Originally published on Jan. 10, 2017 By Andy Kahn JamBase Steely Dan co-founder Donald Fagen turns 69 years old today (1/10/2017). In the early 1970s, he and Walter Becker established the jazz-leaning Steely Dan and soon found themselves counted among the premiere musicians in rock. The pair’s complex compositions, tight arrangements and enlisting of top-notch session players helped produce some […]
Tag Archives | Walter Becker
Interview with Walter Becker
By Time Out New York Editors No matter how well-balanced an artistic partnership is, someone always gets more of the glory. In the case of Steely Dan, that someone is Donald Fagen, the group’s longtime keyboardist-frontman. But his songwriting partner, guitarist-bassist Walter Becker, has just as much to do with the group’s signature combination of […]
Becker & Herington: Playing Guitar for Steely Dan
Since their debut album was released in 1972, nothing about Steely Dan has been conventional, from their cryptic lyrics and complex arrangements to their refusal to tour for years. Co-founder Walter Becker and current guitarist Jon Herington talk to us about the role of the guitar player within the band’s unique blend of rock and […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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” […]
Walter Becker ‘Circus Money’
By Dan LeRoy Hartford Courant It will be easier for most to talk about what Walter Becker’s second album (his first in 14 years) is not — an effort that sounds like another outing from best-known and -loved sophisticates, Steely Dan — than what it actually is. It’s as modest as Becker’s admittedly limited vocals, […]
Becker’s ‘Money’: Steely Dan Roots Show on Solo Album
By Richard Cromelin Los Angeles Times Walter Becker Circus Money Mailboat *** “Then you find you’re back in Vegas with a handle in your hand” goes a memorable line from Steely Dan’s debut hit, “Do It Again.” Thirty-six years later, Steely Dan co-auteur Walter Becker is still positioning characters in front of the slot machines. […]
Lust for Life
By Art Thompson Guitar Player If there’s one thing you can say about Steely Dan, it’s that they always deliver exactly what you expect. True, their sound hasn’t changed a great deal in the last 30 years, but if consistency counts for anything, then Walter Becker and Donald Fagen deserve kudos for sticking to the blues-meets-jazz-meets-R&B template that has […]
