Hello, Hello..
Is There Anybody Out There ?
Didn't expect to be gone for so long, but Alas, the Bঊহদ বলঊT continues..
The song One in the a.m. comes from the time period soon after Walter's move to Hawaii - following the Ultra-Low Depths of Gaucho, walking away from Steely Dan, and the Urgent Need for a Fresh Perspective.. In every way.. You should already know the details about this point in time, and why Steely Dan broke apart..
It felt like Any idea was a Good idea, and Walter desperately needed an Attitude Adjustment.. Our 4am phone calls had become a Nightly Event, and a song called (Salvation Comes From) Playing on the Red Guitar was floating around in the Fourth Dimension.. It began with:
Little Willy's gone to bed, Little Willy's hurt his head..
Pull the covers, shut the light, We'll Survive this Moonless Night..
We had a mostly completed song that was composed over the phone.. I had one of the early answering machines that used cassette tape and it had an Output Jack that was run through my Stereo System, and Walter had Real equipment.. So we could Play Together, and sing, or talk, and it sounded pretty good.. It was done Strictly as a Diversion, so there were Alot of Verses, desperate attempts at Humor..
We laughed alot.. A genuine process of Mental Healing.. It kept him Productive while Everything around him was in question..
It was a slow way to go, but it worked...
The next song to come out was This song.. The verses were in a different order, or not yet complete, but the Lyrics were sharp, succinct, and potent.. Man, they Really Told a Story.. It was the Last Two Lines that grabbed me..
Records strewn across the floor, you didn't even Shut the Door..
You're still a diamond in my eyes, Counterfeit or Otherwise..
Damn, that about says it All.. Walter was Back.. I told him that the imagery blew me away and asked him if he was planning on recording the song.. He said that he wasn't planning on it, that he was just 'Exercising'.. I was working on an album of my own and asked him if I could use the last two lines.. He was quite surprised by this because my tapes were all instrumental work.. I told him that I was thinking of adding vocals to a few of the tracks, and these two lines were Perfect.. Never did use them though, but I never forgot them either..
There are some things that you Never talk about, out of respect or just to retain a sense of privacy.. Walter and I became friends after he had spent Years trying to make it all work.. It wasn't long after that point that he and Donald became successful beyond their Wildest Dreams.. After the way that it ended, Walter had to Walk Away.. It had become too much, in Every respect.. The fond memories were all turning into bad experiences, and when that happens, What do you do.. You have to know when to walk away.. Walter has always cherished his friends, whether there were Many, or only a Few.. Those friends are always there for you, hopefully, and I'm very happy to have been his Brother, and more importantly, his Friend.. Most of you have known him during the later years, from the time when Steely Dan reunited, and did All of those shows that they vowed that they would Never do.. But there is nothing more Powerful, and more Creative, than a Young Artist struggling to achieve his goals, his full potential, and his Dreams..
Walter Becker was a True Artist and a Lifelong Inspiration for so many other musicians.. That is his legacy.. Once we are all gone, Walter's legacy will continue on..
It doesn't get any better than that...
Lary