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Elly Roberts reviews
Greatest Hits: 
Sensational Steely Dan brought their unique Jazz Funk stylings to Summer Pops 2007.
As part of their Heavy Rollers 2007 Tour the Grammy winning duo of WalterBecker and Donald Fagen thrilled the capacity 4,500 fans for almost one hourand forty five minutes.
Rolling back the years, Walt and Don, backed by the Steely Dan orchestra plunderedtheir 35 year back catalogue in a dazzling display of musicianship. Havingwaited since 1975s Cant Buy A Thrill to see them, they consolidatedtheir credentials as one of the top bands in the world today. Known for theirimmaculate studio perfection, the pair showed they can be equally impressive live.
The band kicked off with instrumental Jeri, waiting for Walt and Donto emerge. When they did, they were given a standing heros welcome. It wasmany years ago since they played Liverpool, and they were clearly relishingtheir long overdue return.
Powerhouse Two Against Nature from 2000s Grammy winner of the same namesaw the band, and in particular bassist Freddie Washington and sticksman Keith Carlock, letting rip while Fagen, whos 60 next year, showed he hasntlost any his vocal dexterity.
Midway, we were given their brilliant 1976 global hit Haitian Divorcewhich brought one of the biggest sing-alongs and cheers of the night.
Later Fagen announced, “Were gonna go back to the Royal Scam album GreenEarrings”, as he sat at his keyboard. The funk fuelled belter was morefamiliar than the previous songs, much to the crowds delight. Then Fagen said,“What night. This is Dirty Work from our third album [ Cant Buy A Thrill ].Wed like to feature our choir”, he joked about the two backup singersCindy Mizelle and Carolyn Leonhart-Escoffey, who as it happens were on fineform all night. This memorable and extra special version of the album trackbrought back floods of memories from the time I bought the album as an artstudent in the early ’70s.
A virtually unrecognizable, but equally impressive Chain Lightning sawthe pair tackle this album classic with great finesse, giving it a more bluesytouch. Ajas title track got people singing once again, with somebrilliant solos by Becker and Jon Herington and a scintillating drum close byCarlock. Kid Charlemagne, opening track from The Royal Scam wasa classy ending to the main set, as once again, the Steely Dan orchestra pulledout all the stops.
For a brief encore they really turned on the style for the 1978 slow jazz-funkof FM (No Static At All), again sending the crowd into raptures. Finally,it was back even further as My Old School lifted the atmosphere evenfurther as the crowd dance away.
32 years, and the waiting was over.
ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT.
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.