11 Tracks of Whack

Amazon.com
As one half of Steely Dan, bassist, guitarist, and cowriter Walter Becker was often overlooked simply because the words came out of his partner's mouth. But any post-Dan suspicions that it was Donald Fagen who carried more weight in shaping the duo's stealth- pop are brilliantly atomized by this superb, if underrated, 1994 solo debut for Becker, which confirms his stand- alone gifts for intricate jazz harmonies, his instincts for superb arrangements, and above all his powers as a lyricist. On the evidence of 11 Tracks of Whack, it's Becker who excels at the oblique, coded language that was one of Steely Dan's most insidious weapons: from the opening "Down in the Bottom" and the withering, yet tender "Junkie Girl," "Book of Liars" and "Cringemaker," Becker crafts shadowy relationships, telling gesture, and street patois into brilliant, highly stylized songs. Apart from shedding fresh light onto one of the most potent writing partnerships in pop, these Tracks pack whack indeed. -- Sam Sutherland

11 Tracks of Whack,Walter Becker,Giant Records / Wea,Pop,Pop/Rock,Popular Music,Rock,Rock/Pop

11 Tracks of Whack

Average customer rating:

Too much analysis here, perhaps?
A great sound from half of Steely Dan
Despite early disappointment
Weaker Half of Steely Dan Disappoints
It'll Grow on You

11 Tracks of Whack
Walter Becker
Manufacturer: Giant Records / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music
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Kamakiriad
Morph the Cat
The Nightfly
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Alive in America

ASIN: B000002L2L
Release Date: 1994-09-27

Tracks:

Down In The Bottom
Junkie Girl
Surf And/Or Die
Book Of Liars
Lucky Henry
Hard Up Case
Cringemaker
Girlfriend
My Waterloo
This Moody Bastard
Hat Too Flat
Little Kawai

Amazon.com

As one half of Steely Dan, bassist, guitarist, and cowriter Walter Becker was often overlooked simply because the words came out of his partner's mouth. But any post-Dan suspicions that it was Donald Fagen who carried more weight in shaping the duo's stealth- pop are brilliantly atomized by this superb, if underrated, 1994 solo debut for Becker, which confirms his stand- alone gifts for intricate jazz harmonies, his instincts for superb arrangements, and above all his powers as a lyricist. On the evidence of 11 Tracks of Whack, it's Becker who excels at the oblique, coded language that was one of Steely Dan's most insidious weapons: from the opening "Down in the Bottom" and the withering, yet tender "Junkie Girl," "Book of Liars" and "Cringemaker," Becker crafts shadowy relationships, telling gesture, and street patois into brilliant, highly stylized songs. Apart from shedding fresh light onto one of the most potent writing partnerships in pop, these Tracks pack whack indeed. -- Sam Sutherland

Customer Reviews:

Too much analysis here, perhaps?.......2007-03-20

Given the nature of the legendary Steely Dan (which ended with "Gaucho"), it is natural to analyze the solo albums by Fagen and Becker in terms of that era. Yes, the sounds are there, and there are many moments of songwriting (and similar arranging) that bring it all back - almost.
Fagen moved away from the song-as-central-element, especially after "The Nightfly," which I already felt lacked something (oh, it must be Becker, right? Or maybe Donald was evolving). I am not a fan of his subsequent solo work, and I think his stylistic evolution is the force behind the revived S. Dan, which I find lacking in "songfulness" - texture and jamming galore, but where are the memorable tunes and structures that gripped us (remember how "Aja" worked the two elements so well)? Perhaps they are a band of their "first golden era": nostalgia-evoking, however unique - and for us who never saw them live in the '70s, their renewed touring is a treat! Thank you, dudes.
So, here is Walter, keeping to himself for over 10 years before venturing into the studio on his own behalf. I can see Fagen pushing him to sing his own songs; we all came to hear Fagen as THE voice of Dan (not to mention Jeff Baxter and, later, all the guest guitarists seemingly reducing Walter's role). Clearly, many of my fellow critics picked out Walter's style, and I appreciate their help - especially when listening to "11 TOW."
"11 TOW" (but there are 12 songs, so....): In brief, quirky and often dark, with a limited vocal range, some understated tasty moments, probably more autobiography than we required - and it still works, as Walter's record - not quasi-Dan. Many reviewers caught the lyrical touches, the gentle funkiness (the drums are pretty minimal, at times too much so). I'm glad to hear he's now comfortable in concert as a singer - he sounded uneasy in "Book of Liars" on "Alive in America."
Like Lennon/McCartney? Only at the beginning, then they went their own ways (remember "I Feel Fine" and "She's A Woman") - and in the solo eras, didn't we all "catch" Beatles refs in different songs of theirs (not to mention George, who really took off on his own)?
Fagen/Becker? Absolutely up through "Gaucho." Since then? Not the same. Let's be happy Walter gave us this record; however unlike the Dan of the '70s it is, it is also different from the new Dan of the last decade, and I for one appreciate that fact.

A great sound from half of Steely Dan.......2007-02-10

Walter Becker (1/2 of the great jazz/rock band Steely Dan) has produced a great sounding album that, although tinged with the Steely Dan sound, shows that he has his own unique brand of music to offer.
This album shows that (and I love Steely Dan so I am not complaining) Donald Fagen (the other 1/2 of Steely Dan) has more of the creative control over Steely Dan. The sound that Fagen produced on his solo works was very much the same as that which Steely Dan created and perfected in the 70's. Walter Becker has shown on this album that he, despite the fact that Fagen co-produced and played, has a completely different feel for composition, playing and singing. Becker does prove, through his lyrics and even the album title, to be the more sarcastic and ironic portion of Steely Dan; the album title is a great example: dumb question; how many songs are there on "11 Tracks of Whack"? dumb answer, 12. Becker wrote 11 of the songs himself (perhaps lending to the title), and co-wrote the 12th. The irony in the title could also be a simple play on the title itself; the back of the album jacket gives the definition of "whack" as 'a first stab or crude attempt', perhaps showing Becker's own self-deprecating sense of humor in suggesting that he only accomplishes his goal of good music on 11 of the 12 tracks. Regardless, Becker proves that the sharp wit and biting lyrics of Steely Dan fame are a shared phenomenon of the Steely Dan duo.
This album has a great rock edge while still remaining "fuzzy" around the edges. Obviously due to Becker's instrument of choice, the guitar, the album has a strong guitar backbone; grown from the Steely Dan sound while it delves in to new musical territory for the SD alum. It definitely leaves me wanting for more solo work from Becker.
"Book of Liars", a slow jazz tune that owns it's time on the album, is by far the best song. "Surf and/or Die" mercifully takes you in the opposite direction of The Beach Boys sound, with a fantastic bass line and groovy guitar licks. "Down in the Bottom", "Junkie Girl" and "Lucky Henry" are all fantastic tunes with great lyrics. "Girlfriend" has a decidedly Steely Dan feel despite the synth-drums that are a bit too 80's for me. "My Waterloo" and "Hat too Flat" both have a cool semi-reggae feel, again despite the synth-drums on "My Waterloo". "Hat too Flat" has a slow rythym that sucks you in yet almost makes you uncomfortable because you keep waiting for it to take off. "Little Kawai", I believe was composed as a Hawaiian tune, replete with the obligatory ukelele (Becker has a recording studio in and lives part-time in Hawaii), but it sounds more like a country tune and just doesn't quite do it for me. "Hard Up Case", "Cringemaker" and "This Moody Bastard" round out the album with solid licks, cool bass lines and great percussion.
Becker has offered a truly eclectic collection of tunes that tend to keep you off balance due to the extreme swings of mood, rythym, sound and lyric. Altogether, a really good album. 4.5 out of 5; not quite excellent.

Despite early disappointment.......2006-10-02

Sometimes it takes a couple of times to get to the bottom of something. When I first heard this disc I thought to myself, "This is okay.." but then the tunes kept playing over and over in my head. My subconscious, perhaps the reptile brain -as it's so quaintly described by the sage cynics of our day- got what my surface brain with all it's sensitivity and seeming sophistication missed. This is a ride down to our darker soul and it's not all gloom and doom. That part of me is more primal and languid in essence. This is not Steely Dan but it has a lot of the same verve and wit that makes that partnership work so well. Giving this disc another chance I realized that it had the same catch as regular Steely Dan music in that it takes a few times to really hook into the vibe. Once that happened, as usual, I was flowing with the musical tide to the very end wanting to dive in the deep end and start all over again.

Weaker Half of Steely Dan Disappoints.......2006-08-15

I love Steely Dan! The two without whom the Dan would not exist are Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. I have all of Mr. Fagen's solo efforts and love them as much as anything the Dan has ever done. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for 11 Tracks of Whack by Mr. Becker. For all of my great expectations I am sorely disappointed. That most of the material on this cd fails to live up to the high standards one has come to expect from the team of Fagen and Becker is my greatest let down. I could care less that the material is very different from Steely Dan songs. Indeed, to be very different could be a delightful surprise if it weren't for the mediocre writing and vocals. There are moments where Becker's influences on the Dan's sound are evident. What is more evident after listening to 11 TOW is how Donald Fagen's mastery of chordal voicings and ingenious harmonies provide within the Steely Dan sound, the musical sophistication lacking in Becker's ideas at least as they are presented on 11 TOW! I really wish I could find one redeeming element about this cd but from the mundane lyrics to the insufficient lead vocal to the overall sameness among the tunes, I can only figure Walter Becker thanks God every day for Donald Fagen. Now that I own 11 Tracks of Whack, I know I do!

It'll Grow on You.......2006-07-24

Alright, if your not a Steely Dan fan, I do not reccomed this to you. It's rather uneventful soundscape is not going to appeal to you if your not already interested in the character of Walter Becker.
That being said, at first, second, and even third listen of this album I was unimpressed. I liked "Book of Liars", but it wasnt until I'd heard "Hat Too Flat" for the fourth time that I was reassured of Becker and Fagens genius. Its a most interesting song that, despite its subtlety, will lead you right into the rest of the album with its unique arrangement.
It took a few listens but "11 Tracks of Whack" will earn its place in your collection soon enough.

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