Countdown To Ecstasy

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

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

Nice but not more.

Weird. But strangely satisfying.

Kjedelig start, men sang nr. 3 og 4 har vært bra. Nr. 5 irriterende. 6 - bra, siste to helt ok. Totalt 6-6.5/10

Un poco rollo. No me ha llamado la atención.

Had it on while assembling furniture. Nice grooves buy not really my style.

More Steely Dan. It's fun.

Mira, no estuvo mal.

Feels familiar listening now. I can see why this is on the list, I just wasn't thrilled.

While Countdown to Ecstasy isn't as good as other Steely Dan albums on this project, I was delighted to hear this chill album. Every song flows beautifully into another! This album focuses more jazz, and considering how much Steely Dan varies the jazz elements, I highly suspect I'm not even recognizing the amount of creativity that went into this album.

I didn't like this Steely Dan album as much as the other two that I have heard on this project thus far, but even so, I still enjoyed it! These guys consistently put out quality music that was a little bit different than what the rest of their peers were putting out, making them consistent standouts. One of the highlights of this album was definitely the song "My Old School", which sounds very upbeat and jammy, but touches on a very odd topic once you listen to the lyrics -- a drug bust. Despite that, the song answers the question: "Does a 70s rock song really need four saxophones?" And the answer is "Yes, absolutely."

Ikke det bedste fra Steely Dan

teräksinen taneli, tietää että aina tulossa jotain miellyttävää mutta haikeata, harmaata, jotenkin tylsää ja monotonista. ehkä se on laulajien käehät vokaalit mutta tämä bändi ei koskaan hetkauta synapseja aivojen että kikkeli nousisi pystyyn... se on meikäläisellä odotuksena, kun ollaan näitä isoja, kriitikoiden höpönassu bändejä kuuntelemassa.. PÄIVÄN MUOTISANA: DAD ROCK... isukki isäpuoli rokkia jahaas.... mitä vittua? tämä on hädin tuskin rokkia nähnytkään hold up yksi elektronisen kitaran nuolaus.... tämä on SANAN TOISTO POPPIA.. ei tarvi mitään erikoisia keksiä. hieno taide album koveri... iljettävät vitun ihmiset istuu, tappakaa tollaset... bodhisattva

Fairly indifferent to this one, there are parts that shine but others that are a bore. Listened to: walking near Ocean Beach. Favorite tracks: The Boston Rag, Pearl of the Quarter

This album feels more like jazz noodling and less like the overblown yacht rock of Aja, so I think I probably enjoyed it more (for some values of ‘enjoyed’).

This is a much more enjoyable album to listen to than Aja that was pretencious, overblown and boring. It is however pretty innocuous, but I can well imagine drinking a cold beer or mojito on the beach with the sun setting in the background and a nice breeze from the ocean listening to this record.

Good points... but some skippable moments

Weird but kind of wonderful, songs are pretty good bit different to what I usually listen to although enjoyable

Not as good as Aja but still a good listen. 3.5 stars

60s and 70s rock just really isn't my jam a lot of times, but I did like a few songs on this album. Still about a 3 to 3.5 out of 5 for me

Nothing special It accompanied me nicely on my walk home today though, super sunny

Unremarkable.

3.5 stars. I was a little apprehensive about this album, as I haven't enjoyed Steely Dan for how overplayed some songs are and how uncool the band is in my head. They even say "fuck" in "Show Biz Kids" and Tidal didn't mark it as an explicit song, that's how uncool they are. But I gave "Bodhisattva" another chance, and it's a well constructed song. The instrumentation and production on these songs is fire. "The Boston Rag" has this great piano and guitar pairing at the end. "Pearl of the Quarter" really good. I just don't particularly care for the lyrics of the songs, nor do really I enjoy the sound of the singer's voice. But Steely Dan is not uncool.

I love listening to Steely Dan. It is always very relaxing

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Like a jam band...but also not? I don't know. It was fine.

Liked songs: Bodhisattva, Razor Boy, King of the World

Of all the Steely Dan albums, this is certainly one of them. To their credit, the thing I love about Steely Dan is their commitment to high quality production. Every one of their albums sounds great. But aside from a few highlight songs on each album, they all kind of all blend together.

It’s steely Dan. What’d ya want?

Maybe their least annoying album I’ve heard

one of my least fav steely dan albums. my old school is and your gold teeth are the most likeable tracks, but there are just some very weird genre decisions (bodhisattva, king of the world, pearl of the quarter)

It's something. It's very steely dan, and I can see why it would be polarizing. Some really catchy songs, and some that are kind of boring. The sax and things is quite nice. Maybe like 3 stars. I don't think I'll go back to this one.

Good songs not the best from Steely Dan but solid album

I don’t know it didn’t grab my attention as much as the debut. Idk if I just wasn’t in the mood for it today or if my music tastes have changed. Still a couple songs I liked a lot tho. Rating: 3.1

Isn’t this the band named after a sex toy? It was okay. It more reminds me of other 70s rockers that I’d rather be listening too.

I wasn't a fan of Steely Dan's brand of jazz-rock back in the 1970s, and apart from the odd track here and there - none of which are on this album - I'm still not a fan; I remember that this was the cause of many an argument with some of my friends back in the day. I quite liked "Your Gold Teeth" which had more of a prog-rock feel to it.

Steely Dan is really a high floor, low ceiling band for me. None of their stuff blows me away but it's never awful. I think I'm good with having 3 of their albums on this list though. 3/5

meh

I did not enjoy this as much as I did "Aja." None of the songs seemed as good to me as the best on Aja, and I didn't get into the backup chorus sound.

I've heard some bad things about Steely Dan but this was actually quite enjoyable. Didn't do anything to wow me but I was grooving. I like the jazz elements and such. Fav songs: - Bodhisattva - Your Old Teeth - My Old School

Fitting since one of the members just passed away. this is a very enjoyable album. Steely Dan is a band that don't really sound like anyone else. Chicago is the closest I can think of.

2.5 Yup, it Steely Dan

I think it'll take several listens to get the true intent of the lyrics. The music is muted as always, missing that extra umph that probably would show thru in a live setting. I ended this album better off than I started it, but it wasn't exceptional.

Rating: 6/10 Best songs: Pearl of the quarter

Not bad. I can't say I'm the biggest Steely Dan fan, but there are some alright songs here. Still feel like other bands captured more emotion than these guys.

Third favorite Steely Dan album. 3/5 as I can’t see myself listening that often, but I did enjoy it.

Kwalitatief sterk singer-songwriter achtig album. Weer een tijdloos album. Maar ook weer saai en niet mij smaak. Of komt dat omdat ik door de titel uitkeek naar het hoogtepunt op het einde, dat nogal tegenviel?

Travail de basses et de claviers, inspiration jazz dans le progressif. Harmonies vocales. Un peu oubliable pour moi

A bit more formulaic for a collective that has much stronger individual outputs. Still an enjoyable romp.

Decent tracks. You'll know Bodhisattva and My Old School. Show Biz Kids is disgustingly repetitive... Average overall album.

I rank this early Steely Dan album somewhere in the upper-mids of their entire catalogue.

Groovy

3.5

Turhaa musiikkia hahaha kevyttä kuunnella, mutta miksi teitte turhaa?

Eh it was ok. Not their best album for sure.

A very nice album that perfectly encapsulates the sound of the early-to-mid 1970's. I didn't find one track on there that had me fully engaged, but every single track was pleasant. Well worth a listen again, at some stage, but it wasn't an 'experience' in the same way that some of the other albums on this site were.

Have not heard of this album, but very familiar with Aja & Pretzel logic both of which I very much enjoyed growing up as an occasional listen. I do like their sound, but only sparsely. I enjoyed listing to this album but not on par to those two other albums I’m familiar with. I really enjoyed “show biz kids” “my old school” and “king of the world” the rest seemed pretty average. Album cover was unique, some interesting art, but I don’t like it visually, maybe that’s the point.

Great sound, but nothing I need to revisit.

Absolutely fine, toe tapping good music. Nothing more, nothing less.

Haven’t heard this album. Classic Steely Dan.

Kinda catchy, jazzy, funky. Not really something I'd choose to listen to but not bad.

Didn't really like "Aja", so let's see how this one will score. 01) Bodhisattva - 6,0 02) Razor Boy - 7,0 03) The Boston Rag - 6,0 04) Your Gold Teeth - 5,5 05) Show Biz Kids - 6,0 06) My Old School - 6,0 07) Pearl of the Quarter - 6,0 08) King of the World - 7,0 TOTAL: 6,19 (62/100) Well, still not impressed. I don't think Steely Dan is my cup of tea.

6,7

Enjoyable

Some truly great jammy playing on here accompanied by some truly horrific lyricism.

A little too jam bandy for my taste

Good music

Decent

Smooth and steely

Good musicians but I can only listen for a limited time

I do not know who this music is for?

My name is Dan! I ain’t all that steely though.

Very nice. Interesting songs. The first one starts with great piano.

A couple classic tracks. Others kind of blend into the mix

Einförmiger Pop.

good time

It feels more human than Pretzel Logic, so I like it better. Favorite song: Bodhisattva

Soft 3. Opening track is very good with some nice stuff scattered between the rest. Will I listen to again: 30%

Just ok for me. Can't Buy A Thrill has a lot more stand out tracks. None of these really stood out to me. 3 = If it was playing in the background, I wouldn't turn it off, but I'm unlikely to actively seek it out again.

I enjoyed this more than I had previously imagined I would.

It’s not that I don’t like Steely Dan, I love some good old classic rock. The album is ok, but the truth is that nothing quite stands out. [0087/1001]

Stop giving me steely Dan albums 😭

clean. Jazz rock. pretty enjoyable

Pretty decent!

Was an okay album, easy enough listen but wasn’t any major stand out songs for me. Nice album to have in the background whilst doing something.

Good musicians but pretty meh.

Un poco rollo. No me ha llamado la atención.

cocaine

Not mind blowing but definitely an enjoyable album!

56/100

-my second steely dan album!!!! -you can’t say steely dan doesn’t make good music because they do -that being said, i’m not in love with steely dan -their music is objectively good. would i go out of my way to listen to it on my own? no -which doesn’t make it more than a 3 star -overall its a good album! not as exciting as the other album i listened to of theirs but still a fun time

Starts out with a banger but kinda fizzles out like a bottle rocket when really it needs a good diesel engine to carry this along. It'll excite, in moderation, but rarely thrills.

I like the funky instrumentals. Beats the last couple albums. 3

This has a nice calm vibe to it that I am really enjoying. A lot of piano and almost beachy guitar riffs that remind me a bit of Santana. I enjoyed this one enough to be about 3.5 stars, maybe close to 4, but I doubt I'll ever come back to this album. Good listen though!

Oh yay. What a treat. *Another* 41 minutes of competent but boring MOR soft rock. Probably. Let's see... UPDATE: I was pretty much right, although there is a little more of interest going on here than on previous Steely Dan albums on this list. This has more of a jazzy feel and even samba, funk and electronic elements in places. Plus, I did not expect to hear that Super Furry Animals appear to have interpolated a short section of 'Show Biz Kids' (around the 3:55 mark) in their 'The Man Don't Give a ****' single. Interesting. The record ends strongly, with the final pair of tracks being my favourites on the album. Overall, it's still not the type of music that I respond to strongly (perhaps it is more music for musicians?), but it won me over as it went on and is my favourite of the three Steely Dan albums so far by some distance. Rating: 2.5/5 Playlist track: King of the World Date listened: 01/10/23

It's a good album. I'd listen to it again. Mike McDonald has a good voice for this type of music.

Certainly sounds like Steely Dan with their funky jazzy soft rock delivery. It is all pretty interesting, but only My Old School really resonates. When they hit a banger, it is fabulous. Though there is really a pretty big variety to the music, there's not as much of a melodic hook... Pearl of the Quarter maybe a little, but overall, the album is an interesting listen more than really enjoyable.

Great generalistic rock, unmemorable songs, but descriptive of genre.

It was an ok album I have to confess. I liked some tunes but their are simply not a band for me

This was a great jazzy album. No big hits that stood out to me, but I did enjoy Your Gold Teeth, My Old School, and King of the World.

Dad rock

3.5

It was OK. I know I say that quite a bit in these reviews, but it's how I feel. I enjoyed their album Aja a whole lot more. "Countdown to Ecstasy" is quite the misnomer - more like "An Assortment of 'Meh'".

Nice vibe

Meh

Definite Steely Dan sound which I quite enjoyed. 3*

A shady room in the back of a derelict house holds the key to a world of secrets that will destroy the lives of everyone in the town.

Deuxième album de Steely Dan mais toujours aucun de Keane :(

classic case de la radio de l'album qui surpasse l'album

Not everyone's cup a tea the Dan. I'm very fond and this has some cracking tunes but doesn't hold together as a album as well. Very good though but its no Aja or Scam.

Musik för de vuxna medan jag får korv och pommes frites. Väldigt ambivalent till det här.

American rock band. 2 auteurs compositeurs avant qu'ils se séparent et fassent leur bout de chemin. Y'a du bon riff dans place, c'est assez mélodieux. Ils aiment varier les styles pis ça me plaît pas mal. Plus instrumental que par voix souvent. Belle découverte.

Smoooooooth

This is my fourth Steely Dan album. It really is a band that does nothing for me.

nop

Classic Dad rock, deserves to be on the list, yes would I chose to listen to this no.

Ohhh, no! Guadalajara won’t do! 🎶 I’m trying not to talk shit and I know they’re very highly regarded, but I just don’t understand. I’m hoping after 3 Steely Dan albums that I’ve exhausted the list. It’s fine, OK?

Great music, but not overly memorable.

Much better than I expected

Mellow

Enjoyable album, but I feel it's a bit to 'clean'

This was a mix of good and middle of the road. When it comes to gems though, My Old School is a beauty. Bodhisattvas is also cool and has ass kicking guitar solo. Show biz kids is also quite good with the fuzzzy guitar making it. Your Gold Teeth also had a good solo but the rest of the song isn’t much. Nothing else to note.

Steely Dan is probably the best Dad Rock band ever. This album harkens back to their more rock roots before they became more laid back and jazz influenced and it features Fagen’s distinctive voice. And although I think that their debut album was slightly better with Do it again, Dirty work, and Only a fool would say that, I still think this holds up pretty good with Bodhisattva, King of the world and the best song on the album My old school. Solid effort.

I didn’t dislike anything on this- but equally not a single song made any real impression on me.

ранее всегда думала что Стили Дэн это пародийный рок, но видимо нет)

I didn't really have a whole lot of knowledge about Steely Dan aside from my like their sound. At the end of this album, I like their sound.

Best Song: King of the World. The guitar lick here is so buttery that you can't care that it's being performed by a music robot. Rock for AI dads. Worst Song: Pearl of the Quarter. Is that French in the chorus? Not helped by the honky tonk guitar. Overall: Technically proficient, soulless music. Maybe it's the vocalists weird "whisper-shout" singing, but it feels like the whole album is one element short of being something great.

Right thrrr in the middle

meh

Note quite as perfect as their later stuff, but still some amazing tracks here

First listen was great and it got worse the more I listened

I enjoyed the Jazz influence and the social commentary in the lyrics. 3+/5

I feel like Steely Dan is sort of the soundtrack of my "back of the station wagon" 5yr old self listening to AM radio en route to some parental errand I was dragged to. As with all Steely Dan records, it simply *sounds* phenomenal. I've never really liked Bodhisattva much, so it's unfortunate to have it as the album opener. I don't know - overall this one doesn't hit me like Pretzel Logic (or certainly not like Aja) does; maybe it's the lack of truly great songs (most notable exception: "My Old School")? The songwriting seems not quite there on this album; e.g. "Show Biz Kids" is essentially one semi-riff for 5 minutes, and that kind of symbolizes a lot of the album. Having said that, the last 3 tracks are fully great, and that delay guitar effect on "King of the World" is definitely my jam - probably my favourite song on the record. A fine record that's relatively easy to listen to and gets better by the end. It's one that I'd probably rarely turn off, but still noting there are absolutely better albums in the SD catalog. 6/10 3 stars

The music this albums sends your way is so excellent at times, and so off at others. I really like the guitar, keyboards and percussions arrangements, but the vocal arrangements of Steely Dan don't do it for me.

até que gostei, no final do álbum começou a tocar uma música do Elvis (não o Presley mas não lembro o sobrenome do outro) que também estava nessa lista e eu achei parecidos sonicamente. música com um groove legal, meio jazzy de novo. não vou colocar para ouvir diariamente (tô achando que nenhum kkkk) mas foi um álbum gostoso de ouvir.

A decent album but not on of steely dans best. Not even close to as good as can’t buy a thrill. And then there were a few other albums after this one that I enjoy more. This album had a couple songs I like but it’s a lot of early prog rock jazzy instrumentals. This is a decent album and I’ll listen to some other songs again but they have made significantly better albums. 6.5/10

Ok

It was very okay. Showbiz Kids is a banger and you have to respect the craftsmanship, but it doesn't grab me that hard. Steely Dan are a very clever band, musically and lyrically, but the lack of emotion is a bit weird and uncomfortable.

Steely Dan are one of the greatest bands of all time, sadly this album doesn’t live up to their greatness.

Definitely Steely Dan. Not as good as Aja.

pretty good, didn't like it as well as Aja.

Good, but not my favourite thing

It's fine. Not my cup of tea.

I am not fond of Steely Dan, who are interesting musicians but don't seem to have anything interesting to say in their lyrics. Nonetheless this was worth a listen, and yet still disappointed a bit. Their singing needs some work and the music gets boring by the end.

Countdown To Not-quite Ecstacy

I hate Steely Dan. Yes, they are a love/hate band and I'm aware that I fall in the minority on them. But, their music makes me angry. There is something about the combination of instrument choice and vocal pairing that brings out that urge in me. Being fully aware of that, I also know the influence they have on generations that followed so I can't let my biases really affect whether or not this album is a must listen. Best I can do is 3/5.

New album, some familiar tracks.

This album was okay, I think I personally prefer the other Steely Dan record I listened to. Maybe it was just because it was my first dive into Steely Dan's discography but I don't know, I just enjoyed it more.

I like the album generally, but I understand the note from Wikipedia indicating no particular single arose from this album. Bodhisattva and Razor Boy are probably the closest. It’s a wonderful sound, I like the organ and the weird synthy stuff, but it does lend itself to be background music.

Viel best mee.

This is the second Steely Dan and I'm again not sure what to make of it. Jaunty! It didn't leave a huge impression on me but I found it pleasant

All good, just more Steely Dan ennit.

Apparently this is jazz rock. Consider the genre covered? The name and cover suggest a waiting room for Death. I learn the Band names itself after a sex toy in Naked Lunch by William s Burroghs. So are they toying with us? It sound very smooth 70s. a bit qurikly, a bit slow a bit too repetitive, and overall "not enough". Hmm maybe flat is the word. You had to be and I wasnt?

Listened Before? N Trippy, man! These guys are a jam band and I had no idea. I thought it was okay. Kinda different. Good musicianship. Kinda has a southern rock feel at times. My Old School sounds like Billy Joel, so I took that one. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: My Old School

I don't get steely dan

Jazzy and smooth like warm treacle.

Quite a nice album, a few songs going on playlists. No major big hitters but some groovy tunes to be had. Not the best I've heard from the band though. Favourite tracks Razor Boy, Pearl of the quarter