Circus Money

by

Walter Becker

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Circus Money, the sophomore album by Steely Dan's Walter Becker, comes a mere 14 years after his initial solo effort (11 Tracks of Whack), and if any album has ever justified such a long wait, this one certainly does.

Take the smoothness and production of Steely Dan, add a dash of reggae, top with a voice that is remarkably suited for the songs, and you'll have Circus Money. Larry Klein (of Joni Mitchell fame, whose production work on Herbie Hancock's latest album garnered it a Grammy for Album of the Year) keeps it simple, and the production never detracts from the best parts of the album, namely Walter's intelligent and wry lyrics and the interplay between some of the finest musicians recording today, made into a cohesive unit by touring together with Steely Dan and Walter's songwriting partner Donald Fagen over the last five years. This doesn't sound like a collection of musicians so much as a real band, and that makes this album sound more cohesive than any Steely Dan related release since perhaps Donald's The Nightfly, way back in 1982.

Listing highlights on this album would be as simple as making a list of all of the songs, leaving none off, but it seems easiest to break this album down as such: songs that remind you of why you love Steely Dan (Downtown Canon, Paging Audrey, Upside Looking Down), songs that show the reggae influence most clearly (Bob is Not Your Uncle Anymore, Do You Remember the Name), and songs that show-off Walter's aptitude as a songwriter (all other tracks).

Becker's new album is, as most Dan fans will expect, superbly arranged and performed. Also, the caliber of its musicianship and the subtleties of its production are astounding.

So why three stars? If you are a loyal worshipper of what Steely Dan produced and still represent to contemporary music, you may want more, and more in the sense of originality rather novelty, this is where Becker, to me, falls a bit short. One specific aspect of this is the preponderance of songs influenced by Reggae rhythms, a genre I love but find too "slicked up" here, for my taste.

Of course, he "owns" the Dan sound as much as Fagen, and there no laws against plagiarizing yourself, still the music is too predictable, if you will, and does not take the chances in expanding the Dan universe that prior solo albums--by him and Fagen--took in the past.

This is the paradox for me, no song will join the pantheon of Steely Dan classics yet more than one of these tunes may end up one of your favorite tracks of '08. So, if you can be satisfied with more of their sound, you'd be happy, but if you're looking for a remarkable album you may not be ecstatic.

You might call me unfair in holding Becker to a higher standard than so many other people out there but consider it a tribute to the great influence his work has had in the past on me, rather than any kind of vendetta. In conclusion, more than good enough to own, yet not an album that might dominate your playlists.