Pretzel Logic

I thought this was good fun and nice to listen to

3.5/5 Didn't know the artist or any song, but there were some pretty nice songs. Especially for studying

sounds like chicago in the 70s

Not a big Steely Dan fan but some pretty cool tunes here.

It was ok, still a bit too virtuosic and drawn out for a 30 minute album. Some nice hooks here that I wish were focused on more

Lovely stuff

Pretty fun

Nice west coast rock to listen to on a sunny day.

Was cool, although maybe a bit too easy listening. 7/10

Decent stuff

I enjoyed this album. More of a blend of rock with other than the standard rock band instrumentation. Wondering about the development of and relationship to prog rock.

Cool cool

it was pretty good, but i felt like it wasn't too special. i really liked the music but i thought the lyrics were lacking at times

Was alright

"You'll be riding by, bareback on your armadillo You'll be grooving high or relaxing at Camarillo Suddenly the music hits you It's a bird in flight that just can't quit you" (Parker's Band) "I have never met Napoleon But I plan to find the time" (Pretzel logic)

5

Cool pop record with jazzy vibes

God. These guys are the definition of eclectic... They just throw EVERYTHING in this album. Enjoyable hair rock. Lots of ballads. The kind of album that would annoy Melissa.

Rikki is of course the best song on this album, years later when I was listening to Horace Silver’s 1965 Songs for my father I realized that they cribbed the opening riffs from it. Major disappointment. Any major dude is also good, but the rest of the album doesn’t quite live up to those two songs

Solid but not my fav SD album.

folksy, upbeat. ok to listen while working.

Not bad! They could work a bit more with the piano and focus more on their instrumental side in general. They do have some catchy songs in there though. I'll give this three stars because it's not really up my alley, but I'm willing to listen to more of their songs in the future.

Average. I like the hits but don't see this as my kind of band to dig into.

Good Album. Reminds me of my uncle.

Enjoyable and easy to listen to. Pretty close to 4, but I probably won’t really return to it.

There’s some really experimental tracks on this one all with a vastly different feel of American culture. Was an interesting listen but not hugely my cup of tea

It’s steely Dan. The epitome of mediocrity.

After Rikki Don't Lose That Number, the first song that I recognized and was singing along with was Only A Fool Would Say That, which is actually because Spotify kept autoplaying other Dan songs from better albums. Frankly, Pretzel Logic made me a bit disappointed, and Fagen's voice was kinda weird on some of the songs. I did like and will be replaying some tracks, like With a Gun and Any Major Dude, but others I'll take a full pass on. Because of that, it's only a 3/5 from me.

Nice easy listening.

Está agradable, aunque ninguna de las canciones me pareció particularmente extraordinaria. Lo usaría de música de fondo para leer o algo así.

false

No estoy seguro qué pensar. No conocía más que "Rikki Don't Lose the Number" (en Universal Stereo) y me parecía aburrida, pero sí hubo cosas del disco que me agradaron. El bajo me recuerda a RUSH de repente.

3.5

Surprisingly short but good nonetheless

Rikki don’t lose that number was most memorable

Some classic songs - nice arrangements and grooves.

A fun romp through songs that seem to not take themselves too seriously. Lighthearted with flicks and picks of the guitar greeted shortly thereafter by soothing sax notes. This is a fun album, full of enjoyable pieces without any overshadowing, overpowering singles to outshine the rest of the songs

Pretzel, nunca comi.

Certainly not a band I have ever listened to and was quite pleasantly surprised by this offering. Elements of Jazz, Blues, Funk and Rock are scattered all over, mixed and merged, you can hear where later bands, Scissor Sisters for example, have taken inspiration especially with chord progressions, song structure and harmonies. The album is quite 'quirky' in a way, remeniscent of 10cc, with the mixing of genres and time signatures and with clever, idiosyncratic lyrics. I will probably have to go back and listen to it again, the initial listen seemed to just wash over me with no real discernable outstanding tracks ( possibly meaning they were all good ) but that could be down to them being unfamiliar to me

Steely!

Good, chill album.

there may better steely dan albums to put on this list. Does have Rikki don't lose that number.

nice, smooth, easy listen.

Steely'd my dan heart

Steely Dan has always been pretty so-so in my book. Their sound never particularly appealed to me, but I never felt compelled to change the station when one of their songs came on. More like, I had to ride it out in favor of a better one. I'm tempted to give this 2 stars, but the truth is, it's an OK album. Weak 3, but still 3.

3.5 solid steely dan, band is a vibe

Erstmal nicht, was ich bei Rock erwartet hatte. Eher funky... Der Name ist großartig! Die Musik hat mir gut gefallen. Besonders das Piano gibt dem ganzen das gewisse Extra. Erinnert mich an Kansas. Der Gesang fügt sich gut ein. Hat mich nicht dazu gebracht es in meinen Fundus mit aufzunehmen, aber sehr solide!

Some good tunes

I'm relatively ignorant of Steely Dan but my friends love 'em. This is unquestionably good, but feels too much like "old people rock" for me.

This album didn't grab me like their other ones. Best track: Pretzel Logic

Kind of elevator/hold music vibes?? Dated but in a more funky way than album 1 at least! Jazzy Rock vibes in the first few songs This is fully dad music but not even in a bad way? Not super keen on the vocals/lyrics Faves - Rikki Don't Lose That Number, Night by Night, Barrytown, Easy St Louis Toodle-oo No songs saved or added to playlists Overall - fun! I like the mixing of genres and there's some really cool sounding bits. Not my usual listen or the kind of music I would usually seek out myself but it was pretty refreshing! Would I check out their other music - maybe but probably not Rating 3/5

Surprisingly alright,

I just dont care for steely dan I guess. They are totally fine but thats the main problem. They are so fine they are nothing. Maybe I haven't heard the right record yet but this is so boring. Thays my main problem with any of thier records and this might be the most boring. Im so bored I really dont have much else to say. It just happend and thts it. Maybe aja is the one where I see the light but pretzel logic is not the one at all

I am not the biggest Steely Dan fan however this is great. I don’t like Rikki, because it is mainstream American radio fodder bordering on Yacht Rock which the band hated. So I neither like nor hate this record.

No, you don't need to listen to this before you die. Average soft rock. I've spent my life avoid Steely Dan for an exciting introduction. This was not the case. Maybe it'll be better in the future.

I'm actually bored with reiterating that I get bored listening to Steely Dan. The music on this album is largely fine but the singing just sucks. For dudes that supposedly needed to have studio perfection they should have fired themselves for singing like absolute shit.

Que loco, yo solo había escuchado a STEELY DAN por su canción dirty work a raíz del meme que salió en los sopranos jaja.

i like it

2/5 - Now this is the Steely Dan I know.

This album is very Steely Dan and that's all not exceptional you hear it and go yup that's Steely Dan

i'm so fucking sick of getting Steely Dan for this project. it's all so... fine. unremarkable and lacking in flavor. like eating a bar of soap. they make music for old men to aurafarm to. and i'm rambling a lot about the band as a whole because this one doesn't really stick out compared to the other Steely Dan albums i've heard. i truly, honestly do not get their hype. deserves to be one of the 1001? Steely Dan can have 2. this one is probably not one of the two

An unwelcome juxtaposition of 70s jazz and funk folk.

Idk if I like this or not. This would be 2.5 stars if we could give halves. I like the first song, elements of others, but, I don't know. I don't care for the vocals much

Alright

Still no. I believe we still have one to go.

2.5+/5

Gubberock

I don't always feel this way about Steely Dan, but on "Pretzel Logic" I feel like the immaculate production kind of distracted from the dark sarcastic lyrics, leaving the whole feeling a bit too smooth for comfort, dare I say slightly bland?

Nope. Quintessential “Venture Music” that reminds me of my first retail job as a teenager in the 90’s. Absolutely not. (2)

Mid

Meh

Kind of annoying

me aburrió al tercer tema

Not as good as the last SD album we listened to

Another "kinda okay" 70s rock album, yay

Sú tu už druhýkrát a toto je lepšie...

Sounds like a neater version of the grateful dead.

Steely Dan are just generally ...pretty bland It's all very well-crafted and well-executed, but it's also pretty lifeless and unmemorable

This band doesn't deserve any spots on this list, yet here we are.

OKAY I FELL BEHIND AGAIN BUT YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU FALL BEHIND? YEAH, YEAH YOU CATCH UP I STARTED LISTENING TO IT BUT FELL ASLEEP LIKE TWO SONGS IN 😭😭😭 what I listened was a banger tho soooo I'd say 3 UPDATE: I decided I needed to listen to it before rating and I did. Verdict: ehhhhh a 2

A bland background playing album

Decent but ploddy

Well played ultimately dull. This is why we needed punk.

Another good album I suppose, but it didn't grab me.

Underwhelmed a bit, but it's ok. Made me want to listen to something else though.

When to listen: on a really rickety boat. I generally like yacht / dad rock but this lacked, especially the weird little toodle oo ditty.

I was dreading the inevitable Steely Dan albums. I've never liked their music. For all the talk of their technical prowess, and studio bravado... it just sounds like dull AM Radio schmaltz to me. Not unlistenable, but not a single song I actually enjoyed.

Starts off so hot but REALLY drops off, and I actually like Steely Dan

Meh.

I usually like my music to have some level of grit (there's exceptions to this rule, see Fleetwood Mac), and you are not going to find that with the music of Steely Dan. The edges have been smoothed over completely by the glossy, pristine production. Don't get me wrong, these guys are very talented. They incorporate jazz into their sound and know their stuff, but I didn't need to hear their overly polished take on Duke Ellington oldie "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo". "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" is an enjoyable bit of soft rock cheese, but this record as a whole doesn't speak to me. Whilst I could stomach this style of music if it was quietly playing as I sipped a cocktail in the sun, this ultimately sounds like music that your dad would use to test his new hi-fi.

Two good songs

2/5 Immediately, I don't really know who Steely Dan is and I could not pick a Steely Dan song out of a line-up- so this is something new. This is not resonating with me at all though, maybe I just don't get it. I'm more of a lyrical listener and I feel like this is music for people who listen more to the instruments. Not really feeling like there is anything here for me

Generic sounding music from that era

Jazz infused rock -- on paper this should be an album that I really like but... I've never really been a fan of Rikki Don't Lose That Number... I honestly find it kind of irritating. And I found other things on here that kinda bothered me, like the use of jingle bells in Charlie Freak. The song is in a minor key, so it has a dark tone to it... and jingle bells are the opposite of dark... it just comes off weird. There were some cool moments. The title track is probably the one that has the most traction with me. Monkey in Your Soul has a lot of components that I like -- Fender Rhodes piano, horns, nice guitar work... but am I likely to listen to it again after today? Probably not. And that goes for pretty much the rest of the album. There are Steely Dan tunes that I like, but none of them are on here -- perhaps this is just a stepping stone in the bands evolution moving toward better things to come.

There is room for all kinds of music. The list probably doesn't require this much Steely Dan. This is like music from a slightly altered reality from ours. It's the feeling I got from Bazooka Joe comics. It's packaged with gum, it's colourful, it must be fun, but why isn't it? I want to like it for being annoying. Charlie Freak is sonically cool. "Any Major Dude" would probably be great in the context of The Flight of the Concords. Here it's like an ironic t-shirt.

There are a couple of good songs on here. Is it an album I needed to hear before I die? No.

4/10. Casi ni le di importancia, álbum muy fru

Rikki Don’t Lose That Number is kind of catchy but not great. The rest is pretty forgettable, the few interesting or fun moments (largely coming from occasional colorful instrumentation, like on Through With Buzz, or it leaning harder into that jazz-rock influence on some of the later songs like the titular track) far outweighed by generic and mediocre psuedo-"jazzy" rock that was a bit hard to get through with how boring it could be. I was surprised by the quality of East St. Louis Toodle-Oo only to realize it’s a cover of a much greater artist’s work. Almost a 1-star for me, but had a couple mildly redeeming sections. Some people also just don’t need to be singers, and this Dan guy might fit that bill. Rating: ~3.0-3.5/10 ____ Album 5 / 1001+

Nowhere near their best

tiene algo que me gusta pero no me termina de convencer

Gentle enough, nothing exceptional

I’ve heard the name Steely Dan, but they aren’t a group that I’ve been drawn to. I’m still not drawn to their music.

A little too mellow for my taste, but the guitar is good, of course.

It’s fine but not for me. TOP: Pretzel Logic, Parker’s Band

so thoroughly boring. not even interesting enough to merit a 1, which means there’s at least *something* going on. and what a blah ending! gonna be a nope from me dog

Boring. The very embodiment of bog standard American rock. It might hit differently if you are crossing the Badlands in an RV… but I am not.

2.3/5 Nothing too amazing on this album but also nothing too bad. Easy listening.

It's good, but nothing too special. 2/5

Okay

A classic band I've never listened to before. It definitely sounded to me like 70s rock, understated, but with its own style (I particularly enjoyed the horns).

I don’t like Steely Dan. This was boring. I didn’t know any songs. Early 70’s rock is one of my least favorite genres.

If the whole album packed the nostalgic punch of the opening track, I could see this maybe being thr first Steely Dan album to rise to 4 stars. But, the rest of thebalbum is largely less memorable and more self-indulgent. That, plus the fact that this is our 3rd Steely Dan album and I know we aren't getting through this without at least one or two more means this gets a 2.

Ear gouging music.

Un rock simple, se disfruta, pero no tiene algo en particular que en este momento pueda destacar Pude entender que este álbum es una especie de comeback de un álbum que no fue para nada disfrutado También entiendo que tienes hits más sonidos así que veremos que viene adelante

In comparison to the last two Steely Dan albums this was disappointing. Not bad but pretty lackluster nonetheless

Det er kort, og ok. Derfor nok bare ligegyldigt, men heldigvis kort...

Som alle de andre Stealy Dan albums: alt for pænt og kedeligt

Didn't really engage me

I gave this album the ol East St. Louis Toodle-Oo

2/5 Naja.

This was alright.

I don't like Steely Dan, there I said it. Part of it is their name, too clever by half. Who the f*** has actually read Naked Lunch? However, the main reason I don't like them is because their music is boring. This album is only 34 minutes long, but it seemed like 3 hours. Except for maybe Peg, which is not on this album, I'd rather listen to almost anything else but Steely Dan. Obviously they are talented guys. I just wish they would have used their powers for good.

nie mogłam się zmusić żeby przesłuchać ten album a jak już to zrobiłam to akurat w dzień migreny, więc będę bardzo surowa!!!!! wokal nieprzyjemny, w barrytown i charlie freak robi dziwne akrobacje głosowe. muzyka typu prank, instrumenty to: - pianino zabawkowe z kiosku -dzwonki sań mikołaja -kazoo zamiast saksofonu -klaskanie

5/10

Meh - dad rock, to my ears. It's almost offensively inoffensive. Not my taste.

I disliked this album from track 1, It's not that I don't like Steely Dan, it's more that I really hate Ricki don't lose that number. I saw the track list, and that song earwormed it's way right into my brain before I listened to it. The rest of the album was alright.

I think Claude could write this in 2030. Very apple-cheeked.

No Guitar Hero tunes on thus one

i only remember the hits

Apparently there are several more Steely Dan albums waiting for me on this list. I never could get into them, mostly for how they seamlessly blended the 2 most irritating tropes of the 70s and early 80s pop scene - languid adult contemporary melodies and cool, smooth jazz. The result is an overly preppy, self-centered sound that reminds me of sleazy businessmen and plain ordinary suburbanites. Of course, the Dan has a couple of songs I like here and there, but they're on Can't Buy a Thrill and Aja. This one, at a crossroads between those 2 albums - one came before and the other after - Steely Dan can't quite seem to consolidate their sound, and though songs like the title track and "Charlie Freak" show some promise, the rest is too middle-of-the-road to be memorable. I think the previous 2 albums could definitely be included on this list (and I have no doubt they will be) but I'm not sure why they would include this one as well and not something with a better critical assessment, like Gaucho or Royal Scam. I'm also not sure why certain artists like these guys, Costello, Dylan or even Bowie need to have this many releases represented... Key Tracks: Night by Night, East St. Louis Toodle-Oo, Charlie Freak

While the name resonates with me I genuinely think this is the first time I have listened to a Steely Dan record, perhaps even any song? It's pretty dated sounding, I am sure (just becuase I know the name well) it had some profound influence on something, just not on me.

such annoying vocals. The instrumental track was great.

I had trouble forming an opinion on this, so I looked back at my reviews of previous Steely Dan albums, and they were no help, I described them both as "bland". And it's a bland triple-bill from Steely Dan with this too. It's a bit Simon and Garfunkel, slightly funkier, but my overwhleming impression is no impression. The best things I can say about this album are that it didn't actually offend me and it was short.

Want it to be over. I can't put my finger on it but there is something just unsettling and awful about it all. Starting to remind me of Frank Zappa and maybe I don't like Frank Zappa now. Little bits of funk, country come through but it's like it's taking the piss. I know it's an acquired taste but I can't contemplate how people like this.

I have never heard a Steely Dan song that I enjoy. In that regard, this album did not disappoint. I do not understand working that hard to sound so bland.

This album was okay, but it felt unremarkable to me. You can definitely tell it's a 70s piece because of the groovy elements mixed in with the rock music, but there's also some blues mixed in as well. There were a couple of standout tunes to me: "Barrytown" and "Charlie Freak". These songs were perfectly melodic and the storytelling was amazing. Not to say the other songs weren't melodic or told stories, but these two had the best combination of both. The last song, "Monkey In Your Soul", did not feel like a closer to me, more just another filler song. Overall, I see a couple of shining moments in an otherwise sort of bland album.

Album sounds like something my dad would make me listen to as a joke and we're both just mutually suffering to this.

I do love ‘Rikki I don’t lose that number’ but I don’t really care for the rest. It’s accomplished but not my thing.

Not my bag, but it's well done.

I feel like I could become a Steely Dan guy, but I'm not there yet. I kind of like their attitude and writing, but they're a little too smooth for me. This is probably their most average release. A few good hits at the start, then nice enough but a bit slight throughout the rest

I feel like Albini because there's something deep inside that renders me incapable of liking Steely Dan. They just sound so *uncool*. They're undoubtedly competent musicians, but this style of anodyne jazz-funk-pop does nothing to my ears or my body or my soul.

Vous pouvez ben me convaincre que c'est bon mais vous me convaincrez jamais que c'est écoutable. 2.49 étoiles

Ummm This just reminds me of the boys (they were always boys) who could play their instruments really well, keep a beat and not have a single memorable track. Geeks.

Pretty short album, its fine, but nothing catchy really.

Tired of all the Steely Dan.

Fire up the steam powered dildo and prepare to set sail for another helping of baffling 70s yacht rock. This one opens with Rikki Don’t Lose That Number, which puzzled me at the time - why didn’t Rikki just call directory enquiries or look up the number in the phone book? It’s only now that I realise that she was trying to ghost this dork by pretending to write his number down on the back of a napkin or something. The rest of the album is mostly easy listening, smooth jazz/rock which is ok, but the lyrics are just bizarre in places. Does he mean Barry in Wales? Is he going to meet Napoleon in a secure hospital? What has he got against Buzz Aldrin? I genuinely don’t want to look up the stories behind any of these for fear of spoiling them.

The definition of boring middle of the road dad rock.

I didn't dislike it, but nothing stood out to me. Kinda blah.

I gave it an extra point because the production is excellent, and the musicians played amazing, but god what a bloody boring album!

Mildly better than one before.

It sounded very old. I liked it okay

I don’t hate the Dan as much as I did in the 90s, but I’ll never be a fan of this era.

Kinda boring

ah, a banda dos audiófilos™. Tenho nada a dizer sobre esse álbum.

Kind of a mash up of different moods and styles. A lot of the songs didn’t really appeal to me.

I wasn’t super into it.

Donc, l'album du jour, encore du Steely Dan. Le premier que j'avais entendu était plus ou moins sympathique, mais alors celui-ci est tout sauf mémorable. On va être honnête : je comprends pas trop ce qu'il faut dans la liste. Il n'est pas vraiment mauvais, mais c'est pas non plus particulièrement mémorable. Au moins, il était pas trop long.

Some pretty fun tracks but kind of ultimately feels like a mess. I followed up with a couple tracks off Can't Buy a Thrill and liked that more. Maybe this just isn't the Dan for me.

Loved the music but the songs, not for me. They lack any gravitas or conviction

Apple Music said it was rock but wasn’t rock at all

Didn’t recognise any of the songs and found the album pretty boring to be honest, wouldn’t listen again!

Not bad just a bit bland

The apple notes indicate that this is meritocracy, but I would characterize it as mediocracy. I liked the tendency towards original songs and a common band vision. I may not like the vision, and thus the album, but it offered something to like. This might land well with some listeners, but so does the nameless bar band that fills the background. At least some of those bands hope to be found, to put in the work to polish themselves(or be polished) into something that endures.

no niby spoko, ale jest to dla mnie jeden z tych albumów, który brzmi jak tysiąc innych (nawet jak przesłuchałem go milion razy). i to te piosenki, które są dziwnie radosne, a nie jak w soundtracku "Inside Llewyn Davis", gdzie smutek i tak się nawet chce w tym smutku być. no ja nie wiem.

Nothing memorable. That's almost a one. But it wasn't bad, tho'

was okay

Not sure about this one. There were maybe three good songs here. The rest was some of the lamest rock music I've ever heard. That said, somehow I still didn't hate it. It was a level of fine that allowed me to keep listening without getting too turned off (or maybe I've just reached the adult contemporary rock stage of life). I think the key to that was its brevity. The album is about 34 minutes long and most of the songs are under 3 minutes long. If it had kept going much more, I think I would've gotten to the point of strong dislike. Still, I didn't think much of this was very good. A lot of it was bordering the bad side of OK. The few good tracks didn't do much to improve the whole for me. I managed the listen this time, but I doubt I'll be listening to it again. Overall: 2.2/5

Another day another Steely Dan album that does absolutely nothing for me. Maybe one day when I'm a dad in my fifties I will finally get it. Key tracks: Rikki Don't Lose That Number

Estos discos setenteros se me están haciendo bien difíciles

It was a very weird album, not terribly enjoyable or bad, just meh

Easy listening but not something I would go back to.

Aja is amazing! This album was meh, had some moments but I couldn’t get into it.

Boring.

Made 35 minutes look like 135.

Won’t be listening to this again

Sort it out Dan

This album doesn’t really do it for me. It’s very of the time but doesn’t hold up very well. Good lyrics though.

great vocals, and proficient at other stuff but all the elements just seem janky together

I really really tried but simply cannot like this band

I don't even know how they made this so cheesy and boring when the underlying music is so good

2 steely dan albums in 3 days. This is a lot better than Aja. Got songs rather than noodly jazz. But won’t be listening again

Nieuw. Niet mijn stijl maar interessant

This is my second Steely Dan album. And again, it's exhausting. All technique and no soul. It's like being at the guitar shop and hearing some guy shred to impress other shoppers. If that guy recorded all his noodlings, paid top dollar for a tight mix and put out an album, it might as well be a Steely Dan. The album musically sounds like the art-cover & name: Generic.

Ir was alright. Not particularly my jam. I found myself skipping Charlie Freak. Best song was the opener. Would not add to my personal collection 2/5

Steely Dan is one of those bands that I appreciate for their talent, but it's just not my kind of music. I think the songs on this album are clearly very good from an instrumentation perspective, but they just don't seem to flow. Not an album I'd seek out to listen to again, and not one I'd put on my top album list.

Became a dad last year so thought I would like this more.

You can’t make me like Steely Dan. No matter how many of their albums you shove in my face.

Mood, ale nedostatecne stimulující pro muj mozek

Some great cuts. Excellent execution as always. Doesn't grab me

Somewhere between Alan partridge and Saxondale is a Steve Coogan character that loves Steely Dan. Impressive instrumentals by obviously talented musicians- but it just wasn’t special enough for me to want to listen to again. Great guitar work, some outstanding riffs. Also, great keys. Cool hand drums. Great horns. All great musicians playing as a cohesive unit but the songs are just so meh. Donald Fegans singing goes well when the songs are funky and guitar led but I hate the combo of piano and his voice it’s just so wet . I only listened to the end for this review - must be a glutton for punishment as I listened again .

didn’t mind the instrumentals, but the vocals were dire

pretty good album just not my vibe

Not a dan fan

This was fine. Not something I'd listen to again, but I get why white dads are into it.

#205/1001. (Abbey Road #206, Are we not men #204. Not rating Loius Prima caused errors in my numbering) and that might be the things I have about this album: listened somewhere in between losing numbers. Mostly harmless.

a couple of decent songs and a bunch of filler

Kann man sich schon anhören, aber ist halt wirklich nicht spannend. Reicht daher, auch wenn es grundsätzlich nicht schlecht ist, nicht für 3 Sterne.

Nja

It's BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORING! 2/5

vei não adianta eu já tentei escutar steely dan sei lá quantas vezes e nunca funciona é mto cansativo

??? 70’s “soft rock” c

I like Steely Dan. I don't dislike this album. This album feels like unrefined Steely Dan. There was nothing special about this album.... at all...

2.5. Not bad by any means but nothing I ever have to hear again.

Not the worst

To quote Richard Brautigan: "I don’t care how God-damn smart these guys are: I’m bored."

Bit slow and dull. Couple of alright tracks, but really not my cup of tea

Highlights: - Night by Night - East St. Louis Toodle-Oo - Pretzel Logic Liebe das Cover, sehr charmant, aber leider etwas langweilig

To my ears this is mostly uncompelling. Good album cover though.

A couple of stand out tracks but little else emerged for me, as an album.

Too 70s for me.

I didn’t like this very much. The band is on point and the music sounds good I guess, it’s hard to explain, there is just something annoying about this record. Barrytown was super annoying, just complete nonsense. Title track is pretty solid, it’s not all bad by any means, it’s half bad and I’ll never return to this one. I’ll stick with Aja or Can’t Buy a Thrill. The album cover for Pretzel Logic is absolutely great though, so it’s a shame this isn’t better. I don’t know why this annoyed me so much but it did, it’s 2.5 stars but I’m rounding down. 2 stars

FUCK! I did not want Steely Dan. At this point, I know what I'm getting: impeccably crafted elevator music with lyrics that only make sense when you read the backstory, but aren't really interesting enough to want to read that backstory. I said in my Replacements review that imperfections make human connection to art rewarding. Despite the slavish devotion to studio perfection, I guess this is still imperfect in the sense that connecting to it isn't rewarding for me. How in the fuck was Rikki Don't Lose That Number a SINGLE? Actually, I'm knocking this down from the Coward's 3 due to the inclusion of East St. Louis Toodle-oo. Fuck off.

Technically impressive but kinda boring?

Troisième album de Steely Dan généré, le premier étant le très jazzy 'Aja' (plus récent) que j'avais plutôt apprécié (3/5) et le second le plus pop/rock 'Can't Buy A Thrill' qui m'avait moins intéressé (2/5). Ce nouvel album est aussi très pop/rock, il ne m'intéresse pas plus que 'Can't Buy A Thrill' : il m'a paru interminable malgré ses 34 mn ... même note donc. =>2/5

2 stars. I'm sure they've done better than this. Any major dude will tell you this album is boring.

Bit boring

Not this one. 1.7

I'm not a Steely Dan guy, but even setting the bar low, I've never gotten the praise for this album. The only songs I find engaging are "Rikki Don't Lose That Number," the Outlaw Country "With A Gun," and the angular, sinister "Charlie Freak." "Any Major Dude Will Tell You" sounds like warm milk but gets points for extremely corny '70s lyrics ("I've never seen you looking so bad my funky one/you tell me your super fine mind has come undone"). "Barrytown" might have been a good song if there was even an ounce of menace the lyrics suggest in the music. "Parker's Band" is the Dorky White Guy tribute to Charlie Parker to the point where it's almost feels like an insult to Bird. "Pretzel Logic" is the dorkiest, whitest, blues song you'll ever hear. Everything else is so forgettable that I can't even bother to make fun of it. I am certainly not one to criticize vocals too much (I just praised a Frank Black album, for chrissakes) but Donald Fagen's warbling straddles the line between "quaintly charming" and "I wonder if I would like this more if they had a better singer." Pretzel Logic is an album very much of it's time. Steely Dan's previous album, Countdown To Ecstasy, was a commercial failure and they needed to get back on the radio. 1974 top 40 wasn't really a neighborhood for challenging music, so yes, compared to Barbra Streisand, Grand Funk Railroad and John Denver, this was practically avant-garde. But a lot of their music was suggestive of better, funkier and (dare I say) Blacker music that was taking place at the time, and nobody should have needed the White Guy filter to enjoy any of it.

Nett. Aber musikalisch kein Meilenstein.

Ok storytelling throughout, too folksy for my taste. Best: Parker's Band Worst: Pretzel Logic

Falls kind of flat as an album (and I'm a Steely Dan fan). I'm discovering that there are four Steely Dan albums on this list! All that is needed is "Can't Buy a Thrill", imho. The rest on here is kind of insanity.

hmm i love the chourus in the 1st song, rest of the song is dissapointing everything was just so boring i zone out heavily like a 4/10

it makes me fall asleep.

Aika kädenlämpöiseksi jäi tämäkin.

Just awful, as in mediocre yacht-rock garbage that wasn't unlistenable, but held little merit. Two stars.

"Pretzel logic" refers to twisted or illogical reasoning. See Example: Steely Dan being on this list. Would I listen to again? Probably on a dare...

Etwas langweilig

I could fill a whole essay with the numerous reasons why I dislike Steely Dan, but I don’t have the energy. Let’s just say their music irks me on a very fundamental level, and makes me want to hit someone in the face with a shovel. I have no problem acknowledging they are technically very competent, but that’s irrelevant. Many artists can produce technically perfect music and still be as exciting as a piece of cardboard. I’ll even admit that it’s the least unsufferable Steely Dan album I’ve listened so far. The instrumentals are generally solid ; but I really hate Donald Fagen's soulless singing. The only song I really loved in this album was East St. Louis... which is actually a Duke Ellington cover. All the other songs are just too dull and emotionless for me to care. 4/10

There's something and then it's nothing. I think I particularly dislike the voice. I don't know what to say. But I won't listen again.

Outdated & nice & common album, nothing special for the listening Album almost already forgotten...

Of all the so-called “rock” albums by Steely Dan we’ve talked about so far (including The Nightfly solo project), this is the first one that actually sounds kind of rock. The production is a bit less clean too, without all that slick jazz-rock polish. Still, it mostly ends up sounding like a weak mix between Supertramp and the Eagles and ends up as a generic record. Yet, it is by far more listenable to me than the others Steely Dan on this list with some nice instrumentations, but honestly, I can’t imagine it ever made much of a splash when it came out.

A bit too “easy listening” for my taste

It wasn't new 50 years ago, now its dull and trite. I prefer a lot of lift music to this.

Lyrically good, but dated. Think, Inspector Morse drinking tea on a porch with his dressing gown flapping.

DNF. not my thing. Not as good as 10CC

It's okay, not as strong as the other albums.

This album is lively and a pleasant enough listen, but it leaves little impression on me and feels slightly bland for my taste. There’s no doubting the album’s “maturity”, and the sprinkle of jazz influence on the soft-rock base is nice to listen to, but it still falls flat and I can’t imagine I’ll remember much of the album in days to come - other than perhaps “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number”.

The compositions and instrumentals are amazing. But these guys can’t write lyrics or sing. They are band geeks who never got past that. Care to disagree? “East St. Louis Toodle-Oo”. Now, shut the fuck up. Hey Steely Dan, me and Geddy Lee, Thomas Dolby, Ben Folds and the guys from Weezer are gonna steal a case of Miller Lites from Cumberland Farms and go to the football game later. Wanna skip band practice and come? Nah, I didn’t think so.

I like Steely Dan. Smooth jazz mixed with prog rock, very enjoyable. They are the kind of band I never really liked well enough to delve into the catolouge, but always enjoyed on the radio. For that reason I was happy to give this album a listen. Strong start Rikki Don't Lose That Number, great song, and the only song on the album I'd heard before. Night by Night, I liked alot, feels like I'm in for a banger of an album. Then it drops off into the realm of "meh". Very talented players, but feels like they are trying too hard to be hip and cool. Part of that is their white guy groove, they try so hard to sneak a funky groove into their songs, but they are so damn white. It's fine, doesn't ruin the songs, but gives them a musak feel. Only other songs on the album worth note are the title track Pretzel Logic, which is very good, and East St Louis Toodle which is awful. Sounds like something they had fun with in the studio and decided to share with the world, should have stayed on the cutting room floor. Overall the album was dissappointing but not bad. This is a very strong 2.

Interesting mix of rock and blues, always soft and light. Catchy hooks.

15 cent pretzels? That's a deal and a half

Didn’t mind this one while it was on but nothing very memorable

Started off good but then just got boring

1st track is a classic but it's downhill fast from there.

Super soft 10-ply. Nah man, I can lose this number

Good vibes, a bit dated.

My second attempt at getting into Steely Dan. The musicianship is flawless, and the production is pristine but the songs feel like they’re stuck in neutral. It’s technically impressive yet completely devoid of energy. How something this well-played can sound this dull is kind of fascinating in itself.

“Rikki Don’t Lose That Number”! Great opener to the album that goes in a lot of different directions. What it lacks in cohesiveness it makes up for in songwriting. What a strange release in the heyday of rock n’ roll where money could be made off of album sales alone. I liked it but it’s a little too yacht rock for me. I feel like there’s an inherent lameness that gives me the “ick” as the kids say.

This album screams 70s background music.

Good if you're into that kind of thing

Pretty boring

🤙🏾

Rikki Don't Lose That Number and that's about it

One of my least favorite internet tropes is when people share a medium-hot take that is ostensibly uncontroversial and then add on ‘There, I said it’ as if they've made peace with their god about confessing the white hot rage they've kept locked away for years, morality and social norms be damned. Anyway, Steely Dan sucks. There, I said it.

I’ve commented about the size of this project before and how ranking 1000 albums is going to inherently result in many mediocre choices being ranked. I’m a middle aged white guy, so I have plenty of time for Steely Dan. But this is obviously not their best work, and not even a fan’s choice of underappreciated album (I like “Coubtdown to Ecstasy” personally. It’s fine, and again as a middle aged white man, who doesn’t like to be reminded of that scene in Say Anything when John Mahoney is cruising around to “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number”?

Frank Zappa for stuffy folks. 2/ 5

Rikki Don't Lose That Number and 10 more songs you totally won't care about

It's fine, but given the current time I'd prefer more silk in my songs

With a gun, with a gun I will blot out the sun

I just don’t think I “get” Steely Dan. Occasionally there’s a song I like. But mostly it’s just good music on a telephone call I don’t want to be on. 2.5/5

Yes the performances and production are immaculate, and the songs are well crafted. But holy fucking shit it's so god damn boring. I understand the praise this band gets, but it is not for me. I'll give it a 2 just because the production is genuinely perfect. Trying to view it objectively, I can't say that it's bad, I just strongly dislike it

Started great then went straight to funk-a-licious town but then got too weird and "experimental."

I consulted ChatGPT to tell me why this sounds like music for psychopaths and it was an interesting reply - it is so perfectly cut and there is no 'unnecessary' sound anywhere - it is the antithesis of the music that I like. However, I listened to the album all the way through and appreciated - and respected - but did not enjoy and I think would not have enjoyed at any point in my life.

I never really cared for their minor chording

Surprisingly dull for a Steely Dan album, like an album full of filler tracks. Expected more from this one, but it just kind of happened and left no lasting impact like I’ve got from other records of theirs that I’ve heard. Great album cover though.

One or two songs that get you going, but overall just ok. -2/5

the definition of not good or bad enough to warrant a re-listen.

I didn't hate it as much as I thought and it was short. That's my positive review.

Has that early 70’s easy listening vibe, think Eagles or Jackson Browne of the era. Chicago may be the best comparison - bigger band with horns, piano driven etc. Has some 70’s colloquial language in the lyrics that feels corny today. Honestly I think all the lyrics are pretty saccharine. I’m not sure why this album would be in the list, it doesn’t feel special to me. Ricki Don’t Lose That Number is the hit in the album. Other notables include Parker’s Band - only due to the guitar solo at the beginning.

Honestly I could not wait for this to end. Fatigued half way through. Songs added to/on playlist: 0

Wow, I do not like Steely Dan. Feels like sad Dad music. Like at the end of a night when a Dad is drinking beer alone in the garage, thinking about his life choices...

The songs didn't stick with me to be memorable and the sound overall was a bit safe.

Some nice bits of guitar here and there but otherwise forgettable.

I don’t know, man… it’s a mixture between good and cringe… I was listening while charging my electric car. At first, while waiting, it was a fun listen, just like how I was enjoying the battery going from 12% to around 70%, fast… but as time went by, it became less of a joyful experience to listen, and I wanted it to end, just like my charging session

Sorry. I find it boring..

Just not a fan of Steely Dan

Should be 2.5 - some are really good, while others are instantly forgettable.

This was fine??? I don’t see why it’s so critical I listen to this album, it was kinda mid dadrock. I listened to this over two sittings as well and the fact that there were a few days in between where I didn’t think about it or feel pressed to listen to the rest probably says a bit about how I feel about this album. Felt a bit symptomatic of some of these albums so far where there’s way less women on the list but heaps of middling rock music.

Dad music

Voladito Cómo que tendría que escucharlo en el tocadiscos tomando un whiskey al atardecer

Really not very inspiring and Steely Dan’s idea of soft rock is uninteresting and I’m not a massive fan of their work in general to be honest.

Everyone knows the intro track, Ricki don't lose that number. Track 2, man its hard not to call this yacht rock... But if I was in a convertible driving down the boulevard with tight jeans on and sick side burns... I would have felt the vibe. the album shifts to more laid back melody with Any Old Dude.. Look, not an album I'm likely to spin again any time soon, but it was fine... If a bit wanky. Highlight - With a Gun

there's some fun song titles here. the album cover is good. i didn't think i knew any of their songs but rikki don't lose that number started and i was like OH YEAH THIS. the rest of it, idk. im doing some work on my laptop and just kind of bopping along to this but it's one of those albums that is just kind of there and nothing else.

Every few years I dig out this or some other Steely Dan on Spotify and see if I can identify what an old college friend used to find so attractive about them. And here I am again. It's not awful. There are decent moments. Rikki still is a catchy song. But then there's that godawful St. Louis Toodle-Oo. And overall the more you listen the less there is to like here. See you again in ten years.

There’s no denying that Steely Dan has talent. They are excellent musicians and songwriters. Having said that, I don’t care for most of their stuff. On rare occasions, I can listen to a song but never an entire album.

weird! like their other stuff better

I think Steely Dan is an overrated band. Its good but not the best or even close. Its pop rock with a little southern thingy but guessing tjats what americans like as rock. Album is good but can't get to love them. There were soooo many more creative and original bands in that era that they feel generic. As an album it works, songs are well ordered and produced. But nothing that I would die if I didnt have it in my life.

Aggressively mediocre. I don’t remember a single song that wasn’t Rikki, and I only remember that because it was in a marching band show I was in. Otherwise they play their instruments well, and I’m sure the fans will say there’s a depth to the song writing you can only appreciate on repeat listens. This won’t get that repeat listen, I barely paid attention on the first one.

Dull

I mean. Again, I get it. I just don't really like it.

not really my thing. not a huge fan of dad rock, and this is really indicative of that sound.

Segundo disco de estos aburridos en esta lista.

Not as good as Aja

First impressions were that it's quite soft rock and the vocal harmonies are reminiscent of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. You can hear some funk influences running through the album but it's generally just some uninteresting 70's American pop rock. Doesn't do much for me and there were no stand out tracks. Have to admit the production quality is excellent though.

Hokey, wet, and badly aged.

Taking me back to my retail days, stuck listening to Rikki Don't Lose that Number. This is not a good thing.

Not a terrible sound, and mercifully short, but as with all Steely Dan we must ask ourselves - Why?

I don't hate Steely Dan, there are some songs I really like. Rikki is one of their songs of all time, but I did get pretty bored during this album. After Rikki, which I know pretty well since I played it for marching back in the day, I just stopped paying attention by the halfway point. Very yacht music-esque.

Tres álbumes de Steely Dan en esta lista (por ahora) me parecen demasiados. Éste en concreto no es que sea mal álbum, pero creo que palidece un poco en comparación con los otros, aunque puede que sólo esté cansado de escuchar el mismo estilo tres veces. De nuevo tenemos el soft pop-rock típico de este grupo, con toques de jazz y blues, una instrumentación muy virtuosa, y una producción super pulida. Típico yatch rock de los setenta que, aunque musicalmente sea bueno, hoy me ha resultado algo estéril y poco interesante. Le daría un tres pero lo voy a dejar en dos porque no entiendo qué hace éste álbum en lista.

I don’t really love it. It’s just so boring, like something you’d hear in a supermarket.