Some Songs Considered

“Parker’s Band” – Steely Dan
(Words/music: Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, available on Pretzel Logic, MCA 1974) 

A while back, The Onion published a piece titled “Donald Fagen Defends Steely Dan to Friends,” and like the best types of satire, the article touches on a lot of truth.  In it, “Fagen” lists off pretty much every defense a Steely Dan superfan offers to non-interested parties.  The fact that “wry, perfectly crafted lyrics” appears so early in this mock defense makes sense only because it’s a frequent point of praise.  It’s always surprised me how quickly that comes up.  I’ve always been attracted to their musical chops first and then found certain lyrics amusing (or, ignored them altogether).  So my appreciation (and defense, I suppose) begins with their musical chops and usually bridges into Becker and Fagen’s skill as arrangers.  The lyrics would come last, somewhere between icing on the cake and a complete afterthought.

That’s the exact way my appreciation for “Parker’s Band” evolved.  The lead guitar and quick pace first caught my attention.  Then I recognized the efficient arrangement – clocking in under three minutes partially due to its quick pace but partially due to its tight structure.  Only after the music hooked me in did I start picking up on all the clever references to jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker.  Fagan references his hometown of Kansas City, his one time record label Savoy, and his nickname “Bird.”  There’s also likely references to some of his tunes (“Groovin’ High”), his competition (“dizzy weekend” perhaps as a nod to trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie) and even Parker’s heroin habit.  In the end, the cleverness of working in these references (and having the lyrics still make sense beyond a series of in-jokes) put the song over the top.  Mr. Fagan needn’t remind me about his connection to Chevy Chase – I’m already listening.

More on Steely Dan: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm

“Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” – Steely Dan
(Words/music: Walter Becker and Donald Fagan, available on Pretzel Logic, MCA 1974)

Aside from eye rolling, the most popular image of Steely Dan connects to their perfectionism in the studio.  Rightfully so, as Steely Dan essentially consists of Walter Becker, Donald Fagan, and a cavalcade of hotshot studio players, each selected to bring their particular talents to a given song.  This concept of Becker and Fagan as studio hermits makes them seem more like producers and arrangers than musicians and undercuts their skill as songwriters.  Without some killer songs, I can’t imagine Becker and Fagan recruiting the type of players they feature on their records.  More importantly, their chops as songwriters keep these sessions from devolving into endlessly meandering jams.  That’s not to say that some of their songs aren’t self-indulgent (hence the eye rolling from many), but most of their best songs feel grounded by melody.

“Rikki Don’t Lose That Number,” especially when compared with some of the other songs on Pretzel Logic, isn’t as flashy.  Instead, it relies on a fairly simple arrangement and its laid back feel.  Even the guitar solo – flawlessly executed, per usual – feels restrained.  Becker and Fagan’s sense of arranging keeps the song from feeling overcrowded by any extraneous instrumentation, letting the song breathe naturally.  The most interesting part of the song (to me, at least) is the bridge.  If the chorus of a song gets the most attention, the bridge (or “middle eight” to some) plays the supporting role that pushes the entire production over the top.  Here, the bridge modulates slightly (I’m rusty on my chord theory, forgive me) – just enough to distinguish itself from the rest of the song and leave our ears waiting for the chorus to come back one more time.  Fagan also saves his key lines for the bridge, revealing his narrator’s resolve when the harmonic shift grabs our attention.

More on Steely Dan: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm