First date announced for Steely Dan 2014 tour

Message on steelydan.com (click!)

After Toto member Steve Lukather mentioned a Steely Dan tour on his Facebook page Friday it took just a day for official confirmation via an update on steelydan.com and the Steely Dan Facebook page.

And the name of the tour is apparently the Jamalot Ever After tour.

On a side note we see that the homepage text says that early info on the tour will be on the Steely Dan Facebook page, so a shift in focus from the homepage to the social media page. Hopefully they won't go all the way like donaldfagen.com did. That now redirects to his Facebook page and has for quite some time.

Looks like Steely Dan is touring in 2014

After each and every Steely Dan tour the fans have wondered if there will be a new tour next year. And the aftermath to the 2013 tour hasn't been any different.

An added difficulty is that drummer Keith Carlock who's played with Steely Dan since 2003 early this year announced that he's joining Toto. Keith has been in the studio recording with his new band and Toto has 2014 tour dates lined up that would make it hard to fit in another long Steely Dan trek like the most recent. And as Steely Dan lately has toured every other year; 2009, 2011 and 2013, it could perhaps indicate that 2014 would be a no-tour year.

But a Facebook update from Toto member Steve Lukather may be interpreted as saying that Steely Dan will be on the road again this year:

Well NEVER dull in Toto world. As it seems the news is
OUT.. yes we are very happy and honored to have Hungate and do the USA tour with us. Nathan is busy with Foreplay and his solo career now and is leaving. He was great but like Simon.. He needed to go with his own career and we are all still great friends. That is ALL I am saying for now. Keith is the only drummer on our record and will be IN the band but there is ONE last Steely Dan tour he was committed to this Aug BEFORE we asked him to join. The amazing drummer and pal Shannon Forrest is going to do the USA dates with us and Keith will return. 2015 permanately.

So, apparently, "there is ONE last Steely Dan tour he was committed to this August". And that looks like another autumn tour for Steely Dan. Right?

UPDATE March 30, 2014:

Yes. The tour will happen. Click here for all our posts about the Jamalot Ever After 2014 tour.

"113..."

Jon Anderson (Yes) forms new band with Jean-Luc Ponty

http://www.prog-sphere.com/news/jon-anderson-forms-new-band/

"Let's play number two..."

Review: Zappa's Roxy By Proxy CD

Finally it's here, the long awaited Frank Zappa CD. Here is a short rundown on the album, provided by our Zappa department (a.k.a. Dupree's Paradise):

1. Carved in the Rock. Spoken introduction where Zappa explains what the song Inca Roads is about.
2. Inca Roads. At this point this song sounded more like the version on The Lost Episodes CD, but with vocals. Lovely and humorous introduction by George Duke (keys and vocals). Solos by Duke and trombone player Bruce Fowler. One of the highlights on the CD.
3. Penguin in Bondage. Sounds similar to the Roxy & Elsewhere version but it's a different take which becomes obvious when we get to the guitar solo.
4. T'Mershi Duween. The short intense instrumental that the 1973 Mothers performed so well. Later versions are not that enjoyable (our opinion). Suited best as an instrumental.
5. The Dog Breath Variations/Uncle Meat. Bruce Fowler's trombone playing along with the melody adds extra splendor.
6. RDNZL. Rather short version. Solos by Zappa and Duke (fast!)
7. Village of the Sun. Zappa's guitar lines during the first bars of the song are different (not as tasteful) as on the Roxy & Elsewhere album. Napoleon Murphy Brock's lead vocals are somewhat weak also.
8. Echidna's Arf. Both Echidna and Wash That Thing remind a lot of the R & E versions. Different takes though.
9. Don't You Ever Wash That Thing? Ends with a drum solo that continues as...
10. Cheepnis - Percussion. Drums and percussion only. Fascinating that they make it!
11. Cheepnis. Frank knew what he did when he overdubbed extra vocals on the R & E version. Nice version anyhow.
12. Dupree's Paradise. We needed this one! Have never really liked the YCDTOSA 2 and Make A Jazz Noise Here versions. Funky intro by mr. Duke. Solos by Brock (flute), Tom Fowler (bass) and Zappa (guitar).
13. King Kong/Chunga's Revenge/Mr. Green Genes. Nice medley. Too short though (9 minutes).Solos: Trombone, synthesizer, guitar.

Conclusion: Great sound, the Roxy sound. Lots of percussion! Great material, great performance by this outstanding unit. An alternative to the perverted kick drum album You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore, Vol. 2. Please note that this is very much an instrumental album. It's obvious that the lead vocalist Napoleon Murphy Brock was new in the band at the time (December 1973) since he does not sing so much. But his time was about to come the following year.

Elton's "new" old one and The Endless Versions dilemma

Today is the day that all fans of Elton John gets a chance to buy his 1973 classic Goodbye Yellow Brick Road in a brand new 40th Anniversary version.
Hold on! Make that "versions".

These days the deluxe versions of classic or more recent successful albums is a lucrative market and the way the business works means that these days it's not enough with one new re-release. They usually come in two or more versions.

Let's take the Elton John release as a prime example.

One: You can go for the basic remastered CD. What you do get here is a hopefully better sounding album compared to the previous remaster.

Two: The next step up is the 2CD version adding one CD with nine brand new covers by "contemporary artists" like Ed Sheeran and Imelda Marcus plus nine demos and outtakes from the original recording sessions.

Third: The vinyl version. As the original on two LP:s but this time around pressed on 180-gram yellow vinyl.

Fourth: The Supe Deluxe version. The box with the 2CD version mentioned above plus 2CD:s containing a recording of Elton's December 1973 concert at the Hammersmith Odeon in London. There's also a DVD with the 1973 documentary Elton John and Bernie Taupin Say Goodbye To Norma Jean and Other Things and a 100 page book in the box.

And that's it, right?
No!

The audiophile Elton John fan will want the HD Pure Audio Blu-ray version that includes a high resolution version of the new stereo and a 5.1 surround mix. The latter seems to be the same as the 5.1 mix released on SACD in 2003 and DVD Audio 2004 (remember those formats?)

Let's see. That's five new physical versions. Downloads not counted.
And we could argue that the HD Pure Audio version should've been included in the box to be able to call it Suped Deluxe, but...

But ... if you care to wait a month you can get a sixth alternative; the Japanese SHM-CD pressing. With SHM-CD:s supposedly sounding better than the usual CD:s, but the jury is out on that one.

OK. So this is just one example of the piling up of versions when an album gets re-released. Usually stacked so that you have to buy multiple copies to get all the goodies.
Still, it must work as they become more frequent.

The lesson learned is to check and compare before you buy! And maybe that 30th Anniversary version you bought ten years ago will do...?

"It's a goddamn party record!"

Kate Bush to play live again after 35 years!

She did her first and only tour in April and May 1979, but has since then stayed away from performing live with a couple of exceptions. Like her guest vocal on Pink Floyd's Comfortably Numb during a David Gilmour performance in 2002.

Nobody expected her to play live again, but now she's announced 15 shows at the at Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith in London August-September 2014.
Tickets go on sale March 28 and we'd be surprised if they didn't sell out quicker than fast. A lot of people have waited for a chance to go to a Kate Bush concert.

Here's a couple of videos from her 1979 tour:

Weekend music: ゲスの極み乙女。 「パラレルスペック」

Gesu No Kiwami Otome and the track Pararerusupekku. We know very little about this Japanese band. But we know that we like this track from the mini album Minna Nōmaru / みんなノーマル arriving in early April.

And here's the link to the homepage!

Led Zeppelin re-release the first albums + bonus discs

The first three Zeppelin albums are newly remastered and will be released on June 2, each one with an "additional disc of previously unreleased companion audio". 
CD and vinyl and more. Read here.

Japanese translation of Donald Fagen's Eminent Hipsters/ヒップの極意 imminent

Japanese fans of Steely Dan and Donald Fagen will be able to read his book Eminent Hipsters in Japanese in a couple of months.

DU BOOKS has announced the release date as May 2014. Catalogue Number: DUBK056.
The Japanese title is ヒップの極意 (Hippu no goku) that according to Google translates as Secret of hip.

Link to DU BOOKS page on the book.

Zappa's Roxy By Proxy CD is on its way

Finally, the long awaited soundtrack to Frank Zappa's Roxy DVD is on its way!
Got the message yesterday from Barko-Swill. Hopefully you won't have to wait too long to hear the songs on Radio Dupree.

David Palmer sues Steely Dan over royalties

It does seem to be an unwritten rule that if you have a bit of success and longetivity in the music business you'll eventually arrive at a lawsuit.

Dave Palmer, original vocalist in Steely Dan, is suing for royalties earned via satellite and streaming services between 2000 and 2012. Read more here:
Ultimate Classic Rock and Showbiz 411.

Radio Dupree Top 4 - March 2014

1. Jethro Tull - Wond'ring Again
Living In The Past

2. UK - Mental Medication
UK

3. Talking Heads - I'm Not In Love (Alternate Version)
More Songs About Buildings and Food

4. Jethro Tull - Thick As A Brick (excerpt)
Thick As A Brick

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