An Audio Podcast Test

This is just an experiment to see if I can get a Podcast going on my website. It's a 2 minute story explaining how I started hanging out on Steely Dan message boards, back in 2001. The audio is very low. Sorry about that, this is just a test.

My Old School: A Behind The Lyrics Look

Hardcore fans know the story of the song, "My Old School" and as a matter of fact, Fever Dreams (click the link and scroll down) goes into quite a bit of detail on the subject under the My Old School section. Since this blog is brand new and I just got a copy of Eminent Hipsters, Donald Fagen's book, I thought I would recount some of it, since he devotes a chapter to some of his experiences, while in school.

If you check Wikipedia you find out that the start of the supergroup, Steely Dan, had its very humble beginnings at Bard College. The college is located along the east side of the Hudson River, near a town called Annendale. Many rich people had their summer homes along the river and one of them was used to start this school. Donald recounts the story of walking by this room one day and hearing someone playing blues licks on guitar. That someone, was a very young Walter Becker. Though 2 years apart in age, they found out that they had so much in common, both musically and in their wry sense of humor. They began working with each other and those collaborations brought the beginnings of some of the songs that they would eventually flesh out and record, years later. They were that good, right from the start.

One of their early songs, which ended up on their second album, was "My Old School" (recorded back in 1973) recounts the tale of why Donald Fagen is never, ever going back to his old school. I believe this is the first time I have seen such detail about the story, by the way.

Donald Fagen:
"In May of '69, I was up at Bard for the weekend, working on the last draft of my senior thesis in an off-campus house I had rented with a couple of other students. At four in the morning, the house and several men's dorms on campus were raided by deputies of the local sheriff's department, along with some state cops, under the aegis of the Dutchess County DA's office."

[They were looking for any trace of marijuana. He continues.]

"By sunrise, some fifty kids had been paddy-wagoned over to jail and locked in a cell block, including me, Walter and [Donald's girlfriend] Dorothy, who were both visiting. The guys were shorn of their long, treasured locks by a trustee barber. After a day or so, the college bailed out all the students, including former student Walter. They refused to do the same for Dorothy, a nonstudent.
I called my father, then living in Ohio, who arranged bail for Dorothy and then flew in so we could consult with the school's attorney, Peter Maroulis. A month later, our cases having already been dismissed, I sat on a bench with Dorothy, my father and Maroulis, watching the graduation of the Class of '69. Because the college refused to bail out Dorothy, and because they'd let the sheriff's office place an undercover spy with the building and grounds department-he had been disguised as a janitor-I'd decided to boycott the ceremony. Yeah, good times..."

This Entertainment Weekly Article came out when Donald released Morp The Cat in 2006. It also goes into the story, which you can read, if you like. Here is a small excerpt.

"Four years later, Fagen and Becker released ''My Old School.'' While Fagen says the song is ''not literal'' (and Becker insists he ''never thought of it as an angry-sounding song; I think of it as a funny song''), he acknowledges that there was real fury behind the ''never going back'' chorus. ''I don't know how serious we were [about never returning],'' he says, ''but at the time both of us were very pissed off at the school, that's for sure.'' Fagen kept his promise for 16 years. Then, in 1985, he returned to campus for the first time, to accept an honorary doctorate. What finally made him relent and go back to Annandale? He thinks for a moment, as if pondering the question for the very first time. ''Well, you know. I'm not one to hold a grudge''." (EW March 2006)

Here are the actual lyrics to "My Old School", though still cryptic (what Steely Dan song isn't), you can definitely see some of the autobiographical parts of the song.

I remember the thirty-five sweet goodbyes
When you put me on the Wolverine
Up to Annandale
It was still September
When your daddy was quite surprised
To find you with the working girls
In the county jail
I was smoking with the boys upstairs
When I heard about the whole affair
I said oh no
William and Mary won't do

CHORUS:
Well I did not think the girl
Could be so cruel
And I'm never going back
To my old school

Oleanders growing outside her door
Soon they're gonna be in bloom
Up in Annandale
I can't stand her
Doing what she did before
Living like a gypsy queen
In a fairy tale
Well I hear the whistle but I can't go
I'm gonna take her down to Mexico
She said oh no
Guadalajara won't do

CHORUS

California tumbles into the sea
That'll be the day I go
Back to Annandale
Tried to warn you
About Chino and Daddy Gee
But I can't seem to get to you
Through the U.S. Mail
Well I hear the whistle but I can't go
I'm gonna take her down to Mexico
She said oh no
Guadalajara won't do

Sunken Condos Interview

On the last day of October, I bring you an interview that came out a year ago, when Donald Fagen's Sunken Condos came out. This quote from Michael Leonhart, kind of sums up how Donald works, all these years later. We always heard about how hard a set of task masters Donald and Walter were, back in the day. It's nice to hear that he still cares.

"The funny thing with Donald is whether it's live or overdub session, he's approaching everything as building a house from the bottom up in term of groove and tuning. I have seen him chuck a solo that was gorgeous, because the tuning was slightly off. Donald's brain is wired so that he's very sensitive to pitch,and he just can't turn that thing off - which can be a plus and a minus at times. But in the case of building a rhythm section, he's not going to green light a track, unless it rings true. It can be frustrating, but it's the only way to make this stuff."

You can read the entire Guitar Player interview archived HERE on Jon Herington's website.

Eminent Hipsters

Tuesday was streeting day for Donald Fagen's book, Eminent Hipsters.

A good interview with the books author, is HERE.

If you would like, you can purchase it on Amazon HERE.

A cool quote from the article that sums up Donald Fagen's hatred of technology, I found of interest. One of my college grad courses is on Culture and Technology.

"You know, my book, it's not about a musician facing down his audience but an older musician feeling alienated from the world he's forced into. I get into a car now, everyone is immediately looking at phones. What the (expletive)? I have tech rage. Daniel Day-Lewis, whom my wife (singer Libby Titus) knows, doesn't have a cellphone. I resisted email a long time. It's destructive to the human soul."

I hope to buy it soon and will review, if I do read it.

Do It Again Video From The Wang 9/25/13

Unfortunately digital cameras do a lousy job at concerts, but at least I hold mine fairly steady.

The audio on this is terrible, but hey, check it out anyway. It's only a minute.

Do It Again*

*Recorded in honor of my card playing "son #2".

Steely Dan At The Citi Wang Theater

The missing part of my concert review, is the concert itself, on 9/25/13.

It has been too hectic to get this going, sooner, so my apologies.

Blueport - Is a Gerry Mulligan song and was our opening song for the evening. As usual, it's the band playing this song alone. At the end, on come Donald, Walter and the Steely Women. We are ready to go.

Your Gold Teeth - I have heard this song from Countdown to Ecstasy before, during the last tour in 2011 and they do a masterful job of performing it. Good start to the evening.

Aja - Yes, the great drummer, Keith Carlock has slowly but surely owned this song. As usual, spot on and Donald sang all the lyrics this time around.

Hey Nineteen - Being that I am at school this semester, this song almost felt like something different, to me. Not like I am a co-ed myself, but I am sure in the midst of many of them. Walter was masterful doing his talk, before the line about the Cuervo Gold.

Show Biz Kids - I love this song and their rendition is well performed.

Black Cow - I haven't heard this song since 2009 and it was wonderful to hear.

Black Friday - I also haven't heard Black Friday in years. An unexpected pleasure.

Time Out of Mind - This song from Gaucho, has become a staple on tour. Donald gets to play his melodica thing, with Walter on guitar. Nice job.

Daddy Don't Live in That New York City No More - It's Walter Becker's moment in the sun and he does a nice job on this song.

Deacon Blues - OMG! I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I haven't heard Deacon Blues since 2009 (Aja night at the Gibson) What a pleasure to hear it again. The closest you get to a Donald and Walter theme song.

Bodhisattva - Probably my favorite song that they play live. I just can't get enough of it.

Rikki Don't Lose That Number - I feel for Donald, because I know he doesn't like playing this song...but really, I love it.

Do It Again - Their first hit song and I was definitely glad to hear it again.

I Want to Do Everything for You, which is a Joe Tex song. Then they lead into the Band Intros by Walter Becker

Josie - Now starts the kick it into overdrive section. Josie starts it off, with Walter doing his guitar work.

Peg - Jon Herington in the house, cranking out some tasty guitar licks. Played as one would expect.

My Old School - Another song that touches this school girl's heart, my theme song for this semester. I guess I did go back to my old school.

Reelin' in the Years - Done the original way. Just how I like it. Jon doing a righteous bunch of solos. Off goes the band and we clap and clap.

Encore: Kid Charlemagne - Always a winner to the guitar god set. Well done, even without Larry Carlton. The two leave the stage and the band breaks into their final song of the evening.

Untouchables Theme with just the band playing. Actually a nice song to begin packing up and getting ready to leave your seat.

Well done evening. My only complaint was that I was hoping for a Countdown to Ecstasy Night, since they have performed King of the World this tour and they hinted that it might happen. Another thing I was hoping for were some Boston tunes, which they have done in the past, for the Wang Crowd. Boston Rag or Dirty Water. Unfortunately for me, I did not get either.

Donald says see you next time and hopefully, I will be there, yelling my head off, once again.

An Interview With Steely Dan Producer, Gary Katz

Back in the day, Donald Fagen and Walter Becker were working in Los Angeles. The two New Yorkers had been lured there by a man they met in New York, named Gary Katz. Katz got a job at ABC/Dunhill Records in Los Angeles and got them a gig out there as Staff Songwriters. The rest, as they say, is history.

7 albums over the next 10 years and the 2 staff songwriters, who miserably failed in that job, instead formed the band that they named Steely Dan. They ended up with a hit and became household names.

Gary was there for it all and in the interview, he brings it all back to the forefront.

Enjoy a listen, to the history of a band.

You can access the interview done by Inside Musicast HERE.

A Boston Danfest - Jacob Wirth

I flew into Boston on 9/25/13, for a Steely Dan Concert, because I couldn't resist a free ticket in a city I had never seen the band in.

They have a particular love for the city of Boston and have been known for playing songs that they never play anywhere else. The Boston Rag, for one and Dirty Water (Boston's "Theme" song), for another. So to to say the least, I had high expectations going in.

I flew in and after a visit with a work friend and a walk along one side of Boston Common, I arrived at the venue for the evening and right across the street, the location of the Danfest...Jacob Wirths. My hostess for the evening, had informed me that she would be late and to look for a gentleman with a white suit and a white fez on. I figured I was good to go with that information and so I walked into the restaurant.

No suit, no fez anywhere...

So I decided to use the ladies and in the time that took, along came my host for the evening Paul known as "Fezzie".

He had arrived with another fan known as "Girl Margaret" and it was a delight to finally meet her. She lives in New York and made the long drive in, so I wasn't alone in my coming in from a long distance.

She is one of the younger fans, only 32 and a pleasure to get to know. The three of us sat down and ordered some food. Just as the food arrived, along came my hostess, off from work. She is known as "Denise Hinktown" in the Steely Dan fan world and we had met at a concert at Chumash in 2007. It was so good to see her again.

Almost at the same time, others started coming along. "Chan" and his son, Matt (who is another of the younger Steely Dan Fans at 23). He must come by it naturally, because he had so much to say about his home rig and some really old analog equipment that he keeps going. He's got that Steely Dan spirit, all right.

Shortly after, the other recipient of the free ticket came along. She is known as "Sue Dave". We got to meet her and her husband...who is Dave, who knew?

Next we were joined by "Jane Lightning", who had been at the concert the night before. We had never met before, so it was a pleasure.

Finally, we were joined by "Good King John" and his wife, Erica.

Well, our little group had grown to 11 fans and our table couldn't hold anymore, so Fezzie and I decided to head over to the Wang Theater.

He was waiting for some friends of his, who he gave tickets to. He also does this hanging out at the front of the venue thing. I guess the fans are really into getting their photo taken with this tall imposing figure wearing his white tuxedo and Steely Dan white fez.

It was amazing to stand there watching all this go on. While we stood there hanging out, I asked Paul, where the idea of the clothes came from. He told me that most of it is from a song called "Bad Sneakers".

The operative lines being:
"You fellah, you tearin' up the street
You wear that white tuxedo
How you gonna beat the heat"

The hat was an easy guess, since Steely Dan did a song called The Fez.

All in all, a great evening to wet my appetite for the main event.

The concert review will come next.

=================

Photo number 2
Me, Fezzie and Jane Lightning

Photo number 3
Dave, Sue, Denise, Margaret, Chan and Matt

The Setlist For The Boston Show - Citi Wang Theater

Here is the setlist for the 9/25/13 show last week, from my notes.

You can also see it on SetlistFM.

I heard that Walter Becker left the concert early Tuesday night, due to a fever. I am so glad he was in good form, for my concert.

My apologies for being so late with this post. I hope to have the concert review, by the weekend.

Blueport
(Gerry Mulligan cover) (Bipolar All-Stars only)

Your Gold Teeth
Aja
Hey Nineteen
Show Biz Kids
Black Cow
Black Friday
Time Out of Mind
Daddy Don't Live in That New York City No More
Deacon Blues
Bodhisattva
Rikki Don't Lose That Number
Do It Again
I Want to (Do Everything for You)
(Joe Tex cover) (Band Intros by Walter Becker)

Josie
Peg
My Old School
Reelin' in the Years

Encore:
Kid Charlemagne

Untouchables Theme
(Nelson Riddle cover) (Bipolar All-Stars only)

Trusty "Angel" Girl

I am sure this has crossed your mind, if you post anywhere on the internet where I do. So what's with the trusty angel girl line you use? As I have mentioned in conversation before, I love the music of Steely Dan. When I first began reading a place called Under the Banyan Trees (also known as The Yellow), I noticed that posters mostly had "handles" that referred back to lyrics in Steely Dan song. One of my best friends is Luckless Pedestrian, from a line in "Don't Take Me Alive". Well, I began looking at lyrics for something that somehow spoke for "Me". Debated Katy at one time, because one of my favorite songs is on the Katy Lied album, but there was a Me Katy who posted at that time. So I looked further. I then noticed a trend...angels seem to be prominently featured in Steely Dan songs. I have no understanding as to why this occurs but there were at least (at the time) 6 references that I found to an angel. Well, I make my home in Los Angeles and I happen to be Catholic, so I have a connection to angels. I signed onto the yellow with this line from Steely Dan's first album song, "Brooklyn". February of 2001 a new entity appeared saying...

A race of angels...
bound with one another...

There she was, a bit more friendly then she is now. Lots of flaming does tend to bring down ones enthusiasm a bit but she has persevered and grown in this internet world. She signed onto the Max Martini world (a new venture for her) back in November of 2006 and now she switches between worlds but the same persona exists. These past years make me feel that she has grown up to have a personality of her own. It's funny sometimes to see. She has walked and fund raised for Cure Autism Now as Angelle Lemarche, she has "starred" as a movie extra as Angelle Lemarche, and The Navy Seals send her invites to their museum events, since she donated to them, too. lol
Anyway, I felt like paying tribute to some of those lyrics that helped make her personality. What follows are angel references in Steely Dan songs. I like to think that "angel" references are on the rise in Steely Dan recordings of the 21st century, because of me. I take pride in that...if only in my own mind.

____________


Can't Buy a Thrill 1971

Brooklyn

A race of angels
Bound with one another
A dish of dollars
Laid out for all to see
A tower room at Eden Rock
His golf at noon for free
Brooklyn owes the charmer
Under me

_____________

The Royal Scam 1976

Green Earrings

Cold, daring
No flies on me
Sorry, angel
I must take what I see

Green earrings
I remember
The rings of rare design
I remember
The look in your eyes
I don't mind

Greek medallion
Sparkles when you smile
Sorry, angel
I get hungry like a child

_____________

Kamakiriad 1993 (Donald Fagen)

Tomorrow's Girls

Our home is just like any other
We're grillin' burgers on the back lawn
Some time goes by
We fall asleep with the TV on
I dream about a laughing angel
Then the laugh becomes a furious whine
Look out fellas
It's shredding time

_____________

11 Tracks of Whack 1994 (Walter Becker)

Girlfriend

So come on angel
Tune in on me
You 'll see your faithful servant
Lost in misery
And all of your hard work
Coming down to no good
Better see about me babe
If you only could now

Down at the Bottom

like the feathers and I love the hat
I like that little gypsy tune you're humming
I guess I'm happy now we've had this chat
Oh yeah I'm really glad I saw you coming
There in the corner of the eastern sky
The tortured angel of your rising sign
Darkens the evening with his one good eye
An evil omen of the dopest kind

_____________

Medical Science (Bonus track on Japanese version of 11TOW)

And all the jiveasses and the true believers
The bullshit givers and receivers
Here today tomorrow gone
To the triage tent in the great beyond
Wherein the angel tangoes with the infidel

_____________

Everything Must Go 2003

Godwacker

We track your almighty ass
Thru seven heaven-worlds
Me, Slinky Redfoot
And our trusty angel-girls
And when the stars bleed out
That be the fever of the chase
You better get gone poppie
GodWhacker's on the case

Blues Beach

Grab Big Dog a blanket
Angel of my heart
Things may get a whole lot worse
Before suddenly falling apart
Give your roommate Yvonne a ring
Cause if she still wants in I gotta pull some strings

_____________

Morph the Cat (Donald Fagen) 2006

Security Joan

Well I guess I needed a miracle
If I was gonna make my flight
I had to get to Gate C13
And it was still way out of sight
But something in my carry-on bag
Ticked off the x-ray machine
Cause then an angel straight from heaven
Asked me to step behind the screen
When I felt her wand sweep over me
You know I never felt so clean

Yes, it's a pretty diverse bunch of lyrics and I truly appreciate Donald and Walter for giving me so much to work with over the years.
Thanks guys.