Can't Buy A Thrill

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.

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.

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.

Conocí a Steely Dan por el primer track de este disco, Do It Again, que me sigue pareciendo una absoluta obra maestra. El resto del disco funciona, pero no puedo evitar sentir que no alcanza ese lugar otra vez. Sí, tiene geniales arreglos, música increíble, pero siento que no he terminado de conectar del todo con Steely. Pero Do It Again me pone de buenas como pocas cosas.

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!

Nicely thought provoking. I only enjoyed it because I've played guitar

I think this is my third or fourth Steely Dan album so far, and they've all been good. Not five star good, but better than all the needless Jazz and Country wank, and more interesting than the one-off US Indie bands. Having said that, I don't know much about the band. Usually I read as much as I can about an artist while I listen to them. Context is important. But for this 1001 journey I want to go in raw, just like the ladies enjoy. Aside from the peripherals, I know little of their history and make-up. Now that I'm several albums deep on them, I can say Wikipedia time, ahoy! It's interesting to see how they started and where they progressed to, but if I'm honest, there isn't much to differentiate this album from the later ones I've heard. It's the same brand of breezy, light rock. Interesting lyrics, but the compositions feel on a repetitive level with those albums they would later record. Don't get me wrong, it's all still good, but I don't think I could do a sit through of all of their albums over the course of a few days - that would get dull quickly. No doubt these are talented dudes, in front and in the backing group. There are a couple of songs I'll put on my playlist, but by and large it's that lack of variety and edge which keeps me from pulling the trigger and saying I'm a fan. I like them, but to be a fan I have to love an artist.

Smooth, but other than Do It Again I dont think I'll be hearing back from this album

rare gatekeeping moment for dad culture

*Tony Soprano driving away from the feds*

I liked about 4 songs, not really vibing with the rest

Didn't realize I already knew a lot of these songs. It's a nice listen.

Ok

Väldigt bra! Goa låtar gång på gång. Favoriter: Dirty Work, Reelin' In The Years och Fire in the hole Hade koll på Steely Dan sen innan men aldrig lyssnat albumet

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.

la verdad me gustó la musicalidad vos viste, a las letras no les presté atención jj. teclas muy 70s (es lo que esperaba escuchar y cumplió), lindos cambios rítmicos, solos de guitarra q vos decís a guitar hero y coros muy marcados en estribillos. fiel a su época, me agradó 👍🏼

For some reason, I have never liked the sound of Steely Dan. Any time this has come up, people think I'm nuts so I know it's just a personal subjective response. For this album, I decided to really listen closely to figure what I'm negatively reacting to. First some positives: I did like this album more than I expected and more than much of their later work which I know a little better. In particular, I think the music is lyrically engaging and at times the melody and/or harmonies are really beautiful. What I don't like: the jazzy elements turn me off (I don't like jazz much anyway); I don't like the timbre of the clavinet or synths AT ALL, and the melody and harmonies are ugly (to me) about as frequently as they are beautiful.

3.5 Isn’t the best but I enjoyed once again I enjoyed the style of the album

Iconic! Such a great album

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

I honestly dont understand why anyone would choose to listen to this. It does nothing and goes nowhere.

I liked this a lot more than our last Steely Dan album but it's still really cheesy. The album gets off to a great start at least.

the only listenable Steely Dan album and it’s entirely because of how badly it’s biting Santana on the decent tracks

dançante.

Best intro ever do it again

i AM reeling in the years, how did you know??

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

I was not a big Steely Dan fan but this is a solid album.

I really struggled rating this one. Clearly it's not a Thriller or a Sgt. Pepper, but damn, this is a great album. It's getting a 4 but it's a 5 in my heart.

Enjoyable album

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.

it wasn't as bad as aja. still boring but kinda better, i liked dirty work

A classic.

So gas I started mowing my lawn after tripping on some acid

4/5. Some really great songs here, even the ones I wasn't a massive fan of still had me tapping my feet. Always interesting hearing songs that I have heard in the wild and putting them to an album. Favourite Track - Change Of The Guard

It’s a decent record but the singles are what stand out. I’d be more of a greatest hits Steely fan

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.

Cool to listen to

I enjoyed this. Only listened to half the album

Classic and always a great listen.

I actually enjoyed this whole album

been meaning to check this out foreverrrrrr why is it so incredibly mid i should've expected that from an artist that men love one interesting song and it's fire in the hole

Only a fool wouldn't like this album

Finished the album but I probably need to listen to it again. I used it as background noise in a way.

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!!!

I thought this was decent. Familiar with a few of the tracks, which I enjoyed, and I think fair to say a departure from the typical American releases of that era. Soft and easy on the ear, but equally challenging enough to maintain interest. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ✅️ ★★★☆☆ (6/10) Total reviewed : 226 Already owned : 52 Purchased : 12 To buy list : 2 Nope : 160

Never thought I’d be excited to listen to Steely Dan, but after catching up on last week’s albums this is basically Beethoven. .

First time listening to Steely Dan, very good jazz rock album, good chunk of jazz and latin beats mixed with guitar solos. Solid 3.5 overall, will rate 3 because I'm not a dad yet.

Reminded me of the line from Visions of Johanna 'The country music station played soft' in some way. Not in terms of being one of the greatest pieces of music ever, but in terms of the music being soft rock. Their musicianship is of a high standard but the album left me a bit cold overall. Shout out to 'Reeling in the Years' which soundtracks a great Irish TV programme of the same time, taking a year at a time and covering the main news sports and cultural events.

Eminently forgettable. Not bad but not really sure why it's been chosen for this list.

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

2.5 stars Cheesy and I probably won’t listen to it again, but I’m not going to lie it wasn’t terrible. It’s just not my kind of thing.

I am in love with the sonical aspect of this album. It was just MWAH, chef's kiss! Will definitely revisit this album soon.

Nice yacht rock sounds.

I liked it. Steely Dan produced a couple real classics on this album.

I'm not familiar with Steely Dan, I have passively heard of the classics but I enjoyed what I heard here.

This album starts off very strong. Dirty Work has a nice melody, Kings is excellently led by the pianist and could be an Elton John Song. Reelin' In The Years was the first time when I soured on the album. The double tracked vocals of the 70s/80s is a hard sell for me, it sounds like a shitty Swiffer commercial (not steely dan's fault, but the victim nonetheless). Surprisingly listenable, 3.5 rounded down.

Steely Dan always sounds a little pointless to me (like lot of 80s stuff, but this album is a pleasant if ultimately not super engaging bit of fun. 3 stars

I don't think this is the best Steely Dan work on this list, but it's still good music and it does a good job of planting their flag.

Love Steely Dan's vibe

Almost the perfect album!

Good to set an happy/active mood in the morning

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.

I love Steely Dan. There, I said it. Until fairly recently, I'd have filed them under 'guilty pleasures', but as you get older, you realise there should be no such thing. To paraphrase Cardiacs' Tim Smith, it's all just tunes. And these are great tunes - the whole record just feels great to spend a bit of time with. Is it essential to hear this record before the Grim Reaper comes for you? Possibly not, but it might put a smile on your face.

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?

This album has a really cool and jazzy vibe.

Great debut album!

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!”

Love some Steely Dan. So well produced.

Leuk album! Kende een paar nummers. Vind het wel jammer dat ik maar 1-5 sterren kan geven. Vind het meer dan 3 sterren waard, maar minder dan 4. Heb ik met wel meer albums helaas

’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 think i liked this, but i can't be sure. 3.5/5

Not really in the thrill market here. Man its ok. The hits are the hits but they are not songs im clamoring for. I'll listen to reeling in the years sure but im never seeking it out. They are decent songs but thats it. Not a hair better than decent. And the rest of the record is at the same level of quality. Which to be fair is pretty high. Its consistent as all hell. Just not in a way that makes me want to listen to it. Its a fine set of tracks and its a fine band. Just thats as much as I got for them.

Maybe not their best album, but still a good one

wasn't really my vibe

Quite long songs, great vibe, need to listen to it more to really judge.

2 songs in and I’m ok with this. It makes me wonder though, this is in the realms of Dr.Hook. Like, why couldn’t they have seen the success that Steely Dan did? Am I wrong to think that Steely Dan were more popular? They shouldn’t have been is what I’m saying. I thought “Do it Again” was a Santana song. And as the album moved along, I find myself wishing for something else. It’s odd really, there isn’t anything terribly wrong with the album it’s maybe just that it’s a little too soft rock for me. Where Dr.Hook thrives in the strange and the love side of things, Steely Dan sort of ventures to the edges of that feared Yacht Rock territory. For me at least. Choice cut: Do it Again

Oh, the infamous Dan. Very divisive it’s seems. I’ve never done a deep dive, but very familiar with the radio plays and it never really grabbed my attention. But, this project is forcing me to do deeper dives, which is why I love it. Very good and considering buying on vinyl!

This is easily my favorite Steely Dan album. Hard to believe this came out in 1972. The recording, production, and performance technique on this album is simply top shelf. Don Fagan's, as always is the big weird thing that sticks out. I can see why they initially wanted to sell their songs to more talented singers. Their sound for this album, while gathering and re-synthesizing genres from the past (rock, soul, and country infused with jazz chording), is very forward looking for 1972. It was also a nice counterpoint to the boredom of the singer/songwriter/folk rock Laurel Canyon scene that was dominating. Imagine how downbeat a scene has got to be if Steely Dan and Jackson Browne are the artists who are bringing the heat. Favorites: "Do It Again", "Dirty Work", "Kings", and "Reelin' In The Years" I agree with those who say that the first 6 songs are more rock solid than the remaining 4 songs on the album. Having said all that, I think that having at least 4 albums from Steely Dan on this list is a bit ridiculous. Their sound and approach did not vary enough over the 4 albums to deserve occupying that many spots. Frankly, that also goes for Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and Crosby+Stills+Nash as well. I would argue that the number of artists that made legendary albums that vary enough in style and substance from one another enough that they truly deserve to be on here more than 2 times, 3 at absolute max (David Bowie, being the first to come to mind) is even smaller than this list suggests. Eliminating those excesses would offer opportunities for a far more inclusive list.

I love Dirty Work

Steely Dan has everything, some of the best songs ever and some of the worst. I respect the middle ground, something for everyone.

Some songs sounded familiar but a new album for me. Instantly transported to driving along Route 66, with a friend in an open top car, stopping off at a local bar for a bottle of beer. Enjoyed the escapism but not sure it will become a new favourite.

I can't tell you how many times I've heard these songs growing up in the 70's and 80's. Equally, I can't tell you why these songs make me feel icky. Must be the soft rock flu.

LIVELY

7/10

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.

Liked it! The Strokes definitely used these album as inspo

Listened Before? Partially! I already had Only a Fool Would Say That saved and I knew Do It Again, Dirty Work, Reelin in the Years Pros: A wonderful classic folk rock album. Love it Cons: None! Songs Added to Playlist: Do It Again, Only a Fool Would Say That, Change of the Guard

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

luv it

Another debut that feels like a greatest hits album!

Peak dad rock. Not quite rock n roll. Not quite jazz. Not quite interesting.

Now THIS is classic dad rock (I recently listened to the Arctic Monkeys who I mentioned were dad rock, Steely Dan is way more dad rock). Nice chill vibes, though I kind of see what some of these reviews are saying when they say there is no emotion. The vocal tone and range is very consistent with little variation. Also, what is this album cover? 3/5 stars for the chill dad rock vibes.

No cóż, to jest muzyka niskich lotów, nie ma w niej nic wyjątkowego, ale po ostatnim okresie posuchy zaczynam doceniać proste i chwytliwe melodie. Hity są hitami nie bez powodu. 7/10.

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".

Highlights: Do It Again, Dirty Work, Kings, Reelin' In the Years Nice and chill record. Definitely liked the first side way more than the second side. I believe that isn't quite a hot take given the available streaming numbers... Was already familiar with a good number of the songs on the record since they are pretty famous. I believe this is their most popular record, but I personally liked Aja a bit more. I really didn't like some stylistic choices - for instance I don't see the point of the backing vocals on Kings. It didn't ruin the song for me, but that's the kind of thing that makes me respect the minimalism of Aja or even tracks from this record like Do It Again and Reelin' In the Years. Fire In the Hole was lyrically interesting and musically minimalist as well, but it didn't stand out to me for some reason. Change of the Guard was also a close contender, but I'm not a boomer so I wasn't struck by any "rose-tinted glasses" idealism while listening to it. Overall this does seem like a good listen as a whole, but only half of the tracks can properly stand on their own. I can see myself revisiting it even though the second half wasn't up my alley, so I guess it can't be that bad. I guess I got used to listening to Aja a bit too much, so this didn't feel right because of that fact.

YAHOOOOO!

This nihs

The two songs I knew before listening gave me high hopes for this album. It ain't bad.

Frábær plata. 4-5 lög sem eru classics og smá filler en fílingurinn er alltaf góður.

Vandað eins og SD er von og vísa. Góðir hittarar, b hliðin aðeins slappari.

A few good tunes and nice to hear again

How old am I? I’m I like Steely Dan years of age. It comes to us all, the love of harmonies, complex time signatures and pop that sits right on the acceptable side of jazz. Whilst this isn’t my favourite- that falls to the ferociously self indulgent Aja. There’s much to love here as these songs probably sit more on the side of pop. Lovely choruses and Dirty Work feels like it could have been written yesterday apart from the very 70’s sax

man im sure itd be better if i had a boat. 3.5

Solid vibes. Reminds me of Yacht Rock. Recognized Reelin' in the Years.

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

First listen 2.5/5 - Need to give it another listen to ensure that I gave it a fair shake, but just am not really compelled to do so.

groovy way to start my morning

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

Loved this

yea thought this was as solid as an album as it is... it's just actually half decent rock (which is a compliment in my books) cause it's just got so much going on and more then normal.

This album is a class above all of their other albums on the list. It creates great variance and musicianship while delivering chill soft rock. I just learnt that this is their debut album, I guess some artists peak at the start of their career.

I actually already listened to this back when it gave me pretzel logic. This definitely feels more special than pretzel logic and has some major hits and in general more poppy and fun than their other records....but I'm always gonna be an aja guy at heart .

This went so much harder than I expected

An unexpectedly great listen

Esta bueno, muy bien de soundtrack, merece reescucha

W porzo

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!

I enjoyed it. ★★★

Absolute classic

Brooklyn

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

Proper 70s MOR stuff sprinkled with a few bangers.

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☀️

2/3. A good collection of classic rock songs overall; love the prolific use of organ and piano throughout. Some really great vocal harmonies as well, and the songwriting is definitely timeless. I just think it fails to excite at times; well-executed, but not enough raw energy to take it as high as it can go.

Wasn't really my thing when I was younger and it was getting heavy radio play, but I've really come to enjoy a great many songs on here.

yippee

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.

Soft rock que disfruto bastante

7/10 Best songs: Do It Again, Dirty Work, Kings It's funny that I first discovered this group through a Tori Amos cover of Do It Again. I was obsessed with that cover so I gave the original version a listen... and was summarily disappointed. 20 years later, I actually really enjoy that song, as well as most of this album. The storytelling lyrical style and the diversity of songs (particularly in the first half) make this quite successful. A great use of harmonies and unusually good instrumental solos (for the time) really strengthen this album. I do think it could use a bit of tonal variation - more downbeat songs for example - and the album sort of peters out in the second half (this was very clearly an album where the A Side was head and shoulders above the B Side), but overall it's pretty good.

Solid

Classy album. This is American, middle of the road, inoffensive radio rock. But I don't mind. It contains a couple of absolute classics tracks but none of the others are bad, in particular the Donald Fagen sung tracks (which are most of them).

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

Didn’t know what genre this album was going in but was pleasantly surprised by the first track Favourite tracks: Do it Again, Only a Fool Would Say That

Nice to listen to the entire album once

It's a shame the rest of the album doesn't hit the high of Do It Again or Reelin' in the Years, but I still very much enjoyed this

As someone who mostly knows Steely Dan from Do It Again, the rest of the album was a tonal whiplash for me. Not a bad one really, jist wasn't prepared for the rest of the album to sound so chill? Anyway I probably enjoyed this more than I should.

It's OK I suppose. Quite dated. Only 1 song I recognise.

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.

A normal, easy listening album, but not very memorable.

These guys are so good

Repeat

Speaking of Cocaine Music... Not to punish a great album for being a hat on a hat, but this is redundant to this list. The mighty Steely Dan made lots of worthy albums, but you really only need to listen to one of them to get the gist.

What's this? I actually enjoyed a Steely Dan album? Don't tell anyone.

LOVE STEELY DAN

Good

3.8 Musicalmente bastante bueno. Me ha alegrado la mañana

I enjoyed the way they sound so much like their time period; it was pretty easily listening overall and I could picture having the album playing while driving. I especially liked Do It Again.

Vibes

I had to listen to this album a lot way back in the early 80’s. My best friend/college roommate loved Steely Dan and played their stuff frequently. I was always either disinterested or ambivalent. Over the years I’ve grown to like some of their songs, but I’ve never sought them out. Listening today the overall feeling I got was that this is well played, slickly produced, and very same-ey throughout. Not bad, but not truly enjoyable either.

Made me feel weird

Enjoyable easy listening rock. Never heard of them before. Good find

Dei quatro estrelas pq n escutei o álbum inteiro,mas posso dizer q n me arrependo de ter escutando três ou mais músicas.E um álbum muito bom de escutar,as músicas são muito boas de cantar e com certeza eu vou me aventura nesse estilo do steely dan

Good

Very good debt album

Undeniably solid album which has quite a few songs I’ve liked on it. Revolution in the hands of yacht-rockers which I personally love

I enjoyed this album a lot more than I expected. 70s has historically not been my favorite decade, but this album was filled with several songs that I found myself really liking. I also recognized a lot of the songs from my childhood, adding to my enjoyment. Overall a nice, chill but still more upbeat set of tunes for my day. Rating:

Loved it!

Knew the name but couldn’t name any of their songs. I did recognise atleast one of this album though (Reelin’ in the Years). I’ve never really been into this kind of rock sound. It’s fine, but I find it pretty bland. Album was ok, though not enough to make me want to listen to any more.

I never really know whether I get Steely Dan or not - and I quite like that. If the songs were more obvious or less interesting then it'd all be a bit too slick but as it is I keep going back every once in a while.

A three or a four - enjoyed it a lot.

Wow that was a solid album. It had a lot of variety within the album and incorporated 70s rock feels excellently. Definitely an album I will be visiting in the future. 4.5/5

Not my jam

Fun record

Can't afford a yacht. Quite the debut.

My first impression was that this album is just fire driving songs. I like it, but I can't really set my mind on what I'm listening to exactly. It's like rock, but kind of folk-y and mellow.

Strong start before tapering off somewhat.

Just great vibes this. Best Steely Dan yet. Simpsons: Yes

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.

Yeah don't know. It's okay. Could have done without

Couple of decent song I knew.

so good

Está muy bueno, seguramente vuelva a escucharlo, entero o canciones sueltas, es re para escuchar y mover la cabeza.

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

NK

It’s the first i hear this album and this artist but i really liked it, the album is really light when listening and i love it, it’s really chill and easy to hear, I put every song on different playlists cause i love the whole album especially “Do it again”, idk it gives me vibes of Fleetwood Mac.

Not for me, didn’t finish

Bra album, gillade särskilt ”Fire in the hole”, men kanske var för att jag lyssnade på den först då jag lyssnade på det annat i morse.

The band that named themselves after a steam-powered dildo. Honestly, I'd rather spend 40 minutes being dry-rogered by a strap-on steaming hot dildo than to ever have to listen to this pompous FM radio rock ever again. Absolutely excruciating.

fantastic guitar album

Njet

Some of the best pop rock songwriting ever.

Oh THIS is Steely Dan

Sweet smooth sounds of supplication to mediocrity. These guys were the best at making music that sits firmly in the background. For being the best at the middle, a solid 3

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

Música de tienda en general, pero tiene 2-3 canciones bastante buenas

Gran disco

Well this is a well known album so nothing new to me. I am more familiar with some other titles from SD though like Aja, Gaucho and Katy Lied. As always a solid classic rock listen, SD are accomplished, polished musicians with their own sound and excellent studio work. The hits on the album I know much more then the other tracks so it was a good chance to hear them again. Probably won't be one I buy but an excellent album.

"Reelin' In The Years" - Peak Guitar Solo "Fire In The Hole" - Great Instrumentals Beautiful Vocals

3,5

A primeira metade do album é definitivamente mais forte, depois cai um pouco de qualidade, mas me surpreendi bastante com a banda e definitivamente vou ouvir mais albums deles. As musicas tem uma vibe muito delicia, é um album curto, bem curtivel. minha faixa favorita é midnite cruiser. nota 7,0

I guess that I LOVE Steely Dan!

You can debate whether Dan is Yacht Rock or not, but if you have to, it means it at least sounds an awful lot like yacht rock, which is good enough for me.

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

Mom and Abby were happy that I was listening to him. A little too old for me, but my fav songs were Dirty Work, Reelin' in the Years, and Change of the Guard.

this group combine jazz, soft rock and latina in a really interesting way!! not exactly my stile but the process of listening is very spectacular. also i have an interesting association - this music can help to focus on studying. not really energetic and instrumental enough - perfect option i suppose moreover, i really appreciate the amount of different instruments in every songs. it hit me!

Liked it!! Out of my usual music taste so i was a little surprised. I rlly like Only A Fool Would Say That!

Has some absolute bangers but the rest are kindaaaa whateverrrr. Only added one other song to my playlist I think. But anyway Reelin in the years hell yeah

What a great surprise!

Pretty cool vibes. A fun listen :>.

Started and ended slow/flow wasn't the best but middle of the album bunch of bangers

I've been on a half-hearted mission to understand Steely Dan. I find their genre of music to be something that doesn't really work with any moment of my day-to-day. A lot of their later music elicits no emotional response from me at all. This album at least gives the feeling that is music made by humans for humans to listen to. There are a few big hits on here I was familiar with due to endless radio play. The rest was pretty easy to listen to. I might listen to 'Kings' again occasionally.

I liked it a lot , it was very chill vibes and something I would listen to at the end of the day while cooking dinner. I’ll def listen to this again.

I hated this.

Lots of guitar 🎸┌⁠(⁠・⁠。⁠・⁠)⁠┘⁠♪

Favorite track: do it again Least favorite track: I’m so pissed all my notes while I was listening to this live DELETED. Anyways this is an absolute banger album, no skips, thoroughly enjoyed.

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

2026.01.07.

the songs are interesting, its not a bad album but the only song i would hear again is "Only A Foul Would Say That"

this is a valid album would probably hear again.

Good album Good musicians Similar to most of the music from the ERA. Cant tell them apart from other really. Few really good banger songs that I had never heard but really enjoyed them

i really liked the album. good songs for work, and also it's very dad-ish. i think my dad will love it

love steely dan but not my favorite album of theirs

i already know 2 songs from the album its so popular

Album No. 0115 on my list. Wow, I didn't expect this! I had been aware of Steely Dan's existence and had a rough idea of their music, but this was a surprisingly good album! It's kind of a "dad rock" album - cool, chill stuff, something that makes you imagine yourself on a yacht. Something that would play during a barbecue or while working in the garage. I liked the album vibe, I liked the sound, the atmosphere, the simplicity. Will add "Do It Again", "Dirty Work", "Only A Fool Would Say That", and "Reelin' In The Years" to my playlist. 4/5 stars!

Never really had much experience with Steely Dan, I knew a couple songs but didn't know that this was the band that made those songs, like Dirty Work and Reelin in the Years, I like those songs. It's easy listening, and soft rock is a good descriptor. I'm not mad at it and I appreciate the lesson in 70s music, but likely will not relisten.

Det va aldeles generisk ok? Æ hørte det ferdig for en drøy time siden og huske ingenting, men det va i hvert fall ikke dårlig, det skal det ha.

Even though it's not their best work, this record still is a very solid debut album, and one of my guilty pleasures. Soft, but not dull at all. Pleasant sounding and with some good amount of hits. The band is tight and it delivers (particularly "Skunk" Baxter and his guitar work).

No conocía todas las canciones de este álbum hasta hoy y la verdad me gustaron mucho. Son muy pegadizas y suenan excelente.

It is not terrible, but there’s only so much soft rock I can take. There are a couple of decent tracks (eg Reelin’ in the Years, which most people will recognise) but it’s largely a boring, inoffensive, record. Im being generous at 3.

So many hit songs to come off this album. Feeling like Tony Soprano singing along to Dirty Work.

Cool guitars - my fav parts Like the overall sound Very 70’s The catchiness isn’t my vibe though

nice chill album

good music to listen to, maybe wouldn't just throw on a song

Easy listening, my Dad likes them so I have heard a bunch of these songs before.

годнота

Not my kind of music. It wasn’t bad but it felt dated. I’d rather listen to something else

pretty cool za casual poslušanje

Great time. Seems more like pop rock than jazz rock, though. Also, the shirtless guy on the cover is so distracting!!!

Lots of instrumental guitar riffs. Really enjoyed the classic rock feel.

Still not a Steely Dan fan but the album was good

Great album with quite a few yacht rock staples.

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🙏

I was already somewhat familiar with this album, having already known and loved 3 of these songs (Do It Again, Dirty Work, Reeling in the Years) - which are all great classic rock songs. I also know and like over 30 Steely Dan songs across all their releases. Upon revisiting it after a very long time, and listening to it 3 times in a row, I discovered that there are many additional great deep cuts on this - and so I "liked" 5 more songs while listening to it. If you're familiar with Steely Dan you can see them already embracing their sound right out of the gate with their first album - combined with the sarcastic/cynical/humorous lyrics they are famous for. Glad this site got me to relook at this one. Liked songs on Spotify: 8/10 Rating: 4/5

I thought I didn’t like Steely Dan, but then I hear this album and the yacht rock vibes wash over me like jorts, a pair of grass stained new balances, the aroma of gasoline and a freshly manicured lawn. TL;DR? The Dad vibes are strong.

Esse álbum é uma bela jóia. Ótima experiência. TRI x HBB Kai.

I’m usually not a fan of Steely Dan but this one is actually very good

Just banger after banger!

7/10

5/10

1/2 Debut album of Steely Dan. Pretty good classic rock. Good to find the source of the song "Have you had enough" as I hear that song a lot but didn't know it was from Steely Dan.

Heel funky soul, chil om te luisteren tijdens chille zondag. Ze leven nog lijkt me leuk ze ooit live te zien!

Onverwachts nice, chille vibe

very jazzy i liked it!!! na początku banger after banger ale pod koniec trch spokój i tak mniej siadło ale tak czy siak fajny

vibes demais, gostei. já conhecia "fire in the hole", mas outras também são bem legais. 3,5

3.65

Pretty fun, not my normal listen but had a good vibe. a few keepers for sure

I know someone who was an executive at K-Tel Records, the label that famously sold dull compilation albums via infomercial. Since retirement he only listens to Steely Dan. It's almost too perfect, but a true story. These are songs for people who've given up on music: pleasantly produced, blandly competent, limply avoiding the joy of discovery. Unlike most any other record I can think of, the more closely I pay attention to this, the less of interest I find, as though everyone involved were committed to a complete lack of curiosity. However I will say that the keyboard solo on "Do It Again" is nifty. I can dig it.

4/5 — anyone who likes smart jazzy rock will likely enjoy this album. It's a phenomenal debut for one of the most talented bands of the time. It has a lot to recommend it, and though most will only know "Do It Again," and "Reelin' in the Years," I'm most drawn to "Kings," "Only a Fool Would Say That," and the sickly sinister "Fire in the Hole." On the flip side, the other songs on the album don't capture me as much. "Dirty Work" is pretty but forgettable. "Brooklyn," "Changing," and "Heartbeat" all fit that bill as well. They're not necessarily bad, but feel like filler compared to the five other stellar songs. Overall, a truly excellent album.

Legend

2/5 - soft rock with some nice jazz parts underneath - a little dull

Much preferred this to the later albums. It has some good tracks such as ‘Do it Again’ and ‘Reelin’ in the Years.’

This is not a bad album, but it also isn't a great one. It did not do much for me, the music was ok.

Love them

3.5

Eh

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

No skips

I love this album but it's not important enough to me to give it 5 stars

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!

I'd Do it again. Not the whole album maintains that quality. Only a fool would say that.

One of my favourite acts. Great to listen to.

Tää oli aika hissimusiikkia. Tiesin ainoastaan ekan biisin ”Do It Again” entuudestaan.

So close to perfect

Enjoyable listen.

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!!!

VERY formulaic pop rock almost fell asleep they think they ate with this cover? its ugly as shit

- already knew a few songs mais c’est cool de plonger dans l’album complet - j’adore le soft rock comme ça avec des riff de guitares super groovy - lyrical genius - je recommanderais cet album à toute personne qui aime Fleetwood Mac - meilleure chanson: midnite cruiser, reelin in the years

The generator's back on debut albums after the Christmas bump. A bold statement to kick off the album with a blatant rip on Horace Silver's "Song For My Father". At least "Do It Again" doesn't linger there and goes off in a different direction. A lot of nostalgia tied to this one. Then I realized that the only ones that really stuck with me were pretty much the 'hits'. "Reelin' In The Years" just moves along so well, still moves me, but "Turn That Heartbeat Over Again" is really kind of a dud of an album closer. Might've rated this higher on a different day.

I don’t know why I have such an aversion to this band and this style of music. Maybe it feels too 70s in a bad way? I just simply don’t want to hear this ever again. 1/5

I listened while shoveling snow and pretended it was the soundtrack to a movie montage. It helped.

In the immortal words of Deputy Garcia, “Isn’t Steely Dan just elevator music for cocaine dealers?”

(83/100)

So much Steely Dan. In the world of music they have their own flavor and style and they do make me feel like I am on yacht, with the Caribbean in the background. There are some hits that are enjoyable, but they also just grow old after a while. But nothing is unpleasant or not enjoyable.

More Steely Dan?!? How many of their albums need to be on this list? They all sound mostly the same. I’m revolting with this band. I can see maybe one or even two albums making the cut, but more than that is just pretentious. Do It Again and Reelin’ In The Years are nice enough pop/rock hits. Midnite Cruiser is catchy. This album seems more stripped down and straightforward than the others, so that’s a plus. Ultimately their songs just aren’t that interesting. As stated on previous SD records, the production is great, but that alone does not make an album worth the time. This is just more hubris to throw on the pile of music that need not be listened to again.

Setting aside the “why are there SO many albums by certain artists in this project” annoyance, this was a good album in its own right. The hits are solid, and the rest is super chill and groovy.

Really great album. Not their best though.

Oooh - I like this... Never listened to them before...

Very fun album and I liked almost all of the songs. My favorite kind of rock music.

One banger, overall it’s good background music. Didn’t provoke much emotion for me.

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

i mean. it was fine i guess

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