That’s Kizzy Crawford. Something of an exotic, being Bajan/Welsh. I’m not sure I could form any connection between Wales and Barbados that isn’t Kizzy. There are worse things to be in the entertainment industry than sui generis.

Only a Fool Would Say That is one of the numerous Steely Dan songs that sounds kinda peppy and sunny but really isn’t. It’s a pillow fight with a rock in the pillowcase.

I heard it was you
Talking ’bout a world where all is free
It just couldn’t be
And only a fool would say that

Everyone assumes they know who Steely Dan was talking about, but I wouldn’t be so sure if I were you. They’re pretty obtuse. For example, there are about 700 theories about what Rikki Don’t Lose That Number means, but according to the songwriters themselves, none of them are in the correct zip code of the topic. It’s apparently just a song about a girl they couldn’t make time with back in the day.

Only a Fool Would Say That is a workhorse tune. I’m surprised more people haven’t taken a cover run at it. There aren’t many on the TooYube, anyway. Here’s a Steely Dan tribute band giving it a go:

Back in the day, we played in cover bands. The audience expected you to play more or less like a series of bands they favored, but not do anything slavish to reproduce the originals. They simply recognized the songs, and wanted to hear how you’d adapt yourself to the material. My brother used to play in a trio that played several Hendrix tunes, for example, and they didn’t have a guitar player. If you know what you’re doing, you can make the familiar fresh that way.

Somewhere along the line, the audience demanded that bands morph from cover bands into tribute bands. My sons were a cover band, and played at agricultural fairs in Maine. The headline acts were all tribute bands. I’m not sure who would want to see Billy Joel at this point, never mind a Billy Joel tribute band, but they did.

There’s a danger with tribute bands that cover bands never had to deal with. You’re supposed to play just like the record. Any change, whether it’s an improvement or not, and the band ends up plunging into the uncanny valley, where the Brooklyn Charmers live. They’re all really good players. Maybe they should move to Wales, and do covers instead.