Steely Dan Brings Timeless Rock To The Gorge
Perhaps they’re trying to make up for lost time.
Or maybe they’re aiming to fulfill all that pent-up demand.
But whatever the reason, those Steely Dan guys are practically everywhere these days.
In 1993, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen took their operation on the road for the first time since 1974. A year later, they showed up at the Gorge Amphitheatre for a sold-out two-day stand and now they’re back.
And this is the band that was once a near-myth, a loose assemblage of players who gathered periodically at Fagen and Becker’s behest to make records.
And what records: Throughout the early ‘70s, it was almost impossible to turn on the radio without stumbling upon another sophisticated slice of wit and incomprehensibility from Fagen, Becker and company.
“Dirty Work,” “Do It Again,” “Peg,” “Josie,” “FM (No Static At All),” “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number,” “Reelin’ In the Years” - it was a fascinating and impressive body of work, even if Steely Dan’s peculiar brand of irony and cool were not exactly your cup of tea.
“One of the things about our songs,” Walter Becker said in 1994, “is that they were not typical of the times in which they were made, so they don’t sound as dated as some things that are that old do.”
Steely Dan proved that at The Gorge, when capacity crowds both days rose to greet the band and sing along with the hits. The songs belong to no era or genre; they simply are Steely Dan songs.
Which is one reason you never hear anyone else cover their material.
These days, as always, Steely Dan is composed of Becker and Fagen and a host of guest players drawn from both the jazz and rock worlds. The group retains its aura of reserved cool, but jaunty melodies, great pop hooks and singable (if not entirely comprehensible) lyrics make this one band from the ‘70s that can be legitimately described as making music for the ‘90s.
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo
MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: CONCERT Steely Dan will perform at 7 p.m. Saturday at The Gorge. Tickets are $51.75 and $33.75, available at Ticketmaster outlets (Pay Less Drug Stores at University City, Northgate, downtown and South Regal) or call (509) 735-0500.