Steely Dan - Wet Side (Wetside) Story - LIVE 1996 (NOT the Manassas version)

From 1996-07-06 - Virginia Beach, VA. The photos are of various clam shacks from around the USA, in honor of "Steamer Heaven"!! This one goes out to Mickey and the lovely Jeanine.

[@theivory1]

It's a shame this one never made it on an album. What a great song.

[@tonystfa]

Love this song - one of the great lost Steely Dan songs - hopefully Donald opens the archives some day. I like it better than the Manassas version - was hoping it would clear up some of the lyrics but didn't really. I have a poor recording of this song in Toronto from the same tour - I hope to post it some day.

[@viajeros2011]

Very nice.

[@Arturo-sm1tb]

Wish I had recorded this in Raleigh when I saw them in 1996....I had the best tickets of my life...4th row center, and recording would have been perfect.

[@bc63tube]

Great to have another version of this rare song made public. Becker’s solo is not as great here as on the Manassas version, might have been earlier on the tour. Or later.

[@steelyd2]

Here’s my best shot at the lyrics. Seems to be about a futuristic drug store.
Count Mickey gets hungry
Biv Wranglers gotta take a break sometimes
Got to feed the machine
Steamer heaven is empty
A couple of kids in behind the counter
With the lovely Janine
As soon as he walks in the doors he’s smiling
Covers his eyes with his hands
Chorus
Everyone knows that it’s scary out there
When you jump to the wet side
Where it’s colder it’s louder it’s screaming with life
And it’s way complex
Hacking through all the harsh effects
Mick goes for the “bomber”
A couple of rocks with that angel food healing
And the gunk on the top
He gives back Mick a quarter
Intense tears and you can feel the flames arcing
Up and over the shop
For the moment they spun on the edge of history
Fell into animal times
Chorus
Blacked out on the tarmac
It was alive with the sweet sounds of summer
Although the steamers alright
Mick tries to remember
Something kinda cool but it’s already fading
Back to straight black and white
Maybe I needed a hit of downtown
Covers his eyes with his hands

[@general67]

What happened to Manassas version?

[@WombBoy]

That is the version everyone's heard. This one is different.