo’s “Think Fast, Steely Dan” […]

Continue Reading · Comments { 0 }

Steely Dan in St. Louis

By Daniel Durchholz Special to the Post-Dispatch ST. LOUIS — Steely Dan principals Donald Fagen and Walter Becker are known for their sardonic sense of humor. But even when they’re kidding, there’s an element of truth to what they say. So when Fagen remarked that Monday night’s concert at the Fox Theatre would feature “some […]

Continue Reading · Comments { 0 }

Steely Dan Remains True to its Nature

By Doug Pullen Flint Journal FLINT, Mich. — When an artist wins the Album of the Year Grammy Award, that artist pretty much can expect a healthy bounce in sales of said album and a not-so-healthy afterglow of cocktails, parties and God knows what else. The learned, enigmatic men behind the curtain that is known […]

Continue Reading · Comments { 0 }

Walter Becker: Circus Money (2008)

By Mike Perciaccante AllAboutJazz.com Coming a mere 14 years after his last and first solo recording, Walter Becker’s Circus Money sounds a lot like Steely Dan — jazzy, pop rock over witty, somewhat sarcastic and sardonic lyrics. By mixing in a bit of reggae, Becker has released an album that fits in well with the Steely […]

Continue Reading · Comments { 0 }
The Steely Dan Reader: 4 decades of interviews and reviews on Steely Dan

Reliable Steely Dan Delivers

Originally published on July 21, 2008 By Michael Senft The Arizona Republic  Another year, another great show from Steely Dan. The ’70s jazz rock superstars, who eschewed touring for the bulk of their career, have turned their concerts into well-oiled machines, featuring stunning playing from top jazz sessioneers and plenty of hits and album tracks from […]

Continue Reading · Comments { 0 }

Steely Walt

Bass player for iconic group steps into his own By Michael Senft The Arizona Republic Throughout the 1970s, Walter Becker was the silent partner in Steely Dan. He played bass, handled production duties, wrote songs and served as a musical foil to his longtime friend, Donald Fagen. But to many fans he was the “Oates” […]

Continue Reading · Comments { 0 }

Red Rocks: Better than singing alone in the rain

Originally published on July 17, 2008 By Jas Tynan Westword After the Joey DeFrancesco trio warmed things up, the Steely boys (and girls) kicked off their set with “The Royal Scam,” and then went into “Show Biz Kids,” where the lead saxophonist shredded his alto sax in a manner that would have made even David […]

Continue Reading · Comments { 0 }

At the Montreal Jazz Festival, July 2, 2008

By John Kelman Allaboutjazz.com Like the audience at Return to Forever’s show at the 2008 Ottawa International Jazz Festival a week earlier, the crowd waiting for Steely Dan to hit the stage was undeniably dominated by gray-hairs and no-hairs. Most have been following the band since its inception in the early 1970s and, based on […]

Continue Reading · Comments { 0 }