93. 11 Tracks of Whack - Walter Becker (part of the Steely Dan Series)

The pause in the Steely Dan creative partnership had quietly eroded in the late 80s and early 90s, with Becker playing a key role in Fagen's second solo album. Fagen returned the favor on Becker's first solo album, which served as a prelude for the first Steely Dan tour in nearly 20 years.

Becker's 11 Tracks of Whack gets the review treatment here, and ends up being one of the most revelatory moments in the Steely Dan experience. Becker's lyrical contributions to the Steely Dan atmosphere suddenly come in to crystal clear focus, as we hear him spinning tales of drug abuse, love, loss, mortality, and undercover aliens. The music is like little else we've heard from the duo --- a clean, uncluttered, almost overly pristine sound at times, but with plenty of beautifully played and produced moments.

This one is almost always overlooked by Steely Dan fans, but is well worth checking out. Yes, Becker's voice falls firmly into the "non-traditional" camp, but once you get past that, you're left with a fascinating collection of songs that preceded the duo's official return to the studio at the end of the decade.