Guitarist Jeff Richman has produced his fourth guitar tribute CD for the Tone Center label. The three previous compilations paid homage to John Coltrane (A Guitar Supreme), Miles Davis (Fusion For Miles), and the Mahavishnu Orchestra (Visions Of An Inner Mounting Apocalypse). This time around it's a tribute to Steely Dan entitled The Royal Dan: A Tribute.
The core band on the CD is comprised of Vinnie Colaiuta on drums, Jimmy Halsip on bass, Peter Wolf on keys, Ernie Watts on sax, and Richman himself on rhythm guitar (and lead on 'Josie'). Richman also arranged all the songs, and in almost every case, the songs are reworked quite a bit.
There are some really great performances here. Steve Lukather is awesome on 'Pretzel Logic'. His style fits perfectly with the tune. His solo is a mixture of hip lines, and those wild, unhinged 'Luke' explosions we all know and love. The result is a tune that is heavier than the original, and very cool. Another perfect match is Jimmy Herring on 'The Fez'. The arrangement sounds pretty faithful to the original, and Herring plays some real cool lines over the changes. Herring's one of those guys who's touch and harmonic sensibility make him a great fit for Steely Dan material. You can easily imagine him as one of the stable of guitar greats playing on the original albums. (For further evidence of this, check out some live Dragonflys shows where Herring tears it up on 'Kid Charlemagne').
Another favorite for me is 'Bodhisattva' featuring Steve Morse. This is another example where the guitarist really fits the song. Morse's bluesy phrasing and tumbling lines really work here. The most interesting arrangement/performance may be 'Aja' with Al DiMeola. The song sounds radically different from the original. It's turned into more of a jazz piece. DiMeola plays a great solo on nylon string guitar.
There are other great performances as well, such as Robben Ford on 'Peg', and Frank Gambale on 'FM'. Jay Graydon and Elliot Randall (both of whom played on original Steely Dan albums) have featured spots also. The only song I don't care for much is 'Dirty Work' with Mike Stern. For some reason the whole tune sounds timid, in my opinion. Stern has appeared on all four of the Richman tribute albums. I prefer his take on 'My Favorite Things' from the Coltrane tribute to what he does this time around. He plays well here, but it just doesn't quite gel for me.
Of all the guitar tribute albums Jeff Richman has produced, I'd say the Mahavishnu tribute is my personal favorite. This album, however, is a close second. Well worth picking up.
Utter garbage.
This recording is worse that Steely Dan songs I have heard in elevators.
If you are gonna cover SD tunes you better put your total guts and soul into it.
Otherwise just leave it alone
Posted by: mk | December 02, 2006 at 07:42 PM
Excellent jazz, don't expect the Dan sound, January 9, 2007
Reviewer: Michael Young - See all my reviews
This is an excellent Jazz album with all Steely Dan songs, but the various artists play using their own interpertation so don't expect to capture that Steely Dan feeling. If you like their songs no matter who plays them, and us real fans do, this is for you. What Donald and Walter created in their early albums can not be repeated so I guess I am glad others don't try to duplicate.
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This is why there are so few covers of Steely Dan, October 12, 2006
Reviewer: Eddie Caplan (Midwest USA) - See all my reviews
The previous 3 reviews are right on the mark. I've often wondered why so few artists cover Steely Dan songs. This CD explains it. Even with top shelf musicians it seems to be nearly impossible to improve on the original. Maybe it's because the Dan occupies such a razor sharp domain in the music spectrum that it defies alteration.
Eddie
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Ho hum., July 22, 2006
Reviewer: Georgia Guitarist "Chuck" (Marietta, GA United States) - See all my reviews
This is, I believe, the fourth guitar-centric tribute album produced by Jeff Richman for the Tone Center label, and it is by far the least interesting. Perhaps that's because this is the only one of the four that pays tribute to a vocal group.
Whatever the reason, the arrangements aren't interesting nor do these versions add new dimensions to the original versions. Further, to me, the guitar solos just don't sound inspired.
In summary, there's nothing wrong with this set of music, but there's nothing particularly interesting about it, either. There's not one song or guitar solo that grabs my attention. It might make great party background music, though. No conversations will be interrupted with the "Wow! Who's that?" question.
Editorial detour: In the order that I enjoy them, the other Tone Center tributes are as follows - (1) the John Coltrane tribute, A Guitar Supreme [5 stars], (2) the Miles Davis tribute [4-1/2 stars] and (3) the John McLaughlin tribute, Visions of the Inner Mounting Apocalypse [4 stars]. Each of these does contain several "Wow! Who's that?" moments.
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a pale echo, June 30, 2006
Reviewer: Michael J Edelman (Huntington Woods, MI USA) - See all my reviews
Take some of the greatest, harmonically sophisticated pop music of the twentieth century, and add a handful of the best jazz/funk guitarists around,a nd what do you get?
Well, not much, really. Becker and Fagen's carefully crafted songs had just enough guitar or sax solo in each to compliment the body of the song; they knew that it's the right mix of lyrics with a catchy melodic hook that really makes a great song.
What we have hear is a band vamping on the changes along with solos that really aren't anything special, and in most cases fall far short of the brief and intense solos that accompnaied the originals. Certainly Steve Morse' attempt at "Bodhisattiva" doesn't come close to the intensity found in the Denny Dias original, and even where the same guitarist who played on the original track is playing, it's just not as interesting as the original.
Tribute albums seldom live up to the originals, and the more distinctive the original, the harder it is to improve on it.
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Another Tribute Album......, June 3, 2006
Reviewer: Pearl of the Quarter "Peg" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews
Hmmm, this is one of those CDs that's really gonna have to grow on me. I mean, it's just o.k.
Without a doubt, they've assembled a fine cast of musicians to belt out some memorable Dan tunes a la instrumental, but the results are just o.k.
No mind blowing revelations for the ears or other aural senses.
Blurring the lines of rock, jazz & whatever else ya' got, Steely Dan has always been an outfit that never really fit into a specific category or let alone left its music open for interpretation by both contemporaries and future generations of musicians alike.
Love em' or hate em' - Walter & Donald are the reason we spend top dollar for high end speakers, Hi-Fi systems and expensive turntables.
In my opinion no one can perform the music better than Becker & Fagen (accompanied by top shelf supporting players).
If you're having a backyard barbecue, entertaining friends over the weekend, sitting in the waiting room waiting for a cleaning or find yourself stuck between floors in a faulty elevator downtown - Royal Dan is pleasant enough to listen to and you'll find yourself mouthing the lyrics innocently enough.
Tribute albums are better reserved for retrospective and in memoriam settings....For heaven's sake these guys are very much alive, are actively recording and best of all still touring - Go see them live!
nuf' said.
Posted by: db | February 04, 2007 at 01:54 PM