Almost like a lullaby, isn't it? Very soothing.

My favorite song on Circus Money and one of my all-time favorites by anyone. It's a beautiful melody, touching lyrics, and great guitar licks throughout. Sometimes brings me to tears.

I guess I must be an originalist, since I essentially shrugged when this latest version got out. But regarding Wayne Robins... as knowledgable as he is about SD (and I know he is from personal experience), he is still just another critic, and so I just say, "the work seduces us with light."

What a treasure trove this is! Love hearing all 3 of these. It's interesting to me how WB did not play guitar on these (unless he did on the instrumental version... any credits available on that one?). I know Dean co-wrote the tune so in a way it makes sense. But on the original CD, WB credits himself with "solo guitars" except for a couple. I think what it always comes down to for all of their stuff (both SD and solo) is, did it capture the spirit or the feel that he/they were looking for? I'm pretty sure in one of the interviews he did around the time of release, he said almost exactly that in explaining why he went with the "machine" versions on most of the songs. But for me personally, I lean toward the full-band versions just for the great musicianship. The Signet band is probably my personal favorite but it's close. And always, I love hearing Walter play guitar so it's always a slight disappointment when he is not on the credits. But hey, thank you @Moderator: D-Mod for these gems!

I take everything in the Sweet book with a grain of salt, because I know it was put together without a lot of care or attention to detail. It may well be true, but I would need more of a reliable source to seal the deal for me.

Regarding "AI", I feel like that term has recently gotten way overused and no longer applies to its original intent: a machine that doesn't just think like a human but actually wakes up and becomes self-aware. That to me is true AI (and quite scary too). Anyway...

Love this, thank you @Moderator: D-Mod ! It's mesmerizing, such a powerful groove that it's literally almost hypnotizing. I may put it on loop and see what it does to me haha! Hey, is there any chance you can also make available a download of the final CD version of this great tune? It may be the only officially released tune by WB that I do not have in my digital playlist. Thanks again!!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YnlTd27qQ14

What a beautiful voice he had. And also love the Jamerson bass. Thought I’d post these to show (maybe) Jamerson’s influence on WB, heard in lovely stark relief. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8px0fO_es5A

Perfect description of how perfectly suited his solos were for the SD sound. For me, they really defined the SD sound. But I still do have a lingering question about the Pretzel Logic reference. I have no reason to doubt that it was indeed Walter playing lead guitar on that tune, but has that ever been documented anywhere? Like a quote from him or Donald, or a credit somewhere on a reissue? Or do we "just know"?

Great list here! One minor point for all the completists out there: you note the (unfortunately) unreleased album that WB produced for Marty Krystall. There was actually one track from that album that did get an official release, a song called Epistrophy that appeared on a Windham Hill Jazz compilation called "Commotion 2" that came out in '92. Maybe they put it on there expecting the album to be released and then it wasn't? Anyway...

You guys have WB as bass man on all of the Katy Lied songs. On the album's original liner notes, they have WB, Chuck Rainey and Wilton Felder, though we don't exactly know which of those three played bass on some of the songs. Unless there is something you know of course! What do you think?

I've always been in search of the actual song-by-song credits for the Pretzel Logic and Royal Scam albums. I see that you have WB credited for the songs Pretzel Logic and The Fez. I understand that you may actually just KNOW that he did those, and I don't doubt that he did, but has that information ever appeared anywhere in official form? Just curious.

@Moderator: D-Mod You may be on to something there. How about Black Friday and Money? Both have that kind of snarling, rockin tone that the songs require, playing off the bass line

Love stuff like this... just to see what he enjoyed listening to is so enlightening. Mostly it's music that I would expect to see, based on what we know of his tastes, but there were a few surprises for me, like the David Gilmour and Bruce Hornsby records. I wonder if he also liked any of the Pink Floyd albums. One comparison I have always drawn is Gilmour's solo on Comfortably Numb and Carlton's on Third World Man. Both of those are so beautifully lyrical and poignant and they give me goose bumps every time I hear them.

@Jacob Flores it has a lovely, aching lyrical quality to it, kind of like Carlton’s amazing solo on Third World Man

Upside Looking Down... just a stunningly beautiful little lullabye, always grabs me by the heartstrings and doesn't let go. Amazing solo by Dean Parks in the middle is one of my all-time favorites

Great article, well-written, sharp insights. Really funny quotes from Donald. But the last one really resonates with me: "I just thought we were making something beautiful." Indeed. It makes me feel good to know that their music seems destined to be appreciated long after we're all gone. Somewhere Walter is on the upside looking down and nodding his head in agreement.

@KEITH RICHARDSON Good catch, maybe that's why I was feeling a CM vibe on that one!

Great to hear these unfinished works. It’s interesting to me that they both come from roughly the same time, because Ax has a 11ToW feel to me, while Oceans sounds like it could have been something intended for C$. Maybe we just chalk it up to, it’s all Walter and that’s what matters! Thanks for these and keep it coming please!