Reviews (page 10 of 14)
Ok, so my Dad didn't listen to Steely Dan; he was more into Beach Boys and Eagles.
Was okay.
Santana vibes on "Do It Again" of course, but a strong start for their debut. A bit of Bowie on Fire In the Hole. Easy listening, good times 70s rock, and the start of something to frame an era; but per critics, Steely Dan's best and most innovative was yet to come.
es un álbum con vibras de padre (en el buen sentido), perfecto para ponerlo mientras conduces o simplemente de ambiente, es un mix entre rock y jazz
My favorite needle drop moment in film in recent memory has been the dojo scene in One Battle After Another, i've been obsessed with Dirty Work since then. I'm only familiar with the Dan's main singles, which included Reeling in the Years (which is fine, but burnt out by it from radioplay) and Do It Again (fantastic start to an album, never get tired of it). Love how the keys flow throughout the album, it's the most interesting part of the listen. The bluesy, folksy og yatch rockyness of it makes it a very easy listen. I'm looking forward to other Steely albums, this is good to ok.
If you can’t buy it then what, you earn it? Really groovy and fun album
Still not the biggest fan of Steely Dan, though I guess the list maker thinks I should keep trying. Not a bad album, just still not my thing.
The hits are a fun re-visit but the rest of Steely Dan just sounds like dated 70s music.
nie mój dżem
Har altid haft en opfattelse af Steely Dan som 'hifi-test-musik', og man går da heller ikke helt galt med masteringen af dette album. Det lyder jo kanon. Varmt, tørt, kontant, præcist og kompromisløst - alt er placeret fuldstændig tredimensionelt i lydbilledet. Det er så også lidt kompromiset i min optik. Det bliver lidt for tørt, og jeg synes ikke, der er så meget liv og sjæl i det, og det resulterer i en lettere kedelig gennemlytning. Jeg kunne forestille mig, at jeg finder rigtig meget glæde i det, når jeg om 15 år står og slår søm i et bræt i garagen. Vi har hørt om tissemandsjazz. I et review kaldes dette for dildorock med reference til deres navn. Det er et udtryk, jeg udelukkende vil bruge om Steely Dan fremover Jeg tænker, det bliver en: 3.3
Cohesive album. Enjoyed music in songs I did not know. I prefer some of his other songs more. A solid 3 for this one.
Some classic songs on this album real decent riffs catchy lyrics and a overall good vibe . However toward the end of the album the catchy classic riff element drys up rapidly.
Not bad at all, just lacks a bit of energy
Pretty good but wouldn't listen again
The older I get, the more I like Steely Dan. This is a really strong effort for a first album. I like that they wrote what they wanted and never varied from that over the years. There are some real gems on here....mostly what you hear over the air on a regular basis. I can even appreciate the songs that didn't do anything for me at all.
It was good I enjoyed the vocals and it was an easy listen. Didn’t stand out to me tho mostly so I’m gonna rate it a 3/5, but as it was my first listen I would definitely need to re listen to it as some point
dad rock, easy to listen to
This is a good summer album. I listened while I was putting together some furniture and a nice root beer, so that was a fun listening experience. I don't know how else to describe it, but a lot of the tracks are all unique, while also sounding the same. The songs weren't bad, just hard to differentiate (other than the singles/big hits) Overall, a decent 6/10
Good
I wanted to hate this, truly, but couldn’t really find much to be offended by…
I like his voice. I knew and loved a few songs.
OK
I don’t like the music. Too much country flavour and not enough punch. However, I like some of the songs, which sound like it would be a good idea if Hellacopters did a cover of them. Like Change of the Guard and Do it Again.
The singles are great. The fluff is pretty bland
Jazz musicians of this time period who consciously draw on elements of rock and r&b are placed within the category of fusion, but there really isn't a similar category for rock musicians like Steely Dan who bring in elements of jazz to create a different flavor of rock music. Overall, I think that this is a decent album. Steely Dan know how to write a hook and the commitment to more ambitious arrangements and playing largely complements those hooks. It really does set the band up for two audiences: on that enjoys the immediately accessible hooks and another that folks on the way those hooks are explored and reshaped through the musicianship. I think that I actually tend towards the first group with this band. This will never be one of my favorite records, but its very listenable.
Thank you coffee music again
One of the better debut albums of the 70's but probably Steely Dan's weakest album
There's some elements that I really love, the groovy melodies and the quality of the musicianship. I also don't really love the vocals and some of the soft rock elements thorughout too. Makes it quite difficult rate. I think I'd go 3.5 stars, rounding down to 3 for some of the softer stuff that just was too wet pop for me.
How do these great musicians make good sounding but boring, easy going songs? This is my third Steely Dan album and again, I wished to like it even more, but it just sucks.
Decent dad rock
its cool, i like the musical elements here. It is enjoyable. So for me it is like 6/10.
Riktigt guitar hero feeling. Bra i stunder men inte tillräckligt genomgående för en fyra.
Do It Again is a banger. Fagan's vocals are killer. Fagan's vocals in general are pretty great. Had no idea Steely Dan does that Dirty Work song. I always thought that was like some standard issue southern rock-adjacent 70s snoozeville music. Even the vocals sound like a Neil Young standby. I guess I don't actually hate it, but it's not a SD song. I only accept the songs Donald Fagan sings on as actual Steely Dan songs. The rest are like another band that no one cares about. It's fine. There's parts I like. There's other parts that feel like basic-ass 70s radio rock. Could fall asleep to this without noticing 'cause it's a bit of a snoozefest.
Listening to this made me realize my parents were big Steely Dan fans because I recognized so many of these songs from my childhood.
I LOVE it
Good
I got Aja about a week and a half ago, and while I didn’t hate it, I wasn’t made an instant Steely Dan fan either. I actually wasn’t really looking forward to this one when it popped up. But I think I like Can’t Buy A Thrill pretty well. I’m definitely enjoying it more than Aja. From what I understand, that’s probably something of a heretical statement to a true Steely Dan fan, but I don’t care. They seem to give more of a shit about writing hooks for this record. And I still wouldn’t say I’m a massive fan of the band, but I probably have more appreciation for them hearing this. Maybe this is where it starts, and a year from now I’ll be all, “Aja is brilliant and Steely Dan is the best thing that happened to music!” I doubt it, but we’ll see. 7.5/10
I tried listening to Aja one time and hated it. So I didn't think I was about to like this album. Maybe it hit me on just the right day. I was already familiar with Dirty Work, Reelin in the Years, and Do It Again from the radio. This album was easy to listen to, and while it won't be my favorite album, I really didn't mind it too much.
Monday, 18 May, 2026 The hits are amazing: “Do It Again,” “Dorty work”, and “Reeling in the years”. Otherwise, well produced.
I can almost almost ALMOST see myself getting into this. The funk isn't really my thing, but I could see getting
This is was steely okay. Don't love or hate. An alright burger with no pickles or special sauce.
I give 6/10 it was nice
cool chill little album of rock. nice listen but nothing too crazy
Alright
Had some great classic songs by them on it.
Very easy listening album, solid background noise. 3/5
I quite enjoyed this album! I'm not super familiar with Steely Dan, only really knowing the name. But I'm excited to get to his other albums on this list!
Cool album !
Этот альбом понравился больше чем их Pretzel Logic. Но всё равно не мой тип рока
Amazing album, great sounds and great songs. Feelin’ In The Years is one of my favorite songs of all time along with Dirty Work. Hidden gem of the album is Only A Fool Would Say That, great very enjoyable album!
Kinda like itt ayeee
goeie songs, soms net iets te gepolijst...
Es wirkt wie ein eleganter, aber noch suchender Startpunkt für Steely Dan: geschliffene Melodien, smarter Jazz‑Rock‑Touch und ein paar echte Klassiker wie „Do It Again“ und „Reelin’ in the Years“. Doch zwischen den Hits verliert sich das Album manchmal in seiner eigenen Coolness – brillant gespielt, aber emotional etwas distanziert. Ein starkes Debüt mit Glanzmomenten, allerdings noch nicht die volle Magie der späteren Dan‑Alben.
2-3 good songs I genuinely enjoyed followed by what my untrained ear heard as middle of the road dad-rock.
At least three of their all-timer hits (Do It Again, Dirty Work, Reelin' In The Years), and the rest of the choogling and vibing worked pleasantly enough!
не
Good ole classic rock with great guitar. Only complaint is that all the songs start to run together
i like it more than i thought i would based on my previous thoughts about Steely Dan. It’s still not my favorite type of music to listen to but it was pleasant enough to hear and i liked more of the songs than i thought i would. i already knew i liked Dirty Work; Midnite Cruiser, Reelin’ In The Years, and Brooklyn (Owes the Charmer Under Me) were the other standout songs to me. I still just feel like it was a lot of the same but overall it was a pretty good album and an enjoyable listening experience. I’m not sure what the rating scale will be but it was like a 3.5/5 or a 6/10 for me personally.
Very very nice soothing vocals, great background music
Classic sound, classic album. I love the laid-back feeling and great songwriting. Not quite the top of my list but coherence, quality and craftmanship that must be appreciated!
I liked it, and it was groovy, but it got a little repetitive towards the end. A good introduction to Steely Dan.
Fire in the whole is very smooth
Nice one, actually it did gave some hippie vibes. would listen as bg music to some epic adventure
Easy but kind of boring to listen too.
Solid tunes
In my mind Steely Dan belongs in whatever genre of music that is that makes up the guardians of the galaxy soundtracks, which makes me feel I shouldn’t like it, but somehow I kind of do
PLAY SOME STEELY DAN!! When I was 16, a co-worker of a friend invited us along to see his band perform. He mentioned that they were heavily influenced by an obscure band we'd probably never heard of… no, not Steely Dan, Godspeed You! Black Emperor. We were big fans of GY!BE, so we were absolutely there. They'd rented out a theatre in town between themselves and some of their other musician friends for the evening. There were four bands playing, and the crowd was made up entirely of friends of the bands. So, there was a lot of heckling and banter. One band, brilliantly named “Agitated Radio Pilot”, were a particular highlight. They played very lo-fi and experimental stuff, somewhere between Sonic Youth and Mogwai. Their friends in the crowd were particularly raucous, and after every single song would ironically shout “Play some Steely Dan!!”. This became a running joke in our friend group ever since. If we were watching a band who were quite out-there, avant-garde, or really experimental, one of us would shout “Play some Steely Dan!!”. The thing is, we didn't actually know Steely Dan’s music at all. They just accidentally became symbolic of “easy listening”, a ridiculous request for bands who were trying to push into strange places of innovation or experimentation. So, it eventually happened that we shouted the phrase at a confused DJ, who leaned forward to tell us that the song he was currently playing WAS Steely Dan. That was many, many years ago, and I'm still not very familiar with The Dan. I know “Reelin’ in the Years”, but that's mainly because it's the theme song of an Irish TV show of the same name, a show that feeds off nostalgia like a parasite. So, when I see “Can't Buy A Thrill” come up as my album today, I shout: “Play some Steely Dan!!” As soon as the opening track “Do It Again” kicks off, I realise that I may know Steely Dan better than I thought. It's definitely not the first time I've heard this song. It's a real 70s groove. Laid-back, organ-heavy, with guitar breaks that sound like they're drifting between jazz and Eastern influences. And it's catchy as hell. By the time the chorus of “Dirty Work” hits, I'm questioning my entire youth. What a brilliant song. The organ is again the star of the music, but those vocal harmonies are so good they rival Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. It's a really, really great song, my favourite on the album. But they start to lose me from song number 3. “Kings” has some pretty impressive guitar moments, but I'm struggling to pay attention otherwise. For the next three songs, the whole “Steely Dan = soft rock” joke is starting to make sense after all. While I knew it, I'd never properly listened to “Reelin' in the Years”. There are some really, really fantastic guitar solos throughout the song. Elliot Randall deserves to be mentioned specifically, because these solos are pretty exceptional. And I can't not mention those vocal harmonies again. Smooth as. “Fire in the Hole” and “Brooklyn (Owes the Charmer Under Me)” are two more great songs to wind down the album. 16 year old me is rolling his eyes in disgust at 42 year old me, but I have to admit that Steely Dan aren't half bad. I mean, the reference of the joke makes sense. The Dan aren't exactly known for making raw, gritty experimental pieces. But what they do make are some decent tunes with some really great guitar moments, smooth vocal harmonies and overall really catchy melodies. So the next time I yell out “PLAY SOME STEELY DAN!!”, I'll fully understand the joke. But, I'll also be happy enough if they actually do. 3.5 stars
i get it, i understand. it’s technically very good, and there are some all timers on this album. like some truly incredible songs. but aside from like 4 songs, the album just kinda fails to be interesting.
Leppoisaa ja puhtoisesti tuotettua musaa. Ehkä tällainen pehmeä rock ei kuitenkaan enää säväytä enää niin kovasti.
Classic dad-rock. Pretty decent.
3.5 First exposure to Steely Dan, and honestly, not hating this - not mind blowing but there's more going on here than I realized and will definitely be coming back for another listen or two.
2.6/5 I'd heard a couple of songs before but this album was pretty run of the mill for me. Just nice easy listening with not much to complain about but not much to come back too either
Lindo, es alegre
Classic 70s coastal rock pop music.
I found this album quite a hot-and-cold one/on-and-off with quality. Some songs just really nailed a vibe like "Reelin' in the Years" and "Fire In The Hole" while most other songs such as "Change of the Guard" were just so 'meh' and underwhelming. Though I could see clear that Steely Dan really had this album all thought out and was very meticulous with it, which is something. Wouldn't say I'm a fan of this one, but it's not really 'bad' either, it's just something that I can't comprehend enough right now to come to a firm opinion. Highlight Song/s: "Fire In The Hole"
you can buy a thrill but it'll be expensive
Very interesting mix of sounds, it def might grow on me, my fav song so far is Kings.
Salsa vibe
It’s fun!
I think to describe this as dad rock is an understatement. Its a solid album with very mellow tones. Favorite songs: Dirty Work and Midnight Cruiser
me gustó, me da a un album tranqui veraniego
Not bad but other than the first track it is just okay and very same-y
I'm So Sorry, but this is my least favorite Steely Dan album. They are a band that I love a whole lot but I find this one to feel a lot like a debut and also it's fairly inconsistent to me. But this is all kinda stupid because it's all good and totally pleasant anyway. There are three other albums by them and the book and I handily prefer each of them and can't wait to get em.
Me gustó muchoo el álbum
There are a couple of really good tunes on here (Reelin’ In The Years and Do It Again), but most of the rest of it is smoothed out so much, it’s completely frictionless and leaves absolutely no impression. Which is a shame, as they are obviously talented musicians, and can write a song, but I’m just left hanging out for some distortion, edge or just anything I can grab hold of. The very definition of a 3-star album for me.
Decent dad rock, 2 bangers
Yacht rock founder (don't tell him I said that)
C'est ok mais je vais pas réécouter
Gear: Hifiman HE6se v2 SE Artwork: 🫦🍬🍌 Production: 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🧁🫥☁️ Rating: 👟👟👟/5
not bad, not fantastic either but a solid album ig
No conocía la banda ni ninguna canción; se me hizo muy fácil de escuchar, me gustó mucho.
Surprised at how good it is.
I think the presence of 4 Steely Dan albums on this list is one of the strongest indicators that it could use some editing. HAVING SAID THAT, this is better than the first 2 I’ve gotten from this list.
so good but not my type
Perfecta para conducir y tenerla de fondo
Was very nostalgic for an era I was not born into but many of the songs I knew because of movies I saw growing up.
Super pleasant, easy listening but doesn’t stand out
3/5
very much dad rock, not my style but I can appreciate the musicality
Startede ok, men mistede kadence undervejs. Fra stor 3'er til lille 3'er.
Sort of up and down. Started off really, really good....about 4 stars Dropped off for a couple of songs....about 2 stars Ended right in the middle. Basic math = 3 stars
average... I don t remember much about it, should have reviewed it sooner.
My dad once told me "Reelin in the Years" reminded him of my mom, which was pretty funny...
Better than I expected. I recognized some of the songs as singles.
I don't like it except for some instrumental parts. The first track gives me a dire straits Deja vu (nobody would think so)
3.4
It's nice. Some songs are cool, the rest is just an easy listen. I don't mind getting this artist as a daily listen but I would not choose it specifically.
Good album with 3-4 hits. Fine
Really had to force myself to listen to this one. Maybe it’s because it’s what I call “Venture Music” - the genre of 70’s music I was forced to listen to while working my retail job in the 90’s, or possibly because the vocals are pretty whiny. Reelin In the Years, Do It Again, and Change of the Guard aren’t bad, but the rest of this was nails on the chalkboard for me. (3)
Hmmm. Early 70s soft rock. Loved it at the time but now - a little bored.
Not as bad as I thought it might be. Couple of half decent songs.
Tony Soprano summer!! (I’m listening to Dirty Work whilst driving my car in a loud shirt smoking a cigar)
Vamos hoy con otro caso de banda clásica de rock pero que por clásica suele pasar desapercibida en los tiempos actuales. Hay tanta oferta que lo histórico, por ser parte del papel, suele perderse en el camino. Pienso y reflexiono. Ya apareció en éste reto el disco "Aja" pero rescato mucho más éste disco. Tiene groove, momentos tranquilos y otros más rockeros. Bueno para juntada o para trabajo en oficina. Muchas gracias y hasta mañana.
Not as bad as I thought it would be, but probably won't listen to it regularly. Too many fade outs at end of songs. Like...a lot.
Beautifully recorded and mixed with great harmonies, but ultimately didn't grab me.
Probably the best Steely Dan album I’ve heard so far. Notables include Do It Again, Dirty Work, Reelin’ In The Years.
I've listened to Steely Dan before and couldn't really get into it. This album was a little better for me, but still didn't totally grip me. There are some flashy instrumentals and some nice melodies, the lyrics didn't all hit me, but some of it was good. Standout tracks were "Do It Again" and "Reeling In The Years" which, crazy enough, I found out are the singles from the album. The rest was pretty standard. All in all, a very "fine" album. Gets an average 3/5 from me.
Sounded nice but I don’t think I will listen to it any more
Steely Dan constantly oscillate between "Oh, that's quite interesting" and "this is the most boringly tasteful shit I've ever heard", often in the same song, but this had enough to show why they got successful. Do It Again and Reeling are both great pop songs with a fun twist, and there are bits and pieces that raise a smile or are atonal enough to be funky, but the rest descends into blargh. I want to give it a 2, but that feels unfair, so 3.
Mid. Sn i saved 3 songs
Smooth, jazzy rock with typical 70s flavor and close harmony vocals. If you can get past, or even get into, Don Fagen's unique sardonic singing style, the other thing you have to appreciate is the sophisticated song arrangements. Which isn't too hard given that the guitar work from Denny Dias and Jeff "Skunk" Baxter is intricate and melodic, and the solo on "Reelin'" by Elliott Randall is legendary. The singles Do It Again and Reelin' in the Years are 5-star but the rest is not quite as remarkable.
c'est ok
It was OK. Couple of familiar classic songs.
First song is good but the album becomes a bit repetitive after. Not a bad listen at all though
The album kicks off with classic Steely Dan hits, and continues with other great songs I haven’t heard before. Good album. 3.6/5.0
Mais uma vez, Steely Dan. Achei esse álbum muito mais interessante que o Pretzel Logic, mas não o bastante pra uma nota maior que a média. Potencialmente pode aumentar, porém.
Good.
I love Dirty Work, The album cover is extraordinary Overall very mild album
Propper Pop Rock. "Do it again".
meh, just rock, nothing special for me
it's just good, fun classic rock. i've heard a little steely dan here and there, but sometimes you hear a song and you're like, yeah i've heard this before but i never knew who it was. anyway that's do it again favorite tracks: dirty work reelin' in the years 3/5
Enjoyed this - nice breezy album. Very 70s but much less annoying than that CS&N albim
Perfectly fine
Conocí a Steely Dan por el primer track de este disco, Do It Again, que me sigue pareciendo una absoluta obra maestra. El resto del disco funciona, pero no puedo evitar sentir que no alcanza ese lugar otra vez. Sí, tiene geniales arreglos, música increíble, pero siento que no he terminado de conectar del todo con Steely. Pero Do It Again me pone de buenas como pocas cosas.
I think this is my third or fourth Steely Dan album so far, and they've all been good. Not five star good, but better than all the needless Jazz and Country wank, and more interesting than the one-off US Indie bands. Having said that, I don't know much about the band. Usually I read as much as I can about an artist while I listen to them. Context is important. But for this 1001 journey I want to go in raw, just like the ladies enjoy. Aside from the peripherals, I know little of their history and make-up. Now that I'm several albums deep on them, I can say Wikipedia time, ahoy! It's interesting to see how they started and where they progressed to, but if I'm honest, there isn't much to differentiate this album from the later ones I've heard. It's the same brand of breezy, light rock. Interesting lyrics, but the compositions feel on a repetitive level with those albums they would later record. Don't get me wrong, it's all still good, but I don't think I could do a sit through of all of their albums over the course of a few days - that would get dull quickly. No doubt these are talented dudes, in front and in the backing group. There are a couple of songs I'll put on my playlist, but by and large it's that lack of variety and edge which keeps me from pulling the trigger and saying I'm a fan. I like them, but to be a fan I have to love an artist.
I liked about 4 songs, not really vibing with the rest
Ok
la verdad me gustó la musicalidad vos viste, a las letras no les presté atención jj. teclas muy 70s (es lo que esperaba escuchar y cumplió), lindos cambios rítmicos, solos de guitarra q vos decís a guitar hero y coros muy marcados en estribillos. fiel a su época, me agradó 👍🏼
For some reason, I have never liked the sound of Steely Dan. Any time this has come up, people think I'm nuts so I know it's just a personal subjective response. For this album, I decided to really listen closely to figure what I'm negatively reacting to. First some positives: I did like this album more than I expected and more than much of their later work which I know a little better. In particular, I think the music is lyrically engaging and at times the melody and/or harmonies are really beautiful. What I don't like: the jazzy elements turn me off (I don't like jazz much anyway); I don't like the timbre of the clavinet or synths AT ALL, and the melody and harmonies are ugly (to me) about as frequently as they are beautiful.
3.5 Isn’t the best but I enjoyed once again I enjoyed the style of the album
I liked this a lot more than our last Steely Dan album but it's still really cheesy. The album gets off to a great start at least.
dançante.
I was not a big Steely Dan fan but this is a solid album.
Enjoyable album
It’s a decent record but the singles are what stand out. I’d be more of a greatest hits Steely fan
I enjoyed this. Only listened to half the album
been meaning to check this out foreverrrrrr why is it so incredibly mid i should've expected that from an artist that men love one interesting song and it's fire in the hole
Finished the album but I probably need to listen to it again. I used it as background noise in a way.
I thought this was decent. Familiar with a few of the tracks, which I enjoyed, and I think fair to say a departure from the typical American releases of that era. Soft and easy on the ear, but equally challenging enough to maintain interest. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ✅️ ★★★☆☆ (6/10) Total reviewed : 226 Already owned : 52 Purchased : 12 To buy list : 2 Nope : 160
Never thought I’d be excited to listen to Steely Dan, but after catching up on last week’s albums this is basically Beethoven. .
First time listening to Steely Dan, very good jazz rock album, good chunk of jazz and latin beats mixed with guitar solos. Solid 3.5 overall, will rate 3 because I'm not a dad yet.
Reminded me of the line from Visions of Johanna 'The country music station played soft' in some way. Not in terms of being one of the greatest pieces of music ever, but in terms of the music being soft rock. Their musicianship is of a high standard but the album left me a bit cold overall. Shout out to 'Reeling in the Years' which soundtracks a great Irish TV programme of the same time, taking a year at a time and covering the main news sports and cultural events.
2.5 stars Cheesy and I probably won’t listen to it again, but I’m not going to lie it wasn’t terrible. It’s just not my kind of thing.
This album starts off very strong. Dirty Work has a nice melody, Kings is excellently led by the pianist and could be an Elton John Song. Reelin' In The Years was the first time when I soured on the album. The double tracked vocals of the 70s/80s is a hard sell for me, it sounds like a shitty Swiffer commercial (not steely dan's fault, but the victim nonetheless). Surprisingly listenable, 3.5 rounded down.
Steely Dan always sounds a little pointless to me (like lot of 80s stuff, but this album is a pleasant if ultimately not super engaging bit of fun. 3 stars
I don't think this is the best Steely Dan work on this list, but it's still good music and it does a good job of planting their flag.
Leuk album! Kende een paar nummers. Vind het wel jammer dat ik maar 1-5 sterren kan geven. Vind het meer dan 3 sterren waard, maar minder dan 4. Heb ik met wel meer albums helaas
Not really in the thrill market here. Man its ok. The hits are the hits but they are not songs im clamoring for. I'll listen to reeling in the years sure but im never seeking it out. They are decent songs but thats it. Not a hair better than decent. And the rest of the record is at the same level of quality. Which to be fair is pretty high. Its consistent as all hell. Just not in a way that makes me want to listen to it. Its a fine set of tracks and its a fine band. Just thats as much as I got for them.
2 songs in and I’m ok with this. It makes me wonder though, this is in the realms of Dr.Hook. Like, why couldn’t they have seen the success that Steely Dan did? Am I wrong to think that Steely Dan were more popular? They shouldn’t have been is what I’m saying. I thought “Do it Again” was a Santana song. And as the album moved along, I find myself wishing for something else. It’s odd really, there isn’t anything terribly wrong with the album it’s maybe just that it’s a little too soft rock for me. Where Dr.Hook thrives in the strange and the love side of things, Steely Dan sort of ventures to the edges of that feared Yacht Rock territory. For me at least. Choice cut: Do it Again
Steely Dan has everything, some of the best songs ever and some of the worst. I respect the middle ground, something for everyone.
Some songs sounded familiar but a new album for me. Instantly transported to driving along Route 66, with a friend in an open top car, stopping off at a local bar for a bottle of beer. Enjoyed the escapism but not sure it will become a new favourite.
Liked it! The Strokes definitely used these album as inspo
Now THIS is classic dad rock (I recently listened to the Arctic Monkeys who I mentioned were dad rock, Steely Dan is way more dad rock). Nice chill vibes, though I kind of see what some of these reviews are saying when they say there is no emotion. The vocal tone and range is very consistent with little variation. Also, what is this album cover? 3/5 stars for the chill dad rock vibes.
This nihs
The two songs I knew before listening gave me high hopes for this album. It ain't bad.
man im sure itd be better if i had a boat. 3.5
Solid vibes. Reminds me of Yacht Rock. Recognized Reelin' in the Years.
First listen 2.5/5 - Need to give it another listen to ensure that I gave it a fair shake, but just am not really compelled to do so.
I enjoyed it. ★★★
Proper 70s MOR stuff sprinkled with a few bangers.
2/3. A good collection of classic rock songs overall; love the prolific use of organ and piano throughout. Some really great vocal harmonies as well, and the songwriting is definitely timeless. I just think it fails to excite at times; well-executed, but not enough raw energy to take it as high as it can go.
7/10 Best songs: Do It Again, Dirty Work, Kings It's funny that I first discovered this group through a Tori Amos cover of Do It Again. I was obsessed with that cover so I gave the original version a listen... and was summarily disappointed. 20 years later, I actually really enjoy that song, as well as most of this album. The storytelling lyrical style and the diversity of songs (particularly in the first half) make this quite successful. A great use of harmonies and unusually good instrumental solos (for the time) really strengthen this album. I do think it could use a bit of tonal variation - more downbeat songs for example - and the album sort of peters out in the second half (this was very clearly an album where the A Side was head and shoulders above the B Side), but overall it's pretty good.
Solid
Nice to listen to the entire album once
A normal, easy listening album, but not very memorable.
I enjoyed the way they sound so much like their time period; it was pretty easily listening overall and I could picture having the album playing while driving. I especially liked Do It Again.
I had to listen to this album a lot way back in the early 80’s. My best friend/college roommate loved Steely Dan and played their stuff frequently. I was always either disinterested or ambivalent. Over the years I’ve grown to like some of their songs, but I’ve never sought them out. Listening today the overall feeling I got was that this is well played, slickly produced, and very same-ey throughout. Not bad, but not truly enjoyable either.
Very good debt album
Knew the name but couldn’t name any of their songs. I did recognise atleast one of this album though (Reelin’ in the Years). I’ve never really been into this kind of rock sound. It’s fine, but I find it pretty bland. Album was ok, though not enough to make me want to listen to any more.
Couple of decent song I knew.
It’s the first i hear this album and this artist but i really liked it, the album is really light when listening and i love it, it’s really chill and easy to hear, I put every song on different playlists cause i love the whole album especially “Do it again”, idk it gives me vibes of Fleetwood Mac.
Sweet smooth sounds of supplication to mediocrity. These guys were the best at making music that sits firmly in the background. For being the best at the middle, a solid 3
3,5
A primeira metade do album é definitivamente mais forte, depois cai um pouco de qualidade, mas me surpreendi bastante com a banda e definitivamente vou ouvir mais albums deles. As musicas tem uma vibe muito delicia, é um album curto, bem curtivel. minha faixa favorita é midnite cruiser. nota 7,0
Mom and Abby were happy that I was listening to him. A little too old for me, but my fav songs were Dirty Work, Reelin' in the Years, and Change of the Guard.
Has some absolute bangers but the rest are kindaaaa whateverrrr. Only added one other song to my playlist I think. But anyway Reelin in the years hell yeah
Pretty cool vibes. A fun listen :>.
Started and ended slow/flow wasn't the best but middle of the album bunch of bangers
I've been on a half-hearted mission to understand Steely Dan. I find their genre of music to be something that doesn't really work with any moment of my day-to-day. A lot of their later music elicits no emotional response from me at all. This album at least gives the feeling that is music made by humans for humans to listen to. There are a few big hits on here I was familiar with due to endless radio play. The rest was pretty easy to listen to. I might listen to 'Kings' again occasionally.
the songs are interesting, its not a bad album but the only song i would hear again is "Only A Foul Would Say That"
this is a valid album would probably hear again.
Good album Good musicians Similar to most of the music from the ERA. Cant tell them apart from other really. Few really good banger songs that I had never heard but really enjoyed them
i already know 2 songs from the album its so popular
Never really had much experience with Steely Dan, I knew a couple songs but didn't know that this was the band that made those songs, like Dirty Work and Reelin in the Years, I like those songs. It's easy listening, and soft rock is a good descriptor. I'm not mad at it and I appreciate the lesson in 70s music, but likely will not relisten.
Even though it's not their best work, this record still is a very solid debut album, and one of my guilty pleasures. Soft, but not dull at all. Pleasant sounding and with some good amount of hits. The band is tight and it delivers (particularly "Skunk" Baxter and his guitar work).
It is not terrible, but there’s only so much soft rock I can take. There are a couple of decent tracks (eg Reelin’ in the Years, which most people will recognise) but it’s largely a boring, inoffensive, record. Im being generous at 3.
Cool guitars - my fav parts Like the overall sound Very 70’s The catchiness isn’t my vibe though
nice chill album
pretty cool za casual poslušanje
7/10
5/10
1/2 Debut album of Steely Dan. Pretty good classic rock. Good to find the source of the song "Have you had enough" as I hear that song a lot but didn't know it was from Steely Dan.
very jazzy i liked it!!! na początku banger after banger ale pod koniec trch spokój i tak mniej siadło ale tak czy siak fajny
vibes demais, gostei. já conhecia "fire in the hole", mas outras também são bem legais. 3,5
Pretty fun, not my normal listen but had a good vibe. a few keepers for sure
Much preferred this to the later albums. It has some good tracks such as ‘Do it Again’ and ‘Reelin’ in the Years.’
This is not a bad album, but it also isn't a great one. It did not do much for me, the music was ok.
3.5
I'd Do it again. Not the whole album maintains that quality. Only a fool would say that.
The generator's back on debut albums after the Christmas bump. A bold statement to kick off the album with a blatant rip on Horace Silver's "Song For My Father". At least "Do It Again" doesn't linger there and goes off in a different direction. A lot of nostalgia tied to this one. Then I realized that the only ones that really stuck with me were pretty much the 'hits'. "Reelin' In The Years" just moves along so well, still moves me, but "Turn That Heartbeat Over Again" is really kind of a dud of an album closer. Might've rated this higher on a different day.
So much Steely Dan. In the world of music they have their own flavor and style and they do make me feel like I am on yacht, with the Caribbean in the background. There are some hits that are enjoyable, but they also just grow old after a while. But nothing is unpleasant or not enjoyable.
More Steely Dan?!? How many of their albums need to be on this list? They all sound mostly the same. I’m revolting with this band. I can see maybe one or even two albums making the cut, but more than that is just pretentious. Do It Again and Reelin’ In The Years are nice enough pop/rock hits. Midnite Cruiser is catchy. This album seems more stripped down and straightforward than the others, so that’s a plus. Ultimately their songs just aren’t that interesting. As stated on previous SD records, the production is great, but that alone does not make an album worth the time. This is just more hubris to throw on the pile of music that need not be listened to again.
Setting aside the “why are there SO many albums by certain artists in this project” annoyance, this was a good album in its own right. The hits are solid, and the rest is super chill and groovy.
One banger, overall it’s good background music. Didn’t provoke much emotion for me.
Why are there so many bongos in the 70s? I'm getting a little tired of the bongos. I don't love this genre. I can appreciate the album, I don't think is bad, just not up my alley.
It's a 3
I thoroughly enjoyed this one, only ever casually listened but will defo be revisiting, not hugely interesting but pleasant.
Easy rock, 70s nostalgia, good album beyond the hits. Would give 3.5.
ok
Classic soft rock from Steely Dan. I wasn't hugely into it, but it's not bad. Except the cover art; that *is* bad. Highlight: "Reelin' In The Years."
Solid and consistently good album, back to back. Nice solos. Quite enjoyable.
Good
A good blend between soft rock and Jazz. But sometimes I wish it was just a bit more because it feels like it gets a little bit to soft
Easy listening and I knew more songs than I expected !
Classic rock&roll, some blues and funk as well... but mainly traditional rock&roll.
fun mais pas mon style, très (trop) rétro
DIOS el primer tema lo conocía pero nunca supe cómo se llamaba Y ME ENCANTA estoy saltando de la alegría. conocía de nombre a la banda pero nunca la había escuchado. a lo largo del álbum me fueron gustando varias canciones pero en general bastante promedio, es como que no me generaban mucho. en términos generales igual está bueno, 3 estrellas
Every moustachioed recovering sports fan in a major city near you just erupted into a spontaneous earth-shattering orgasm at the mere mention of Steely Dan. I wouldn't want any of them to ruin their copy of the man book of the week that they are pretending to read at the walkable shawarma/record store in uptown midtown. Those beanies are high for a reason. Not only are they a metaphor for the rent going up and up and up at the first showing of male ears and moustaches, but the toques are raised for easier ear access for the Steely one. Performative yacht rock enjoyment is as central to the ideas of gentrifiers as stick and poke tattoos. It's a pillar of identity. With all that said (with as much contempt as I can muster, might I add) this thing unfortunately rips. My eyes and ears have seen the (ring) light. Hand me my 35 dollar tote bag. I'm going thriftin' and then? I'm goin' podcastin' about thriftin' and then? I'll be callin'... my daddy to uhhh refill the account. AI can't generate oat milk. Yet... 3-3.5 HIGHLIGHTS: Do It Again, Only a Fool Would Say That
I'm not sure why I always thought these guys were late 70s when this album came out in 72. They are one of those bands I've heard singles from before but never really paid them much mind as a band, or ever listened to an album. This one starts off with a hit, "Do it Again," which is a pretty good song on a closer listen, and holds up very well. "Reelin in the Years" is also a classic I've heard a bunch. I think my only issue with these guys in general is they sounded like a lot of acts in the 70s, but since this was 72, maybe it's a bit more original? Anyway, high 3, only drawback is I'm not sure how memorable this album is other than hits.
Pure soft rock vibe!
The songs I knew, I liked hearing. It definitely evokes the 70s
More Steely Dan. It’s hard to argue against their talent. However, their songs sound so antiseptic as to feel like they’ve had all of the life drained out of them.
Fairly nice I guess - nothing particularly interesting to say about it.
First listen in a long time. The opening song feels like a rebuttal to Horse With No Name. Second side is not redeemed by Reeling in the Years. There are better Steely Dan albums. Never really looked at the cover before. Ugly!
Some really catching and rewarding songs here, but a little too much derivative soft rock keeps it from being great. Favorite track: Dirty Work
prima voor op de achtergrond, verder niet heel interessant
Not my style, a bit soft. But not bad, I liked Dirty Work.
Meh
the kind of music that kinda blends into the background like i’m at a nice coffee shop. Dirty Work is such a fun song though
i can't say anything bad about this album. steely dan feels like it was made to be the least offensive music anyone has ever heard. i can't necessarily say anything else about besides "it was pleasant" definitely some background music, but nothing i'm going to pull out for a good time.
It's alright. I feel I write this a lot but it is what it is.
Liked first half of songs on the album
6/10
I half-knew this album. Do It Again and (especially) Reeling in the Years are classic songs and it was good to hear them again. As to the rest of it, I liked its general vibe/groove but mainly I found it a bit too middle-of-the-road for me. As a side-note, one of my favourite artists of the last 5-10 years is St Vincent, and she’s a huge Steely Dan fan; she name-checked them a lot when launching her brilliant album Daddy’s Home a few years ago. It was interesting to hear bits on this album that translated into her work nearly half a century later.
I was introduced to Steely Dan by a friend at Uni 47 years ago and have listened to them regularly over the years since, so that's clearly a vote in their favour. The album's music is a mixture of rock styles, not heavy, more soft and mellow. I think of the style as being Californian, but that's more of a personal distinction than anything formal. The lyrics are complex and cryptic in places so difficult to analyse a meaning from them. That doesn't detract from the music though. The lyrics fit the music which is what's important. Overall, an album I've listened to before and will listen to again.
not my cup of tea
good classic album, very short
Just like other Stelly Dan albums I've reviewed, I don't find anything here particularly enjoyable. It's just not my thing. Not terrible and completely listenable.
The Wikipedia article calls it Rock, but that's a stretch. This album ventures deep into Easy Listening territory, with that typical 70s sound. Not bad by any means, I'm just not in the mood today. 2.5/5
Ähnlich zum Album von gestern, allerdings etwas abwechslungsreicher und interessanter.
3.5/5, solidt!! God vibe :) men mangler lidt originalitet :)
Es la portada más fea del mundo. La música es amanerada a ratos, pero tienen buenas canciones y el disco merece la pena. Pero en serio, ¿quién cojones diseñó esa portada?
I like it. Pretty chill. Would definitely listen to more Steely Dan.
Nja
Nice
Cool, liked the music, liked dirty work, solid album.
As if it came out of the Dad Music Generator. Not mad about it though.
Whilst not as strong as some of their later albums, this does play host to some of their best songs and for that it's a very almost 4 stars.
Has a great opener and a lot of creativity but just as often slips into cliches. 3/5
I enjoy Steely Dan, they have some hugely classic songs and have had a giant impact on music. I have never listened to this album from top to bottom but know the key songs. Huge listen counts with 3 songs over around 300M listens each. "Do It Again", a real gem, cool groove, catchy lyrics, great instrumentation, royalty. "Dirty Work", another super catchy song, smooth groove. "Reelin' In The Years", a classic rock staple and the most popular track on the album. The guitar solo shreds! "Changing Of The Guard" was another guitar song that impressed, I think it could have been a hit too. "Midnight Cruiser" was a clunker, but 22M people enjoyed listening to it. "Only a Fool..." had nice guitar work but it was a pretty average song. Same with "Turn that Heartbeat...", that should have been excluded from the final track list. Honestly, I hadn't thought of Steely Dan as guitar driven until listening to this entire album. It's a solid album, not sure if it's T1001 worth but based on the 3 key tracks alone it has credentials. 3.5 stars.
Those harmonies! Confident piano, wailing guitar…unexpected fave from this project. I’ve been sleeping on Steely Dan for too long. I didn’t realise I knew half of these songs already. My parents were of the right era, but this wasn’t their taste. My first listen to a whole Steely Dan album.
Yacht rock
Solid enough album. Some good vibes and was a fairly nice, easy listen. Bang average 3/5
meh
Oväntat bra? Solsken! Inget som helst inre sammanhang!
Fun, but bar-background music. Would probably not pick it up again.
Average yacht rock.
Ok tried like them Over years but just can't
Def some classic jams on this one
It was fine. Pleasant but forgettable
Some good stuff here
My ex loved Steely Dan but I don’t think we ever listened to a single song I knew. I guess they were all hiding on this album.
Fine Steely Dan. You had one album that wasn't complete crap.
Kan ikke helt finde ud af om jeg er 100% usystematisk når jeg rater de her Steely Dan plader og det bare er baseret på mit humør! Den her var fed, virkelig lækker produktion
Another great sounding record from them. Enjoyable songs, without having any definitive bangers (imo)
Do It Again Dirty Work Reelin' in the Years
I liked it and would listen to some songs again but not the whole thing. Pretty funky vibe
Good album some popular tracks on it
На фон неплох
удовлетворителтно
80s film, new wave, refurbished.
Quality dad music to cook, clean, and/or putter around to!
Tricky, would probably score higher as an instrumental, and I’m not particularly fond of instrumentals. Contains the real Real Slim Shady? I dunno… 3.5?
Chilled rock. Liked it.
It’s hard to parse out the noistalgia factor to adequately rate it. The band is tight but there’s no emotion there. Good dinner party music.
Not my fav Steely album, but good
Another poster child for partial stars, while this album doesn't completely fall apart, there is a clear void between some one and two
Can’t think of anything to say. This is pretty good but nothing all that special. I don’t even know how a pop rock album is supposed to impress me without some heavy influences (I don’t really like this genre). This album has some, but not enough to make it a cut above the rest. 7/10
I can appreciate and vibe with this but not my usual taste
Kjenner jeg liker det smoothe greiene her. Litt mye keyboard solo, men ikke krise. Føles klisjéete, men ikke på.en så dum måte at det blir dumt.
Some solid tunes on this one. Feels at times like there's two different bands competing to make an album. Some real tonal shifts between songs.
Not as bad as some of the stuff on this list. A reluctant 3.
Breezy, easy rock. Totally inoffensive and easy to listen to.
Generally, I like Steely Dan, but this one's kinda meh. Reelin' in the Years and Do It Again (and maybe Dirty Work) rightfully receive most of the airplay on classic rock stations, because the others just don't hit.
Just a proper easy listener
An album and group that had passed me by at a time when I was young listening to Bowie, Slade, T Rex as examples. The album wouldn’t have been my music at the time it came out but listening at it today I can see why it has lasted being popular. All the tracks were listenable and understandable that “Do It Again” and “Reeling In The Years” were the singles from the album.
I like this a lot more than Aja, because, where Aja is the apotheosis of the Steely Dan Sound (which, while technically accomplished, fucking sucks) this is more of them finding the sound so there's more stuff that's not there yet. The big hits are well known and while a bit too much, still good. So there's that. I just don't like Steely Dan, man. It's almost music to go to sleep to, but instead it's music that seems to creep in through your window from your neighbor playing it too loud while you're trying to go to sleep and it's boring as shit but also not so staid that you can actually ignore it.
Lotta absolute classics, lotta unmemorable stuff in between
Nice to listen to. Good to relax. I didn't find it particularly special but will definitely listen to it again.
a few of Steely Dan's best songs, pretty stacked album. but very mid overall