Steely Dan's Two Against Nature is 20 years old today!

Celebratory cover version by Jim "Hoops" McKay

February 29 2000 was the day that Steely Dan released the first album of new songs since Gaucho back in 1980.

I bought the new one and after work I sat down in my sofa with headphones on and listened to the whole album once, twice. three times...

It was amazing to finally be able to listen to the record that had been rumoured for a long time and  then announced for real. Twenty years after Gaucho.

I was a happy man that day. And will l give Two Against Nature a spin today on its 20 anniversary.

It ended up being a comeback as well as the band's next to last album. 2003 saw the release of Everything Must Go. And that was it. While the short time of three years between Two Against Nature and Everything Must Go had me hoping for more Steely Dan albums they never appeared.

The band concentrated on touring and Donald Fagen and Walter Becker recorded solo albums.

I was reminded of the day and date by a post in the Dandom.com Facebook group. So on I go ... listening to Gaslighting Abbie and the rest:

1.	"Gaslighting Abbie"
2.	"What a Shame About Me"
3.	"Two Against Nature"
4.	"Janie Runaway"
5.	"Almost Gothic"
6.	"Jack of Speed"
7.	"Cousin Dupree"
8.	"Negative Girl"
9.	"West of Hollywood"

- Neb S.

Happy Birthday Walter!

Walter Becker of Steely Dan would've been 70 today. But he passed away in September 2017.

So on his birthday let us highlight the wonderful world of

walterbeckermedia.com

started in 2018 to offer "hi-fidelity rarities, demos, and unreleased tracks from Becker's archives, plus downloads, discussion boards, history, context, and pics" to fans old and new.

As of today you can listen to, download for free and discuss - also for free - 27 tracks.

Here's just a couple of them:

Nobody thought there existed any recording of the live show Walter Becker did April 7, 1995 at Slim's in San Francisco. The one and only solo show he did with songs from his album 11 Tracks of Whack. But a recording has been found and here's one song posted:



And this one has been doing the rounds for years as a very, very nth generation cassette copy among the hardcore fans. Returning in a sparkling, shiny way. The story behinf it well worth a read after you've had a listen:



Happy Birtday, Walter!

The story of the iconic Black Sabbath cover revealed

For the first time photographer Keith Macmillan tells the story of how he designed the iconic cover of Black Sabbath's debut album (released in 1970).

Macmillan tells Rolling Stone about some alternate setups with the model Louisa Livingstone. “Any kind of sexuality took away from the foreboding mood. But she was a terrific model. She had amazing courage and understanding of what I was trying to do.”

Rolling Stone has the story: 

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/black-sabbath-cover-art-keef-keith-macmillan-interview-951578/?fbclid=IwAR0jBgkJo-fIFN22MspKEYycKBKJPZrOLvkPVrduoxJEqyS2kaAAEEqkn7Y