Engineer gave Steely Dan its distinctive sound. Roger Nichols worked with many other artists, but his association with Steely Dan produced six of his seven Grammy awards. By Richard Cromelin Los Angeles Times Roger Nichols, the recording engineer who gave the music of Steely Dan the lustrous sheen that became the popular group’s sonic signature, […]
Tag Archives | Engineering
Klein and Hadar: Recording ‘Circus Money’
For his second solo album, Steely Dan’s Walter Becker made the unexpected decision to apply his band’s high production values and jazzy sophistication to the world of reggae. By Paul Tingen Sound on Sound The relaxed, sensual rhythms and simple harmonic structures of reggae are, in many ways, the antithesis of the cerebral jazz-rock universe […]
Recording ‘Everything Must Go’
By George Petersen MixOnline.com It seems like only yesterday that we gazed through the glass at Two Against Nature, the landmark comeback album for Steely Dan. Now, danmeisters Donald Fagen and Walter Becker — the enigmatic showbiz kids who consistently broke all the rules to create some of the coolest mainstream cult-pop on the planet — […]
Elliot Scheiner Interview
By Maureen Droney MixOnline.com I once heard a group of established engineers debate who was the best all-around engineer. It should have been a difficult question, given the opinionated nature of the average audio professional. But in a few minutes, they were in agreement: Elliot Scheiner. Another story: Not long ago, three producer/engineer/owners of a […]
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 […]
Give Me the Jitters: The Case of the Mysteriously Bad Test Pressing
By Roger Nichols EQ I thought seriously about changing professions last week. How about tourist helicopter rides in Maui, or maybe just a hot dog cart on the beach in Miami. What about a house pet massage therapist in Montana, or a storm chaser in the Midwest? I could sell Pope-sicles in front of the […]
Becker ‘Steels’ Production Spotlight
By Susan Nunziata Billboard NEW YORK — Producer Walter Becker is hoping to demonstrate the evolution of his production style with a series of jazz recordings for Triloka Records. Recording the material live to multitrack, with only occasional overdubs and effects, represents a dramatic change from his days performing in and co-producing Steely Dan with […]
