Chelsea Crowell - I'm Gonna Freeze

Maybe it's our advancing age, but we're suckers for musical heritage (and cheap 1950's, 1960's etc movies).

Here's the brand new one from the daughter of the daughter (Rosanne Cash) of Johnny Cash; Chelsea Crowell. She's just over from the USA for an European tour:

Steely Dan Request Night: Sold out but no sell out

This was the evening for the masses, the casual fans. Hits as voted online that Donald Fagen assured us they would follow "more or less". Did I see a smirk on his face?

I am sure Godwhacker was not among the songs most voted for, but it was there. As were a few others that made it clear that the band plays what it wants to play. That said this was a setlist leaning towards the more well-known for the casual listener.

And as soon as something "odd" came up - like a long keyboard intro - there was always the possibility to run out and fill up your drink, go to the restroom or munch away by the popcorn machine.

I was also pleased to be seated next to a gentleman who obviously had decided to take his nubile young daughter to a Steely Dan concert. When Donald Fagen and Walter Becker came onstage he informed her "That's Steely Dan".

I am not sure if it was the "Hey 19 vibe" but somehow a picture of the band made itself manifest on my idle camera's memory card. It is included here for prosterity and possible historical value.

Dad and daughter(?) did enjoy the show. As did the crowd.

The band was as tight and "on" as ever.

A most satisfactory evening in this 2011 Steely Dan Beacon run. Let's see what the final night brings!

SETLIST:

Your Gold Teeth, Aja, Black Friday, Hey 19, Time Out Of Mind, Show Biz Kids, Bodhisattva, FM, Godwhacker, Home At Last, Papa Don't.../intros, Rikki Don't Lose That Number, Dirty Work, Do It Again, Josie, Peg, My Odl School, Reelin' In The Years, Encore: Kid Charlemagne.

Pauline Butcher on BBC Radio 4

Pauline Butcher on BBC Radio 4 on September 21 about being Frank Zappa's secretary 1967-1972:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9596000/9596226.stm

Steely Dan Rarities night September 17, 2011

Radio Dupree attended the in Steely Dan terms historical third of seven nights at The Beacon Theatre, New York as part of the 2011 tour.

Don't expect a review as the person in question is more of an "enjoyer" than reviewer of concerts. He is also a long time fan of Steely Dan, and as such any review could be seen as biased. Anyhow, here's a short report from the trenches:

Fantastic! Fantasticker! Fantastickest!

The Beacon Theatre is a relly beautiful place to attend a show. I've heard criticism of the acoustics of the place, but where I sat the sound was good.

Billed the Rarities evening this was the show where Steely Dan would play "The unreleased, the mythic, the reborn, the rarely-if-ever-heard; On this numinous Night of Nights, all will be revealed (along with additional selected favorites and hits)".

Among the Steely Dan fans there had been a few critical voices who have called the setlists for the past couple of tours static and repetative.

These critics said that Rarities night would be nothng but moe of the same. With the already played Gaucho outtake The Bear being the only exception. But they were proven wrong.

As a casual fan or someone just familiar with the hits an evening of b-sides and seldom played album tracks would've been a disappointment. And that's why a few of the hits were includedand I am sure it did please the guy near me that after Bodhisattva screamed: "Yeah!" "Fuck the rarities. Thats someting else!" "Fuckin' a!" "Dont play another rarity!"

That was 1 hour and 20 minutes into the 2.5 hour show, and he probably felt let down when Donald announced the next song. The mythical Holy Grail for many a Steely Dan fan; The Second Arrangement.

It's the song that was recorded during the Gaucho album sessions and mistakenly erased. A bad sounding tape copy surfaced and did the rounds among bootleg collectors and I surely hadn't expected to hear it live more than 30 years after it was recorded. And erased.

If that was a song a few fans had speculated might be on the setlist for Rarities night, I think no one could´ve guessed that an oldie from the pre-Steely Dan era might make itto the setlist this evening. Catherine Russell took care of the lead vocals for American Lovers that Fagen/Becker wrote and one Thomas Jefferson Kaye recorded in 1974.

Even more than the addition of songs never or rarely played did Donald's talk inbetween convey a feeling that this was for the fans. He had a great time ending with him more or less dancing his way from the stage during the final number.

If Donald was enjoying himself Walter seemed to have a rougher night. He had some trouble with his guitars with cords being changed mid-tune and during the Jack Of Speed ´96 with Walter on vocals things threatened to fall apart as part of the band from time to time was in different places of the song. As Donald commented after the final note they had "missed some changes".

When the show was over and the lights went up I could only look around at the golden walls of The Beacon. Surprised and stunned at what I'd seen and heard. Didi it r-e-a-l-l-y happen? Overjoyed that I had made that show the one to fulfill the promise made to myself a few years ago: To see Steely Dan live in the USA.

And there's more to come! While I didn't see the Aja night or this evening's The Royal Scam, I do have tickets for the two final shows. By Popular Demand night Thursday 22 and 21th Century Dan on Friday 23.

Happy times!

In addition I also got to hang out with some fans at the Amsterdam Alehouse pre-show, and The Bitter End post-show. Thanks to all for making this a truly special evening.

Plus Radio Dupree is - thanks to Reidar who's in town for all seven Beacon shows - now officially part of The Norweigian Shuffle Diplomacy Tour 2011. And we've got the tee to prove it:

Front

Back

The Zappa marzipan factory in East Prussia

Found this auction on Tradera.com when looking for Frank Zappa records: A postcard that was sent from Königsberg in East Prussia (today Kaliningrad, Russia) in 1902. Check out the sign on the building: Marzipan-Fabrik M. Zappa. Also notice the greeting in the upper left corner, which translates "Dear aunt Emma!"
There's a big dilemma, huh?

http://www.tradera.com/GAMMAL-SPARVAGN-FRAMFOR-MARZIPANFABRIK-M-ZAPPA-I-KONIGSBERG--auktion_270304_139712526

State Cows - Hard Goodbye

State Cows from Umeå, Sweden has a new song out.

"Do you miss 1983? This is the rock ballad for you."
"Recommended if you like Mr. Mister, The Tubes, Toto."



http://www.statecows.com/

Steely Dan Seattle 1974 show a bootleg no more(?)

Wolfgang's Vault has been streaming and selling live recordings for a few years now, and today they announced the first Steely Dan show added to the vault; the July 1, 1974 show played at The Paramount Theatre in Seattle.

This has circulated as a bootleg, but as far as Radio Dupree can figure it out this appearance at the Wolfgang's Vault site makes it official and legal. You can buy a download of the concert in mp3-format for $9.99 or lossless FLAC for $12.98. (*)

According to Tomas Broberg's excellent Steely Dan site the bootleg version circulated is a nine track affair with two of the tracks - Do It Again and My Old School - cut.
The Wolfgang's Vault download version is the full show, 13 songs, complete with stage banter between tracks:


1. Introduction 0:20
2. Bodhisattva 5:08
3. Stage Banter 0:34
4. The Boston Rag 6:36
5. Stage Banter 0:47
6. Do It Again 8:08
7. Stage Banter 0:30
8. Brooklyn (Owes The Charm… 3:53
9. Song Introduction 0:43
10. King Of The World 4:53
11. Rikki Don't Lose That Nu… 4:45
12. Pretzel Logic 6:07
13. Band Introductions 1:03
14. My Old School 3:47
15. Tuning 0:46
16. Dirty Work 3:52
17. Your Gold Teeth (instrum… 1:22
18. Reelin' In The Years 5:43
19. Song Introduction 0:39
20. Show Biz Kids 6:07
21. Stage Banter 1:12
22. This All Too Mobile Home 8:37

You can hear the whole show by clicking this link.

(*) - UPDATE AS FAR AS LEGAL OR NOT GOES:

Doing a search on Wolfgang's Vault (Wikipedia entry here) we learn that it was established in 2003 featuring recordings from concert promoter Billy Graham.

Back in 2007 the site was sued by record artists and signing some sort of settlement with some of them in 2008.

When it comes to old concert recordings it's not always easy to determine who owns the rights to the actual recordings. Or who's entitled to make a buck selling them. (So we've added a question mark to the subject line.)

What we can be pretty sure of based on previous comments in interviews and elsewhere is that Donald Fagen, Walter Becker & company would rather see this one removed from Wolfgang's Vault.
It's just a feeling we have.

UPDATE SEPTEMBER 14:

Over on the dandom.com Steely Dan Fan's BlueBook the signature "make no mistake" posted the following regarding the Seattle show from the collection of sound engineer Stuart “Dinky” Dawson:

Absolute Word: : Dinky Dawson does not own the SD material he shills, has no legal claim to it whatsoever, and has been explicitly denied permission more than once to sell or profit from it.

All the more disgusting, his theft is performed "in the open", along with his jovial assurances and complicated, authentic-sounding stories about how this is all ok. They are simply inventions (and his oral histories about his employers are no more trustworthy than he). 

New Kate Bush album November 21

We're slightly creeped out by the picture accompanying the press release, but look forward to hearing what sounds like a very etheral album:

"50 Words For Snow” will feature seven brand new tracks set against a background of falling snow. The total running time is 65 minutes and the track listing is:
SNOWFLAKE
LAKE TAHOE
MISTY
WILDMAN
SNOWED IN AT WHEELER STREET
50 WORDS FOR SNOW
AMONG ANGELS  

The album will be the second release from Kate's own label Fish People and comprises all new material that was recorded during the same period that Kate worked on her album “Director’s Cut”.

Radio Dupree's interview with Pauline Butcher

In 1967 the young English girl Pauline Butcher got the job as Frank Zappa's secretary. She spent a lot of time with the Zappas and got an unique insight in the life of the Zappas. She also got to meet many music celebrities. Now she has written a book about those days and it will be in the bookstores any day. Pauline Butcher (married name Bird) was kind enough to give Radio Dupree a short interview:

                                            ***

Radio Dupree: How did you get the job as Frank's secretary?

Pauline Butcher: I got the job as Frank’s secretary because I was working in London for a secretarial agency that supplied secretaries to businessmen staying at hotels. In those days, there was no internet and no e-mails, so when on business trips, businessmen were forced to write their reports and send them back to head office by land-mail. To do this they hired us. We went along to the hotel, took the stuff down in shorthand and typed it up on portable typewriters.

On this particular day, The Royal Garden Hotel phoned at 6pm saying a Mr Zappa required a secretary for two hours. As I tended to work odd hours (for reasons explained in the book) I went along expecting a sugar merchant, short and bald. When he opened the door, I said, I’m sorry I’ve come to the wrong room.

He needed the lyrics typed out from Absolutely Free, which I did. There are five chapters related to three subsequent meetings – another in London and two in New York. On my second visit to his flat in New York, he told me he was going to work on a book for Stein and Day and asked me to go to California to help him work on it.

Radio Dupree: How did you come up with the idea to write the book?

Pauline Butcher: I have always wanted to be a writer. After my son went to university, I realised it was ‘now or never’. I began writing plays for BBC Radio 4 as they broadcast a play every afternoon. I came very close and had encouragement from BBC producers. One of them said, your best bet to break in is to write something that no one else can write, and I thought, the only story that no one else can write is my experiences working and living with Frank Zappa in Hollywood. It started as a fictional idea, but then got transferred to fact, on the producer’s advice.

While I was working on this in dramatic form, Germaine Greer, who’d met Frank once, got the idea to do her own programme and since she was famous she got commissioned. I had to finish the work before it would be looked at. The BBC would not do two programs in one year on the same topic. I was so mad I wrote off to every publisher and asked them if they’d be interested. Twelve wrote back and said yes. I hadn’t written anything then. That was 2006. It took nine months to type up all my diary entries and letters I sent to people and those I received. This was the data on which I drew.

Radio Dupree: You have said that the book will be based upon your original diary entries and letters. Diaries and letters can be quite private. Have you had any reservations about publishing certain details?

Pauline Butcher: I have reservations only about Ruth Underwood. I tried to contact her while I was writing the book but without success. Now Art Tripp has located her for me and it’s too late, the book is written and I am a little concerned that what I’ve written about her might hurt her feelings because she is I believe the kindest and most genuine of people.

With everyone else the same applies except that I believe I am balanced, showing the good points and the not-so-good which occcur in us all. I await the verdict of readers on this.

Radio Dupree: Do you think your book will give us a new view of Frank Zappa?

Pauline Butcher: I believe the book reveals the weaker side of Frank in some respects and I was concerned about this. It reveals stuff about him not seen before only as it relates to me. This is very much a personal account.

                                           ***

You may want to check out Pauline on Facebook where she delivers teasers from her diaries.

Steely Dan New Zealand: Christchurch cancelled, Wellington added

Press release:

The Frontier Touring Company wishes to advise that the scheduled Steely Dan and Steve Winwood concert on Wednesday 2nd November at CBS Arena in Christchurch has been cancelled. 

All tickets held for this event will be refunded fully from your original point of purchase (Ticketek). Tickets for the Christchurch concert are non transferable for the new event in Wellington.

Steely Dan and Steve Winwood will now play a new concert on Wednesday 2nd November at the TSB Bank Arena in Wellington. Tickets for the Wellington concert will go on sale through Ticketek at 9am on Thursday 15th September.

The cryptic stuff

:)

 

Thanks to Gina (and Toby!)

A new Frank Zappa synclavier album out now

Barfko-Swill is now taking pre-orders for Feeding The Monkies At Ma Maison, executed by Frank Zappa on the synclavier.
It was originally intended as a vinyl release, now with two extra tracks for cd release.

http://barfkoswill.shop.musictoday.com/Dept.aspx?cp=971_50805

Track list:
1. Feeding The Monkies At Ma Maison
2. Buffalo Voice
3. Secular Humanism
4. Worms From Hell
5. Samba Funk

Radio Dupree Top 20 - September 2011

Driving to the top

1. Donald Fagen - Teahouse On The Tracks
Kamakiriad

2. Steely Dan - Rikki Don't Lose That Number
Pretzel Logic

3. Donald Fagen - H Gang
Morph The Cat

4. Jakszyk, Fripp and Collins - A Scarcity Of Miracles
A Scarcity Of Miracles

5. Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band - Candle Mambo
Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller)

6. Vicki Young - Riot in Cell Block #9
The Leiber & Stoller Story, Vol. 1 -- Hard Times: The Los Angeles Years 1951-56

7. Joni Mitchell - Chinese Cafe/Unchained Melody
Wild Things Run Fast

8. Pink Floyd - Cirrus Minor
More (soundtrack)

9. Gentle Giant - Thank You
Giant For A Day

10. Donald Fagen - Ruby Baby
The Nightfly

11. The Beatles - If I Needed Someone - Rubber Soul
12. Peter Gabriel - Steam - Us
13. Donald Fagen - Rhymes - The Nightfly Trilogy : 10 Extras
14. Steely Dan - Daddy Don't Live In That New York City No More - Katy Lied
15. Peter Gabriel - Here Comes The Flood - Peter Gabriel (1)
16. Donald Fagen - On The Dunes - Kamakiriad
17. The Beatles - Across The Universe - 1967-70
18. Muddy Waters - Little Girl - Hard Again
19. Paul Simon - Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes - Graceland
20. Frank Zappa & The Mothers - Penguin In Bondage - Roxy & Elsewhere

21. Donald Fagen - Green Flower Street - The Nightfly
22. Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin - Rich For A Day - The Singles
23. King Crimson - Lament - Starless And Bible Black
24. Steely Dan - Charlie Freak - Pretzel Logic
25. Mahavishnu Orchestra - Meeting Of The Spirits - The Inner Mounting Flame
26. Brand X - Voidarama - Do They Hurt?
27. Steely Dan - Negative Girl - Two Against Nature
28. Frank Zappa - It Must Be A Camel - Hot Rats (LP)
29. Genesis - White Mountain - Trespass
30. Steely Dan - Monkey in Your Soul - Pretzel Logic
31. Donald Fagen - Morph The Cat - Morph The Cat
32. King Crimson - Matte Kudasai - Discipline
33. Walter Becker - Hat Too Flat - 11 Tracks Of Whack
34. Syd Barrett - Dominoes (2010 Mix) - An Introduction To Syd Barrett
35. Peter Gabriel - Heroes - Scratch My Back
36. Yes - A Venture - The Yes Album
37. Walter Becker - This Moody Bastard - 11 Tracks Of Whack
38. Paul Simon - I Know What I Know - Graceland
39. Frank Zappa - Jumbo Go Away - Frank Zappa Birthday Bundle 21 Dec. 2010
40. Brand X - Noddy Goes To Sweden - Do They Hurt?
41. The Beatles - And I Love Her - 1962-66
42. Larry Carlton - Point It Up - Mr. 335 Live In Japan
43. Mike Stern - Upside Downside - Upside Downside
44. Walter Becker - Girlfriend - 11 Tracks Of Whack
45. Return To Forever - Vulcan Worlds - Where Have I Known You Before
46. Syd Barrett - Octopus (2010 Mix) - An Introduction To Syd Barrett
47. If - Reaching Out On All Sides - If
48. Pink Floyd - Lost For Words - The Division Bell
49. David Bowie - Starman - The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars
50. Miles Davis - Come Get It (edit) - Star People

-------------------------------------------------------
Chart compiled by listeners voting
on the songs they hear on Radio Dupree

It's Donald Fagen Month on the Radio Dupree chart! Steely Dan co-founder can be found at number one, three and ten in the Top 10, with an additional two in the Top 20. Looking at position 21-50 and we find two more Fagen tracks.
And we're happy to expand the usual Top 20 to a Top 50 this time around, celebrating more thumbs up/down and more listening in general compared to the past couple of months.

Our Album of the Month; Graceland by Paul Simon managed to get one track in the Top 20. Surprise entry at 6 from the 1950's and Vicki Young.
Oh, and Collins in Jakszyk, Fripp and Collins is Mel and not Phil.

--N.S.

Steely Dan on ice... (canned applause)

*good grief!*

(Thanks to Don't Shoot/BlueBook for the link.)