Sunday, December 27, 2020

Walter Becker & Donald Fagen - You Gotta Walk It Like You Talk It (1971)

'You Gotta Walk It Like You Talk It or You'll Lose That Beat' is a 1971 comedy-drama film directed by Peter Locke, involving a young hippie and his search for the meaning of life while in Central Park. Its soundtrack includes some of the earliest released music by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, who later became the core duo behind Steely Dan, and the film also stars Richard Pryor in an early role playing his signature 'wino' character, as well as actor/director Robert Downey Sr, and it was edited by Wes Craven. Despite this plethora of future talent it wasn't a great film, and it's soundtrack is probably it's greatest legacy. Although strictly speaking this album does exist it's nigh-on impossible to track down, and so for Steely Dan fans who might not know of it, here's a tad over half an hour of Becker & Fagen playing together with Denny Dias in 1971. 



Track listing

01 You Gotta Walk It Like You Talk It
02 Flotsam And Jetsam
03 War And Peace
04 Roll Back The Meaning
05 Dog Eat Dog
06 Red Giant - White Dwarf
07 If It Rains
08 You Gotta Walk It Like You Talk It (Reprise)


2 comments:

  1. It was released in 1978 on VISA records, a small label out of Plainfield, NJ. I bought a copy from a cutout bin in 1981. Brilliant recording. If you poke around you can find a used copy out there.

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