Can't Buy A Thrill

Nostalgic, gorgeous and a little heartbreaking. Favourite song: Reelin' In The Years (but Dirty Work is a very very close second) Least: Fire In The Hole

Steely Dan is always good, this is a great debut album. The hits do a lot of work, but the rest of the album holds up as well.

Steely Dan sets an amazing vibe, my go-to easy listening album Fave track: Reelin' in the Years

Great album. Packed with classics, starts strong, good variety but strong identity. A worthy inclusion. 4.5/5

So this is cool. I only listened to the first song. 9.7/10 Do it again

Classic album through and through

good Classic

The only thing I don't understand about this record is how I haven't heard it before it's frankly amazing

4 or 5 stars I think, I really liked the joyous vibes I got from the album.

10 out of 10 obviously

This is only my 4th-favorite Steely Dan album, yet it's bangers from start to finish. It's the FM radio yacht rock version of the band before they got really into their "tinkering in the studio" phase of the late 70s/early 80s but I still love it. Standouts: Do It Again, Dirty Work, Kings, Only A Fool Would Say That

Love this album. Not too upbeat, not too low. Had listened to Dirty Work before, but hadn't explored the album. Definitely gonna be in my top 50.

I loved this one quite a lot!

I mean, it’s gotta be a good omen when your debut record is basically a greatest hits album. Can’t Buy A Thrill is stacked to the gills. This is potentially the most pure example of dad rock to ever be created. So many awesome fusion/pop songs on here. It’s also absolutely perfect for the turn of the seasons rn. This is yet another record that really feels ahead of its time. The production absolutely fucks. It’s so weird to think this came out the same year as Neil Young’s Harvest, Ziggy Stardust, etc. yet feels so fresh and familiar.

Do what makes you happy. Listen to what the people want and make it your own. That seems to the mantra at the forefront of Steely Dan’s Can’t buy a Thrill. A perfect sauce to compliment any playlist of jazz rock or pop. It’s so easy listening and so technical. It’s the perfect mix because it feels so soothing and so engaging. Steely Dan glaze is somewhat justified. This is a debut! THIS IS A DEBUT. Chevy chase apparently was part of Steely Dan at the start what hasn’t been said here. Even the deep cuts are amazing some of the greatest songs of the 70s and they have been uplifted from the Gen Z resurge. I love Donald Fagen whatever he does it just really is my cup of tea. I hate calling it dad rock but it really is that. Singing about past love and the years that have passed! Do it again only a fool even midnight cruiser all songs that are just the greatest music ever. Man you can’t hate. It’s been memed to death at this point and yet I still find myself coming back to it. I will be reelin in the years soon.

Album eccellente. Nessuna nota negativa. Ricchezza armonica devastante, assoli di chitarra spettacolari (sia per la melodia sia per il suono), meraviglioso il pianoforte in "Fire in the Hole". Credo che sia il miglior album 'pop' che abbia mai ascoltato. 5 stelle se le merita tutte.

brilliant

It's not their best, but if it was that might well make it the greatest album of all time. A superb album all the same.

Is one of my favorites albums of the duo, it have a special part of my heart

Är väldigt glad för att den här dagen äntligen är här. Vilket band, vilken debut! Jag föredrar när Donald fagen får självförtroende nog att sjunga allt själv, men håller låtarna där han lånar ut micken väldigt högt också. Man kommer inte runt ”dirty work”. ”Brooklyn” rätt mjeh dock. Bra att de fattade att fagens egensinniga stil är ett vinnande koncept, som sagt. Sparar de riktiga överorden till ”aja”, men jättejättestark 4a som avrundas uppåt!

Seaaaan-Kiiiiii. Njuter

Great. Will listen to many times in the future. Idk why it took me until this list to take Steely Dan seriously

Listening to this while walking through a sweltering day, a perfect experience!

Steely Dan's best album is their first

Such easy listening. I could throw this on at just about anytime and it put me in a good mood

I’ve heard of Steely Dan, but never listened to them. And I immediately fell in love with their sound by the opening of the first song!! This stuff is soo good!! I’d have this be playing in the background all day.

pue que sea el que más escucho del sucio dan

Great jazzy rock with classic tunes.

Excellent album from an exceptional band. They are the epitome of greatness

Has Reelin' in the years and Dirty Work. And other bangers.

Hell yea brother

This is one album I wish I could forget and listen to again for the first time.

it's alright

If I was a dad, I would totally get this. 5/5

Dirty Work and Brooklyn my beloveds

So good. Not one bad song 🎶

I probably listen to this album twice a month

while Aja is perhaps a more cohesive document and the high point conceptually in their catalog, Can't Buy.. serves as the best collection of individual tracks from Steely Dan– a landmark achievement in jazz rock bonus note: "Do it Again" was a whole lot of fun to play on Guitar Hero: World Tour especially with the special guitar with the separate touch section on the neck 5/5

Grew up with this album and always a favorite

Only way this wouldn't be 5 stars is if I had to rank it alongside other Dan albums. Shoutout to Midnite Cruiser

strong 4.0. talvez o melhor álbum deles

Really good. I would definitely recommend to multiple friends was nice to listen to while waiting for my bus.

Great album - must hear

Peak, listened to the album fully through back-to-back and didn't get tired of hearing anything on there again.

Banger after banger off this album. Even the less popular songs are solid.

Banger album start to finish. I knew the hits (Midnite Cruiser, Dirty Work, Reelin In the Years) which are great but there are no misses on this thing.

One of my fav albums ever. HIlarious that it came up first.

No notes. Perfection.

yepp. great birthday vibe.

BEST OF ALL TIME

10000000/10 for do it again

Heared it for the first time. Haven't heared even Reeling In The Years before. Now I understand why everybody likes this song. This album was amazing

J4ADORE STEELY DAN

Bonus point for the epic pick scrape in 'Change of the Guard'

You can't escape the Dannnnnn, mannnnnnnnn Do yourself a favor and get familiar with Skunk Baxter if you don't know him. Some insanely creative guitar work that really makes certain Steely Dan albums just shine. And Walter Becker's basslines are just nuts. Shame that Fagen/Becker chose to go the session-only route after a few records, because this is a pretty magical lineup. I guess maybe Steely Dan was always a studio band at heart, and this is 70s analog excellence at its finest - it's funky, sounds fantastic and is charmingly cheesy in places. 10/10!

Leuk!

Loved it!

Dit is top!

Love this!

Absolutely zero skips

Tredje gången gillt för Steely Dan! De två tidigare plattorna på listan var men fastnade inte. Denna hade dock vibes i toppklass!

GOD I love Steely Dan. Album speaks for itself, my words aren’t adequate enough praise for this album. Favorite Song: Fire In The Hole Least Favorite Song: Kings

Dirty Work is a favorite! A fun album all the way through

you're joking this is on this list don't even need to listen again. 5/5. but twist my nipple i guess I'll listen to it again so, fire in the hole is actually the monsters inc song, sick. favorite song: reelin in the years

Another gem I've discovered for the first time. So firstly ... what's not to love about a band who named themselves after a steam-powered dildo in a William S Burroughs novel? Ascerbic and multi-layered songwriting. Terrific musicianship. An unusual collection of chords and key progressions. The most incredible guitar solos I've ever heard. Would highly recommend to the uninitiated!

I love it.

Favorite Track: Dirty Work

9/10, groovy, at times very sonically complex, but never difficult to enjoy.

A surprisingly good album with some songs i knew and some that were new. I would say about half of them were saves.

Goodddd

the ultimate dad music, like some of the later stuff more but this owns

lo mejor que escuche hasta ahora, ese estilo clásico y como mantiene esa línea todo el disco 10 de 10

I cannot believe this was their debut, definition of "all killer no filler" every single track rules

This list has exposed me to so much Steely Dan and I couldnt be happier. Easy 5, great songwriting all around. True classic rock.

Oh fuck yeah bud! This album is a delight from top to bottom. The guitar on Do It Again RIPS. The rest of the songs are all unique and interesting in their own way. Change of the Guard stood out this time to me but I’ve been fucking with this album for years. The perfect entry point for Steely Dan

Chill album, nice intro

Steely Dan back at it again

Me encantó

Dammit I love this.

Songs to roll down my car window and aura farm to

My father-in-law is a musician. He is insanely gifted. We were listening to Steely Dan together years ago and I asked him why no one makes music like that anymore. I will never forget his answer... "We can't, we don't know how to do it."

me gustó, muy alegre. me da buenas vibras y lo volvería a escuchar

Making its way to my all time albums list…

One of my top 25 maybe even 20 albums of all time. This was probably my 100th time listening.

Heard

Love every song in it

It has many of their best tracks. It features David Palmer as vocalist on many tracks because they hadn't yet worked out that Donald Fagan's voice was a key distinguishing feature for the band. Musicianship, songwriting and production all top notch.

Jazz rock, pop rock, soft rock.

MUITO BOM

Gran álbum, me encanta las vibras que da y es muy fácil de escuchar

Great first thing to listen to in the morning and coming from work in the afternoon

Doesn’t deserve a 5 but I’m giving is. Peak yacht rock. What a vibe.

Simply some of the best you can listen to.

straight gas cmon

Incredible. Production is beautiful, the songs are impeccably played. "Do It Again" is magical.

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good

Je l'ai fait jouer 3x tellement j'ai adoré! Quels musiciens talentueux, les solos sont délirants. En bonus, ça sonne très cinématographique, j'ai l'impression que chaque toune joue dans un film.

Cover 2/5. Quel collage laid. Désolé. Mais l’album wow! Incroyable qu’elle excellents titre, tous des verres d’oreilles. Meilleur que l’autre Steely Dan.

Solide boomermuziek, in de beste traditie van de Eagles en aanverwanten. Een prettig warm geluid dus, onberispelijke samenzang, hier en daar een vakkundige solo, vibes van over stoffige wegen rijden in een brede, ouwe Amerikaanse bak, in de zon. En wat is daar mis mee? Helemaal niks!

In het kader van de Oscars van vorige week zat ik One Battle after Another te kijken. Op een gegeven moment komt er een scene met een heerlijk nummer op de achtergrond. Ik herken het ergens wel, het lijkt op muziek die ik al wel vaker heb gehoord. Maar ik moet het wel even opzoeken, ondanks het herkenbare geluid. Tik Tok Tik. Tingeling! Dirty Work van Steely Dan, de D op 12. En vervolgens krijgen we vandaag het album waar dat nummer op staat. En dat is niet het enige, ook het fijne Do It Again en Reelin in the Years vinden we terug op dit plaatje. Het is zoetgevooisde soft rock, soms ook wel yacht rock genoemd, met wat jazzy elementen erin. Ze zingen graag in harmonie net als de Eagles en strooien met solos, zonder dat overmatig te gebruiken. Het tempo blijft er continu in. Ik zet met alle genoegen nog een keer het album aan, al is het alleen al voor die eerste paar tracks. Top, 5 sterren!

I literally love yacht rock

Not a single skip. Crazy that this is their debut.

i love this

Dad rock (complimentary)

I'll always stop to listen to Steely Dan.

I already knew one of the songs thanks to a friend of a friend. So cool!

Cracking album

Such a nice and chill album with many memorable songs

Gostei muito das guitarras

You can see so many 70s influences here Bowie Kibks Thin Lizzy Springsteen

First five star of this album listening thing. This album was so much fun, it was the first thing I started listening to when I woke up this-morning and it put me in such a great mood. Amazing and catchy choruses, a vocal tone that didn't take itself too seriously, this album was sm fun.

Great, just really fun and pleasant to listen to

I’ve listened to this album plenty before and it’s one of my all time faves. Not a single skip on the record. I haven’t made it though all of Steely Dan’s discography but of what I’ve hear so far, this is the top. Fave songs: Do it Again, Dirty Work, and Midnight Cruiser 5/5

“You guys probably aren’t ready for this. But your kids are going to sample the shit out of this.”

ABSOLUTE PERFECTION OH MY GOD

5. Debut album!

Este album me hace vibrar altisimo

One of the best Steely Dan albums ever, which makes it one of the best albums ever

hits and bangers

Easiest 5 on the list so far.

Very good album! Definitely has some of their classics! Perfect balance of keyboard and guitar. Absolutely amazing!

One of the best albums of all time, genuinely have listen 100s of times. I love the funky jazzy fusion and the lyrics are excellent

Do It Again - 5/5 Dirty Work - 5/5 Kings - 5/5 Midnite Cruiser - 4/5 Only a Fool Would Say That - 5/5 Reelin' in the Years - 5/5 Fire in the Hole - 4/5 Brooklyn (Owes the Charmer Under Me) - 4/5 Change of the Guard - 4/5 Turn That Heartbeat Over Again - 4/5 Average score: 4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Incredible album. Made me realize I love Steely Dan.

Muy buen álbum, mucho funk y tremendo groove

Sonically floating slowly down a river, catching a beer someone just threw you from the shore.

Great from beginning to end. A brand of rock/ jazz that's never been replicated, with artistic flourishes abounding. Varied structure. Somewhat inconsistent vocal delivery.

Songs like "Do it Again" are well known and started the fame of Steely Dan with its eclectic rock'n'roll sound that's more roll and smooth going than harder rock. A big part plays the electric piano which is at the forefront here mixing wise. I love it. It's just something like an insightful thought on a summer's day. I don't think they were ever as good again.

Steely Dan changed my music listening life. Not because they taught me something about myself or helped me through a tough time, but just that they showed me how richly enjoyable music can be a purely aesthetic level. This music is exceeding NICE to listen to. Gourmet music. An epicurean delight to the ears. Of course part of the magic of Steely Dan (and they are magic) is that this sumptuous sweetness is balanced with the perfect hit of acid in the lyrical themes. All in all the dish that comes together is a perfectly balanced, delectable and morish.

my earliest previous exposure to steely dan was in more of the transitional phase between the more band-oriented period and the fagan/becker art project/dictatorship that followed, so aside from a jolt of recognition hearing some of the more famous songs at work (all total bangers, reelin in the years could kind of annoy me hearing it passively thru fast food speakers but hearing it intently its such a pop masterwork!), this is my first major exposure to Actual Band steely dan and on the whole its probably the very best experience ive ever had listening to them! while the sleazy cynicism of the lyrics is already somewhat present, and in a sense the more antiseptic perfectionist sound later on probably serves that whole Joke better, theres also chemistry here with the fact that musically this is easily the most friendly, warm, and invigorating material ive ever heard from the band. whatever subversion there is in the intentions, theres an earnest understanding here of the full appeal of this poppy, soft rocky, jazzy, cocktail bar-y concoction...as cool as their future Uncanniness is, theres also something to be said for this vibrant Liveliness, how it feels like it was made by Actual People living Actual Lives, having authentic reactions to the world around them instead of fully pastiching it. just so Present in a very comforting way considering the amount of venom seeping through. amazing record!

rare gatekeeping moment for dad culture

Becker & Fagen. Utterly unlikeable yet absolute kings. Total antiheroes. So many smart-arse lyrics, and ultra-crafted tunes that should be utterly hateful, yet hit harder than most. A definite all-killer record, and what a debut!

Great record by truly great musicians. But so 70s I grew bell bottoms just listening to it. Guitar solo on "Reelin'" is an all-time, 11 of 10 classic.

Why yes, I am white and getting into middle age. Thanks for the Steely Dan.

Best intro ever do it again

fuck yeah more steely dan. this album is wall-to-wall bangers. i forgot to review it for two entire months because i was so busy listening to it over and over again. favorites: tracks 1-7, 9

Good overall album! I enjoyed the entire thing. Favorite Songs: Do It Again - I know this one! What a fun song to start the album with. Dirty Work - Another song I know and love! Reelin’ In The Years - Love the guitar intro, and I know this one well! Change Of The Guard - good song! I like the harmonizing during the instrumental parts.

A classic.

Surprisingly good jazzy/pop/easy rock album, the band is on fire and the tracks are all very polished, catchy and well written. You must hate pop with a passion to dislike this one.

I actually enjoyed this whole album

Can’t Buy A Thrill but you can still buy tickets to see Houmous & Chutney live. That’s what Len Houmous famously said to steeley Dan back in 1992. Of course you could still see them live but that didn’t take the sting out of what Len was saying. They idolised Houmous & Chutney 4.5 6/9 Reelin In The Years

I love this album! It is very easy to listen to, it makes for an easy album to listen to in the background, which I personally love. Yay Steely Dan!!!

Lot of songs i knew that id idnt realize were from this album

Love Steely Dan's vibe

Almost the perfect album!

The beginning of the best band of all time!

I don't know why I love Steely Dan but I just do. I really should hate their soft rock feel but they just seem to hit the right amount of cheesiness for me. Their first album is great but I love all of their albums. I'd say Aja or Gaucho are probably my favorites but this still gets a high score for just being super cheesy and smooth.

Was really ready to be a hater bc I’ve always felt they’re overrated…. I was wrong…. I am the gentleman loser….

The best Steely Dan album. This record sounds like cracking open a beer after mowing your lawn on a hot day. Just pure dudes rock vibes. Some of the guitar licks on this just make you wanna go “oh yeah!”

’ve always loved Steely Dan, though I’m more familiar with their later, ultra-polished records like Aja and Gaucho. This debut reminds me why they stand apart. These are great songs first and foremost, but they’re also deceptively complex, played with confidence and clarity rather than showmanship. The singles are deserved classics, but what really stands out is how strong the rest of the album is. There’s no filler here. Every track feels intentional, well-crafted, and musically interesting without being smug about it. The band still sounds like a band at this point, and there’s a looseness and immediacy that later Dan would sand down into perfection. I don’t like this more than Aja, but that’s not the point. This album earns its place as a five on its own terms: memorable, smart, and endlessly listenable. A fantastic start to one of the most consistently interesting catalogs in popular music.

I love Dirty Work

Steely Dan is my dad's favorite band. Aja is his favorite album of all time. For decades, he's been trying to get me into them by listening to this album. I kept trying to get into it, but it just wasn't for me. When I got super involved in jam band music in the early 2000s, more people tried to convince me Aja was one of the best albums of all time. I still just couldn't dig it. My conclusion was I just didn't like Steely Dan. A couple of years ago, I was on a road trip. I booted up Spotify, but I didn't want to overthink what I was going to listen to. Can't Buy a Thrill was listed under "Albums you might like." Steely Dan, eh? Why not check this one out? It was so good, I listened to it not just on the ride there but on the ride back as well. It then kept getting repeat plays. I couldn't get enough of the guitar riffs, the harmonies, the little jam sessions in nearly every song. Plus there were some certified radio hits on this one. Straight bangers in the world of classic rock. Where had THIS Steely Dan been all my life? Surely if Aja is their best album (perhaps one of the greatest of all time), and with me absolutely adoring Can't Buy a Thrill, I had to give it another shot. Turns out, I just don't like Aja. This album is a classic though. Easy 5.

Y encima, bardea a John Lennon. 10/10.

Another debut that feels like a greatest hits album!

It would be easier to highlight the ones who didn't stand-out for me: Kings, Change Of The Guard Not the most innovative or ground-breaking music, but I would be lying if I said it wasn't pleasant to listen to. A lot of the tracks feel like they are following some sort of song writing formula, so they do end up sounding similar in ways and often repetitive, but the formula works so I can't really complain. It is hard to say which tracks are true stand-outs, as even among those there are certainly some I would come back to more often, but all of them are enjoyable to some degree so I decided to just highlight the lesser ones. All in all, I wouldn't call this a perfect album by any means, but it is perfectly enjoyable and hardly any of the tracks could really be considered "bad".

ts peak

felonius my old friend <3333333

Steely Dan's sunniest album, their version of laid back soft 70s rock. Picture someone driving in the California coast while you see a sunset. Each next album gets farther away from this sound, as they become a duo and become the literal definition of perfectionists. high 4.5/5

Love the cover art

Not my favorite Steely Dan record but certainly an amazing way for them to open their career. I tend to give this one some flack because of the numerous vocalists (I've always been a believer that Fagen is the best vocalist for the group and should've been the only one from the start), but all of the Fagen-led songs here except "Dirty Work" tend to be my favorite. Special mention to "Brooklyn (Owes The Charmer Under Me)" though.

Uff peak

banger after banger & this was their DEBUT ??? run it run it run it !!!

Love Steely Dan, but had never listened to a full album before. This was great!

Absolute classic

It was like music my dad would listen to if he had good taste in music

Great debut album, energetic but not overbearing smooth rock tunes with excellent musicians. Their sound seems a bit ahead of their time. I could’ve easily placed this as an early 80s album. Saving this one for next time I’m flipping burgers on my grill on a sunny day☀️

I FUCKING LOVE THIS RECORD

No notes. I don’t wanna do your dirty work.

Perfect album from a perfect band. All it took was a pandemic and a whole bunch of mushrooms for me to finally “get it”. I’m glad I did. They are brilliant, and this was the beginning of it all.

These guys are so good

Repeat

LOVE STEELY DAN

Everything on this was great. The first half is super strong, it gets a little weaker from there and the last song was a miss for me but the rest was so so good

Definiton of yacht rock. Great first album . As always great session musicians. A few big songs on here and others are good.

so good

This is the good stuff right here. So interesting, so fun and so dang catchy! I could really listen to this album on repeat and it was fun to go beyond just the few hits I already knew. Best Track: Dirty Work

fantastic guitar album

Some of the best pop rock songwriting ever.

Oh THIS is Steely Dan

Driving around in the 90s without a cd player or cassette player, we relied on the radio. This album is the sound of am radio to me. I never realized all these songs were steely dan until a few years ago. So catchy and great!

This album is great and full of classics. What makes this special to me is Steely Dan's ability to paint a picture in your mind with every track. Do It Again is a perfect intro and always nice to have on while relaxing. Dirty Work is forever linked to Tony Soprano singing along in his car, a nice moment in a great series accompanied by a lovely song. Kings also feels like something you hear in a movie but is anyways a cool song that reminds me of good times. Midnite Cruiser is a song I always play in the car when I have to drive for a long time and I can't help myself tapping along to the rhythm on the steering wheel. Only A Fool Would Say That is probably the best song of the album. Great guitar work, uplifting drums and just a chill vibe in general. Reelin' In The Years feels like the most classic song of the album. The awesome solo, oldschool drums and nostalgic piano make this my second favorite track on this record. Fire In The Hole is the least unique song in my opinion but still enjoyable. Brooklyn is always a very relaxing song with the surf guitar, something I enjoy in almost any song. I'd never heard Change of the Guard before but I definitely felt like the main character listening to this while traversing Thailand by train, perfect vibes. The closer Turn That Heartbeat Over Again is great too, all in all a very well rounded album with at least 5 songs that will go down in history as true classics. 4.5/5 stars but rounded up due to the sheer amount of songs that will still be remembered in 100 years

Gran disco

Day 150 Absolutely superb album, only knew Do it Again and Reelin’ in the years previously. Was surprised to see it was their debut album, sounds so polished and confident. Definitely top marks for me Highlights Do it Again Kings Change of the Guard

Great listen from start to finish. Adding to my collection!

2026.01.07.

годнота

I love my yacht rock. Can't lie or hide from it, just need to accept it and move on.

Near perfect album and great timing as I wanted to listen to Steely Dan more. 9/10

One of the First and best albums i’ve purchased🙏

Legend

Classic, have listened to most of this album before, personally prefer Aja but this album has some of Steely Dans best work

No skips

Wieder einmal zeigt sich: Je älter, desto besser. Tolles Album, schon über 50 Jahre alt. Handgemachtes, mit menschlicher Kreativität und im Miteinander entstandenes Werk. Klasse!

One of my favourite acts. Great to listen to.

For me, this album isn’t just great—it’s personal. Steely Dan soundtracked my youth, my friendships, and the kind of musical love that never fades. Timeless, perfect, and forever five stars.

Ayuh, we should be hearin’ some fuckin’ Zeppelin!!!

Strasne vychilleny album, ci uz na spievanie, hmkanie, proste mega albumik a tie melodie...

A very good album. I hear something new and interesting each time I listen to it.

Nice

The boys do it again! Solid listen front to back. Lyrics not quite as obtuse as Donald Fagen likes to get, but there's still some odd words. Musicians are tight, and the tracks themselves are a little more digestible and radio friendly, than the more jazzy odd time signatures of later music.

alr had listened its very good. 10/10 album

Can tell I’ve entered dad mode although I had this album on vinyl anyway. Hard to believe this is a debut - some yacht rock bangers on here.

Only steely Dan can have the first lyric of a song be felonious and it still be a banger

Everything steely Dan does is gold

yes

So good I love the classics

Love steely dan

Steely Dan can do no wrong

Yes yes yes yeah!!!!

# Album Name: Cant buy a thrill # Artist: Steely Dan # Rating: 5/5 # Comments: Its Dan the man! What a fucking banger. three massive tunes surrounded by a very good album. This is why i love the genny. Discovering new shit! # Top Tunes: Do it again / dirty work / reelin in the years. plus more. # Would I listen to it again? Yes

I haven't heard this many hits on a 70s debut album since Boston! I hope that Steely Dan will continue to have evolving layers of relevance in our shared pop culture tissue.

Very nice and chill rock album.

Great album, I could totally see picking this up

I'm throwing fives this week. Steely Dan is the Champagne of Dad Rock.

Love it. Essential.

I can't lie, I had a great time listening to this one!

man this is gonna be a bold fuckin take (or maybe not? idk whatever), but this is my favorite american album of the 70s full fucking stop. better than dylan, zeppelin, neil young, fleetwood mac; i know there's stiff competition here, but steely dan absolutely cannot be beat. every song here is unique and there are no skips. this album is one of the many reasons this band has the reputation it does for instrumentation: this shit is sophisticated, complex, groovy, and accessible all at the same time, and this is a feat few other groups *literally ever* can claim to have pulled off. five years later when they released aja, they'd really cement themselves as the melodic workhorses of the 70s, but it's *this* album that registered them, for me, as an all-time certified hood classic. this shit fuckin rules. like brandon from our kendrick album recently, i remember where i was when i found and listened to this album for the first time (as an adult). my dad played a few popular tracks in the car as a kid, and i'm sure 92.1 THE BULL!!! played their stuff when i was paying attention, but i found this CD in a library in a "discard" pile like a decade ago and asked if i could have it. they said yes. i sat in my car and listened to it all the way through before even leaving the parking lot. they were going to fucking discard this shit? why? cd worked perfectly. whatever. as an aside, i almost named my one-man musical project "gentleman loser" because of "Midnite Cruiser". you find me another album that offers precise and articulated homage to jazz, rock, blues, folk, all while being actual fucking poetry, and i'll give you one quarter and concede that there must be some other college band from the early 70s that wrote some of the best music to ever come from an american band ever. you fucking can't. fuck you. steely dan rules. six stars our of five

This one is all about the solos! In the multiverse of infinite possible Steely Dans, we live in the one where they nailed every damn solo perfectly. Each note is intentional and exactly where it should be -- whether it's a sitar, sax, organ, or guitar. This didn't happen spontaneously, these fellas would bring in an a bunch of session musicians to record the solo of a single track, and wouldn't stop until they got the player and take that resonated. This is why the solos on Can't Buy A Thrill are equal parts technical excellence and full of life. This was the first Lossless quality streaming experience that really had me in awe. Steely Dan is the champagne of '70s music because they sound like champagne tastes: fucking crisp. The snares and hi-hats sizzle, pianos twinkle, and overdriven guitars bite.

Can't believe I'd never listened to this as an album before. Three big FM radio staples that are still not tiresome despite having been fed them via various media for literally my entire life (this record was in production and came out pretty much simultaneously with me, in August 1972, albeit with a lot more planning)... and the less familiar tracks are also highly enjoyable. Also can't believe I didn't realize "Dirty Work" was a Dan tune until I saw the movie "American Hustle" (which features it perfectly) and happened to stay and read the credits. Great album, looking forward to checking out the other SD albums I'm not so familiar with. I've played the vinyl of "Pretzel Logic" and "Aja" many times, and found "FM" to be a most agreeable jukebox record, but the second and third albums are on my list of things to explore... maybe today while painting my kitchen in the Ono style. It must be said, though... the cover art for this one is pretty hideous. Did I ignore it for decades because it looked like a low-budget cash grab by a borderline-bootleg label, and not a genuine masterpiece of popular music? This is one book that ought not be judged by its cover.

My second one from Steely Dan and another belter. First listen I was sitting on a high four stars but the second go around it really clicked with me. Great songs throughout and I really love the vocals. I think I have at least two more of theirs to go and I will be looking forward to them. Top Track - Fire In The Hole

Thought this was probably going to be boring but ended up really enjoying it - yes the hits but the album tracks too. Made me wanna go for a long drive with the windows down.

10/10/10/10/10

Steely Dan my beloved.... man these group of tracks are awesome, i love how unapologetically groovy these guys can be, the instruments they use always seem so right to activate something within yourself, my highlight has to be Reelin' In The Years, that guitar plus the smug confidence the vocals are delivered in, this was pretty good 9/10

Very enjoyable listen in my opinion. The mostly upbeat and happy songs work really well, in particular the two hit songs from this album. But with the other songs this trend is continued as well. The album is remarkably devoid of weak points. I never expected it, but this album definitely deserves the full marks. 5/5

endlich DAN. der stählerne. find dass das album drin isch und zb the royal scam nöd chli seltsam. aber i guess do it again isch ihren hit gsi und so. aber nöd e würklich gueti choice. ah und reelin' in the years halt au hä. anyway. do it again isch s erste woni vo ihne ghört han, uf somene best of und s isch sooo geil aso vorallem da wo de denny spielt. die weird sitar-gitarre, de groove wo nöd ufhört. meega lang au? mega langi soli. ich lieb dass de "b-teil" mit you go back jack irgendwie immer soöter chunt alsmer denkt. s machts spannend. dirty work isch de erst song vo ihne womer nohgloffe isch. sauuguet, super schön gspielt d gitarreparts (oh mein gott de rechts) und d harmonies im refrain sind suuuper. guets churzes sax solo. ICH LIEB KINGS SO FEST. de fagen singt soo viel cooler. die weeeirde zwüscheteeeil. WHERE ARE YOU RUUUUNNIN. gad fast im avec midnite cruiser migrölt. scho s album wo sie die meiste popsongs druf hend. sooo en guete song, wieder crazy geili giti parts und d drums sind sooo groovy und guet ufgnoh. ich lieb only a fool would say that. glaub min fave vo dem album? s isch so andersch. so en ohrewurm so nööch alles akustisch. de SCHLUUUUSSTEIL vorem zweite solo aaah. only a foooooool. ICH LIEB FIRE IN THE HOLE S KLAVIER ISCH SO GEIL. es sch PHonky!! brooklyn owes the charmer isch soooo schön d pedalsteel aaaah. a tower room at EEEEDEN ROCK. Fuoick ich lieb das album. d bgvs ouuu. change of the guard liebi au de CHORD wo inechunt. turn that heartbeat hani mit abstand am wenigste glost. aber isch chli en vorbote zu dem wo spöter chunt. jazzy chords ind so. und de oh michael oh jesus funny hahah. FÖFI FÖFI FÖFI LIEBS SO FEST.

Noch nie was von gehört, irgendwie aber total geile Atmosphäre. Hat mich sehr abgeholt.

This album is great. Hadn't really listened to their early albums. Maybe not as great as Aja, but still belongs on this list.

Fav song: do it again https://youtu.be/7SM_eJKVlzs?si=qm-Qpya5HXrwKfvE

after “reelin in the years “ it drags a little but whatever

Amazing

Outdated soft rock for lame dads or sexy proto-yacht rock for sexy daddies? Well, I’m pretty hot, and I like it. Bonus star for the Pointer Sisters’ cover of Dirty Work being a high point for all music. Guess what? It didn’t need the bonus star because I already love this record.

Fantastic debut

There isn't a bone in my body that could give this a negative review. I love the Dan baby.

Steely Dan is dangerous because I was moments away from cracking open a beer in the middle of the workday. Probably my third favorite album by the Dan and it’s just so damn good.

best debut album of all time

Banger

Beautiful. Jolly. Serotonin in an album Even though I was familiar with it I still very much enjoyed.

A classic through and through. Start to finish, this album slays.

An album I've been listening to already because I wanted to beef up my Steely Dan knowledge. I'm through to Aja and enjoyed the journey of their sounds. This album ranks up there with announcing their sound from Song 1 Album 1. They open up with "Do it Again" & "Dirty Work" as their first two songs is up there. Throw in "Reelin' in the Years" with some other good tracks and it's a classic. Generational bangers, generational talent, generational creativity.

Very good

Never heard of them, amazing songs

Love this album

Listened to this album recently as part of my 2025 resolution to listen to at least one new album per week. This started my Steely Dan obsession and this became my second most listened to album of the year with my favorite song changing upon each listen. Previously listened to 2 songs (Do It Again; Reelin' in the Years) Song I listed as my favorite twice on my spreadsheet was: Kings

ME ENCANTO ESTE ALBUM, me puse triste cuando se termino ya tengo ganas de escuchármelo devuelta otra vez!!!! Perdón que últimamente no estoy en mood de hacer reviews largas complejas, es puro feeling Favs: TODAS no estoy exagerando lo que disfruté este álbum

This was new to me, obviously heard of Steely Dan but never bothered to listen before as I'd written it off. How wrong I was. I did recognise a couple of tunes I didn't realise they were them and loved this and have been back to it a few times since. Great tunes.

Do It Again // Dirty Work // Kings // Only A Fool Would Say That // Reelin’ In The Years // 4.5/5

Great album!! Love the sound. Having listened to later SD's albums, this one has more of a soft rock sound, and less jazz vibes. Very pleasant album to listen to. Only a fool would say that has to be my favourite from this album.

This was great! I've definitely listened to Steely Dan before but I don't think I've ever sat down and listened to the whole album. Lovely way to start my morning.

Perfectly produced, well-written songs, adeptly performed. Nothing here to not like.

Great record, a pleasure to listen to start to end. Has such a great opener track. It's not one of those records that sag after such a hit opener. Definitely one of those ones you want to listen to regularly.

One of my favorite albums ever

This album got better with listening to the songs I didn’t know already. A true classic.

I fu*k with Steely Dan. I’m a fairly new fan. Always loved the hits but just recently started listening to their albums in their entirety. Dirty Work alone makes this album a 5 star for me.

This is just non-stop bangers, I wanna listen to this album again and again. Lyrics are simple but fun and effortlessly cool.

It’s just wall to wall bangers

great

Everything about this album is wonderful! Great musicians playing timeless music with great lyrics and a suave, languid singer. Some of it angles a bit poppier than their later work, but it's still solid. Honestly, I don't think there's a bad minute on this album. It's so good I can't even point at a song or two as stand outs. Maybe the radio hits, but weren't they all really? 5 out of 5 every time!

The genesis of all that is Dan. Caustic ‘70s humour and ultra-high fidelity recording and peerless musicianship.

less than 5 stars? only a fool would say that

What a great album! I didn’t realise how many songs I (first) knew, and (second) liked! It had an excellent range of tracks and tempos and thoroughly enjoyed it! Thankyou so much!

Classic debut from Steely Dan. Favorite track: Reelin in the years other picks: do it again, dirty work

Thank you for an excuse to listen to this most excellent album! I hope all of Steely Dan’s catalog is in this list, this is number 2 for me, both 5 star releases!

Who knew

This album is proof that you can indeed buy a thrill! This is fucking music, I understand now why my parents turn their noses up at our music these days. This shit is timeless and beautiful to the ear drums, 10 stars!!!

From obvious classics of reeling in the years and dirty work, this one is just so good to me. Even the ones ive never heard of are just so good too!

Not their best album although it has so many of their best and most iconic songs in one disgusting yellowy place - Reelin In The Years with its free-“reelin” solos. Delish downbeat loser anthem Do It Again with its electric sitar found in a junk shop. Pearly humdinger of a country toe tapper Brooklyn (Owes The Charmer Under Me). Yet more greatness with Dirty Work, Midnight Cruiser, Fire In The Hole and Only Fool Would Say That. You have a couple of odd choices for lead singer and the last two tracks are easily the weakest but other than this is extremely 5 star worthy.

Steely quickly becoming my favourite.

Know it almost too well. Almost impossible to over play this.. has to be in top 20 or higher.

Absolutely incredible. There’s maybe one song I didn’t love on it (Fire in the Hole) and on another listen it’s also great

Wonderful album, I might heard about them before but never listened to them but today I finally heard it and it was great listen.

heck yeah

They are nothing like The Eagles, the Dan is full of talent unlike those hacks.

One of my favorite albums of all time by my favorite band ever. Can't Buy A Thrill is pop-rock perfection.

Fuck it, five stars. I don’t love a lot of Steely Dan but I love this album. It’s been a solid week of stinker albums for me. So this beautiful, perfect dad rock felt like an oasis.

Yeah, brilliant

Didn't come into this with high hopes, but it is an excellent album. Starts strong with two well known classics, and continues with a mix of great songs and some impressive instrumentation. Tentative 5*s, might be downgraded to a 4 on further listens but I can't see why... 9/10

My first rated 5-star! An epic album start to finish. Melts me into the chair like ice in a drink. Would play it every day.

Can't go wrong with this album! Each song mellows me out from negative emotions. If I ever need to chill after a stressful day, this will be my go-to album.

Flipping love this album, love Steely Dan. Literally already knew half the album.

I feel robbed of the Steely Dan experience in high school in favor of ACDC, CCR, GNR because noone listened to them. I am now almost 50 and just learning that Steely Dan is my kind of jams. 6/5 - I wish I could re-rate albums after listening to them for a while longer. I'd definitely give Aja a 6/5 too.

Only album so far that I listened to twice

"I love when i know i'm going to give five stars out the minute i see the album cover... like this one... i was a kid... Pink Floyd was coming to Tampa Stadium in a few weeks, and blaring out of the AM car radio was... "... get back... JACK... do it again"... it was so cool... sounded like nothing else coming out at the time... and, even the older hippies, had to give it up for the NYC band... of course, they soon backed up, "Do It Again" with "Reeling In The Years", which i, and a lot of people, liked even better... it was 1972... and i was a pre-teenager... and in those days Steely Dan were more of a real band... and not the duo they became... Donald Fagen, and Walter Becker are there, naturally... and on this debut album, Bruce Palmer chipped in on vocals, most notably on "Dirty Work", which is still a Classic Rock staple on the air to this day... the great Jeff "Skunk" Baxter on guitar... Denny Dias on guitar, Jim Hodder on drums, who also sings "Midnight Cruiser"... Palmer chips in again, singing "Brooklyn (Owes The Charmer Under Me)", yet, you can hear that it is Fagen singing HIS lyrics THROUGH David Palmer... lol... who would become superfluous on later records... "Kings", "Only A Fool Would Say That", "Fire In The Hole", "Change Of The Guard" are all great songs... and the album ends with all three guys, Fagen, Becker, and Palmer singing "Turn That Heartbeat Over Again"... this has to be one of the greatest debut albums of the rock era... and they only got better from here... FIVE STARS..."

What a pleasant little album. It's really great as background music, and the vocals are warm and clear. I liked the lyrics as well. It might not be the most vibrant of albums here, but it is simply very nice to listen to, and I wish to listen to it again soon. And that's the most important thing, isn't it?

I like Royal Scam best

Mid Seventies Studio Magic Steely Dan seem to have been slightly ignored by modern aficionados, but this album shows why there was so much more to the 70's that Glam, Rock and Punk. Sublime.

I had no idea that I would love this album so much. It’s got some of my favorite Steely Dan songs and I found a few deep tracks to enjoy. The album art is bananas.

I have a greater predilection for later Steely Dan albums, but I cannot deny how great this one is still. About half of the songs are outstanding, with the other half being just good. It is not as developed and unique as later Dan sounds to me, but I like it nonetheless. (Also it has come to my attention that Gaucho is not on this list... No 500 word essay about how it makes me sob like a baby every time for you!)

I didn't grow up listening to Linkin Park though I had lots of friends who did religiously so I've heard lots of their songs throughout life. Very dynamic with the use of sounds/instrumentation outside of the typical four-piece rock band. Vocals are sharp ranging from clear and crunchy guttural screams, catchy singing, and trading off with rapping. An influential album for good reason.

It’s Steely Dan! Enough said - what a great surprise.

This is an exquisite compilation of outstanding tunes. Everything about it is finely crafted and well executed. The instrumentation, playing, production, and lyrics are all en pointe. These are great songs that don’t all sound the same and that fit together — it’s a cohesive album. A classic 5.

If it were still a time of buying albums, I could see myself buying this one. So that means 5 stars

This is that Good Steely Dan, right here. Solid 5 Stars.

I’m at a 5. OK, a little higher, but not to the point of a 10. That sure is Steely Dan. All my praise from “Countdown To Ecstasy” applies here (with a little more of a pure 70s rock lean), and this is an even better album to my ears. Not a single miss, and another track that gave me a “yep, this is THAT song” moment via “Reelin’ In The Years”. Genuinely, 41 minutes of near-perfect 70s soft/yacht-adjacent rock to my ears, foreshadowing a lot of the trends the genre would take in its sort of post-Beatles poppier form, while giving a lot of breathing room for bands like Boston, Chicago, Thin Lizzy & more to work with & help refine. I mean, I just don’t have any complaints. I have a nitpick; I think “Change of the Guard” probably should’ve been the last track, with “Turn That Heartbeat Over Again” coming before “Only a Fool Would Say That” to pair the sort of faux-cynicism tracks together. It’s a total nitpick though; this is an album that is *deeply* rich in terms of instrumentation, gliding vocals (the other non-Fagen vocalists do great here), really strong musical structures, and smart enough lyricism that’s not too crucial to a listening experience, but just enhances it well enough if you can pick up on it. The only track where you kinda need the lyrics is “Fire in the Hole”, and even then, I think that’s the most straightforward one on the album. Does this mean Steely Dan is a band where if you’ve heard them once, you’ve heard them all? I dunno, maybe. Elvis Costello got away with that to a pretty successful degree, and he’s got 6 albums on this damn list. Even if it does mean that, I wouldn’t complain about a formula that works. I love the entire tone of this thing, and I think I might really fucking like Steely Dan. They’ve got 2 more albums on the list, so the jury is still out on if they have 2 really good ones and then 2 really bad ones. As far as “Can’t Buy A Thrill” goes… yeah, that’s about as good as it gets. Absolutely deserving to be on the list, definitely one you should hear before you die, and just another bit of evidence to add onto the pile for 1972 being one of the greatest years for music ever. An easy 5, if a little higher.

Ахуенно

Goated album goated band

Enjoyable, with a couple of classics. I enjoyed the overall vibe, though I can't help but feel like the vocal work could be a bit better. 'Do It Again' was my fave.

One of the easiest 5 star ratings to give out. Every song on here is a joy to listen to. Side one of this album is one of the single best sides of music ever made. I love almost everything about this album, the guitar work on Reeling in the years, the chorus on Midnite cruiser, the piano on Fire in the hole, etc. Side 2 calms down a little bit after Reeling in the years but the songs stay strong throughout. I always enjoy this album, you can put it on in pretty much any situation as well. Saying this is my favorite Steely Dan album is a boring pick, but damn it is my favorite.

Thril$

Smooth as fuck

Steely Dan is a band I have heard about and as it turns out, I know quite a few of their songs without realising. Really enjoyed this album