Reviews (page 10 of 14)
Liked it.
1 good song
Guitar music for guitar guys
something ive been looking forward 2 in this project is catching random snapshots of bands i have little to no familiarity with , with far less logical throughline or context then i usually provide myself when trying out an artist. i have heard aja before, but just hearing aja makes this a lil more jarring if anything...four tracks longer and six minutes shorter! this is rly rly delightful...a lot of density, a lot of economy, both aided a lot by the use of jazz vocab esp in the wonderful harmonic stuff goin on here. im not sure how much of a capital b Band they were at this point but obviously the performances r something 2 behold as well. i could prob like this band a lot! deserves some more time on my own time
This feels better than the previous albums of theirs I've had. It's pretty easy-going and well put-together. It started out better and slowly got more boring, but... it's nice enough I guess.
It sounds good, didn't hate it, but I didn't enjoy it that much either.
I like Steely Dan and this felt like them getting into the groove of their sound, but not quite yet.
Nice sound
I liked it! Beautifully recorded with some really nice guitar playing. Nice to-the-point 34 minute album. Jazzy. Doesn't have any of the songs that I knew from Steely Dan but I can dig it.
Bueno
Good intro track good second track good third track good fourth track bad 5th track just instrumental didn't like the piano solid 6th track nothing special mid 7th track good 8th track 6/11 only 2 misses 3 mid
I've come to the conclusion that Steely Dan has some bangers and some snoozers. This was just okay aside from their opening track.
A short 70s soft rock/jazz rock album. Clean production. First five songs are great. Second half just didn't work for me, except maybe the song Pretzel Logic. Other favorites: Night by Night, Barrytown, Any major dude will tell you.
American rock and roll. Put him in there with Springsteen and Petty. This is better, though.
Very good album and I liked it's blend of genres , mainly rock and jazz .
Any Steely Dan album is great
a good album, but not steely dan’s best
Meh.
I love steely dan, but this is by far their most boring album in my humble opinion
better than the other steely dan album that was on here, but do it again is still better than anything on here. Another version of uno music but the good kind this time. only memorable track was night by night
Craptastic Boring hippie music
Mir hat das Album von der Grundstimmung sehr gut gefallen: melodisch, jazzig und nicht unbedingt Mainstream.
As twisty and salty as the food in its name. Maybe their best album?
"Rikki Don't Lose That Number" is the well-known opener of this high-quality pop-rock-jazz-blues-album. Not a weak song but also not a single banger for me. 3,5
Hilarious that I’m about to start this review in the same way that I started the two previous Steely Dan reviews. I didn’t even realize it until I went back and looked at them. I think the only thing that has changed is my actual writing abilities. They are only slightly better though. I love Steely Dan. Point blank. A Steely Dan kind of day is bound to be a great one. I’ll never understand people’s problem with this band. Like, I guess I could see why some of the fans could make it annoying. Yes, they do in fact sound really good when there isn’t a middle-aged dad telling you how much better they are than everything else. But what is there to not like about the actual music itself? Put on Reelin' in the Years and tell me that isn’t the fucking best thing ever. They get a lot of hate, and I don’t really care. I haven’t found another group that does this pop and jazz-rock fusion as well as they do. So far, I’ve actually managed to go in release order. Pretzel Logic is their third, and the last they recorded as a full band together before Fagen and Becker became less like band mates and more like band leaders. Even if this does feature the whole band, there are still contributions from studio musicians. I obviously can’t exactly differentiate who wrote what, but the instrumentals on this are still great. They straight up kicked their drummer off the kit and turned him into a background singer. Instead, they got the drummers from Derek and The Dominos and Toto. The sound of this isn’t that different from their first two records. Fagen’s lyricism is still as strange and mystical as ever. But it does feel like they were trying some new ideas, and attempting to make more pop-centered radio friendly music. Which did help them find more of a presence on the radio after their sophomore album. But what they created on those previous albums just appeals to me a little bit more. This falls a little bit short of what I expect from them. But still a solid work from a band that I’ll never really get enough of. Rating: 7/10
p333. 1974. 2 stars. Technically excellent but ultimately soulless music for aged hipsters. It's the aural equivalent of a Ring Wraith. And they use a goddam awful electric piano, its a major part of their sound. On the plus side, it's short, even if it seems to go on forever. Bonus point for Rikki Don't Lose That Number.
It was ok some good sections and lyrics but not really engaged through parts
Fun. I enjoy Steely Dan, but wasn't really blown away by the album.
Not my favorite Steely Dan album, but you can always count on them for good jazz pop.
Great album!! I liked Steely Dan but not listened to all of their albums. This one is great. I’m giving it a four almost just because Rikki Don’t Lose my Number is on it!
Not the Dan's best but a solid showing. First four tracks are legendary, while it takes a step down it stays consistent for the rest of it. Production and vibes are stellar as always
I love the Dan. Incredible instrumentation, great lyrics, and some of best sound mixing ever. Was the title track the first appearance of the “What are those!” Vine? Favorite songs were Rikki Don’t Lose That Number, Barrytown, Pretzel Logic, and With A Gun.
It's good
Rikki Don't Lose That Number and East St. Louis Toodle-Oo are both great tracks but I find this album is missing a lot of the spark that makes Can't Buy a Thrill so memorable. The Dan did so much work getting polished they scrubbed off their soul.
Rikki Don't Lose That Number and other songs...
It was okay
Very 70s. Very Dad Rock. Very Yacht Rock.
Some Dan classics on this one.
I'm beginning to think every Steely Dan album is between a 3 star and a 4 star with no outliers.
look I know it's a cover of a Duke Ellington song but few songs have ever made me go "what?" as fast as "East St. Louis Toodle-oo"
Good album but they gave better 7/10
good but not my style. i liked the jazzyness.
I fuckin love Steely Dan
01) Rikki Don't Lose That Number - 7,0 02) Night by Night - 6,5 03) Any Major Dude Will Tell You - 7,0 04) Barrytown - 6,5 05) East St. Louis Toodle-Oo - 5,0 06) Parker's Band - 6,5 07) Through with Buzz - 6,0 08) Pretzel Logic - 7,0 09) With a Gun - 7,5 10) Charlie Freak - 7,0 11) Monkey in Your Soul - 6,5 TOTAL: 6,59 (66/100) Current ranking: 174/228 One thing I learned through this project (after listening to two of their albums - current ranking 177 & 185/227) is that Steely Dan are one of the most boring bands ever. And here is the third album filled with the same, boring, lukewarm songs as the previous two. "With a Gun" is a decent song.
It was fine! Didn't like it as much as Aja (words I cannot believe I just typed) but I appreciated the concision.
The classic steely Dan vocal harmonies are usually a non starter for me but it was actually a lot of the instrumentation that bothered me here
Very old white man music, but it's good! They're very talented musicians and I like how they showed that you don't need to noodle to make good songs.
this did nothing for me today. kinda sounded like ragtime piano-y in the middle, which i did not expect
I'm a little surprised I've never listened to this album, because I do enjoy "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" and usually wind up at least trying out an album if I know a track well. These were all pretty similar to that, I enjoyed it. I'm torn between a 3 and a 4 because Steely Dan to me is never like "man I want to run home and pop them on and listen to them" but I do enjoy them if they're on. 3.5
Well this album was over before I knew it. A fun listen with some interesting styles, and nicely produced. A few tracks seemed like they would be quite at home as a TV theme tune, or background music for a comedy sit-com. I'm looking at you, "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo"!
Not bad. I can't say I love the whole album, but it's got some good parts.
Shiiiit, word ik dan toch een soort van fan van Steely Dan? Na Aja is dit album voor mij, eindelijk, weer eens een echt tof album! Het gaat redelijk alle kanten op, progrock is een beetje het overheersende genre, maar er zitten ook blues elementen, jazz elementen en dare I say een klein beetje country in! Alles bij elkaar is een meer dan vermakelijk album en EIN-DE-LIJK iets met een hogere rating dan 3 sterren. Het is wel nipt, ik zou het 3,5 sterren geven als het kon, maar dan hebben ze mazzel dat ik zo veel middelmatige schijt heb gehad, dan vind ik dit toch echt een stuk vermakelijker. Ik kan vooral de combi van stijlen waarderen, met jazz en rock als boventoon. FAVO: Rikki don;t lose that number, Any major dude will tell you, East St Louis Toodle-oo, Pretzel Logic, Monkey in your soul
Brilliant and very tight
Yeah it was nice.
Enjoyed it enough though didn’t listen deeply
Love night by night me
It's no Aja, but it's still amazing
I feel like I’m always going to reasonably enjoy Steely Dan thanks to my Dad playing them throughout childhood! This was better than Aja, personally. I didn’t even have to check to see how long I had to go which is a sign that I didn’t hate it! Would give 3.5 if I could
I’m going to take note and revisit this album in a few months as I think I the proper mood for it is really enjoy it. Barrytown was the stand out for me on the first listen. Very enjoyable despite not feeling it!
Good album but prefer Aja
Fusion of a variety of genres pop/rock/jazz/r&b to produce a good sounding album. Favourite tracks: East St.Louse Toodle-Oo, Pretzel Logic, Rikki Don't Lose That Number
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
Light 5 meh it was alright
Loved it. Very strong 2.
I wish I could articulate exactly why I hate Steely Dan as much as I do. Surely a band with multiple albums on this list do not deserve such contempt. Still, I can’t bring myself to 1-star this. It’s not WTF bad like the Nico album. The music is objectively good, meticulously so, and perhaps that’s the problem. There are high standards at work here, and cleverness, and some irony. But gimme danger. Rough edges. Please.
Smooth, snarky songs aplenty here. The genius about this band are the little dashes of genius sprinkled all throughout. Listen with headphones. Like eating a hot pretzel with a razor blade smuggled inside. Best Tracks: Rikki Don't Lose That Number; Any Major Dude Will Tell You; Barrytown
some of the yes the rest didnt listen
Fun vibes, way exceeded my expectations. Will revisit for sure
Perhaps the current era works against making this album something special. This was an unremarkable listen even though the music was enjoyable to listen to. Even paying attention to the hits of this album, begs the question as to why should this album be heard before death? The conundrum is that it does not hurt to hear this album, but also whether or not it really has that value brings about more questions. It is reasonable that this album can be a recommended listen, but it is questionable as whether or not it should be.
I hate everything about this record. Steely DUMB amirite? Yacht rock and Don Fagan suck and I’ll fight anyone who disagrees. I’m sure he’s an ok guy in general but this asshole has a stranglehold on too many dads. Anyone claiming them in 2024 has a brain disease. FUCK THIS SHIT
So I was dreading this. I always proclaimed to hate SD based on the hits and knowing a friend is a HUGE fan I wanted to avoid eating my words. So, how did this end up? Well, big fan of hot pretzels for 15 cents so the cover is a promising start. As for the music: Rikki Don't Lose That Number - Not going to judge this too much as it's a hit, heard it a thousand times. Night by Night - ... Not bad Any Major Dude Will Tell You - Not feeling this one Barrytown - Promising start. Didn't like the wavering voice, though. East St. Louis Toodle-Oo - Not bad? If it were set to like a Tom and Jerry cartoon? No, could see it more for an Itchy and Scratchy one. I think it's the talkbox. Parker's Band - Ok, this was probably the best one since Night by Night. Through With Buzz - Me too! Fuck you, Buzz! Pretzel Logic - This is funky but seems melodramatic. With a Gun - Western kinda start. Probably one of the best tracks on the album. Charlie Freak - Honestly, this album has a back half. Monkey in Your Soul - I just like the track title. Overall? It's okay.
Started off nostalgically strong with Rikki, and I had high hopes. The Dan is one of those "supergroups" I've always really wanted to like but this isn't doing it. This album takes a STEEP nosedive after track one and I'd wager officially crashes and burns on East St. Louis Toodle-Oo. There are couple signs of life after that but they're faint and feel mostly reflexive. This is just bad.
Everything I thought it would be.
Seriously how can people not like this? It’s pure fun and joy
I’ve appreciated Steely Dan more with each passing year. A good middle of the road effort.
Some top notch musicianship. Enjoyed the funky parts. Not really a fan of the vocals or melodies/harmonies. It’s alright
Can’t go wrong with SD!
Garbage Boomer nonsense. How can a group of technically talented musicians make something so boring
Pop rock. Steely Dan is always mixed really well and this is no exception. A solid collection of catchy songs, great songwriting. I just tend to like some other Steely Dan just a bit more. Should revisit. 4/5
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.
Pop, Rock, Jazz, 1995 -> 3
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.
Good overall feeling but no standout tracks
It was alright. Nice vibe in the background. All sounded quite the same though, and I didn't notice when the album finished and related music started playing. I did enjoy one of the related songs, from a different album by Steely Dan, so maybe there is better stuff out there from them.
Steely Dan are always a solid shout for me. It’s not there best album though plus it doesn’t have Kid Charlemagne which is an absolute banger. That being said would happily listen again, Steely Dan are my sort of vibe
8/10.
First listen Saved 3/11 Top track: Rikki Don't Lose That Number
this is entirely too smooth for the likes of me
Very good. 3.5
At my lowest hours, Any Major Dude Will Tell You has renewed me.
I don't mind Steely Dan. I'd never heard this album before, and I kind of enjoyed it.
This is definitely a very good album, but I just don't get on with Steely Dan vocals enough for me to want to keep revisiting.
Pretty decent
Really enjoyed the funk in this one!
I'm in my mid-40s now so I'm required by law to be a massive Steely Dan fan.
Soft rock, good music, nothing groundbreaking. Stand-out: Charlie Freak
I know Aja fairly well but that's it when it comes to Steely Dan apart from a couple other tracks. The ones I knew from here I really like, Rikki and the title track. The rest were a bit of a let down, a smattering of a genres that felt a bit unnecessary and disjointed.
Excellent, but what else would you expect from Steely Dan? 1st song is the only one I recognize but the rest of the album is worth listening to... repeatedly.
First steely dan album ever. Ricky dont lose that number was decent. The rest absolutely forgettable. Rating 2/5. Slightly below average for me.
Liked it more than I thought I did, although didn't care for the real jazzy songs. 3.5.
3/5
Funk and jazz wih rock vibes Any Major Dude is very nice Good quality, but not very appealing to me 3/5
Steady 70’s!
Forrest Gump music. Well made, saccharine and sentimental, dorky but uncontroversial, enjoyable on an airplane, forgettable once it’s over.
this was fine. the opener is the best song. i def prefer their work on can’t buy a thrill
I don't know what it is with Steely Dan. I objectively should really like this music. It's clever, well written and they're great musicians. But I always feel like something's missing. And I can't put my finger on it. I don't dislike Pretzel Logic, but it also doesn't make me sit up and really want to listen to it.
It's not a bad album. Good for background music. It's okay. That's all i can say about it
So smooth
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.
Pretty good, never really listened to a steely dan album in its entirety before.
Cracking bit of jazzy 70s rock
Not as good as Aja that came here some weeks ago
Just as I expected, it met expectations.
Any Major Dude Will Tell You this is a solid album. I was especially partial to Charlie Freak.
Ah Steely Dan, the porridge of the rock world….bit bland but kind of fills you up
chillig
Not great but not too horrible either, had a few tunes I enjoyed, the rest is pretty forgettable
Easy to listen to 70’s music, nothing special in my opinion.
I’m not a huge steely Dan fan but this album has several of their best songs.
Good album! I like Steely Dan a lot and there's a lot of fun stuff on this one. I don't think it has the same excessive bliss of the jams on Aja, but there's so many great tunes and playful melodies to keep me happy. It's a short and sweet album too. Best Track: Any Major Dude Will Tell You Worst Track: Monkey in Your Soul
Best Song: Rikki Don't Lose that Number Worst Song: Monkey in your Soul
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.
Few stand out tracks. Odd (in a good way) lyrics.
to be honest i was disappointed. i liked Aja a good bit but this album felt lackluster
Very familiar with this one. The deep cuts are tolerable. It’s like visiting an old friend.
Some fun story telling. Some cheesy melodies and moments. Not my style, but can tell it's solid.
It arite.
Rikki Don't Lose That Number East St. Louis Toodle-Oo The rest is forgettable
Average
Liked it, but no scene stealers for me
Steely Dan is just all time. Never skip. Incredible.
Good album, glad I listened to it but probably not something I'd come back too much.
My first exposure to Steely Dan and I can kind of understand why they have such mixed reviews. I really struggled to connect with it the first time around, though I can see that they're impressive performers. I can see the whole 'Dad rock' label, which is a weird thing to say about a band named after a sex toy. I appreciate the music a bit more after a few listens, and also dipping into some of their other releases. But I'm just not blown away by this album.
Very good jazz.
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!
The first track lulled me into a false sense of security. I thought I would get something unique but this is largely still one of those ‘70s rock records that I will most likely forget by next year. Still pretty solid though.
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.
Good jams. Really easy listen and clear music themes.
Listening to this album was a reminder that I don’t really like Steely Dan. I listened to it, but I didn’t enjoy it.
I keep trying and keep hearing how good Steely Dan is, but I'm just not hearing it here. They don't seem to be able to decide what kind of music they're playing and I appreciate most experimental attempts usually.
Can't remember any song except for Rikki, but enjoyed listening to the album.
4.5 stars. This is really good, no filler and flows well as an album. Great production without feeling contrived. Singing complements the instrumentals well without being generic. Standout is "Any Major Dude Will Tell You" with it's memorable post-chorus hook.
I recognize Rikki don't lose that number. Overall this is ok background dad rock you'd hear at a doctor's office. 3* (I have to give this more than the last snoozefest country album I heard -- I hate that I can't even be consistent with my own ratings). East St Louis came out of nowhere, enjoyed it.
Weird: I seem to remember this record including more hits. Still pretty darn good, mind you.
Not as bad as I feared.
This doesn't make it for me like Aja. Just something missing.
Jazziger Rock der 70er und es handelt vieles von Problem, Drogen und Problem mit und ohne Drogen. „Rikko Don‘t Lose That Number“ ist der Evergreen der Band aber auch auch „Berrytown“ & „With A Gun“ klingen sehr gut.
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
Super catchy and funky - I like the creativity
Good
I just don't get Steely Dan. This is the 2nd album I've had from them & it's just as bad, if not worse, than the 1st one. Very Seventies, very dated, very dull. It's only 33 minutes long but it felt like a lot more. 1 star.
Very good. I always thought Steely Dan was a single person…
It's a very good album, but one that in my opinion is outshined by it's predecessors. A poof that a good fun album can be a 3
cool
Twenty year old me wouldn't have been seen dead listening to Steely Dan. But there are some decent songs on here; the title track and Rikki especially. I didn't particularly like the Duke Ellington cover though.
The music just doesn’t grab me. I’ve listened to Steely Dan on a few lists and it’s yet to make me feel anything. Well crafted and executed songs, but left cold.
Easy listening.... it was ok.
Musically interesting 70's soft rock. A few really great songs.
I always thought steely Dan was budget Lynyrd Skynyrd but holy shit this isn’t what I expected at all.
This is a pretty good album and uncovered a lot of Steely Dan songs I didn't know - enjoy them more the more I listen. Maybe it deserved 4.
The lyrics on every other song are just so relentlessly juvenile and moronic that I can't take any of this seriously.
9/10. All around fantastic album. Put a few of the songs on the 5⭐️ list.
Don't remember what I thought of this but usually like Steely Dan, let's call it a 4
Good musicianship, like his voice, but not really my cup of tea musically
Inte så pjåkigt.
Always loved Steely Dan. Still songs in here I haven't heard, because I think I listened more to a compilation album.
This is thoroughly listen-to-able!
Less awesome than Cant buy a thrill but still so good!!!
Pretty great album. Am I becoming a steely Dan fan???
Not quite as good as cant buy a thrill but many classics on here
This was an amazing album, I thoroughly enjoyed it Top tracks: Rikki Don’t Lose That Number, Pretzel Logic
I always like Steely Dan, I grew up with the songs on the radio, and Steely Dan were playing a lot! 4 Stars
No Aja but still pretty good 3.5 stars
Oh Steely Dan -- why do people think you're great? I will never understand. 1.5 stars
A classic folk legend. Brilliant album.
Not bad. Can't Buy a Thrill is much better though.
Softer rock than I had expected. Seems to follow some social justice themes. Not bad background music.
6 / 10 Rock Setentero. Buena calidad pero nada especial para mí.
Jazz, R&B, Pop, and pitch-perfect vocal harmonies all co-exist happily together across the span of Pretzel Logic. I read about Steely Dan co-frontmen Walter Becker and Donald Fagen's strategy for this album--challenging themselves to write short-ish pop tracks--and damn, did that pay off on Pretzel Logic. It was really refreshing to listen to jazz-infused pop music from the 70s that doesn't insist upon itself. All of these tracks get in and out between 2 to 4.5 minutes. All killer, very little filler. Album opener (and Steely Dan's highest-charting single), "Rikki Don't Lose That Number," is such a brilliant pop tune that features loads of kickass harmonies, lush jazz/pop guitar and keyboards, and rich production value. My ex-stepfather played a healthy amount of Steely Dan in my presence growing up, and this is still probably my favorite Steely Dan song I have heard. I found my head a-bopping throughout all 11 tracks, and now definitely have a rekindled appreciation for Steely Dan after listening to Pretzel Logic in its entirety. It's a damn shame this group stopped touring so long ago. I'm hopeful to get served up a second Steely Dan album as I continue on my 1,001 Albums journey. Interesting Factoids from Wikipedia: *The album was Steely Dan's last to be made and released while the group was still an active touring band (1974), as well as the final album to feature the band's full quintet-lineup of Walter Becker, Donald Fagen, Denny Dias, Jim Hodder, and Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (who subsequently left to join The Doobie Brothers), though it also features significant contributions from many prominent Los Angeles-based studio musicians. *A commercial and critical success, the album's hit single, "Rikki Don't Lose That Number", helped restore Steely Dan's radio presence after the disappointing performance of their previous album. *"East St. Louis Toodle-Oo" (also "Toodle-O" and "Todolo") is a composition written by Duke Ellington and Bubber Miley and recorded several times by Ellington for various labels from 1926–1930 under various titles...For Steely Dan's 1974 cover of the song, Becker played the melody with a wah-wah pedal to imitate Miley's trumpet style, while Jeff "Skunk" Baxter used a pedal steel guitar for the trombone part. *Steely Dan FAQ author Anthony Robustelli describes "Pretzel Logic" as a bluesy shuffle about time travel. Fagen has stated that the lyrics, including anachronistic references to Napoleon and minstrel shows, are about time travel. *"Charlie Freak" recounts the tale of a vagrant drug-addict who sells his only possession—a gold ring—to the narrator so he can buy a fix, which kills him. Interesting Factoids from SongFacts.com: *"Rikki Don't Lose That Number" is Steely Dan's highest charting single, reaching #4 on the Hot 100 in 1974. *Released as the B-side to "Rikki Don't Lose That Number," ["Any Major Dude Will Tell You"] was initially a fairly obscure song that became a crowd favorite. In an interview with Rolling Stone during Steely Dan's 2009 tour, Fagen talked about this song: "When we moved out to LA, people called each other 'dude,' which we found funny. We were trying to speak their language." Standout Tracks: Rikki Don't Lose That Number, Night By Night, Any Major Dude Will Tell You, East St. Louis Toodle-Oo, Pretzel Logic, With A Gun, Charlie Freak
Pretzel Logic is a fine album with a few cool ideas. The general rock sound mixed with some jazz influences is somewhat interesting as were some of the lyrical ideas (especially with songs like With A Gun). The album also never dragged on for more than it should have. This album is rather fine but doesn't really go beyond that Best Song: Monkey In Your Soul Worst Song: Any Major Dude Will Tell You
Quite liked this one
Nett aber nicht so meins Witzig Zu witzig?
Скучно и ну затянуто? И это при том, что альбом едва переходит черту в полчаса. Лучшая песня - Charlie Freak.
It was OK. Hadn't listened to them before. Not something I'll choose, but don't mind it in the shuffle.
Weird music that I wasn’t a fan of
incredible
it was fine
Didn’t make it past the first track.
Hipsters unite! A band named after a steam-powered dildo from the quintessential hipster book ... Steely Dan is basically the 70s' version of LCD Soundsystem. It's a band that all the cool people are into. It's a name-drop in some bar conversation. People who have cassette tape collections and teeny weenie beanies and drink ethically-sourced $8 espressos fucking love Steely Dan. Doesn't mean I don't like them, too.
Solid, a little bit unexciting.
Wunderschöne Musik, Donald Fagans unverwechselbare Stimme, ein abwechslungsreiches Album auf dem Weg vom Roch zum Jazzrock.
nice
Pretzel logic is a bangin track. Rest was ok
5/10 Great opening track. I officially like one Steely Dan song. Mercifully this album is short. so smooth my brain shut off and I found myself drooling. meh. 4-1-2024
Usually like Steely Dan but this album is repetitive and somewhat drones on. Nothing really stuck out.
What a unique and interesting album! Not everything lands, but there is so much neat experimentation and instrumentation on this album, and I absolutely love the vocal harmonies and lead. Nothing overstays it's welcome. This album really makes me want to check out more Steely Dan, which I think is ultimately the point. Fav tracks: Rikki Don't Lose That Number, Charlie Freak, Pretzel Logic, East St. Louis Toodle-Oo
Good album, very steely dan like
This should be an EP -- great songs but also a lot of filler. Great either way. Favorite Track: Pretzel Logic
Seems dull
Un peu en-deça de mes attentes, car j'ai bien aimé les autres albums de leur part. Belle vibe jazz-rock tout le long de l'album.
FUCK, such a cool project. It's got this big blues focus but still retains the jazzy elements they normally bring. It feels front loaded but the second half explores more styles which I loved. I wasn't gonna go 5 but it's just clawed into me.
I love Steely Dan, but this isn’t one of my favorite albums of theirs. It’s still Dan though.
A few solid tunes, but mostly sounds like SD was feeling out what they’d like to to be as a band.
Not bad but not good enough for 4 stars.
3.8 - This was just good solid music in my opinion. Any Major Dude was a great tune and has been in my playlist. I hoping Can't Buy a Thrill is on this list.
Enjoy Steely Dan so enjoyed having it on in the background, but didn't catch my attention in a big way. Wouldn't say it was a stand out album, a few mild boos only. Probably enjoyed the first couple of tracks more than the rest. Not going to go out of my way to listen to it again.
I've got into Steely Dan in a big way the last couple of years, and I've got this record on vinyl, but that being said, its not close to my favourite album of theirs. There are some catchy hooks, and to me its also the point where they are really starting to hone their polished studio sound. But there are also some rather corny moments, and the attempts to experiment with arrangements or styles outside of their typical wheelhouse mostly just fall flat to me. Though I still think its a pretty decent record I don't think its very necessary for the 1001 list. Fave Tracks: Rikki Don't Lose That Number, Night by Night, Any Major Dude Will Tell You, Pretzel Logic 3.7/5
Now we got the bees knees baby! Technical mastery combined with top notch production quality and complex, catchy songwriting just for good measure. This album is perhaps the best and most appropriate example of a certified classic album. Sure, it’s dad rock, but every song here is an ear worm. And every time you come back to it, you’re hearing new layers and discovering something new to love about the music.
A soft baked pretzel is a lot like Steely Dan when you think about it: both pair well with a dad beer, neither ever truly disappoints, and when done just right, they can really hit the spot.
There is not a note out of place. If you like that, then this is the album for you. I'm neutral on it. I find "Pretzel Logic" to be the most accessible Steely Dan album, even if it doesn't have most of the major hits on it. It's a very good listen and I would probably suggest a person who has not heard Steely Day give it a shot. If you hate how perfect Steely Dan is in the studio, then this won't change your mind. I do find this to be as non-grating as Steely Dan can be. They tone down their kitschy and overly-clever (at times) lyrical content and the songs are also shorter. Next is "Katy Lied," which is not a Steely Dan album I would recommend.
Oh yeah, now we're getting into my world. A high school/college classic for me. Not the best Steely Dan album, but definitely an old favorite. 4 stars.
For some reason I’ve avoided Steely Dan, but I really like this. The groove on “night by night” is very nice.
Steely Dan is one of those groups that I know are masterful artists and extremely musically gifted, etc., but that I just don't ever seek out to listen to in favor of other bands. I liked this album well enough, there were a few tracks that stood out as really good, but again nothing I'm probably going to think to come back to later.
Surprised
Super chill with a few classic songs. Still struggle a bit with steely dan's vocals but you can see the detail and precision in their songs.
I like steely dan, but pretzel logic is pretty middle of the road for me.
That clean Steely Dan sound. Lots of unfamiliar tunes for me but enjoyed getting to hear more of the catakog
Great musicians that make music that feels like less than the sum of their parts
Wel nice, vind steely dan wel chill, maar vgm hebben ze betere albums gemaakt wel
Ja goed album, goeie vibe, paar dikke platen
Steely Dan <3 had wel al een keer van dit album gehoord, kende ook al paar nummers maar het hele album in een keer is erg nice
More of the last album, perfectly produced rock, but it lacks the things that make their earlier or later albums masterpieces. B
some classics on there. decent
Jazz stylings over rock without ever approaching prog is a clever sound that really works for the band. 4.0/5.0: Great
very cool musical ideas
mr. pretzel
In my top 15 of all time.
always nice to hear that album...
Enjoyable.
Definitely not my thing and some if the tracks are outright annoying.
Chill! Goede muziek
Drummer killed his mom. Listening to Steely Dan on headphones and trying to hear all the instruments is always rewarding. They fit together like a Swiss clock.
Dumb
Sehr funky, man hörte sich schnell ein. Abwechslungsreiche Instrumentals, vielleicht leicht unscheinbare Vocals aber sie fügen sich gut ein.
Not my absolute favorite but good Dan nonetheless
Like CSN, it's fine/tolerable when it's on. But my god it's bland.
Twisted.
Good, chill album. A little rocky. I added “With A Gun” to the Regulators playlist
Pass
Not knowing what to expect beyond the first track I was already familiar with this was a pleasant surprise. Had the album on repeat all day.
Yikes, 2 Steely Dan albums within 6 days of each other! I was going to give this 2 stars, but I'm warding an additional star for making this album short and sweet. (just 34 minutes) I didn't hate it, probably just a little to close to the previous one. Don't mind bit of the 70's cheese rock.
When I saw this was another Steely Dan album I rolled my eyes so hard I nearly toppled over, but how pleasantly surprised I was by Preztel Logic (terrible name!) I loved this! It put me in such a great mood and although it was a bit cheesy in parts I really got into it! It’s not quite a 5, but I’m making it 5 stars because it’s close and I’ll want to come back to this one later! Or I’m high on paint fumes? Regardless, it was heaps better than the last Steely Dan!
Love Steeley Dan. Band of my misspent youth!
Another fantastic Steely Dan record. I really love the classic rock focused sound on this one, and every tune is a fun to listen to.
Woot! Steely Dan!
A really accomplished version of ‘this sort of thing’ so great if you love that. I liked it.
I didn't enjoy this at all. I think this is what 80yrolds want to hear when they put something groovy on. It's very polished and professional, checks all the music qa boxes. But I don't like his voice or the harmonized voices, and it feels formulaic albiet technically very impressive. It gives me the boredom of slow jazz that gets wild with like 10 8th notes even though it's like sped up it doesn't quicken me. With a gun had sort of rockabilly vibe that almost worked for me except the vocals and lyrics were dumb and contrived. I may especially dislike this bc mom and step-dad played it in my early childhood and it played over a loveless violent household leading me to feel this is the music of deeply broken and dysfunctional people which I'm sure is not at all fair.
2.5
uneventful
my preferred yacht rock. fuck the eagles, this is the music to listen to while wanting to pretend that you're rich in the 70's.
Steely Dan is classic, and always has perfect production. This album has some great tunes but I feel Aja and Countdown To Ecstacy are stronger showings than this one
Ok 3/5
not terrible but it doesnt grab me
Pretty good
takie 3/5
I only recognized two tracks from this album. I always thought of it /them as 70’s easy listening/ soft rock thing. In the deeper tracks the jazz elements are more pronounced. I never owned any Steely Dan but didn’t mind the occasional “hits” if they showed up in a background mix depending on the setting. While the lyrics are dark, I kind of liked the pace / keys of “Charlie Freak”. That said, im glad it was brief. Probably getting an artificial bump due to Simply Dread, I’ll give it a 2 by a hair.
An aptly titled album given the twisted logic it would take to convince me to like this. Better than the Aja album, but still lingers in the WTF category for me.
FUCK THIS BAND. Why do they hate everyone? Hey, at least if you’re having a bad day, you could always make it worse by listening to this shit sandwich.
I can’t decide what’s worse. Smooth Jazz or soft rock. Tempted to rate this higher because it’s better than Aja and the previous album we were forced to listen to. But out of principle…a GFY 1 star.
Boys! I'm gonna do it! I'm rating a SD album higher than 1*! Listen, this album is still pretty trash, but (i) Rikki Don't Lose That Number is mildly ok, (ii) anything looks good compared to that Simply Red trash album we had yesterday, and (iii) it is better than Aja (oh god I just threw up in my mouth a little bit). I nearly crashed my car in a fit of rage when East St. Louis Doodle-Oo came on. Pretentious AF and no fun. Fuck, am I talking myself into a 1*??? Take a breath... At the end of the day this is a 34 minute album and I made it through ok. 1.75/5
was ok, enjoyed some, zoned out during others
Not bad, actually enjoyed it and was not expecting to
This is a great album. Steely Dan knows how to do it.
I dug this one. None of the songs overstayed their welcome. Barrytown was my new favorite. If there was a 3.5 stars option that's what I'd give this (enjoyed myself, don't really plan to return to it, though).
Steely Dan seems to have developed some sort of cult hipster following in recent years so I thought this might be sneaky good, but it just seems mediocre to me.
3.0 I think for Steely Dan the question is if you personally like them or not. Can't really deny the songwriting and musicianship, they are both really good. I havent listened to enough to say this is better than their other work.
Good album. Not a great album, but enjoyed the listening. Plain and lackluster - but can't really fault it (except for not being special!)
A very plain and lackluster dadrock album. There are some good string bits and I appreciate how short an album in is, but altogether pretty standard. 2.5/5 rounded to 3/5.
Rikki don’t lose that number: Vocals can be a little stronger, I like the group refrain Boring
This album on 1st listen is very close to a 5 for me. Every song is great and the musicianship is always on another level with SD. I wish I had this on vinyl.
I absolutely loved this - it’s reminding me of Chicago and some Simon and Garfunkel as well. I’m a sucker for horn parts, and I seriously love their mixing techniques with minimal reverb. What a fun album! Only song I wasn’t a fan of was probably the instrumental track.
Everything I’ve listened to by Steely Dan has been a pleasure. They have some of the best mixed/mastered albums that I have listened to.
I am married to the world's biggest Steely Dan hater, so I essentially never listen to their music. This album confirms that I'm not really missing much. I loved the instrumental East St. Louis Toodle-Oo. The rest of the album is "fine". The first track (Ricky Don't Lose That Number) was omnipresent through the 2nd half of the 70s and becomes an annoying earworm whenever I hear it. I enjoyed Barrytown. The rest of the album was undistinguished for me.
A fine classic rock album! TIL that Ben Folds Five song Barrytown is a cover of Steely Dan!
I didn’t love it
Wow, I've never really listened to steely Dan before. I'm not sure I'd like any of their other albums as much as this one because it looks like this one has a much higher focus on compact, quick songs and less extended solos/jazz sessions/prog Rock. That being said I found these all tuneful and sonically interesting. I was happy to listen to this one 3 times and had almost half the album make my favorites list!
Idiota
Pretty relaxing, but forgettable
This must not have been one of the Steely Dan albums in as regular of rotation growing up because other than the first track, it wasn’t super familiar. Very enjoyable though!
So great, but still only my 3rd favorite Steely Dan album (after Katy Lied and Countdown to Ecstasy). 11 concise songs, 34 minutes, the last disc with any semblance of being a typical “rock band”. Some admittedly weird tracks for a pop/rock album, but great rhythms, solos, and arrangements throughout. One monster hit (Rikki), one that should’ve done better (title track), and a number of others that would be great to hear on Classic Rock if they’d ever play them. As with most of their LPs it doesn’t seem like a “guitar album” on the surface (only The Royal Scam qualifies), but there is so much tasty guitar work here throughout. Lots of it from original members Jeff Baxter (who joined The Doobie Brothers soon after this was done) and Danny Dias, but Walter Becker, primarily a bass player, has some shining lead guitar moments here. Looking at the track listing before playing it today, my sense was that Side 2 was weaker than Side 1, but nah, it’s all great.
Enjoyable album. I was torn between 3 and 4 stars.
Amazing. So many differing styles of music... but in a steely dan way
Classic Dad rock.
Such a dynamic and versatile album
Great, smooth, lil bit funky. Really enjoyed it
One of my all-time favorite albums, and artist. Great music.
# Playlist track - Any Major Dude # Notes - My first Steely Dan album, and it's a great one. I've been hearing this over and over the entire day. - Super impressive breadth! Overall the album goes steadily on a ballad-like rhythm, but then it throws weird and cool tracks like "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo" at you from outta nowhere. - 5/5 will hear again!
This suburban dad in socks and sandals absolutely wants to discuss grass-layering techniques and then segue into the delicate nuances of Steely Dans’ jazz rock. From funky rhythms to ripping guitar medley. The horns are blaring and the keyboards are squealing. This is musical magic, ladies and gentleman.
Like, not love.
night by night lyrics are nice.. barrytown is nice "I'm not one to look behind I know that times must change". gay-ish but also hater ass song like,,,,i guess im from barrytown then too lol. whimsical fellow... the guitar on parkers band is NICE wait omg i know Pretzel logic??? the song. omg? or at least the MELODY
I cannot deny that the music absolutely jams at times. I even enjoy a few of these songs, usually. However, the songs often come across as infuriating/annoying, mostly because of the vocals. Overall, I think it's good in moderation. Unfortunately, Spotify does not understand this at the moment, and Steely Dan is my most skipped artist.
one of the dan's best. close in quality to the royal scam.
I know its cool to like Steely Dan now but my ears aren’t agreeing.
Nothing Notable.