... is just around the corner. And it will be yet another Best Of/Greatest Hits.
With the tour running from June to September the idea to get a fresh collection of previously released songs out there isn't that far fetched.
The person who told us about the "new" Steely Dan CD shall remain anonymous. He did not have any track listing or other information, but if we were in charge we'd get it out early July at the latest. Let's make it a double. And why not produce some new artwork and liner notes to attract the completist buyer as well.
All here at Radio Dupree are eager to see if the new album goes back to the "tradition" of not showing Donald Fagen and Walter Becker on the cover. A tradition broken by 2007's The Millennium Collection. (No, the alluding shadows on Two Against Nature and The Definitive Collection doesn't really count, do they?)
Pictured: The three latest hits collections from 2007, 2006 and 2000.More to come, apparently...
After yesterday's news that the Toon Roos Quartet will open for Steely Dan on a number of European shows this year, Gina kindly reminded us of the Mizar5-interview she did with Toon Roos a couple of years ago. In it you can learn, among other things, that Toon and Walter Becker met back in 2001.
Jun 18 - Town Hall - New York, NY Jun 19 - Keswick Theatre - Glenside, PA Jun 20 - Lisner Auditorium - Washington, DC
Jun 23 - Ridgefield Playhouse - Ridgefield, CT Jun 28 - Berklee Performing Arts Center - Boston, MA Jun 30 - Danforth Music Hall - Toronto, ON
Jul 3 - Theatre Maisonneuve - Montreal, QC Jul 5 - Theatre Maisonneuve - Montreal, QC Aug 5 - Carston Cabaret - Wells Fargo Center - Santa Rosa, CA
Aug 6 - Montalvo - Saratoga, CA Aug 16 - Eccles Center for the Performing Arts - Park City, UT Sep 16 - Eccles Center for the Performing Arts - Park City, UT
The latest Steely Dan newsletter has arrived with additional dates as well as specifics regarding what album will be played where. That's all US and US only. On the Europeanside we don't get any more dates, but an opening act in the form of Toon Roos Quartet.(Link to archived homepage with biography.) UPDATE Jne 3:The Toon Roos hompage is back up again.
If you wonder what they sound like we have two clips below. But first the updates US and European tour listings:
RENT PARTY '09 (US)
* Special Setlist Nights.
Jun 09 - Durham, NC - Performing Arts Center Jun 12 - Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall Jun 13 - Boca Raton, FL - Mizner Park Amp. Jun 15 - Orlando FL - Bob Carr Jun 16 - Ft. Meyers, FL - Barbara B Mann Jun 18 - St. Augustine, FL - St. Augustine Amp. Jun 19 - Orange Beach, AL - The Wharf
* Jul 22 - Boston - Wang Theatre / Aja (Plus) * Jul 24 - Boston - Wang Theatre / Gaucho (Plus) * Jul 25 - Boston - Wang Theatre / Internet Request
* Jul 28 - New York - Beacon Theatre / Aja (Plus) * Jul 29 - New York - Beacon Theatre / Gaucho (Plus) 6/6 * Jul 31 - New York - Beacon Theatre / The Royal Scam (Plus) * Aug 01 - New York - Beacon Theatre / Internet Request
Aug 07 - Mashantucket, CT - Foxwoods Casino Aug 08 - Atlantic City, NJ - Borgata Aug 14 - Memphis, TN - Mud Island Aug 15 - Atlanta, GA - Chastain
* Aug 21 - Los Angeles CA - Gibson Amp. / Aja (Plus) * Aug 22 - Los Angeles CA - Gibson Amp. / Gaucho (Plus) * Aug 24 - Los Angeles CA - Gibson Amp. / The Royal Scam (Plus) * Aug 25 - Los Angeles CA - Gibson Amp. / Internet Request
Aug 28 - Las Vegas NV - Palms/Pearl / on sale now
* Aug 31 - Chicago IL - Chicago Theatre / Aja (Plus) * Sep 01 - Chicago IL - Chicago Theatre / Gaucho (Plus) * Sep 03 - Chicago IL - Chicago Theatre / The Royal Scam (Plus) * Sep 04 - Chicago IL - Chicago Theatre / Internet Request
Sep 06 - Detroit MI - Soundboard/MotorCity Casino / on sale TBA
LEFT BANK HOLIDAY 2009 (Europe)
Jun 25 - Amsterdam, Holland - Heineken Music Hall * Jun 26 - Brussels, Belgium - Forest National * Jun 28 - Edinburgh, Scotland - Edinburgh Playhouse * Jun 29 - Birmingham, UK - NIA * Jul 01 - London, UK - Hammersmith Apollo * Jul 02 - Paris, France - Olympia * Jul 04 - Montreux, Switzerland - Montreux Jazz Fest Jul 06 - Rome, Italy - Cavea Auditorium * Jul 08 - Padova, Italy - Villa Contarini Jul 09 - Milan, Italy - Arena Civica * Jul 11 - Perugia, Italy- Umbria Jazz Festival Jul 12 - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Sporting Club
* With Special Guest: Toon Roos Quartet
P.S. The newsletter also says that coming newsletter(s) will include something for those that won't make any of the shows on the 2009 trek.
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Two useful links:
steelydan.com - The only place for confirmed dates. dandom.com/Bluebook - The fan page for breaking news, views and the occasional rumour.
Ron and Russel ready to Bergman it up this autumn. They appear in the musical as Hollywood mogul and The limo driver.
Elin Klinga (Greta Garbo), Jonas Malmsjö (Ingmar Bergman) and director Marie Wennersten Photo: Mattias Ahlm/SR
That might sound like the title of a low budget horror/comedy movie from some distant time. But in reality it's a creative idea no one could see coming; a brand new radio musical performed in two languages about the Swedish director Ingmar Bergman with music by US pop/rock group Sparks.
Here's what the press release says:
Sparks' Ron and Russell Mael have been commissioned by the Swedish National Public radio Sveriges Radio to write and produce an original radio musical. Sparks’ creation, "The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman," is a musical fantasy based on the internationally acclaimed film director Ingmar Bergman.
The radio musical will be broadcast in Sweden in August 2009. An album with the original Swedish version will be released as a limited edition in Sweden. An English version will subsequently be released internationally.
“As Americans we have almost abandoned radio drama and it was truly exhilarating for us to work in a medium where the imagination of the listener is so integral a part of the work. Aside from our love of Bergman, we have a love of Orson Welles and his use of the medium of radio was something that inspired us in this work.” - Ron Mael
Though his films' themes have traditionally centred on matters of death, faith, God's existence, and the struggle to find love and meaning in our lives, Bergman is confronted in the musical by the lure of a mythological Hollywood seemingly at odds with all he stands for---a Hollywood that tempts him and ultimately tries to control him. What starts as an exploration by Bergman of the possible mutual benefits of his working in Hollywood turns into a Kafkaesque nightmare, a nightmare ended with the aid of a most unlikely saviour.
“When Sveriges Radio approached us with the idea of creating our own musical for the radio, we were excited about the prospect yet hesitant at trying to figure a way to successfully fulfil their only restrictions with the project: that it incorporates the Swedish language in some manner. Once we came up with the idea of placing one of the ultimate Swedish icons and one of our favourite film directors, Ingmar Bergman, in a fantasy setting we became extremely excited about this musical and knew we were on to something special.” – Russell Mael
International broadcasts of the musical are being sourced and Sparks are planning to present the musical in a live format as well hoping to see the project be made into a motion picture.
“Although The Seduction Of Ingmar Bergman was commissioned as a radio musical, we always saw it in cinematic terms. We hope that the listeners will be able, in their own minds, to see the same movie that we wrote on hearing it on the radio and that at some point an actual film can be made of this piece. We would also like to present The Seduction Of Ingmar Bergman as a theatre piece and perhaps this will be the next stage show for Sparks.”The story starts in Cannes at the 1956 film festival where Ingmar Bergman has just won and award for Smiles Of A Summer Night.
The radio broacast/world premiere of The Seduction Of Ingmar Bergman will be on August 14. We'll be glued to the old Telefunken!
Nick from Australia had a chance meeting with Walter Becker in a record store in Australia during the world tour of 2007. Great story complete with some answers to "nerdy Steely Dan questions" ;)
Fitting nicely with our Album of the Month; Todd Rundgren's Something/Anyhting? is this press release we got in the mail today:
For immediate release / London , England -
Todd Rundgren - rock’n’roll icon, guitarist, interactive progenitor, singer/songwriter and record producer, will perform his paradigm shifting 1973 album, A Wizard, a True Star in its entirety for the first time ever in Britain on Saturday February 6th 2010 at the London HMV Hammersmith Apollo. This marks Todd’s only UK concert of the album which is hailed as an influential masterpiece by today’s new bands, including Hot Chip.
Although Rundgren's breakthrough 1972 album, Something/Anything? is considered by many to be his masterpiece, the psychedelic impact and bordering-on-disturbing innovation of the follow-up, A Wizard, A True Star is arguably Rundgren's most experimental and influential album and is hailed as one of the most influential and pioneering progressive rock album recordings of all time.
This will be the first time in Britain that he will perform the whole record live onstage, from start to finish. The first half of the concert will feature a selection of Rundgren's songs throughout his career, while the second half will consist of the entirety of A Wizard, a True Star. Originally released in 1973, much of the album is an extended medley after the fashion of The Beatles’ late recordings. The effect of the songs merging one into another was immediate, infectious and dazzling; the lyrical content was often at once both tongue in cheek and hallucinogenic.
Tickets for the concert will go on sale at 9am on Wednesday May 27th. Tickets are priced £48.50, £45.00, £40.00, £32.00 (Agency and credit card bookings subject to a fee). Ticket Hotline: 08700 603 777, Book Online: www.seetickets.com.
Added May 28:
And an earlier alternative is
Rundgren Radio's Birthday Bash II - Akron Civic Center, Akron, OH - September 6, 2009 - 8:00 PM
(Thanks to Anynomous who posted those facts the comments.)
Being a fan of Woody Allen I do have to say that judging by this trailer his new one; Whatever works, will be a good one! :)
Picking Larry David to play the lead character looks like a perfect choice. The script apparently written quite a long time ago with Zero Mostel in mind. Premiere in June ... but us poor bastards in Sweden have to wait until August :(
And an anonymous poster on the Bluebook has found four dates listed by aceticket.com that so far aren't official in that they have yet to appear on steelydan.com:
August 21, 22, 24 & 25 - Gibson Amphitheatre, Universal City, California.
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Two useful links:
steelydan.com - The only place for confirmed dates. dandom.com/Bluebook - The fan page for breaking news, views and the occasional rumour.
Elton John's latest three albums; Songs From The West Coast (2001), Peachtree Road (2004) and The Captain & The Kid (2006), have been a return to form in a successful effort to get back to the music for both Elton and lyricist Bernie Taupin. And even though the albums have sold in the millions, they've passed by rather quickly and with little airplay. Outsold by yet a couple more Greatest Hits collections.
With his constant touring and the only hits these days coming from being sampled or collaborating with some young, popular singer/group plus work with scores for musicals and soundtracks there could - at least as this fan sees it - be a greater focus on the albums.
And it's been three years since the last one. Will there be another? The Captain & The Kid was a bookend of sorts. A follow up to Captain Fantastic & The Brown Dirt Cowboy from 1975. And just like that album The Captain & The Kid was a collection of autobiographical songs telling the story of Elton & Bernie through episodes turned into lyrics.
Where could they take it next? That question will get an answer this year as a new album is scheduled and has been mentioned over on Bernie Taupin's new website:
A new album, featuring original material, from the legendary songwriting partnership of Bernie and Sir Elton John is planned for 2009.
And while I'm extendning our break from the Elton John tour again this year, I am curious to hear what the new album will sound like.
- Neb S (Elton fan since Teacher I Need You & Crocodile Rock back in 1972)
Update on steelydan.com adds Borgota, Atlantic City to the touring schedule. Tickets go on sale May 23:
Jun 09 - Durham, NC - Performing Arts Center Jun 12 - Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall Jun 13 - Boca Raton, FL - Mizner Park Amp Jun 15 - Orlando FL - Bob Carr Jun 16 - Ft. Meyers, FL - Barbara B Mann Jun 18 - St. Augustine, FL - St. Augustine Amphitheatre Jun 19 - Orange Beach, AL - The Wharf
Over to Europe:
Jun 25 - Amsterdam, Holland - Heineken Music Hall Jun 26 - Brussels, Belgium - Forest National Jun 28 - Edinburgh, Scotland - Edinburgh Playhouse Jun 29 - Birmingham, UK - NIA Jul 01 - London, UK - Hammersmith Apollo Jul 02 - Paris, France - Olympia Jul 04 - Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland Jul 06 - Rome, Italy - Cavea Auditorium Jul 08 - Padova, Italy - Villa Contarini Jul 09 - Milan, Italy - Arena Civica Jul 11 - Perugia, Italy- Umbria Jazz Festival Jul 12 - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Sporting Club
Back to the USA:
Aug 07 - Mashantucket, CT - MGM Grand/Foxwoods Aug 08 - Atlantic City, NJ - Borgata <- New Aug 15 - Atlanta, GA - Chastain Aug 28 - Las Vegas NV - Palms/Pearl
And a post on the dandom Bluebook says that a flyer covering Summer 2009 lists Steely Dan at The Beacon Theatre, New York July 28, 29, 31 and August 1.
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Two useful links:
steelydan.com - The only place for confirmed dates. dandom.com/Bluebook - The fan page for breaking news, views and the occasional rumour.
This is the brand new record from Manic Street Preachers titled Journal For Plague Lovers. Four of the major UK supermaket chains; Sainsburys, Tesco, Asda and Morrisons, have - amongst others - decided to sell it in a plain slipcase. Why? Because the face on the cover looks like it is splattered with blood.
"We felt that some customers might consider this particular album cover to be inappropriate if it were prominently displayed on the shelf," says a representative from Asda, while band member James Dean Bradfield is quoted saying "We just thought it was a beautiful painting. We were all in total agreement."
And about the artist Jenny Saville: "It is her brushwork. If you're familiar with her work, there's a lot of ochres and browns and reds and browns and perhaps people are looking for us to be more provocative than we are being."
Peter Gabriel gets the Polar Prize Award. The award was founded by Stikkan Anderson who was manager of Abba. Peter Gabriel will achieve the Polar Prize from the Swedish king Carl XVI Gustaf in Stockholm on August 31.
Dweezil Zappa has had a tough task to fill the gap after lead vocalist Ray White's departure from Zappa Plays Zappa. But now he announces that he has found himself a new singer! On the ZPZ blog Dweezil describes the difficulties with auditions etc, since no one seemed to good enough for the job. The test is to manage to sing the first part of Inca Roads. Nobody seems get away with it, but suddenly "a young blonde-haired guy walks in to audition, says he's heard the song before but never tried to sing until last night." "After the solo the vocal entrances are pretty tricky, once again no mistakes. After the interludes and keyboard solo we entered the home stretch - no-one made it this far before." "The final entrance arrives and... He completes the entire passage on his own..." "Ladies and Gentlemen allow us to introduce you to Ben Thomas, our new lead singer."
That is great, Dweezil! I was beginning to get a little nervous. See ya in Stockholm on June 8!
The ZPZ blog: http://www.zappa.com/zpz/tourlog/index.php
And today a Las Vegas date was added; Aug 28 at the Palms/Pear (ticket presale May 14 and general sale May 16), making the current touring schedule looking like this:
Jun 09 - Durham, NC - Performing Arts Center Jun 12 - Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall Jun 13 - Boca Raton, FL - Mizner Park Amp Jun 15 - Orlando FL - Bob Carr Jun 16 - Ft. Meyers, FL - Barbara B Mann Jun 18 - St. Augustine, FL - St. Augustine Amphitheatre Jun 19 - Orange Beach, AL - The Wharf
Over to Europe:
Jun 25 - Amsterdam, Holland - Heineken Music Hall Jun 26 - Brussels, Belgium - Forest National Jun 28 - Edinburgh, Scotland - Edinburgh Playhouse Jun 29 - Birmingham, UK - NIA Jul 01 - London, UK - Hammersmith Apollo Jul 02 - Paris, France - Olympia Jul 04 - Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland Jul 06 - Rome, Italy - Cavea Auditorium Jul 08 - Padova, Italy - Villa Contarini Jul 09 - Milan, Italy - Arena Civica Jul 11 - Perugia, Italy- Umbria Jazz Festival Jul 12 - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Sporting Club
Back to the USA:
Aug 07 - Mashantucket, CT - MGM Grand/Foxwoods Aug 15 - Atlanta, GA - Chastain Aug 28 - Las Vegas NV - Palms/Pearl <- New today
More to come? Of course. We've already been promised multiple dates in New York, Boston, Los Angeles and Chicago. There will most likely be aditional cities added. But as far as Europe goes there's been no new shows announced since early April. Will this mean that Germany will have to do without any Steely Dan show this time around?
With the speed the dates are announced I guess there could be some more additions to the European leg of the ´09 trek, but...
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Two useful links:
steelydan.com - The only place for confirmed dates. dandom.com/Bluebook - The fan page for breaking news, views and the occasional rumour.
zappa.com celebrates Mother's Day and the 40th anniversary of the Mothers compilation album Mothermania by re-releasing Mothermania as digital download at Barfko-Swill. They are also releasing Warren Cucurullo's album Playing In Tongues (you can see part of the cover in the lower right corner).
1. Talking Heads - Air Fear Of Music 2. The Beatles - I Feel Fine Live At The BBC 3. Frank Zappa - The Illinois Enema Bandit Joe's Menage 4. UK - Presto Vivace/In The Dead Of Night Night After Night 5. George Duke - Love - My Soul The Complete MPS Fusion Recordings 6. Salem Al Fakir - Astronaut Astronaut 7. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Sure'N Uff'N Yes I Do Safe As Milk 8. Walter Becker - Girlfriend 11 Tracks Of Whack 9. The Who - Magic Bus Live At Leeds 10. Steely Dan - Dirty Work Can't Buy A Thrill 11. Walter Becker - My Waterloo - 11 Tracks Of Whack 12. Steely Dan - Glamour Profession - Gaucho 13. The Doors - People Are Strange - Strange Days 14. Rickie Lee Jones - The Real End - The Magazine 15. HR Big Band - Pretzel Logic - Maestros Of Cool 16. U2 - Red Hill Mining Town - The Joshua Tree 17. Electric Light Orchestra - Mr. Blue Sky - Out Of The Blue 18. The Police - Walking On The Moon - Their Greatest Hits 19. The Rolling Stones - No Expectations - Beggars Banquet 20. Frank Zappa - Stick Together - The Man From Utopia
Since we're a Swedish station/blog we're pretty much sure that we're obliged by law to report the news that Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson of Abba fame have collaborated on a pop song for the firt time in 15 years. It's been musicals lately, but when it was time to celebrate Hotel Rival's in Stockholm fifth anniversary owner Benny Andersson asked the staff if they'd like a song written.
And here it is; 2nd Best To None, performed by the hotel staff. Spot Benny making a two second cameo early on.
And there's more Björn & Benny coming our way. An English language album by Benny Anderssons Orkester (apparently renamed The Benny Andersson Band) will be out this summer. The band has enjoyed an enormous sucess in Sweden and Scandinavia with three Swedish language folk-oriented albums between 2001 and 2007. Now Björn has translated the lyrics for an album worth of songs. But there's one brand new track titled Story Of A Heart promised.
One year and five days after Circus Money was released in the USA we'll get another single from Walter Becker.
June 15 is the date and pictured above is the cover. It's a digital only one track single, so no extra tracks this time.[wrong; see update below] Just like the Somebody's Saturday Night EP the song Downtown Canon has been given the "Radio Edit"-treatment.
Looking forward to hearing it!
And looking foward to wearing it! The item below that is. Just in time for our switch from heavy winter wardrobe to suave summer ditto comes this perfect piece of classy designer t-shirt. We'll order a few.
UPDATE May 7: The brand spanking new newsletter from WB adds a couple of twists to the digital single. Quote:
BONUS #1: The 'Downtown Canon' single will be bundled -- digitally speaking -- with the bonus track 'Bob Is Not Your Uncle Anymore (Demo)'
The second bonus is a chance to win a pair of tickets to any of the Steely Dan 2009 shows by correctly identifying what 1970's reggae track Walter used as inspiration for Bob Is Not Your Uncle Anymore.
If I were you I'd head on over to walterbecker.com and sign up for the newsletter pronto.
There's one new date added to the Rent Party '09 Tour (i.e. the US leg):
Aug 07 - Mashantucket, CT - Foxwoods Casino - Tickets go on sale May 8 -
No more additions to the European Left Bank Holiday touring schedule.
As far as the US dates go the new issue of Rolling Stone (Bob Dylan on the cover) add a few more bits to the puzzle. The promised "multi-night stands of special setlist shows in New York, Boston, Los Angeles, and Chicago " is eight shows in New York with four each in the other cities mentioned.
We haven't read the Rolling Stone issue in question - we're three issues behind here in Sweden - but Jim "Hoops" McKay over on the Dandom Bluebook have confirmed the info about the number of shows in each town.
Walter Becker is also quoted saying that for the request nights were the ticket buyng audience get to vote online for what songs are going to be played, Steely Dan might leave more "discomfiting songs like Through With Buzz and Change of the Guard off the ballot. Otherwise it might be a fuckin' free-for-all."
Does anyone care about charts these days? Except record company executives, braindead writers for commercials and radio presenters?
Music is music and while I did find the world of charts fascinating up until not very long ago I've grown to realise that making the top of the album/single chart does not automatically make music better or more worthy.
Charts are still a way to get noticed. And this Sunday morning after seeing a copy of Elton John's Greatest Hits package in a pile on the floor I briefly wondered what my childhood favourite Elton John would do when the constant touring regime won't work any longer.
Little did I know that that very same Sunday evening I'd get a sign that may be the answer to my question. Elton John is part of the brand new number 3 song on the UK chart; Tiny Dancer with Ironik featuring Chipmunk. The refrain from Elton's Tiny Dancer being the hook helping this rapper score a hit. And Elton's part of the video as well: IRONIK - TINY DANCER FEATURING CHIPMUNK AND ELTON JOHN
As far as the video goes we'd not hand out any bonuses to the "creative minds" coming up with that idea again...
So with his own new and fine albums only managing to sell mediocre amounts, could this be Elton's solution to chart action and record sales? It's not the first time he's been sampled on a rap track. Must mean that his hooks from the (19)70's still work 30+ years later. I wonder where Ironik (and Chipmunk) will be in 2040? :)
The apparently somewhat popular group Coldplay is giving away a free live CD at their shows and soon also online. Here's what the Coldplay newsletter says:
Starting with the band's first North American tour date, at West Palm Beach in Florida on May 15th, every fan attending a show will be given a free copy of the nine-track CD. Also on May 15th, LeftRightLeftRightLeft will be made available as a free download from Coldplay.com, for fans everywhere.
According to the band, the give-away is meant as a recession-busting mark of gratitude to everyone who's supported them: "Playing live is what we love. This album is a thank you to our fans - the people who give us a reason to do it and make it happen."
The album was recorded over the past year in various cities around the world on the Viva La Vida tour.
1. Glass of Water 2. 42 3. Clocks 4. Strawberry Swing 5. The Hardest Part/Postcards From Far Away 6. Viva La Vida 7. Death Will Never Conquer 8. Fix You 9. Death And All His Friends
... is just around the corner. And it will be yet another Best Of/Greatest Hits.
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