Nerina Pallot - Put Your Hands Up

We're six months late to the party, but hey, at least we came!




This might also be as good a time as any to revisit her 2007 cover of Steely Dan's Peg.

Steely Dan final N.Y. night + What will happen in 2012?

Larry Carlton on the final night in New York.

The 2011 Steely Dan tour ended November 5 after 63 shows. Radio Dupree had the privilege of attending three of those.
We've already written about Rarities Night September 17 and Request Night September 22. Here are our memories from the final New York show, September 23.

We were a bit curious about how much from Two Against Nature and Everything Must Go would actually be performed on the night, since The Royal Scam was added to a night that initially promised just 21st Century Dan + Selected Hits.

The show started with a complete performance of The Royal Scam album. It had been played three nights earlier, but this time guitarist Larry Carlton joined on stage and stayed for the whole show. And there's no denying he added an extra spark to the proceedings, with Walter Becker and Jon Herington smiling and having fun as they proceeded through the songs.

When it was time to present the rarely played music from the two latest albums it started with the title track from Two Against Nature. A personal favourite!
Gaslighting Abbie, Janie Runaway and Cousin Dupree followed before switching albums to Everything Must Go with the title track and Godwhacker. And that was it as far as 21st Century Dan goes.
Then it was on to the band intros during Papa Don't Make No Mess, Dirty Work and the final clap-and-sing-along series of songs; Josie, Peg, Bodhisattva and Reelin' In The Years. The encore was Pretzel Logic.

Bye-bye!

Quite a night! And let's not forget the added pleasure of meeting fans before and after the show(s).

* * *

So what now? Well, there's hope among fans that the band will be back on the road in 2012. And that might happen. But more likely is Donald Fagen doing a few solo gigs to promote his new album. An album that should arrive before summer (or sooner still if we had anything to say in the matter!)

But these are all specualtions. What's sure is that the successful joining of Donald Fagen, Michael McDonald and Boz Scaggs as The Dukes Of September in 2010 will get a new chance early 2012. Could be Donald will use that tour to premiere his new album?

And what will Walter do? Donald has mentioned that he's been working on his own project, whatever that might be. A new record? Hopefully! Will it see the light of day in 2012? Hopefully!

Another thing that's sure is that 2012 will mark the 40 anniversary of Steely Dan. Expect another Greatest Hits album if nothing else. Maybe even a remastered and expanded box á la Citizen Steely Dan from 1993. It's getting on a bit... Hey19 (!) years old.
Some fans are hoping that now that the holy grail of "lost" Steely Dan songs; Second Arrangement, has been played live for the very first time, Donald and Walter will surprise us all by releasing some sort of live recordning from the 2011 tour. In one form or another.

So here are the above mentioned ranked from "will happen" to "no way José":

YES - Donald Fagen releasing new solo album
YES - The Dukes Of September will tour
YES - Some sort of commemorative Greatest Hits/Box Set will be released to celebrate 40 years of Steely Dan

MAYBE - Donald Fagen will do a solo tour
MAYBE - Steely Dan will be back on the road before the year is over
MAYBE - Something new from Walter Becker will arrive

NAW - A Blue-ray/DVD extravaganza or CD from the 2011 tour will be released
NAW - A new Steely Dan album is recorded and/or released
NAW - Steely Dan calls it a day and breaks up.

Let me leave you with this minor mystery. Over on steelydan.com a couple of end of tour pictures of the band appeared after the final show. They were accompanied by the line "Three seasons, two hemispheres, and sixty-three gigs later..."

A couple of weeks pass by and up pops the addition (more coming soon...)

But what?

--- Jim Fisk

UPDATE December 4, 2011: Yes, the answer to what (more coming soon...) meant is covered in this post.

bowieNet denies rumours about stage musical

Yesterday media as The Observer and The Guardian reported that David Bowie accepts to have his music in a futuristic musical.
But Bowie's official homepage presents a different version: "Neither the David Bowie Organization, nor its co-publishers EMI Music and Chrysalis, has issued a license for this performance at the O2. There are no negotiations pending for a long running musical featuring the music of Mr. Bowie."

Track list for the new Zappa Carnegie Hall album

The content of the new Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention 4 cd set is now known, since G & S Music in the UK announces they have the set available on November 28.

Disc 1 (begins with the Persuasions' show (25 minutes) and then proceeds with the beginning of The Mothers' first show. All music recorded at Carnegie Hall, N.Y.C. October 11, 1971.)
Hello (to FOH)/Ready?!
Call Any Vegetable
Anyway The Wind Blows
Magdalena
Dog Breath

Disc 2
Peaches En Regalia
Tears Began To Fall
Shove It Right In
King Kong (30 minutes!)
200 Motels Finale
Who Are The Brain Police

Disc 3 (Show #2 starts here)
Auspicious Occasion
Divan (19.45 long)
Pound For A Brown
Sleeping In A Jar
Wonderful Wino
Sharleena
Cruising For Burgers

Disc 4
Billy The Mountain - Part 1 (28.33)
Billy The Mountain - The Carnegie Solos (13.31)
Billy The Mountain - Part 2 (5.37)
The $600 Mud Shark Prelude
The Mud Shark Prelude

***

"On no, not another release by the Vaudeville band" was my first reaction when the news were out earlier this fall. BUT after hearing what the Feeding the Monkies at Ma Maison synclavier cd (the most recent FZ release) sounded like, I quickly changed my mind: "Release a Zappa rock album of any sort and I'll buy it right away!"
And I get even more convinced after seeing the track list. This could be a tasty little sucker!
We got two entire shows (although it is said to be in mono) including the complete (?) Divan suite, a super lengthy King Kong, a 13 minutes long solo section in the middle of Billy The Mountain. We also get spiffed up arrangements of two oldies that have not been released until now: Anyway The Wind Blows and Who Are The Brain Police....and the support act show by The Persuasions. Hurray!

S.H.

Unreleased Doors' song on L.A. Woman reissue

For the 40th anniversary of the Doors' L.A. Woman album, Rhino will release a 2 cd set including alternate takes of some songs plus a previously unreleased song entitled She Smells So Nice.
Read the original Rolling Stone article here, where you also can hear a preview audio snippet of She Smells So Nice!

Hear Kate Bush new one

Kate Bush has a brand new album released November 21 or 29 depending on were you live. But you can already hear all seven songs from 50 Words For Snow as part on NPR:s First Listen.

Click here!

It's also streaming on Australia's ABC Radio's Breakfast show's homepage here.

katebushnews.com is a fine place to stay on top of what's happening as far as Kate Bush goes.There is of course also katebush.com.

 Guests on the recording include Elton John and ... Stephen Fry!

Kate Bush fans should note that she'll appear on Jamie Cullum's BBC Radio 2 show December 6 at 7 p.m. local time:

Jamie Cullum conducts a rare interview with Kate Bush, as the British singer-songwriter, musician and record producer talks about the jazz she loves.

Kate also tells the story behind Misty, a track on her new album 50 Words For Snow. The two musicians discuss the complex time signatures within Misty and compare them to Take Five by Dave Brubeck, before chatting about their different approaches to composition, and their mutual love of Billie Holliday and Steely Dan.

Elvis Costello 1977/1978 vs 2011

1978:

2011:

1977: 

Happy Nigel Tufnel Day!

To Chuck Rainey from Donald and Walter

"Get better soon, Chuck! We're thinking of you --- D+W" on steelydan.com.
It's for bassist Chuck Rainey who's recuperating from a stroke he suffered last week.

He's played on a number of records since the late 1960's including a few of Steely Dan's Katy Lied, The Royal Scam, Aja and Gaucho.

http://www.chuckrainey.com/

Site tip: The Kitten Covers

A brand new blog. First post October 31 and the 15 covers published so far is enough for us to point you in the direction of The Kitten Covers!

Special Sgt Pepper issue is the world's rarest

The famous sleeve where the Fab Four is replaced with music executives has been named the world's rarest album cover...£70,000!

Read the full story by BBC News here.

Radio Dupree Top 18 - November 2011

1. Frank Zappa - Elvis Has Just Left The Building
Broadway The Hard Way

2. Steely Dan - Aja (live)
Cousin Dupree-promo

3. Becker/Fagen - Caves Of Altamira
Sun Mountain

4. Tony Allen & The Champs - Nite Owl
This Is How It All Began Vol 2 (various artists)

5. Donald Fagen - Blue Lou
Trilogy : 10 Extras

6. Dynamo Bliss - Circadian Rhythm
Circadian Rhythm

7. David Bowie - The Jean Genie
The Best Of David Bowie 1969-1974

8. Walter Becker - God's Eye View
Circus Money

9. Steely Dan - Aja
Aja

10. Frank Zappa & The Mothers - Son Of Orange County
Roxy & Elsewhere

11. Frank Zappa - Zoot Allures - Zoot Allures
12. Steely Dan - Any World - Katy Lied
13. Steely Dan - I Got The News - Aja
14. Donald Fagen - Countermoon - Kamakiriad
15. Joe Walsh - Over And Over - But Seriously, Folks
16. Marianne Faithfull - She's Got A Problem - A Child's Adventure
17. David Bowie - Survive - BBC Radio Theatre
18. The Who - Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere - Meaty, Beaty, Big And Bouncy

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

Frank Zappa catch the top spot this month. But he also gets a couple more into the chart (10 & 11). Plus the #4 song Nite Owl by Tony Allen from 1955 was a song that Zappa covered.

Our Album of the Month; Steely Dan's Aja did well. I Got The News at 13 and Aja at 9. With another version of the song Aja at number two we think it's the first time the same song has charted the same month with different versions.

Also a tip of the hat to Swedish band Dynamo Bliss at 6 with the long but popular song, and the only woman to chart this month; Marianne Faithful, at 16

--N.S.