Countdown To Ecstasy

Never heard this one. not bad but feels less refined that their big 3 albums. 3.5 stars

not for me

Meh

Cool oldie

Encore un inconnu !!! Je reconnais ne pas être un grand fan des groupes américains... Mes ecoutes de Steely Dan m'ont toujours désarçonné par un côté "jazz" qui m'est totalement étranger... Mais, n'etant pas obtus comme certains Angles, je vais de ce pas sur Spotify pour ecouter ce "machin"... Après tout, je m'est peut être ben gourré ? Tout est possible ! -+-+-+-+-+-(-(-+-+-+-++-)-)+)+)-))---- Bon après écoute, je confirme hélas mon appréciation initiale : trop jazz, trop de cuivres, trop américain... Désolé... De mémoire, l'album GAUCHO avait eu du succès du fait de la participation de Mark Knopfler...

Rock with a decidedly 70s vibe. Not bad, flows nicely, but nothing to write home about. 3/5

Favorites : Show Biz Kids and My Old School

This is a case where the whole is greater than the sum if it’s parts. And the musicians are excellent. I don’t have the vocabulary to describe it as I wish, but this is my attempt. The production value is top notch. As I listened I imagined each instrument recorded alone and placed on a separate track. I could actually hear each note of each instrument. Everything was crisp and clear in perfect balance. If you are a fan of guitar you can focus and hear it. Drums the same. Bass, backup vocals, keyboard horn. Heck if they had a triangle on the song you could separate it from everything else and give it your sole attention. The beauty lies in how each of these parts combine, all contributing to form an amazing sound. I’m also amazed how the different parts play off one another. When one instrument is brought to the front, it will pause and give space. Instead of being a void, something like bass or drums will pop in with a fill. Not overpowering, just reminding you “I’m still here”. “Your Gold Teeth” demonstrated this well. Steely Dan is Lambda Lambda Lambda of “Revenge of the Nerds”. If not already a fan l, they are easily overlooked because of their unique style. But one introduced, they will knock your socks off. I loved Bodihisattva (thanks Rockband), Show Biz Kids (lost wages) and My Old School even before this listen to the whole album. I wanna give this a 4.5, but gonna give it a 5 for how well it compares to a lot of the 1’s I have heard recently.

The fourth and final Steely Dan album I'll get. Thank god. It's just bland shit. Like the other albums, this is just boring dad rock. Nothing special. They never tried to make their music interesting after the first album. It's just boring and unexceptional. They didn't need to be on this list four fucking times. One was sufficient.

Okay

I didn't know Steely Dan was a Rock-'n'-roll band and not a Rock band. Their songs are a lot more pop-y than I thought they would be. But the songs are still catchy. Album starts off strong, but the songs in the middle I didn't really enjoy. But still ended on a decent note with "King of the World" Favorite song: Razor Boy Worst song: Show Biz Kids

Kubyertos.

Never listened to them before because I assumed that were inoffensive yacht rock … and it was.

nice

Wasn’t fussed with this. Bodhisatva was too hard in Rock Band as well

Dad rocking

Fine aged dad rock

Didn't hate it but in no rush to listen to it again anytime soon.

Busy friday, not the vibe, sausage and peppers, drink, allison hit me, dans cafe, jps again, drunk

3 Pretty good

This is great! Never gave Steely Dan a chance before. Really tasteful groove-lovin musak

Great musicianship, but not something I'd ever listen to again. This whole record is just too self-satisfied. It would almost be better without the vocals.

Okay

This isn't half bad. I think I shat on the last steely dan album here but this cruises nicely. It never really hits high notes, but there's a reasonably high baseline. 3/5.

This was a great album, full of sounds of jazz/blues/funk/country throughout. I enjoyed the guitar and synth solos. Could be classed dad rock or elevator rock, but a very good listen for sure! Lots of musical experimentation throughout. Favourite songs: Bodhisattva, Boston Rag, Your Gold Teeth (awesome synth solo in this one), Show Biz Kids Least favourite songs: Razor Boy, Pearl of the Quarter (a lot of steel guitar work in this one, has a strong country vibe to it), My Old School 3/5

Prefer Can't buy a Thrill, but not bad.

Fun album

Pretty forgettable. Like it's fine but I'll never put it on again. I can't think of anything else but Jackson tucker and his sweatpants though

This one won me over as it went - Show Biz Kids was a real standout (including a sample that was used in the 90s that I never realised)

T3B 1. The Boston Rag 2. King Of The World 3. Bodhisattva

I didn't really care for Pretzel Logic so it wasn't without some trepidation that I hit play on this album. However, I was pleasantly surprised. I liked this a lot better, but I'm still a little confused why Steely Dan is so popular. I liked "Bodhisattva" quite a bit.

classic Steely, well played, interesting and outrageously boring

Les Steely Dan n'ont malheureusement pas confirmé les immenses attentes placées en eux dès l'étape des auditions et quittent donc l'aventure avec ce prime en demi-teinte. Peut-être seront-ils repêchés, qui sait…

Les compères de Steely Dan nous proposent, à la surprise générale, un album absolument minable que l'on ne leur soupçonnait pas. Attention Robert à ne pas retomber dans tes travers, car j'aperçois un album de rap old school dans ma liste d'albums générés.

a star for every song that I'd like to hear again

Jam band material 4sure

Here's another band I've recently thought, I must listen to them. Sadly I don't have much time today. First impressions (informed also by a quick reading of Wikipedia articles): appealing music that fits in my newish category of "70s music that is more complex and interesting than I would previously have given credit for", in this case some nicely jazzy tracks; lyrics that are apparently interesting but which I didn't really have time to pay attention to today; doesn't blow me away or make me drop everything and listen. But I may well come back for more, at least to revisit the jazzier tracks.

I’m a massive Dan fan. After waiting over 30 years for them to tour Australia, I saw them in Sydney and in Canberra in 2007 and was not disappointed. I love this, their 2nd album. I love the photo of the band in the studio. Becker looking cool with the sunnies, Fagen looking like a rabbit in the headlights, having finally been lumbered with lead vocals on all 8 tracks, and Skunk Baxter with his feet all over the mixing desk, looking like he has no doubts about his own ability on the guitar. The opening two songs on each side of this lp are outstanding. The album’s opener, Bodhisattva, is unique in their catalogue - breakneck rock’n’roll, with Baxter & Denny Dias ripping it up with some dual guitar harmonies. It’s followed by Razor Boy, once described as based on a bruised bossa nova groove, featuring the vibraphone of Victor Feldman & Baxter’s pedal steel. Side two begins with the funky Show Biz Kids, featuring the outstanding slide of Rick Derringer’ and the very soulful My Old School, with 4 saxes & a terrific Baxter guitar solo. There are no dull spots on this album and, as usual, the lyrics are often a mystery, but compelling nonetheless. Not my favourite Steely Dan album but easily 5 stars here.

My feelings on Steely Dan are reasonably well known. The Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004) describes this album as "cold-blooded L.A. studio rock tricked out with jazz piano and tough guitar." I find Steely Dan' s studio-slickness a little _too_ cold-blooded and there is a bit much jazz trickery for my taste, but I do like the tough guitar. I like it when they hit a groove (Your Gold Teeth) or let Skunk Baxter cut loose (his solo on The Boston Rag). I like Rick Derringer's slide playing on Show Biz Kids. But overall-it's still just a generally too clever-clogs for me. (although, I must say, of all the Steely Dan albums I have ever listened to, this is my favourite). A story, though: my son, Hal, digs jazz. I don't know whether there is an element of youthful rebellion aimed at his father, or if he is just cleverer than me. He genuinely understands jazz in a way that I don't. He buys some pretty full-on jazz records (especially featuring drummers that he likes) but also is into 70s jazz-rock fusion. This album (along with a bunch of other out-of-print fusion albums) was on his Christmas list last year. I looked around but couldn't find a copy. Early this year, I took him to some of my favourite secondhand record stores (The Vintage Record in Annandale) to do some hunting, and he found a copy in the 5 LPs for $20 box. It was the bargain find of the day and I could not be more proud. We buy cheap records, because they are cheaper to buy!

Belter! I didn't know about the MDGAF track sample so a joy

This is the second album by American rock band Steely Dan. It was a critical success at release and has been certified gold in the US, but there was no hit single, causing the album to chart low at 35 on the Billboard 200. The album's music is rock based, but it exhibits a strong influence from jazz, making it more of a jam band flavor. The studio production for the band on this album was amazingly smooth and created high quality songs. This was an excellent album, and I'm excited to hear more from Steely Dan.

Oké album. Had het iets steviger verwacht, maar wel van genoten

Love it!

I Steely Dan but this might be the album I listen to the least. It never grab me as much as Aja, Pretzel logic or Royal Scam.

I’ve found I like Steely Dan more than I thought. Great production, top shelf musicianship, quirky songs.

kind of bland and overstays it's welcome.

What can I say except I just love Steely Dan. Maybe because I grew up listening to them, and my Dad is a big fan, but it's comfort music to me. This album is no where near as good as Aja, but it's still a solid record, with some good tunes.

So crisp, so fine, so cruise on down the Highway. There are some fine tunes on here in that trademark SD style. Fagon and Becker bring the irony.

Eh, not really my jam. Kind of a weird mix of 70s and 80s synth rock.

Yes, I definitely find this ecstatic. I'm someone who... enjoys instrumental fiddling. Unfortunately, the ecstasy fades away after a while. And I'm pretty it's not the post nut clarity. Not "countdown to ecstasy" but "countdown to the end of ecstasy".

Great album, most song where to folksy for me. Album best: Pearl of the Quarter

Always been a fan. I love their style and sound. It’s very unique.

I would guess Can't Buy a Thrill is in the list, but still not sure why this the pick. Just seemed a little bland

look im a steely dan fan. i wish i had given can't buy a thrill a 5 because it deserves it. i've heard this first song before and i don't like it haha. everything after that song is enjoyable. they're just easy to listen to and fun. i do think cant buy a thrill is a better album. i like pearl of the quarter.

Pretty good need to listen to more.

Though not as as good as ‘Aja’, this album is still a fantastic entry in Steely Dan’s catalog. It is a interesting mix of jazz, funk, and even a bit of country rock as well. They are keen absorbers of influences and genres and are able to reformulate them into something that sounds uniquely like Steely Dan.

Nothing blew me away, but front to back it was just a good, well-produced listen.

Couple good songs

Ihan svengaavaa, mut ei mieleenpainuvaa.

Bof. On est ici dans une période de transition pour Steely Dan. On est entre le pop rock west coast du début des 70' et l’hybride jazz fusion pop de la fin des 70'. Ça donne quelque chose de ni intéressant, ni accrocheur.

Je connais peu ce groupe et c'est la première fois que je vois cet album. Je vois plus souvent l'album Gaucho qui est reconnu pour la qualité de sa production. Cet album-ci n'est pas mauvais. Un classic rock avec une petite touche de raffinement. Tu l'écoutes, ça passe bien et à certains moment tu fais, "ah, ce petit élément est cool". J'y reviendrai sûrement pour une écoute plus attentive.

The year is 1973. Things are bleak. The only thing you have to look forward to is another damned Steely Dan album.

Steely Dan being one of my all time favorites, I will give this a great Friday 5 star. I had this on 8 track....

pappa like steely dan

Vokalen e ganske basic bitch, men syns da va litt spennande riff og rytma (lol) i blant

Some flashes of good stuff but generally quite middle of the road

I was surprised by this as I hated the last Steely Dan album I had to listen too. There is a great groove happening in a few of these songs and the overall sound of the album is never dull

Funky and the solos are great

Rock. Años 70

Feels like it should be more interesting. Felt this way in the 70’s and nothing has changed. It’s not bad but it’s not memorable and it feels like it should be. Something is missing.

Lajityypilleen uskollinen edustaja. Ei niin ekstaattinen kuin nimi antoi ymmärtää. Paras kyseisen bändin albumi mitä generaattori on antanut! 3/5

Ei bändin parhaita, mutta yllättävän jees taas. Joku näissä toimii. 3.5/5.

En ollut kovinkaan vakuuttunut, mikään biiseistä ei sillee iske vaikka ihan letkeää onkin.

The last time I heard this album deeply was in 1996 when I was dating a girl from Tulsa whose daddy was a CEO at a big pharma company and now just as then, the music and the girl left a lot to be desired. A studio band a girl that were a veneer of what you hoped. Vapid. Light on content. Superficial.

Do you think Donald Fagan has a sexxy throat...? Not sure about his throat but whatever that thing is that makes his voice sound so sublime certainly is. I think Steely Dan is the Cinemax of Adult contemporary music. Just one step away from the 'brown chicken, brown cow' sounds of 70's, John Holmes and hairy soft porn. Stay classy, Steely.

I kept counting down, but ecstasy never arrived.

I’ve lamented a couple times that jazz isn’t really my thing. However when it’s fused into tightly arranged rock music, I’m down. Steely Dan have a meticulously organized sound. There are no loose ends. I have a strange album history with Steely Dan. I started with their Greatest Hits, then Alive In America, a live album. Then I bought their box set, Citizen: Steely Dan, which contains their first 7 studio albums on 4 discs plus a couple oddball tracks. I never owned any of their studio albums even though I had them all on the box set, which is strange to me at least. I’ve heard Bodhisattva hundreds of times and never realized how much I like the guitar solo leading up to the halfway point of the song. My Old School is the highlight of this album while Pear Of The Quarter is forgettable. Overall, this is one of my least favorite of Steely Dan’s first 7 albums, but it’s still enjoyable nonetheless.

I like Steely Dan. This album had a couple classics that I had never heard before, Bodhisattva and My Old School.

Pretty nice sounding music.

It got me moving and grooving on my dog walk yesterday!

My previous exposure to Steely Dan had only been through classic rock radio stations. It always felt too busy with so many layers it seemed like such a mess. What a difference listening with a pair of headphones made for me. I'm excited to check out the rest of their work.

Good

Good jam band album.

adjacent to something i would really like

Kjedelig

Lite engasjerande

I only knew Steely Dan from Reelin in the Years and the anecdote that the band name is in homage of a vibrator. To be honest, this album didn’t do much for me. I came in expecting stuff of Reelin in the Years’ quality and found it somewhat lacking. I didn’t find any of the songs standout, but I didn’t find anything I despised either: it’s just an album that exists. I also find most of the songs overly long. Fav Track: My Old School 3/5

Much better than I thought it was going to be. Show Biz Kids will always be the highlight, but the rest is pretty good.

Will you still have a song to sing when the razor boy comes and takes your fancy things away?

I’ve heard a few Steely Dan tunes and thought they were a bit so so. Listening to this through was great. I’m not a wordsmith so I’ll just say I was pleasantly surprised by this album and will be revisiting it. Great melodies and a nice chilled vibe with some quality guitar solos.

My first real encounter with Steely Dan was playing Bodhisattva on Rock Band. It quickly became one of my favourite songs in the games. The album in general isn't quite as strong for me as Aja, and mostly falls a bit flat after the opening track.

Much better and more listenable than 'Aja' which popped up earlier for me. Still can't totally lock in to Steely Dan, but appreciate the sense of humour and musicianship. I guess I signed them off too harshly with the other album I heard.

Steeley Dan just does not wow me.

Only know a few Steely Dan songs (all of which I enjoy) but wasn't familiar with this album at all. Overall it's a good album though I felt a lot of the early songs blended into one for me. Not bad but not really doing anything for me.

Excellent. I'm a convert.

Deez nuts

Stiliga daniel… de va hårt.. men int jätte… också första gången ja hör detta album…

It’s a testament to the quality of Steely Dan’s music that this is one of their weaker albums

Sw4g, svag 4

Haha, nice. I never did listen to song that The Man Don't Give A Fuck sampled. But Showbiz Kids is a cracker.

9/10. I really like Steely Dan, but it was a long time before I liked this album, and even now it is not my favorite. Most of the songs on this album have grown on me, but few of them need to be nearly as long as they are, which can make the album feel rather boring. Still, My Old School and King of the World do a lot of work to carry this album.

This grew on me so much in the past year. Must be because I got the Steely Dan T-shirt. 10/10

Absolute genius.

The jazz elements start to appear on Steely Dan's second album. Less poppier than their debut, they rock harder on this disc that they do at any time in their career. The cryptic lyrics are present, which are better suited for Donald Fagen than David Palmer (who left after the Countdown to Ecstasy) Bodhisattva is a stunning opening track and the band is running on all cylinders. This is also the last Steely Dan band album. The Fagen/Becker studio-craft took over after this. Steely Dan would continue to morph throughput the 70s, but always maintained a very high level.

I love this album. Really strong opening track -- Bodhisttva. For years I thought they were saying Old Disciple! My Old School is a classic as is Show Biz Kids. Still this isn't my favorite Steely Dan album, The Royal Scam is. I was shocked when I checked the index that that one didn't even make the list. It should!

A unique sounding album with some fantastic guitar playing. My favorite songs were “My Old School” ( both of my friends who went to hard transferred out) and “The Boston Rag” which really wowed me in its arrangement.

Feel like I maybe missed a trick with this one, but I found this deeply forgettable.

Steely Dan just don't miss

*oh hello reference*

I enjoyed this one a lot more than Aja

It sounds so professional, well played and produced, superlatively smooth with intelligent insightful lyrics but for the life of me I can't find a hook or anything catchy after 2 listens. No singles and no hits which isn't a problem with some artists who aren't setting out to do that so i'm not sure what happened.

Rock setentero con algún toque de jazz. Me ha gustado. Un 4.

6/4/2022 - ALBUM #128 Today's Album: "Countdown To Ecstasy" by Steely Dan - Steely Dan is always a name that I had heard in passing when talking about music and I know that he plays a really essential role in the evolution of soft rock, but the only song I knew by him was dirty work, which is a great track off of the album before this one. I'll save my thoughts on that song until I review that album, but suffice it to say that this album gave me everything I wanted and more out of what I had grown to expect from Steely Dan. The way the piano plays a large role in many of the tracks and the presence of brass and sax in the mix gives his music a really unique taste to it and he just has that classic sort of songwriting you heard in older outfits while bringing his own flair to it. Sprinkled throughout the album, but mostly present in the standout tracks Bodhisattva and My Old School, there are really fantastic solos all around the band. The production and mixing is top notch and each song feels really cohesive and well build, even if most of them don't keep my attention super well. The songwriting is just overall really charming and the really charismatic vocals back that up really well. I like a lot of the chorus vocals incorporated into these songs and when the band just feels really tight all around. There are plenty of shimmering highlights instrumentally and pretty much every chorus is good enough to get stuck way up in your brain. Overall, this is just a really fun pop-rock album from one of the most inventive song-writers of the era. Give this one a listen if you like soft rock or have ever heard the name Steely Dan and wondered, "Why does everyone care about this guy's music?" Highlights: Bodhisattva, Razor Boy, The Boston Rag, Show Biz Kids, My Old School, Pearl Of The Quarter, King Of The World. Score: 8/10 Effortlessly Enjoyable

It was alright. Has a real '70s feel to it. I did not skip any songs although I am confused on why there are 3 Steely Dan albums on this list.

Really great album.

Album titles that tend to over-promise and under-deliver on content certainly impacts the rating here. Ecstatic, ecstasy, are failed promises here. Perhaps if on ecstasy the experience would come through, but alas, there is none. Musically, their talent is undeniable and the objective part of this review is going endorse them as a very well executed band. The album though is not spectacular, it is just a good album. Not necessarily one that a listener would rave over, and not necessarily one that a listener would decry as being terrible. It is that happy medium where a half-star capability would be nice. The album is a 2.5, but it is good enough to where rounding upwards is appropriate.

3.1 - Why even listen to yacht rock if there aren’t any singalong hits? That’s what makes “Can’t Buy A Thrill” so much fun. I have little interest in hearing these dudes noodle about transcendental Buddhism (“Bodhisattva”).

The songs themselves aren’t as interesting as their other releases, but they are the best sounding band I have ever listened to. Worth the listen always!

Steely Dan are always a guarantee for good, light hearted, easy.lsitening music and this album is no difference

I find Steely Dan to be technically boring, but perfectly serviceable cooking & doing the dishes music

Ovo isto sto je rijana rekla. Facts.

dobar album, sviđa mi se, ali nije na nivou Aje.

Pola, oke

🤌🤌🤌

This was fine just went on a bit.

Vraiment nice, de bins jams, bonne tounes, tres musicale. Je me tanne pas decouter ce style de musique. Cest 4.95 mIs pour la note

Blandy McBlandface

Audio equivalent of a sensory deprivation tank. It nothing’d me.

a countdown that never reaches blast-off

Just sublime piece of West Coast Rock - and the lyrics...

7/10 Best song - Show Biz Kids

Classic rock with the simple yet refreshing rock formula, no tracks stander out for me but I still enjoyed the record! I’ve got nothing against steely Dan

dan the mannnn

Already listened to it

A bit rushed, no? Mind you, we spend forever and a day complaining about the perfectionism on Aja, so, you know, dismounting high horses and all that.

It's not super for me, it feels like some real old man music. And like no disrespect it just sounds pretty old.

Alright. Not as good as Pretzel Logic. None of the songs are bad, but there's not some huge hit that will blow your mind here. It's all quite safe dad rock you hear on the radio. I mean I guess I can't complain, the title only mentioned a countdown. Maybe the ecstasy in question is their next project, which just happens to be Pretzel Logic. I really like Pretzel Logic, have I mentioned that already.

I just like later Streely Dan better than their early stuff. It’s fun enough though.

A few good songs reminded me of high school

Another classic rocker that I don't know too much about from the name and a few hits. This was a fun album and really leaned into those rock roots. Felt like a mix of Lynard Skynard, Eagles, and others of that era. I thought Show Biz Kids was a cool one but nothing made too big an impression.

Steely Dan, a band that seems to have a cult following spanning so many odd generations of people, and I've never quite gotten into them. I can think of two songs I know, and they aren't on here. This is a decent project, a couple tracks I'll keep but I still don't quite see the appeal. Maybe it would be more obvious on a different album? I'd put money down betting we'll get another album so let's wait and find out. Favorite tracks: My Old School, The Boston Rag. Album art: Cool art, if not a little unsettling. Some alien looking men in chairs, some more alien looking creatures walking behind them. I have no idea what I'm looking at and I like it. 3/5

Maybe their smoothest and therefore most perfect jazz-pop fusion. Maybe their most pop. Maybe their least jazz. Maybe the other way round. Maybe neither. It's impossible to say. Their career is one long "what is this?" moment. When things get impossibly smooth, they slip in a knotty something-or-other solo. When they get too abstruse, they break out a magical hook. Admittedly, some of those hooks are hardly transparent. "Can you show me Bodhisattva," say, or "She said, 'Oh no, Guadalajara won't do.'" But they're so perfectly harmonised, and so full of joy, that they sound like they make perfect sense.

Always found these guys too precious.

Actually almost rocks a bit at times. I prefer it to Can't Buy a Thrill (especially the way you can look at the album cover without having to regret that you have eyes), though I still don't care for it that much; the same sort of smugness permeates this album just like the first, and the line about "the Steely Dan t-shirt" in "Show Biz Kids" does have a certain acidity to it, but possibly not in the way Becker & Fagen intended...

Exquisite

Very good, remember that from my youth (i'm not 60)

listened to again jazzy grooves, i love it

Jolly good fun!

Classic Steely Dan

Already listened to it

good

This was alright, a pretty chill vibe for the album and some nice instrumentals. Overall thought it was just kinda fine nothing too special.

Solid album, there were some quite catchy songs and I appreciate the instrumentation a lot. Felt a bit too flashy at times though, probably 3.5/5

as they always do, Steely Dan do not disappoint this time

Easy listen, good background music

Through the vivid melodies and smooth grooves it's easy to overlook the darkness of these lyrics, How they navigate through the themes of drug abuse (Boston Rag), class envy (Your Gold Teeth), post-nuclear devastation (King Of The World), and Material possession (Bodhisattva) is prodigious. I’m really surprised at how much I liked this. Bodhisattva, Boston Rag , Show Biz Kids , My Old School , Pearl Of The Quarter are my personal favourites from the album.

Not quite 10/10.

First thing from them I haven't minded.

Decent listen. Some great songs but some poor ones too

Loved 1st track in particular. Almost a 4 but not sure how likely I'm going to go back to listen.

This album comes out of the gate hot, but kind of looses steam for me throughout. Still a great album with amazing musicians. Any chance to listen to steely Dan is a good time.

comfort album

Considering where this band got their name, this album was rather a let-down. I’m not quite old enough for this stuff to be nostalgia-triggering, and I don’t find much about this that I actually enjoy. Bland tunes, a voice I barely noticed and lyrics that didn’t really grab me. My Old School put me in mind of Minder and it’s theme tune. That’s about all I can remember about this, tbh. Countdown to the end of the album, more like. Not for me.

A little too clever and knowing. I like my music dumbed down. There's some great musicianship and production, if that's your kind of thing. I quite enjoyed the riff on Boston Rag. But it's hardly Teenage Kicks.

My first time listening to these guys. Yes, I can see that they have some good songs, but I am neither excited nor regretting that I hadn’t listened this until now. Am I a weird person? Or the question is, am I not weird enough to be fascinated by Steely Dan?

It was ok, but not my thing. It would be unfair to give it a high or low score. The production was good thou

Often faded into the background but pleasing nevertheless

Great vibes in this album. I've not listened to a ton of Steely Dan but really enjoyed this.

Steely Dan has so many cool harmonies and great use of keyboard in their sound. It’s relaxing but also complex. The definition of Yacht Rock which is right up my alley.

Really wanted to 4 star this because "My Old School" was a banger, especially that breakdown w/ cowbell and all... but the rest didn't live up.

Love Steely Dan. This album is pedestrian

3.5/5. This was good, and just about what I expected. This is not my favorite Steely Dan album I've heard, but it is definitely enjoyable.

Who knew I'd like a Steely Dan Album.

Incredible blend of rock and jazz

Listened to it and then completely forgot about it. So obviously wasn’t so bad that I noticed, but also not good either

Takie pitu pitu

Reconheci o primeira música, mas esperava mais das camadas de jazz.

p301, 1973. 2 stars. Early hipster jazz-rock. Look how well we can play our instruments! Look how fast we can go! Look how precise we are! Look at the polish and sheen and shiny chrome! All at the expense of any emotion or feeling. It doesn't help that Donald Fagin sounds stoned on every track. And it has an electric piano ffs. The entire album sounds like something you'd hear in the lift or restaurant in an expensive hotel. Technically excellent, but zero heart or soul. 2 stars for some sharp lyrics and for the guitar work, even if that does stray into 70's "look how fast I can play" wankage a lot of the time. Thank god for punk.

This is the first Steely Dan album I've actually enjoyed. The guitar has more of a hard rock tone and the music is less atonal overall. Still not my jam, but I'm glad to see they have diversity.

It's interesting that there were no hit singles from this album. There were no songs that I had known from it. However, I have always loved Steely Dan, and despite being wary of the unknown, I loved this whole album. I understand that there wasn't a standout song, but that also strengthened the idea that the whole thing was consistently wicked-good.

I was only vaguely familiar with a couple of tracks on this album. It sounded just like Steely Dan... I enjoy the jazz-infused rock. I wasn't quite over the moon with this one, but it is pleasant.

Yep. That's 41 minutes of Steely Dan, all right. I love the cover art.

I REALLY love this album! I probably have heard a few of the songs before, but they all felt new to me and I didn’t immediately recognize any of them. “Bhodhisattva” sets things off on a perfect, quasi-religious tone! Really awesome start to the album. ‘And I'll be there to shine in your Japan To sparkle in your China, yes, I'll be there.’ There’s a great guitar ending to “The Boston Rag” that I loved. “Show Biz Kids” is really good. Could there be a more perfect Steely Dan song than “My Old School”? I REALLY love this song! “Pearl of the Quarter” and “King of the World” are also awesome. These guys have super talent, incredible wit, and a cynicism enveloping smooth, jazzy songs that you only think are going down easy. The world and I are both in a place where this seems to be the perfect tone. How interesting that it comes from a 50 year old album.

Förväntade mig steely. Fick steely. Mer bops än väntat. Känner mig lite kd idag så den får bara en

PANG-Album rätt igenom

Det var väl bra, typ?

det var bra. inte så polerat kanske men.

I've heard a lot about Steely Dan and their production quality/perfection. I really want to dedicate more time to this album, but have now gone through it 3 times, playing in the background while I work. It's fine, but didn't stand out. Maybe this would change with nice headphones and a dedicated 40 minutes to do nothing but listen, but that's just not how I consume music.... All that said, these 3 stars are more a reflection on me, and less on them. Unless they deserve 3 stars, and then it's totally them.

I notice the social commentary much more than on albums I’m slightly more familiar with. This was nice and pleasant, but hardly any of the catchiness of other stuff by them.

Pretty great second album after an amazing debut album

Ziemlich belangloser Jazz-Rock ohne wirkliche Höhepunkte.

boring. grandpas music.

Not for me mate.

I liked this one! There were some good songs in there. King of the World was the standout for me.

Not my bag. Experimental rock with jazz influences…

I listened to the entire album and realized once I got to the end that I hadn't formed an opinion on it at all. Thinking critically about it, there are some great songs on here that are a joy to listen to, and it starts off great with 'Bodhisattva', but the middling parts of the album are just so middling that they left almost zero long-term impression. Great vocals; they definitely are talented, no question about that. So, in short, good vocals, good instrumentals, low remembrance.

Great

Prima maar niet heel bijzonder, beetje herhalend

really makes you understand what a jam band is

Not for me. Pretty dull.

Gustoso. Non so se l'avrei altrettanto apprezzato se non avessi prima sentito Aja, ma vabbè. Figo.

las wages las wages las wages las wages la- oh snap did Donald say the f word??

I couldn't really find anything that stood out to me about this album. Not bad but not really my thing.

Feels like Todd Rundgren with a bit of the uniqueness sapped away, not a bad album but not particularly exciting either.

I can appreciate the technical aspects of this album, but blimey it's boring.

Kinda ok. JBW obvi hated it

It was a Steely Dan album, meaning it was really good. Not sure I would come back to this one over Aja but definitely a worthwhile listen for fans. 3.5/5

It's a quick shot, barely ten seconds. "I'm a fool-to-dooo your-dir-ty work, oh yeaaaaah! I don't want-to-dooo your dirty-work, no mo-o-ore." It's nighttime, the radio plays an old Steely Dan hit, and Tony Soprano is singing at the wheel as he drives somewhere. The endearing yet sociopathic mob boss has the same bored, weary eyes as ever, but that scene is probably the closest thing in the whole series to a moment showing him having the time of his life. Tony knows them oldies-but-goldies standards. And he knows it's always deeply pleasurable to sing along to one of those as they pop up between Journey and Cream on the car's radio. The thing is, would Tony Soprano enjoy *Countdown To Ecstasy* in the exact same way he enjoyed the early hits from Steely Dan's debut, *Can't Buy A Thrill*? Probably not. Very much a transitional effort leading the L.A. band towards the more refined soft-rock soundscapes for which they'll later be known for, *Countdown To Ecstasy* is maybe too sophisticated and left-field for Tony's more immediate, impulsive, 'it's-either-hit-or-miss', tastes. Not that Steely Dan would have cared, at least at the time. Having dumped co-singer/songwriter David Palmer (of "Dirty Work" fame) for this second album, now penning cryptic lyrics with a somewhat dystopian flavor (in keeping with the William Burroughs influence on their band's name), and electing for an ethereal cover that would nicely fit in Brian Eno's discography, Donald Fagen and Walter Becker took very much of a gamble here, even if the years that have passed since 1973 might have erased the extent in which those risks were actually *that* bold. First listens today indeed suggest Steely Dan was mostly a band perfectly content to rely on their earlier charts success and technical prowess to write and perform quite innocuous songs ranging from old rock'n'roll, country and rhythm and blues. Admittedly, they did spice things up by adding a fashionable form of prog-rock once in a while. If only said prog-rock didn't sound so irremediably tame compared to the Floyd or Can, this could have well turned up as a lengendary endeavor. Not in here, though, unfortunately. Such harsh preliminary assessment might not be the full picture, however. As subsequent spins soon reveal, this missed opportunity might actually be a blessing in disguise for amateurs of truly *original* sounds. And playing a huge part in this overall originality, you have the jazz inflexions throughout the album, either in the instrumentation (those vibes in "Razor Boy") or the chord changes, bringing a welcome uneasiness and chiaruscoro ambiguity to the whole shebang, very much in line with the dystopian atmoshere already evoked earlier. Opener "Bodhisattva" is a very striking example of such artful sprinklings. Starting as an old R'n'R standard not sounding too fresh or daring these days, with a vocal hook even bordering on parody or muzak, the track's five minutes still fly by, thanks to those unexpected chord changes, along with slyly imaginative bridges and a synth part whose glossy crispness does a great job as it finally circles around you like a flock of pixellated sparrows, forcing you to let your guard down in front of their aerial spectacle. If this is elevator music (make no mistake, it very much *is*), this might be the sort of elevator music you can hear in Stephen King's "dark tower", granted such tower has an elevator in the first place (can't recall, does it?). The irony that you felt under the surface at the start of the song ends up screaming at you toward its end, and quickly, you begin to reconsider how performative the track really is. Is this stuff *cheesy* music? Or is it a *semblance* of cheesy music, with a more sophisticated agenda behind it, even more shrewd and cunning given that Steely Dan have more or less managed to hide their true game until the very last minute? Retrospectively, it seems that Fagen and Becker have always aimed at straddling that fine line, being the sly, witty bastards that they are. Fans sometimes see in Steely Dan things that non-fans are unable to imagine or even comprehend while listening to their music for the first time. Sometimes it just takes one weird, off-kilter note in a guitar or keyboard solo to change the picture, as in the hard-bop but otherwise predictable and standardized "Your Gold Teeth". Other times, you find yourself being entranced by the implacable grooves of the rhythm section, even though the rest of the instrumentation sounds a little too nice and dandy overall. Not to say 'bland'. You know this is imaginative writing here, no matter what. Too bad you can't *feel* it sometimes. As a consequence, one could easily argue that the prog-rock flavors in Steely Dan's music would have gained from being a little more pronounced than they actually were. Or that a true manifestation of genuine psychedelia during those very specific forays would have helped them faring better today, at least. But maybe it is unfair to compare apples and oranges, and expect from Fagen and Becker a program that was far too much in line with their contemporary day and age--it's a program the band visibly had no genuine interest in, for better or for worse. And ironically, Steely Dan's overall sound was nothing but ahead of the curve in 1973, foretelling the set of styles countless "mainstream" soft rock bands would embrace later on, from Eagles to Supertramp (not to mention other 'neat-sounding' acts even further down the line, during the eighties--Dire Straits, anyone?). Yet there is *another* layer of irony to point out, at least from our vantage point in the 21st century, and this one is far more cruel than the first. None of those groundbreaking aspects objectively present during the course of *Countdown To Ecstasy* are easily discernible today, after all that has transpired since. The music is good in this album, there's no arguing about that. But whether it is still *relevant* remains to be seen. A good chunk of the tracks are saving the record from complete stylistic oblivion though, first because Steely Dan's pop-leaning, post-modernist agenda actually does conceptual wonders from time to time. Or, on the contrary, because the band *also* knew how to drop that agenda in key points of the record so as to focus on the music first and foremost. The mock-country highlight "Pearl Of The Quarter" for instance, is a convincing exercise in style, with its evocative albeit over-the-top steel guitar. And "Show Biz Kids" is a somewhat linear, overlong jam that's probably a little too on-the-nose, but it's stiil part of that interesting postmodern group of songs, thanks to its wry lyrics about poverty (and the fact that "Steely Dan T-shirts" won't save you from it). If nothing else, such attempts are showing how smart and topically meaningful the band actually intended to be. And in the more straightforward tracks, you have rhythm 'n blues homages such as "My Old School", whose Motown-sounding backing vocals suffuse much needed life to the proceedings. But most of all, you have two stunners, not hits per se, but still the liveliest tracks of the whole program. As a centerpiece of the record, "The Boston Rag"' evokes a sense of nostalgia only belied by the animated performance that supports it. And closer "King Of The World" is an apt, skittering conclusion for the countdown uttered in the album's title, a promised "ecstasy" here tainted by heartbreaking descriptions of a post-nuclear America where said "kings of the world" are actually none but a scattered group of survivors slowly dying from radiation poisoning. From the barren realm of The Dark Towers, we've plunged right into the waste lands of The Stand, but the overall effect is the same. And yes, the shakespearian references do help set the appropriate, despondent mood, finally revealing that the titular countdown was nothing but a countdown to nuclear annihilation. I bet not a lot of listeners saw that one coming, whether today or at the time--even though the cover was an ominous sign of the disaster about to surge. *Gravity's Rainbow*'s Thomas Pynchon, would surely have appreciated such a nice touch here. Wasn't Pynchon's mammoth published in 1973 anyway? If a rock album cover could have been used for thsi novel, the one of *Countdown To Ecstasy* would have done a fine job paying homage to its grim-but-carnival-like contents, if not the music itself. To be honest, however, all the tragic post-apocalyptic memorabilia displayed by Fagen in that song is NOT the first reason why the latter should be singled out, along with "The Boston Rag". The real reason is simple, as simple as a back-to-basics New Jersey mob boss's playlist. And the reason is that those tracks are catchy and direct enough to allow you to sing along to them, in spite of the other jazzy flourishings out there. This does not lessen the other merits of "King Of The World", and yes indeed, the admirable guitar interlacing in its introduction is still very much in keeping with the other sophisticated arrangements thoughout the album. But here you have that extra cherry on the cake, and you can eat it too: a glorious, roaring, heartfelt, take-no-quarters chorus. Sometimes Tony Sopranos was right, at least when it came to music. It's not always necessary to split hairs if you want to have a good time. Life's too short for this, with or without a nuclear apocalypse looming on the horizon. [[Number of albums I listened to from the list: 3 Albums left to listen to: 998 Number of albums I've found genuinely relevant: 0 Number of different albums you should *probably* listen to before you die: 1 (so counting this one out, maybe) Number of different albums you should *definitely* listen to before you die: 2]

Ya es el segundo disco que me sugieren de este artista y sigue sin entrarme. No más, por favor. No obstante, The Boston Rag es un temazo.

A pretty decent album.

I dig it

Groovy.

Mijn ding wel mooi rustig 70 rock

Standout tracks: The Boston Rag; Your Gold Teeth Skipped Tracks: King of the World Summary: It's a musician's band, and I'm more of a lyricist so its never going to be my favourite. However, it's a good vibe! They are a very good musician's band! Same rating as Pixies but almost for different reasons. Pixies are closer to my preferred genres, but I just can't quite love them, but Steely Dan is really different to my preferred genres, and yet I'm not mad at it, so it's kind of more of an achievement. King of the World ruined it for me though.

Drugi na liscie i drugi w dyskografii, mam nadzieje, ze rowniez nie ostatni material Steely Danow na liscie, nadal jest grane w podobnym klimacie, ale w troche innym skladzie, nie ma juz Palmera, wiec cale wokale naleza do Fagena, dodatkowo album nagrywany w trasie koncertowej, wiec nie jest az tak dopieszczony pod wzgledem masteringu jak cant buy a thrill czy kolejny plyty danowe, ale jak dla mnie najwazniejsze, ze ostal sie ten estetyzm ktory byl juz widoczny na debiutanckim materiale, polaczony z lirykami przepelnionymi sardonicznoscia, ktorej nie brakuje na tej plycie, stanowi o mnie to cos za co uwielbiam ich materialy, nawet bardziej niz perfekcjonizm brzmienia do jakiego daza w swej muzyce, glowne motywy sa zblizone do tego co mozna uslyszec na poprzednim albumie, wiec zarty na ludziach, czy to szukajacych swojej drogi zycia w ucieczce na wschod, jak na otwierajacym bodhisattva, fajnie jest pokazane jak szukanie czegos orginalnego i duchowego sprowadza sie czesto do odcinania kuponow przez kogos kto wykorzystuje taki trend, podobnie w razor boyu, ktory szuka siebie w materializmie i dobrach doczesnych, takie zestawienie obok siebie dwoch kawalkow pokazuje jak obie drogi sa beznadziejne, jest gemblingowanie zlotymi zebami, narkotyki w starej szkole, dziwkowanie w nowy orleanie, czy post apokaliptyczny survival LA, wiec duet jak zawsze nie zawodzi lirycznie i potrafi pisac kawalki ktorych da sie sluchac wielokrotnie wynajdujac w nich coraz to nowe odcienie szarosci, nigdy sie nie zastanawialem jak tym listowal ich albumy, ale sluchajac countdowna, ktory jakos nigdy nie byl mi bliski, to wiem, ze byloby to pierunsko trudne zadanie, bo skala ocen zamykalaby sie pomiedzy 4-5, na plejke dodam otwierajacego bodhisattve jako najbardziej jazzowo zinfluencjowany kawalek i your gold teeth, a calosc leci na poleczke spotifajowa

Good. Fun. One of my favorites so far

I've written before about how much I admire and love Steely Dan. This album, only their second studio album, contains some outstanding songs with the typical elite-level musicianship, obtuse and ironic (and often funny) lyrics, and great energy. Portends the string of albums to follow that I listen to frequently. [Yes, I know: Becker & Fagen, the songs they write, the musicians they bring in, and Fagen's voice aren't for everybody; I'm simply reporting my experience of their music, which I find in a league of its own.]

Another rock sold album from SD. A handful of legendary classics. Love it when they veer into jazz like they do on a few tracks.

Two Steely Dan albums in a row! And in chronological order no less. This is where they really start to refine their sound. Not a dud in the bunch here. I see some people disparagingly calling this "dad rock" but I think that's a pretty big misnomer. Cheese this ain't.

Maybe it's just my mood but I was jiving much more to this than Can't Buy A Thrill. Really liked Your Gold Teeth. I don't think I was listening with headphones before which probably wasn't doing it any favors. Between the two albums I can give this a 4, not all exactly my thing but I see it, I see it.

A fine collection of Yachty delights

Steely Dan is one of the best things to come out of this list for me. Perfect meld of Dad Rock, Yacht Rock, and Psychadelia.

Fínasta Steely popp.

Strangely, but I liked it

Dad rock vibes, but not NEARLY as basic as other dad rock. Pleasant and interesting, just wish it was longer. 6/10.

Wel oke

Rock setentero con algún toque de jazz. Me ha gustado.

Un poco rollo. No me ha llamado la atención.

meh

Bangers.

[Rubs hands together in aniticipation] Ohhhhhh man. This record. I love it. It's one of my favorite records from one of my favorite bands. Before I go any further, let me just say its a five. No question. The single "My Old School" is one of my faves from the Dan's greatest hits. But the real gem here is "King of the World" which might be my favorite song by the band. The concept of the song is great - last many on earth is king of the world. The western-style but totally weird guitar on "Razor Boy" is a highlight too. This record is the band at an early stage before everything in the studio became pristine and perfect. Still feels like a band of humans playing totally live, instead of a bunch of androids playing live like on Aja. Also want to talk about the cover art. Front cover is a really interesting water color that looks like it is water damaged, which has a cool effect on a record sleeve. Looks broken in already....ha. And the back cover photo of the band in the studio...who wouldn't want to be there!!?? I don't think this record is particularly loved so I'm optimistic that we'll see more Steely Dan on this list. All of their records (sans Pretzel Logic) deserve a place on this list.

So - like Chicago without the horn section? I never really listened to Steely Dan much (I'm not big into the jazz/rock/fusion stuff), but this was a really solid album. It's really well produced, the arrangements are cool, the melodies are interesting, and there are some really great guitar tones.

The great famous rock and roll.

Knew the name Steely Dan but not too much of his music. Super noodly guitar riffs, enjoyable but wont come back to it much.

Forgettable

I was wondering where I had heard of this specific album, but then after listening to it, I remembered. It was in the dictionary, under the definition of the word "Mediocre".

I guess they’re saving all the ecstasy for their next album? Very meh. Unremarkable.

Countdown to Ecstasy flew by in terms of time. Loved Bodhisattva and My Old School. Great guitars, keyboarda and vocals. Only a couple of songs I wasn't a fan of but six ones I did enjoy.

Sounded fresh for the early 70's, nothing really stood out though.

All kinds of interesting genre mixing going on and I have to acknowledge the great technical skill on display. But as a matter of taste I just don't really like it.

I was so very excited based on the album cover and name. Maybe a song in I forgot I was listening, and didn't notice when the album ended and Niel Young came on.

Yet another timeless classic of Steely Dan. Great Jazz rock with intriguing lyrics. Highlights are "Bodhisattva", "The Boston Rag" and "My Old School".

Nice easy listening. Could put on and relax and zone out.

Steely Dan for sure. Show Biz Kids my favorite track. Raw and some songs go on a bit longer than I'd like

Not bad

I've listened to "Aja" LOTS before but haven't really checked out their older stuff, besides their first release, so I was a bit surprised at how their sound in this album. It of course maintains the cynicism of Donald Fagan's voice, which is signature to the band, but it adheres more to "straightforward" pop, like their first album. Personally I like the jazzier stuff of theirs, but this is good too.

5: Bodhisattva, My Old School, 4: Razor Boy, Your Gold Teeth, Show Biz Kids, 3: Boston Rag, Pearl of the Quarter, King of the World

groovy with some tasty solos

Nothing against Steely Dan, but this is not their best work.

Loved it

Nice to hear Steely Dan again. I like this album better, the songs are a bit longer, seem to be more developed. Bodhisattva Vow is one of my favorite non-radio hits of theirs, so I will always give this a high ranking. I should just break down and get all of their stuff.

I've always liked Bodhisattva and the start of My Old School is great (perfect Steely Dan funk). There are some great funk pieces in other songs and some nice musicianship, but I don't like this album as much as some of their others. Most of the songs felt at least a minute too long. I could've done without some of the decadence for a tighter package.

This is the most solid of the Steely Dan albums that are on this list. The album has a good balance between jazz and rock never letting the rock aspect get too overtaken by the jazz. Amazing guitar work like usual and solid song-writing. I think they peaked on this album although I still enjoy their later work especially Gaucho.

This is the third Steely Dan album we've had so far (their second chronologically) and I've definitely learned I really like Steely Dan. I liked them before this 1001 Albums thing, but I can't say I listened to their albums closely before - mostly just listened to best of. There's so much I like. Every time they break into an instrumental section, I know I'm going to enjoy it and the songs have such a great groove. Favorite songs on the album: "Bodhisattva" - love the guitar and keys interplay. "The Boston Rag" - the chorus is very CSNY. Great guitar solo. "Show Biz Kids" - Love the beat and the chorus. Of course, I love the repeated "Las Wages" line. Also, did they play a snippet of Reelin' in the Years after the line "They got the Steely Dan t-shirt"? "My Old School" - classic Steely Dan. Great stuff. Easy 5.

4/5

I mean, I've loved this album for years, so. This is not going to be an objective rating. All the reasons people tend to not like Steely Dan are the reasons I like them, I think. I know every song on every album. I mean, My Old School is a pretty great song however you cut it. It is what it is.

Baby's first Steely Dan album, maybe the least satisfying from their initial run, save perhaps their debut. And yet, guess what? It's five stars from me, because it's Steely fucking Dan

This is music for the whitest of white people, isn’t it? I’ve never listened to an entire album by Steely Dan before and I’m all but positive this means we’ll be seeing that Aja record. I don’t mind this stuff; the guitar work is impressive and I get that there’s overall some good musicianship here. But it just doesn’t seem to go for any big emotional moments at all. Like, if I have a choice between listening to this or any of the early Yes records, I’m picking the Yes records every single time. On repeat.

I like their style

The best of the early Steely Dan albums. I enjoy 'Countdown To Ecstasy' so much more than 'Can't Buy A Thrill' or 'Pretzel Logic'. Their obtuse lyrics laced with their usual acerbic wit are still present coupled with their unique brand of soft rock, but the music is overtly jazzier here, more so than either of the two albums that bookend this one. Fagen and Becker were also apparently unhappy with some of the performances on the record and believed that it sold poorly because it had been recorded hastily on tour. And yet I disagree with them. For me, ‘Countdown to Ecstasy’ succeeds in-spite of and because it wasn’t quite as polished and meticulous as some of their other efforts.

Quite jazzy, not what I was expecting

Really not my cup of tea. Ray seventies soft rock at its worst!

Some lift music at certain points but also some brilliant guitar riffs

Groovy and distinctive sound with some nice numbers throughout. Just missing the wow factor.

I'm only really familiar with Steely Dan's greatest hits collection and with that I found a handful of amazing tracks mixed in with a collection of wishy-washy ones. The same can be said about this studio album.

Definitely no Aja

Love it. 4/5

Steely Dan are one of those bands that become a lot more fascinating when you read a bit about them rather than instantly dismissing them like I have been guilty of on this list. Absolute perfectionists, true musicians musicians and it shows in the production and songwriting. Apparently this is one of there worse albums as it was recorded on tour, I look forward to finding some of the others in the generator!

Like a jazzier Thin Lizzy. Sometimes the groovy noodling got a bit tiresome and aimless, although there are some strong vocal hooks that stuck in my head too. When King of the World finished Spotify played it again, and I let it. That speaks poorly of Spotify's algorithms but highly of the track, I think. I never reached ecstasy, but to be fair this album only ever promised a countdown. The pressure's on the next album to provide it though.

I've listened to it twice and disliked. Disliked it the first time. Disliked it more the second. Also, my father-in-law LOVES Steeley Dan. Which may also play into my opinion

George St Geegland vibes

Steely Dan is just at this intersection between prog (my jam) and easy listening (not my jam) that does not do it for me.

Not the very best Steely Dan album but it’s still Steely Dan.

прикольная, в меру сложная, много риффов, разных мелодий, есть синтезаторы, старый теплый звучок

Bright, nice, even my mother would have liked it.

Of the three Steely Dan albums I’ve heard from this project, this one sits as an easy favorite. Fun, thoughtful, exciting musicianship. Too polished, but that’s always my issue with steely Dan. Boddhisattva in particular was an amazing highlight. Fuck, I don’t like how much I like it. I really have transformed into a dad.

It is so easy to listen to, but doesn't feel all that punchy. Not a lot to bite honestly.

Very good, but not totally captivating. Favorite track is Bring Back the Boston Rag

This album was mostly enjoyable. My favourite songs are Show Biz Kids, My Old School and the closing track King Of The World. But I wasn't that big a fan of some of the other tracks. 4/5 stars.

Not SD's best, but has some real faves like Bodhisattva and My Old School.

Steely Dan and their SUPREME rota of studio musicians had such an inimitable sound across their studio albums and, while this isn't my favourite SD album (that'd be a toss up between their debut and Aja), it still yields aural treasure on every repeat listen.

Steely Dan sind einfach großartig. Reicht nicht ganz an die Pretzel Logic ran.

Fine

Surprised by the range of influences on this LP, but a bit disappointed in how monotonous the album becomes after the first few tracks

Hell ya some steely Dan! I wish I had heard this before Aja as I think this is a great intro to Steely Dan. It’s slightly jazzy and proggy, but still has catchy tunes. King of the world doesn’t sit with me right as an album closer

“Countdown to Ecstasy” by Steely Dan (1973) I was attracted to Steely Dan as soon as I became aware of the sexual innuendo in the meaning and derivation of the band’s name. I liked being ‘in on the joke’. It was something you couldn’t discuss in mixed company, at least back in the 1970s. But I always thought their best stuff was the music that didn’t get played on the radio. The more they leaned toward pop, the less attention they paid to experimental composition. And the less attention I paid to them. Now, since this album produced no hits, perhaps it’s the best of their best. There’s plenty of contempt, erotic subtext, judgment, erudition—just the thing for college students, especially for those (like me) who were starstruck by the the idea that by mastering the liberal arts we could harness success. We were idiots. This is music by and for the cool kids whose parents actually paid for their upper crust education. That’s not a knock. It’s just context for their smugness. It was quite appealing to me in my early twenties, not so much in my sixties. Do we really any longer care (“My Old School”) about the late 1960s relative status of Bard and William & Mary? They’re both woke now. This album is full of good music. Dual lead guitar riffs are colorful—solo lines are clean and well played, and the jazz keyboard contributions excel. The instrumental passages are wonderful. And the instantly recognizable vocal harmonies carry a lot of freight in these songs. They do tend to overuse the typical Steely Dan chord progressions. Jazzy enough, but enough is enough. “Bodhisattva” is a mockery of the fascination young Americans had with the deformed pop Buddhism of Alan Watts. But its lack of resolution leaves you dangling. “Razor Boy” (the Grim Reaper, wink, wink) is another cleverly condescending advice song. “King of the World”, a suitable closing track, is a post-apocalyptic romp that actually sounds like the amateur radio ambience in which it’s situated. Give it a listen. This is good jazz/pop fusion, but its musically limited scope and lyrical immaturity make fit for an only occasional visit. 3/5

The album name is exceptionally appropriate as it never actually manages to reach a climax, just slowly builds to what one assumes is one. Maybe it's performance anxiety. I hear it's very common.

Another excellent Steely Dan entry. No classic tracks like Can't Buy a Thrill or Aja, but My Old School is the catchiest. As always, there's a strong jazz element fused soft rock, with this album relying heavily on electric instruments, including the synths, which makes for some interesting jazzy-electric solos. All the tracks are great but nothing extraordinary.

Pretty boring.

The third Steely Dan album we've gotten. I think they're really good, but don't seem them as quite that monumental... still, this is very good jazzy hard rock and I enjoyed listening to the album.

A lot nicer than I thought it would be. I'm probably not listening to this album again, but can't say I wasted my time checking it out

Not bad at all. Love Steely Dan!

didn't hate it but didn't love it either...

Like the vibes but not my favorite Steely Dan album

I can respect their talent as songwriters. Not my style though.

was aight. i like the rock.jazz vibes pretty cool

Rockin

Didn’t enjoy it…never have been a fan

Quite pleasant like it more than I thought I would.