Elly Roberts reviews
Donald Fagan and Walter Becker
You Gotta Walk It Like You Talk It (Before You Lose That Beat)
Distributed by
Cherry Red Records
- Released: 2006 (original recording 1971)
- Rating: 4/10
Before ol’ Walt and Dan became famous as Steely Dan,
darlings of the '70 and '80s neuvo jazz scene, they left their calling card
on this original soundtrack album from 1971.
Here we find the budding geniuses trying to make an impression on the
unsuspecting world of music. Steely Dan became one of my favourite bands whilst
at Art College and Teacher Training college in the ‘70s, releasing seminal
albums Can’t Buy A Thrill, Countdown To Ecstasy, Pretzel Logic, Katy Lied
and The Royal Scam.
If fact, I bought this album the first time around, though the artwork was
totally different – a simple white LP cover as I recall.
Here we find the illustrious pair making a ‘soundtrack’ album for the
low-budget Richard Prior film, which I’ve never seen, so it’s hard to measure
its success or impact.
It will never be classed as classic Fagan-Becker material, nevertheless
it’s an important part of their back-catalogue. It should be seen as their
embryonic stage, and treated as such.
Of the tracks, which includes a reprise of You Gotta Walk running at
a meagre 43 seconds, songs go up to eight minutes plus, so there’s plenty to
get your teeth into.
Seeds of future work are found on sublime instrumental Red Giant/Green Dwarf
at 8 minutes plus, containing some wiry guitar solos from future Dan man
Denny Diaz. Sprightly You Gotta Walk and Flotsam and Jetsam are
also good indications of their potential, though the production by Kenny
Vance (of Jay And The Americans) is very thin.
At just over a minute and half, bizarre War and Peace is a cacophonous
drum piano interlude before going into the reprise.
Definitely a release for the fans I’m afraid, and I’m a big one
The full list of tracks included are :
Review & concert pics copyright © Elly Roberts, 2004-2010.
