Reviews (page 11 of 15)
Nice vibe, like funk lounge music
Funky
klart mit yndlings-"det sample kender jeg"-øjeblik vi har haft indtil videre er Peg på dette album, som er blevet samplet af De La Soul på nummeret Eye Know! Kan anbefale at lytte til de to numre lige efter hinanden! Resten var eh, fint. Kunne bedre lide Pretzel Logic. Ville nok have været en 2'er hvis det ikke var for Peg-samplet tbh
Smooooooooooooth
A really fun mix of jazz and pop/rock, not leaning too hard on either and mixing things up to keep it fresh throughout the album. It's a great album to have in the background of a chill evening.
Kinda makes me want to bust a move I didn't know MF DOOM or de la soul sampled this album I desire a complete rejection of societal obligations
was okay
extremely solid production fun, feel good type shit 7-8 outta ten
I said that I'd give something 3 stars if I thought there was something worthwhile for an album. The instrumentation and arrangement is pristine. It's too bad the lyrics are mind-numbingly boring and there's no energy to anything.
Josie was really good
first song reminded me of a nintendo game
a bit jazzy for my tastes
#193. This is beige music for middle aged moms. Like, it's not bad, but it's not anything really. 3/5: milquetoast.
3.5/5
I have a deep dislike for Steely Dan. I don't know why, it isn't rational. Corporate rock, Dentist Rock. Seems kind of soul less. The hits keep coming on this album. I would be fine if I never heard another SD song ever again. I imagine ChatGPT music will sound like SD. Only 40 minutes, thank God. The book calls it a 'landmark in Jazz Rock". One could argue it is neither jazz nor rock. The book loves Steely Dan, 4 albums?! It is in keeping with all the middle of the road synth pop the editor likes. 3* I guess.
Groovy and chill. Happy to have on in the background
My only complaint with this album is how clean it is. It’s almost too perfectly engineered and has lost all of its grit.Steely Dan was pretty great, this album just isn’t for me.
Sababa
Precis som senast är det riktig audiofilporr även denna gång, vilket jag gillar, särskilt när man lyssnar i ett par bra lurar. Tyckte dock att förra skivan var bättre med fler låtar som stod ut. Spontant tycker jag att Peg är bäst på denna, kanske för att den samplats av De la soul. I övrigt är det bra men inte fantastiskt, det saknas lite själ i all perfektion.
Nice, but nothing special
I like Steely Dan’s singles, but honestly I got kinda tired of this by the end.
3 Hadn't listened to Steely Dan before this and was pleasantly surprised about the album. Definitely an older sound but I really liked how it was put together and found the experience really enjoyable!
I didn’t really understand any of the songs, but god damn the production is SILKY
Of stílhreint og snyrtilegt fyrir minn smekk. 40 sessjón spilarar, þar af 6 mismunandi trommarar. Svakalega flottur hljóðfæraleikur samt auðvitað og fínt í kokteilpartý. Never mind the bollocks kemur út mánuði síðar, sem betur fer.
Zu viel Jazz, zu wenig Rock! Soundtechnisch spitze! 3/5
Fun classic album, fun and funky beats
The sound is amazingly clear.
Pleasant and well produced but honestly a bit bland. Feels like late night supermarket muzak….kinda nice muzak just not that interesting
Appreciate steely Dan, don’t really listen to them
I was already familiar with the singles from this album, and the whole album is fine. Steely Dan always sounds so polished and highly produced that it is almost off-putting for me somehow. It's hard to explain. The album is good, but I just have to be in the mood to listen to it.
仍然對爵士不是太感冒、
It was unpleasant, but not necessarily my cup of tea. I didn't realize that Steely Dan sang Peg. I recognized that song and none of the others.
Same review as Pretzel Logic. I don't understand what emotion this music is trying to caption or evoke. The songwriting is creative, but the performance and production are about as boring as it gets. Very listenable, though. Very inoffensive. Favorite song: Peg.
Loving the Wurlitzer solos on this record. They're fun and add a lot to each song. I love the jazzy elements of this album as well. The instruments are also mixed super well. It sounds very good. I don't love Deacon Blues, the story is a little silly in my opinion. I'm starting to like this less and less the deeper I get into this album. I feel like it had a lot of potential from the first couple of songs.
The only thing that I know about Steely Dan is that they were named after a steam powered dildo from William Burroughs’ drug classic The Naked Lunch. This album feels very polished and technically accomplished but like several other classic albums on this list, it didn’t grab me. According to Wikipedia this is classed as Yacht Rock, so maybe I need to own a yacht before I can appreciate it properly?
This is the 2nd Steel Dan album I've had on this list. I loved the first one, so I had high hopes for this. I just don't get it. Nothing about this feels inspired or interesting. Fine as background music, but that's about it. Even Bernard Purdie sounds uninteresting on the 2 tracks he got - that's almost impressive.
Pretty chill throughout. Standout Songs: Deacon Blues Peg
It's not bad. I would listen again. But it's, honestly, kinda boring.
I think this is my second Steely Dan album so far in this journey, and this album was not what I expected nor what I remembered the first album to be like. This one had smooth, soft, sexy vibes. Overall it was fine.
It’s a nice-sounding, well-produced record indeed, but its sparkling yacht cleanliness comes with a sacrifice of the authentic grit that other albums of its generation were able to capture. Josie and Deacon Blue are decent tunes. Not a bad album by any means but Pretzel Logic and Can’t Buy A Thrill are both superior to Aja.
opens with very 70s lounge vibe. more easy listening than I was expecting; not rock.
sounds like Steely Dan... ? They used to play that De La Soul song that samples Peg during timeouts at Sonics games in the 90s.
Greinilega ekkert sem ég veit um Steely Dan .... ágætt stuff svona smooth listening groove .. . alls ekki rokk, allavega ekki Aja
That's not my taste in musik. But ok - relaxing
I know the band’s name and I know some of these songs but it was good to get a refresher and be able to put the band name to their sound. I recognized Peg immediately from being sampled on Three Feet High and Rising.
I liked this more as an adult than I did as a college student. I wasn't over the moon for it or anything, though. Individual songs really popped for me on this listen, but by the time you get to the end of the album each next song feels a bit too similar to the rest of them.
Listening to this in the background of my day it was good enough for a couple of play throughs. The kind of album my boomer parents would have loved.
I quite enjoyed this album. Pretty vanilla sounding 70s jazz rock. Just funny to think that the band was named after a "revolutionary" steam-powered dildo mentioned in the William S. Burroughs novel Naked Lunch. Steam powered!
Commercial jazz/rock. These guys are great players, the recording is crisp and clean but the songs bore the hell out of me
Didnt hit as hard as the first one but its a nice groovy one.
Muzak/easy listening is fine, and this is certainly better than standard yacht-rock. The jazzy feel definitely helps it stand out. Top tracks: Deacon Blues, Josie
Huge Steely Dan fan and I always found it odd that this is their "go to" album for many people, as I find the songwriting to be inconsistent and this is probably my least favorite of their various albums. Deacon Blues, Black Cow and Peg are great tunes, but some of the others are completely forgettable (I Got The News, Home At Last) and the title track sounds like a long and boring mistake.
Sounds like elevator rock music
Better jazz album than other ones. Solid 3***.
Was okay, good background classical music
So this album is a great example of how my current emotional state impacts my musical ratings. First played when what I really needed was an energy boost - said 'fuck no' after 2 songs and reverted to Green Day; would have rated a 2 or maybe even a 1. But then this afternoon, cooking and chilling, listened again and felt the right groove. Would rate a 4. I'll dollar cost average to a 3.
Technically this is amazing, from both a musicianship and recording standpoint. But it lacks any edge. There was nothing here that extracted any emotional response from me at all. As such it sounds like top quality lounge music. Just not my cup of tea I guess.
Rating: 6/10 Best songs: Peg
Yacht rock vibes at it's finest
Very 70s, quite fun and smooth.
nisam ga dozivila bas :/
Ok al jazzy mi cesto bude malo dosadnjikavo.
It’s fine Asia thinks Aja is fine, I think if I were someones uncle I’d like it more
Perfect. Perfectly sterile
Pretty groovy album over all. I like steely dans top songs so it was cool to see what other stuff he had. Might listen again. 3/5
JazzRock, 1977 -> 3
Steely Daniel coming through with an extremely solid album. Thank you Steely Daniel, very cool! Best Song: Home at last Worst Song: N/A
Took me a while to get through the album because I had the first track on repeat.
Good production and musicianship
3/5. Didn’t think much of the album until I got to “Home At Last” which I really liked, but this style of music just isn’t for me. A hair too mellow.
Nice sound but nothing spectacular about the music
I like Steely Dan. Good band. Some real classics. The band made its mark at a time where music was astonishingly "good" and a tremendous amount of great music was produced. I always considered Steely Dan as "somewhere in that mix," neither at the top nor the bottom of that very talented and prolific pile. So... does this album stand out, above and beyond? It is well made, professional music and I must shout out to a few gems in the mix. Aside from those, it must have to be someones "thing" to really get into past "yeah, it is pretty good."
3.5/4 So much fun...funky you might say
I hadn't realized how many Steely Dan songs I had heard throughout the course of my life. That was quite enjoyable
Enjoyed something I hadn’t really listened to much before!
Was boring but reminded me of Jordan
It’s an okay album. I’ve never been a huge steely Dan fan and this doesn’t really change my mind. When you listen to the album, it has a jazzier feel than I remember from them….but its just okay.
How many Steely Dan’s albums do we need on this list? It’s perfectly fine but it lacks a bit more substance and excitement overall. [0125/1001]
Black Cow is solid. The rest is a little boring but not terrible
The lyrics feel very bland and dull. Nonetheless, the production is fun and great. I love jazz-rock but I'm not sure about this one, it might not be my cup of tea. The songs feel to long. Won't go back to it. 6/10
Pretty good
The smooth background vocals of Michael McDonald!
Enjoyed that more than expected to.
Ett tekniskt mästerverk och otroligt (o+sana=sanan vastakohta.. orden dubbla här... Dubla massa ord..) läs andra bloggen in här websidan hon säger samma.. Steely dan strap-on.. Se wikipedian av detta ord..etymologi det här ord.. steely dan ord.. var kommer honom.. SLÅT inte MÅNGA HÅL, det är ett monotont GÅ.. HA! varför jag drar slutsatsen att det är lite som svedupelle.. går. Går... meno... Hyvä meno: Bra går.. Svedupelle meno.. svedupelle.. går... Ett bra album som inte gör misstagernarna.. Ingen misstag.. Unik...den liksom.... Ointresant.. Som jag måsta tag 3 stjärna fråm min FICKA.. and kasta det här 3 stjärna.. den här..
Good stuff Still new to steely Dan, feels like I need to listen more to get more into it 1st 3,5
The players are clearly very good. I like the drummer. I have a lot of friends who are way into Dan. Although I liked this, I kind of just wanted to listen to Earth Wind amd Fire instead.
Game show/sitcom intro sounding music. A bit of jazz fusion thrown in the mix. Feels like it would be fun live but this just isn't the kinda stuff I can listen to a whole album of. Which is strange, since on paper, this is my kind of 70s music. The end of the title track was a definite highlight.
Kinda smoooth jazzish. Lots of horns. Would sound good in an elevator or waiting room.
* Very light, smooth, music to go to sleep to. * Definitely not my kind of music generally but maybe if I was in the right mood. I always wanted to get into jazz but maybe it's just not for me if this is one of the greatest albums ever. * The longer I listen the more I think I could be into this. Maybe I'm getting old * OK that's where that De La Soul sample comes from Every song I'm thinking "OK this is not for me" and then 2 minutes in I change to "This solo is banging" and the song gets an extra star or two but overall it's only going to hit my infrequent rotation list.
Not what I expected, in a good way!
Bored me a little bit, but I would not dare to say it is a bad one. Expected Marc rating: 3
Great jazz rock album, but can’t seem to get the sterotype out of my head that Steely Dan is Rich People Music
My first introduction to Steely Dan. The album was enjoyable as a whole but only "Peg" stood out to me as something I'd want to revisit frequently. I see this isn't generally considered the peak Steely Dan album, so I'm looking forward to getting more because this was on the cusp of being something I'd really like but not quite there. 3.5
I believe I enjoyed this
This was my first full listen of Aja. I had previously only been familiar with a few Steely Dan singles. Home At Last was a stand out track for me- excellent jazzy guitar solo and fills. The bluesy solos midway through I Got The News and Josie were really smooth too. I love the bass groove and vocal melody of Josie, but I'm not big on the actual lyrics. I didn't care much for Deacon Blues- the Crimson Tide reference was pretty cringey. Black Cow, Aja, and Peg were mid for me- technically proficient and I can appreciate the craftsmanship, but they just didn't resonate with me much. Overall I enjoyed the music throughout the album a lot, but the vocals and lyrics were VERY hit and miss for me.
pretty good, really only liked the songs i already knew. short and sweet
Easy listenig as far as eye can see
This album is filled with a bunch of AMAZING production, to the point where you start to wonder how an artist was making their music sound this good in 1970. Personally, I think that all the songs in here are not only repeatable but they all have really catchy choruses, synths that draw the listener back in, and it was such a pleasant experience listening to this album.
Not bad but not really my style. Very lounge-music type of listening, a little too soft/easy for my tastes.
A little jazzier (re: too much sax) than I'm usually up for, but I was baking cookies in my kitchen on a rainy Saturday and it was nice to listen to. If I was doing embarrassing mom-dances while mixing up batter, no one needs to know.
uhhh yeah it's steely dan. I've never really found a way to hook into steely dan and I still haven't! they're fine!
Not sure if it's me starting to get burned out to listening to new music every day, but this didn't really move me that much even though I felt like it should. Can't put my finger on why. 'Peg' is a cool song though!
I heared it long ago, back in beginning eighties. It was not so impressif.
>()<
Sin más. Cortito y al pie, está bien.
Out of all jazz-containing albums this one is the closest to my liking. Nice and relaxing
Some great songs on here but it also lacks some of the grit I like on the earlier albums. The songs feel almost too crafted.
Very nice, liked few songs, Deacon blues was my favorite
3.5. I like the funky lounge sounds! Also, has a yacht rock feel. The lyrics of the songs are out there man!
What is a Black Cow? Is he telling her to drink her milkshake and get outta here? Love a good yacht rock album
Gosh idk it was fine
Decent album I hadn’t been aware if
Blues smooth , not sure
Not my cup of tea, and a lot like tea, I drink these songs once in a while for change of pace and to see if my taste has changed. My opinion of these songs have not changed: good musicians playing some catchy hooks, lyrics that are banal, and not especially moving. I enjoy Peg and and couple other songs. But not gonna cry or fuck to the album. Ever.
01) Black Cow - 7,0 02) Aja - 6,5 03) Deacon Blues - 7,0 04) Peg - 7,0 05) Home at Last - 6,0 06) I Got the News - 5,0 07) Josie - 6,5 TOTAL: 6,43 (64/100)
3.2 Decent background music kind of album (as most of Steely is for me). Fave songs: Peg, Aja
Second Steely Dan album to show up on the list; this one I've listened to sometime in winter 2021 prompted by a reason I can't remember. As with their debut, everything kinda blends together for me to a point where I don't dislike the music, but there aren't a lot of moments where I notice myself enjoying what is happening. Two years ago I liked Black Cow, Peg, and Home At Last the most, and the same songs remain my favorites with Josie joining them. This would be a boring record to listen to in most contexts in my life, but maybe around a cozy campfire at the end of a night it could be nice. 5.5/10
Ooo yes. Super smooth, hella enjoyable.
Siendo más o menos del mismo estilo, me ha gustado más que Yes. Lo volvería a escuchar
The Orla Kiely of music - so popular but nothing I ever bought into it. It’s easy to have in in the background but ultimately I just don’t care.
I'm pretty ambivalent about Steely Dan. The musicianship is top-notch (I especially dug the drums on this one), and the songs are catchy and the lyrics are interesting, but the overall feel I get is cold and sterile. And also kind of rapey.
Smooth as a baby’s butt-ass white boy jazz. Not bad.
mmm bien ahi maestro
On the fence I think it's more of a two and a half and there's definitely better steely Dan albums
3.5/5
Enjoyable jazz-pop-rock album. It's the Kmart Radio Network nightmare all over again.
Technically sound, but it's so unexciting to listen to.
Jazz rock. Bastante agradables.
I consider myself a Steely Dan guy but this isn’t their best album, high 3 but not a 4.
Enjoyed it, at least.
Probably would have liked this much more a few years back
Don't know much about this band. This album art would trick a teenager into not getting what they think they paid for. Sounds like rock with foam taped to all the sharp corners. It's fine. I picture them smiling to each other having fun performing for 12 people at a bar on a Thursday afternoon and 4 of those people work at the bar. Is edging rock a genre? Comes as close to rocking as possible, but never does it. Good music to sample and make better. Solid production. 3.5
AJ: Peg!
3/5
Love the jazziness of this bitch. I’m a slut for horns so you already know the state of my tip during this listen. However I did forget most of this album by the end of the weekend regardless of love me some slutty steely Dan but love my friends more. -B
Highlights: Josie, Deacon Blues This would have been a bitch to record and mix, sounds like there are so many components to organise (props to Katz and the music engineers there). Much respect to the session musicians and singers who made an appearance (including Doobie Brothers frontman Michael McDonald, he actually has range!?!), they are on fire. There's something about Aja that feels off that I can't put my finger on. 'Black Cow', 'Aja' and 'Home At Last' would benefit from pruning. The title track is cringe by today's standards. I dunno? It's not my favourite of the four in the book. Overall: 5/10
Suuuuper cheesy seventies glam rock. It's nearly all ballads minus "Peg". Certainly not as good as Can't Buy A Thrill, bit the harmonies are nice and the mix is really solid.
I know is regarded as their best, it's a bit too sterile sounding for me, especially the tone of the bass. I prefer early Dan like Can't Buy a Thrill or Count Down to Ecstasy. I do like Big Black Cow and Peg, Michael McDonald's falsetto on the latter is transcendent!
The track Black Cow is pretty good.
Steely Dan is a very specific guy for a very specific mood. This one is groovy and fun!
So yeah, this is a classic rock album. Very crisp performance, but for a millennial like me, these songs are boring.
actually really liked it, giving it a 3 bc it's not totally deserving of a 4 imo, but I could see myself relistening and rating it higher
It’s probably not fair that I’m giving this the same rating as yesterday’s album— k.d. Lang’s Ingenue— but that’s the problem with the five star system. Lang would’ve gotten a 2.5 if we were giving out half stars, and Steely Dan would’ve gotten 3.5. But I rounded the former up and I’m rounding the latter down. I like Steely Dan, but I’m more partial to the earlier stuff.
Heralded as one of their best - I still can't get into aja as a whole but upon my like 3rd listen, it is better than I remembered it. Black Cow, Aja, Peg and Josie are sleek and great balanced production. I will put this album on if I want to get work done but I dont see myself returning to it all the time. I get why its loved and I do like it - its just not an everyday album for me.
Just OK
I came into this with no clue how to pronounce the name of the album, assuming it was maybe "aha", later learning it's supposed to be "asia". For the life of me I cannot tell if this album is taking itself seriously. Long-winded instrumentals abound, but there's some solid musicianship and interesting instrumentation to back them up. Overall this feels more like a collection of songs than a cohesive album. Definitely more fun in the back half -- it feels to me like the two sides should be directly swapped, to open with the upbeat classic "Peg" and close on the extended fade-out of "Deacon Blues".
Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: it was good Favourite song: Track 7 - Josie
Pretty good, an easy listen. Would I listen to it again? No.
Sounds like background music for a lounge bar, but the coolest and most well-produced one that you can listen. It would probably change my evening for the better, so I approve it. (I don't like numeric ratings, I just give 3 to anyone)
Ok tier
блюз джаз немного поп и немного бардовской песни в начале в духе Билли Джоела. Не моя музыка на постоянку, но один трек себе добавила под настроение
Lekkere ochtendmuziek. Eerder funky dan jazzrock m.i. Tikkeltje muzak-ig en daardoor geen hogere score.
It was decent, like other people have said, its background music that you don't really need to pay attention to. Production is really good, but music is dated and some of the songs are bloated into 7 minutes plus.
MEH
Pretty good. Funky, catchy.
you know I love steely dan! Not sure I will listen again, but enjoyed the tracks I heard
Listened to it in the car and it made for a great driving soundtrack, but I don’t know that it would have held my attention otherwise. Production objectively very impressive, but aside from a few riffs and runs the writing was a bit uninteresting. Maybe just not for me! Appreciate that it clocked in at 40 minutes tho and not around 2 hours. If you’re going to write 7-minute songs at least be selective. Favourite track: Black Cow
Good jazzy background music. Never been a huge Steely Dan fan.
These are some long songs. They don't sound bad but I think I find them more distracting then enjoyable. 2 songs I would give a 4/5 the rest are a 2/5 3/5 for the album
Listened Before? N Super funky and jammy stuff. I really grooved with this 70's stuff, baby. I feel like I'm not cool enough for it. Jam on, boys. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Peg
Not really my flavor but the band is tight, sounds good, there are a couple goofy/odd synth things that didn't add to the songs in any way
Beautiful songs but not really my style of music. A lot more instrumentals than I usually like. I really liked Aja.
Over-produced, under song'd, imo.
Okay. But not spectacular.
Another Steely Dan. It's totally fine.
Lounginis rockelis. Nežinau ar man tai visiškai prie širdies, tačiau klausant ryte tikrai maloniai susiklausė ir neprailgo. 3/5
Cool sound, at times very funky while incorporating many unique chord progressions with a slightly jazzy sound. At times a bit boring, due to the drum beat sitting far behind the instruments in the mix and being a steady beat.
Ok, disco
I wasn't a fan of this sort of jazz-rock-funk then, and I'm still not a fan today. The album is not unpleasant, but it just doesn't grab my attention.
This was groovy! Peg was my favorite, instant serotonin. Opened strong with Black Cow (loved that Tatyana Ali sampled it in Daydreamin'!). Second fav was Deacon Blues.
This felt like easy listening music, but it was well-done because it was easy to listen to. Very chill, if a bit uninteresting.
Fine, just not my thing
Well done, but it felt like it lacked any real emotion.
Ja fantastisch. Eerste twee nummers een 5. Daarna werd het wat minder. Zit tussen de 3 en 4. Maar ga toch voor 3
I heard that Steely Dan's Aja is a must listen before even starting the 1001 album challenge. So I listened to it but didn't understand the fuss. This is the second time I've listened to Aja and I still don't get it. It's alright I guess but not the mind-blowing experience I keep reading about.
This was slower and more mellow than I anticipated. Pretty good background music.
Black Cow- 3.6/5 Aja- 3.3/5 Deacon Blues- 3.5/5 Peg- 3.7/5 Home at Last- 3.9/5 I Got the News- 3.9/5 Josie- 3.7/5 Total- 3.7/5
This is so Steely
Just ok. A few catchy songs with enjoyable guitar
Eh. It's ok.
very groovy but was just lacking anything that really blew me away. i enjoyed it.
a little funky for me -- not my taste..!
Not my cup of tea
***3 Nary an edge to be found here. Maybe in the lyrics? Even the moments of angularity go down smooth. Peg is a good song, don't really need much else.
Dadrock.
Goeie muziek voor in het menu van Gran Turismo. Best lekker, maar er staan geen nummers op die er voor mij uitspringen, zoals Dirty Work. 3 a 4
I hear good musicians playing good music. It also has a certain cleanliness to it that makes it a bit too clinical. Not sure why this bothers me because it doesn't in some other artists music, still good.
Some of these songs are solid but in some weird way the album feels a little pretentious
Honestly didn’t know what to expect. but that was pretty pog. songs were a little long tho yuh
This album stands soley on the opening measure. A production work of pure brilliance. After that, there a lot of meh cheesy yacht jazz. These guys are corny as fuck and not that charming.
Meio entediante em geral para meu gosto, rockao demais
Deacon Blues is one of my favorite songs, that said, a lot of the rest of this album is good but not particularly stand-out to me. Steely Dan songs tend to be either catchy or very background in my eyes, and only Deacon Blues and Aja felt like real attention grabbers.
Always thought he was saying "Hey" instead of "Peg". But now I know. I also know all the songs sound like each other.
It is pretty unique sounding, and when they hit their groove, it is unquestionably catchy. Deacon Blues and Peg as great. However, the rest of the album struggles to hold my interest... Josie & Black Cow are okay, but the rest feel like filler that kind of drone on.
Up til now the only way I knew of Steely Dan was through an old Harry Hill joke. Not a bad album, was nice to listen to on the way home from work. Probably won't listen to it ever again though.
Good album, very known
It's good, but not my thing. I am not the best person to rate this genre :/
this is jazz jazz, which is not my favorite to listen to but always impresses me. Aja is like Asia??? that made me do a double take actually when i heard that. it’s cute it’s fun it’s upbeat i feel like i’m on a yacht.
está bien
It's sleek and funky, but can also be a bit too cold and mechanical, like a robots idea of groove.
Old school background listening
2nd listen. This album has definitely grown on me. Still just 3 stars though.
Fällt gegenüber den anderen Alben in dieser Liste ein wenig ab und läuft so durch.
Пара песен очень понравились, остальные скучновато
It’s exactly what I thought a Steely Dan album would sound like. Jazz music meant to bang to.
A good, solid, album that lacks the tracks that really set me on fire.
I have so much cognitive dissonance when it comes to steely Dan. On the one hand the harmony/arrangement/musicianship/production is all top tier, but it’s just devoid of anything emotional or raw. There’s nothing soulful or dark about it and so I just really feel nothing when I listen to it.
I've only really listened to much earlier Steely Dan before and I enjoyed that much more than this. I found the songs to be rather forgettable with none of them really jumping out at me as something i'd actively listen to again.
This shit is smooth, squeaky clean, impeccable production. The tracks themselves are hits and misses, albeit with a strong start. Aja and Black Cow at least are must listens!
Humm not what I thought it would be
Fun n funky music, great musicians. Music a lil bit too 70s but enjoyed it
You're not making jazz better, you're making rock worse Great album to show off your sound system, though ok im turning around on this, it's classic rock but jazzier, there's a place for that ok seriously, the audio production on this is amazing, it's making my headphones SING Overall: If you're ever at the type of party where this is background music, stuff your purse with hors d'oeuvres, then immediately leave.
funky, dated. guessing 3 unless it surprises me. It's chill but boring. Like wallpaper paint music.
This jazz-rock album was often described as cleaner and more accessible than previous albums. To me it sounds quite poppy and I'm not sure I like that. I think jazz-rock and fusion don't need to go this way. It certainly stands out in this approach but when you have something like Soft Machine and the entire Canterbury scene - why not chose these guys?
This reminds me of a lot of different music all at once. I like other Steely Dan songs more than the ones on this album.
Are you squeezing on my cheeeeeeks Are you grabbin on my buunnnnns
Look, if I just admit that I don't get Steely Dan and probably never will, will you guys stop making me listen to their albums? None of their albums have been bad, and I think this was the best one that I've heard so far, but two songs into the album they all just become muzak playing in the elevator of my mind 3/5 Again, it's not bad, I've just never owned a pair of New Balance sneakers, so I think I'm entirely the wrong demographic for this album
A jazzy sorta rock. Some of it to my taste, some of it not so much Saved tracks: Aja, Peg, I Got The News
Why is the second song on this album 8 minutes long? It's actually not that bad and it makes me kind of angry. I hate it when long songs are really good.
Yet another album with only a few songs but mostly overly long ones. Wasn't a massive fan, it played okay as background music but just nothing remarkable. Fairly tired of the era too which probably doesn't help. Not one to revisit.
Not bad but boring
Don't know a big lot about Steely Dan, was pleasantly surprised with this album, it seems a mix of blues and soft rock, many elements of Nile Rodgers style. It's all a well composed album with good lyrics sung well, arrangements and supported by well played instruments. Has a quality feel to the sound, they've obviously had a good mixing studio when mastering the album. Peg is the best track on the album. Not quite a 4 for me, but it's a heavily weighted 3.
Really easy listening. Nice for a summers day in the garden. Particularly liked Peg, didn't realise they did the original of the De La Soul 'Eye Know' sample.
Not really my taste
It was Ok not my favorite
Das klassische Problem bei Classic Rock: Ist mir über weite Strecken zu Dad-haft. 3/5
Muscially, this is very good. Incredible composition. Everything has it's place and even the vocals are as much an "instrument" as the guitars, horns, keyboards. But, it's just too dated for me. These guys were trying to be cool at the time...maybe they were, I dunno. But they're certainly not now. A bit tough to reconcile that when I listen. Really respect what they did here, but it's not my thing. 1 - bad 2 - average 3 - good 4 - great 5 - outstanding
Not totally my type of music but some of the later songs are good.
I mean, I guess I can respect it for the execution? Maybe I'm still too young to "get" Steely Dan
Gonna confess to being conflicted. This is one the the albums that I think I ought to like; I would have probably given it a milquetoast 3 stars if not for the fact that I went into the 1001albums review archive first. Lots of grudging acknowledgment of the production values, offsetting a general loathing of the product itself. Can you polish a turd? I think not. Aja isn't a bad album, just somewhat inoffensive and unmemorable – superior elevator music, perhaps? Maybe if De La Soul hadn't taken samples from Aja on Three Feet High... (source material was just a bit over a decade old then), it would have died the social death experienced by (say) Christopher Cross, rather than taken on its current legendary status. Perhaps/
Very peaceful listen with funky bass lines. The album cover doesn't match the music at all, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. Maybe not something I would come back to, because all songs sounded at least a bit similar. Fave track(s): Black Cow, Peg
Yacht rock! Smooth, sounds real clear though good cans. Musically complex and beautifully played... But just soft. Soft. Soft and bland. Like Tofu. Yes, this is musical tofu.
Too smooth. The sort of thing to put on at a dinner that isn't romantic, but where you don't want the music to get in the way. Very precise production though, as others have noted. I did enjoy its crispness.
Fijne muziek, vooral lekker saxofoontje en blues vibe in een paar nummers. Heel dicht tegen 4 sterren, maar net niet.
It was fine
13th January 2023 Listened during the day on Friday before a very last weekend. Played poker on Friday night. Funny that steely Dan were raised on the blues kitchen pod recently. Not as country as I would have thought.
Iconic but very easy listening lift music!
I guess it's kinda good
Curiós que es reivindiqui habitualment aquest disc com estendard de Steely Dan quan és el més dur de sentir, el més complicat, i no el millor. Sí potser el més ambiciós, amb un jazz rock d'alta volada i uns temes tan ben construïts que un no pot fer res més que treure's el barret. 'Deacon Blues' és un dels seus grans temes
Solid Steely Dan album with lots of the hits. I found myself bopping along to it.
The production on this album is absolutely amazing. AMAZING; nevertheless the overall vibe reminds me too much of what elevator music wishes to be. Ultimately, with such good musicians the album should be more interesting than it ends up being but it's very clean lounge music. Best song: Home At Last. Most helpful song: Aja – I would've pronounced it Adshcha and sounded like a fool so thanks I guess.
Ze schieten lekker uit de startblokken met een warme, vrolijke jaren zeventig-sound. Zo worden ze tegenwoordig niet meer gemaakt, denk je dan. Maar gaandeweg krijgt een soort jengelmuziek de overhand, die ook nog eens gigantisch in herhaling valt. Zo komen we ergens in het midden uit.
Very soft rock. It’s fine to have on.
This was a nice little rock album, always a fan of the longer songs on shorter albums. Steely is an up and comer on my like list and glad to have another album of theirs on here.
I didn't love this, wouldn't listen to it again. Not my cup of tea musically.
While not particularly exciting, it was enjoyable easy listening
Pretty middle of the road but I do enjoy the laid-back feel of Steely Dan. Great for a nice sunny day with a cocktail on the patio
Steely Dan isn’t the most exciting band ever but I generally like their light rock sound. This album is not their best, personally. It’s a bit drab.
3.5 Melodiøst og cool. Gennemført chill
Still great grooves but not as good as can't buy a thrill or pretzel logic. Not enough bangers
Good
Elevator music. Good elevator music, mind you, but still elevator music.
Felt like one step above elevator music, but at least I know more about Steely Dan now.
This kind of music doesn't really do it for me. But I've never really listened to steely Dan despite their reputation, so glad to have finally checked out an album of theirs
Nothing special.
Cool and catchy, but maybe a bit to jazzy/over my head at times
Good album with good instrumentation. I just didn't like it as much as Pretzel Logic or Fagen's solo album The Nightfly. I liked the album, but I do not see myself returning to it later.
Always pleasant, but not often exciting. 3/5
I’m so proud of myself for spotting Michael McDonald on backing vocals on some of these tracks! Nothing more to say.
I vibe with this record. First Listen?: Y Fav. Track(s): Black Cow, Home At Last Rating: 3.5/5
Favorite song: Josie Groovy.
A little too lax for me. Can definitely see that Dan Bejar listened to his fair share of Steely Dan, at least when recording Kaputt. They're good musicians, but there isn't enough going on to keep me interested. Standouts: Peg, I Got The News, Josie
I see why people find steely Dan insufferable, but I dug it.
bit repetitive but cool !
- Sehr Seventees - gute 3 würde ich sagen
C'était bon, mais je m'attendais à plus
I'd heard this before and I know some people love it. I didn't, but I didn't hate it either. My wife did, however. I thought it was decent, but nothing special. 3/5
Achei legal, ok, nada muito marcante, Melhor música: Josie
Pretty good. Sounds like a regular bowie
Overall a great album. Depending on my mood, attention to the lyrics, music or personal taste, this might affect an album over others. I am a Steely Dan fan, and the album met expectations of that.
The music sounds great but I had a hard time paying attention to any of the songs. There just wasn’t any feeling there. It’s almost like it’s a bunch of incredibly talented musicians that don’t know each other but have each played these songs a million times and are just punching the clock to get their paycheck.
Never sat and listened to jazz before but this is pretty fire ngl. Reminds me of something I would hear in Cowboy Bebop or smth.
Extremely okay
Prefs: Aja, Deacon Blues, Peg Moins pref: Black Cow
bueno
Meh
Its okej.
leicht funky mit harmonien. produktion ist fucking clean. nicht so meine musik. eher easy listening...
Nice and chill album
Taustamusakamaa ilman erikoisempia huippuja tai pohjia
Positiivisesti yllätti ku edellinen Steely listalta jätti vähän kylmäks. Hauskaa, mukanajammailtavaa
2.5/5 pleasant jazz rock, but boring and repetitive sounding
I do appreciate the talent here and the production sounds great, I just don't feel any significant connection with the music overall. Perhaps it will grow on me over time. I definitely liked it, though.
SOUNDS GREAT! Thats it. 3.5/5
It wasn’t bad. Maybe a little slow for my mood at the time. I could see it being good live.
I’m going to have to call them “Steely Dan chord changes” - these interesting chord progressions that then morph into some smooth jazz-y and wholly unsatisfying. Audio quality can’t be beat, though, save by other Steely Dan records.
From a production and engineering standpoint, Aja is very solid. The sound quality throughout gives the songs a bit of an extra edge. It also doesn't feel like there's nearly 40 musicians on here and instead like a cohesive unit. Have to say I didn't find the singles as great as Can't Buy A Thrill, or even the batch of songs strong or even interesting as Countdown to Ecstasy. It's a solid album with good songs like the title track, Deacon Blues and Peg, but it does swift in the background of the mind where it could be playing something more captivating.
My second time listening to 'aja' by Steely Dan. The first time I wasn't very impressed, especially after having had it hyped up for me. In the end, I think the hype did more damage that good. I still don't think I completely get it, but I can appreciate the technical stuff more. It's generally a good listen. Not the most amazing thing you'll ever hear, but solid enough that it didn't feel like a slog to me. Maybe I should be giving it two stars, but it's a solid three for me. The lyrics make no fucking sense though.
A perfectly ok album that straddles the bridge between jazz and more of a pop rock focus, I believe the term is yacht rock (whatever that is). It is quite a smooth and chilled out album, which is an ok listen for a background music playlist IMO. Best: Peg Worst: I Got The News
Okay
Never been into Steely Dan, but this is their best work.
There are quite a few Steely Dan songs I enjoy, but many I find just a bit too soft-rock-jazz - which was the majority of this album for me.
Very chill; wouldn't mind if it was playing in the background somewhere
It’s Steely Dan, you know what to expect- ultra slick production, smooth instrumentation and those cool Dad vocals. Some tracks are cool- Peg is an obvious classic thanks to De La Soul- other tracks just pass you by, like you’re on the freeway with the top down… and maybe that’s the point.
For a band that named itself after a fictional steam powered dildo, this is some pretty inoffensive music. I can't fault the playing of the songs, I just don't find them that interesting
Ihan ok biisejä, mutta ei kyllä painunut juuri mikään mieleen. 3/5 kuitenkin kun oli sen verran kuuntelukelpoinen.
Nimikkoraita todella tiukka! Muutenkin varsin letkeää jazz-rockailua, mutta muuten ei ihan niin paljoa säväyttänyt. 3/5
Another weirdo high-five from Steely Dan.
Egentlig helt ok. Men bare litt kjedelig?
Best Song: Aja. It almost doesn't feel like a song, more like a showcase of each band member's soloing abilities, but they're damn talented. Worst Song: Deacon Blues. This just felt a bit dull. Ho-hum, without the blistering musical prowess from the previous track. Overall: This was my first (that I know of) foray into Steely Dan. For some reason, maybe based on the name, I assumed they were boring dad rock. Turns out I was half right, because this is actually some pretty compelling dad rock. The musicality is top-notch here, but like many bands of this era, there is a sense of bloat as each song takes far longer than it needs. Still, a relaxed and groovy album that was fun to listen to.