Walter Becker RIP

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cuttime
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Walter Becker RIP

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Gravity Jim
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Re: Walter Becker RIP

Post by Gravity Jim »

Gutting. Steely Dan was my inspiration and my soundtrack for much of my youth. Way too young.
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mhschmieder
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Re: Walter Becker RIP

Post by mhschmieder »

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/wal ... mg00000009

So young, at only 67!

I haven't checked for other obits yet, but the one at HuffPost linked above, along with some of the tweets below it from people like Nile Rodgers, seem to really summarize the man's impact.
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Re: Walter Becker RIP

Post by Shooshie »

Simpsons voiceover artist, Harry Shearer put it very well:
"Half of most amazing musical duo since Lennon/McCartney."

Maybe now would be a good time for Fagen to release some of the stuff that never made the albums. Or not. I don't know. I'd just like to hear what they deemed "too far."

Well, the man gave us a lot. I wish I could tell him thanks. May he rest in peace.

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Re: Walter Becker RIP

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Indeed.

What are the odds of this?:
I argued in favour of SD on Saturday night with my housemate who died's sister. I mentioned that I'd put him onto TOTO, LRB and SD, and she reiterated that she'd listened to the bands as a consequence, but made a point of saying that SD just didn't cut through for her. I said it was probably 'cause the average punter might have to "get used" to the chords / harmonies / inversions they used; an acquired taste, if you will. Still, she insisted that she couldn't understand what all the fuss was about. Uncanny that this was the first time I'd even mentioned the name "Steely Dan" since 2003, and the very-next day, Walter leaves us.

I stand by my observation anyway. The average consumer out there cannot appreciate what Walter and Don, coming from the base he does these days of listening to Taylor Swift, Beyonce and [insert R&B / EDM / rap artist name] featuring Dizzy D™, RapMonsta™, JizzBoy™ and Shakir Abdul "BlueBallz" GangstaBoy™. It just ain't gonna happen... much.

Oh well, the trailblazing icons seem to continue to drop like flies. So sad and unfortunate for all music lovers. RIP Walter Becker.

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mhschmieder
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Re: Walter Becker RIP

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I have new housemates who are super-young, both artists/musicians (a young couple in their 20's). She wears an "Aja" shirt at least once a week and says Steely Dan is her favourite band of all time -- yet she's just under half my age.

That says a lot, when a musician can create music that speaks to multiple generations, and even at the level of rising above everything else to be at top-of-list for several decades.

My own company has a very close relationship with Steely Dan. Roger Nichols (their engineer) came by the office frequently before his own untimely passing, and I count myself lucky to have spent time with him.

We use the later SD albums as our main loudspeaker tests and DSP aural sanity checks when we develop new product. Considered the best-produced albums of all time.
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Shooshie
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Re: Walter Becker RIP

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mhschmieder wrote:I have new housemates who are super-young, both artists/musicians (a young couple in their 20's). She wears an "Aja" shirt at least once a week and says Steely Dan is her favourite band of all time -- yet she's just under half my age.

That says a lot, when a musician can create music that speaks to multiple generations, and even at the level of rising above everything else to be at top-of-list for several decades.

My own company has a very close relationship with Steely Dan. Roger Nichols (their engineer) came by the office frequently before his own untimely passing, and I count myself lucky to have spent time with him.

We use the later SD albums as our main loudspeaker tests and DSP aural sanity checks when we develop new product. Considered the best-produced albums of all time.
I forgot that Nichols engineered SD. Do you know if he also engineered Fagen's "The Night Fly" album? That's one of the most technically outstanding albums I've ever heard, in addition to its great content.
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monkey man
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Re: Walter Becker RIP

Post by monkey man »

mhschmieder wrote:We use the later SD albums as our main loudspeaker tests and DSP aural sanity checks when we develop new product. Considered the best-produced albums of all time.
IMHO TOTO IV (the one with Africa and Rosanna on it) qualifies beautifully for loudspeaker testing, Mark.

The spectral balance is bang-on perfect, tapering off beautifully energy-wise as frequencies rise.

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Re: Walter Becker RIP

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monkey man wrote:
mhschmieder wrote:We use the later SD albums as our main loudspeaker tests and DSP aural sanity checks when we develop new product. Considered the best-produced albums of all time.
IMHO TOTO IV (the one with Africa and Rosanna on it) qualifies beautifully for loudspeaker testing, Mark.

The spectral balance is bang-on perfect, tapering off beautifully energy-wise as frequencies rise.
It's been too long!

I need to go back and re-listen to TOTO IV. And some SD.

(And, it's cool to see you around these parts again!)

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Re: Walter Becker RIP

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Roger Nichols (their engineer) came by the office frequently before his own untimely passing, and I count myself lucky to have spent time with him.
Damn!

I worked with him once only and that was as a background singer on a John Denver album. Roger ued to write in his column that SD and JD were the only artists he would produce back in the late '70s.

I use Steely Dan plus a Beatles cut to balance control rooms to get mixes that I can trust. I'll have to write that up someday.

RIP, Mr. Becker. You certainly created some damned fine music.
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Gravity Jim
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Re: Walter Becker RIP

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Yes, Roger The Immortal did engineer "The Nightly."

I own and use daily a MOTU 896mk3 that came from his home studio. My little piece of Nichols.
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Re: Walter Becker RIP

Post by monkey man »

buzzsmith wrote:(And, it's cool to see you around these parts again!)

Buzzy
You're far-too-kind, Buzzy! :oops:

Heard a nice tribute to SD on local AM radio yesterday. The crew did a good job of picking notable pieces to play, and it was impressive to hear the compositions in sequence.

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