NR Daily: Farewell to Steely Dan

'Polished through countless takes," wrote the New York Times's Jon Pareles in his weekend obituary of Walter Becker, "Steely Dan's musical surfaces were sleek and understated, smooth enough to almost be mistaken for easy-listening pop." Ouch. No one since about 1965 has wanted to take up, or be assigned, residence in the easy-listening bin. And yet Steely Dan, in essence a two-man jazz-rock partnership between Becker and Donald Fagen, filled out with various backing members, certainly wasn't difficult listening. To rock's rough edges Becker and Fagen brought a belt sander, and to jazz's dreamy meanderings they brought a field sobriety test ...

September 06 2017

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Farewell to Steely Dan Kyle Smith 'Polished through countless takes," wrote the New York Times's Jon Pareles in his weekend obituary of Walter Becker, "Steely Dan's musical surfaces were sleek and understated, smooth enough to almost be mistaken for easy-listening pop." Ouch. No one since about 1965 has wanted to take up, or be assigned, residence in the... READ MORE No, Hurricanes Are Not Good for the Economy Michael Tanner Do we really need to say it? Hurricanes are bad. The pictures of the devastation wrought by Hurricane Harvey have barely faded from our television screens (while Irma waits in the wings), but... Republicans Helped Make the Politics of DACA So Toxic Michael Brendan Dougherty On Tuesday, Donald Trump announced a delayed end to Barack Obama's executive amnesty, presumably to bring urgency to congressional efforts at immigration reform. Attorney General Jeff Sessions... ADVERTISEMENT Worry about Kim Jong-un, Not Trump Jonathan S. Tobin So far, the assumption that Trump is bungling or exacerbating the crisis with North Korea isn't justified. Ever since he came down the escalator at Trump Tower that fateful day in June 2015,... On North Korea, U.S. Must Respond with an Eye to the Future Robert Joseph With the test of a possible hydrogen device, Kim Jung-un has now played his latest and most powerful card. In doing so, he has imparted a greater sense of urgency to the ongoing crisis. But,... What Would Happen to DREAMers without DACA? Robert VerBruggen There's a lot of concern that if Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) ends, a lot of people are going to be sent "home" to countries they don't really know. Some are worried that... Trump Gets DACA Right Rich Lowry Even in our divided politics, it should be a matter of consensus that the president of the United States can't write laws on his own. That's what President Barack Obama did twice when he... ADVERTISEMENT 100 Deadly Skills: The SEAL Operative's Guide to Eluding Pursuers, Evading Capture, and Surviving Any Dangerous Situation Clint Emerson "This is everything guys really want to know, but are afraid to ask out loud." - Brandon Webb, former Navy SEAL and author of Among Heroes LEARN MORE Top Shots Hurricane Irma ADVERTISEMENT Follow Us & Share 215 Lexington Ave., New York, NY, 10016, USA Your Preferences | Unsubscribe | Privacy View this e-mail in your browser.