Catalyst: The Original Recordings (1968-71) [Import]

Steely Dan, Walter Becker | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 15, 1994)
• Original Release Date: November 7, 1994
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Import
• Label: Thunderbolt
• ASIN: B000001OE1
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #452,222 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Sun Mountain

2. Barrytown

3. Take It Out On Me

4. The Caves Of Altamira

5. Charlie Greak

6. You Go Where I Go

7. Any World That I'm Welcome To

8. A Little With Sugar

9. Android Warehouse

10. More To Come

See all 15 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. This Seat's Been Taken

2. Ida Lee

3. Sun Mountain (Alt Version)

4. Undecided

5. A Horse In Town

6. Let George Do It

7. Old Regime

8. Brain Tap Shuffle

9. The Mock Turtle's Song

10. Soul Ram

See all 14 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars them sly steelies, September 27, 2000

By 

oldbollweevil (Tokyo) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Catalyst: The Original Recordings (1968-71) (Audio CD)

If you have the Citizen box, you may remember where Messr. B&F lament the fact that there was virtually nothing in the way of unreleased goodies with which to augment the canon and titillate the hardcore. But then you may have wondered at the old magazine ad reprinted in the Citizen booklet which touted two non-album Dan songs: "Dallas" and "Sail The Water Way." And then, upon getting this set, a wealth of unreleased shtuff, you may well begin to imagine that Walt and Don were yanking our collective chain.

"Dallas" and "Water Way" aren't here, but a whole lot of good stuff is. It's rough, to be sure: often skeletal instrumentation, a bit of tape hiss, some raw vocals--but all that can be forgiven due to the quality of songs (and may even be refreshing after the lacquered perfection of 2VN). The songs are incredible. "Sun Mountain," in Donald's vocal version, is probably the most heart-rending ballad they ever did. "Mock Turtle" features some funny, literate lyrics, a tight band performance, and a Walter Becker lead vocal (!). Listen to the piano/lead vocal/backup vocal interplay on "A Little With Sugar." The syncopated pop sundae "You Go Where I Go." The deliciously scandalous lyrics to "Soul Ram." The world-weary Fagen take on "Brooklyn." There's just too much to love about these songs.

The packaging, too, is first-rate--at least for this type of just-barely-legal release. An extensive essay detailing the early days of the band, coupled with a chart showing who plays what on which track (of course, who knows how accurate this is).

I guess I can understand why perfectionist parents like Becker and Fagen might be reluctant to acknowledge this love-child of a set, but the rest of us need have no such qualms. If you like Mr. Steely Dan and whatever, you must hear this.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most-complete pre-Steely Dan collection, January 2, 2000

By 

Robert Powers (Chicago) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Catalyst: The Original Recordings (1968-71) (Audio CD)

Any hard-core Steely Dan fan has probably bumped into a few "Becker and Fagen" tapes while digging through the record store cut-out bins, featuring a random selection of their eariest recordings. This 2-disk set contains all the tracks I've ever seen on such tapes, and a few others besides.

I don't own the album itself, so I can't comment on things like liner notes or manufacturing quality. But this is the only set I've seen that has every one of their pre-stardom cuts. The "Android Warehouse" CD set does come close, however, and it's a bit cheaper (it's missing only the alternate take of "Sun Mountain" and "Let George Do It".) But again, I can't comment on the liner notes and packaging.

The songs themselves are reminiscent of SD's first album, and some of them are quite good - "You Go Where I Go", "Brain Tap Shuffle", "This Seat's Been Taken", and "Mock Turtle Soup" for example - despite the grainy sound quality of the recordings themselves. As others have said, it's a must-have for Steely Dan fans.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dawn of the Dan.. better than juvenalia for the Dan Fans., May 17, 2005

By 

dvdtrkr (San Diego CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Catalyst: The Original Recordings (1968-71) (Audio CD)

Steely Dan have a limited amount of albums they've put out over the years. When they put their box set out, there were almost no rare cuts on there (except 1). For some reason their first single was left off of there as well...

In 1980, Kenny Vance, formerly of Jay and the Americans, had recorded Becker and Fagen in the Brill Building (although very few would record their songs, Streisand being the only one of note ("I Mean to Shine") and put out demos called "The Early Years" which contain recordings made in between 1968-1971. A soundtrack called "You've Gotta Walk It" has also surfaced containing early Becker and Fagen recordings.

If this is out of print, look up "Android Warehouse", which is 1 track less than this collection, but the same songs.

The first CD has that "Brill Building" demo sound, just Don and Walt and a piano, with Kenny Vance occasionally singing. Some of the tracks (Caves, Barrytown, Charlie Freak, Any World, Parkers Band) would be on the Dan's next 5 albums. Far from the refined sound they'd be known for, they sound like 2 guys banging away on a piano for the purpose of the more polished performers of the day, never thinking that these tapes would ever be released (to their dismay, but write it off as "putting someone's kid through college").

The second CD is the embryonic band version of Steely Dan. Denny Dias, who had been a part of Steely Dan before they worked exclusively in the studio is on most of the tracks. The vocalists are either Donald or Keith Thomas, not David Palmer who sang on their first 2 "legit" albums "Can't Buy a Thrill" and "Countdown to Ecstasy". "Brooklyn" is a slower "groovy" version than would be released on "Can't Buy a Thrill".

The music is rough around the edges, but the pieces are in place for what would make them successful.

Recommended because the demos are better than most and worthy of the 4 stars, but not recommended because Becker and Fagen had no say in putting it out... also not recommended for people who don't have the 73-80 era albums.