Steely Dan - Gaucho Outtakes

The Dan, you either get 'em or you don't, but if you do you're in for a treat, otherwise it's like going to see Star Wars and expecting Spock. Fagen and Becker knew this was a high standard to live up to, although their personal standards were higher, and as such, following the success of 77's Aja, they finally returned to the studio to record the infinitely complicated Gaucho. The "infinitely complicated" part is simply a fact, nothing derogatory inferred, though their then label, MCA, might not have found it favorable. Rumors abounded that the group, having recorded material closer in style to that of the aforementioned Aja, decided to leave off the more commercial sounding fare in favor of more obscure pieces like the title cut. This is purely speculation of course, but it's true that much more material was recorded that never saw the light of day, including the almost lost jewel that is The Second Arrangement.

If you're not familiar with the debacle that is The Second Arrangement, it was the first song the band had finished for the album and they were reportedly thoroughly pleased with it. Unfortunately, on a short leave while an assistant engineer prepared the track for playback, it was discovered that this employee had accidentally erased three-fourths of the finished recording. Of course, Fagen and Becker were broken-hearted. They were persuaded to attempt a re-recording, which they did and completed, but they weren't satisfied and left the track to languish somewhere in a studio vault.

You could say the sessions for Gaucho almost seemed cursed, what with the Arrangement fiasco, but any curse could probably be blamed on the band themselves. Their studio perfectionism drove people insane, immense amounts of late seventies money was spent on recording equipment including an early full frequency drum machine, Becker and Fagen reportedly had substance issues, and this was all on their last album for MCA. MCA was trying to squeeze every dime they could out of the group, understandably, but the band was upset to learn MCA was going to try to charge extra for their new album, and even if only a dollar it was a dollar they didn't want to see charged.

In the end, Gaucho emerged a wondrous beast all the same, earning kudos across the board for years to come and featuring the wonderful Hey Nineteen, forever a yacht-rock staple and held in such acclaim that John Belushi reportedly wanted to write a movie based on its story. Of course, this was the last Steely Dan album that would appear for many years to come, caused by the failing of the partnership between Becker and Fagen as well as personal issues in Becker's life. Fagen would record The Nightfly, not terribly distant from the sound of the Dan probably in part from so many of their associates participating in its recording, and it would go on to be recognized as a classic both for its musical content and its recording quality, making it an essential testing benchmark for sound systems the world over.

Below you'll find a link to thirteen outtakes from the Gaucho sessions. There are a few piano demos that circulate with most of the tracks but I've left them out because they're not really from the album's sessions, they're more like songwriting demos. Some of these tracks are alternate takes or mixes, some are completely unreleased tracks and some are familiar in some ways but not others. You'll also find the enchanting Second Arrangement, good enough it could be released on its own as the long-lost Dan number that it is. It may never see the light of day officially, but at least you can hear it. Damn, these guys were really good!


Steely Dan - Gaucho Outtakes

01 Were You Blind That Day?
02 The Second Arrangement
03 The Bear
04 Glamour Profession
05 Kind Spirit
06 Gaucho
07 Talking About My Home
08 My Rival
09 I Can't Write Home About You
10 Time Out Of Mind
11 Babylon Sisters
12 Kulee Baba
13 Gaucho (Instrumental)

Steely Dan - The Royal Scam Sessions

In this months mixtape, I included Steely Dan’s Green Earrings, a favorite of mine from one of my favorite albums they made. I know a lot of people love Aja and consider it a favorite, and while I do count myself among those who love it, The Royal Scam speaks louder and clearer to me. It’s got some of their most straight-forward yet still cryptic lyrics (see Haitian Divorce or Sign In Stranger) and the band still wants to get funky (Green Earrings, The Fez), all the while sounding like a cohesive unit despite a rotating cast of hired guns. It was a little smoother than Katy Lied yet not quite as serious as Aja, making it a perfect starting point for the uninitiated, barring the purchase of one of their greatest hits comps (if you’re gonna go that route, get A Decade Of Steely Dan. It’s a great selection of classics to whet your appetite without throwing you straight into the fire.).

Much to my bliss, there are some interesting Dan rarities to be found online, but I wasn’t sure how much studio content might be out there. The Dan are notorious for erasing outtakes and unused performances if they don’t deem them worthy of potential release. So, I was truly pleased to find outtakes and demos from for the under appreciated Gaucho as well as these instrumental basic tracks from the Royal Scam sessions. I’ve seen these labeled as rehearsal tapes of one sort or another, but apart from Don’t Take Me Alive which does have vocals, they sound far too professionally recorded to be merely rehearsals, especially since they so strongly resemble the finished tracks.

If you’re not a fan of The Dan or familiar with their works, this isn’t where you want to start. That said, fans and the unfamiliar will still find these recordings enjoyable as they are fun, funky and sound like a million dollars. Put this on while you’re doing housework or making dinner and you’ll be boogieing the whole way, especially through Green Earrings! Bernard “Pretty” Purdie is on drums on that one, and he’s worth whatever they paid him and then some!

I can’t give you any Steely Dan stories that haven’t been told elsewhere so I’m going to refer you to The Steely Dan Internet Resource, a very detailed site that will lead you to countless stories about the Dan and their cohorts. The Dan may be classified as overly mellow, yuppie music by some, but they are way too funky and creative to be boxed in with such a negative description. On top of that, they’re far crazier than many could ever imagine, so do yourself a favor and pay the The Steely Dan Internet Resource a visit, I’m sure you’ll be entertained and enlightened.


Steely Dan – The Royal Scam Sessions

01 Kid Charlemagne
02 Sign In Stranger
03 Everything You Did
04 Green Earrings
05 Don’t Take Me Alive

September 2009 Mixtape: Summer Ending Sucks

The title of this months tape sums things up pretty well if I do say so myself. Summer this year felt like a blur and it wasn't ever really warm in Ohio, at least not for too long. It's depressing, and it's gonna get cold, and that just sucks. Last year around this time I made a really upbeat mix for myself that kept me entertained for a while, but I feel a little grumpier this year, so this month you get a grimy, dark and funky mix. That said, it might not be the most uplifting thing, but it's certainly entertaining, especially if you like noisy moments! Enjoy!


The Unheard Music - September 2009 Mixtape: Summer Ending Sucks

01 Boards Of Canada - Powerline Misfortune
This is an unreleased track from BOC's Old Tunes, Vol. 2 cassette. It wasn't supposed to see the light of day but someone leaked this tape and two others putting around four hours of early BOC stuff out on the internet. It's not all prime stuff, but it's all interesting. This track, in particular, is rather dark and eerie.

02 Dan The Automator - Bear Witness III (Once Again) (MVO Re-Edit By Starchild Excalibur)
I was asked about Dan's unreleased album Omakase recently and was sad to report there isn't much to report. Bear Witness III was scheduled for the album and was released in advance, but it's not that great a track. This Re-Edit by Starchild Excalibur is kinda rare though as it appeared on a promo-only 12" issued by MCA. I'm guessing that MVO stands for My Very Own. This version doesn't save the original by any stretch, but it's a fun mix to listen to. Play this in your car with the windows down if it's still warm and sunny!

03 The Bird and The Bee - Birds and The Bees
You've probably heard this band on Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice or similar programs. Don't let that sway you, they're still very good. Greg Kurstin, a member of Geggy Tah, does most of the music and production while Inara George, daughter of Lowell George of Little Feet fame, writes lyrics, plays various instruments and uses that hypnotic voice of hers to charm down the heavens. This isn't a happy song, but it is beautiful. Perfect fall music.

04 Black Dice - Smiling Off (DFA Remix)
Black Dice are typically classified as a noise group. That's probably fair and they don't seem bothered by it. For reasons unclear to me, they were on the DFA Records roster, home to LCD Soundsystem, The Juan MacLean, Delia & Gavin and other non-noise inspired artists. Even more interesting, apparently EMI, after signing a distribution deal with DFA, decided that Black Dice should be promoted like they were the next big thing! Now, signing Black Dice to a unique indie that doesn't necessarily share their musical stylings, that's one thing, but expecting a noise group to blow up in the mainstream is simply crazy! That said, EMI pushed and some incredible remixes for their single, Smiling Off, were produced by Luomo, ZZ Pot and the DFA themselves. Luomo and ZZ Pot's mixes take the track further out into the weirdness, but the DFA make it kinda danceable! Prepare to have your mind blown at the prospect of a disco noise record!

05 Mira Calix - Humba
This track, off of Mira's Ilanga 10", came up in conversation when I was talking to Rom from Schematic. Both sides of this record are polar opposites, this being the noisy one, and the B-Side being the peaceful, eerie, ambient one. Beautiful record that is kinda slept on. Rom said that Mira cited a strong Ken Nordine influence in these tracks, with the rhythmic, chant-like vocals being a strong sign. She's got a cover of Boards Of Canada's In A Beautiful Place Out In The Country on the forthcoming Warp20 box that I can't wait to hear, but if you like this you should go to Bleep NOW and purchase a download of Ilanga!

06 Boards Of Canada - 24
24 really isn't the name of this track, although no one knows what it's real name is. This appeared on another leaked cassette of early and unreleased BOC recordings. In this case, the tape is often referred to as Old Tunes, Vol. 1, but that is incorrect as the tape doesn't even have a name. It's now being referred to as the Random 35 Track Tape by fans. Recently, I saw someone had made a video for this using footage from an old film named King Of Jazz. The idea of white men dancing goofy and calling themselves "kings" of jazz is ridiculous, but it's a fun video nonetheless and the track is excellent! You can check it here.

07 Dynamix II - Feel The Bass
Old school classic jam! I hope to be talking to David Noller in the near future about what he's up to and there will be a post about it when that happens. Props to Rom for the connect!

08 Ice-T - The Girl Tried To Kill Me
More poetic subtlety from Ice-T. I had a girlfriend who thought this was the funniest shit she'd ever heard. Great track, all the way from the insane rap to the ridiculous eighties hair-metal guitars!

09 Takeshi Muto - Fuqpulga
This track has been an easy favorite for years. More props to Rom and Schematic. If you enjoy this, you have to get Expect More From A Past Life, a compilation of tracks Rom released as Takeshi and Metic. Very cerebral stuff.

10 Prince - Irresistible Bitch
I shouldn't have to say anything about Prince, but for the uninitiated, this is primal, primitive, electro-funk from the early eighties. This originally appeared as the B-Side on the 12" for Let's Pretend We're Married. Perfect match. Put this on and try not to dance. Now if only he had stayed this funky and energetic.

11 John Wesley Harding - When The Beatles Hit America (Original Version)
This originally appeared on the fourth entry into Sire Records' Just Say Yes sampler series, Just Say Da. Kinda prophetic, seriously funny and, despite the jokes having aged, still insanely entertaining. John tells us, talking blues style, the story of a then yet-to-happen Beatles reunion and the ensuing chaos, all circa 1991. This was actually re-recorded for the reissue of John's New Deal album, but this is the superior version.

12 Steely Dan - Green Earrings
I've run into a lot of people who don't like Steely Dan. That's fine, as I've always felt you either got them or you didn't. This track, though, should be considered a genuine work of genius. The Dan, despite primarily being a studio based group of constantly changing session musicians, always sounded relaxed, funky and in the zone. This track is no exception, and may be the pinnacle of their abilities. I always think of this as money making music. They just sound like they're having the time of their lives and raking it in too. There will be a small post about this track in the near future, but it's contents will remain a secret for the time being.

13 Nazz - Open My Eyes
Proto-pop-punk-rock stuff from Todd Rundgren and crew. Not too much to say about this, just a really great song.

14 Sheila E. - La Vida Glamarosa (The Glamorous Life)
This is a Latin percussion-fueled take on The Glamorous Life from Sheila's unreleased album, Fe. I'm not going to say too much about this here because I will be featuring that album in a post in the near future. For now, enjoy!

15 Failure - Small Crimes
Ken Andrews and Greg Edwards are geniuses. I love all their stuff, but their 1994 album, Magnified, is my favorite. Ridiculously heavy and gloomy, it sounds like the soundtrack to clinical depression. It all culminates with Small Crimes, the darkest and heaviest track on the album, with it's chunky guitars and slower-than-death crawl. Oh, how I LOVE this track and this album! I'd post it here but you can still get it digitally. I don't want to misrepresent the album because it isn't this heavy throughout, but that's not saying it doesn't rock, so go to Amazon or iTunes, listen to some samples and decide if this darkness is strong enough for you!

16 Autechre - Zurich 2001
This was a bonus track on the Japanese edition of Autechre's Untilted album. I'm assuming this is a live excerpt from Zurich in 2001. Who woulda guessed? This sounds like an old Chevy Nova and a Pac-Man machine got together, had violent, painful sex and rode each other raw until they fell apart. Brilliant!

The Unheard Music's June 2009 Mixtape

From the moment I started this blog I thought it would be cool to do a mixtape every month or two with interesting stuff that I wouldn't be doing full posts about. This is the first one and I feel pretty good about it. Please let me know what you think about it and, if you like it, I'll try to make sure I post one every month or two. Enjoy!


The Unheard Music - June 2009 Mixtape

01 Liz Phair - White Babies (Answering Machine Version)
Liz's twisted take on "My Bonny" was initially recorded for her Girly-Sound demo tapes. Those recordings are essential but this answering machine recording of the track is a fun alternative. As for the circumstances behind the recording, I've never heard an explanation, so if you know one please let me know.

02 Vanity 6 - Vibrator
We all know that Prince and Vanity were freaks, and this is the kind of track that would have furthered that reputation if it had seen release. Recorded during the early stages of the "Purple Rain"-era sessions that encompassed albums by Sheila E., The Time and Prince himself, Vanity was suppossed to be in the film and another Vanity 6 album was planned for release but Vanity made it clear she wanted more money from Warner Brothers or else she would leave. They didn't give her the money so she left and Prince got Apollonia to take her place in the film and the band, rechristening them Apollonia 6.

03 Beastie Boys - I'm Down
The Beasties and Rick Rubin recorded this tongue-in-cheek cover of the Fab 4's b-side of the "Help" single, but Michael Jackson, who owned a massive chunk of the Beatles' catalogue at the time, declined their request on the premise that he felt their version was a devaluation of the original. Eventually, a slightly different version ended up being leaked to a California radio station, but this was the version intended for "Licensed To Ill".

04 Ween - Where'd The Cheese Go? (Pizza Hut Demo 1)
Believe it or not, Pizza Hut came to Ween asking them to write a jingle for their cheese filled crust pizza. Despite making a rather catchy jingle, Pizza Hut turned it down flat. For a while this was available via the official Ween site.

05 Beck - Death Is Coming To Get You (Folk Version)
This is a funny Beck song in the vein of "Satan Gave Me A Taco". Two recordings of this exist, this being the folkier of the two. This appeared on the "Golden Leftovers" tape.

06 Pizzy Yelliot - Could You Be Loved (Mungolian Jet Set 303 Acid Mix)
It's rather unclear who Pizzy Yelliot is, although I've heard it may be another pseduonym for the Mungolian Jet Set. Regardless, this is a seriously freaky cover of the Bob Marley song. For those unfamiliar with the Mungolian Jet Set, their album is far jazzier than their remixes which are often rather long and trippy, but both sides of their styles are irresistible. If this is your first taste of MJS, you've got to get their remix of the Kreeps "I Just Wanna Break Some Hearts" and their debut album, "Beauty Came To Us In Stone".

07 Autolux - Future Perfect
Title cut for Autolux's first album that doesn't actually appear on the album. This song appeared on their "Demonstration" cd in slightly rougher form, but this version was included as the b-side of their "Here Comes Everybody" single. Great song!

08 J*Davey - Let It Bleed
It's pretty unclear what is up with J*Davey these days. Their two EPs, the first of which was described as a very rough demo despite being lush, dreamy and as sonically deep as anyone could hope for, are the only documents of their studio work as of right now. They signed to Warner Brothers records but nothing has come of that deal yet, so I guess we'll just have to keep waiting, but there are a few great songs they've recorded which don't appear on either of their releases and this is one of them. Let this groove hit you and get next to someone special.

09 Blackalicious - Cheezit Terrorist
This was featured on the original pressings of Blackalicious' "Melodica" EP but was dropped from later pressings due to sample clearance issues. The fidelity of the track is due to it having been taped from a live radio freestyle just as it sounds like it was, not from the track being copied from a bad source.

10 Ween - Where'd The Cheese Go? (Pizza Hut Demo 2)
After being turned down by Pizza Hut with their initial version of this jingle, Ween turned in this significantly more sarcastic version. I don't think I need to tell you what didn't happen next.

11 Steely Dan - The Second Arrangement
Recorded during the "Gaucho" sessions, the majority of the masters of the original version of this song were accidentally erased by an engineer. Becker and Fagen were devestated and initially decided to forget the song, but they were pressed to try to re-record it. They buckled and recorded this fabulous version, but they didn't feel it lived up to the quality of the original and decided not to release it. A sad decision, as this is a heluva song!

12 Cibo Matto - Know Your Chicken (El Diablo Version)
This version of "Know Your Chicken" was most likely a great part of the impetus for the creation of Butter 08, a Cibo side project with Russell Simins, drummer for the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, and their friends. Simins plays drums on this great version recorded for El Diablo Records. It was initially released on a 7" and eventually reissued as part of a cd featuring both of Cibo Matto's El Diablo singles and their then-unreleased improv "Crumbs".

13 Wordsound I Powa - Bury Dem
I'm a fan of my pal Skiz's label, Wordsound Records. This is from a Wordsound super-group, Wordsound I Powa. This did receive an official release and is still available at least digitally as part of their "Transmitting Live From Planet Crooklyn" album. This track is a little crazier than some of the other stuff on the album, but if you like spacey electro-dub stuff, you should definitely check Wordsound I Powa out. I can't seem to find this on iTunes but it is available via Amazon's excellent MP3 site.

14 DJ Brokenwindow - Shit On My Side
DJ Brokenwindow does manual mash-ups, rarely using computers to assist him in assembling his tracks. This is from his "Parallel Universe #1" compilation, of which a sequel is also available via kid606's Violent Turn label. I don't know if this is still in print, but the first volume is tons of crazy fun. This track is a meeting of the Thompson Twins and Eminem's crew, D-12.

15 The Pharcyde - Ya Mama (Matt Dike Remix)
I don't know for certain that this ever received an official release, but if it did I don't know how they got away with it! This is a Matt Dike remix very much in the spirit of "Paul's Boutique" and it tons of fun.

16 Nirvana - Onward Into Countless Battles (aka Dave's Meat Song)
This is basically a Dave Grohl solo track that he recorded during a Nirvana session in Januaryof 1993 while in Rio. Everyone always paints Kurt Cobain to have been rather gloomy, which is confusing since there was a lot of evidence to the contrary, but it's clear that Dave and Krist were always pretty up-beat guys. This is a funny and goody track that I wish had been released on the "With The Lights Out" box-set, but as it's pretty much just Dave, I can see why it would have been ignored.

17 Beck - Death Is Coming To Get You (Hip-Hop Version)
This is the second version of "Death..." and appeared on Beck's "Fresh Meat and Old Slabs" tape which he made for his mother. I don't know that anyone would call this proper hip-hop, what with walls of guitar feedback and pounding percussion, but there is a funky drum loop running under the track and Beck's flow is far more rhythmic than it normally is.

18 Ween - Where'd The Cheese Go? (All Request Live Version)
Ween recorded this nutty version of "Cheese..." during an online performance that was comprised completely of requests. This is easily the funniest and goofiest version of the song and should be enjoyed by all. The "All Request Live" show received an official release and is available via iTunes.

19 Marilyn Chambers - Benihana
This is the late Marilyn Chambers' attempt to enter the disco market alongside Andrea True and her classic "More, More, More". This track didn't really go anywhere and is kind of rare, but it's been mentioned quite a bit since her death earlier this year. I like this one and it should get more props for being what it is, a fun and catchy dance song with a good dose of sexuality. In fact, it might be too sexual, but it's still a great tune.

20 The Clovers - The Rotten Cocksuckers Ball
I learned of this song through a compilation of R&B singles that influenced the young Frank Zappa. It's just as dirty as it's name should make you think it is, which is still pretty dirty these days and had to be insanely dirty when it was originally released. So, if you're easily offended, skip this track. If you can laugh at obscenities, please check this out!