30th August 2009

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call me beacon blues: review of steely dan live at the beacon theatre

This is the second post related to my recent trip to Gotham. That means New York.

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I used to hate Steely Dan. Like, pure, straight hate them. My parents were big into them, having been post-adolescents of the 70’s, and they played the album Aja fairly consistently around the house. It was too smooth; it was too jazzy; it was too elevator music-ey.

I was flying back to Philadelphia for pre-season football during college one fateful August when, somehow, I left my CD’s at home, or left them stuck in a bag that got lost by the airline, or something. Point is, for a week of football camp, somehow all I had to listen to was Aja on CD and a rap mixtape from high school. Tight. (And yes, this was in the pre-mp3 player era.)

So, I gave Aja a shot. And again. And one more time. By the end of that horrifically schweaty week, I had actually started to like it. Once I got my music back, Aja had earned its way into my rotation.

Fast forward 5 years, and Dan Steely is tied for the top spot of my favorite bands of all time (with the one, the only…). Steely Dan — the best band with a keyboard frontman since Burn Down the Mission — is Walter Becker (guitar) and Donald Fagen (keyboard, lead vocals). The band has a complex and interesting backstory, and maintains kind of a mysterious air about them due to their odd approach to music-making. The duo stormed the 1970’s with dry wit, impeccable jazz-rock instrumentation, and cerebral lyrics during a time when light, airy, country-centric songwriters like Jackson Browne and James Taylor — along with the Eagles — ruled the scene. (You can look up what Steely’s name means on your own time.) Rolling Stone called them “the perfect antiheroes of the 1970’s.”

I have almost every single track they’ve ever put down. I’ve found that whatever the social situation, shuffling their entire body of work on your non-discman mp3 player is always a nice backing musical accompaniment. Beach, barbecue, fondue party, pants party, whatever. My buddies Kevin, Joey, and me even invented something called the Steely Dan[ce]. Photo of the dance in the wild provided on request. If you play your cards right you might even get a demonstration.

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So while planning my recent trip to NYC, Kevin (my host) emails me with a proposition: Steely Dan, playing their darkly cynical album The Royal Scam in its entirety, in order, plus additional selected favorites. My response? “I don’t think we have a choice.”

So we started things off with a few drinks at the Hells Kitchen staple Rudy’s Bar and Grill on 44th and 9th. The reason for our trip was the line in Steely’s spectularly smooth & sultry single “Black Cow”: “In the corner / of my eye / I saw you in Rudy’s / you were very high.” Inside the satisfyingly dark atmostphere of Rudy’s, cheap house microbrews were flowing like wine, and the bar featured - wait for it - FREE HOT DOGS.

After a few oat sodas, we headed up to Beacon Theatre, in the heart of the Upper West Side on 77th and Broadway. The age-old venue (known as Radio City Music Hall’s “older sister”) was recently revamped, and is a truly beautiful theatre. We jogged up the stairs, found our seats, and sat down for what was to be a fantastic show.

-The Royal Scam Song 1

We ran a LITTLE late, and so heard only the ending guitar solo of “Kid  Charlemagne.” And when I say heard, I mean we detected its echo in the lobby as we rushed into the theatre. Fuck me, right? “Kid” features one of the finest guitar solos of Steely’s catalogue (played on The Royal Scam by Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, guitarist from of The Doobie Brothers (and apparently currently a defense industry consultant)). The song also has my favorite -albeit pointless - line of lyrics of all Steely songs: “Is there gas in the car? Yes there’s gas in the cahhhhh.”

The song is apparently inspired by the infamous 1960s San Francisco-based LSD chemist Owsley Stanley. So that’s good. I don’t know where they get this stuff.

Others may recognize the song as a result of Kanye’s “Champion”, which samples the song extensively.

One of my favorites from the Dan; I’m bummed we missed it.

-The Royal Scam Song 2

“The Caves of Altamira”, like many Steely songs, is founded on a unique premise: a young boy constantly sneaks away from “the real world” into a cave to gaze at its ancient drawings. Standard stuff, really. Great lyrics in the chorus though: “Before the fall when they wrote it on the wall, when there wasn’t even any Hollywood.” And a really relaxed, cool groove, with blazing horn lines throughout. This one we heard while shuffling into our seats, so once again did not enjoy the song to its fullest potential.

As an indicator of the song’s overall awesomeness, note the following, which Kevin overheard while in the men’s room later on in the show: “After all these years…to finally hear ‘The Caves of Altamira’ live… what a treat.”

-The Royal Scam Song 3

“Don’t Take Me Alive” was up next. It’s ostensibly a song about a bookkeeper’s son on the run from the law who won’t go down without a fight. “Got a case of dynamite, I could hold out here all night. Yes, I crossed my old man back in Oregon, don’t take me alive.” I think we can all relate to what the character is feeling.

It’s a mid-tempo groovy rock song with a really catchy hook. I dig.

-The Royal Scam Song 4

“Sign in Stranger.” I can’t really tell what this song is about, but it’s at least in part about a man named Pepe (with a scar from ear to ear) who “can make your mugshots disappear” if you have a “dark spot on your past.” Who hasn’t been there, right? Plus the narrator of the story calls the listener “Zombie” a lot, which is always a positive.

It’s a piano-centric song with an almost reggae feel, with some nice guitar fill-ins late, and great little piano runs early.

-The Royal Scam Song 5

“The Fez.” So Fagen and Becker are notorious for unequivocally disliking some of their own songs. This has to be one of those songs. As soon as “Sign in Stranger” ended, the two guys immediately exited the stage, and let the backing band and three backup singers take over. They re-entered the stage as soon as the cymbal shimmy ended the song.

***Public Service Announcement: Remember kids, never do it without the Fez on. ‘Cause knowing is half the battle.***

Since Walter and Donald didn’t feel they needed to pay attention to the song, neither will I. Next song.

After the backup singer on the far left next to the phonograph flipped the record to Side 2, the show marched on.

-The Royal Scam Song 6

“Green Earrings” was never a song I paid much attention to, but the Steely guys must love it. How do I know? Because they played it for more than 7 minutes. It was an amazing back-and-forth of solos during the breaks, as Becker battled back and forth with their young, hip, ultra-talented guitarist.

The kid really roasted some solos throughout the night: he played in a quick-hitting style, and manipulated his pedal set like a hipster on a fixie to change his sound from one line to the next. Becker, on the other hand, had no effect on his guitar. It was just plugged into the amp with no fanciness attached.  He just stood in his spot and played; smooth and deliberate as ever, with no pretense or attempt at showing off. It was a really great back-and-forth dynamic between the two players. (ALSO, let it be known that while Fagen at lead vocals and the kid at lead guitar constantly had spotlights spilling on them, Becker was content to stand in the back near the drums in relative darkness. As the principal songwriter, he struck me as kind of a proud architect who only wanted to see his artful building take shape, and let the structure stand for itself without his interference. Interesting approach for a — for lack of a better term — rock star. Nothing was more indicative of his non-rock-star-ness than his wardrobe: the cat was dressed like Frank Caliendo.)

Also some really expert solos from the trombone and trumpet. Each had a mute that they pried in and out to stretch out some unique sounds from their respective instruments.

Last, but not least, was Fagen up front on the keyboard. His posture and playing style is very quirky. He plays - and sings - with a constant head tilt. Never really stops. Also, his style of keyboard play is distinctive. He paws at the keys from a considerable height, which reminds me of one of the great keyboardists of all time.

-The Royal Scam Song 7

“Haitian Divorce.” The title of the songs pretty much describes the plot. Solid talkbox wah-wah effect on the opening guitar lick. Knowing Steely Dan, they were probably using the effect to make fun of Peter Frampton. An island-music style dominates the track, which then surprisingly jumps to a minor key for the chorus. A good bulk of the crowd knew every word to this song.

-The Royal Scam Song 8

“Everything You Did” is a song about a man confronting his gentlelady lover about her infidelity; now that he knows, he wants her to tell him about “everything [they] did.” Strangest lyrics of the song? “I never knew you. You were a roller skater.” Clearly.

The song has gained notoriety for beginning a quasi-serious feud between Steely and The Eagles. While all of Steely’s prior records had poked cloaked fun at the free-wheeling California music scene of the early 70’s, here there is a direct reference. During the “exchange” between the storyteller and his lady, he tells her to “turn up The Eagles, the neighbors are listening…“  This, in turn, spawned a Steely reference by The Eagles in their all-world hit “Hotel California”, when Don Henley sings, “they stab it with their Steely knives, but they just can’t kill the beast.” This is perhaps a jab at Steely’s constant ribbing of The Eagles only resulting in higher and higher album sales for Henley, Frey, and the gang. The rivalry/feud is more fully explained in this episode of the hilarious online show “Yacht Rock.”

-The Royal Scam Song 9

What a way to end a record: with the title track. “The Royal Scam” is a pounding, haunting, almost foreboding study of the New York immigrant experience. The cynical commentary on the reality of the “American dream” many new immigrants find in New York is perfectly encapsulated in the brief - but powerfully sung - chorus: “See the glory of - The Royal Scam.” The entire place was completely dialed into the performance; the song is too intense to do otherwise.

And thus ended Steely’s remarkable cover-to-cover performance of The Royal Scam. Keep in mind that for all of this, there were no breaks. There were no stoppages. There were no band introductions. There was very little speaking from Walter Fagen, and none from Becker. It was as if they just played the record from start to finish, only with an unbelievable live backing band.

I was in desperate need of a restroom break, and was getting up to make a dash for the foyer. That would have been a HUGE mistake, because with very little stoppage time, the crew jumped right into…

-Additional Favorites: Song 1

“Hey Nineteen.” No other song embodies all that is great about Steely Dan - light, funky groove; clean, simplistic vocals; wry lyrics; effective, jazzy guitar solos - than “Hey Nineteen.” ‘Twas also the inspiration for the aforementioned Steely Dan[ce]. Wait for the lines during the bridge to really get the song going: “The Cuervo Gold; the fine Columbian; make tonight a wonderful thing.” But my favorite part? When Fagen eases out the line, “Skate a little lower now…” out of nowhere during the instrumental break. I still have no idea what that means, but I love it. 2nd favorite part: when Fagen coos “Nice” right after the short guitar lick, which I’ve always imagined was just Fagen giving credit where it was due, for a splendidly played section. (Kevin suspects the “Nice” from “Hey Nineteen” was the seed for this inspired scene from South Park. Controversy?)

-Additional Favorites: Song 2

“Daddy Don’t Live in That New York City No More.” Of course they had to play this. “He don’t celebrate Sunday on a Saturday night no more.”

-Additional Favorites: Song 3

“My Old School” might be my overall favorite song by the Dan. Chock full of unique Steely vocabulary (look up-able in The Steely Dan Dictionary). Listen closely to the guitar solos throughout the song, played once again by Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, who masterminded the “Kid Charlemagne” solo, as discussed above.

Best line: “California tumbles into the sea; that’ll be the day I go back to Annandale.” Becker and Fagen attended Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, NY, but left the east coast for California to pursue their musical career as the Dan. The state of sunshine, IOU’s, and “hella” appears to have grown on them. The song certainly never ceases to remind me of my old school. Yes, both of them.

-Additional Favorites: Song 4

“Aja,” the title track to their groundbreaking album Aja, came out next. Phenomenal song with Asian-inspired instrumental sections and a great saxophone solo. The original track features an INTENSE drum section at the end, but the drummer in the band played an amazingly gut-busting drum solo for several minutes. It was unreal. Best lyrical line: “Angular banjoes sound good to me.” In fact, Kevin and I almost attempted to get t-shirts for the show printed with those lyrics on them. (The endeavour failed because of logistical problems, not motivational problems.)

-Introduction Break

The crew finally took a break to recognize all the members of the backing band. For this, Becker finally took a step forward into the spotlight and led us through the members onstage; his commentary laced with biting humor and quick one-liners throughout. One odd thing: I didn’t even SEE the bass player until this point, when the spotlight went on him. This was more than an hour into the show. While Becker merely avoided the stage lights this dude was constantly enveloped in darkness, to the point where I suspected the dude might have been some kind of a sun-hating creature. Becker saved his best comment for last, calling Walter Fagen a “stern critic of the comtemporary scene.” I think this statement perfectly and succinctly describes Steely’s entire approach to music making and why they have stayed relevant and fresh for so long. Their phenomenal album Two Against Nature won the 2000 Grammy for Album of the Year when they beat out Eminem’s The Marshall Mathers LP, for God’s sake. Back to the music…

-Additional Favorites: Song 5

“Parker’s Band” from the fantastic album Pretzel Logic came out after “Aja.” A light, jazzy, quick-hitting song. I dig. Most interesting line (and probably its most cynical): “We will spend a busy weekend smacked into a trance.”

-Additional Favorites: Song 6

“Third World Man” from the album Gaucho. Couldn’t find a decent audio sample, and I don’t know much about the song. Slow-tempo groovy song.

Additional Favorites: Song 7

One of the Dan’s better known songs, “Peg” from Aja features Michael McDonald on backing vocals (listen at the chorus), and a tremendously cheery saxophone section. Quick, easy, nice song. People in the crowd went sorta crazy for this one. I may have been included.

-Additional Favorites: Song 8

I gained some serious street cred with the super-Dan fan next to me when I spotted this song in its early stages, after Fagen announced it was time to play some blues. “Black Friday” is a darkly humorous song about the stock crash of ‘29, and one of Steely’s more straight-ahead rock tracks.

-Additional Favorites: Song 9

“Josie” from Aja came up next. A mysterious guitar opening leads us into a minor-leaning mid-tempo groove with a catchy high-pitched bass line. “When Josie comes home - so good. She’s the pride of the neighborhood…She prays like a Roman with her eyes on fire.”

Alternatively, the song could be about the rising U.S. soccer star and his quest for the coveted World Cup in 2010. There’s no way of knowing.

-Additional Favorites: Song 10

“Home at Last,” also from Aja, followed. Just a phenomenal, hard-hitting piano intro that soon meets up with a squaqy-clean groovy horn line before the melancholy lyrics join in. The lyrics make the song seem very much like a tribute to the “Odyssey,” with references to staying tied up to the mast and “danger on the rocks” sprinkled in the chorus.

-Additional Favorites: Song 11

How does one close a Dan show? Well, with the band’s biggest hit of course! “Reelin’ in the Years” from their incredible first album Can’t Buy a Thrill came last, and it was absolute pandemonium in the theatre. And how. Smoking guitar lines, incredibly catchy chorus, and an uncommonly fast-paced rock ‘n roll feel (for Steely at least) make this a timeless classic rock song.

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If you can’t tell already by my enthusiasm, this was by far the best concert I have ever seen. Steely Dan is not for everyone, it certainly wasn’t always for me. But anytime you have a chance to see them live, DO IT. They are incredible showmen and have a knack for playing technically sound and aesthetic tunes. Breaking down their lyrics, song meanings, and personal history is as entertaining as the songs themselves.

Thanks for the patience between posts; this one took a lot of energy. More to come, at a much faster pace.

Thanks for reading, everyone.