Fair 'nuff Like I said, I'll give you some time to do yer Kamakiriad write-up; we can wait till Friday night to get Whacked
As an aficionado of woefully misguided and terribly executed cover versions, stumbling across this was like Christmas morning.
I presume you mean at the end of all the Albums? Just thought it would be happening after each (solo) album?
Very first time listening to 11 Tracks....overall I liked it. Girlfriend and Lucky Henry didn't do much for me. Sort of wish Walter would have had a few SD vocals along the way...sort of sounds like he's trying to find himself at times. Bern
Probably not a coincidence, as these 2 albums share a similar sonic palate, to these ears anyways. I also hear similarities between Morph the Cat and Everything Must Go.
Finally at my desktop, so it's useless trivia time! (Billboard's archives are just too much of a pain to navigate on a tablet). We're in the Soundscan era now, when your first week was usually at your peak - Kamikiriad was no different, coming in at #10 on 6/12/93 and sliding down the charts for the next 19 weeks. Janet Jackson's janet. was at #1. "Tomorrow's Girls" didn't make the Hot 100, but got to #20 on the Hot Album Tracks chart - so it got some AOR play. The album was certified Gold on 7/28/93 and has never made Platinum. Just one Grammy nomination, for Album of the Year, which it lost to The Bodyguard soundtrack. It apparently never came out on cassette, and the LP was Europe only.
Actually it did come out on cassette. I bought one, but don't have it anymore. Here is an image from E-Bay.
I would have liked "Girlfriend" a lot more if it had real drums on it..."Lucky Henry" was probably my favourite song on the album actually. I'll start the proper 11 Tracks Of Whack discussion in about an hour or so.
Okay, so I'm seventeen minutes late...sue me if I audit too long not much of a Wiki write up but here it is just the same: 11 Tracks of Whack is the first solo album by Steely Dan guitarist Walter Becker, released in 1994. It was his second collaboration since 1980 with Steely Dan partner Donald Fagen, who produced the album, after Becker produced Fagen's Kamakiriad (1993). Track listing All songs written and composed by Walter Becker except "Cringemaker" which was co-written by Dean Parks. Horn and rhythm arrangements were written by Donald Fagen. No. Title Length 1. "Down in the Bottom" 4:16 2. "Junkie Girl" 4:07 3. "Surf and/or Die" 6:15 4. "Book of Liars" 4:09 5. "Lucky Henry" 4:39 6. "Hard Up Case" 4:56 7. "Cringemaker" 5:11 8. "Girlfriend" 5:43 9. "My Waterloo" 4:02 10. "This Moody Bastard" 5:18 11. "Hat Too Flat" 5:26 12. "Little Kawai" 2:44 Japan Bonus Track No. Title Length 13. "Medical Science" Personnel Walter Becker – bass, guitar, ukulele, vocals Dean Parks – acoustic guitar, electric guitar Adam Rogers – electric guitar John Beasley – keyboards Donald Fagen – keyboards Fima Ephron – bass Ben Perowsky – drums Paulinho Da Costa – percussion Bob Sheppard – saxophone, woodwinds Bruce Paulson – trombone Jon Papenbrook – horns/brass Catherine Russell – background vocals Brenda White-King – background vocals Production Producer: Donald Fagen, Walter Becker Engineers: Tom Hardisty, Earl Martin, John Neff, Roger Nichols, David Russell Mixing: Roger Nichols, David Russell Mastering: Glenn Meadows Tech support: Craig Siegel Project coordinator: Linda Starr Art direction: Mick Haggerty Type design: Mick Haggerty, Kathleen Philpott Photography: Annalisa
I don't predict much uptake on this one; this literally the only Dan album I've never spent money on, or owned, and suspect others are in the same boat. Saying that, it's grown on me a lot, once I'd accepted the DIY nature of the production, and the programmed drums. It's got a couple of really excellent songs, with 'Fly And/Or Die' with the chorus of monks on backing vocals being to of the list. As an aside, I note that Walter's kid's must have been a fan of Hasbro products, with a mention of a G.I. Joe toy in 'Book Of Liars' ("a Cobra gunship"), and the appropriated name of Metroplex (a Transformer who changes from a giant robot into a city) in Donald's 'Snowbound'.
Like I said, 11 Tracks Of Whack is...interesting. It hardly sounds like Steely Dan at all, for one thing (off the top of my head "Cringemaker" and "This Moody Bastard" are the most "Steely Dan" sounding songs- i.e. I could almost imagine Fagen singing them). Needless to say, it's fairly guitar heavy (Becker does most of the heavy lifting on bass as well)- based on the FAQ book Walter cut most of the album with an actual band, but only ended up using a couple of the tracks- "Lucky Henry" I know was one...no way in hell is that Walter Becker playing that "shredding" guitar solo. Instead that damn cheesy 80's sounding drum machine rules the roost on "Down In The Bottom" and "Girlfriend"...why, Walter, why? I honestly had to force myself to listen to "Girlfriend" in its entirety, that drum machine patch annoyed me that much. "Surf And/Or Die" and "Hat Too Flat" are the most experimental sounding tracks on the album- I mean, way outta left field. "Surf And/Or Die" is a poem Walter wrote about a friend that died in an accident and then set to music. His wife found the monks whose chanting you can hear in the background. "Junkie Girl" -I laughed at the sheer audacity of this song- seems to be about Becker's late girlfriend Karen Stanley. "Book Of Liars" (also found on the Dan's Alive In America LP) is an R & B sounding tune that got regular airings on the '93/'94 Steely Dan tours. Don't ask me why- IMO there were more suitable songs on the album than that one for a Steely Dan show. "My Waterloo" shows Becker's love for reggae, which he would of course develop even further on Circus Money. "Down In The Bottom" sounds like it was intended to be the big "hit" off the album but, again, those damned synth drums ruin it for me. "Hard Up Case" is another R & B/Soul sounding song- the overall sound and feel of the track reminded me of one of my own songs but damned if I can remember which one. Seriously, though- the track sounds like something Walter could have whipped up using Music Maker Jam (download the app and try it for yerselves!) So what we have here is an album that I would imagine defied a lot of expectations when it was released. Hitting #11 on the charts...better than I would have expected. Lyrically, Becker sticks to familiar territory- junkies, losers and all round low people in high places (save for the little ditty for his son at the end of course) but musically he stretches out considerably. And his singing, acquired taste that it may be actually reminded me of, of all people, David Bowie in places ("Surf And/Or Die" in particular).
Aren't these intro guitar riffs basically the same... Cringemaker Cousin Dupree Cousin Dupree steely dan
What a change! After a romantic and often swinging look back at a kind of futureworld derived from the science fiction of the past, we come to an album of a more limited colour palette and increased snark. Aside from a couple of tracks, notably Down in the Bottom, Surf And/Or Die and the exquisite Book of Liars, I was really unsure of this, but it's grown on me considerably. I have friends who dismiss it as sounding like a series of demos and I still struggle a little with Girlfriend, My Waterloo ( a straaaange choice to play on the Dan tour of the day) and This Moody Bastard. Why in hell Medical Science and Fall of '92 weren't on the US/UK release, I don't know...
It has been suggested that I lash together an “index” for this discussion, outlining where each new album discussion begins. Here goes: Can’t Buy A Thrill: At last! The STEELY DAN Album-By-Album Thread Countdown To Ecstacy: At last! The STEELY DAN Album-By-Album Thread Pretzel Logic: At last! The STEELY DAN Album-By-Album Thread Katy Lied: At last! The STEELY DAN Album-By-Album Thread The Royal Scam: At last! The STEELY DAN Album-By-Album Thread Aja: At last! The STEELY DAN Album-By-Album Thread Gaucho: At last! The STEELY DAN Album-By-Album Thread The Nightfly: At last! The STEELY DAN Album-By-Album Thread Kamakiriad: At last! The STEELY DAN Album-By-Album Thread 11 Tracks Of Whack: At last! The STEELY DAN Album-By-Album Thread To be continued…obviously
Ok, I'm a little late to Kamakiriad... Trans-Island Skyway The album kicks off on a bouncy positive note, and a bit like Gaslighting Abbie (Two Against Nature) in some respects, but the flavor of the tune is Fagen and not Steely Dan. Plenty of the jazzy chord changes, to keep it familiar. Countermoon One of the tracks on this album I'm not crazy about, and wouldn't be a part of any Fagen best-of, but in the context of the album, it fits. This songs is neither here or there, for me Springtime A very poppy/jazzy tune, co-written with Walter Becker. I'm not too crazy about this one either, but works. Snowbound One of my favorites on the album. Jazzy chord changes as usual, which is good, but I really dig those cool organ licks throughout the song. I really dig this song...maybe because I got this cd in December 1998 and it ties in with winter Tomorrow's Girls This has the makings of a Dan song...it reminds me of an updated Hey Nineteen...standard verses, catchy chorus w/backup singers, the bridge going to a different key and then back to verses. When I got the cd and played the song in 1998, I was like "yeah, I remember hearing this a few years ago on the radio". The Dan played this in 1994 and really tore it up, too. Florida Room I don't mind this one, though it's not my favorite song. I like the horn arrangement, that fills in the holes. Nothing wrong, here. On the Dunes Ahh, one of the highlights here. I can hear this song anytime and think of being on a beach at twilight/sunset with the wind blowing and the waves rolling in...or in the case of when I first heard this one, it was a very cold and windy December night. I like the scaled back style here, no extra singing or double tracked vocals. It's just Don and instruments. And in the latter part of the song, we got some real drums in there, with some jazzy saxophone licks. That's one thing this album could use more of...real drums, and not sampled Wendel-ized drums. But that's a minor quibble. Teahouse on the Tracks This is a very plastic sounding song. Tasty horns and jazzy chord changes, but I don't think it's the perfect closer. One The Dunes would've been better as a closer. Oh well, I guess. Overall, I give the album a B+, and admittedly because it's Donald Fagen and obviously linked to Steely Dan. It's not the A+ that The Nightfly is, but the high points for me, make it worth the worth the purchase. I wouldn't have it any other way.
Whack. Kamakiriad was when SD and I parted company. This is all new to me. Reviewing on the fly. Have not studied the lyrics. If I didn't know this was SD/Becker...I'd think, Down In The Bottom, well, this isn't bad, but that drum track is reeeallllyyy reeeealllllyyy annoying. And the vocals remind me of someone/something (and it's NOT SD! If I think of who, I'll let you know, and it's driving me nuts.) Skipped Junkie Girl, don't need that kind of language. Surf was Meh. Book of Liars, ooooh, the name of that band's gnawing at the back of my mind. Not bad. But someone pleeeez relieve me of this torment. I feel like it was a 70s-ish jazz band, NOT SD. Help. Lucky Henry. Weird beat. Meh. ZAPPA! That's it! Yay, me. Hard Up Case. More really annoying drums. It drags. Rising end echoes Nightfly's ending, only not good. Cringemaker. More meh. Especially the drums. Girlfriend. Go on...you interest me...yeah, listenable. Background music. My Waterloo. Reggae beat? Robot drum track? Wackajawacka geetar. This Moody Bastard. More of the same. The vocal still eludes me. Not exactly Zappa. But 70s jazz something. Back to driving me nuts. Hat Too Flat. Because the opening drum track flattened it. Little Kawai. Welll, we're out on th' prairie now. Git along, little dawgies. I woke up a little, but lose the robot drums. Now who is that voice? not Springsteen or Steppenwolf. But you get the picture. Make-believe time: If I had heard Whack on late-night radio in the 70s, I'd think, cool, all right, yeah, something not bad to listen to (which is probably how I talked in the early 70s). But I wouldn't run out to buy it. Seemed one-dimensional. Uninspired. Soporific Background music. Album Too Flat? Yeesh. I hate it when I agree with Hitler...
Like I said, Becker's vocals on some of the Whack tunes reminded me of Bowie quite a bit- Bowie in his crooner mode, granted, but Bowie just the same.
I don't hate "11 Tracks...". Don't like it either. I can listen to it, but I don't ever think "hey, let's listen to that Walter Becker solo album with the weird name..."
