Reviews (page 10 of 13)
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.
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.
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.
Good
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
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.
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.
Good musicianship, like his voice, but not really my cup of tea musically
Inte så pjåkigt.
Pretty great album. Am I becoming a steely Dan fan???
No Aja but still pretty good 3.5 stars
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.
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
Nett aber nicht so meins Witzig Zu witzig?
It was OK. Hadn't listened to them before. Not something I'll choose, but don't mind it in the shuffle.
it was fine
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
I like steely dan, but pretzel logic is pretty middle of the road for me.
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
More of the last album, perfectly produced rock, but it lacks the things that make their earlier or later albums masterpieces. B
Twisted.
Pass
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.
A really accomplished version of ‘this sort of thing’ so great if you love that. I liked it.
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.
Ok 3/5
Pretty good
takie 3/5
was ok, enjoyed some, zoned out during others
Not bad, actually enjoyed it and was not expecting to
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).
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.
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
Pretty relaxing, but forgettable
Enjoyable album. I was torn between 3 and 4 stars.
Like, not love.
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.
Nothing Notable.
Not my favorite Steely Dan album, but it's pretty good. Nothing surprising here. Three and one-half-ish stars, I guess.
Rikki Don't Lose That Number Any Major Dude Will Tell You
Not my favorite steely stuff
On my first run of this it went completely over my head, and I had to re-listen to it for this review. Having done so I feel quite comfortable just putting it in the middle, potentially a candidate for strong 2 as well. The start of the album is pretty decent with some funky jams like 'Night by Night', 'Any Major Dude Will Tell You', but then it turned fairly bland for the rest of the album, with 'East St. Louis Toodle-Oo' being a low-point that I don't feel belong on this album. Not sure why this is included on the list at all. Like I said it's pretty bland and I don't see many game-changing songs here.
I mean it's nice in a milk toast kind of way. I'm just not a great fan of soft rock. Listened to it once and it didn't leave any real impression so i figured I needed to listen a second time. "Any Major Dude Will Tell You" stood out the second time around. After that song I turned the volume up and I found it quite groovy. I can finally see why people like it.
Decent
2.64 per track. Not sure why this is on the list, pretty unremarkable.
Now I am an old bastard I am of course moving into Steely Dan territory. Like many reviews I see here, when I was younger I thought the soul and charm of the music and lyrics if there was any was eclipsed by the obsession with surgically clean production and endlessly winnowing session takes down to the "ultimate" studio performance. I found the music smug, superficial and overly shiny and produced. It had no grit. Yeah, then I got older. Now I appreciate the dedication and thoughfulness, and also now I like the snarky, self-depricating and doom laden lyrics. This isn't happy-go-lucky cocktail lounge music at all. That said this album is new to me, previously I have got into 'Aja' and 'The Royal Scam' on which Becker and Fagen had reached the apex of Steely Dan-ness. It's OK, it's not grown on me like the others yet, I'm familiar with 'Any Major Dude'. 'Rikki' and the title track and those aren't my favourite SD numbers. The other tracks will need a bit of time. I'll circle back, the good stuff always takes a while to appreciate. At least this one has a half-decent photo on the cover.
Pretty good. Really jazzy
Good album. I’m not a huge Steely fan but there is a good variety of sounds on this. And a number of recognizable hits.
Ouvi só uma vez ontem, não prestei Mt atenção, mas achei gostoso, bom, escutaria de novo e provavelmente teria que fazer outra review. 5/10
Not bad
Good stuff
Good album, not the best of their work. Lacks the overall groove of some of their other albums and doesn’t have as many strong songs. Still good though. 3/5 Might listen again
Album? Pretty good. Coming from Barrytown? Less good…??
I have nothing positive or negative to say about this album.
Enjoyed that album
Something different
Prima achtergrondmuziek.
3.5/5
Un poco rollo. Pero me ha caído bien Walter Becker. SoftFolk - rock.
Probably the weakest of their 70s material, some solid tunes here and there but nothing approaching the peaks of this era.
Viel schönes dabei : aber ( fast ) nichts lockt mich aus dem Sessel.
it's okay, but does not belong on the list
Un poco rollo. Pero me ha caído bien Walter Becker. SoftFolk - rock.
Rikki Don't Lose That Number is a huge tune and the rest had something going for it but I didn't save much!
I enjoyed it an average amount
3.5*
Boredom in perfect craftsmanship
I like Steely Dan, just not a whole album.
I enjoyed this album. I had already known “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” and the rest were enjoyable as well.
It's alright, the opening track was great but nothing else really stood out to me.
Fun music! Not something I'd probably think to listen to most of the time but I can see why it's popular
Good unoffensive 70's rock. Felt like a palate cleanser for some bad music I've gotten from the list lately.
Some forgettable 70s rock album. Again. It has earned some sympathy points from me for not being as generic as others, though.
Started off strong with the first three songs, but it got a bit boring as the album went on. Guitar tone is fucking sick though
Classic
Okay. I'm not a Steely Dan fan.
Second of four Steely Dan albums reviewed. In a nutshell: more of the same formula of jazz rock arrangements and strange lyrics. But it works. Steely Dan released an album a year between 1972 and 1977. Four of those five are on the list (Can't Buy A Thrill, Countdown to Ecstasy, Pretzel Logic and Aja). Pretzel Logic seemed like a last roll of the dice for Steely Dan as Ecstasy did not get traction on the charts. Logic's first single 'Rikki Don't Lose That Number' was a hit. Any artist with three or more albums on the list will face this conundrum: is there charted growth and/or change in sound between albums? You can see the progress made between Thrill and Aja. I *kinda* see some evidence of growth between Thrill and Logic. It's not the Steely Dan album I'd recommend to a new listener (my pick is Katy Lied, which isn't on the list. Maybe Aja depending on the person). Not terrible, but not as memorable as Aja. Overall: 4/10
I've never really paid attention to Steely Dan before, so this will be good. It's mostly fine/decent rock. Nothing here really blows me away but it is fun and I'm encouraged to listen to more from them. 3/5
Nice music; overall!
Easy listening.
- Steely Dan is peak vibes - Would love to drink a beer in the backyard on a warm summer evening listening to this - 3.5
I was familiar with Rikki don't lose that number. The album was relatively short. It was not really objectionable, although I do question why there are four Steely Dan albums on this list.
A fun listen, I really liked it.
Musically very good. But a bit up their own arse.
Fin plade, noget fornuftig tråd.. men meget gammelt og det lød ret gammelt
It was kinda good, did not suck as bad as I thought it would.
Better than I expected to be honest, loved the instrumentals more than vocals
Muy tipo The Band, guay de fondo
Can't go wrong with some dad rock. The band was obviously influenced by a lot of the 70s singer-songwriter music floating around at the time. A lot of the songs on here remind me of Crosby, Stills & Nash. Side 1 is definitely the stronger side IMO. However, the instrumental at the end of side 1 feels a bit out of place compared to the rest of the record.
Easy listening
Not my Steely Dan favourite.
very much the 70ies
Meh
Not bad music. Some catchy tunes. But not really my cup of tea.
What genre is this even? I can see why it is included in the list, but not my speed.
Little all over the place for me.
Some good groovy tunes. But overall just didn't do it for me.
There is a reason 'Rikki Don't Lose That Number' got all the radio play. The funk riffs on 'Night by Night' were cool. Overall there are some cool sounds on this album with some jazz, blues, groove/funk influences and blending vocals that push it from background music to interesting for me. Yacht Rock doesn't always have to be a pejorative. There aren't a lot of standout tracks here for me, but there also weren't any I disliked.
Seemed alright but didn't blow me away like so many people have told me it would. Kind of a neat storyteller vibe and it sounded clean and crisp, and I appreciate the piano and orchestral feel to a lot of it.
Very solid - power energy than the mood I was in (busy at work) but still a nice listen.
This wasn't something I'd typically listen to or will probably listen to much going forward but I didn't dislike it. It was enjoyable enough.
It made me want to dance! But all in all I’m probably not adding it to my rotation.
3.5
I liked it.
Pretzel logic is a nice enough listen but nothing stands out to keep me coming back.
It was a good listen again but not one of my favorite bands.
A fun album, very groovy instrumentals and interesting vocal harmonies. None of the songs resonated with me personally though and I don’t feel a strong emotional connection to the album.
3.8
Rikki Don't Lose That Number: 7.5/10 Classic but a tad dull Night By Night: 8.75/10 Really liked this one, cool guitars, vocal style is a bit dull Any Major Dude Will Tell You: 6/10 Heavy on the keys Barrytown: 4/10 East St. Louis Toodle-Oo: 2/10 Interesting guitar tone but too noodley. Not into this instrumental. Parker's Band: 6/10 most interesting song in a while Through With Buzz: 3/10 Pretzel Logic: 6/10 With A Gun: 6.5/10 decent story Charlie Freak: 6/10 a second interesting story Monkey In Your Soul: 7/10 sounds kinda Motown-ish, like the horns
Interesting blues rock album that looks to have inspired a number of following artists. Some interesting songs where they move away from the blues sound and more into a Beatles pop sound.
A sturdy middle of the pack effort from the band.
Ganz nett, kann man mal hören, typischer 70er Rock-Krams Best Song: East St. Louis Toodle-Oo
it's alright, dunno why their fans are so rabid barrytown pretzel logic charlie freak
Jazz, Country, soft voice, melodic, Trompeten
I give this a 3.5 stars. I kind of want to give it 4. There is something weird with steely dan and me. I really like some of his songs a lot but sometimes his voice bothers me to go through an entire album. This is completely a me thing but it's why it's not a 4 even though it probably deserves it
This is refreshing after Jim Zorns brother. Rikki Don't Lose That Number is a song I've never sought out just heard in the background. What a jam of a track. Pretty easy listening so far. Nothing really standoutish except for the first couple songs. Nothing too crazy on here but definitely enjoyable. Solid work Steel Daniel.
With Ricki dont loose that number, ok, a little jazz influence, too less rock for me
Heard many of these songs but never listened to the album. Its easy listening, and very much like a pretzel cart - enjoyable, satisfying but also for the most part fairly forgettable. The hits are stuckee ear worms which will live on for ages but most of the other tracks kind of just operate as bookends to that.
3/5. I don't like Steely Dan on a good day, but this was decent because it had short and sweet songs without being overbearing or trying too hard. The songs are catchy and well-made, I even put it on a few times. The guitarwork is the best part with wonderful solos. Innovative pop songs with a jazz flavor but again, just not doing it all the way for me. There's just a pretentious energy that is hard to enjoy from them.
Easy listening and vibey, I could see these guys and their sound making a comeback.
This album was good. Some of it much better than the rest, but it's a solid album.
Perfectly fine Chill Dad Rock. I’d rather be listening to CCR or the Doobie Brothers if I’ve gotta be in Dad Rock mode but I didn’t hate it.
Okay but I got kinda bored.
Great musicianship but they could use more distortion on the guitars. The one without lyrics has a silly talk box on the guitar which honestly might be the coolest Dan moment on that side of Aja.
Good, but really short.
1. 3/5 2. 3.5/5 3. 3.5/5 4. 3/5 5. 3/5 6. 3/5 7. 2/5 8. 2.5/5 9. 3/5 10. 3/5 11. 3/5 = 2.95
Rob Thomas smooth
Steely Dan will always be one of those critics darlings or band that someone who tells you they love music and wants to show you how much they know by their adoration of Steely Dan. I've never understood them and never will I guess. I've evolved on a lot of my opinions on 'controversial music'; classic country? I'm in. The Grateful Dead, I won't see them live, but I'll defend them. Steely Dan, no. 3/5.
This was also just fine
Pretty good. Not my favourite Steely Dan Album but it's not bad or anything
dad rock :)
An okay album, but as it was established twice now, I'm not a biggest fan of Steely Dan. They have some amazing solos on multiple instruments, but their overall work is rather average. Vocalist is quite soulless, taking the fun out of the experience. Also, most of their riffs and melodies are just underwhelming. Okay album, okay rating.
Fun throughout, not really many standout hits but more consistently enjoyable to me than a lot of their albums I’ve done before.
Love steely dan, this album is great for background music but didn’t find as enjoyable as their first one
Not very special
Aja better 🤷♂️
STEELY DAN BABY
Ok. Nice for a change. Old school feel.
Meh.
Rikki Don't Lose That Number is a legendary track, the album starts off strong, "Night by Night" has a cool groove, bassline and vocal track. "Any Major Dude Will Tell you" has a laidback vibe that is really infectious, awesome basslines and guitar licks in this track. The rest of this album feels like filler tracks, nothing else really sticks out. Overall a pretty "milk-toast" album, with some good guitar licks and a classic track. Nothing on this album is awe-inspiring, or "outside of the box", but the album has a good overall sound, and was worth the listen.
Solid
I recently spun Aja after many, many years, which I was reminded about from a recommendation at r/classicrock. People raved about it there but I didn't personally see the huge appeal, I thought it was good quality background music but not much more than that. I was skeptical coming into Pretzel Logic but I ended up enjoying it much more than Aja. It flowed better and made much more of a sonic impact. I would listen again, and might explore more of Steely Dan in the future.
It's alright. Good musicianship, good quality recording. Just didn't have anything that particularly jumped out at me. I bet it's a grower.
Another Steely Dan album I just couldn’t get into. I don’t know why they don’t grab me, I guess they just sound kind of empty?
The songs on this album are very short and I think it limits the impression the album could have because of that. It's cool 70s pop rock though. 7.0/10
It's dad rock. Crippling lack of emotion and depth but good tunes for driving your son home from football
Well. Love me some Dan. That being said, this one was not my favorite. The greatest hits and other highlights of their oeuvre are pretty much it for me, there are some clunkers on here that don’t even approach the pinnacle of their abilities.
a little funky, clever song writing, but I cant really find a track that stands out. I do really enjoy the variety of sounds they employ!
Not too bad
Achei bem mid para falar a verdade. Surfa entre jazz, rock and r&b mas não se localiza em nada o que ficou um tanto quanto sem personalidade pra mim
Good vibes.
Tof!
I always get Steely Dan and Stealers Wheel mixed up. This is not my cup of tea, super well produced though and smoother than a babies bum. East St Louis toodle do is a soundtrack to a Mario Bros level.
Unfamiliar with the artist, but I've heard songs by them before. Overall it was mid, nothing really spoke to me
Fine album, nothing special, couple catchy tracks. 2.5
The slower vibe of the album was a bit of a letdown after Boddhisatva. That being said, I really like the lyrics on here, they feel really playful and precocious. The varied instrumentation is very fun, and I like the sometimes experimental production. The group vocals and brass section on My Old School are sick.
Heard before: yes Good album, a little front-loaded, but still solid. Funny that this was their attempt to write pop songs - pretty good hooks, tight song structures, classic crunchy harmonies. But the songs kind of fade into the Steely Dan canon as soon as it’s over, not enough sticks out. Top tracks: Night By Night, Any Major Dude Will Tell You, Rikki Don’t Lose That Number
Fun but not very memorable
Some fun moments, but not as memorable or unique as Aja and not as effectively fun as Can't Buy A Thrill. Standouts: Rikki, Don't Lose That Number, of course. Of all the stabs taken at rocking, With A Gun is the most interesting.
Meh, it’s a good album. I can imagine when it came out in 1974 it was blowing peoples minds but it’s not really doing much for me. Although, pretzel logic is really good and I would listen to that song again.
Bit same same
OK
Jazz and funk, and the best of it.
joyful, easy music well suited for driving
Not My Favorite, just not my style.
It's not their best album, but I still like Steely Dan.
teräksinen.. jatsi infuusio infusion.. infusioninfusioninfusion... perushassuttelu albumi, aikaa ei dan tuhlaa. täysin keskivertoa kamaa, miellekästä jopa. ei huonoja biisejä mutta ei varsin vaikuttaviakaan. jaztsi osiokin on lähinnä poppipulitusta konsanaan ja ennemmän jazzesque saundi eikä itse jazzztyyppistä musiiikkia, kyllä minä näistä tiedän... silti kiva pretzel logic
Very good musicality but nothing in terms of great songs
I liked it but I don't think I'd listen to it over other stuff. Solidly 3 stars for me
Fine, just fine.
Meillä oli tällä levyllä melkonen pop-vaihde silmässä hanhen kanssa
More interesting than I thought it would be.
Les Steely Dan font toujours le travail mais j'ai de plus en plus l'impression qu'on s'est fait berner par l'intro de leur premier album généré. Attention à ne pas faire une Richard Hawley.
Steely Dan nous offrent comme à leur habitude de la bonne musique, mais rien de bien bandant non plus. Sur la célèbre echelle du Bobby Womack, permettant de mesurer la taille de son erection, on est seulement sur un petit 13cm.
The opening song, Rikki don't lose that number, is the only one off the album I'm familiar with. There's a couple good songs on the album, East St Louis Toodle-oo is a fun instrumental break. The titular song is alright, With a Gun is good too. Finishes strong with Charlie Freak and Monkey in your soul.
Some good songs, the others are pleasantly forgettable
Eh it’s ok. More songs I knew than I realized.
Ricky Don't Lose That Number is a classic so it was a hit right off the bat with this album. The other songs have that usual Steely Dan sound and overall I thought it was a solid album.
Mediocrity was all I got out of Steely Dan's Pretzel Logic. Nothing here stands out as spectacular or interesting. Lacks a common theme or story to explore on further listens. Very representative of 70's sound, whatever that might mean to someone who wasn't around then. After listening I turned on some Doobie Brothers on and heard some proper 70's tunes. This just lacks emotion and interesting themes. Pretzel Logic didn't necessarily age well for new audiences. With that being said nothing is bad here, but certainly nothing here that's going on my playlist. Coming off the incredible Channel Orange, this is a bit disappointing.
This is yacht rock at its finest. These riffs and melodies can not be beaten. Sooooo cheeesey
Nothing spectacular, but nothing horrible. I do love me some yacht rock though. Rikki Don't Lose That Number is such a good mix of rock and smooth jazz.
Although I've always heard of Steely Dan I'd never taken the time to listen to any albums. This was a pleasant surprise and I gave it 2 plays through. Didn't recognise any songs as singles just enjoyed the flow. It's definitely of a time but hadn't aged too badly in my opinion. Will listen to more too.
čudan mišung
Sounds like one long song. Not for me.
A fairly jammy album. I can see the appeal, but it's not my favorite. Songs like East St. Louis Toodle-Oo are just goofy, but not fun for me. I love the album art and most of these track names are fantastic. I can respect this album, but I probably won't revisit it for some time. Not my favorite Steely Dan record.
é bom
Emana anni 70 da tutti i pori. Un disco solido, pop rock, un po' jazz a tratti, interessante ma assolutamente non il mio genere. Non penso ci ritornerò mai. 3/5
Good length, I dont like steely dans general style. its not bad quality. charlie freak reminded me of roscoe and east st louis reminded me of fallout. in charlie freak, the part when he sings "Five nights without a bite" is what i dont like about steely dan. most of the album is like that part.
never heard any of this outside of "Rikki Don't Lose That Number"
Un poco rollo. Pero me ha caído bien Walter Becker. SoftFolk - rock.
It's certainly an album
ok
It was okay
Fairly inventive, esp for the time. But basically like easy listening. Not my thing.
It’s like kinda good I guess? But I don’t really get it. Not bad, not good, just is.
it was alright
Rating; 6/10
странно что у него британский голос хотя он не есть британец... симпатично и очень в стиле 70х
Decent but a bit easy listening. Not sure it’s one to revisit.
Not anything to write home about. Typical 70s music.
I like Steely Dan, but I’ve always felt they’re a “Best of” kind of band. Nothing got me excited, but not a bad album.
Pretty good, don’t usually listen to grittier styles of music like this
Steely Dan’s third album is as funky as it is charismatic, and while some songs don’t hit their mark as much as others, there is a consistent charm that carries through the whole runtime.
This was very much your run of the mill Steely Dan album. Short and sweet, somewhere between grocery store music and porch swing music. There is no wow factor, just Steely Dan.
B- Rikki Don't Lose That Number 3 Night By Night 3 Any Major Dude Will Tell You 3 Barrytown 3 East St. Louis Toodle-Oo 3 Parker's Band 2 Through With Buzz 4 Pretzel Logic 3 With A Gun 4 Charlie Freak 3 Monkey In Your Soul 4 Steely, Steely, Steely. Ah, what a Dan.
I don’t think this is as complete as last week’s Steely Dan album but I was still impressed
At some point or other I’ve happily listened all the way through each of Steely Dan’s first seven albums. At best they stand among the upper ranks of seventies music. At worst they provide great music to listen to while working, only half-realizing music is playing at all. Pretzel Logic falls into the second category. Their work is characterized as elevator music by some, and with songs like “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” and “Any Major Dude Will Tell You” as the headline tracks on this album, the critics make a valid point. On most other Steely Dan records, they would be mid-tier songs at best. “Night By Night” is to Pretzel Logic what “Home At Last” is to Aja; it’s not the most popular track, but with multiple listens it feels more like a hidden gem. I have a tough time hearing the Lou’s influence in “East St. Louis Toodle-Oo,” but I thoroughly enjoy the variety in this pure instrumental. Pretzel Logic is not as good as The Royal Scam or Gaucho, and comes nowhere near Can’t Buy A Thrill and Aja. It adequately showcases Steely Dan’s style but leaves the listener thirsting for more. That may as well be the perfect formula for a three.
A little too 70s but not in the good way if you know what I mean.
The other champion of the Jews besides Springsteen. This was ok. Nothing bad, nothing good. Just alright. A solid 3/5
спотифай решил перестать играть нормально, но в целом вроде поняла. много думала про требования к вокалу в стародавние времена. норм
3/5 Best: With a Gun Worst: East St. Louis Toodle-Oo
This is like THE album that Spotify constantly pushes under my nose, but I’m waiting til 40 to make “Dan Stan” my entire personality, thanks.
Funky
About once a year I binge Steely Dan hoping to finally get them. I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t actively hate this music, but I recognize it’s not my jam. The “perfectionist” narrative around them seems so overblown to me. There’s nothing objectively perfect about music, so basically Steely Dan can just say it’s perfect whenever they choose to stop. In reality it seems to me to be an excuse to be insufferable pricks during recording. And if the two of them weren’t such assholes, I don’t think there’d be as much mystique around this band.
A few classics and a few other good songs but in no rush to listen to it again.
that perfect but so boring music
Enjoyable and I like the name👌
Still not liking Steely Dan but this was much more bare able than Countdown to Ecstasy.
Seems like I should listen to more Steely Dan. They pull off a lot of the proggy elements that lots of their contemporary and modern prog bands do. In reading their wiki, looks like session musicians from this album and its follow-up went on to form Toto; that makes sense.
Decent album. I don't have a ton to say about it though. I'd listen to it again, but I'm not super stoked about it. 3.25/5
A few good moments but not much in it for me
Nice enough
Steely Dan is always going to be a nice soft rock listen. The songs all have a similar vibe but it's a good vibe!
3,5
A big surprise though it wouldn’t be my cup of tea but catchy and funky
Great vocals, great guitars, solid production, tight execution. I just find the song structure to be a little lacking. Ideas are fully fleshed out but having each song littered with solos makes me exhausted.
It’s fine. It feels like I know it but I don’t. I think that’s due to Steely Dan being so distinctive.
Listening to this album kept reminding me of Peanuts and Charlie Brown.... it just sounded so much like the music on those cartoons, care of the awesome Vince Guaraldi. Rikki don't lose that number, and Pretzel Logic, prob the best 2 tracks of this very short album, only about 30ish mins. I enjoyed the album, has been well produced in the sound booth, even though, for me, its dated and a tad bland, but these guys can sing, play instruments very well, and write some pretty good lyrics to the arrangements. The annoying thing is, its just music from that 70s era, I can just picture in my mind, the type of peops back in the day, out in their best wide lapelled suits and frocks, dancing around their handbags on a 70s disco floor, all thinking this sound was coolio, but it's just not my kinda music.... and I don't have a handbag, or a flared suit with big lapels, or a gringo moustache and greasy hair lol.
Terrific production and compact songs make this collection more palatable than other Steely records.
Very short! To me an OK album, maybe some songs would grow on me if I listened again but nothing really grabbed me. 3 out of 5 for me
Perfectly fine. Not the biggest fan of the blend of jazz and rock they were trying as I don't think it suits the vocals, but the album wasn't displeasing to listen to
I've been curious about what I'd think of Steely Dan, so I was happy to get this. It's not exactly what I expected. It's okay, and there were parts I liked, but not enough for me to give it 4 stars. Not really that much to say about it. I'm hoping I'll like one of their other albums on here more. I do have 3 more, after all. My favourite song was East St. Louis Toodle-Oo.
My first Dan - has a lot of flavours that aren't to my taste in terms of the melodies and instrumentation, but gets big points for the lyrics and straightforward song structure that other albums of the era have sorely missed. Fave track: With a Gun
AJ: listening late, bet it’s good!
Good but not Aja.
A classic rock groove. Very easy listening.
Du bon petit rock, pas aussi intéressant que Can't Buy a Thrill, mais quand même agréable. Rien de tant plus à dire. 7/10
There are Steely Dan songs I like, but outside of Aja I can't really find myself fully invested in a full album. 3/5
cool grandpa music fo sho short and sweet epic piano + harmonies + rockin guitars 💗 sooo fun!!! nice jazz n brass stuff going on too. fave tracks - any major dude, east st., parkers band,, idk so many solid tracks its hard haha least fave - ? I guess the title track only bc they meantion minstrelsy lol, also Charlie freak bc I'm not into the jingle bells would I listen again¿ sure dude
I dunno, I just find Steely Dan to be too easy listening. I can't even quite make them a guilty pleasure
More jazzy than I expected
2/3
The soundtrack to suburban corduroy clad couples politely tucking into salted peanuts and cheap wine before depositing their car keys into a fruit bowl. ("Rikki Don't Lose That Number" is a stone cold classic though)
fine music that just does absolutely nothing for me
I should hate this. But there’s a craft there that can’t be denied. Sure, Fagen is a miserable so and so and the late Walter Becker wasn’t much more pleasant but there’s a talent there. Crack musicians in the band. I don’t like this one as much as the glorious aja but it’s good. As a certain kind of musician it’s both the thing you’d love to play on and what you’d like to do. Too cynical to be really classed as ‘yacht rock’ (unlike the less misanthropic Doobie brothers or a tonne of privileged white boys most of whom I can take or leave), I can see why punks and harder rockers tend to dislike this. But it, as the kids say, slaps.
A familiar easy listening sound, but didnt know this by name... I now see its good easy listening mix of jazz blues rock and other experiments. I cant dislike it, but its doesnt make a strong impression on me.
Steely Dan. Just a bit too smooth, a bit too clever clogs for me. I just need a little bit more of an edge to really appeal to me. There are a few slightly rockier numbers on this album that work a bit better for me (Night by Night, for example). I don't mind smart rock and roll, but I just need a bit more rock. There is some filler here (East St Louis Toodle-oo - neither satisfyingly rock nor jazz) I own this record, but almost never play it, and have considered giving it to my son (who likes prog and jazz. He was a very excited to find a copy of Countdown to Ecstasy in a record store bargain bin recently). Actually, I'm listening to Night by Night again, and it's pretty good... I'll bump my rating up a bit I think...
It was alright… but not my style i guess
Smooth jazzy pop record, perhaps a bit too accessible to me and without much intensity it is a big boring after a while. But I appreciate the clear production and talent the band has.
There’s no doubting the talent of the band’s members or the uniqueness of their sound. Just lacks the needed edge to match my tastes.
Funky af!
I don't understand what emotion this music is trying to caption or evoke. The songwriting is creative, but the performance and production are about as boring as it gets. Very listenable, though. Very inoffensive. Favorite song: Parker's Band
intense opener, let's see if the rest of the album is as fun.
Un poco rollo. Pero me ha caído bien Walter Becker. SoftFolk - rock.
Un poco rollo. Pero me ha caído bien Walter Becker. SoftFolk - rock.
Ok
Something like quintessential dad rock. Album gets better towards the end, the start is relatively slow and nothing to write home about. Later half is much more enjoyable. Standout Song(s) : With A Gun; Honourable Mention : Pretzel Logic.
Good stuff
Can't buy a thrill with this album.
20th March 2023 Listened throughout the day while working and rehearsing Rita. St rehearsal until 10. Laid back country folk blues, not sure why he has a reputation for being cheesy. Didn’t mind it at all.
Solid 7/10. Easy listening.
Never really got into Steely Dan. I've listened to Aja and Can't Buy a Thrill before this but it's really not my thing. The creativity is impressive but none of the songs catch my interest except "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo". There's something about the style of singing in the rest of the songs that I don't like but I just can't pinpoint exactly what it is. I do however like Donald Fagen's solo album The Nightfly.
Steely dan goeie bal
Gostei do álbum. Estilo meio folky/jazzy rock - bem agradável de escutar. Percebi influências do Bob Dylan, tanto no ritmo quanto na letra, o que certamente faz parte da razão de ter gostado da banda. Achei que a utilização de instrumentos de sopro nas músicas combinaram bastante e realçaram os pontos positivos do grupo.
Started out really strong for me, but towards the end I really did not care for some of the songs. Standouts for me were Rikki Don't Lose That Number and Any Major Dude Will Tell You.
Not bad
The Yachtiest rock
Steely Dan doesn’t really do it for me. It just makes me think I’m back in the car as a kid listening to my dad’s music. Not bad, not something I’ll seek out.
Love Steely Dan but this was not one of their best
Not bad, not as good as ‘Can’t Buy A Thrill’ but still decent. 3.5/5
Rigtig hyggerock, meget harmonisk, mangler måske lidt gennemslagskraft
Ja wel lekker rustig
Had heeel erg veel zin in Steely Dan, maar vond het niet zo leuk als Can’t buy a thrill en aja!!! Schrale troost dat die waarschijnlijk ook nog voorbij komen dus dat is heel. Als nog een 3 want gewoon lekkah
3.5
groovy