My Life On The Pluto Off Ramp (AKA: Following A Band Called Steely Dan)

Yes, I am a big fan of Steely Dan.

Many in my family and some of my friends think this means that I am a little weird.

Well, yes, I guess it does.

But following the ups and downs of the band Steely Dan has enriched my life so much and I will never regret that long ago day when I first jumped onto a message board and made that leap into cyberspace.

I was 46 years old and my son was past childhood and getting toward his teenage years.

I had a bit of time and following the band via message boards worked so well, for me at that point in time.

Now days things are so different. A different look, a different time and mostly a check in Facebook immediately brings me into that world once again. A good thing, because I don't have time to spend in message boards much anymore.

My Steely Dan friends are the ones who dragged me into Facebook, kicking and screaming in 2009. It was the right move, for that time and I have enjoyed becoming more then just "Friends" with them.

Less trolls, too. I have left them all behind. :-)

Deacon Blues: A Behind The Lyrics Look

Another little quote from Donald Fagen's new book, Eminent Hipsters. In this section, he is on tour with The Dukes of September and writing of his experiences.

"Back to Alabama. The last stop in the South, the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater, couldn't have been more different from St. Augustine.
In the seventies, Walter [Becker] and I wrote a tune, "Deacon Blues," that toyed with the cliché of the jazz musician as antihero. It was kind of a takeoff on that old essay by Norman Mailer, "The White Negro," not to mention our lives up to that point. I'm sure we thought it was hilarious: the alienated white suburban kid thinks that if he learns how to play bebop, he'll throw off the chains of repression and live the authentic life, unleash the wild steeds of art and passion and so on. The chorus sums it up."

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

Click Deacon Blues, for the complete set of lyrics.

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.

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Photo number 2
Me, Fezzie and Jane Lightning

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