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Steely Dan carries a cadre of enigmas in their repertoire. Take jazz rhythmic progressions, include a four-piece horn section, throw in some rock guitar, and put it all under sometimes snide, sometimes snarky lyrics. Give the whole thing a pop sheen, and out of the mixer tumbles Steely Dan. In a way they're like modern jam bands: you either get them and buy into the total package, or you hate them and avoid them like the plague. (For the record, I STILL don't get the Dave Matthews Band.)
Obsessive perfectionist Donald Fagen, the chief keyboardist/vocalist of the duo (guitarist Walter Becker provides the other, more "proper" half), used to be a studio nerd. He and his cohort would hire only the best musicians for their cause, bring them into the studio, have them play their part, and then kindly boot their asses out the door. As a result, the "Steely Dan sound" was as pristine as a newborn and as clear as a mountain stream. Of course, a lot of people were (and are) turned off by the sound; they call it sterile, soulless, and even dull. Perhaps part of the problem, at least in the early days, was that, except for one or two brief runs early in the band's career, the duo never toured. So, there was never any chance to see and feel the men behind this precision pop machine.
After the band put out its first seven albums in a span of seven years (those were the days), Fagen and Becker dissolved the Dan, citing fatigue and a general lack of fun. That gap of 15 years ended when the duo reunited in 1993, amazingly, to go on tour. In 2000, following on the heels of their first album release in 22 years (Two Against Nature), the Dan had new material to showcase. By this time, with the pressure to impress nearly non-existent, Fagen seemed more comfortable with the idea of being on stage, Becker seemed more comfortable in his own skin, and both were heartened by the overwhelming response of their fans.
Of course, that was six years ago. With no new album out, why this particular tour? The theory (and it's just a theory) is that one of either Becker's or Fagen's children has an illness, and the tour profits are to help defray the costs. (If that's true, Godspeed, though I'm mostly just muckraking.) Dubbed the "Sugartooth" McDan tour -- it's printed on the ducats that way -- the outing's intentions are even more flummoxed by the band's choice of songs. Far from a promo jaunt for their recent records, this show featured absolutely NOTHING from either of their last two albums -- the aforementioned Two Against Nature, or their most recent Everything Must Go. What the nearly full house at Jones Beach got was a show full of older Dan, with a lot of classics, plus a few choice, non-hit cuts.
Of course, non-hit means different things to different people… and different bands. Before Dan took the stage, former Dan/Doobie Brothers member Michael McDonald played with his own band for a 14-song set straight off a lite-FM radio station (and not a cool one that plays bands like Steely Dan). To be fair, McDonald's voice still carries that strong timbre that we're all accustomed to, and his band's playing was solid. But, that said, the 60-minute set was mostly dedicated to his two biggest periods: Doobie Brothers songs, and Motown songs. (Please shoot me now.)
Full disclosure: your humble reviewer thought McDonald ruined the Doobie Brothers by making them too pop/jazz conscious, so it was like water torture to sit through his set. And not only that, he actually made things worse by reworking damn near all the Doobies stuff in newer, uglier incarnations. One of the only songs of his that I did like at the time, "It Keeps You Runnin' " (the set opener), was reworked into a funky freak-out -- YIKES!
When it was the Dan's turn, the horn section, bassist Freddie Washington, and drummer Keith Carlock took the stage to perform a jazz intro (found out to be Stan Kenton's "Turtle Talk"). The rest of the band then joined in and ripped into the set opener, "Bodhisattva". Band critics would say that the show sounded just like the group's records: clean, clear, and spot-on (and also loud). This is what you expect when you see a Dan performance; it's really just a question of what songs they will perform. So, with their demeanor and sound understood, what's left to say? Not much for the casual reader, but for the geeks, I've got few extra tidbits. After all, some random thoughts on "Sugartooth McDan" are unavoidable:
Geekery commence:
* Carlock is the glue that holds the live band together. To put it in current terms, he's the Jon Theodore of Steely Dan. (Ironically, Theodore just left the Mars Volta). Carlock can freak out wonderfully, as he did during the second break on "Aja", and he can just keep solid time, as on "Hey Nineteen".
* The two chief components appeared to be more comfortable than ever. Fagen looked like he was actually having fun, and really got into his songs. Becker was the biggest surprise, as his guitar playing was better than it's ever been on stage. Second guitarist John Herington was also wonderful, but Becker took more than his fair share of leads, and put everything he had into his work.
* Back-up vocalists Carolyn Leonhart-Escoffery and Cindy Mizelle were excellent, and even got to sing lead on "Dirty Work". (For the uninitiated, that was one of the few songs Fagen never sang -- the studio version on Can't Buy a Thrill was done by David Palmer.)
* Fan favorites "Josie", "Green Earrings", "Deacon Blues", "Do It Again", and "Peg" were played, but there were also a few for the diehards as well, such as "Time Out of Mind", "Black Friday", "Show Biz Kids", and "Don't Take Me Alive". McDonald came out for the last seven songs of the 17, and sang lead on "Show Biz Kids" and "Do It Again".
Geekery ends:
But wait, it's not geeky to be a fan of Steely Dan (contrary to popular belief). Or, at least, if it is, over 14,000 geeks dared show their faces to celebrate in the jazz/rock/snark mash-up that has been Steely Dan's calling card since 1972. You, gentle reader, already know if you love or hate this band. If it's love, then go see them. You'll be guaranteed a night of excellent musicianship, great song selection, and a chance to be with your own kind. And if you've read this far, they probably are your kind. After all, only a true Dan fan would read to the very last line.
— 22 August 2006
