Pretzel Logic

This is the sound of a suburban dad in socks and sandals

"Rikki Don't Lose That Number" is a masterpiece. Borrowing the baseline from Horace Silver's "Song For My Father" will do that for a song. Future Eagle Timothy B. Schmitt provides backup vocals on "Rikki" along with 2 other songs here. Quick aside: If you wanted a hit song sometime between 1974 and 1983, your best course of action would be to try and get Schmitt to provide harmony. And those 3 tracks alone are worth a 5 rating. My favorite Steely Dan album will always be "Can't Buy A Thrill" for many reasons. But this might be their best album. It's such a flawless infusion of jazz with pop hooks. And Fagan's voice fits this blend like a glove. This deserves a spot in the upper echelon of the list. But what do I know? I just read the Daily News and swear by every word!

There is no way for me to hold back when talking about Steely Dan. To me, each album they released seems to inch higher into rarefied air ('Aja' is the apex for me). This is their third album and, for the most part, their final one revolving around their original quintet, but we can hear their evolving style and approach with the extra musicians they brought in. This album stands superbly on its own and points to the refined excellence that would follow from Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. I have friends whose musical aesthetic and knowledge I admire greatly who do not like this band. I understand that to some listeners the music is too much like "smooth jazz" and "elevator music," and that they lyrics can range from inside-jokey to enigmatic to obtuse and impenetrable. That's not how I hear or experience this band, their work, or this album. I think their dark humor and irony, not just in the lyrics but also very much in their music, too, doesn't come through for everyone. I've loved their music for a long time, but now as a music student I hear them in a new light and I am absolutely gobsmacked by their writing, their arranging, their playing -- not just the all-star musicians they brought into the studio, but Becker (a wildly underrated guitarist) and Fagen (amazing on the keys and I genuinley love his voice; just perfect for their music) -- and the mind-blowing level of engineering prowess. Their notorious perfectionism and absurd attention to every detail pays off. Their writing is outstanding. I like the detached irony of their lyrics and as a lover of jazz I really dig their ability to weave jazz elements into pop and rock songs without letting it get to cluttered or disjointed. I honestly don't know how they do it. I love jazz, I love rock, but generally I do not like fusion. These guys avoided whatever it is about fusion that doesn't click with me, and that's mighty impressive. I do not mean to suggest that their approach should be a universal standard; not at all. Some of my all-time favorite music was recorded hastily with lots of "mistakes" and imperfections that are essential to the whole experience. This album has some incredible tracks on it, and incredible moments within the tracks. One example of many: I am crazy about Walter Becker's guitar solo in 'Pretzel Logic.' And I love his wah-infused lead guitar on their cover of Duke Ellington's 'East St. Louis Toodle-Oo.' Love the album cover, by the way. Final note for fellow Steely Dan fans: I am nearly finished reading "Major Dudes: A Steely Dan Companion," a collection of decades of interviews, reviews, and other writings on them and their music. The appear chronologically in the book and it's a fascinating journey. I highly recommend it.

One of my favourite things on the internet is a photo of a dog inside someone’s car, and there’s a sign in the window that says “Please don’t break the window. The A/C is on. He has water and is listening to…” and someone photoshopped it to say “Steely Dan.” I don’t know why, but the concept of a dog liking Steely Dan always gives me a chuckle, even though I’ve never listened to Steely Dan before today. I was excited to get this and finally give see if that dog was onto something. For me, it never rose past generic dad rock. I’m sure it sounded generic because of everything that has come since, but it just wasn’t special enough for me to want to listen to again.

We just had a couple of electronica albums (Kraftwerk and Orbital) that were a bit out there so seeing Steely Dan come up as a random pick was a relief. Everything they do is sheer gold. Funny thing is I didn't truly appreciate them until I watched the "Yacht Rock" series on Channel 101 (go look it up on YouTube if you haven't seen it - hysterical). Donald Fagen and Walter Becker are outstanding songwriters and musicians. High points for me are Rikki Don't Lose That Number (a classic for a reason), Night by Night (great groove), and Pretzel Logic (one of my favorites -- great groove plus fantastic vocals). Any Major Dude Will Tell You is very 70s (I guess much of their music is), but still great. Heck, even East St. Louis Toodle-Oo, which is basically ragtime, benefits from that unique Steely Dan sound - love the talk box guitar. Easy decision for me - definite 5.

Rikki Don't Lose That Number is a great tune. The album was ok, a fairly lively listen, but nothing to gripping

This is a sweet album from the classic 70s rock icons. I appreciate the sentiments, harmonies, and variety of tones. I lean towards artists like CSNY, but I respect the jazzy undertones and rhythms that SD brings to the table. Overall, this album isn't my thing, but With A Gun is a diamond in the rough.

Pretzel Logic: love the brevity, only 34 minutes! I think the recording/production sounded great (isn’t that their reputation?) and the mastering of that rip is ace. Not a huge fan of the music which is definitely my bias against this kind of 70’s “soft rock” (for lack of a better term). Obviously, I’ve heard “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” but other than that this was totally new to me. Which means I don’t really have much context for their music, aside from their “hits.” Overall, I think the back half of the album is stronger and I was digging the last 3 tracks, “With a Gun,” “Charlie Freak” and “Monkey in Your Soul.” Probably wouldn’t rate it that high but I know I’m in the minority with this band...

What I needed on a cold dreary Monday morning on the way to work. I've loved this album for many years and love reading the 'One Star' reviews. I guess that's what comes of hating the 70's.

Hell yeah, such a great album. I’ve listened to some of Steely Dans songs before (always loving them) but never got around to listening to one of his albums. Well I just finished this and it was just as good as I was hoping for. One of my favorite songs from the album has gotta be Barrytown. On top of the really cool lyrics (Growing up in Salt Lake City, I can assume what the song is about) it has such a catchy composition and style. I really love this album, definitely one I’ll listen to again soon. I’ll give it a 9/10. My only complaint is that after listening to the whole album, I feel like I heard a little too much Steely Dan in a row. As much as I love his music, it can feel repetitive listening to a whole album of just that. But still, the album is fairly diverse giving you something fresh with each track. Great album, I’ll be listening to more Steely Dan in the future.

Although Steely Dan is famous for having great technical skills, there's very little to complain about songwriting wise other than that I could imagine it being a little more powerful. But I can't pinpoint how. It's good music. 9/10

Very "dad rock" band. Lotsa songs sound the same, but that could just be the album. I felt I knew all of these songs but couldn't remember lyrics, strange.

The only Steely Dan album I'd heard in full before this was "Can't Buy a Thrill", and their progression from it here was pronounced (for better and worse). Steely Dan seemed to have developed in many ways by "Pretzel Logic": the compositions are more complex, the jazz-influence is more noticeable, and a broader range of genres creeps in around the edges. Straight away with "Rikki Don't Lose That Number", we hear a hit single with more sophisticated instrumentation, extended chords-a-plenty, and unpredictable modulations. The harmonies are wonderful across the record, and as good a reason as any to come back to it. But for me, it's the simpler stuff that shines the brightest. Sitting in between all the jazz and blues influenced material, the poppy and Beatlesesque "Barrytown" played straight into my hand (even if there were strong echoes of "Tell Me What You See" from "Help"). "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo"'s unexpected diversion into ragtime-style jazz was another highlight, where the eclecticism and playfulness of the record was really shining. "Any Major Dude Will Tell You" has a lovely melody in the verse, calling to mind some early Neil Young, and I had a lot of fun with "Parker's Band". The rest of the record is a little slight. Sometimes jazz-rock switches me off a bit, and this album proved no exception. I didn't pick up on any emotion or humour to much of the album: it's quite a dry, academic exercise in technique and genre. "Pretzel Logic" is a trudging take on the blues, "Charlie Freak" lacks any musical impact to match the storytelling, and "Night by Night" and "Monkey in Your Soul" are technically accomplished but just don't groove. Becker and Fagen's aim to fit everything within a three minute pop-song format suggests that they weren't giving up on commercial appeal, but it all feels a bit laboured. Intentionally or not, they don't capture the breezy melodic sensibilities of their earlier work. Overall it's an uneven listen and not my favourite I've heard from the band, but the technical accomplishment and the record's upbeat, direct mid-section is enough fun to draw me back in for more.

Ah, bland and uninteresting, just how I remember Steely Dan. Solid instrumentals though.

Rikki please lose my number

The fourth Steely Dan album so far. I rated the others 4, 4, 5. I do really like the band. But I'm really not convinced they're all that monumental/influential to justify 4+ albums on this list. But hey, more Steely Dan means fewer albums by the likes of Devo, Bob Marley, Wu-Tang Clan. etc. *shudder*. What I really like about Steely Dan is that they play really solid hard rock but then expertly infuse it with all sorts of different styles. This album seems to be especially varied with a lot of jazz, but also soul, swamp rock, outlaw country, prog rock and even classical. The only song I didn't like was the opener, which is the popular radio hit of this album, but is honestly just really boring. Luckily, the rest of the album is great enough to forgive them one radio-friendly pop rock track.

One of the most overrated bands ever. Being "technically" good is just code for really, really boring. Aja is better but this really shouldn't be on any list.

Stop trying to make Steely Dan happen for me.

Pretzel Logic: The act of twisting yourself into knots trying to convince yourself that something you know to be untrue is actually true. *Example: Listening to Steely Dan and coming to the conclusion that they are anything but one of the most boring bands on Earth.*

Pretzel Logic Rikki Don’t Lose That Number kicks things off with a classic SD pop song, the piano riff, the jazzy acoustic underneath, the rippling jazz inflected piano in the verses before ceding to a great soft rock chorus with interesting melodic lines - like a lot of their great songs it just feels right, meticulously constructed, crafted and considered. There are 70s cop show theme vibes to Night by Night with the chugging guitar, but it's better than that, again their sense of easy melody elevating it and the acerbic lyric taking it to a different space. Any Major Dude Will Tell You is a lovely track, the unhurried melody and beautifully soft arrangement giving it charm and poignancy. A clear SD classic. Barrytown shares some similarities in the verses with Tell Me What You See, but its a great track, rolling along with the piano line with a great middle eight. Apparently it’s a backhanded compliment to Dylan, but I don’t quite get that. East St. Louis Toodle-Oo feels like a vague misstep, as if they wanted to highlight their already clear jazz influence. It’s not necessarily terrible, but if it wasn’t on the album you wouldn’t miss it. Jim Gordon’s drumming is excellent on Parker’s Band and that repeating hook is great, giving a sense of release, echoing the joy found in Charlie Parker’s music in the lyrics. I like the switch to a more orchestral arrangement on Through with Buzz, you can hear bits of Eleanor Rigby, but filtered through their hands it gives it its own unique feel, and at 90 seconds long it doesn’t outstay its welcome. Along with Rikki and Any Major Dude, Pretzel Logic is the other ‘big’ song on here. Again one of those songs where every decision feels right, from arrangement to instrumentation, feeling like a classic from the first time you hear it. The horns giving a bit of rhythmic propulsion are great. Love the country-jazz guitar on With a Gun, and there are some great harmonics on the transitions between the verses and the refrain. That piano line in Charlie Freak moving around the vocal line is lovely, catching the ear, but not distracting from the song's structure. Monkey in your Soul is great in how it pulls the rug from under you, as from the opening notes you might feel like it would be a standard blues rock song, but its stabbing rhythm and electric piano gives it an unexpected quirkiness. Great track. The 34 minutes breeze by and if you’d told me 10 years ago I’d be handing out 5 stars willy-nilly for Steely Dan albums and all the associated jazziness of them I would have looked ASKANCE, but here we are. As much as I love Can’t Buy A Thrill, I think this is a step above, the arrangements tightened and the craftsthemship dialled up, and it sounds great, that 70s analogue warmth to the production. It can only be a 5. 🥨🥨🥨🥨🥨 Playlist submission: Any Major Dude Will Tell You

Nr. 131/1001 Rikki Don't Lose That Number 4/5 Night By Night 4/5 Any Major Dude Will Tell You 4/5 Barrytown 4/5 East St. Louis Toodle-Oo 3/5 Parker's Band 4/5 Through With Buzz 4/5 Pretzel Logic 3/5 With A Gun 4/5 Charlie Freak 3/5 Monkey In Your Soul 3/5 Average: 3,64 This is really good. Liked Aja a bit more. Excited for Can't Buy A Thrill.

On my second listen and enjoying most of it so far. Night by Night is a fantastically funky tune. 4/5 for now!

I started hating on Steely Dan on other record but some of them from this list have been pretty decent records - always impeccable production - I guess they are the gold standard for sound quality but the songs are actually good - the album not too long and a little tongue in cheek here and there. Enjoyed it.

Real chill

Cordial.

Definitely not at Can’t Buy a Thrill levels of good, but it’s still Steely Dan which means it’s still really good. I’ll be listening to it again soon to potentially form a second opinion.

I liked this a lot. Dad rock-ish but also just a tad goofy. Good vibes all around

This jazz-pop-rock album has so many different melodies & instruments that there is something in it for every listener. Everything flows well together which gives the album a "complete" sound. The lyrics in every song are well thought out and easy to follow/sing along with. Overall, there's a lot of good things about this album and very little downsides. Some would say it's basically flawless, however this type of music doesn't influence me enough to rate it 5 stars.

Very good. 3.5

Some people really love it, it feels overproduced and glossy with little soulfulness

Obviously a skillful creation, but very much not my style. It's basically classic country. Didn't hate it, but it was teetering on one star for me.

this was fine. the opener is the best song. i def prefer their work on can’t buy a thrill

I can't really justify my anti-SD sentiments but I find their songs lacking in something... Music, lyrics, vocals all lack substance or true *feeling*. They leave me cold and bored. 2 stars as I quite liked the opening track and the piano in the Toodle-oo song Also, Ooh La La by the Faces autoplayed after the album finished and I momentarily got excited that there was another SD song I liked :(

It's just so dull. There was one great song at the end of the album that surprised me, but then I saw that Spotify had moved on to something else and it wasn't Steely Dan anymore

Guantanamo Bay torture music

Oh Steely Dan -- why do people think you're great? I will never understand. 1.5 stars

Whereas the Stones stole their music from uncredited black musicians and culture…. This shit is so white I terrible I wish they would have done some stealing! Yuck

My indifference to Steely Dan grew to irrational hatred with each song.

An album so dreadful that I wanted to stab myself in the ears to make it stop by only the third track.

Essential. Picked this up first time around.

One of my all time faves!

I love this band and this record in particular. Automatic 5.

I honestly got so distracted by how good this album is that I forgot to finish it

Loved!

Generated Countdown to Ecstasy two years ago, I have been on a major Steely Dan kick ever since. I prefer the first three albums just because I love Skunk Baxter's guitar playing but the following albums are great as well. I love the disparity between the somewhat easy listening jazzy music paired with the dark lyrics, I don't why but I like it when things aren't what you imagine they should be. With music like this, shouldn't they be talking about love and dancing? Nope, we are gonna talk about a guy selling his only possession of any value just to get another hit and it kills him. Wonderful playing by everyone involved and the two leader's vision coupled with their perfectionism results in timeless and great songs. Check out all of their albums and read the lyrics.

Already knew and liked the album. Now I like it even more

5 out of 5. Any major dude will tell you this album is great.

One of my top 5 albums of all time.

One of the best jazz rock albums ever and one of my favourite Steely Dan albums. Standouts: Any Major Dude Will Tell You, Monkey In Your Soul, Night By Night and Rikki Don't Lose That Number.

I'm a sucker for this type of layered, harmonicas complex music in short snippets. Really enjoyed it.

My Favourite Album ever

Steely dan es placer Su disco mas beatle?

Es un 9 porque hay un par de Steely que me gustan aun mas, pero redondeo para arriba. Barrytown es igual a Tell me What You See de los Beatles

Day 54 - Oct 21, 2024 Mother of a proud Steely Dan dick rider!!!!!!!!!!!! 5/5

I also thought this was Steely Dan's weakest album but man did I have an incredible time listening to this. Guess it's time for another complete discography listen!

Really enjoyed this! Not so many standout singles as Can't buy a thrill, but I'm also more familiar with that album. Generally a very pleasant listen, I really like Steely Dan! 4.5

The writing is good, the music outstanding, the vocals excellent. Lots of good songs on here.

This is a brilliant album, I find myself recognising several of these tunes from the Jim Carrey movie, Me, Myself and Irene. It's a short, impactful listen and one I will come back to over and over again.

Fire, left it playing all day 4.5 rounded up

Steely Dan is revolutionary.

everyithing in its right place

- .... the kids just don't understand. -

i love me some classic yacht rock to ease the mind, and steely dan is a good example of that! groovy and relaxing rock music with moderate funk and jazz influence, with lyrics that are sometimes simple and emotional, sometimes batshit and surreal. it all blends together nicely throughout, consistently upbeat and engaging; tracks are progressive and complex but not too strange, making it perfect for the casual and the hardcore rock listener. the strums of the guitars paired with the lush rhodes electric piano create this... wonderful, wonderful album.

Never gets old. Love it.

Steely Dan at their finest. Wonderful jazz rock classics 50 years later.

always a fan of steely dan

Really fucking good

Había escuchado un par de canciones de Steely Dan y me parecían padres, pero no me esperaba este discazo. 33 minutos de pura onda.

When it comes to the Steely Dan classics, Aja is my favorite with Pretzel Logic and The Royal Scam right behind it. I feel like Aja is their Dark side Of The Moon given its high production value and beautiful mix. I’ve always loved the idea of the band being basically two individuals with many extremely talented musicians at their disposal. Donald Fagen and Walter Becker are notoriously known for being demanding of the musicians. Having multiple musicians audition each part until the pair were happy with the result, it’s madness but it really did yield some amazing songs. A fun game to play is “can you hear Michael McDonald’s distinct voice in the backing vocals?” A friend and I used to cover “Ricky Don’t Lose That Number” and I gained so much appreciation for the craft that went into the complex chord structures and leads. I have always been impressed with how they wrote such quirky and complex lyrics that were also so catchy. Overall, Steely Dan wasn’t in the business of making mediocre albums, they’re all top notch and Pretzel Logic is no exception, any major dude with tell you.

An ongoing debate with myself is which band has the most perfect catalogue in music. Minimum five albums. Talking Heads were in there, but True Stories I feel increasingly is a real step down. The Pixies first five are a contender. So, if like the Pixies we are just going on first runs and regarding comebacks after a long layoff as inadmissable, the Dan are up there with the Pixies and Roxy Music. This, like all 7 - 7! - from their first run, is pretty flawless.

Wasn't expecting to get my first 5/5 album so soon but wowee! I think I listened to this about 3 or 4 times within 24 hours because I loved it that much. Shout outs to Any Major Dude Will Tell You because I wanna slow dance in the kitchen whilst making pancakes on a Sunday morning with this song in the background, as well as East St. Louis Toodle-Oo for reminding me why I love jazz so much. What I loved most about the album I think is that to me it felt like the album was split into two. I just got two different vibes between the first half and the second half which I thought was super cool.

It’s like The Who meets Billy Joel, along with great instrumentation. Sounds amazing on my Beosound.

Steely Dan's the perfect mix of rock and jazz. Are there any better produced albums than SD albums? I don't think so. With Pretzel Logic, you can see a preview of future Steely Dan music for the next decade. Liked songs added: - Rikki Don't Lose That Number - Any Major Dude Will Tell You - Pretzel Logic

Fucking hell, wat een album. Ik kende enkel Rikki Don’t Lose That Number, maar wat een album. Heerlijk. Ik ben oprecht aan het twijfelen om deze op LP te kopen.

AAH ROCK AND JAZZ, LOVE IT ALREADY. The album cover is also reaaally original tbh, and funny in a way. Have never heard of Steely Dan tho, but those two genres fused muuust be good. Their other album covers are equally good apparently, different and stuff. Well I already have high expectations and I better not hear some basic ass sounds and production. First song, what a weird staaart, idk even know what sounds were those. Ohhh the vibe is great. Oh I don't like his voice tho. Song is the most listened on the album so this is their best work here that is appropriate for every ear. This feels like yacht rock too with a little jazz, but the jazz part will appear more in the next songs I hope. That piano thing is the best part, the instrument before he starts singing. The chorus is so chill and the way it matches up with the song's sonical side, love it. The break is kinda basic, but it suits the vibe. The lyrical delivery of the song tittle is just perfect. At the end it just stopped, didn't fade away. Second song, it's giving War. This song is equally good tbh. The chorus is less unforgettable, but still it's a whole vibe. The break is more original and fun, ooh the rock part came in with that guitar. The ending is the same as before, repeating only the song tittle. Third song, seems a little sad. He sings differently here and a little fast. Long ass song tittles btw. Chorus is not as good as the last two I'm afraid. It's kinda country now I think. The lyrical delivery is the best part. Outro is just the instrumental part which stops then makes a quick quirky sound and actually stops. Liked this one less 4th song, this one's vibey and more energetic. His voice is kinda unpleasing to me idk why. Sonically I love tho, it's a concept I never thought of checking out, jazz and rock I mean. A lot of lyrics I must say, makes me want to learn them. Chorus is not catchy somehow. I think I just heard a bridge and it was the best part. Outro is the same as before. Liked this one a lot, but not as much as the first two. 5th song, THIS IS NOSTALGIC AND IDK WHY. That piano is so gooooood I'm already addicted to it, the jazz part is less desirable, but necessary. It's fully instrumental too, lyrics would ruin it tbh. It's so funky in a way too. This would be in a jazz musical, saying that in a good way. Outro has a gong in it, weird and not fitting, but Kate Bush also finished a song like that too so. 6th song, fast start. Relatively long intro. Catchy rhymes I must say. Chorus is really good, and this is rare, but so are verses. The instrumentals getting louder when the chorus is sang is the best part. There was a bridge here too I think, and this was delivered in such a good way. The ending is chaotic jazz. 7th song, slow and kinda sad start. It's so short wow. This vibe change is giving how "believe me now" was in electric light orchestra's album iykyk. Loved the sonical part the best. Sounded like Beatles for a second too. 8th song, this is classic jazz for me, plus the lyrics are delivered that way. The chorus is less classic jazz and more rock which is basically their niche thing. This one's relatively long, at first I thought this would be the average duration, but apparently not. The break is long, which makes sense, but it's not that good and kind of is a bad addition. Second verse has the best sonical and lyrical interaction. Outro is as long as the break, but it fuses the rock and jazz perfectly so it's more fitting and enjoyable. 9th song, short song againn. Sonically it's catchy. Chorus is fun and singable. This is a grower song for me, I see how better it'll sound as a second listen. The vibe changes too many times and knowing when that happens would make me less confused and invested in the goodness of it. The shortness of it is quite good, dunno what else they would have done. 10th song, catchy as fuck start. The piano is sooo good here, it's repetitive in the best way possible. The way he sings is also original. I heard a violin playing in the background, cool touch. Has jingles at the end. Overall it feels like it needs more, but it sounded to permanent wave at some point, but I'll add it to the playlist since I see it as a grower. 11th song, this is giving if Bob Marley did jazz. After the verse pure jazz plays, it's so unexpected and sounds so heavenly. This one is oddly not as good, buuut the jazz part, it's so addictive. I added this one too, it's too good to leave out. All and all I reaaally enjoyed this. The production of the concept and I really liked every part of it. There was not a bad song on the album, just the ones that were relatively worse, which to me are just slow growers. No other way to rate this, but 5 stars, I had high expectations and they were met in the way I wanted to.

OH MY GOD I LOVE STEELY DAN!!!

7/29/24. Love Steely Dan, I think I've listened to this once before, but this style of music and very enjoyable and fun to me. I can never get bored of these songs!

I'd put every Steely Dan album on this list if I were in charge

Any Steely Dan album is great

As twisty and salty as the food in its name. Maybe their best album?

I fuckin love Steely Dan

Brilliant and very tight

Really cool. Awesome instrumentals and every song sounded distinct. The longer instrumental sections seemed justified and still managed to keep my interest through their progression. The range of chords was really interesting to me. I enjoyed the fast pace. Many songs saved to my playlist and I didn't get bored at all throughout the album. Wish I'd found this a lot sooner. This might be my first 5 star. Highlights: Rikki Don't Lose That Number Parker's Band Pretzel Logic With A Gun

Seriously how can people not like this? It’s pure fun and joy

Not my fave Steely Dan album but you simply can’t deny it.

I was not familiar with this Steely Dan album, but really enjoyed it. East St Louis Toodle-oo made me smile.

First time really listening to Steely Dan. They're about as edgy as a bowl of custard, but the quality of this album is undeniable. Well worth the listen and I'm sure I'll give it another spin in the future.

At my lowest hours, Any Major Dude Will Tell You has renewed me.

I'm in my mid-40s now so I'm required by law to be a massive Steely Dan fan.

Favorite Tracks: Rikki Don’t Lose That Number Night By Night East St. Louis Toodle-Oo

As a Dan fan, this is one of their albums that I’ve listened to the least, individual songs aside. With that being said, it’s still love it. My favorite songs are “Night By Night,” “Any Major Dude Will Tell You,” “Barrytown,” and “With A Gun.” The album loses some steam in the second half, but it’s still fantastic.

Great album to put on and think about a simpler time that may or may not have really existed. Easy to listen to music that seems simple at first but becomes better with repeat listens.

Steely Dan is just all time. Never skip. Incredible.

Fantastic! The best that the 70s sound had, compressed into a single album. I was won over at the exact moment the chords of Rikki Don't Lose That Number began to sound. Many artists from my homeland (Brazil) speak very highly of Steely Dan. This was the perfect opportunity for me to delve deeper into their work!

Tasty

Man I love Steely Dan. What a wonderful, colorful and fun album. Pleasantly surprised by the lyrics and the plucky and funky guitars riffs. Paints a beautiful picture. Even the quieter moments like on East St. Louis Toodle-Oo where there are no lyrics, the instrumentals put you right there. Standouts: Rikki Don’t Lose That Number, Night By Night, Barrytown, Through With Buzz, Pretzel Logic, and Charlie Freak.

Really liked the ballad style music.

As I’ve grown further into adulthood, I’ve found myself more and more frequently wanting to go back and kick the shit out of the younger version of myself. I was such an idiot about so many things, closed-minded and sheltered, irresponsible, etc. Far down the list in terms of severity, is a pre-existing notion that Steely Dan was lame/uncool to the point that I would tease my friend Matt about how he enjoyed listening to them (sorry Matt). Now with my big-boy-brain I can safely declare that Steely Dan is awesome. This record is a perfect example of their smooth production and unique songwriting. This was a blast to listen to all the way through. Twists and turns, thick piano lines mixing in with lush arrangement and vocals that complement the feel in the perfect way all combine for a fantastic experience. Love it. I have this on vinyl because years ago a coworker was liquidating some of his collection and I grabbed this because I thought it would be funny to have an album from the dad band with a pretzel on the cover, and I’m excited to give it an unironic spin later. Top tracks: Rikki Don’t Lose That Number, Night By Night, Barrytown, Parker’s Band, Pretzel Logic, With A Gun, Charlie Freak

Fuck you, they’re great

9/10. All around fantastic album. Put a few of the songs on the 5⭐️ list.