Alembic Guitars Club

Connecting => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: David Houck on September 03, 2017, 09:36:27 AM

Title: Walter Becker has passed
Post by: David Houck on September 03, 2017, 09:36:27 AM

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/walter-becker-steely-dan-co-founder-dead-at-67-w500956 (http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/walter-becker-steely-dan-co-founder-dead-at-67-w500956)

Title: Re: Walter Becker has passed
Post by: pauldo on September 03, 2017, 10:34:46 AM

Legends and heroes of our time are waning.  We are fortunate to have experienced them.

Title: Re: Walter Becker has passed
Post by: hammer on September 03, 2017, 12:56:58 PM

So many passing so fast and so few left. Walter was a one off with exceptional technique and an ability to perfectly complememt Donald Fagan.

Title: Re: Walter Becker has passed
Post by: Philip-M-Bass on September 03, 2017, 01:03:16 PM

Amazing Talent, very sad!!

Title: Re: Walter Becker has passed
Post by: keith_h on September 03, 2017, 02:58:16 PM

I just read this too. Another one gone too early.

Title: Re: Walter Becker has passed
Post by: David Houck on September 03, 2017, 07:54:47 PM

Here's some video of Becker playing guitar.  Josie (https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=walter+becker+guitar+solo&page=&utm_source=opensearch)

Title: Re: Walter Becker has passed
Post by: Philip-M-Bass on September 03, 2017, 08:10:32 PM

Great vids

Title: Re: Walter Becker has passed
Post by: bigredbass on September 03, 2017, 08:30:32 PM

Every year, sometime along the way, it's 'Dan Time'.  Like a DNA-based animal migration, or the planets rolling through their orbits, I'd have to drag out the SD albums, Donald's solo records, and WB's '11 Tracks of Whack'.  Still need a few to round out having everything.  It was always a cleansing ritual, to listen to their take on things, the elegant intelligence of their charts and the amazing musicianship and of course the recording and production on their records was always at such a high standard.  To hear things done so smartly was always a lesson to me.

I think the most amazing thing is that Walter was one of the few true doublers on guitar and bass at the level their music was performed at.  I can think of many great guitarists and lots of great bassists, but few who were at his level of accomplishment.  Not a lot of guys that could sub for Anthony Jackson or Abe Laboriel, then turn right around and sub for Dean Parks or Larry Carlton.  I can't think of another.

So here's WB making double-scale the hard way, one of many examples:

Title: Re: Walter Becker has passed
Post by: Philip-M-Bass on September 03, 2017, 10:27:28 PM

Hi Big Red!!

Love that song!! great bass line!!  WB irreplaceable talent!!!

I remember during the 1980's when Walter produced this really cool album by the English band China Crisis!

I believe it was called "Flaunt the Imperfection"!

Oh yea, I almost forgot,

The only other person that I can think of who was great on both guitar & bass, was Greg Lake!!

Title: Re: Walter Becker has passed
Post by: cozmik_cowboy on September 04, 2017, 04:18:22 AM

I have a little time before work, so I was just reading the Wikipedia page on Steely Dan.  It says that when Becker & Fagan were in Jay & The Americans, Jay Black called them "the Manson and Starkweather of rock'n'roll".  I love it!

Peter

Title: Re: Walter Becker has passed
Post by: edwin on September 04, 2017, 10:02:05 PM

Quote from: cozmik_cowboy on September 04, 2017, 04:18:22 AM

I have a little time before work, so I was just reading the Wikipedia page on Steely Dan.  It says that when Becker & Fagan were in Jay & The Americans, Jay Black called them "the Manson and Starkweather of rock'n'roll".  I love it!

Peter

Forgive my ignorance, but who is Starkweather? The only Starkweather I know is Stacy Starkweather, a fantastic Bay Area bass player.

Title: Re: Walter Becker has passed
Post by: ryan_p on September 05, 2017, 12:24:45 AM

What a loss. Thank you, Walter.

Title: Re: Walter Becker has passed
Post by: cozmik_cowboy on September 05, 2017, 04:11:34 AM

Quote from: edwin on September 04, 2017, 10:02:05 PM

Forgive my ignorance, but who is Starkweather? The only Starkweather I know is Stacy Starkweather, a fantastic Bay Area bass player.

Charles Starkweather - teenage spree killer; he & his girlfriend killed 11 people in NE & WY in Dec '57 & Jan '58.  He was the basis for Martin Sheen's character in Badlands.

Peter

Title: Re: Walter Becker has passed
Post by: Philip-M-Bass on September 05, 2017, 06:37:19 AM

Hey everyone ,

I found an insightful article that looks at Walter as a musician!!

http://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2017/09/04/548384628/walter-becker-was-a-master-of-musical-understatement

found this to be very enlightening !!