Pretzel Logic

Steely Dan has become a favorite

Gostei bastante, tem uns instrumentais bem interessantes.

Suprisingly chill album that was the perfect fitting for a rainy afternoon.

Ja det här var minsann trevligt. mycket bättre än mitt minne av steely dan

It's just way too smooth.

I don't know much about Steely Dan, unfortunately. I downloaded Aja on my computer many years ago, but I have not heard it in a long time. Aside from that, I have not heard a Steely Dan project before. I dig the tunes here for the most part, they're nice. I'm not blown away or anything, but it is performed well.

not for me

No me ha interesado nada. No digo que sea malo, pero esté fuera de mis gustos y mira que soy ecléctico.

steely dan back to back was okay

got the 70s singing thing going on. kind of interesting at times, but generally its just that 70s high pitched thing that has the same effect on me as touching a filling with something metal.

I once wore a pretzel as a cock ring to a circle jerk. In was a Oktoberfest at the Chelsea training ground. I was dressed in lederhosen and added the pretzel for extra detail, as was the fashion at the time. The circle jerk was a little more German than usual. The entire Chelsea first team and backroom staff all shouted "JA!" as they squirted their loads all over me. Glenn Hoddle came on my back. Later, we all went out for steins. I somehow spilt one all down my lederhosen and it became hard to tell what was bier and what was the jizz of the entire Chelsea first team and backroom staff. I was dripping wet.

Certainly more palatable than the other Steely Dan one we had. Yeah, it was fine.

I bet the Germans hated this album because; 1. It's fucking BRETZEL innit; 2. It's not a very good album irrespective of the bastardisation of the German language.

The Dan are an oddity. I shouldn’t like them, but I kind of do! Good album; not my favourite though

Jazz-rock animado. Está bien. Un 4.

Enjoyed it more than I thought. I can see why Steely Dan gets props.

Steely Dan - always good - but still working towards their best.

8/10

Great album with multiple standouts and not a single bad track.

I've heard a variety of Steely Dan's singles over the years, including "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" from Pretzel Logic. This is the third Steely Dan album I've reviewed for this 1001 list. There is some interesting funk and grooves to some of the music ("Parker's Band"), but Steely Dan still hasn't truly captured my attention. Listening to this album was enjoyable, but I doubt the album will get a second listen from me.

foot tapping all the way through 3.5

1974. Rikki Don't Lose That Number, Night By Night

Although one of my favorite albums is The Nightfly by Donald Fagen and I've always loved the sound of the Steely Dan hits, I've never pursued them into their deeper cuts. This was very cool, and well worthy of "Rikki Don't Lose That Number." I love the touch of jazz (more than a touch on "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo"!) with a soft rock vibe without being boring. It really just sounds like you'd want a Steely Dan album to sound. Lush. And the lyrics are just pretty fun. "I have never met Napoleon/ But I plan to find the time." "Any Major Dude Will Tell You" is a new favorite.

I know of Steely Dan, but the only album that I have ever listened to of theirs is a greatest hits compilation. I actually didn't think that I really was that big of a fan, but I really enjoyed this album.

Maybe it's because I heard Steely Dan a lot as a kid, but there's something about this album that seems very grown-up to me, like something a friend's cool (but not too cool) parents might listen to. I was surprised to learn that Walter Becker and Donald Fagan were in their mid-20s when this was released. They sound older than I will ever feel. AND I love it! It's not at all gloomy but they seem like they take the music seriously. There's interesting percussion and great guitar throughout. Rikki Don't Lose that Number is a terrific pop song. Pretzel Logic has a groove (but I'm scratching my head at the lyrics about minstrel shows). OK, maybe I lied a little --- Charlie Freak's lyrics are pretty gloomy but the dark lyrics are juxtaposed with a rollicking Linus-and-Lucy-like piano and some jingle bells. And I love the bass and sax in Monkey in Your Soul. At a short and sweet 34 minutes, songs are varied and interesting and I didn't feel like there was too much filler. It zipped along.

PRETZEL LOGIC is a great Steely Dan album! I hadn’t heard it before but I’m very glad I have now. I love “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number.” Deservedly the most well-known song on the album. But I actually like “Any Major Dude Will Tell You” better - it’s my favorite song on here. I love the whole tone of this album, with things like a fun, jazzy instrumental (“East St. Louis Toodle-Oo”) that show Steely Dan’s great talent without taking themselves too seriously. Other favorites include the groovy “Parker’s Band” and “With A Gun” and its country sounds. I have it in my head that Steely Dan albums are hard to listen to. I’m not sure why I think that. Perhaps that thought came from listening to some forgotten album of theirs in my past. That certainly isn’t the case with this album. Very enjoyable!

8/10. Not my favorite Dan but it’s got a charm all it’s own

9/10. Far from my favorite Steely Dan album, but one that I have grown to appreciate nonetheless. I'm still not the biggest fan of Rikki, but songs like Any Major Dude and Charlie Freak have really grown on me over time, as has the sound of the album as a whole, and while there are individual tracks that I don't love, they don't overstay their welcome either. I still resent that this was included at the expense of other Dan albums, but I may yet bump it to a 10/10 if the mood strikes me.

ricky intro sucks

It may be my least favorite of the golden age Dan albums, but it’s still a 10 for me every time I listen to it.

Im losing my review steam, it was ok

Best band named after a pneumatic dildo.

OK

Some funky songs here SLAPPED

Nothing special, nothing terrible. I’d consider this typical of Steely Dan. Rare moments of interesting instrumentation surrounded by atrociously mid tracks and moments. 5/10.

Popular with both of my parents, I remember listening to this album a lot as a small child.

Hellings Steely Dan, gott stöff!

I thought it was very entertaining and fun to listen, although It sometimes seems repetitive and self-indulgent

This album was an easy listen, nothing to complain about

mehh, to bland

Ooooh it's jazzy! I liked it. It was kind of whimsical and I think the writing is fun.

This album is an easy listen and I liked the funky vibes on the songs

Brilliant

Classic era Steely Dan, polished jazzy rock before they became ultra ultra polished and jazzy. Very good indeed. A very high 4 because it's not Aja!

Love Pretzels! Leider bewerte ich Steely Dan Alben bislang zu niedrig. Kann nur jetzt keine Konzession machen, war „Aja“ einfach laid back und „Can‘t buy a thrill“ so ist dies eher last day‘s pretzel. 2.8

Musik zum channeln der in den 80ern vom TV verbrachten Kindheit. Über allem liegt natürlich ein großes Alf-Thema, aber Barrytown versetzt einen gemütlich an die Theke von Cheers. Nur, damit einen das Knoff-Hoff-Orchester mit dem East St. Louis Toodle-Oo von dort unsanft auf die Straße kehrt. Tolle Mucker sind sie ja, heute und auf dieser Platte hauen sie's mir aber echt zu routiniert raus. 2,5

Finally, an album I own! Steely Dan released some pretty fantastic albums in the 70's and all of them are worth seeking out! At least two of their records, Can't Buy A Thrill and Pretzel Logic I would consider "must hear" and the greatest hits album will fill in the rest. When I was in school when they were at the height of their career, I didn't understand the appeal, but I'm older and wiser now and to me their music exemplifies the best of the mid-70's. Highly recommended!

I prefer 'Can't Buy a Thrill', but this is still a very good album, doesn't sound dated at all.

I have been enjoying the Steely Dan on this list. This isn't my favourite one so far (that would be Aja) but it's still good

i actually really enjoyed this album, especially the first song! i thought it was fun and i just really liked it

As a little kid relegated to the unsafe back-of-the-station wagon (seatbelts?) I was subject to all that AM radio (and my dad's preference) had to deliver out of the rear-wheel speaker at my ear. Something about Steely Dan kind of freaked me out and I never enjoyed their smooth mysterious ways... But hot damn those smooth mysterious ways are pretty great - took me decades to appreciate them and now just hearing the simple opening riff to "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" is like a time machine - and how can a kid appreciate or understand the slightly odd jazzy *only Steely Dan* chord changes that take this pop song from simple to complex within 4 chords? Also I wouldn't have noticed how amazing this record (record. I'm listening through digital technology that couldn't have been dreamt of in the 70s) sounds - and it does sound amazing. It's at once full and clear, perfect separation of instruments, amazing musicianship. This is an album (band?) that sounds "dated" but somehow not in a negative way - more like a nostalgic slice of the 70s that celebrated creative and complex songwriting. Ironically what probably prevents me from giving this a 5 would be that some of the songs aren't as stereotypically "Steely Dan" as I'd now prefer (e.g. Barrytown doesn't seem good enough for them if that makes sense) but still overall a great listen. 8/10 4 stars.

Steely Dan.. what can I say. I thought I didn't know any of their songs until I started listening to their albums...I realized I knew the majority.

Nice easy listening, brings me back to a 8 year old!

A decent Steely Dan album. Rikki is a standout definitely

Funky 80s album, was pretty good!

Instrumentally very interesting and appealing but the lyrics are not something that are for me

Enjoyed this, two listens.

191121 17:30 3.5

Fikk ikke hørt gjennom

Solid Album throughout, no standout songs though. Would happily listen to again. Like "Any Major Dude Will Tell You" and "Pretzel Logic" the most

More and more dig this band now

Groovy dad rock

Night by Night and Charlie Freak are out of this world

Solid

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

Lovely nostalgic listen. 3*

Groovy.

Nothing to it really.

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

Excellent as I remember

I can do this because it's only just over half an hour. Half an hour later: yeah just easy listening garbage. 2/5.

Enjoyed this jazz/rock mashup and will hunt out some more material

This is more enjoyable and interesting than the Steely Dan album the list generated for me yesterday (Can't Buy a Thrill). Nice melodies, harmonies, a more varied pace. I liked the Duke Ellington cover (East St-Louis Toodle-Oo). Still basically MOR soft rock though. 2.5/5.

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

Yacht Rock’s numero uno

Steely Dan is a solid four star band

Albumet höll en variation från början till slutet. Genom att variera stil och instrumentalval behålls intresset. Musiken var väldigt välskriven och ren. Jag fick känslan av att varje not var genomtänkt. Samtidigt höll sig musiken oftast inom sina ramar. Musiken gjorde inget fel vilket kan vara ett problem. Det gör inte musiken men det begränsar originaliteten. Sångarens röst är värd att nämna. Personligheten i den passade perfekt till musiken. Att han inte träffade varje not gav en starkare känslomässig laddning.

Some great songs, some good songs and some terrible songs. Patchy

Fuck me I hate them.

The band are amazingly talented, majority of the songs are great... but having a chump that sounds like Randy Newman on vocals automatically means they can't get over 3*.

Great talented band but with music I admire but can't love

Not even doing a pun. This is absolute dogshit

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

* favorite so far

Really enjoyed this. Great melodies and very listenable.

Pretty good. Even better when I make the connection with Donald Fagen - nifty! Every song was good, although Barrytown gave me major Beatles vibes. Inspiration is inspiration, though, and I don't think that takes away from anything.

More classic Steely Dan.

Not af bad as I expected but still pretty bad

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

Leuk maar ik zie er niet zo veel in

Brilliant!

I don't know how a band so talented at arrangement can make such utterly boring music. This is artisan ear oatmeal.

Good and short

Couple of bangers and I do find them interesting as a band but the album is a little uninspiring overall

This was supposed to be the ecstasy after the countdown... :-/ The move to shorter, more focused songs without the flab was nice, and I liked the earthy, old-timey vibes of East St Louis Toodle-Oo, With a Gun, Charlie Freak etc. But the more traditional song-writing does mean this album doesn't stand out from the pack as much as the previous one did, for better or worse. I'll give it 3 stars anyway because I do like the album title.

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

Just so... ugh

Легонько залетело и забылось

Some nice melodies and a bit more funk/soul compared to their debut.

Good album. I always dig Steely Dan. 3.5

Steely Dan is real hit-or-miss for me. First track is Rikki Don't Lose That Number, which I can't stand. The album really picks up midway though though, their harmonies are excellent.

The band MOR DJs turn to when they’re feeling a little edgy. So easy to listen to but surprisingly complex and subversive. I don’t pretend to understand Steely Dan but I was perfectly content listening to this album on repeat.

Good 70s classic rock style

Love Steely Dan. I thought that a few of the songs were a bit short, though. That was kind of surprising to me. But still, I had always enjoyed Aja and a few of their later albums.

I always thought Steely Dan had a style all their own. Sometimes I liked it, sometimes I didn't. Ditto for this album. Kudos to them for bringing their own brand of funk or jazz (or whatever) to rock. Surprised Rikki Don't Lose That Number (a good one) was the only one I recognized. Some songs grew on me (Night by Night, Pretzel Logic) and some didn't (Barrytown, East St Louis). Respectable, but there's plenty of other albums I'll turn to from this era when I need it.

"Rikki Don't Lose that Number" is a great song. It's main riff comes from Horace Silver's "Song for My Father" (check it out, it is the exact same riff minus the beginning 16th note and Horace is in F while Steely Dan is in E). I love the production on the track. The acoustic guitar in the second verse always makes me smile. The rest of continues to please with a great blend of jazz and rock.

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

Love it!

Some nice tracks but so middle of the road it became dull, very fast!

Pretzel Logic is full of funky and enjoyable sounds, but it's lack of edge or meaning harms the overall experience. Every track on here sounds the absolute same, the guitars, the drums, and the vocal patterns. If it was any other group of 4 white guys in their garage making the same happy pop rock, it would not have been as well received as it was.

First time really giving Steely Dan a serious look. Some of it is a little bit "adult contemporary, easy listening" for my taste, but much more of it than I expected is pretty good. Monkey in your soul and with a gun were highlights for sure.

Очень интересный альбом после Боуи. Вновь 70-е, разнообразие инструментов и гармоний. Звучит очень бодро и интересно. Тексты мне показались такими современными. Некоторые звуки прямо ах. Я слушала сейчас с самого утра, и это прекрасный саундтрек бодрости и хорошего настроения!

Surprised to see that so few of his songs are 'hits' given how famous he seems to be in my eyes.

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

Levystä tuli hyvä fiilis ja jaksoi alusta loppuun asti pitää tunnelman yllä. Kiva pläjäys.

Paljon parempi ku edellinen, mut en mä tälläkään kuuhun päässy. Kuitenkin melko tylsää musaa

its kinda like a better version of Boston 2.5

“Pretzel Logic” by Steely Dan (1974) The chorus of the opening track is one of the most irritating earworms in the history of recorded music. It got waaaay too much airplay, even on FM. So I won’t annoy you by mentioning its title. Apart from that, this album is good. After all, it’s Steely Dan, albeit with a more ‘pop’ sound than their better albums (especially the earlier “Countdown to Ecstasy” and the later “Aja”). Cool jazz and funk grooves populate this music—well composed, arranged, and delivered with elan. “East St. Louis Toodle-Oo” is a nice homage to Duke Ellington, but it’s apparent Steely Dan never spent much time in East St. Louis in the 70s. By then it was way past time to retire “Toodle-Oo”. Nice guitar riffs and solos are contributed by Jeff Baxter, who was soon to take off for The Doobie Brothers, where he was undoubtedly more appreciated. Listening to this record is a nice blast from the past. But it doesn’t inspire. Sadly, after hearing the last song, the album started over and now I’m stuck again with that damn earworm! 3/5

What a coincidence. I was playing Steely Dan to Sam last week - I chose Aja. This is great and I played it on rotation all day and the rest of the weekend. Fantastic production, these guys were perfectionists. Not unusual for them to change the whole band (they use session musicians, the 'band' was really just Donald Fagen and Walter Becker) from track to track. Songs from the seamy side hidden behind jaunty tunes. Brilliant.

It was ok.

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

Pretty easy going 70s rock with some funky grooves. Will listen again.

Classic Steely Dan sound, but not quite as compelling as Countdown to Ecstasy. Harmonies and musicianship are still there and catchy.

Całkiem spoko, ale miejscami nudnawe

I guess I love Steely Dan

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

It was fine.

Some good vocal harmonising and guitar, but nothing really stood out to me. Doesn't recapture the magic of Can't Buy A Thrill

Goat shit

Not for me!

A great album with a good mixture of styles form pop to jazz

Not my favourite Steely Dan album, Aja is pretty hard to beat. Nevertheless, this is pretty good, the final two tracks in particular.

Liked a few songs

Banger after banger

Li ho trovati interessanti e molto bravi tecnicamente, puliti. Night by night l'ho anche aggiunta ai miei pezzi preferiti su Spotify perché adoro riff e soli di chitarra. Ho trovato molto interessanti anche altri pezzi, ma nel complesso direi che quest'album è discreto. Darei un 3.5 ma non 4.

This was a blast from the past! I remember 'Rikki don't lose that number' and 'With A Gun'. Enjoyed the bluesy numbers esp the title track & East St Louis Toodl-Oo

Some definite bangers and I enjoyed listening to something I’d not heard before.

Good mix of rock, blues and jazz few songs missed the mark on the album but overall decent

This was my favorite of the first three albums. Especially cause it was a normal length! I really enjoyed the first track and the couple that followed. After that the tracks lost a flow for me. None of the tracks lead into each other to make a cohesive album.

pretty good! feels a lil less jazzy than the other dan ive heard, more rockin

“Rikki” sets the tone as the lead off track, being smooth with some downright creepy lyrics if you really analyze them. A great album front to back, though it loses a little steam at the very end. And a great instrumental!

Good album.

Not sure if I have ever listened to a Steeley Dan record. I liked it, it was like this classic rock dabbled with what I perceive to be a dash of blues and jazz. With a gun, Pretzel Logic, and Rikki don't lose that number really stood out to me tbh.

didn’t hate it but was nothing special

first off, great album cover. jazzy rock fusion sounds like dad music

I liked a few of the songs, but haven't really ever been able to connect with Steely Dan.

Bangers from this album were Parker’s band and barrytown. Any major dude will tell you this album is good!

I had listened to it before. A definite classic so smooth.

couldn't get through the first two songs

Slaps. Blues, funk and jazz.

1970s folk rock, me like!

Very nice

Always a good listen but lacks the fire power if some of their other albums. Night by night, east St. Louis

3.5

Good

Not my favourite Steely Dan album, I prefer some of their other albums better, but what is here is still generally pretty good.

Night by Night: Questa groova bella forte. Qualcuno dovrebbe imparà a fa gli assoli dal vecchio zio Steely me sa Barrytown: M'è piaciuta, mi piace come ogni pezzo c'ha qualche elemento di arrangiamento un po' fuori dal comune fino ad ora. East St.Lous Toodle-Oo: Bellissima! Charlie Freak: Anche questa mi piace molto, quando usi i campanelli natalizi al posto del tambourine a me mi conquisti sempre. In conclusione: Una piacevole sorpresa! Non conoscevo gli Steely Dan ma questo album mi ha davvero colpito, pensare che avevano delle sonorità così moderne nel '74 è abbastanza assurdo. L'ho trovato molto raffinato soprattutto nella composizione, il blend fusion è fatto davvero ad arte. Con certi pezzi, in particolare Night by Night non sono riuscito a non fare head banging. Non mi sento di dargli 5 solo perché alcuni pezzi li ho trovati un po' più sottotono rispetto agli altri (tipo Parker's band) e perché comunque non ho dato 5 manco ai Sonic Youth. Comunque me lo risentirò.

Anche se i pezzi sono ben scritti e piacevoli, c'è qualcosa che non mi convince. L'interpretazione vocale non mi piace ed anche quella dei musicisti la trovo un pò sterile.

some neat parts - but a lot of that bleed together boring 70s sound too

Oh, Luke Danes. You silly man.

Ok album - liked the classic early 70’s sound, nice guitar moments. Moments where I thought some songs of the songs sounded the same. All together I enjoyed the album. 3/5

Not my cup of tea. A bit too chaotic and all-over-the-place, although I did enjoy the last track, "Monkey in Your Soul"

Very cool jams! Not too wild, perfect for hangover days.

Much more funky than I remember Steely Dan being. Enjoyable, but not a go to album for me.

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

SD’s most effortless sounding album. Songwriting more uneven than CTE, KL, RS. Best songs on here are among the band’s best, and the performances are unassailable. Last album with original lineup, always hated the cover.

Steely Dan made more accomplished albums than Pretzel Logic, but they never made a better one.

I thought this was good fun and nice to listen to

brilliant album

And you could have a change of heart Yes, to change a heart to swap it out for another or perhaps for a pretzel or a bag of roasted chestnuts. This heart pumping liquid memory to even the most farflung cul-de-sacs of flesh. I couldn't forget these hot daily joys and sobs if I wanted to. You can't change a heart like a tire, even if it is punctured, deflated, and destroying your miles per gallon.

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

Ahh - I thought this was going to be really weird but I recognize this song.

Surprised it didn't recommend "Can't Buy a Thrill", whose tracks are more familiar. But this one was surprisingly quirky. I didn't get burned out on a single sound and found it pretty listenable while I worked. Rikki Don't Lose that Number was still the standout for me. Reading up on this album, you really do appreciate the quality of the studio production, and it helps to understand that isn't really a pure "rock" album but a bit of jazz fusion too.

Rock californiano setentero, totalmente virtuoso y multiinstrumentado, con guitarreos gigantes, pianos y cuerdas. Arreglos jazz y funkies. Supervoces. Genial, muy bueno.

......not bad!

This felt similar to Aja, which I got barely a week ago. But at least to me it feels more accessible. I liked it a little bit more

really good album. 4.5

Pretzel Logic is a very good album that has a lot of new sounds, powerful guitar solos and a characteristic 70's vibe that helps you to relax but gives you a good and fresh experience.

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

Plezant albumpje met leuke deuntjes, maar geen grote uitschieter

Really liked

sounds like chicago in the 70s

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

I'm questioning how well I know this album. I know Rikki, Pretzel Logic,  Any Major Dude and East St. L . .  very very well but the rest - not so much. Perhaps I had a Greatest Hits LP? At one point I looked up whether Haitain Divorce (From their The Royal Scam  LP) or Frampton Comes ALIVE was released first to see if Becker was  the Talk Box leader or follower. I found that they were both released in 1976 but I forgot that Becker also Talk Boxed on East St. L. Becker wins!

Ricky don't lose that number pullssss

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

not my cup of tea

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

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

Enjoyed very much, smooth and relaxing. Like a river raft ride

Really enjoyed this. Another album that reminded me of roadtrips when I was a kid.

Decent stuff

Nice to listen to. Enjoyed

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

Yes loved this. Night by Night & Parkers Band.

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

Great one! Super good music, but the lyrics were sometimes like wtf dawg

"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)

4/5

Pretty good album with some catchy songs

I had this album (or at least the cassette) and I don't remember "Ricki" being on it. I must have always started on the second song. Perhaps I was going practicing Ricki avoidance, since I'd heard it a million times on the jukebox when I worked at my Uncle's restaurant. Great song writers, great production. Short little diversions like Through with Buzz and Charlie Freak show how easily they could pop off catchy songs. Getting back to Ricki, the piano intro is borrowed from Horace Silver's "Song for my Father", and since IMO there isn't a track on this album that can stand up to that song, I can't give it a 5.

5

Cool pop record with jazzy vibes

Pretty interesting and catchy tracks throughout, I think this fits a Sunday cleaning sort of vibe.

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.

This album was an amazing suggestion from this project. I absolutely loved almost every song, even not knowing anything about the band before.

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

One of the first vinyl records I ever bought from wax trax on 13th street in Denver. I'm obsessed with this title still.

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

Solid but not my fav SD album.

folksy, upbeat. ok to listen while working.

Very good love artist

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.

A fine record. "Any Major Dude Will Tell You" is a classic, and I liked the title track. On the whole though... this music does not grab me, really.

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

Steeley Dan kind of wound me up - strained annoying voice. Like Bruce Springsteen does but not good. Not my bag at all

Cosas que sabía de Steely Dan: -Su nombre es por un dildo -Son unos genios musicales -Tocan... como soft rock o clasico así como 70s? Cosas que aprendí de Steely Dan: -Hacen mezclas técnicas de jazz, rock, ritmos latinos, blues en canciones digeribles -No importa que tan genio seas o cuanto sepas de teoría musical al mezclar... tus mezclas suenan a música de elevador. -Hay muchos grupos que prefiero escuchar cuando estoy de humor tanto para rock 70s clásico, rock suave, rock-jazz etc. sin que suenen tan sosos... Puede ser música de elevador brillante pero de elevador al fin.

Good Album. Reminds me of my uncle.

Music was great. I think Steely Dan and I are on different wavelengths lyrically, but kudos for the champ record.

Not bad, reminds me a little bit of Chicago.

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

Me gustó. Muy fácil de digerir. Se me hizo perfecto para entrarle a Steely Dan. Tracks: Parker's band, Night by night, Charlie Freak

Excellent album. I had heard several of these songs before. 4 stars.

The Violins 🎻 in "Through with Buzz" 🥰

false

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

top e daora gostosinho de escutar faltou estender algumas faixas, só com instrumental, algumas músicas se beneficiariam disso... fiquei com a sensação de "pô, mas já acabou?" várias vezes, especialmente no final pianinho fera through and through

Fire, this album got me going.

Not much to say. Liked it.

Not a Steely Dan fan. The mid to late 70s are a hard time for me musically in general and this just feels like it’s so of that time.

not my thing. appreciate the skill and the smoothness, though

It’s steely Dan. The epitome of mediocrity.

A fundamental must-listen for anyone who wants to have an understanding of the development of music since the 1960s. Old in temperament, new in style and substance. Even in 2023 it is a masterpiece Picks: Rikki Don't Lose that Number, Night By Night.

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.

Background music

Sweet Rosalie, she's working at the five & dime train back to Hackensack with rosemary wine Yo-deedle doidle dee, cocaine We both like to do cocaine

Opzich wel fijn maar niet echt mijn muzieksmaak

Not my general vibe, but it is well made and definitely worth another listen later.

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.

Me gusta Steely Dan, pero también requiere el mood adecuado.

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.

Fan-fuckin-tastic

Not as blatantly awful as some Steely Dan, but really not my favorite band...

I mean cmon, this album is basically a 10/10. It comes close to Aja for me but doesn’t quite surpass it. Jazz rock perfection. Favorite song: Rikki Don’t Lose That Number Least favorite song: None

3.5

Surprisingly short but good nonetheless

Rikki don’t lose that number was most memorable

Fusion music in 70s!! Are you kidding me?

Really enjoyed it. I don’t think I’ve heard of any of these songs. I think there was only two tracks I didn’t care for

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

Rikki Don't Lose That Number hatte ich letztens zufällig ohne Konzentration gehört und nicht weiter verfolgt, jetzt flasht der Song mich so, dass ich ihn noch mal hören musste. Amtlich. Steely Dan also. Nie mit beschäftigt, kannte nur „Rikki“. Von Fagan war mir sonst nur noch „Snowbound“ bekannt und in Erinnerung geblieben (de facto irgendwie auch Steely Dan). 4 Songs gehört, Zeit für ein Fazit: die Platte ist mir bislang Ü-BER-HAUPT nicht auf den Sack gegangen, was ist da los? Fast durch: wie geil ist das denn! Die erste unbekannte Platte dieser Liste, die ich sofort noch mal hören will (edit: und heute noch ungezählte Male durchgehört habe), hier wurde überfälligerweise eine Bildungslücke geschlossen. Daher: Fünf Sterne, keine Diskussion! Über-Platte.

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

Great fun, love Steely Dan.

Enjoyable, I liked the heavy use of keyboard

Musically an absolutely amazing album. Lots of interesting instrumentation throughout. Songs are good but only a few memorable ones. 4.5

Steely!

Easy St. Louis Toodle-Oo

great fucking record!

Some good tunes, love the horns

First of all, 'Rikki Don't Lose That Number' is a bop. Second, this was a band that my parents listened to all the time when I was a kid and I thought they were ridiculous. Steely Dan is legendary.

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

Good smooth rock album. I enjoyed it.

4/5 stars. nice quick album. great vibes throughout and love the sound.

their 3 best album

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.

Good ol' rock n roll

I really hope Rikki doesn’t lose that number. Funky rhythm guitar, cool horn section. Makes me interested in the band again.

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!

Nope. Boring.

mmmmm yes ooo yeah wee woop yes

okay, great album so far really funky amazing guitar/sax solos great song names/lyrics bangers all along "i fear the monkey in your soul" HAS to be one of the best lyrics ever written fav track: night by night least fav track: with a gun?? honestly they're all good sometimes old white dudes CAN make good music

Pretty good jazz-rock type album by Steely Dan, has some great songs in here such as "Rikky Don't Lose That Number", "Pretzel Logic" and "Charlie Freak"

Pretzel Logic by Steely Dan - I LOVE Any Major Dude Will Tell You. Favorite song by far - East St. Louis Toodle-Oo made me feel like I was at a fair in the 1800s

Some good tunes

Such good tonal mids on this album, and great tracks all around.

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

Fun jazzy tunes. Had heard a few songs off it before (Rikki, Any Major Dude). Liked Night by Night, Parker's Band

Cool grooves and like the drum sound. Second favorite Steely Dan album next to Aja

Not my kind of rock, but still had its high points

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

fun album, good instrumental and vocals, steely dan is good stuff

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

Its ok

Surprisingly alright,

Yacht rock at its best... driving in the summer music!