16 illinoisentertainer. com april 2025
Continued from from page page 14 16 intoxicating opener“ Benediction” in his reedy and accessible tenor. Reflecting a Chinese proverb, the song is a prayer that every challenge will become a blessing. Tumbling guitars ring gently like gamelan bells, accompanied by strings and Josh Seurkamp’ s restrained but insistent percussion. The mesmerizing single“ The Golden Hour” is both restless and resolute through unsettling times of transition, savoring“ the sweetness and the sour.” New Orleans waltz“ Wait for the Light” encourages steadfastness to the weary and hopeless.“ The People’ s Republic of Walnut Hills” is a welcoming and cinematic instrumental evoking a jazzier spin on Brokeback’ s gothic soundscapes, with Hordinski’ s relaxed guitar melody dancing atop Rusty Burge’ s glistening vibraphone. The spirited but reflective Flesh and Ghost is appropriately haunting and invites immersive listening.( richordinskimusic. com)
– Jeff Elbel
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STEELY DAN Katy Lied
LP Reissue( UMG)
Universal has returned Steely Dan’ s fourth album, Katy Lied, to printafter more than 40 years. Those with old copies of Decade will be acquainted with“ Doctor Wu,” and people with Greatest Hits will also know FM radio staple“ Bad Sneakers” and Top 40 single“ Black Friday.” If those tracks hadn’ t already driven you to pick up the full album, the 50th anniversary of Katy Lied is a good excuse to tune in. The album’ s remaining seven tracks also share Walter Becker and Donald Fagen’ s unique jazz-rock fusion, meticulous production, and wry worldview. This was the first album made by Becker and Fagen after taking Steely Dan off the road and transitioning into a project purely for the studio. The distinctively smooth voice of Michael McDonald is featured for the first time on a Steely Dan record, augmenting Fagen’ s deadpan vocals on songs like“ Bad
Sneakers.” The song also benefits from Michael Omartian’ s glistening piano and Becker’ s sly lead guitar and electric sitar. Larry Carlton makes his Steely Dan debut on " Daddy Don ' t Live in That New York City No More,” foreshadowing memorable work to come on tracks like“ Kid Charlemagne” and“ Don’ t Take Me Alive.” Phil Woods’ alto saxophone solo elevates the smooth but insidious“ Doctor Wu,” a song sometimes described as a portrait of a love triangle between a man, a woman, and heroin. The upbeat“ Everyone ' s Gone to the Movies” includes cheerful percussion and youthful imagery while telling the depraved story of a child molester.“ Rose Darling” adds uptempo country to an otherwise urbane mix. The harmonyladen“ Your Gold Teeth II” swings in 6 / 8 time.“ Throw Back the Little Ones” finds an undercover cop trying to blend into inner city surroundings for a bust. Future Toto drummer Jeff Porcaro, then a 20-yearold wunderkind, plays throughout the album, barring one song. The musically adventurous“ Any World( That I’ m Welcome To)” is propelled by studio legend Hal Blaine.“ Any world that I’ m welcome to is better than the one I come from,” sings Fagen bitterly. Porcaro’ s fellow future Toto member David Paich plays the electric piano boogie on“ Black Friday.” The song describes a swindler who takes his ill-gotten gains and flees to an easy life in Australia“ with nothing to do but feed the kangaroos.” Despite losing Jeff“ Skunk” Baxter, the song( and album) includes inventive and memorable guitar soloing that dances atop a loping bass groove.
Becker and Fagen were initially dissatisfied with the album due to the effects of unproven equipment, but the sound has been refreshed with a new remaster. A premium 45 RPM version benefits from the ultra-high-quality remaster( UHQR) process.
– Jeff Elbel
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THE ROLLING STONES Welcome to Shepherd’ s Bush Blu-ray + CD( Mercury Studios)
In the midst of a summer 1999 stadium run, the Rolling Stones took a side trip during their No Security tour to play a hometown gig before 1800 lucky fans at Shepherd’ s Bush Empire. In what must have been a treat for the band itself as much as for fans who returned to attend the massive shows that followed at nearby Wembley Stadium, the Stones shook up the set list at this“ secret gig” to include a half dozen deep cuts rarely or never played on the rest of the globetrotting tour.
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