That was 2007 in Berlin. Anyway, I am aware how great Steely Dan was in many concerts. And it wasn't the first time, I saw a tremdendous differences. The Free Spirits Concert springs to mind. Tokyo performance was incredible, almost perfect. Berlin totally sloppy, to say the least. Anyway, Dan's Live DVD from around 2000 is one of my all-time favorits. Therefore my disappointment when they totally sucked in Berlin.
I'll take the counterpoint on that. I couldn't live with any of the tracks being the only version of a song I have, but overall I quite like it. Babylon Sisters especially is pretty great. What is it that folks dislike about it? Enquiring minds want to know I suppose. OT, but I'm on record liking another live record that people love to hate: Commander Cody "We've Got A Live One Here!" Yeah, the production is kind of thin, John Tichy is MIA, and Lance Dickerson crashing on every downbeat late in the set gets pretty obnoxious, but overall there's some pretty great stuff on that one as well. San Antonio Rose is terrific.
I haven't listened widely to live (post-1974) Steely Dan, but in what I have heard the arrangements and performances just sound cheesy and "lite jazz", almost like musical revue-type stuff. I prefer the smoking 1974 shows with the Baxter-Dias-Porcaro-Hodder lineup
You don't know what lite jazz is, obviously. Or maybe you just hate any jazz, period. Or you don't like horns? The original SD touring band had its charms. I enjoy the few good recordings of them that are out there, but I get why Don & Walt ended up becoming studio rats for the rest of the '70s.
Quite happy to buy these. I'm sure any issues with Don's vocals will have been taken care of in post-production; just hope it doesn't have that sterile vibe that Alive in America had. It's a great shame that the issues between Fagen and Becker's estate seem doomed to plague any (already admittedly slim) chance of a release of any archival stuff.
There were/are legal issues that have arisen since Becker's death. Didn't Donlad sue becker's estate? I think it's over the use of the name Steely Dan. DF claimed they both made a agreement years back that should one of them die, the other can go on using the name. There may well be more to it, of course. However, as I'm sure you know, the biggest obstacle to releasing any demos/outtakes/alt. versions/unreleased songs has always been Donald and Walter.
It was over Fagen having the right to buy out Becker’s shares in Steely Dan, Inc. upon Becker’s death. I seem to recall it seemed to look pretty cut and dry to me when I looked at the corporate agreement, but who knows? And other things probably did get dragged into it (like Fagen touring under the Dan name) as the litigation remained unsettled and Becker’s shares still remained with the Becker estate. I don’t recall seeing where anything was settled publicly, but given the recent RSD re-issues and these releases, I’m guessing that even though the initial litigation was very public, maybe something got settled fairly privately and quietly.
That was also my conclusion, although I was wondering if there was something I'd missed. The only thing about the upcoming SD release that got me thinking was that it chose a post-Becker show, perhaps suggesting that the Becker estate still have to agree to any material involving Walter. That might put a spanner in the works of even a reissue campaign, let alone unreleased archive material.
you want lazy cover art? Sure thing! Donald Fagen - Cheap Xmas: Donald Fagen Complete (5CD Boxset) - Amazon.com Music
ah and even more lazy art--maybe the best (or worst yet). https://www.amazon.com/Decade-Steely-Dan/dp/B000002OVI
I am the exact opposite here. Didn't find much to like with it. Two is fantastic and I can listen to the whole thing back to front and it just flies.
I kept both. Sell Steely Dan? Never. I do prefer 2vN though. Not as bad as this: Though the fact this has Everybody's Gone To The Movies (Demo) on it, sees me in a forgiving mood (and saved me from buying Citizen Steely Dan. Seriously, if you want bad album art, look at some of the stuff Graham Parker has released over the last 20 years...
I've heard the ladies' version of Maxine, which is quite good, but I believe that Donald was singing as well at the Beacon that night. Also, I love that cover of Mis'ry and the Blues from his Morph tour. I also think the Nightfly may (by a narrow margin) be the best album off all the Steely Dan/Don/Walter albums. Timeless.
New Frontier is on Spotify now, sounds fantastic, wonder if much post was done on the vocals in particular? No cowbell at end though!
OMG he looks like a cross little boy. Or a serial killer. "He was such a humorous guy, and his music was so nice, I can't believe he killed Santa and Mrs. Claus and all those reindeer and elfs!"
I'd put it firmly behind the first six SD albums, slightly better than Morph and Kamakiriad, much better than Gaucho and all subsequent SD albums.