Now and Then

Okay, I only thought I was done for the afternoon.

I'm doing slope stability analysis at the computer and fooling around looking for music and came across these.Listen to the 1932 Duke Ellington version first.

Then sample the 1974 Steely Dan cover;

Interesting, aren't they? You know what an "East St. Louis Toodle-oo" was, right? That's where you stopped on the way home from work to tear off a piece with one of the rental girls down at the local speakeasy. So the music is all about doin' the nasty on the down-low. For all that the one version is forty years younger, I think that the Depression era take is more sly and sophisticated, more insinuating, more...dirty. For all their tricky name, the Becker/Fagan cover sounds to me like nothing more then musicianship. While the Duke...daaaymn, boy. There's a fella that's thinking about something hot and sweaty...

Whaddya think?

I think it's a fucking great song either way, is what I think.