Reviews (page 5 of 8)
ja wel lekker. ik waardeer dat ze als studioband besloten om verder te gaan en weigerden te touren. een heel album was wat veel voor me
I don't understand why another soft jazz-rock album makes this list, but OK (shrug). I feel like Steely Dan is one of those bands that aren't interesting enough to cause a strong reaction to their music either way. No one is going to say Steely Dan is a GOAT band, or that this is a GOAT record. They also won't say it's the worst thing they've ever heard. It survives over time because it's fine and inoffensive. That keeps it from being bad, but also makes it fairly boring. And yet, this is their second album I've had recommended in less than two weeks (shrugs again). The best moment here to me was the solo/outro on My Old School. Which, I have to admit, I thought was a Billy Joel song until seeing it here on their discography. I also liked the closing song, King of the World. Those parts caught my interest in ways most of the other tracks didn't. Again, I think the issue is just that I found a lot of them boring. The cartoonish person's face on the cover pretty much sums it up for me. No big smile, no angry frown. Just a slight grin showing the most tame level of enjoyment on a plain countenance. This one is fine, and that's about it. 2.6/5
Good not great which I was surprised about because really enjoyed pretzel logic.
Not on the same level
Steely Dan have never been one of my favorite bands. Aja was a bit too well made; while it has musical merit, it lacked the Certified Bangers that make a 5 star album. This is similar; while I cannot deny the smooth production that Steely Dan specialize in, I found this to be lacking any true standout tracks, instead settling for easy listening jazz-rock that doesn't really move you at the end of the day. I will say that this is tighter than Aja; it has stronger songs and less noodling. However, it fails to inspire any real emotion in me, keeping it a 3.
Was a decent album. No takeaways from me and probably won't listen to it again, but I can appreciate it.
5/10
Can't believe I didn't know the SFA connection pretty inoffensive other than that
Vero e proprio precursore di certe sonorità crossover, un agglomerato di raffinato jazz-funk-rock dall'esecuzione ineccepibile, seppur caratterizzata da un virtuosismo autoreferenziale e un marcato edonismo, elementi che non ne pregiudicano tuttavia la coerenza. Un'album si lascia apprezzare, pur non incontrando il mio gusto personale.
2 days of Steely Dan in a row... That's enough, I get it.
Having never listened to Steely Dan, I would not have predicted this is the angle of it! It opens really strong I enjoyed the little jazz-fusion thing it had going. I feel like as it went on I kinda enjoyed it less, not necessarily because it's a bad album but more so because it's just not my regular listening. 3.75 Top picks: Bodhisattva King of the World
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Underrated
Dans l’ensemble bon! Intellectuel mais accessible. Solo intéressants, Fagen tjrs au top. 3+/5
Another white, male, classic rock band. I mean, I like steely Dan, not sure that this is their best album. This 1,001 albums list is starting to lose some credibility for me. I guess it never claims that it's the best albums.
Nice one
Solid, but there’s better Steely Dan albums
Dos escuchas y media después, este disco de Steely Dan no me ha entusiasmado. Se nota que son virtuosos instrumentistas y hay mucha influencia de jazz, rock progresivo y hasta el folk de CSN&Y se vislumbra en sus armonías vocales. Cuando no puedes decir nada malo pero tampoco puedes dar saltos de júbilo ante una obra musical todo parece que se desvanece al poco de escucharlo, no queda huella. Quisiera disfrutarlo más, pero por la razón que sea, no se deja.
Pleasant smooth 70s, yacht rock. My favorite song was "My Old School".
3.3
Not my favourite of Steely Dan’s. Cool sound but a little repetitive and I prefer their jazzier stuff to this bluesy sound.
better than the last one but still eeh i dont mind it though
Fairly unremarkable
Bueno
3/5
I like their sound but there was nothing that stood out with this album.
Was enjoyable but nothing stood out.
Better than expected.
Buena vibra, aprecié mucho la musicalidad de sus músicos.
It’s not a bad album. It has some of the same groove as other steely Dan albums, with some bongo drums, keyboards, guitar, etc. But none of the songs stand out. Not sure why this album is on the list.
Not my favorite album of theirs but I do love them. 3
Alright easy listening rock. Nothing I would listen to again by choice but not annoyed by it or upset to hear it
Solid. What's not to love about Steely Dan? This isn't their best album, but it is very likeable with some fun songs. Razor Boy is an odd song, I wonder what it is about.
Really hard to make a decision here. On some songs it's an enjoyable 70's vibe but (king of the world, Show biz kids) while the rest of the album feels long. Would probably revisit and might change my mind 3.5
Still has an underlying dad rock vibe that I disliked from the first album, but this was more interesting instrumentally.
3.5
As always with Steely Dan - technically perfect. But maybe the one Steely Dan album too much for me? Because it don't hooks me in the same way like "Aja" or even more "Pretzel Logic". Weak three stars. 2,5
Very catchy I had a good time with this one but it’s very much not an album that forces me to pay attention
Fun fusiony dan, I forgot they sounded like this for a bit lol
You can start to see the evolution of their early work into something better in this one, but it's just not quite there yet. "Countdown to Ecstasy" is a fitting name for something that will eventually lead into the perfection that is their album "Aja"
Ok
Like most Steely Dan albums it was OK
Has a couple of great songs on it. Not my favorite by them.
Some decent guitar work throughout, filled with some whatever
Still not my thing, sorry
Very impressed by Steely Dan now that I'm in my late 30s. This album started a bit slow, but finishes quite strong. Rounding down from a 3.5 star rating.
Love some Steely Dan. Easy enough to listen to and certainly worth a revisit
70er Rock im für die Zeit typischen Sound. Keine Highlights, die mich beim ersten hören mitgenommen haben. 3/5
My dad loved listening to this one with me.
It's ok.
Jazzy Steely. It didn’t get me anywhere near ecstasy. This was a letdown compared to the last Steely Dan album I reviewed.
Slickly produced, enjoyable enough, but with nothing that grabs me emotionally.
I like Steely Dan. I don’t love them and I think the later work is better
70’s smooth rock
Another pleasant album by Steely Dan, but unfortunately I cant remember a single song! 3 ⭐️
Good album.
Perfect hence a bit dull
I enjoy Steely Dan enough, but liked this album a bit less that the global distribution shows. Maybe I got this on an off day and didn’t allow a deep enough listen. 2.75/5
Listens: 3 Standout Tracks: The Boston Rag The Boston Rag was a great song. Otherwise, I continue to be not impressed with Steely Dan. This is my third Steely Dan album on the List and they are just okay. I can listen to them, I don't feel the need to turn them off or change the track or switch to another artist, but I just can't bring myself to give them anything other than "yea this exists". It's perfectly cromulent.
all steely dan is great, but this was just a mid one for me
70s rock. Pleasant, jazz elements.
perfect songs, perfect plaatje.. maar perfectie is per definitie saai
Here's an album that I really counted out since I love Aja and The Royal Scam. Still a solid album, but I wouldn't put it on the top tier of stuff from Iron Daniel
Its enjoyable stuff. No more than enjoyable but not bad.
Gear: Fostex TH610 Artwork: 🥴🎨❇️ Production: 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🎼🌟😶 Rating: 🐵🐵🐵(🐵)/5
They're not a great listen. Four is excessive. At least they're done now. I'm too young and too female - this is proper grandad rock. Best of the Steely Dan albums I've had though. It's was short and felt a bit more varied than the others. They're not bad musicians, they're consistent. I just find them consistently dull.
I genuinely don’t know why this album here. Yes, Countdown to Ecstasy is a good album for sure, but it is absolutely not a must listen. Almost any other Steely Dan album is better then this one, but that’s not because this album it’s just because almost all their other albums are better. Anyways, this album is just good, not great. Favorite Track: Razor Boy Worst Track: Show Biz Kids
1. Bodhisattva - 7 It's a decent track. It's a fun kind of swinging/swingers kind of rock. The drum paces the song well and the lyrics are alright if not slightly on the more repetitive side. Still the piano does so well as a compliment to the track and the rock solos are simple but effective. 2. Razor Boy - 3 Elevator music. 3. The Boston Rag - 5 Reminds me almost of The Band. It's a decent song with some fun guitars in it. Nothing else really stands out as remarkable or memorable about the track. 4. Your Gold Teeth - 3 It's very random and instrumentally it's a lot like elevator music again. 5. Show Biz Kids - 7 The lyrics can be very repetitive at times but the instruments are given so much space to play it doesn't really ruin the track. Speaking of the instruments, the lead guitar is absolutely fantastic on this track. There are some absolutely excellent solos. Brilliant sound. 6. My Old School - 6 Lot of a good fun on this track. Lyrcially it's the best thing on the album but the loud guitars from Show Biz Kids have been left behind for a lot more brass and swing. There are some great guitar solos as well on this track but a mit more muted. Overall it's a decent track. 7. Pearl of the Quarter - 5 Decent track. Nothing phenomenal about it but it's well written and enjoyable none the less. 8. King of the World - 5 Another decent track. Guitar play on it is nice and it reminds me of a more mellow track from Jimi Hendrix. Still it's okay. Average Rating: 5.13 Adjusted to 5-Point Scale: 2.56 Rounded Up: 3 Stars
Rating: 6/10 Mostly meh but a few highlights carry this album.
10/20/25. I do enjoy Steely Dan so always excited to hear their work. I do think this album is a step down compared to their others, especially Aja, but still some solid tracks on here.
Tredje SD på denna lista. Det är obegripligt. Denna är dock lite bättre än tidigare. Som jag minns det. Inte min kopp te, men det är åtminstone inte värdelöst :)
Tyckte att första halvan puttrade på i klassiskt Steely Dan-manér, men att andra halvan var klart bättre. Om första halvan var en trea så var andra halvan en fyra. Tänkte vara snäll och sätta en fyra i betyg, men inser att jag bara gav Can’t by a thrill - som jag tycker är snäppet bättre - en stark trea (vilket jag ångrar lite idag, borde fått en fyra), så det får bli en stark trea även för denna, för Steely Dan-rättvisans skull.
starts off strong funky hahah > one can hear those 70s "will you still have a song to sing when the razor boy comes and takes your fancy *things away*" ✨️ your gold teeth > alright but not as good as the rest pearl of the quarter > very noiceee
3.5 Some great songs here, nothing as good as anything on Can’t Buy A Thrill. The definition of easy listening.
C’était sympa
Not big on Steely Dan, but pretty good background music with some solid moments.
I’m sorry. I still don’t really get Steely Dan. I was surprised to see “jazz” as one of its genres; I guess I appreciated it more by paying attention specifically to the jazzy elements, but even that wasn’t enough to make it click for me. I mean, it’s not bad - I’m just not sure what I’m missing that so many others are charmed by.
I’d heard of this album but never listened to it; was better than expected!
Fine. Nothing magic.
slightly better boomer rock but still boomer rock 3.5/5
I loved their debut album 'Can't Buy a Thrill', giving it 5 stars, so was excited to listen to this one. On first listen, (and maybe it needs more), this was an enjoyable album but didn't hold a candle to the debut, without any tracks which were recognisable classics nor which grabbed my attention as new delights. 6/10
"Who the fuck are 'Steely Dan'?" - Eminem, 2001 I get really put off when I feel I'm expected to like something, so friends online talking obsessively about Steely Dan has made me want to avoid them. I expected irritating smugness. There are moments when I think, "god, couldn't this solo be a few bars shorter," but overall I liked it. There are some lovely Neil Young harmonies on The Boston Rag, which might be my favourite song. A few tracks are just a pleasant sound - good production and skilled musicianship - rather than good songs. I was playing spot the reference to some extent. There's the Lady Madonna "see how they run" bit in Your Gold Teeth, for example. I was very surprised to realise Luke Haines had nicked part of My Old School for the chorus of The Auteurs' School.
Pretty nice rock album but not super memorable. Enjoyed it though, especially the keys.
pretty meh compared to their other stuff
Not their strongest record but some good moments. Sue did not enjoy 🤣
All songs are okay, no song really stands out. Do prefer Joe jacksons version of king of the world
Not my favorite Steely Dan - very 70s trippy, mellow, not very exciting
This is a good album, has a couple really well made songs. I just never could get into Steely Dan. I guess it too yacht rock for my taste.
Het eerste nummer vind ik heel zenuwachtig, maar “razor boy” vind ik dan wel weer heel leuk
Not my favorite Steely Dan record. Has some bangers though
I unapologetically like Steely Dan. This album is inventive and has a rock undercurrent that a lot of their stuff lacks. It's less polished than what was to come for the band. Fagan has the voice of someone who confidently sang along to every R&B and Soul record he could find, but not QUITE getting there. I just find it endearing. Becker and Fagan are both great musicians. They explore some interesting sounds and a variety of rhythms on this, it's really satisfying. Good energy and intensity. King of the World is a new favorite, I haven't heard that before.
Un disco que sigue la estela de su debut, con temas de enorme calidad y que constituye uno de los mejores de su discografía a pesar de las reticencias de ellos mismos. Bodhisattva, My old school o The Boston Rag son tremendas. Clásicos suyos y en la radio. Razon Boy y Pearl of the quarter suenan brillantes. Your gold teeth, es descacharrante. King of the world es la que menos me gusta, a pesar de su teclado.
Not bad. I like this more straightforward version of Dan than the later 70s stuff
Steely Dan is more of a cultural reference than a band that I’m actually familiar with. This album I wasn’t particularly enraptured by, but wasn’t too bothered to listen to it either. It’s very “easy listening “, but lacks annything interesting enough for me to want to dive deeper.
Pretty good
Not unpleasant, touches of jazz and blues in a few tracks. Didn’t really rock my world though
About two years ago, I realized I actually liked Steely Dan and I launched into their discography. Countdown to Ecstasy has never been high in my personal ranking, but listening to as part of this list has been a chance to reevaluate it. Certain things I found annoying on previous listens ("Bodhisattva", "Show Biz Kids") aren't as irksome this time around, and in fact, I now have a real appreciation for the musicianship. Steely Dan aren't as willing to please on Countdown To Ecstasy; there's a bit more experimentation and some more challenging compositions, which is nice, but occasionally takes me out of the music. I do appreciate the extended jams, though.
Some clear jazz and reggae/funk elements which make it a bit unique and the music is very solid. Becker on the guitar is awesome, which is what stands out the most for me. I am not familiar with Steely Dan and they kinda feel like the Coldplay of the 70's: huge following but meme'd on by everyone else. I've read a lot of opinions from Steely Dan fans on why they love this band, and I can hear both sides, although it's starting to parallel Rick and Morty fans when they start talking about you need a "higher intellect" to understand Steely Dan. You don't, you just need to get passed the overall bland music to get the points....which is why people often refer to this as "dad rock" or boring. As musicians, they're great; but it just feels out of balance to me. Like it's missing attitude or an edge that forces you into it. Maybe that's soft rock as a genre in general. All this to say that I am acknowledging their talent and that many people love them, and that it isn't for me.
Got pretty boring but there was some fun stuff here,
slaps. close to a 4 4 me Fav song: Pearl of the Quarter
Ok
Preferred this to Aja overall. A few songs genuinely stood out, but while Aja was flawless a few songs near the start held this one back. Fav Tracks: Bodhisattva and King of the World 7.1/10
4+ for lyrics, 2.5 for music.
Great musicians. Good vibe, though I didn't love jam bands.
Too much jazz
I can sense these musicians have the talent to produce a great album, I'm gonna need to listen to more of their discography. Update. Yeah they produced some great music.
Steely Dan is a band I could just never get into. I tried. I really did. Years ago I worked at a restaurant/bar where our chef loved Steely Dan - he played them every night. And still, it never clicked for me. That’s not to say they aren’t talented - far from it! Their musicianship and songwriting are undeniable, and I know they’ve had their share of hits. But for me, it never went beyond casual recognition. Countdown to Ecstasy, their second album, is often praised by fans for being looser and more jam-oriented than their debut, but I find myself listening and still feeling like it just isn’t my thing. For some people, this is sophisticated, jazz-tinged rock at its finest. For me, it’s music I respect more than I enjoy.
A pleasure to listen to the complete album, not just the (big) hits.
Okay album with nice riffs. Kinda unremarkable soft rock. 6/10
Sounds like Steely Dan, alright! Pretty groovy and chill but nothing particularly notable.
It’s ok. Has a few moments but not enough to keep me liking it all that much. Just ok.
bem divertido
I liked this better than Pretzel Logic, but I’d still never choose to throw this on the stereo. The definition of bland.
Inte något som jag hade hittat och lyssnat på själv!
No está mal, pero...
Decent album
Good vibes
Steam powered dildo
I may not like Steely Dan all that much. It wasn’t awful, and I can see how it got on the list, so I can’t punish it too much. I can’t give it more than three stars, either. It’s just… music that exists.
Good and chill. I didn't realize how jazzy steely dan was, all I heard were the hits.
point7.
Dad rock mixed with elevator music
Un si total, por fuera de mi comfort. Nota: 3.0
Day569 - other than my old school i just couldn’t get into the songs. i love the instruments and the sound just not lyrics
Yeah, whatever, not bad.
They lost me with the last 3 songs, but I liked this more than I expected considering there are no hits on it.
Show biz kids was a cool song
not their best
Some CSNY vibes in some of the choruses here (The Boston Rag, King of the World) Also lol to the lyric in “Pearl of the Quarter” that says “voulez-voulez-voulez-vous”, because this lacks a verb or noun to make it make any kind of sense
This is early dan or nearly dan. Some good songs but all their best work on later albums. Signature steely dan lyrics and keyboard and piano flourishes but this is missing something. Still an enjoyable listen but chronologically there are better albums from becker and fagen to come.
It was okay definitely dad rock ...
ROCK PARA PAPAIS QUE GOSTAM UM POUCO DE JAZZ MAS NAO MUITO meia boca! algumas dão vontade de PEGAR UMA CERVEJA E IR ASSISTIR UM JOGO DE BASEBALL COM O FILHÃO. outras dão sono.
Ok, first listen, it was nice. Tight arrangements that sound loose, great guitar work and it had that jazzy, "jamming with mates" sound. Then I listened while reading the lyrics and I got it. These guy's aren't into feelings, they are clever and a little mean. I bet Zappa bought this album. Great musicianship, not taking them selves too seriously and giving lovely smart arse comments on the idiocracy that surrounds them. What's not to like
It’s fine, not good, not bad. Just fine.
Decent Seventies rock.
I enjoyed the other steely dan albums but this wasn't it
Countdown To A Shrug 🤷 This is the fourth (and hopefully final) Steely Dan album we've had on the 1001 list. It's fine in as far as classic dad rock goes. Middle of the road 2.5 from me.
Kinda fun
Steely Dan is just an offbeat band. Their songs are generally pretty strange when compared to contemporaries. Sure there are songs that I love like Do It Again or Reeling In The Years, but a lot of their stuff is simultaneously interesting yet different enough to keep me intrigued, but not a big fan. This album proved to be no different. Really gifted musicians producing music that seems like it is slightly bent. There were some high points, no doubt. The Boston Rag had some very cool elements, including the way the guitar and piano worked together, the fact that this borderline turned into a march, etc. The closer, King of the World, also has some great guitar work, though the keyboard in the middle is aimless and sounds like something you would hear at Tomorrowland in Disney World. Surprisingly elementary given the what Steely Dan is known for. I really dug My Old School, especially the horn section. Surprised that this song was released as a single and barely charted. This is an excellent tune and happy to have found this one. Yet, the problem with this album is that this song is followed with a song like Pearl of the Quarter (both on the album and as the B side on the single release) which was just a sleepy tune and has little to offer. The guitar work was ok, but this was an instantly forgettable song, much like too many of the others on this record. And that inherently the problem with this collection. It might be technically sound, but few of the songs really grab your attention. I think this is part of the problem with this band and how they are viewed in many circles. They have a clear sound that is often an audiophile’s dream (e.g. the A’ja album), but what gets lost is that the songs aren’t inherently great on a consistent enough of a basis for them to be viewed as highly as they are. In short, they are inflated by people who want to believe they are cool, when all they are is just eccentric. This album is another example of that: an ok album with too many misses to be rated as highly as it is.
3.75
It’s slightly jazzy and proggy, but still has catchy tunes.
Pretty good bit of jazzy rock.
It's objectively a lil bop of an album of yacht rock but it kinda dragged for me a lil bit
I listened to this album about 4 times. One of them, I wasn't in a great mold and I couldn't even finish it, which is an indicator that I didn't really like it. This album is a fusion of Rock and Jazz, and it's very noticible as the songs have that feeling of a rock hit while the intrumentation has a jazzy feeling, specially with the fast guitars. The record has also a pretty solid production. It has a sense of comfort, which is nice. With the positive points being said, I'd like to move to what I didn't like: There're some elements that I find tedious, such as the choruses of 'Show Biz Kids'; and the only song that I really liked was the opener 'Bodhisattva'. A very catchy song. The rest is just decent at best in my opinion. Because I'm feeling generous, I'm giving this album 3 stars, even if I didn't get anything of real value out of it.
'gold teeth' and 'king of the world' are terrific, the rest isn't quite up to steely dan standard. 3
Rock and Jazz, huh? Like mixing chamber play and action for a movie. While not directly mutually exclusive, these genres fall short of their potential when mixed.
Fun but not necessarily noteworthy
I started and stopped this album about three times, and while I enjoyed it each time I also realized I didn't remember what I had and hadn't listened to because it was all sort of blah...
When the third or fourth album by certain bands, like Steely Dan, show up on this list, I feel like we’re way into overkill land. I don’t mind Steely Dan, and as I’ve pointed out before, their albums are impeccable in the production department, but song wise they mostly don’t always do it for me. That being said, Countdown to Ecstasy feels like an accessible enough album. As always, the breezy jazzy vibe is the backbone, so the vibes are nice. I just don’t like their songwriting.
3.5
Pleasant, summer dad rock. 3*
good but overstayed its welcome a little
3:5
J'ai pas tout écouté mais pas mal
Très simpa
I still haven’t gotten to that Steely Dan phase, but I know it’s coming. This is very good, but it doesn’t quite grab me the way albums I love do. But given more time and attention I bet that might change.
I’m one of those guys that likes Steely Dan. All of their first 7 albums are great. Sometimes I’ll just listen to two or three in a row. And My Old School is one of my favorite songs. That being said, I’m not sure I’d put this on the 1001. I’d put Aja and Can’t Buy a Thrill and maybe Pretzel Logic. The rest of those seven albums range from pretty good to great, and I’d put this one somewhere in the middle.
Nothing stands out on this for me. Great musicians but rather emotionless. When I was listening the album ended but Tidal continued directly into Little Feat. I didn't even notice for a few songs.
Like it 3/5
Very pleasant album. So chill and vibey. I though by the opening chords that I wasn’t going to like it but I was wrong. I enjoyed and would play it again. The jazz component of this album was really interesting for me. Couldn’t connect to the lyrics at all, but the overall sound was really good. Solid record, just didn’t KILL me, but I would definitely play it again for the vibes.
there was nothing too outstanding about this. Pretty standard rock album with nothing that caught my attention. Was it terrible? No, would i listen again, No
Konsekvent over-middel-men-forgettable band
This was very pleasant.
Really starting to like Steely Dan
Not bad and the music is pretty good but I find something about steely dans vocals annoying
3.4 - Not sure if I was in the right space for this
Now that I have listened to all four Steely Dan albums on this list, I can confidently say that I'm not crazy about them. Their mix of dad rock, light jazz and country tang just doesn't click for me. But I can recognize that they're kind of good. If I spent enough time with them, I could probably learn love it. But life is short and there is a lot of good music out there. Steely Dan just isn't my priority.
This steely Dan album really makes their last milquetoast one feel even more out of place on this list, with this one having something about it - lounge rock with a bit more going on behind the scenes, Bodhistavva and Your Gold Teeth being genuinely good songs.
Steely Dan is solid - but honestly one song sounds pretty much exactly like the next.
7/10 I’ll give them credit for inventing yacht rock. I don’t hear unrestrained joy in their music….it’s too clinical.
One in a good run of albums during the 70's for these guys
Totally inoffensive. But that's kind of the problem. 3/5 Highlights: Your Gold Teeth My Old School
5/10…classic rock
Not bad
This album doesn't do anything spectacular, but does well as an assortment of smooth laid-back rock songs.
Haven’t listened to this album in probably 50 years, but still knew every word. I really enjoyed listening to it again. Loved razor boy and pearl of the quarter among several others.
Didn’t really capture my attention good or bad.
Good.
Good album. There's at least 5 steely dan albums i like more.
Decent album for playing in the background. No standouts apart from 'King of the world'. Steely Dan is my guilty pleasure but this album seems even more cheesy than the others.
Countdown to Ecstasy? Fine... counting... counting... still counting... I'm afraid ecstasy is the last thing this album is going to give me. Sure it's well made and all that, but the fundamental thing, the musical interest of the songs, is missing for me. This is ultimate, beige, Dad Rock, just trying a bit too hard to be clever. Don't care for Fagen's vocals. I'll still give it a 3 though because the musicianship is good as are some jazz and prog-rock elements. But it's very "meh". Like Aja.
This one is a bit off the mark for Steely Dan from what I expect. It's not bad, but there's just something about the elements on this record that I don't quite get. It's the typical easy-listening feel, but there's just something missing that's not as captivating as their other songs/albums. Will have to listen to this one again.
steely dan has yet to miss but from all the album ive heard so far is this the weakest link yet. Still a great album itself but in comparison to their better works it dont reach the same bar. (3.5/5.0)
Didn’t knock my socks off
It was nice enough, but I feel like my complaint with this is the same with the other Steely Dan we've had. Musically I'd give it a 4 or 5 but the lyrics don't do anything for me. I'm just kinda meh about them. If someone put on Steely Dan I'd be totally okay with that but it's not going to be something I request. I can respect a Steely Dan enthusiast, but I am not one of them.
think this is our 3rd Steely Dan on this list. enjoyed the other 2 much more. still enjoy their sound but this was a more "meh" listen.
Just kinda meh to be honest.
Bleh
The term "soft rock" is pretty ugly to me (and probably to most people), as it's commonly associated with squeaky clean production and shallow genre fusions. Hear a lot of people shit on Steely Dan for that exact reason, and seeing as this was my first time listening to them, I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about the whole thing. But while some of the jazzy extended-jam moments did end up feeling like imitations (I was especially not a fan of 'Your Gold Teeth'), I do think this was a perfectly okay pop-rock record. To me, it's not too far off from what guys like Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen were doing. It's catchy and witty at times, but I'd say the band is at their strongest when they hone in on the better parts of their ideas, like with 'My Old School' as opposed to when they go into these directionless jams that lack improvisation, grit, and soul. The vocals are always smooth, offering up melodies that are earwormy and easy to digest, and you have backing vocals that nicely fill in the rest of the space on certain songs, like in 'Show Biz Kids'. The whole thing feels like a comfort album, not my comfort album, but a comfort album nevertheless. That's the best way to sum it up.
Steely Dan is a band that I don't particularly love, but I do enjoy. They are remarkably consistent, especially in this album. It's an enjoyable listen even if no song really sticks with me other than "King of the World."
So there's a bit George Carlin has in one of his specials where he criticises people who use baby slings. Y'know, how they treat their baby like camping equipment, leaving their hands free to shop instead of, y'know, actually touching the dang kid. As Carlin puts it, they're the kind of people who "sort their garbage, jog with their dogs and listen to Steely Dan" — yuppies, in other words. For the longest time, that bit right there has influenced how I've viewed the band Steely Dan. And not even necessarily those exact words, I should point out — more just the way he says the band's name. "Steeeeely Daaaaahn." It's dripping with this, like, amused wort of contempt that just screams, "Yeah, this is some lame-ass music for lame-ass white people. Gimme a break." And it's been drilled so thoroughly in my head that it's **the** thing I think of whenever I hear or see their name. Combine that with how Steely dan beat out both Radiohead's KID A **and** Eminem's THE MARSHALL MATHERS LP for Best Album at the GRAMMYs that one year, which really comes across like the boomers at the Academy rejecting the newer sounds that scared them... Yeah, I can't say I've ever had the highest opinion of Steely Dan. Which makes it all the more embarrassing to admit that I've hardly listened to them before now. Yeah, I know, I know. I'm not gonna make any excuses for myself about this. I had my preconception built for me out of scraps of other people's thoughts, and I just never felt compelled to see if it was correct or not. That's horrible form. I wasn't even that young when I first heard or saw these things. So it's about time I finally got around to seeing if I was wrong all along. And with a full listen in mind... Well, unsurprisingly for this kind of ordeal, I was wrong. Or at least, I was wrong more than I wasn't. 'Coz here's the thing: while, based on just this album, I can pretty firmly say they're not that bad, it's not like I can't also see why I could've come to my preconceptions regardless of outside influence. The way I figure it, the problem with Steely Dan is that a lot of what's interesting about them exists on a purely technical level. The production, the use of chords... If you've got ears for that kind of stuff, you're probably a big fan of Steely Dan. If you don't, and you're the more "average" listener... At best, you'd probably think this material is fine and that's about it. It all clicked for me the moment I heard "Razor Boy". Like, the album starts with "Bodhisattva", and it's for sure the most rocking song here — as much as Steely Dan can "rock," anyway. I mean, it **was** featured in ROCK BAND 2... But anyway, coming out of a song like that into "Razor Boy", which is a very soft "latin/jazz/lounge" sort of thing... Yeah, no, I get it completely. It's so "yacht rock" it can hurt. And I don't wanna come up here acting like "yacht rock" is a bad word to me. I've heard TOTO IV a few times too many to be completely against it. But, y'know, I can totally hear why this band got a reputation, at least in Carlin's eyes, as "yuppie music." If you're not looking for the deeper intricacies, it's just soft and inoffensive. It doesn't rock hard enough, it doesn't pop hard enough. It's just... There. And it's fine. Whatever. That's about how a bit over half the album feels to me. "Razor Boy" got the brunt of my attention for being the key to this band's sound, but after that... Well, the 1.5k word review rated as the best review of the album singles out "The Boston Rag" as the album's centerpiece, but I didn't really get much from it. I guess I like the opening, and the one guitar riff that repeats is pretty nice... And a similar thing goes for the closer, "King Of The World", where I liked the little synth line but that was about it. Meanwhile, as I'm writing this I don't remember a single thing about "Your Gold Teeth", and I was actively bothered by "Show Biz Kids" for its backing vocals. They just never stopped repeating the same line over and over, and it was driving me nuts tryna figure out if they were saying "lost wages" or "Las Vegas." Jus', goodness. As for the remaining three songs I haven't mentioned yet, well, "Bodhisattva" might be my favorite song here just for being the biggest rocker. I promise you, that's not the rockist in flaring up, but I just overall found it the most interesting. For sure the one where I had the easiest time appreciating any complexities the band had to offer without the softness causing me to tune out. Then you have "Pearl Of The Quarter", which struck me as a pretty country-ish track thanks to its pedal steel guitar, and for that reason I liked it quite a bit. Finally, there's "My Old School": that's the one with the horn arrangement, and lemme tell you, it did a **lot** for the track as a whole. Like, across the board the backing vocals are fine (save for "Show Biz Kids"), but I think they really shine paired with the horns on "My Old School". It might be my second favorite after "Bodhisattva". But then that only ends up being three tracks out of eight I can really go for bat to. And it's like— look, I wanna be fair to Steely Dan here. I like a fair bit of soft, smooth music every now and then, and Steely Dan doesn't do it all too bad. I can see putting "Razor Boy" on as music to relax and vibe to. I recognize as well that when it comes to music theory and production I tend to have a pretty tin ear, so I'm probably not appreciating their compositional skills as much as I could be. But then at the same time, I don't think you should have to know what a "mu major" chord is in order to get something out of this music, and unless you're a music major or as yuppie as yuppie can be... Y'know, I really was hoping I'd come out of this feeling like the hate this band gets was completely undeserved. That maybe I'd be able to listen to that Carlin bit again and be like, "Oh, come on now..." And despite my gripes, I would never, by any stretch, call this a **bad** album. It's really not in my eyes. It's just... Fine. Achingly fine. The kind of fine where I can't really muster up any strong feelings about it. And that does kind of disappoint me. I wasn't expecting to come out this a born-again fan or anything, but I was expecting **something**, at least. I suppose a better understanding of who they are and what they do will hafta suffice. And, hey, I'm sure for a fact this isn't the last Steely Dan album on this list, so I'll have my chance to try again. For the time being, though, I don't think that the way Carlin says the band's name is gonna leave my head all that soon. "Steeeely Daaaaaahn."
"Bodhisatva" feels like being stuck in a pinball machine in the best way. Nothing else really stood out, but it was all rather pleasant.
Very well done, but I'm not into prog now
Good album - classic Steely Dan
To my ears this is sophisticated yacht-rock with jazz tinges. Nothing outstanding but neither nothing terrible; just smooth. I think they do better later with Aja, Pretzel Logic etc.
Sure
Second favorite of the Steely Dans we've heard so far. Yet they've all gotten a 3 🤔
I enjoyed it as a snapshot of the time it came out. I thought it was interesting, and I could definitely find myself enjoying a Steely Dan song again in the future.
Good album. Some of the songs fall flat, but when it works, it’s great. 3/5 Might listen again
Pleasant enough, with some great playing. Looking forward to getting more Dan
Never heard Steely Dan before. This album really veered all over the shop in terms of quality. Started badly, already starting to write it off, then there were some sort of jazz prog tracks that sounded like Yes and I was back on board. Finally it slumped back to being forgettable again. Not really sure what genre they are, one of those where it's almost more annoying that they have the capacity to be good but frequently chose not to be. The good bits were great so I'm going 2.5.
Heard of steely Dan but not sure I've ever listened to them.... Couldn't name a track anyway. Had no idea what to expect from this. Was fine I guess. In parts I quite enjoyed it. Very forgettable though. Nothing stood out but not bad by any means. Think I recognised my old school actually? ....2.5
It’s fine! It’s dad rock, well-made dad rock.
I gave the other two Steely Dan albums on this list a "4," not just because I thought they were pretty good albums, but because I felt they were important albums to understand 70's dad rock. For this one, I'm still in the same boat. It's impossible to give it a bad grade because the music is created to be perfect and not a note out of place. The songs are not bad and some are catchy. But...did we need this album? Is there something covered here that isn't covered with Can't Buy a Thrill and Katy Lied? Not really. Is this a better album than those two? Not really. THEN, imagine my surprise when I remember there is actually a fourth Steely Dan album in this book. Aja is here too. What are we doing here, people? This is not a bad album! It's not! Is anyone, even diehard Steely Dan fans, saying "You heard Can't Buy a Thrill and Aja?" Oh man, you should listen to "Countdown to Ecstasy!" I am guessing not. It's dad rock and non-controversial. The curators of this book were so concerned whether they could put another Steely Dan album in here, they didn't stop to think if they should put another Steely Dan album in the book.
Music was good, though nothing really stood out. Pretty good for an album I'd never heard of before. 3/5
Cool!
Good old songs, nice to hear once
2.75
Oh lord god almighty. I actually liked this.
ganz cute. 3.5
Some cool ideas, but too smooth around the edges overall. 60/100
After a lot of their albums here on the list, I can state that only Steely Dan can be so great and so disappointing at the same time.
Not familiar with this Steely Dan album. I very much like their debut album though, so interested to see how they followed that one up. Tough act to follow for sure. Immediately with the opening track "Bodhisattva", you can tell things are slightly different here. That track, as well as "Show Biz Kids" specifically, have a sort of rockabilly/blues influence. I read that the band dumped vocalist David Palmer after the last album, but Donald Fagen has pretty much always been the voice of Steely Dan, so I can't quite put my tongue on why this is still so much different. I guess the rest of the album sort of shifts into the familiar Steely Dan mold as it runs along, but nothing else really stood out per se.
Def one of the weirder Steely Dan records
It was fine, but honestly I was kind of hoping for better. I hadn't listened to Steely Dan much before, and they are so hyped up that I thought this would be one of the entries on the list I would enjoy and add to the rotation. Sadly, it's a one and done for me.
Fav: Pearl Of The Quarter Least Fav: Razor Boy Dad rock with a side dish of jazz, has some good moments but nothing too impressive overall
It's ok I guess. Good musicians, good music. I'm just not a fan of this kind of rock music.
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.
My least favourite SD album so far, although still quite groovy. Just a bit boring and repetitive, without many hooks. Pleasant and very well produced but nothing special. 3.5
What fun, what bops. I imagine this would be an amazing live show
Yacht rock fueled by kick ass musicianship and guitar wizardry.
I've hit most of the Steely Dan catalog but hadn't done a playthrough of this whole album for some reason previously - better than I expected. Always been a My Old School fan, but a good album all around
Cancion fav: The Boston Rag
Cerramos el ciclo 2024 unos días antes y nos vamos con éste disco, el segundo de esta banda en el libro (hasta el momento) y que originalmente tocaba el martes 24. Suena a Rock & Roll clásico (Bodhisattva), muy chill (Razor Boy) y con canciones con su nivel de complejidad (Your Gold Teeth o King of the World). Álbum prolijo, sirve para el mood del fin de año, que tiene a la reflexión y a la introspección general. De nuevo, muchas gracias por las sorpresas y nos vemos en 2025 para seguir con éste reto, que nos llevará algunos años pero seguro todo será transformador.
Well that was certainly an album
Smooth jazz with singing. OK for background music.
Some nice tunes, nothing too memorable
6.5/10
It was a bit better tha Aja. Some songs actually stop being about playing fast and complex stuff and get to a point. Which is good.
Steely Dan perform their typical Proficient, tongue-in-cheek, jazz-influenced softish rock while criticizing society and exploring characters in its corners. Boddhisattva has one of the best guitar solos of all time (and is an excellent song - probably my favorite of the band). Jeff “Skunk” Baxter’s guitar playing is the highlight of this record. He can shred impressively, play a smooth melody, have a sound and style that’s at odds with the music but fits right in (he’s gets zippier and more distorted than the lot) - he’s just amazing up and down here. Otherwise, the song writing is tight, lyrics are (sometimes) clever, melodies are memorable, the harmonies are lush, the instrumentals are impressive (solid rhythm section, some cool keys, and some of their vampy jams are the best moments on the album). But despite how they are all high quality and the band achieves its goals, I’m just not always interested. All songs have interesting moments, but I’m just not always hooked or care to revisit. A couple of excellent songs and a few I could care less about.
I was keen to give this a listen after being given Steely Dan's debut album a little over a month ago. I haven't listened to anything from these guys in the time since then, but they have been firmly lodged in the back of my mind as an artist I should give a good, fair shake to once this list is behind me. I was dismayed to discover that I like this album way less than the preceding one. I wish I could give Can't Buy a Thrill another listen to compare the things that I prefer from that album over this one, but I just don't have the time. I remember their previous album having much stronger vocal harmonies and a more vibrant sound, which I preferred, despite having instrumentals that came real close to blending together. I appreciate the effort in making songs that stand out more on this album, but I think a lot of the material on here is stretched pretty thin. I'm not one for decimal points, but if I were to delve into half-digits like I am now I'd give this album a 4.5/10. Yet, despite being the closer score, I can't bring myself to give this a 2/5. This band is undeniably pleasing, even if the approach they took on this album doesn't appeal to the more critical side of me.
I wish I'd listened to this before Aja, this has changed my view on Steely Dan
This album was pretty good. Found myself enjoying almost every song and getting into a good groove. Only reason it isn't a 4 is cause I can't see myself listening to it again
Nice to listen to
Not bad - very unsurprising tho, it was exactly as I expected it to be and that's a bit meh
Enjoyable meandering through early pop culture - nice but not great
Who doesn't love Bodhisattva and Show Biz Kids? Or all of it, really. Not epoch defining, and tainted a bit by being a favorite of some real douches, but such a lovely thing.
Not their best, but has a couple favorites.
It tastes like tomato potato soup. It's not strongly stimulating but has a mild yet subtly tangy kick.
Yeah it's ok. This type of music just doesn't do anything for me
I've never really got into Steely Dan. I quite like the songs that I know. The rest is fine, but I'm not likely to go out of my way to listen to an album.
It was alright
2,5
Only knew the singles but for what i always took as a yacht rock staple actually has a lot of great jamming capabilities. I see why these guys are always listed as essential 70's listening. Reminds me of all the great Japanese city pop that has come to be known in the last few years and wonder if these guys were the progenitors of the style. King of the world, Bodhisattva, Razor Boy and Your Old School are the hits for me. Good warm summer twilight music. Great yacht rock music.
One of those annoying albums where I like some songs but dislike others. Can’t stand the jazzy lift-music types like Razor Boy and Your Gold Teeth, but The Boston Rag and My Old School are great.
Sounds just like every other Steely Dan album, but with less recognizable songs. This one doesn’t have that charm that they often seem to not be able to find. Some of these songs can drag just a bit. Sorry, Dan. You get better. 3/5
Yacht rock at it’s finest
A decent listen. Bodhisattva is a pretty good song. The rest is okay.
Good vibes
breakfast suitable but that’s it
Wasn’t expecting to hear
It’s no ‘Can’t Buy a Thrill’. They’re starting to get into their prog and jazz bag, so this is a transitional record and sounds like it. I liked it fine.
Didn’t enjoy this as much as Can’t Buy a Thrill. I was initially thinking 2, but it’s an average album
Pretty standard Steely Dan: smooth, skillfully executed, boring-ish.
dum dum di dum .. netter plätschernder hintergrundsound, keine aufreger, keine hinhörer.
The other steely was better. I didnt like nothing about this
So, so close to the platonic ideal of Steely Dan. They're on the cusp.
Fav song: The Boston Rag I feel like this album just didn't have any stand out HITS - a bit filler for me.
It was alright
I guess if I were a cool dad in the past I would listen to this.
Didn’t know what to expect from this. Have heard references to Steely Dan that have ridiculed them but also some that have made them sound amazing. They were perfectly solid. Simpsons: Yes
Absolute classic. Though not as awesome as Katy Lied.
I have listened to Steely Dan before and have never been a big fan- their songs seem to all have a similar sound and come across a little pretentious. I actually found myself enjoying this album- there is still that quick vocal style that doesnt really mesh with tge instrumentation sometimes, but the songs were varied an enjoyable. We got to hear a lot more of the rock elements and experimentation than their hits. Overall- solid album.
3.5
Jammy, old style music, liked it!
3☆/5 10.13.2024
probably a joyful day for the number one steely dan man paxo8 i thought it was okay and alright
First song woke my kid up from his nap and had him dancing like a fool and playing imaginary piano on my tummy :)
Not as good as Pretzal Logic - the previous Steely Dan album this list gave me. Pretty boring all over, despite the artistry on display from the musicians.
copado 7/10
Yeah, well. It is what it is, isn't it. Will I be upset if I'd missed it. Not really. Track one got me right excited. Then it took a complete nose dive really. 2.5
...
Technically proficient and produced to a sheen, but for me Steely Dan is missing a certain "grit" that I'd like to see associated with prog jazz/rock. Also no Steve Gadd, lame.
Steely Dan pisses me off because they were very talented and clearly had the ability to make awesome music, but just chose not to. “Bodhisattva” and “My Old School” both rock. But the rest of this is just repetitive or glorified elevator music. Incredibly boring.
3.5/5
Steely Dan used to be my favorite band (and Aja still completely rules). However, listening to the deeper cuts on CtE, and maybe the not so deep cuts, the lyrics are starting to sound like obscure clues in an escape room.
Yet another Steely Dan album in this list. They're okay but it's getting a bit repetitively dull.
Honestly just don't feel much towards Countdown to Ecstasy, it just exists.
Love the addition of Donald Fagan but the album seems to less memorable songs than can't buy a thrill.
Nerds. For sure. I liked it.
I almost get it
metallic dan, very blues
I don't think I'd call this Dad Rock because it isn't really rock. Maybe it kind of is but I think you can see in this record that Steely Dan didn't really like the rock category in general. I've never really liked Steely Dan and I am fairly certain I'd never heard any of this album before. It's a little better than what I know as their radio 'hits', I do enjoy the kind of jazzy aspects of this record. But it's not really turning me into a fan. It's certainly well orchestrated and well played, I'll give them that much. And I love the album cover, super cool. I'm giving this on 2.5/5, won't listen again but I didn't really struggle with it like I expected to.
bodhisattva- 6 razor boy- 5 boston rag- 5 your gold teeth- 5 show biz kids- 6 my old school- 5 pearl of the quarter- 5 king of the world- 6 its not bad but i will immediately forget what it sounds like the second i stop listening. favorite track- show biz kids or king of the world
Fun instruments, somewhat bland vocals.
#295. I liked this slightly more than I liked Aja, but still kinda mid overall. 3/5: meh
Pretty good. My math teacher back in the day would play their stuff a lot, mostly from a few of their other albums, and I think I liked what I knew from those albums a bit more.
Hmmm I was looking forward to this one bc I know a handful of Steely Dan songs and I really like those songs buuuuut they’re all from Can’t Buy a Thrill…and ehhhhh this album didn’t quite get me as excited as those songs do. So I should just listen to that full album.
What can I say? The intro song says it all--the bodhisattva is among us, playing wicked guitars. Bring back that boston rag, yes, but make it a jazz rock song. And keep that cool vibe vibing throughout. No wonder there's no (thank god) single--I'll take My Old School any day. I never warmed to their whole approach, but listening today I am more than pleasantly engaged. Maybe my speakers were too shitty back then.
A good album, I liked Your Gold Teeth, Show Biz Kids and My Old School.
Decent 70s rock, nothing too exciting as the songs don't have highs/climax - it was a bit bland overall, but it was at least an easy listen.
I know I’m getting old when the Steely Dan singles start sounding like harmonic gold to my ears. The lack of bombast can be forgiven and replaced with an appreciation for the unique composition and tight production. Which is all ironic this time around, because this album doesn’t contain any of those yacht rock classics I used to hear on my parents radio in my youth. All that being said, should this album be on this list? Not if there’s two or more other steely Dan albums on it, which I’m sure is the case. Begrudging 3/5. Anyways happy 200 albums :)
I've always enjoyed Bodhisattva from Rock Band 2, everything else is okay.
What I’d expect
I never understood the Steely Dan hype. They're great instrumentalists, gifted composers, and decidedly very boring people. Better than elevator music, worse than anything with earnest feeling behind it. Yacht rock that's probably actually best appreciated by those soulless enough to own a yacht.
Fun 1970's blues rock. This probably felt fresh when it happened.
surprisingly meh compared to their other albums.
Steely Dan leave me cold. Never listened to them much before but somehow always knew this. Turns out I was right
Un poco rollo. No me ha llamado la atención.
chill soft rock tracks
- Massive vibes, but does not have the hits or energy of the first one we got - Still great music tho - some good jamming on here - 3.5