Steely Dan

A few weeks ago Walter Becker died, yet another classic rock icon gone on to his reward, reminding us that we are older than we think. He was one half of Steely Dan (Donald Fagen is the other), a band that was ubiquitous in the 1970s and has been on the radio ever since.

When I learned of his death I realized I had never purchased any of their music. I think my brother had a vinyl copy of Aja. So I picked up an "Essential" collection, which had some mysterious omissions, such as "Josie," "Haitian Divorce," and "Big Black Cow," but all the rest of the songs that play in the soundtrack of a baby boomer's life: "Do It Again," "Dirty Work," "Reelin' in the Years," 'Rikki, Don't Lose That Number," and "Deacon Blues."

Fagen and Becker met as students at Bard College, and though many musicians have recorded with them, they are the only consistent members of Steely Dan (the name comes from a dildo mentioned in William Burroughs's Naked Lunch). They wrote all the songs, and they are far more intricate and complex than most rock music. This got them the label "The Thinking Man's Rock Band," a kind of horrible thing to have to live up to, but they certainly weren't writing for teeny-boppers.

Becker was the guitarist, Fagen the keyboardist and vocalist. Fagen's vocals are unmistakable and kind of thick, the opposite of mellifluous, but with an edge and a lot of soul. The only big hit he did not sing on was "Dirty Work," which was sung by David Palmer. It's kind of a perfect pop song, with a great hook and a great concept--a guy hates himself because he can't resist being the boy toy of a married woman:

"When you need a bit of lovin'
 Cause your man is out of town
 That's the time you get me runnin'
 And you know I'll be around"

A lot of the songs seem to be about real people and events. "My Old School" is about a drug bust at Bard (there are frequent mentions of Annandale, the town) and although I have no idea if this is true, "Reelin' in the Years" sounds like someone in one of their lives:

"You been tellin' me you're a genius
Since you were seventeen
In all the time I've known you
I still don't know what you mean
The weekend at the college
Didn't turn out like you planned
The things that pass for knowledge
I can't understand"

I think Steely Dan's masterpiece is "Deacon Blues," a song that asks why can't there be a name for the losers in the world. The lyric depicts a man who has come to understand who he is, even if that isn't someone perfect:

"I'll learn to work the saxophone
I play just what I feel
Drink Scotch whiskey all night long
And die behind the wheel
They got a name for the winners in the world
And I want a name when I lose
They call Alabama the Crimson Tide
Call me Deacon Blues"

Becker and Fagen broke up after about a decade, then reformed for two more albums in the '90s, one of which won a Grammy for Best Album. Though the bulk of their work is from the '70s, it sounds completely fresh, not at all dated. I think that's because the arrangements, which were influenced greatly by jazz, were not following any trends. There music was radio-friendly, but more sophisticated than much of the music of the era.

Fagen says that Steely Dan will go on. They were supposed to start a residency here in Las Vegas, so I suppose the show must go on. I may have to go check it out just to pay my respects.