Can't Buy A Thrill

Fuck I am turning into a dad, I appreciate Steely Dan now

Dan. Dan. Dan. Dan. DAN. DAN. DAN. DAAAN. DAAAAN. DAN! DAN! DAAANN!

Liked it from the first song (the only one I already knew) but it grew on me even more throughout the album. Just enjoyable rock songs on the surface, but very playful and occasionally quite technical instrumentation underneath. Reminds me a lot of a less folky version of America or a more playful version of The Eagles. No idea Why I wasn't more familiar with them before, but I'll definitely listen to more Steely Dan. [Update: spent the next two hours listening to more Steely Dan]

The last thing I wanted it to be a steely Dan guy but this album really worked for me. Was going to give it 4 but I don’t really know where I’d fault it.

An unsung masterpiece record from The Eagles. The big vocal harmonies shine like they always do, but on this record they're bent around more interesting chord progressions. Since when could they rip guitar solos like this? Who knew a band like The Eagles could write such clever lyrics that aren't about senoritas or driving cars? There's not a single song on this album I would skip. The uptempo numbers cook. The downtempo numbers swagger with LA schmaltz. This could be the high water mark for all 70s soft rock. A+ P.S. The Dan continue to fascinate me. They want to be avant garde. They want to rally against whatever is on trend in music at this moment (probably hard rock?). But they just can't help but write perfect pop hooks. No matter how many jazz chord progressions and flugelhorns they throw in, this is commercial soft rock at its finest. Pointed straight at the center of the American mainstream ear. I suppose its their debut, and on later records they perfected their pompous polish, ditched the conventional vocalist, and lost some of the raw, human feel that makes this album shine brighter than any 10th coat of studio wax could do.

This album will always be special to me. Growing up, my dad didn't listen to ANY music, let alone any albums from previous decades. It wasn't until I moved into the Hamlin and Matt dropped the needle on Can't Buy A Thrill that I first really discovered the world of classic rock. The album's a fuckin banger, and the world it opened the door to for me is equally bangin. Thanks Matt, thanks Hamlin, thanks steam-powered dildo band.

I fucking hate Steely Dan. I don't know if it's a result of growing up in the 70s and 80s and being subjected to the soft-rock, nouveau jazz part deus sounds of Steely Dan in dentist's offices or elevators but I've never enjoyed them. I am however, cognizant of their impact and contribution to music and knowing how they are reviewers darlings I did listen to this. And while it wasn't as bad of a listen for me as it was, I still don't get it. But this was a big improvement over some of the brit-pop cycle I've been stuck in. 3/5.

What a great listen. Strong start and continues through most of the album. Consider me a Steely Fan.

I think "soft rock" is definitely an accurate descriptor for this. It's relaxing, easy listening type stuff without anything too challenging happening. That's not to say it's not enjoyable, but I think great albums need to make you think. There are elements of various musical styles like Jazz and Latin incorporated here, but I feel like they get washed away in the overall sound instead of being featured. Overall a couple of tracks I enjoy on here, but not enough to give it a solid 3. Fav Tracks: Do It Again, Reelin' In The Years, Fire In The Hole

I enjoyed this album very much. It was groovy and easy to listen, with multiple great songs. Great background for a scenic drive.

Fun album I wouldn’t listen to again.

Hey little girl, what’s your favorite steely Dan album? What’s that? You don’t know a lot about steely Dan? Do not a lot of you know anything about steely Dan? Like, you’ve heard the name, but nothing specific?

I consider Steely Dan to be one of the most exquisite pleasures in all of music. Some of the most intelligent and sophisticated songs you will ever hear. They are in a category of their own. I could listen to their entire discography on an endless loop. Though purists of the Aja/Gaucho camp may scoff at this, I really enjoy this enjoy this early incarnation of the band.

This was a great ass album. Every song rocked.

Do It Again and Reelin' In the Years are obvious classics, the rest of this album is actually bonkers good too though. There's really no other band that sounds like Steely Dan. This an album that feels like it has everything, yet remains cohesive. I love it.

Steely Dan's debut and right from the first moment they have that signature sound. Some real classics on this album: Do It Again, Dirty Work, and Reelin' in the Years. Do It Again starts the album with a cool groove and how many songs have such a cool sitar solo? Yes, I said that. I really liked some of the less famous songs also, like “Change of the Guard” and “Fire in the Hole.” “Turn That Heartbeat Over Again” was probably the weakest track which is kind of a shame that an album that starts so strong ends kind of lame. That’s a real minor complaint though. This is a great album. 

God, this band took any sort of bite out of jazz when they shoved it into their soft rock snoozefest, paving the way for all the Kenny Gs of the world. Do It Again is a good song, but the rest of this album can fuck right off.

Cursed by its monumentally hideous cover and the fact that it's a Steely Dan album. Two undeniably good singles and one other likeable song, but hell's teeth this is some smug shit.

Mashing my soft cock into the anus of a young lady feels like this record sounds. She's not happy, I'm embarrassed, and nobody gets off.

Easy bangers

Can’t Buy a Thrill It's only in the last 10 years or so that I have come to really appreciate Steely Dan. I had Aja on CD back in Durham, but I never really got it, it felt too AOR and Jazzy. But nowadays I can appreciate that no matter how much technical sophistication or jazziness they try to inject, they can’t seem to help but write incredibly catchy and satisfying soft rock. Do It Again is the song that probably made me realise how great they are. I remember hearing it at a party at someone’s flat when I lived in London and thinking it was superb. It’s a great example of their genius as arrangers and producers - it just sounds so right, with nothing extraneous or useless, with everything feeling considered and thought through. They also manage to play and produce with such precision, while maintaining a sense of swing and movement, without it feeling static or dull. That holds true for the rest of the songs on the album too, Dirty Work, Kings and Midnite Cruiser with their very catchy choruses and assured easily melodic verses. Only A Fool Would Say That has some lovely guitar and a slightly more cynical feel compared to the previous songs. Reelin’ in the Years is pretty well known I presume, and is a nice upbeat song for the start of side 2. Fire in Hole is vaguely melancholic, and I like the slightly staccato piano. Not one of the most immediate songs but still very good. I really love the laid back melody and feel of Brooklyn, again with a great, catchy chorus with great backing vocals. Change of the Guard is another solid soft rock pop song, with some nice overdriven guitar back in the mix. Turn that Heartbeat Over Again is a lovely bit of wistful blue eyed soul, rounding things off superbly. This may not be their greatest album, but I do love it, and it kicks off a great run of records up to Katy Lied. They may not veer too far from their catchy jazz-flecked soft rock pop tendencies, but they do it so well it doesn't really matter. Great album, easy 5 🤴🤴🤴🤴🤴 Playlist submission: Do It Again

Probably the best Steely Dan album I've listened to. A handful of songs they everyone knows, and the rest of the album is really nice too.

Steely Dan have proven that they never really put out a "bad" album. The perfectionist quality that they wanted was apparrent from the very start, this debut album. It features Jazz and Latin inspired Yacht Rock with chill but interesting arrangements that pull from many influences and ideas to put together an album that within the Steely Dan fanbase is seen as one of their best outputs ever. And while I do like it a lot, they made better projects, especially "Aja" which is one of my all-time favourite albums. The album opens with the classic song 'Do It Again', a classic jazzy Yacht-Rock song with slight influences from Latin Music and Indian Ragas in the bridge which does add an exotic and relaxed feeling to the nearly 6 minute long song which happens to be albums lengthiest piece. It's groovy and the chorus is very memorable as are the verses. The songwriting is absolutely amazing and the song flows from the sitar inspired guitar into the next verses with piano at centre with ease. It is an incredible song but I do think that they streched it a little too long. Don't get me wrong, they did an amazing job making the pretty long bridge interesting and I wasn't turned away a single second but did the song NEED it? I think not. But still, the song is executed masterful and with incredible precission that the song just turns out incredible, even perfect to be honest. David Palmer does the vocals on 'Dirty Work' (and a couple of songs later on) which is a much softer and folkier song by the addition of more present acoustic guitar. The voice itself doesn't really fit in the verses but that's just my personal preference. The chorus though... Wow, it's just so amazing. Absolutely catchy and incredibly memorable. You can't help but sing along to it and it makes you forget that the vocals felt off with the verses and you end the song with the feeling that it's just another perfect song that you just heard. 'Kings' tries to be more Pop and a little progressive with the used styles and how the lyrics are constructed but the result just doesn't work particularly well. The song turns out average without much of a hook that actually hooks you to the song. It feels average and like it just flies past you with pretty much everything that it does. Yes, the song is musically dense and plays with many ideas and styles as well as the use of many different instruments but the result feels not that interesting. I'd say it's a good song but just "okay good" and not "great good". The hook on 'Midnite Cruiser' is much better and it at least hooks you this time but it doesn't do it very well. The song still feels pretty uninspired and plain without many things that it adds to the album or the music of its time. Again, the music itself is complex and dense but the performance of it, the result the listener gets to hear, is rather washed out and just boring. It isn't so boring that you fall asleep or that it hurts your ears but it's not more than an okay listen. Luckily, 'Only a Fool Would Say That' returns to the Latin influences from the start and with it one of the best song the album has to offer. It is groovy, warm and the hook is just executed to perfection. It is a return to the chill but beautiful and energetic sound that made the first songs so great. This song isn't as perfect, mainly because the instrumental bridges would've needed a little more work but it's still absolutely incredible. The albums second side has 'Reelin' in the Years' to start it with a bluesy and progressive Pop song that works so well here. The verses are a little goofy with how fast he's singing them and all I think is: Dude... you do not need to fit 100 words into one bar, this is Steely Dan and not Eminem. But when the chorus starts with the absolute beast that it is, I am once again thrown away. The bridge is a little too long but other than that, the song is pretty much perfect. It feels silly but in a really good way. 'Fire in the Hole' reminds of some late 60's band but I cannot pin down which one it was... Maybe Fairport Convention but I am not sure. Anyway, the song has some really interesting and slightly Avant-Garde piano as the main driver and a really great and playfuk chorus but sadly the song as a whole isn't as interesting as the chorus is. It's got some pretty nice moments which is why I do think that's it's a really solid and good song but sadly not much more. The slight Country influences on 'Brooklyn (Owes the Charmer Under Me)' might be not a bad idea but Palmer is once again the lead vocalist which ruins it this time. The chorus is weak and just not interesting at all and the song as a whole isn't much better. It's just a boring song and the Country guitar does not save it from being a snoozer. In contrast, 'Change of the Guard' pretty much removes all other influences and gives us pure Steely Dan Pop and Yacht Rock but sadly, it isn't much more interesting because of that. The vocals in the pre-chorus are really well made but the song isn't really that interesting. It's okay, I don't mind it, it doesn't make wanna skip it or fall asleep but I wouldn't put it on out of own choice. The album closes with 'Turn That Heartbeat Over Again' which again, tries to be a little more Progressive Pop but this time, it works better. Not necessarily great but the result is alright. It's a nice closing track and it does have a nice melody but there are too many breaks and "play-arounds" which sometimes just destroys the flow of the song. But other than that, It's alright. favourites: Dirty Work, Do It Again, Reelin' in the Years, Only a Fool Would Say That least favourites: Brooklyn, Turn That Heartbeat Over Again, Kings, Midnite Cruiser Rating: strong 7 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes

steely dan, the kings of yacht rock. start to finish, a solid outing. highlights: “do it again”, “only a fool would say that”, “reelin’ in the years”.

Cette critique ne sera que partiellement pertinente pour une raison très simple que je vais vous exposer. Lorsque j'aime un album dès la première écoute, il est chez moi d'usage de le jouer une nouvelle fois dans le but d'affiner mon analyse le concernant. Pourtant hier, alors que je venais de relancer la première piste, mon compagnon d'écoute elchavez me somma d'écouter une de ses cochonneries sonores. Vous l'aurez compris, cette chanson coupa mon envie de poursuivre ma deuxième écoute des Steely Dan, tout comme une vision de défections couperait un appétit.

I'm not a huge fan of Steely Dan's sound overall, but I have to admit this album has some bangers....

This album being called "Can't Buy a Thrill" is kind of like a carousel ride being called "Can I get some screaming please?" Only slightly thrilling part is the solo guitar work on Reelin' in the Years

Not bad, but distinctly dated, to my ears at least. I didn't listen that closely to be honest, but nothing really caught me.

Jesus please make them stop

I know some fans consider Can't Buy a Thrill to be an outlier in their catalog, and they don't especially care for it. But it's actually one of my favorites, not just from Steely Dan, but one of my favorite albums period. It's the kind of album I can put on repeat for hours. Fagen and Becker made some masterpiece albums after this one, but Can't Buy a Thrill is easily their most accessible work. There's a softness and more laid back quality to the sound here that's absent from a lot of their later work. But the band's trademark elegant arrangements and musical creativity are all here, as well as Fagen's cagey and unsentimental approach to lyricism. There are the obvious hits that everyone knows, but every track here is a home run. You can drop the needle anywhere on here and you'll land on a gem. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): Kings, Only a Fool Would Say That, Reelin' In the Years, Fire in the Hole, Dirty Work, Do It Again, Midnite Cruiser, Brooklyn (Owes the Charmer Under Me), Change of the Guard, Turn That Heartbeat Over Again

Classic. Easy listening. Was not familiar with Steely Dan but recognized 3-4 songs. Loved it.

Already heard this

Why did he waste all those years in the Beano wtf this is class.

Wonderful musicianship. Dark lyrics obscured by jaunty tunes. Brilliant.

I almost gave this album a four after one listen, but I just had that feeling in my gut - the one that says "give it one more go". Thank God for it, because this is a 5/5. After that second listen, I put "Do It Again", "Midnight Cruiser", and "Reelin' in the Years" on repeat for several hours straight while scrolling through the entire history of the "Good Steely Dan Takes" Twitter account.

uhh. its mf Steely Dan. 5/5

In Tha Morninnnnnn..

Do it again and Reelin' in the years are just *chef's kiss*. I feel like I should be a bit less shy about handing out 5 star reviews, and you know what, this is a very good start. This album is chill and smooth and versatile and clever and just great.

Marvellously varied. Super strong song writing.

Okay take my 5 stars meme album

Savage

I love that Steely Dan sound. Smooth, elegant, barbs in all the right places. The whole thing polished like a disco ball. Do It Again into Dirty Work is a great one two. Reelin' In The Years is another amazing classic. What a collection of great songs on the same sonic effort.

Groovy!

So great!

God I love this album

groovy

Brilliant!

4.5*. Dirty Work is a song I fell in love with.

I love Steely Dan so I'll take any excuse to listen to them. I think they have better albums than this but this is still a great album.

Great set of songs, all different yet connected in terms of either sound or meaning; highly recommend.

Literally every song is a banger. An unexpected 5

With the first notes, you’re fucking in. This album, like all steely Dan albums is instrumental perfection, doesn’t seem to be a misplaced note, and there is not one bad song. This album sounds full and rich, jazz, rock and a little bit of Latin vibes. Easy 5.

Near perfect album. 2nd/3rd best Steely Dan album. 9-10/10 1. Do It Again 2. Only a Fool Would Say That 3. Kings

An incredibly fun album that has a mixture of classic soft rock hits along with deep cuts that just make you want to dance. Most song have an almost tropical vibe. A couple songs, including the opening track, Do it Again, overuse the organ. Reelin in the Years might be one of the best rock/jazz rock songs of all time. The guitar riff paired with the hook in the vocal harmony is top notch. A classic through and through.

This is a legitimate classic. Even though I'd never heard the entire album before, I knew I'd love it. Steely Dan is one of those groups that hits their mark 80%-90% of the time. In that 10%-20% falls pieces like "Midnight Cruiser", which sound like it was written and performed by The Partridge Family.

The Dan fucks.

What a solid album. My dad would put this record on sometimes, and Do It Again & Dirty Work must have been his favorites because I don't remember the others as well. Amazing that this is their debut album, I think the songs exemplify what is so great about them - depth of songwriting paired with top notch musicianship.

Perfect Vietnam war era songs. One of the first albums of Steely Dan. Favs: Do it again, Dirty work, Only a fool would say that, Reelin' in the years, Turn that heartbeat over again Genre: Soft rock, folk rock, pop

Amazing debut album.

I really like this album and everything about it. From the vocals, to the instrumental, to the production. Highlights have been Dirty Work, Kings, Reelin' In The Years (yes I know it's their most well known song but it's so good). All in all, a very solid album. 5 stars from me!

Phenomenal on all accounts

A lot of great songs. Soft rock, easy to listen. I always appreciate a good saxophone solo! I can't think of anyone who wouldn't enjoy this album.

I've said it once already but god damn these guys are tight. A perfect album start to finish. Exceptional musicianship.

Love Steely Dan, great album.

As a Steely Stan I wouldn't put this in their top 3 albums, but it does have some of their best tracks. Awful album cover though.

Great

Great vibing

Peak easy listening

Lov the build up in “Do it Again” Forgot how much I like this album. Very well written and executed music! Dirty Work was like listening to Chicago, playing so many instruments . Always loved Reeling In the Years- wow what great🎸strumming. well done Steely Dan. .

I love this album. I used to listen to it all the time. Haven't played it for years.

Great leadoff album for the week. Another personal favorite

Warm grooves to make ya feel cool.

This is one of my all time favorite albums. Every track. My faves, Do It Again and Midnite Cruiser. Love those solos in the latter.

Ich kann mich diesen eingängigen Hits nicht entziehen, auch wenn die Latin-Klänge mich zeitweise an die voreingestellten Beats auf dem 80ies-Keyboard erinnern. Schöner Pop-Rock, Sitarklänge und smoother Gesang. Reelin in the years ist mein all time favourite. 5 Sterne Ohrwurmpotenzial für die nächste Fahrt Richtung Urlaub. Irgendwie kommt mir beim Hören Supertramp in den Sinn, auch ne tolle Band.

Love the blues and R&B influence on this album. Not a bad song on the album

THE BEST ALBUM EVER MADE

5.5…one of my all time favorites….solid rock and roll…was housesitting on Maui late 70’s and these guys lived next door, came out and played volleyball with us….regular guys, good fun…..but I’ve just always loved their music

If this isn't perfect, then the definition of perfect needs updating.

Insert this Steely Dan and let the pleasure take you away… This jazzy, soft rock always hits the spot… What a great fucking album! Top 15 for sure. It’s hard to find a dozen albums I’d rather hear than this one. Reelin’ In The Years and Do It Again are great songs, but Dirty Work is my favorite song on the album. In particular, I love the lyric, “like a castle in it’s corner in a medieval game…I foresee terrible trouble but I stay here just the same…” then the drums lead into the chorus…rat-tat-tat-tat…mmmmmm yeaaaaahhhhh However after listening again today, I prefer side 2 over side 1. The screaming lead guitar on Reelin’ In The Years is classic while Fagen’s piano on Fire In The Hole is outta this world. The last three tracks all have something special too. Interesting fact that I didn’t know before today is that Walter Becker and Donald Fagen were in a band with Chevy Chase before Steely Dan.

So many under the radar hits

Love steely Dan amazing album

Superb stuff

Brought back memories of when I FIRST HEARD IT. AWESOMQ

Wow, just wow. A true classic!

Great album top to bottom, really want to get into more of their stuff

Prawie 1/4 listy skonczona, a to dopiero pierwszy steely dan na liscie, wiec jeszcze 5 czeka na swoj czas, bo steely dan to jedna z tych band, ktora nie wypuszczala muzyki ktora mozna by nazwac niedorobiona, chociaz samo nazywanie steely dan banda jest niezbyt precyzyjnym okresleniem, bo jak dla mnie jest to projekt duetu Becker-Fagen, czego tak jeszcze nie widac na debiutanckim cant buy a thrill, ale jednak widoczne sa juz tego przeslanki, sama plyta ktorej dane mi bylo posluchac kolejny raz pomimo tego, ze jest teraz klasykiem rocka, brzmieniowo jest blizsza jazzowi niz folk rokowi, bo tak nieraz okreslany jest gatunek tego albumiku, co wyroznia plyte to z pewnoscia cieple brzmienie, zestawione z sardonicznym wokalem i liryka Fagena, chociaz na plycie sa 3 traki na ktroych mozna uslyszec na glownym wokalu Palmera na dirty work i brooklyn, czyli wokaliste steely danow na wystepy live oraz hoddera na midnite cruise, kolejna cecha mocno definiujaca brzmienie grupy sa influencje latino jazzowe, zderzone z poscigiem perfekcjonizmu jaki napedzal duet tegich glow duetu, upbeatowe brzmienie w polaczeniu z sarkastycznyi tekstami, ktorych bohaterami zazwyczaj sa fikcyjne persony przegranych ludzi, czy to mordujacych, zkukowanych, kukujacych, grajacych, włóczykijow, wszystkich laczy to, ze nie sa w stanie kierowac swym przeznaczeniem, wiec idealna moodowa muzyczka, na co jeszcze warto zwrocic uwage podczas odsluchu, to perfekcjonizm jakim ocieka album od strony produkcji, jest to zasluga duetu, ktory pomagal w nagrywaniu wszystkich studyjnych albumikow steely dana, to jest Gary Katz i Roger Nichols, ktory byli w stanie spelnic wygorowane wymagania jakosci fagenowobeckerowej, ktory potrafili nagrywac po 300 tejkow danych partii zeby znalezc to cos w brzmieniu, a jesli chodzi o szukanie brzmienia to trzeba przejsc do kolejnej kwestii definiujacej zwlaszcza pozniejsze projekty danowe, czyli uzycia muzykow studyjnych, o ile na cant buy a thrill pojawia sie ich tylko czterech i trzy wokalistki robiace chorki na kings i brooklyn, to jednak ci muzycy nie tylko sa zapychaczem tam gdzie bylo potrzebny dany instrument, ale stanowia oni jedne z hajlajtow plyty tak jak gitarowe solo Elliotta Randalla na reelin in the years, unialnosc tego albumu zawiera sie w tym jak lekko sie go slucha pomimo tak ciezkiego kontentu lirycznego, ale nie jest to zdecydowanie popowa lekkosc, tylko lekkosc wynikajaca z tego jak wypoliszowane sa te kompozycje, na plejce juz mam dwa traki najbardziej popularne wedlug spotifaja, wiec wrzuce dwa troche bardziej niszowe, bedzie to dirty work z wokalem palmera, ktory nie posiada tego sardonicznego vibe jak u fagena, a brzmi raczej jak cos z niebieskookiego soulu, co idealnie komponuje sie z motywem przewodniem traczka, czyli byciu pionkiem wykorzystywanym przez babe zamezna, kolejnym pickiem bedzie fire in the hole nawiazujacym do dogowania draftu wietnamskiego, co oczywiscie bylo dosc modne wsrod owczesnych muzykantow, a cala plyta juz byla dodana na poleczke albumow must have, a jednak jak odpalilem na spoti, to wygladalo tak jakby jej tam nie bylo, wiec kolejny raz padlem ofiara spotifajowego namieszania zwiaznego z roznymi wersjami tych samych albumow, z profilu bandy jestes w stanie zobaczyc tylko jedna wersje i nie masz dostepu zobaczyc innych ktore jednak istnieja gdzies w bazie albumow i jesli masz jakies kawalki z danego wydania jestes w stanie sie do niego dostac, ale co gorsze mozesz dodac duplikaty na plejliste bez informacji o powielonych trakach, spotify welkam tu

Terrible album cover but I really dig this record. I spin it all the time. Top tier.

dirty work

Loved

Easy 5. Lots of good tracks of the top and then some decent songs and then reelin in the years as the middle track. Great songs and great mix of order

Great album

Great listen. Favorite tracks are Do It Again and Change of the Guard.

Awesome album!

An absolute classic. Safe to say I'm a Steely Fan.

Perhaps my favorite Steely Dan album? 10/10

Absolutely loved this album. A few songs wound up forgettable, but the whole thing was worth a double listen-through.

I like this more every time I hear it 10/10

good music 9/10

laid-back muziek, melodieus, mooi gezongen. Ik kende het niet maar erg leuke verrassing alweer

Rating: 10/10