If you’ve been paying attention for the last few years then you will have worked out that my favourite band is Steely Dan. You may also have picked up that I think Donald Fagen’s behaviour since Walter Becker’s passing has been shabby to say the least.
So with a new tour for September, there are two new live albums to support it. One is a straight reading of Fagen’s solo album ‘The Nightfly’, recorded with the “Steely Dan band” in 2019, and produced by Gary Katz. the second is a single disc album of the “Steely Dan” show At Mohegan Sun Arena in 2019. This is not produced by Katz, but by Patrick Dillett, who has worked with a range of people, but has no live albums on his CV, and Fagen.
So, performances from the post Becker years, and as his guitar and onstage patter was such an integral part of Steely Dan shows, that despite what Fagen probably thinks this is just the Donald Fagen band riding along on the name. Which is fair enough he was 50% of the band and presumably needs to keep his pension plan topped up. The big problem is that Fagen’s voice has completely gone, it’s far worse than Paul McCartney’s. Even Gary Katz who produced him for 10 years in the 70s & 80s struggles to make it sound even half way decent, Dillett, presumably less used to dealing with the artist, and with Fagen listed as co-producer and looking over his shoulder, botches the job totally.
When I was looking the albums up on Amazon I thought at first that the Steely Dan disc was another of the many bootlegs that have been pumped out as “proper” releases over the years. But no it is from UMG, and has the official seal of approval. The artwork is poor quality bootleg, the title “Live: Northeast Corridor” sounds like a bootleg, and the sound on the single ‘Reelin’ In The Years’ is a bit strange. The arrangement is a mix of the original and the brass lead version they were playing in the 90s. Brass pops out at odd moments. the voice is much too far forward, at least Katz buried Fagen a bit to try and hide his shortcomings. The whole thing feels slapdash. And why just a single disc. Fans have been complaining about the shoddy quality of ‘Alive in America’ since 1995 so surely taking that on board and releasing double album, or even a box set would have been a better plan. Condensing a nearly 3 hour show into 80 minutes just doesn’t cut it.
With properly mixed shows floating around the bootleg community from 1974, 1993, 1996, 2000 & 2011, all of which must have been done with the knowledge and approval of Becker and Fagen, why was a box set not considered? Let me guess, because that would have meant involving Becker’s estate. So more half measures from Fagen. And while I’m at it where are the super deluxe editions of the studio albums. The assertion that there is no material to make it worthwhile is nonsense. the learnt to play ‘Second Arrangement’ (the great lost song from ‘Gaucho’) off the bootleg tape in 2011. A quick trawl round the murkier corners of the interwebs finds plenty of suitable songs to help Fagen move into a comfortable retirement.
Of course the next question is “will I buy them?” Of course I will, it’s just that it could have been so much better done, and reflects once again the total disregard for those who financed their lifestyles all these years. So, Donald, pay attention and do at least some of the following…
Super Deluxe editions of the 1970s albums. Must include the early Single ‘Dallas/Sail The Waterway’ and as much of the material that appears on the various demos and rough cuts bootlegs as you can live with. On gaucho ‘Time out of Mind’ without Mark Knopfler and a tidied up ‘Second Arrangement’ are a must
Reissue the New York Rock & Soul Revue ‘Live at The Beacon’ with the whole show, including that fab version of ‘Home At Last’ that you buried on a single B Side
Live albums of at the very least the Detroit 2000, Manassas 1996 and the Rarities Night in New York from 2011. We all know that the mixed shows exist so just give UMG the tapes and tell them to get on with it.
Bury the hatchet with Becker’s family and get hold of the tapes they hold and have put snippets of up online.
