Reviews (page 14 of 15)
Is it catchy pop or annoying bland rock? Do It Again falls in the former, Dirty Work and Reelin' in the Years leans that way, the rest is the latter. Actually, Reelin in the Years is too annoying a pretentious earworm to be on the positive side. What does that make the album overall? Is it ok to cheekily sing along to some Steely Dan songs? It's Steely Dan after all, they are soft rock 70s nastiness supermarket music, but there's a couple of catchy tunes on an album of 10 songs. Argh, so much time wasted mulling over Steely Dan. Nope, it's pish. Final decision.
Not for me, would not listen again. I can appreciate what some might feel for the album/band, but that appreciation did not grow on me. Pretty bland sonically and lyrically. "Feel good" music I suppose. Getting through it was like watching paint dry, thankfully the album was only 10 tracks. Dirty Work is the stand out song on the album.
This was okay
Forgettable.
I had prepared to rip this apart. I didn’t hate this as much as I expected. However, I dislike Steely Dan’s whole deal. The narrative voice is one of an asshole. Always singing with praise or malice for a brother, and criticizing a woman. Music for bros. Also, that album cover is atrocious. Not a deal breaker normally, but one more reason these guys annoy me.
Reminds me of Trump’s Oval Office - lots of shiny things that look impressive but serve no purpose. What few musical ideas that exist are covered up in layer upon layer of instrumentation. No but Add Donald Fagen’s annoying voice and you get musical braggadocio that I now believe punk was rebelling against Steely Dan, not prog rock.
Fuck no.
Basically I just enjoyed "Do it again". I don't see why anyone would find listening to this album a valuable way of spending their time. This can be said of any other shit prominently labelled as "soft rock"...
Bit dull
I saw steely Dan was next and dreaded having to listen. I have no idea why some people love this band. Dirty Work was ok and reminds me of being a kid listening to the radio in the back seat of the Oldsmobile. I thought I would be ok with Reeling in the years but ended up skipping half way through. The riff in the beginning is pretty decent. Maybe I’ll dine it another shot in 20 more years. Pass
not that bad , i already had a song added too
Safe and clean soft rock.
For a band named after a sex toy, how is the music so flaccid?
Klingt für mich altbacken, wenn auch musikalisch interessant.
This was a lot better than the other Steely Dan album I had to listen to. I still didn’t like it though. This gets 2 stars instead of 1 star. I knew Reelin’ in the Years, and I had heard Do It Again before.
"Easy" listening dad rock. Cool instrumentation. Strained vocals on occasion. "Dirty work" is a good time.
I'm really searching for something nice to say about Steely Dan. The only thing I can think of is that I disliked this album less than Pretzel Logic and that the first 2 tracks are decently good pop songs. Otherwise, listening to this felt like sitting in a dentist's chair.
What’s worse than being up all night with the stomach flu? Finally giving up on sleep at 3 AM, checking my random album pick, and seeing it’s Steely Dan. This album is better than Countdown to Ecstasy, and has some classic tracks like Reelin’ In The Years. Steely Dan are undeniably skilled musicians, but there’s no depth beneath the polished harmonies and cheesy yacht rock vibes. It’s perfectly forgettable.
Not my bag.
Bit too soft, not quite jazzy enough yet. Passable.
I can see why this must be a classic but to me, this album is one from an era and culture that I just don’t know I can relate to. I’ll still give it a shot - it’s a vibe but not one that I’m overly opinionated about.
I don't get it, not my go to 70s album. But I'll give it another go.
Sorry... fell asleep. What happened?
A couple of good songs, the rest can be left in the seventies.
So this one's a tough review for me. It's all "likeable," and some of the tracks are obvious classics. I like the sound when there's some guitar licks roughening it up, but it's usually so slick that I lose attention. I had a could listens while I was doing other things, and went back looking for songs I thought I heard and couldn't find them With the exception of a few that are already in my musical-historical-cultural consciousness, nothing made impression. Except for "Turn that Heartbeat Over Again" song. That song just sucks. Highs: the singles everyone over 30 knows: "Reelin' in the Years" and probably "Do It Again." Lows: Turn that heartbeat and Brooklyn and the rest that I can't remember. This is one that as I'm listening and writing these notes, I dislike it more. It's so close to music I like, but the FM radio somebody-else-put-this-on-for-your-pleasure feeling of it is too much. 2.5 but rounding down.
Not quite
🫤 meh
I am sure one day I will grow to love Steely Dan, but today wasn't that day.
Decent Sunday album. It faded towards the end though… 2.5
Not terrible, but pretty close - towards the bottom of the two stars. Tom.
Ok but by the end I was ready to listen to something else. A bit repetitive.
There are some classic songs on here but listening to this actually sounds like the 60s giving way to the 70s and I really don’t enjoy much of 70s music.
Smooth, but other than Do It Again I dont think I'll be hearing back from this album
I honestly dont understand why anyone would choose to listen to this. It does nothing and goes nowhere.
the only listenable Steely Dan album and it’s entirely because of how badly it’s biting Santana on the decent tracks
it wasn't as bad as aja. still boring but kinda better, i liked dirty work
Eminently forgettable. Not bad but not really sure why it's been chosen for this list.
As soon as I started listening to this album I realised they are a name that is very familiar but I don't recall ever listening to them before, so wondered where this would lead... and it's seventies rock-pop I suppose, inoffensive but unremarkable, sure I missed something?
Quite long songs, great vibe, need to listen to it more to really judge.
I’ve never been a big Steely Dan lover. This album is definitely the best I’ve heard from them, but I just kind of feel nothing while listening to it. It’s easy to groove to, and there are certainly some cool moments, but I really don’t feel the need to return to any of these songs. Like it all seems good on paper, and I can tell that some real thought went into making these songs, but they’re just not really that exciting to listen to. This is music for people who think jazz chords = good music and don’t give it a second thought.
It's OK I suppose. Quite dated. Only 1 song I recognise.
Made me feel weird
Not my jam
Yeah don't know. It's okay. Could have done without
Njet
Música de tienda en general, pero tiene 2-3 canciones bastante buenas
I hated this.
Not my kind of music. It wasn’t bad but it felt dated. I’d rather listen to something else
2/5 - soft rock with some nice jazz parts underneath - a little dull
Tää oli aika hissimusiikkia. Tiesin ainoastaan ekan biisin ”Do It Again” entuudestaan.
VERY formulaic pop rock almost fell asleep they think they ate with this cover? its ugly as shit
i mean. it was fine i guess
A couple of standout tracks but otherwise Meh
Mm no me gusto tanto, de hecho me aburrió. 6/10 quizas? Después de este me puse a escuchar "Aja" de este mismo artista también, y me parece superador
Meh
Two famous songs plus a lot of elevator music. Boomers love this sh*t.
War groovy, ist aber auch dahingeplätschert. Weiß nicht, ob ich zu unkonzentriert war.
Oh, I beg to differ. Ask our ladies of the night.
Not bad. The Dan spent 100 hours on the drum sound and ended up not bad. Should have spent a fraction of that time on the cover. It looks like a Pickwick lp in the Woolies bargain bin.
Plate
Look, I don't hate it. But I don't love it. I do feel like if you handed me a joint, put me on a beach with a cover band doing Steely Dan, I'd be vibing. It's inoffensive and chill. "Reelin in the Years" feels kind of like a Bowie song. It's one of my favs from this album, along with "Dirty Work". Will I ever listen to it again? Nope. Except for "Reelin in the Years" and "Dirty Work".
Third Steely Dan album I've heard on this list so far and nothing's changed. Steely Dan should be right up my alley. The genre/timeframe is usually one of my favorites. There's also undoubtedly a lot of hits on this album. But I just can't get into it. It may be something with the vocals but it all sounds so sterile. I feel like I'm eating inside an Arby's. 4.75/10 (2.375/5)
Impressive that they can make such cheesy music with a straight face.
Debut album. Soft Rock. Super safe, middle of the road Rock. It's all very nice and well played but I can't get a thrill out of it. Reelin' In The Years is a good track. The rest of the album is...umm..nice, and that's all.
2 out of 5 Some good well known tunes. Decent yacht rock.
I hear the sophisticated arrangement , blending of genres and catchy hooks and feel nothing. It's so anodyne, calculated and inoffensive. A light salad of a record. Have tried to listen to this a number of times, when it comes up in album of the year things, and kind of like the softer rock of the time, but this always makes me feel the same, like I'm stuck in neutral. Which all in all is for the best as wouldn’t want to follow a band with such a limp name anyway. It does what it does well but I get nothing, a flaccid soft rocking 2 Star and by the end it's nearer to a 1.
Catchy songs with clean harmonies. Songs just don’t with me.
2,5
There’s something so funny about skilled musicians working as hired guns and then deciding “Hey! We have something to say!” and then their original work sounds like skilled musicians working as hired guns but with a less exciting vocalist. Anyway I think I’ve heard enough Steely Dan now.
Proggy as ever, but served with a bigger slice of 70s pop cheese than my previous Steely Dan offering on this list - and all the better for it. Much more palatable than Aja, but in the grand scheme of things still not anything here to set the world on fire.
It was ok
nothing special just like every other album
Yeah I'm still not a fan of Steely Dan. And not of this record either - it's just too plain. There's nothing in this that excites me. I was hoping this would be a little better than the last record of theirs I got but it's pretty much the same. And that's disappointing. 2.5/5.
A perfectly serviceable collection for those in the mood for light rock, soft jazz, or adult contemporary. Just not my jam.
Steely Dan’s debut might be praised for its slick musicianship, but to me it mostly sounds like boring pop/soft/jazz rock without much bite. The songs drift along smoothly, and apart from the occasional guitar solo there isn’t much that really grabs my attention. It feels polished, yes, but also lifeless — and for all its reputation, I can’t help but find it underwhelming.
Its fine. Its easy listening. Dad rock.
This was a struggle to get through. Bland soft rock.
Not a fan, or steely dan
Extremely mid. None of the songs stood out to me.
24/1089 Love the feeling of pressing play on one of these albums and immediately hearing some music you’ve heard before that you never knew the title/artist of, this album is no different i guess Do It Again is a solid and stylish start to the album, with a nice progression and vibey sound instantly not a huge fan of the organ(?) on Dirty Work. While Do It Again managed to feel pretty timeless, Dirty Work felt very dated to me after a solid start this project lost me for a bit, Reelin’ In The Years brought me back a bit though, it’s a fun song and the combination of vocals and instrumentation clicks for me. Not a fan of the piano in Fire In The Hole. I do like the vocals on this chorus a lot the rest of the album didn’t really do it for me, felt quite same-y and when that same-y isn’t a style i love it just doesn’t resonate 2 stars or 40/100 Do It Again and Reelin’ In The Years saved it from being a 1 star
Dirty Work rules, all downhill from there for the Dan. I tried the rest, needs more dark sarcasm. Aja SUCKS. Just getting that out now. You're all wrong.
Immediate props to any band that names themselves after a dildo from a William Burroughs novel. That said, 70s classic album rock is just not my bag, and here's where I double down. These guys can write a hook, sure, but something about that white guy with a big hairy beard in cut-off jean shorts and a stripey tank top at the lake groovin' to some soft rock blasting out of the Chevy LUV pickup truck on 8-track just grates on me. It's weird, because I really like Man Man, and the influence of Steely Dan on those guys is clearly evident. Nothin' I can do but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Nevertheless, if I gotta hear some dusty 70s pop/rock, I reckon there could be worse things than listening to the slightly-weirder-than-the-status-quo dildo band. At least it's not The Eagles or Fuckwood Mac. But I'm not letting these fellas off the hook so easy - there were so many more appealing options available in '72, and had I not been but a twinkle in my parents' eye at that point, I would have likely been listening to a bunch of other, better, weirder stuff. Aesthetically, this is absolutely a one-star experience for me, but again, because of the Burroughs dildo reference, I'll give these fellas extra credit. Finally, the kerning and baseline on the goddamn Mistral typeface for the album title on the cover art is way, way off, and I can't unsee that shit. Fucking ugh. Zero stars for that shit.
Esta bien, lo intentare escuchar alguna vez mas
It couldn't reach the heights that Pretzel Logic hit, with the listen going by very uneventfully with not a single song standing out enough to even be mentioned as a great one. This one will be an easy 2/5, which won't be listened to again.
This music sounds like it was created with AI. No feeling. Mechanical. Ugh
Overrated
Sorry, it's just not for me. If I was in a place this was playing, I would politely ask if the person would change the music.
Reeling in the years is a tune, the rest of it was fairly nondescript
Competent but sooo very tame. 1 really solid song right at the start.
Do it Again continues to serve as a vibey tune for anyone firmly in their 30s and beyond. The rest makes me think about people with old money who have no taste putting this on at dinner parties a bit too much to give a better review.
Looking at the track list, I think this is my favorite Steely Dan album. And Dirty Work is definitely my favorite Steely Dan song. Reelin' In the Years suuuuuucks. This is the worst Steely Dan song. This album is all over the place. I am neither reelin' in the years nor gathering up the time. I don't understand how this got so popular. One great song, one good song and total garbage other than that.
Yacht rock. There are one or two reasonable tracks but overall the album would not be one which I would gravitate to, but too smooth and over produced.
Okay album not great not terrible.
So, this doesn't suck as badly as the other Dan albums this list has strong-armed me into listening to. That doesn't say too much though. Sure it's more straight forward, missing some of the experimental bullshit they'll attempt later, but it's so god-awful milquetoast. Soft, safe, "rock"; why bother?
A couple of good songs (notably Dirty Work) cannot rescue this album from being easy listening rock sludge.
meh
I’m starting to realize that I know way more Steely Dan songs than I realized. And they are good songs, but I associated them as being other artists. Like “Do it again” I write off as being a Santana follow up to “Black magic woman”. And I know dirty work but never realized it was Steely Dan. Looking back, stylistically I should have picked that up. Skipping reeling in the years. I think I thought this was Thin Lizzy for years because of the “boys are back in town” guitar solos. This album is almost over. I’m kind of indifferent to it. It’s not bad. It’s just sounds like a backing track for a 70s montage.
So is this what the "olds" call yacht rock? I like it on a boat. I don't like it not on a boat.
The couple of listenable songs on the album have been played to death. Hopefully there’s just one Steely Dan album on the list.
I can only hope there's not another Steely Dan album on the list. There are hits here, but the whole thing sounds horribly dated. Great if you want rock-disco. Horrible if you don't. My rating: 2/5
Some really good tracks here. I can see myself giving it another listen. I enjoyed more than the last Steely Dan album
Catchy tunes that might be a little too syrupy sweet for my ears
I respect it but not for me
Excessively beige, to the point where the second half just blew straight past me. Two stars.
This is a bit too dad rock for me, but it's not thaaaat bad. I just wouldn't listen to it.
I don't like this because I don't like the instruments and the melody that is being used. I would not recommend this album to someone else because I don't think they would like it. I give this 2 stars.
can't borrow a feeling
So Steely Dan, early 70s soft rock. A couple of genuine classics here with Reelin in the years, and Do it again which have aged beautifully and I still hear them all the time. The rest of the album sounds like background piano bar music to me. I won’t be looking for this again soon though. 3 stars for writing a couple of bangers though
Inoffensive
I always want to like Steely Dan, but never do. I can see how they influenced the greatest musical act of all time (Ween) - so they at least got that going for them. Dirty Work is a dirty one for sure.
The singles are still fun (especially Dirty Work) but something overall in the album just didn’t click for me today, like it felt too restrained or the vocals felt flat. Fading out the end of a song is also a pet peeve of mine and they do it on almost every track. Kings was a great new discovery, though.
“Dad Rock” is a big umbrella when you think about it. Not all dads are the same, nor do they have the same sensibilities. My dad graduated in ‘79, his favorites were KISS, Boston, .38 Special, Rush. He smoked weed, he couldn’t afford cocaine. He played football and the drums, he has diabetes and Velcro shoes. This makes a Steely Dan Dad not. Steely Dan makes me ill at ease. I don’t like that kind of Dad rock because I don’t like that kind of dad. He cares too much about what kind of beer he drinks, he’s pretentious and mind numbingly middle class at the same time. He likes The Eagles and he raised Wilco sons. Danheads will tell you this is not Dad rock. They’ll say it’s jazz, it’s intellectual, but all I feel is a dryness that I just don’t want with my music.
Briefly nodded with familiarity, then fell asleep.
I'm old enough to appreciate Yacht Rock, so I kinda secretly wanted to like this, but this is real wallpaper. Like they were famous perfectionists apparently so why be so bland. Reeling in the years gets me nodding along with that groove and maybe lyrics that are trying to say something. But otherwise this was meh mcmehface
It is good genre music but it doesn't transcend that for me.
steely dan king of the fade out. i think this genre (low energy "rock" music) just really isn't for me.
I've only been vaguely aware of Steely Dan but have always been amused by the anecdote that the band is named after the steam-powered dildo in Naked Lunch. "Do It Again" is pretty good, but the rest of this album is mostly forgettable. This type of soft rock isn't my thing.
Likte da ikkje
Steely Dan do excellent things in snippets. But you have to wad through some pretty mudance and ordinary stuff to get there.
It's funny I was just talking last week to a friend about how, outside a handful of songs, I've never been able to get into Steely Dan despite trying many times. I can tell the compositions and production are masterful, but it sounds like dad rock made by jazz professors to me--but like not as cool as that sounds. But I probably dig this album more than like Aja or something, because it has more obvious radio-friendly tracks.
TIL the song "Dirty Work" was performed by Steely Dan, and I think it says something that I was never curious to learn more about it despite being fed a steady diet from FM rock radio while growing up. "Do It Again" evokes some nostalgia for whittling away hours in video game arcades. The rest of this album is just an occasionally depressing document of the soft middle of the '70s: The hippie idealism of the '60s has been dead and buried, everyone's numbed on quaaludes and TV dinners, and punk rock can't arrive soon enough.
After this record was done, Spotify gave me Peace Frog by the Doors. yep, seems about right.
I was almost enjoying this until 'Reeling in the years', which I like almost as much as Talking Heads (see prev). Again, I understand this isn't technically bad, it's just so not for me in a really profound way I don't fully understand.
2/5. You know when a movie comes out and you watch and maybe even enjoy it, but it was 100% made to win an Oscar? That's what this album feels like. Like, to be fair, it is enjoyable and the hits are great of course, but it kind of keeps the same energy throughout, chill soft rock with a similar sounding chorus for each song. It's fine but it's not classic worthy. Steely Dan just does not do it for me most of the time. Best Song: Do It Again, Reelin' In The Years, Brooklyn (Owes the Charmer Under Me)
Just the other day I saw a listing for a Steely Dan cover band. I said to myself “really? They have enough songs that people care about to warrant a cover band. ?” So, as it turns out, I have a lot of these songs before. They’re ok. Not great, not terrible.
Unique and fun listening during highschool days, but I pretty much only listened since everybody else was doing it. Stopped listening to them when I got older.
I did my taxes while listening to this album. It was an appropriate level of exciting for that chore.
Not a fan
2.5 - It was fine.
I miss the "thrill" in this album. However, I have to admit that I have owned it for a long time, but it is gathering dust somewhere. Sure, there are the two 'classics' on the album, but that's about it. 2-3 stars, so 2
I hate to say it again, but the first song was great, and the rest was not so great
why are there so many steely dan albums in this list? god why gotta give it to them though, theyre very consistent
Tajunta ei laajentunut eikä pää räjähtänyt 2/5
Nice melodic music and voice. Good solid album of soft tunes. Not my taste particularly, but easy to listen to. Would play it again if I had the vinyl record.
they're very skilled musicians, i'm sure, but this was kind of bland and pretentious. 5/10
So smooth and beyond the earworm of Dirty Work a meh record.
Unfortunately this is a band that has dated… sure, there are some great tracks here but….
Well, this was an album. I still think “Dirty Work” is a hilarious song for a grumpy mild life crisis dad pulling the garbage down to the curb.
Pop music for people who want to flirt with rock, or rock music for people scared of rock. Technically proficient, but no edge, no passion, and no interest.
Dull and forgettable but not bad.
Didn't really like it, a bit mid.
Super
2,5
I just don't get Steely Dan. So bland, so lounge, so jazz light so lacking joy / energy/ so clinical.
I know it deserves higher but man I just really don’t like Steely Dan.
The hits are great but the rest tastes like dry toast.
Second album de Steely Dan généré par la liste, le premier étant Aja (plus récent) que j'avais plutôt apprécié. Celui ci est plus pop/rock, avec quelques chorus intéressants mais sans plus. Je lui préfères donc Aja, bien plus jazzy. =>2/5
After 3 (?) albums, even enjoying Steely Dan, I got annoyed by this album.
Listened Before: N I'm not sure how to categorize this album. It's like... an attempt at rock that came across as easy listening? I don't know. I do know that the 3 hits on this album are VERY VERY VERY overplayed. I think I'll pass on this one forever. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Dirty Work
Plane 70's rock. Nothing special.
Some great pop choruses, but really put off by all that ugly sounding electric piano/organ, all those noodly guitar solos and quite basic lyrics that just don't connect for me. Brooklyn (Owes the Charmer Under Me) seems to be the most toned down and subtle song, and is definitely the highlight for me. Very glad to be introduced to it. Just wish it would stop at 3.39 before that brief solo comes in. In fact, just recut this album with all those show-off solos removed and I'd happily add on another star or two.
This band needed an editor.
Another bland album from Steely Dan. Very clean, too much so for me.
Ah, the 70s. I was 4 when this was released, 'Do It Again' and 'Reelin' In The Years' were played on the radio a lot but I never really liked them. I preferred 'Seasons in the Sun' and 'Billy Don't be a Hero'! Planet Rock play these tracks now to give their listeners a quiet moment. In the palette of rock music Steely Dan are magnolia.
A nothingy listen for me. Didn’t leave much of an impression on me at all. Fine but not much more.
Didn’t grab me to be honest….
Jfc this is tepid. Sure, there's talent but it's wasted on rock that's as far from hard that you can't even talk about Mohs, let alone quantify this album using it. The best bits are the noodly showboating lead guitars. The worst bits are the entire rest of it.
It's alright
Bisschen old school
Wack but not as wack as aja
Ok
Turns out I knew several of the songs before I played this album. The best thing about this is the band's name. The worst thing is the horrible sleeve art. The music itself sits somewhere in between. Early 1970s AOR soft rock, with jazz and latin poking through. For me, this is an example where high skill level in songwriting, musicianship and production don't result in a great album.
1. do it again - 3 2. uuork - 1.5 3. kingz - 1 4. cruizer - 1 5. fool - 1.5 6. yearz - 3 7. fire - 1 8. brooklyn - 1 9. guard - 1 10. heart - 1.5
First listen Saved 3/10 Top track: Dirty Work
okay as background music. Doesn't excite me
Bland and boring. Shame. They obviously can play and "Ricki dont loose that number" (not on this album) is one of my favourite songs.
Dad rock at its best/worst
Easy listening rock music which was enjoyable as it was inoffensive. I always thought 'Reelin in the Years' was some old shite like Dr Hook. I was surprised/ not surprised to find out that was the worst song on the album. I want to give it a 3, but I would have to hand in my cool badge.
This is a band that I do not I totally get. I like some of their songs but never understood those who worship them so. It is like R&B for really white people. I mean lily white people…..no pigment at all. That being said, it is an impressive debut and I knew a few songs. It feels like two different albums depending on which singer is taking the lead. I prefer Fagan led songs over Becker. Fagans voice sounds much more contemporary to me. Beckers songs sound like they were released in 1972. I really like the song Reeling in the Years. Overall, a good-ish album.
Why we gotta have organs in 1972? Has it’s moments but earnest lyrics over background Muzak…meh This is the blueprint for every rights-free corporate vid track of the 80’s-90’s. Maybe thats really a compliment? Tracks 7-10 are simply musical theatre
Steely Dan is boring - the proto-elevator music. It doesn’t suck and it isn’t good. Band name has an interesting backstory.
Booo, boring 👎
ugh
Full on dad rock. Listenable for around half the album, then blends in to one tame, amorphous entity.
Honestly not as good as I expected, started off strong but became more boring as the album went on, good songs all around but no songs that are absolutely amazing 2.5/5
Not great. 2
Technically very well put together but it doesn't speak to me I'm afraid.
My second Steely Dan album in a week... not best pleased!! I liked this better than Pretzel Logic - less rocky but more cheesy. Unfortunately the last few songs pushed it down to another 2 stars 👎
It’s ok.
i simply can't believe there are already 3 steely dan albums on this list
Lead off song hits like a 70s cop show sound track, but drags long a bit long. “Reelin” is quite the downer heard through my 50-something ears. But those 2 singles from this are burned in my brain from radio overplay in my youth, and honestly didn’t remember that those songs were Steely Dan. Not memorable then, not memorable now. Pretty boring boring hippy dippy stuff to my ear.
i dont wanna listen to Steely Dan, no mooooore.
I kept picturing Will Ferrell hanging out in the background with the cowbell.
I hated everything about this album. Songs aren’t horrible but they are nothing I ever want to hear again.
boring.
It’s my second time listening to this and I still can’t remember anything after a couple of hours. I thinks I’m just not interested in this kind of music.
this took a while to get through. Do it again is a masterpiece and the rest of it is yacht rock at its finest. It is a shame that i do not like yacht rock
Couple of hits, but meh.
Bit too crusty, very dadcore
Just doesn't click with me....
Walter White liked Steely Dan, and that should tell you everything you need to know. Technically brilliant, but very forgettable, bland and boring, they chose to create one of the great evils in the world in pursuit of money and glory. In a similar vein, Walter White was a teacher who made meth. This album is shit. Steely Dan are shit. I'm grudgingly giving it an extra star because 'Dirty Work' is a great song - it's a bit like if Hitler had painted the Mona Lisa, you can appreciate the painting but it's still a Hitler.
I was a fan, liked their music because it was a little different, but - now I just can't. Maybe because a few of their songs get so much airplay on the 'classic rock' stations, every time they come on - I switch the channel.
Dull
What can I say - it’s inoffensive American radio rock - AOR I think they used to call it. Is it bad - no - is it in any way exceptional - no.
2.5* Very average bar 2-3 songs. Almost like lift music.
Easy listening, nice to hear the ood songs
Dirty work, that's it.
Only good song was Do It Again
There’s a couple songs on here that are recognizable, the rest of it is shit. I’m so sick of 70s albums.
Not bad but not great boomer music
Do these smartypants only come in beige?
Was fine, sort of passed me by...
Unremarkable I’m afraid
Не особо. Очередное старье.
It was a decent album, but like it was just kinda there, was it influential at the time I’m not sure. Was it a good listen, yeah, am I gonna listen to it again, probably not.
Really not my thing. There was only 1 song I’d even consider listening to again.
3 plus
Better than Pretzel Logic, but still not my jam.
Know several of the songs but just not my genre.
I dunno man, sounds like your most boring grandparents favourite band.
Okay.
2-3/5
Ei tehnyt suurta vaikutusta.
Hade aldrig hört talas om och det fanns väl en anledning till det. Fanns inget som stack ut
hört om steely dan i film/tv, ska vara "pappamusik", jag är pappa, men nja. Först låten är bäst. Sen händer inte mycket. Rätt platt, enkelt. #1 Soft, melodiskt. #2 sådär. #3 lite roligare. Men det lyfter aldrig riktigt. Inget "extra". #4 bra, skönt sound #5 sådär #6 sådär #7 nja #8 ok #9 lite popig. #10 sådär
duktiga musiker och så... kul när keyboardisten tvunget skulle ha ett solo direkt efter gitarrsolot
goddamn steely dan
Bem meh
Easy listening, nothing too memorable for me though.
Meh. Just glad that my coworker Ryan is no longer doing this music challenge. I was explicitly told that if I rated Steely Dan poorly that we'd have words. Well, Ryan, I'm rating it poorly. But, I'll give it an extra star just for you.
While it's nice to finally know the origin of elevator music of the 80s and 90s, this album is a meh for me. It's becoming painfully obvious a straight white man wrote this list...
Neat sound, definitely older. Kinda vibey, but not really my thing.
Ok, bit boring
I guess this band have an interesting sound. It's not really like anything I've heard before, but it was also quite annoying and the songs felt quite lightweight and shallow. The first two tracks I didn't like it all. I enjoyed "Kings," despite it being a bit silly (no, I didn't research whether they intended for it to have any deeper meaning or not... and yes, I can see why some people would interpret it as some kind of critique of power structures or whatever. I'm not going to interpret that way. It's frivolous and silly). "Midnite Cruiser" is the best track on here. It's still not super deep or anything, but it's perfect for what it is: a fun, light hearted piece of pop cheese. Honestly, it's one of the most perfectly pitched examples of that I've ever seen. "Only a Fool Would Say That" was actually interesting thematically, but a little cynical for my tastes. At that point I was thinking I might give this album a 4. But then came "Reelin' In The Years," and when that chorus hit, I realised I'd heard it before, on the radio, and it was really annoying. Unfortunately, the album didn't get any better from there. I finished it thoroughly unimpressed and very annoyed. I sure hope "Midnite Cruiser" was the hit, but it was probably "Reelin' In The Years," because that's the one I heard on the radio. Favourite track: Midnite Cruiser
Funny, I Already knew most of the songs. But never actively listened to Steely Dan. The kind of music you neither like nor dislike. I just don't care about it.
It’s not enough of anything for me to strongly feel any type of way about it. I grew up hearing the more popular tracks far too many times. I would like to please never hear Reelin’ In The Years again, thank you. Do It Again and Dirty Work are somehow still tolerable.
kinda borring, but not bad. Not really into it
Points for harmonies. A couple of familiar hits. Added a “new” song to a playlist. Angry lyrics don’t always match the friendly voice and music. Fans of Chicago will like the sound.
Too much 60/70's american rock in this compendium
not really listened to much of steely Dan before but I didn't hate it
Not my thing at all, decent musicianship but just doesn't do anything for me
Yeesh. Only liked the first two songs, Do it Again and Dirty Work, the rest is schmaltz. Reelin in the Years was the only other song I knew but it didn’t merit a like.
A few pretty good tracks on here. Not a lot I'd listen to again, but some of the hits are pretty solid
these are iconic songs (and most of them, thankfully, have radio edits) and they stand out and are fine, i suppose. steely dan is a jam band cosplay. they are dudes that say “groove” to describe what they are doing. they are boring as hell. neat-o, see you at jazz fest in new orleans. lets put on button up t-shirts with matching tabasco prints. yeehaw (i'm from connecticut)!
Fine, pretty middle of the road
MORE Steely Dan .. ? is this list rigged towards a certain demographic? Do I attempt to critique this ak I'm? It's probably another breakthrough concept album of semi all importance and stylistic brilliance that ... Anyway. I didn't know I could be found listening to a Steely Dan album TWICE in a year But there you go. It's very up and down. Some tracks "reeling the years" rock on. Other are easy listening but uninteresting. Doesn't really stand up well these days, to these ears. It sounded old to me in the 80s. Is this what pro and anti drug or prostitution messages were like back then? I'm not sure what the title is saying. Or the cover art. Something about self addressed envelopes making people happy. NO more Steely Dan please. Or beetles.
Tony Soprano happily singing along to Dirty Work is an abiding memory, said it all. As much as I love that song, in terms of poking Beelzebub in the burning ribs, I'd have to say to those about to cark it, go and listen to something else. David Palmer's weird presence on this record does give us Dirty Work, and the two smasheroo singles are great, but the rest is just more nurdling about like that last one I listened to, can't even remember its name. Death freaks and lacrosse fans; you've got better things to listen to as you turn off the night light.
A bit 'nothingy'. Apart from reeling in the years, I forgot it was on. The who came on afterwards and I was struck by the difference in energy, then boz scraggs which was soulful and funky. I have no such adjectives to describe this album besides, 'nothingy'. It's the best I can do, and I'm sorry to fans.
I scored another record down previously in the list for being too polished and too well constructed, and I think I shall have to do the same here. I initially scored this a 3 when I listened to it (for the first time ever) in my solo listen through, but I think it is only fair and consistent that I score it a 2 on a re-listen. It is all a bit boring at the end of the day. 2 / 5 stars.
Soulless.
Helpoksi ei tämänkään kepeän aikuisrockin kuuntelua ole tehty. Jokaista (heikkoa) hetkeä kohti, jolloin tulee ajatelleeksi, että "mmh, minähän voisin melkein tykätä tästä", LP tarjoaa ainakin kaksi hetkeä, jotka saavat kiemurtelemaan inhosta. Jos ajattelet toisin, olet väärässä. Mutta sallin kaksi tähteä, koska pari raitaa on tänään soinut päässäni.
Hou op zeg, met die gezapigheid van Steely Dan! Ik zou er serieus over na moeten denk wat ik erger zou vinden: Dit album nog een paar keer moeten luisteren of m'n neusharen met een waterpomptang laten verwijderen.
Pfoe, dat is een hoop Steely-Dan-gezapigheid in een paar dagen tijd.
At the start I was getting deep into my austin powers bag. MHMMMMMMMM do it again is saucy. It truly lives up to the album cover... the rest of this album though? Boringgggg. How far have we fallen if we are to have an album with one liked song on it be a 3? It's good music but it's not at the same time. Egad, it's so sad. I liked dirty work in spotify, but then unliked it because I realized that I only liked it because it's a "classic". Realistically it's meh. Only a fool would say that was also ok. 2 stars for the number of songs on this album I'll ever actively choose to play again.
20th January 2023 Listened in the day before driving to London to the Young Gun Silver Fox gig. Funny that this is the second steely Dan album since hearing the blues kitchen chat about him at the end of last year. Comfortable of forgettable country folk. 2.5 if I could.
Not for me. Cheesy af
If I had a bunch of cocaine, Ludes and brandy to go with this record, I would have enjoyed it a lot more than I did. There are 3 great songs surrounded by a couple OK ones immersed in some nonsense. This guy could have just put Aja on the list and walked the hell away from Steely Dan.
just when you think it's safe and to listen to it hits you with some 70s harmonised singing.
Steely Dan sucks off dogs
Some decent tunes, but it’s a few days since I listened and I can’t remember which ones, so not that great.
1972. Reelin' In The Years, Dirty Work
Ok background music
Music for people who like white bread sandwiches, consider mayonnaise spicy and view mac and cheese as exotic international cuisine. I give this 2/5 old crackly speakers playing this at an inoffensive volume at an empty mid-western Greyhound bus stop.
"Dirty Work" is fine song. But I really do not like Steely Dan.
Much better than I expected...
Eeeh it was okay
bit muso for me and doesn't do much
😕
Mum ok suppose
Soft rock nonsense. Consigned to 1970s & 80s Radio2 where it belongs.
Initial reaction, "Oh why bother? Who wrote this stupid list?" After the album, "If this was my lift music, it wouldn't be so bad to live another floor up."
Nice
kind of blurred into the other 70s stuff, but listenable
What y'all need is some of dem easy-listening classics!
Just find these so dull. Very appropriately named to be fair. 2/5
Reconheci a primeira e segue com folk
Slow start, and album grew on me with Reelin' in the years. Solid, but the odd track aside, unlikely to revisit
technically flawless but with a little soul
Yacht rock. Some cool guitar licks and harmonies but this is the kind of rock I hated growing up.
Cada una de las canciones de este disco podría ser la sintonía de cabecera de alguna serie de televisión de los ochenta. Lo único mínimamente interesante que tiene es el solo de piano de Fire In The Hole.
Meh
Only heard it once yesterday. I liked the soft rock or classic rock feel. It was good to have been introduced to Steely Dan.
Chill tracks, lots of instruments. 2 classics on this album. A-Team Face phone ring.
MOR soft rock. Meh. 2/5.
There were some nice solos, but the lyrics took me out of it. The sound is nice, but it gets monotonous. Reeling In the Years is one of my least favorite songs of all time, so that takes off a whole star.
This album sounds typically like something out of the early 70s by way of soft/psych rock. A perfectly ok listen. The album cover is next level crazy though. Best: Reelin' in the Years Worst: Brooklyn (Owes the Charmer Under Me) 2.5 stars
Oh god. Ok let's see. Two songs in and this is not SO bad, but could do without the sax. Ok yeah this has a bit of a classic rock opera sound to it. I dunno. I'm very ready for this album to finish.
In jedem Anfang wohnt ein Zauber inne; so auch hier. Kaum beginnt eines dieser flockig groovigen Stücke, freu ich mich aufs Neue ehe mir später auffällt, dass ich dem Rest gar nicht mehr aufmerksam zugehört habe, als würde mir jedes Mal die Euphorie für den Buchumschlag in einer einzigen Stichflamme aufgehen und für den Buchinhalt bleibt kein Gran mehr über. Verkohlte 2.4
Dirty work
I know a lot of people really dig Steely Dan's groove. I am not one of those. There's nothing inherently wrong with this album -- I just don't like it. 2 stars.
I think I’ll let Steve Albini's 2023 tweets provide my feelings on this album and any other Steely Dan album… (this was taken from my Aja review). I will always be the kind of punk that shits on Steely Dan Christ the amount of human effort wasted to sound like an SNL band warm up. "They spent three weeks on the guitar solo..." Three weeks of watching guitar players give it their all while doing bumps and hitting the talkback, "More *Egyptian* but keep it in the pocket..." "Their engineer invented a machine to play the bass drum..." Did he now. And yet it sounds like this. Look at yourselves. Calling them "the Dan." Go trim your beard. Two types of perfectionist: One will prepare, revise and rehearse carefully, with intent, honing an idea to a keen edge, ready to cut the cloth of execution. The other makes other people responsible by saying, "do it again," until by chance they are satisfied, then take credit. There's some video where they talk about every song on an album, and each one begins with the not-bald one saying, "this song is based on my deep love of the blues, just a very bluesy blues. Deep blues." Then lays his jazz dork hands on the fucking electric piano... Music made for the sole purpose of letting the wedding band stretch out a little. All you "I used to hate them" people, pleading their case like it's a natural infirmity. "I need readers now, take pills for my prostate. Get winded on the stairs. And oh, I like that cocaine shit music now. (and it's 1 star only because I can't give it a negative number. FUCK THIS BAND)
They can be mad about it all they want, they are still Yacht rock in my mind. I don't care if they have more complex lyrics or themes to their music, it still screams Yacht Rock -- that isn't necessarily a bad thing -- but it isn't necessarily a good thing either.....
No, Steely Dan, you can't buy a thrill, but I wish you fucking could, because this has all the excitement of a developing flu. Somehow, every flavour of instrument comes together to form a great big slog of greywater. Am I being too harsh? Probably. But the album cover was promising, the average rating was promising, and the genres listed were promising, and this album was just a thousand broken promises.
One hit wonder plane surfer straight rock music.
Incredibly bland
Tak to je opäť niečo, čo vlezie jedným uchom dnu a druhým vylezie von. Nič, čo by ma zaujalo...
Just absolutely not my type of music. Felt like I need to be in a stables on a farm chewing wheat to fully appreciate this.
This is my 3rd Steely Dan album, how on earth they make it at all in the 1001 albums is completely beyond me. They are talented but it's bland and safe
Not for me. 1/5
niepodobasa - ustalone wspólnie po 30min odebrali - termin do ortopedy za pół roku
Not really my thing.
Not for me which disappoints as for first time hearing an album by Steely Dan which are held in high regards by some. Liked the opening track which is a big tune from then, but sorry, the on, it was very middle of the road and beige. Struggled to get through it. 1/5.
Nope honestly two songs are worth listening to and then the rest is painful and boring
too hippie for me,too much of the za
Not for me
With that name and cover, that's not the music I was expecting - how harmlessly competent
Early 70's middle-of-the-road vanilla rock I heard nothing exceptional here, just lots of bland Not for me
Yo que sé, too much, muy psicodélico para mi.
wasn't really my vibe
It really is as bad as I always think Steely Dan sounds like. For pluses, its easy to ignore, and backlash to stuff like this gave us punk