But in recent years, something seems to have gone wrong. I would surmise that when you’re rich and successful, the motivation slips away, and why put in time practicing when you’re loaded and chilling out on a beach somewhere? Besides, if you’re the boss, nobody’s going to say anything for fear of losing their high-paying, high-profile gig.

Update, 4/3/09:  Sometime after writing this post, I was listening to Donald Fagen on last.fm, and they also played some of Walter’s own tunes.  I’ll have to admit they were better than I expected.  While Walter will never be an excellent singer, and I still no longer like his guitar soloing, I thought he sung well enough, and the songs were good.  Maybe he cares a little more about quality when he’s making his own albums.

So I’ll point out that the emperor has no clothes. Nowadays instead of solos with fire and conviction, they seem perfunctory and awkward. For me, it was around the time of Alive In America that this became very noticeable, to the point that when a Becker solo would begin, I’d tend to turn the volume down until the vocals resumed. And the many unnecessary fills in certain tunes made me nostalgic for the days when Steely Dan would feature some of the finest guitar talent in the industry. (Green Earrings was an example of this, although I seem to recall that a great Drew Zingg solo rescued the tune). To be sure, your solos and fills are pretty much competent and fit the key, and non-musical fans may not even notice any difference, but that’s what I would expect from a decent club player, not a phenomenal songwriter playing exceptional material in front of thousands.

Some of the studio stuff, such as the solo on Snowbound, from a Fagen solo album, sound like first takes, just full of clams – maybe you were just joking around and warming up, but for whatever reason it was kept in its full cringe-inducing glory. And Two Against Nature, another album full of great material, has a peculiar one-pitch quarter-note soloing scheme that pervades many tunes. Ouch. By contrast, during recent years Donald Fagen is singing and writing better than ever, and continuing to put out excellent albums.

I submit that you simply need to woodshed again, and act hungry even if you’re not. Or just start eating whatever Donald’s eating. Just fumbling around with demo tapes to work up a solo isn’t cutting it anymore. The really expensive rig won’t do it by itself. I know you have it in you – you’ve shown that before. Alternatively, you’re loaded, just hire the best, and let them blaze to glory. You can still play rhythm and unleash your favorite witticisms, and the discriminating fans can begin to enjoy the guitar soloing again.

Having said that, I expect the usual guitar magazine puff piece interviews which will just encourage you, and the sycophants will win the day. Sorry man, but somebody had to do an intervention – nobody else seems to be willing to come forward.