Reviews (page 8 of 9)
Clearly excellent musicians but it lacks any great numbers - all countdown no ecstasy for me!! Would make nice lift music..
Pretty good - for elevator music.
Just too bland for me.
If steely dan tried to be more bland
No no no. Repetetive rubbish.
Second Steely Dan album I encounter on this list, and I’m starting to develop a violent allergy to this band. I truly don’t get the hype. It’s bland, generic and boring. It’s not even dad rock, it’s the musical equivalent of dining on a glass of water and a slice of white bread. People seem to praise their special blend of rock and jazz, but I love rock and jazz, and I only found residual traces of them in this album. Even more than the music, I find the affected, upbeat singing absolutely excruciating. I felt like I was trapped in an endless mall where every shop was exactly the same, full of automatons with painted smiles trying to sell me canned happyness. If that’s "ecstasy", please give me torture. Ok, I’ll admit the album as a whole wasn’t as terrible as Aja. "Boston Rag" was kind of ok, and "Show Biz Kids" had an almost psychedelic vibe for a minute or two. But it was really not enough for me to suffer through so much triteness. I’ll give it 2* because it’s probably objectively a bit better than I make it sound. It’s just too far removed from what I consider exciting music. I find it terribly depressing that there are no less than FOUR (4 !) Steely Dan albums on this list, while a lot of amazing artists don’t even get one.
Technical but lacks any grip into my emotions.
I’m continually learning that Steely Dan is just not for me. It’s something to put on in the background of a bar but not something I’d choose to listen to of my own accord. 2/5
cansadão hein galera claramente tava numa vibe meio jazz mas não sabia aplicar isso direito
Certainly not my favourite 'Dan album, but still goes okay. Mid 2s.
Soft rock that you would hear in the background of erectile disfunction commercials. Both things seem to go together.
2/5
4/10 - this steely Dan album was fine. It didn’t have anything crazy. One of the synths sounded like the one in Peking o
Countdown to disapointment.
I'm sure that this is perfectly suited to any number of situations and occasions that I hope I never find myself in
Steely Dan are not my thing. Everyone else loves them, but I don't like his voice, and the style of it.
Good, but not my vibe. 1970s progressive, rock and roll, jazz, latin. I think a bit psychedelic as well. As i say, not my vibe. I dont heard before. Remember me a little neil young as well.
Very groovy rock
Meh it was alright. Not a big fan
Bland, anonymous and says nothing.
Meaahhhh
Got too airy
Too slick for me
Easy listening but neither good or memorable.
Dad rock, probably grandad rock at this point
Mindst yndlings Steely Dan vi har haft. Meget smooth produktion men lidt kedelige sange
I tried to see if I could get it to three and I like Steely Dan, but it's like a 2.75 so it'll be two stars.
Wasn't ever a fan. It's 'No' from me.
Pretentious, busy, empty. These guys have no heart and no loins. Nothing passionate or sexy or gritty or real, just noodly nonsense. As usual, the mixing is fantastic, with every instrument clearly audible. If only they had just mixed other people's records and never made their own, we would all be happier.
J - 2/5 Best Track - "Show Biz Kids" F - 2/5 Best Track - "Pearl Of The Quarter"
Other than Bodhisattava didn’t recognize a single song. Actually never knew what they were saying in that song until today! Album had a definite 70s vibe to it, but even as a youth of the 70s, I grew board pretty fast. I know that Steely Dan had many more hits through the years, they’re just not here.
I just don't really like SD
Boring jazzy country rock from the 70s. No, I don’t like it. Rating: 2
I liked this less than the previous Steely Dan I've gotten. I get this was kind of a transition album for them but it felt a bit disconnected and bland.
2- Stars (4/15)
its aight
# 456 : 11/04/2025 : It was Ok, Nothing stood out, probably won't go back to this.
Steely Dan is mostly just not going to be for me. I find that 70s harmonics style grating. But maybe more than any other band that is not for me I can easily see why this is the absolute jam of dads and dads at heart all around the world
well it certainly sounds like Steely Dan
Just can't remember what I listened yesterday. Forgettable.
Only know the band by their song « do it again ». Cool music to start the workday—light, upbeat, and easy on the ears, maybe too easy as it seems quite forgettable at the end. Kinda gives me Chicago (the band) vibes because of voices harmonizing. Could use a bit more intensity and atmosphere, but there’s some good technical work and a nice jazzy, groovy touch.
They really faded here.
Never listened to Steely Dan before and hopefully never win again. Low 2.
Listening to Steely Dan makes me feel like I'm placidly wasted careening around somewhere like Palm Springs with wiley perma-partying boomers I just met. Which is, as they say, a great vibe but unfortunately this album doesn't have any of my favorite songs by them which makes this sound like a big glob of Steely without any remarkable standouts. Not surprising this didn't have any single, still a fun listen though.
I’m getting over my Dan dislike, but this record didn’t do much for me. Talented musicians, but not much in the way of killer songs.
It was my wife's birthday, so I didn't give this as much attention as other records on the list. It's Steely Dan, so the smooth, clean production will slide right in one ear and out the other. You've really got to be listening to catch the bitter lyric pills in the cheesy jazz. Should it be taken aurally or orally? I don't know, I wasn't paying enough attention and got my metaphors mixed up. I need to give it more time and focus. I'll come back to it some day when my wife has left me - it's lonely men who dig Steely Dan, right? Theoretically, I dig this too. I will say that, for all our recent complaints about sampling repeating snippets over music to death, hearing "You know they don't give a fuck about anybody else" just once is underwhelming. 3 A minute into the first track it occurred to me that this stuff, suitably re-recorded, would do well for Mariokart course music. Perhaps this was fatal to my attempt to listen justly to the rest of the album; I couldn’t let go of the idea. I didn’t like any of this regardless. I found this music overwrought and shallow. The lyrics aren’t bad but neither are they arresting in any way - all mere solutions to the problem of feeling obliged to have a lyric to sing when all you really wanted to do was solos and fancy turnarounds. The production is wretched - ‘smooth’ is the word I suppose and I can’t deny that that is what you get when you diligently remove all the rice pieces from rice pudding. The drums and guitar lack any edge, and even the xylophone and pedal steel guitar manage to sound castrated. The effect is pathetic. There is a moment at the very end of ‘Pearl of the Quarter’ where the piano player quietly throws in a bum note - a moment which must have had them all hooting in the studio at the daring of the transgression. In the ten thousand notes the guitar player goes through on this album he does not once allow himself the luxury of a ‘wrong’ note. And yet somehow they’re all wrong; this is rotten stuff. That nimble solo at the end of ‘My Old School’, to single one out, runs through so many technical ideas, and none of them are any good because there are absolutely no melodic ideas in the solo at all. I have spent much time recently scoffing at rap music for its mind-numbing lack of musical content, so I ought to thank Steely Dan for reminding me that an abundance of music can also be crushingly dull. 1.5/5
Meh.
Play but please don't sing!
Mäßiges Album der 70er im Gibsy Stil. Zwar hat das Album einige passable Momente in „Pear of the Wuarter“ und „The Boston Rag“ , doch alles im allem ist unterdurchschnittlich.
I didn’t get It
Oh, it's finished!
Boring.
About 30 seconds of each track of this is enough
This is like a really cheesy version of lots of things I actually like. I’m not sure how to articulate why this fails for me, but it feels so formulaic and structured for music that is meant to be fun and loose. I dunno. This was a miss.
2.75
Etwas unschlüssig, aber wirkte auf mich sehr gewöhnlich ohne in Erinnerung zu bleiben.
Meh. 2/5
Didn't care for it too much. 2.4 stars
Cool, harmonies and great musicians I can see why people like this. I’m just not one of them.
Super mid
The only emotion that this album evoked was a constant and nagging desire to listen to something, anything, else
Early 70’s acid vibe.
2.5/5
It was okay. Wouldn't bother with again
What are lyrics, didn't understand them.
After a couple of albums of Steely Dan and a solo project from Donald Fagen I can now safely say that Steely Dan is just not for me.
Je réalise que je ne suis vraiment pas un grand fan de Steely Dan. Bien que j'aille aimé Can't Buy A Thrill, tous leurs autres albums sont tellement corrects. Celui-ci l'était à un niveau qui m'a fait réalisé comment leur style de musique super flashy reste assez fade. 4/10
1001 хочет сделать меня зе си и о СТИЛИ ДЭН дискографии. Дебют был лучше, по-моему. Лучшая песня - King of the World.
Steely Dan is just way to jazzy for me. It's so sleazy 70's, smoky club style music.
Nothing special. It wasn't bad but too generic.
No thank you. Not looking forward to the other Steely Dan on this list.
I had higher expectations
Too middle of the road for me
Nothing outstanding about this.
Gubbmusik.
But no really, do these smartypants only come in beige?
Didn’t really enjoy it
Classic but feels a little too mellow today.
I counted down. There was no ecstasy.
On the one hand, it was cool to hear SD songs I'd never heard before. OTOH, I didn't really get much out of those songs. It's just a personal thing. There are a handful of SD songs I genuinely do lie but I think this one of those bands who I like more in theory than in practice.
naja, kann man sich anhören, ist aber nix herausragendes
Why is Steely Dan
Half the tracks made me think I was in a motoring show, the other half made me thing "oh, I have heard something similar but better"
Not really my taste. It's OK, just not one I'd come back to. Pretty noticeable drop-off in quality from their first album.
guys pls i don’t care for steely dan, can they leave me alone ?!
STANDOUTS: Razor Boy OVERALL: 2.5/5
I don't hate but I wouldn't listen to hit again.
could i write poetry to this? n
did we really need another steely dan album on here
Fine, not lifechanging
I'mma go and be a dick, but this album and this band has always been the epitome of bland competence: skilled enough to appreciate, yet devoid of personality or song-writing chops to actually impress. I am obviously in the monirity on this, but that's where I sit. (the only songs worth the note are "The Boston Rag" and "Pearl of the Quarter")
Underwhelming middle of the road dad rock.
Pimpelipom, vähän liian pirteää, melkein tekee mieli sanoa preppy. Ei herätä kauheammin tunteita, onneksi - voisi pahimmillaan olla kovin ärsyttävää.
Ei niin paha: hupsuttelu ja höpsöttely on jätetty minimiin, ja bändi jaksaa ihan rokata.
I hate Steely Dan. Their music is vapid and boring. It's too clean, clinical. I'm pretty sure it's the go to album for a psychiatrist somewhere in the world to calm their patients.
Kinda cap dad rock. Musically it feels decently creative but the songwriting and singing to me miss the mark. No saves, will probably never listen to this one again
Shitty Dan. First song was alright. Other than that was fighting the urge to fall asleep
After voting for yesterday’s album which was the 5th 1/5 in a row I was in excited anticipation about what today’s album would be. Surely after five duds I was due a classic? Well not quite but at least I knew of Steely Dan and that they were competent musicians. The sound of Steely Dan is very much rooted in the mid 70’s and listening to this album brought back memories of what was a happy time of my life. I was never a fan enough to buy their music but their MOR rock sound was everywhere during the 70’s. It was an enjoyable listen and sonically it was a well produced album with a great soundstage to pick out all the individual musicians. Not an album I will personally go back to but I’m glad Steely Dan and their music exist. Thanks for the memories! 2.9/5 4/4/24
Like the title! Not so much a fan of this sound tho
Marginally better than Aja, but that is a seriously low bar. Only saved from 1 star by "King of the World" being pretty decent.
I struggle with this band. They’ve made some genuinely good music. But then they get all weird and too 70s country prog sounding. I can appreciate the quality of the composition and ambition. There are certainly a lot of ideas and talent. But something in their sound makes me queasy. I think it’s the vocal harmonies. This record is very post-hippie 70s, from the xylophone, to the electric organ, to the cool jazz guitar. It is definitely distinctive, but distinctively early 70s liteFM. They did not skimp on the slide guitar, either. Seriously, why does this band always make me nauseous?
Listened to this while playing Imperium Classics. I lost. I've never been a big Steely Dan fan. This album didn't really change my opinion all that much. I totally will forget this album in like a week.
Such a boring band to have so many entries on this list.
Liked this one better than the last Steely Dan album, but I might just not be a Steely Dan guy. 2.4
When Steely Dan doesn't work for me, it really doesn't work. This album gets 1 star for each song I didn't skip. You can probably guess which songs. The same things that bug me about Steely Dan's first record bug me here, but this one doesn't have half the hits to cover those annoyances. I much prefer their work from the middle of the decade.
This website loves Steely Dan
It's a disservice to the songs on Countdown To Ecstasy to call it a rock recording. Rock has guts. "The Boston Rag" has a guitar solo and a driving drum beat which makes it rock adjacent but the rest of the album is... mild? "1970s mellow gold AM radio background noise" is what I would call it. Put this next to your Bread and Looking Glass records so you can put them on when your lame neighbors come over for mayonnaise sandwiches. Pearl Of The Quarter is the best song on the record.
holy shit
I’ve never really enjoyed Steely Dan. They sound to me like an amalgam of lounge act and a rock band. While I can appreciate their skill as musicians, I just can’t get behind the music.
This is honestly one of those bands that I just don't get and the fact that they're highly rated. In so many forums And websites and rating sites is befuddling to me. They didn't release one recordof any substance this one is a particularly low value
Im lukewarm about Steely Dan because a handful of their classic hits that come across classic rock stations are fine but none of those are on this album which makes me wonder how many more SD records are on this list.
There are some good songs here, but I just could never really get excited about this album
Si. Se deja escuchar. Lindo. Ameno.
Pas fou
(2,5)
Not for me. A few interesting moments but not enough to sustain my interest.
Enjoyed some of the riffs.
Okay
Not my style
Didn't enjoy this at all. sorry
I can't judge whether or not this is any good, as I really don't like the genre. Not keen.
Dad with a Hawaiian shirt rock. Didn't finish it 2
This will be the second Steely Dan song from the generation station that I shall listen to. I haven’t heard this one before, and I don’t recognise any track titles. I go in hopeful, as I quite enjoyed Can’t Buy A Thrill. Let’s listen! Songs I already knew: none Favourites: The Boston Rag I was a little underwhelmed by this album. It didn’t live up to my expectations from the other album. This wasn’t bad by any means, but I did find it difficult to pick any favourite tracks as they all felt a little unremarkable. This felt like the kind of album that was made to be background music rather than foreground, and maybe that’s where I went wrong here. I’d say I’m quite unlikely to come rushing back to this one.
What is the point of being this good at your instrument if the music you make is this boring?
This is just not my era so I couldn’t even get through half the album.
I didn't like it as much as the last steely Dan album I had. This one has less funky guitar and more annoying keyboard.
Some glimpses of excitement (King of the World, Show Biz Kids), but a lot of yacht rock
Prob a 2.5, but I was bored more often than I was not
Four songs into the album my thought was, "well, I haven't turned it off yet..." After all eight songs I can assuredly say that I won't turn it on again.
Neither offensive nor compelling. This is the first time I’ve (knowingly) listened to Steeley Dan despite vaguely recognising the name. Light rock (?) and nice to have on in the background but not one that I’d add to my liked songs or particularly seek out I don’t think. Another new band discovered though 😊
Familiar sound. It was good but nothing was great. Good flow and feel but all over the place.
Too soft… Technically super musicianship, but it is music without an edge, which I find rather boring after a while
I’m sure there’s someone out there who would go on and on about how this is their best album in a condescending manner, but it ain’t’ me.
Very samey throughout. Nothing memorable.
Mostly boring and bland jazz-rock. It could go 1 star to 3 stars depending on your mood. This isn't really music that sets your mood - you have to be in the right mood to listen to it.
Well I liked the first one that we had to listen but this one just passed through me without being noticed at all. A little bit too easy on the ear for my taste.
Pretty generic blend of rock that you forget as you hear it. To me, at some moments, it felt like a Wish version of Neil Young.
I don't understand the obsession critics and reviewers (and perhaps self styled aficionados) have with Steely Dan. They have a modicum of hits, but much of what they produce is too precious and esoteric for much of the audience. I suspect they are acceptable to people who style themselves "serious" music lovers just because they have some jazz overtones. This album is a great example of why Steely Dan is overrated. My Old School was a minor hit (emphasis on minor), but most of it is just unmelodic. As art rock, it's fine, but art rock is even a smaller niche than prog rock. If you love Steely Dan, then you do you. You'll love this album. If you are everyone else, move on to something less pretentious.
The album was well made and performed, but really anything that I would really want to listen to again
Major I'm getting jaded. It was another album that was just fine... I'm sure I could have lived my life without listening to it but I didn't hate it either.
really enjoyed that first track tho
i thought these generic 70s albums were supposed to have at least one killer track to go with all the filler?
I have no opinion
not for I
Not really into SD. Not my grooooove.
Doesnt really get going at any point
Steely Dan is arguably the greatest studio band of all time. Most tracks are just ear candy, where every component shines through so cleanly. While I really REALLY appreciate that fact, and can dig a lot of their music, they've just never hit that sweet spot for me. Countdown to Ecstasy might be the most typical classic rocky sounding album of theirs. I think it can easily get lost in the shuffle of most albums coming out in the early 70's. I wanted a bit more of the jazzy inspiration these guys are so good at throughout their discography. This just feels a bit too bland to really make an impact.
Obviously heard of the band but beyond that one hit that's quite catchy never dug into them. So that's a good thing to do here. But... Meh. I get that the musicianship is lovely in places, but it feels like a bit of a self-absorbed wank fest most of the time. I imagine it might have been really new and interesting at the time, but I really don't like this. It's a bit like Rumours but without the catchy tunes. I was going to say 3 stars, but it's not that good and there's no way I'm listening to this again. I'd probably skip, so it's 2.
Meh
ok. nice enough but nothing very memorable
Ehh I can't really hate on it but I'm really not too into it either. I'd rather listen to Can't Buy A Thrill if I am to listen to Steely Dan.
Not for me. That's two Dan albums i've heard now and neither have really got me
just a bit too light and fluffy for me, classifies as "easy listening" 2.4
There were some good cuts but overall too slick for me. Steely Dan have always been a bit too overproduced for my tastes.
Offensively bland. Musical porridge
Classic steely Dan. Jazzy and rock. Cohesive album, but not a lot of great tunes like its predecessor.
2/5. Steely Dan is not great. It feels like they are trying too hard to be different. They could make decent songs but they change key for no reason just to sound unique and jazzy. I appreciate the musicianship but it’s not enjoyable music. Giving it 2 because I did like their more poppier stuff.
Mais um álbum do Steely Dan, não achei tão bom quanto o anterior, me pareceu um álbum que apresenta as mesmas características do Pretzel Logic mas de forma inferior, sem nenhuma música hit, que se destaque e definitivamente não era necessário mais um álbum da banda nessa lista. Dito isso, ainda é um estilo que me agrada, porém não é o melhor trabalho da banda.
Definitely a Steely Dan album
Steely Dan are boring and Countdown To Ecstasy is more of the same 2/5 dullness.
This is the FOURTH Steely Dan album we've had, which seems whatever the next level up from excessive is. This one, like the other three (apart from 'Do It Again', on the first album we had), was entirely forgettable. Sounds a bit different to the previous ones - we've moved away from purist yacht rock to prog yacht rock - but doesn't make it any less dull, apart from a post-apocalyptic closing track that is actually kinda interesting in a proggy kind of way. If only more of the album was like that... 2/5.
Lifeless noodling from technically competent musicians. Also cocaine. Pass.
King Of The World has some of the most infuriating keyboard solos I've ever heard. More like a musical than jazz rock at times.
Had iets meer verwacht, maar Dan niet he?
Toch wel behoorlijk ouwe lullen gezapigheid troef.
Kind of all over the place style wise
Really only last couple of tunes make it worth it.
I don't have much to say, this was ok ish but didn't stand out or give me any strong feelings!
So, I don't know what I expected with Steely Dan. For some reason I thought they were like a ZZ Top vibe, maybe a little rocky, but these fellas are smooth as butter. The songs are pure fluff, with the notable exception of 'Showbiz Kids' which is asking questions that we're still asking today (why are rich people so terrible? how do you make the world a better place and provide for everybody?). Just smooth (barely) rock with fun riffs, and impressive musicality. Favorite Track: Bodhisattva
Sounds of the 70's.
Donald Fagen y Steely Dan son de esas cosas musicales que me vienen grandes. Nunca lo he disfrutado aún sabiendo que debe ser algo bueno. Y finalmente rollaco, suena bien pero no me produce nada. Un 2.
Fine. Not my thing. Not that interesting to me. 2/5
Sometimes I think it’s annoying how steely Dan has to have everything in every song, there’s like congas and triangles, quartal licks, a trillion different chords and rhythmic hits and vocal harmonies and organs and Rhodes and piano and xylophone and vibraphone and wah pedals and slides. It’s just so much and even though the playing is great it just always sounds a little stale and uninspired to me. The playing is obviously flawless but I never really feel anything when I hear steely Dan Trashy guitar tone in Boston rag is cool There are better steely Dan records
It’s the same song over and over.
decent but forgettable
Parfois OK, souvent plombé par des solos jazzy interminables. Pour papas américains seulement. Bof bof.
First time I’ve ever listened to Steely Dan, and unfortunately, I shan’t be rushing back to them. This is nondescript, generic, monotone and quite frankly dull soft rock. Nothing exciting, adventurous or intriguing about it sadly. So, a big miss on this one.
I just don’t understand the fucking Dan.
This album was pretty boring. I don't have much else to say about it. None of the songs were terrible but I didn't find any of them interesting, either.
That was really long for 8 songs. I thought for sure that it had already started over on me. Otherwise it was ok, but not really my jam.
Not for me
I didn't like Steely Dan before and that hasn't changed, but if you do like them you'll find most of this album sounds like their other music. There were 2 songs that had a southern/rockabilly vibe to it, which was different.
I hope there isn't any more Steely Dan on this list.
Some interesting ideas with a big bucket of LAME dumped on top of everything
So middling as to almost not even exist.
2.8
What is even the point of steely dan
Bodhisattva good but I could leave the rest
Pretty decent
not for me
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.
Kubyertos.
Never listened to them before because I assumed that were inoffensive yacht rock … and it was.
Wasn’t fussed with this. Bodhisatva was too hard in Rock Band as well
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
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
a star for every song that I'd like to hear again
kind of bland and overstays it's welcome.
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
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.
pappa like steely dan
En ollut kovinkaan vakuuttunut, mikään biiseistä ei sillee iske vaikka ihan letkeää onkin.
Lite engasjerande
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.
Feel like I maybe missed a trick with this one, but I found this deeply forgettable.
🤌🤌🤌
Audio equivalent of a sensory deprivation tank. It nothing’d me.
a countdown that never reaches blast-off
A few good songs reminded me of high school
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...
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.
Listened to it and then completely forgot about it. So obviously wasn’t so bad that I noticed, but also not good either
Reconheci o primeira música, mas esperava mais das camadas de jazz.
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.
Ziemlich belangloser Jazz-Rock ohne wirkliche Höhepunkte.
Not for me mate.
Not my bag. Experimental rock with jazz influences…
Not for me. Pretty dull.
I couldn't really find anything that stood out to me about this album. Not bad but not really my thing.
I can appreciate the technical aspects of this album, but blimey it's boring.
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.
Wel oke
meh
Forgettable
I guess they’re saving all the ecstasy for their next album? Very meh. Unremarkable.
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.
Not bad
Nothing against Steely Dan, but this is not their best work.
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.
Quite jazzy, not what I was expecting
Definitely no Aja
Surprised by the range of influences on this LP, but a bit disappointed in how monotonous the album becomes after the first few tracks
Pretty boring.
I can respect their talent as songwriters. Not my style though.
Didn’t enjoy it…never have been a fan
Have nothing good or bad to say, I enjoyed it somewhat
meh
19th May 2021 Listened to this throughout the day in the flat whilst cooking, in the shower etc. Didn't really enjoy this one, a bit too white dad rock for me trying to be something it's not.
2/5
less good than the others
Not as good as Can't Buy a Thrill. Sounded ok, but honestly kind of bored me.
omg I'm so over the way this makes me feel like an old man.
Destila calidad, buena voz y mucho sintetizador. No me ha despertado muchas emociones
I'm not sure if I've listened to this record before. It felt a little... gimmicky? Was that the point? I didn't like 'Bodhisattva,' and 'My Old School' was forgettable. I like their other big records more, I swear!
Bon album, mais n'a pas éveillé en moi des sentiments particuliers.
Not bad. Not my favorite. I got bored listening to it.
Have not done enough cocaine to fully appreciate this album. Best I can do is 2 stars.
Meh
There isn't much to dislike about this album, but similarly there isn't much to like either. It's difficult to have any opinion at all. Nothing much happens, good or bad. The averageness of it begins to hurt about halfway through. By then I would have been happy to hear something I disliked, just to get away from all the bland.
I'm lukewarm towards Steely Dan even on their best albums, and this didn't feel like one of their best albums. Pretty sleepy at points, and while it's admirable they try different sounds in a few songs, overall this thing feels inessential to me.
Reminds me of if jazz, swing and jam bands had a baby. It's a little frenetic for me sometimes, a little cheesy other times.
Did not care for this or Steely Dan. It was fine. Really did not like the noises I heard on Show Biz Kids. No thanks.
Meh.
Lite tråkigt men ett par goa melodier men inget jag väljer att lyssna på igen.
Countdown to Ecstasy? More like Countdown to Snoestasy!
En lähellekään ekstaasia päässy, mut ei tää huonokaan ollut
Show Biz Kids is nice. The Man Don't Give a Fuck by Super Furry Animals has taken that sample. But Donald Fagen is being an ass about it so that's -1!
Oh, goody, another Steely Dan album. Exactly what I wanted.
I'm really sick of the 70s
Look, it's not terrible. But I didn't get as much out of it as I thought I would. Very competent music. Maybe good to have on in the background. However, if I don't get another Steely Dan album in the next 6 months, it'll be too soon.
1. bod - 1 2. boy - 1 3. bozton - 1 4. gold - 1 5. kidz - 0 6. zchool - 2 7. pearl - 1 8. king - 2
The boston ragin alku on suoraan niinku joku persona-soundtrackin alku. Erittäin makoisa. Muuten vähän inhosin tätä xd jotenki rasittavaa renkutusta mulle. Oli tuskaisaa. Nyt annan ekan ykkösen ja mietin arvosteluskaalaani tulevaisuudessa.
3 down 1 to go.
3/10 - boring, another 70s album which doesn't advance the genre
Too much Steely Dan.
Bodhisattva
So bland and middle of the road that I have trouble forming any kind of opinion about it at all. I looked back at my previous Steely Dan reviews and this is the fourth time in a row I have thought this! How can I listen to four albums from an artist and still not think anything about them? Just for that, the sheer nothingness of them, I think I have to give this one star only, to mark this achievement as the most boring band from the list.
Another one where it appears and your mood sinks. Did not persuade me to change my mind about Steely Dan.
A man shhh'ed me and I'm still not over it
Masturbation, just because you've put some effort in doesn't mean you're going to hit the pillow, sometimes it barely ejects. That latter effort is my summation of Steely Dan
Je respire... C’est enfin fini. Le supplice touche à sa fin et je peux vous dire que le sentiment de soulagement est bien plus intense que n'importe quelle mélodie de cet album. Après m’être farci Aja, Can't Buy a Thrill et Pretzel Logic, j’arrive au bout de la "période Steely Dan" de ce projet. Quatre albums. Quatre fois la même sensation de vide intersidéral habillé en costume de soie. Quatre fois la note de 1 sur 5. C’est une constante, une ligne droite, un encéphalogramme plat de mon intérêt pour cette musique. Je ne vais pas tourner autour du pot : ce Countdown To Ecstasy n'a rien d'extatique. Le titre est une publicité mensongère, un appât pour gogos en quête de sensations fortes qui finissent par se retrouver devant une tasse de thé tiède. Le seul compte à rebours que j'ai ressenti, c'est celui des minutes qui s'égrenaient sur mon lecteur, me rapprochant de la libération. Pourquoi tant de haine, me direz-vous ? Ce n’est pas de la haine. La haine, c’est une émotion, une réaction viscérale, quelque chose qui brûle. Ici, il n’y a rien qui brûle car tout a été refroidi à l'azote liquide. On est dans la même veine que les trois autres disques : du soft rock parfaitement calibré. Un mélange de rock, de pop et de jazz, mais un jazz qui aurait été passé à la javel. Je regarde la pochette, je regarde les noms des musiciens. Ce sont des Musiciens avec un grand M. Des virtuoses, des mecs qui dorment probablement avec leur métronome. Il n'y a pas un pet de travers, pas une fausse note, pas une harmonique qui dépasse. Chaque coup de batterie est pesé, chaque solo est mesuré au millimètre près. C'est la perfection au sens littéral du terme et le perfectionnisme de Becker et Fagen me fatigue car c'est une insulte à l'imperfection magnifique du rock. C’est une démonstration de force technique qui finit par devenir une faiblesse émotionnelle. C’est la musique de gens qui n’ont plus rien à dire mais qui savent très bien comment le dire. Je ne vais pas vous détailler les morceaux un par un. À quoi bon ? Que ce soit Bodhisattva ou My Old School, c'est la même tambouille sophistiquée. Des accords de jazz complexes plaqués sur des rythmiques rock pépères. Alors voilà, c’est mon dernier mot sur ce groupe pour ce projet et Countdown to Ecstasy repart avec son petit 1 sur 5 bien mérité. Ce n'est pas une question de talent, c'est une question de vision. Et nous n'avons pas la même vision du monde.
I made it through 1.5 songs and gave up.
This album does not need to be listened to. It is very technically well played music, but it is boring and soulless. Not sure why this is on the list other than a strong bias in the list towards 70s rock.
Someday my kids are going to be listening to music I liked when I was a teenager, and they're going to say "oh no, it's music my mom likes". That's how I feel about this album. It's music my mom and her brothers probably liked, and it does nothing for me.
Just because you can play all sorts of instruments doesn't mean you should.
🥱 I tried, but holy fucking boring 😴
Nah
UGH Steely Dan.
Oh dear
The rock with simple vocal perhaps. Dont like at all
Just painful
of all the Steely dan albums they could choose, i don’t understand this one. terrible
Thought you’d trick me into listening to Steely Dan…
They can’t keep getting away with this
I absolutely loathe this band. So awful.
supermarket music
Not impressed. Early prog rock, which means we're gonna try to be jazz folks but we don't have the credentials to actually be jazz folks. It all descends into musical masturbation. Let's cut it out and quit being pretentious. My Rating: 1/5 joints
More Steely Dan?! How? Why? I could’ve gone my whole life without listening to a single song and now I’ve listened to three albums of this boring drivel. There are very few artists who have produced enough great music to feature multiple times on a list like this and Steely fucking Dan certainly ain’t one of them.
Awful
Not good
Dirge
Never got behind Steely Dan - not for me.
Someone missed their D.A.R.E. Class.
Not my Style, zu jazzig
Enough Steely Dan already.
weird vibe, no likey