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Topic ClosedWhat is Walter Beckets role in Steely Dan

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Icarium View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: What is Walter Beckets role in Steely Dan
    Posted: May 07 2015 at 17:10
Probably a runde/ignorant question but to my recognition Donald Fagen is such a dominant force in SD, Walter just seems like that buddy Whos lucky to be so close friend with Donald, how fare share of the music/lyrics do Walter write, or does he do most of the arrangement,

i know he is a competant guitarist and bassplayer, but what else
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 07 2015 at 19:38
I get the impression SD operate very much as a double act, in the sense of both guys being in equal authority. perhaps Fagen writes most of the songs and lyrics but I seriously doubt Becker was just part of the furniture?
 
check his last album Circus Money. pretty sure Fagen wasn't involved with it, and it shows Becker can hold his own
 
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Edited by thebeastmustdie - May 07 2015 at 19:40
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 07 2015 at 23:45
sorry for the typos Samuel Beckett /Walter Becker
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 08 2015 at 07:37
I always thought the credits for writing were shared by the two of them?
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 08 2015 at 09:35
Originally posted by CPicard CPicard wrote:

I always thought the credits for writing were shared by the two of them?
That doesn't necessarily mean anything - Lennon has a shared credit for "Yesterday".
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 08 2015 at 23:07
From various articles and quotes about them, it seems they often wrote the songs together.  Maybe Fagen had a greater role in the music while Becker in the lyrics.  It also seems Fagen got a lot more involved in the actual recording process and would make the musicians take and re-take the parts until he was satisfied, to the point that they (the musicians) referred to him as "Mother".
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 12 2015 at 19:23
Is he Steely or is he Dan? Tongue
Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 12 2015 at 21:04
Not sure why you feel Donald Fagen is the dominant force?  Because he sings?  Becker was/is a seriously talented musician, certainly equal to Donald Fagen.

They are a cohesive creative unit and most of the Steely Dan output arose from both of them.  Donald Fagen wrote and sang most of the lyrics, but his lyrics only make sense within the unique music the two of them created.  They were both equally fastidious in the studio and spent enormous amounts of time getting exactly the sound they wanted.  Becker was considered a ground-breaking guitarist in his time--although Larry Coryell once told me (no small ego there either) that Becker really just thieved his style and licks from him.
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