Aja

groovy basslines i will be lesrning these

Best “dad rock” out there. Love jazz rock.

cheesy, boring music you hear at a sandals resort. enjoy your nostalgia. There were 22 seconds of Josie I enjoyed.

Very solid, well made jazz rock. Unfortunately there were some slow and slightly boring parts and it wasn't as catchy as Can't Buy a Thrill (which I should have given a 5 to.) FS: Black Cow, Drums/Sax on Aja

Fällt gegenüber den anderen Alben in dieser Liste ein wenig ab und läuft so durch.

really good very groovy and perfect for letting play in the background while doing house work or ealking somewhere

En cette période trouble du générateur, Steely Dan confirme une nouvelle fois son statut d'élève appliqué. Une véritable valeur sûre.

Steely Dan reviennent nous baiser la gueule comme au bon vieux temps, nous ramenant aux plus belles heures du générateur. Une comparaison qui ne fait que nous rapeller à quel point le générateur actuel est dans un sale état...

Lo que es este disco la concha de la lora. Funky 10/10.

LOVE this album. Steely Dan was one of my father's faves and I have a lot of fond memories of hearing this with him. Such amazing production and sound. 4.5/5

I love this album, and I think it is maybe Steely Dan's masterpiece. That said, I can't in good conscious give something this cheesy five stars. I'm tempted to, but no. They must be punished for making something as cool as jazz sound so white. It won't stop me from playing at least one cut from this album every time I go boating, though.

Good album haven't heard much from them before

jam band? jam band! jam jam jam jam jam balaya jam jam jam? band? jam!

It is what it is. I didn't expect anything else. Really not my thing.

Jesus this is awful. Just horrible horrible lift music.

Classic steely Dan again

Пара песен очень понравились, остальные скучновато

listened

It’s exactly what I thought a Steely Dan album would sound like. Jazz music meant to bang to.

Solid lounge album, would be great for chill background music that’s well done.

A good, solid, album that lacks the tracks that really set me on fire.

Steely Dan is the band people talk about when they want to sound intelligent. I fucking hate Steely Dan and their dentist office smooth jazz castoff. 2/5.

Aja So good but also kind of niche and weird. Its not challenging but it’s not relatable. I like that it has a truly unique sound and style of songwriting. Love Peg and Josie, they are such great songs. I have to be in a rare and particular mood to listen to this album through. The Steve Gadd/ Wayne shorter solos on Aja are incredible. I love Larry Carlton’s playing on this record. The best of 70’s production and studio musicianship.

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 don't get it

I saw a lof of rather negative reviews and I get where they are coming from. It's not for everyone, which is fine. It worked forme on an early morning on a sunny day, but I probably wont listen to it again.

Just an absolute delight of an album. This is my kind of music.

In my ignorance, I couldn't tell you a single name of a Steely Dan song or album but realized today that I know their first Album "Can't Buy a Thrill" quite well. Knowing that, I now believe I thought all of their work sounded similar in style to "Reelin' In the Years", but was I ever wrong. Aja was a superbly executed jazz rock album featuring some of the best session musicians I've ever heard. The drums, brass, keyboards, and guitars were just so crisp and clean. Fagen's vocals were on point, as were all of the talented backing vocalists.

Love Steely Dan

Very good. Classic Steely Dan. The production is amazing. The songs are great.

This is the album where Steely Dan reached the peak of musical evolution. From this point on the quality would ebb a little but nothing would standout or be new. This is a masterclass in musicianship, song structure and technical achievement.

Great album. Their sound is so cool and unique. Easy 5.

Beautiful background music for a lovely sunny day. I could listen to it all day (and I did!). Hard to pick a favourite, but the song latterly sampled by De La Soul (Peg, used in Eye Know) was a wonderful surprise

I've been listening to this a lot recently, another recent discovery, via Róisín. This album just gets better and better every time I listen to it, I'm always hearing new things. Truly a masterpiece of music production.

First half bops but the second half gets a little repetitive.

So smooth. Production quality through the roof. Very pro, such progressive, so jazz. Peg is absolutely perfect. Home at last i haven't heard too many times, but is ridiculously good too (that jazzy synth solo at ~ 3:10 <chef's kiss>). The Josie track was already a favorite of mine, but after hearing through the album again in its entirety, I would say a few of the other tracks have risen above. 5/5.

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.

Dull

This is the most steely of the Dan albums. A feast of sounds and songs.

Incredible sound, inventive songwriting, catchy melodies. Perhaps the ultimate “real guitar and drums” album, the playing is just so good. Interesting how they continually had random session players lay these tracks and yet the whole album still feels rock solid as a unit. I Got The News is a B song surrounded by 6 A+ tunes.

Wasn't terrible, but also kinda meh.

A masterclass in production and engineering. Good album, some great songs, but there’s a certain campiness(?) that I don’t always jive with.

Funky and slow, with hints of jazz with exceptional vocals - very smooth but I am not sure if it has that "it factor" although it is very good quality techinally 4/5

Great album - possibly their greatest

good

From the funky bass right out of the gate in Black Cow, I had a feeling I would like this one. I thought the album was over and that Slayer started playing when the final track, Josie, started up. 🤣

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!

This is a sophisticated, smooth and lyrically complex album. A great combination of elegant pop melodies and superb jazz musicianship, with some absolute gems, especially Peg, Deacon Blue, Aja and Josie. One or two tracks don't quite match these, but overally one of Steely Dan's best

7/10. The king of noodling. Just a good funky album from a funky dude. The white man's Santana, if you will.

Pretty funky album

Humm not what I thought it would be

Fun n funky music, great musicians. Music a lil bit too 70s but enjoyed it

Funk-tatsic

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.

One of my favorites

jazz funk feel good fusion

I don’t understand why people call this a perfect album. The music is slow and overwrought

funky, dated. guessing 3 unless it surprises me. It's chill but boring. Like wallpaper paint music.

From reading, the production quality is what this album is on the list for, but the instrument solos are just exquisite. The drums are so crisp, even through my poor quality headphones, it felt like they were in the room. Good stuff.

I'd heard that this was "jazz rock," but I hadn't realised the "jazz" was smooth jazz and the "rock" was soft rock. I seem to recall hearing someone once complain that this album was "sterile," but it's soft rock, so what do you expect? Great album.

Liked peg, 1st half of album too long

Highlight: Peg

Bardzo przyjemne, spore zaskoczenie. Highlights: Peg & Aja

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?

Masterpiece. One of my all time faves. Fell in love with it three years ago, I think. Among the rare albums, where I don't skip a single song. Rich and luscious songs, iconic lyrics and the mood is incredible.

Aja Aja sve si mi dalja😄

Excellent album!

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.

If you don’t like Steely Dan you need to check yourself. You can listen to this at a pool, in a bar, doing drugs, cleaning your house or on a road trip and it would be the appropriate selection.

Are you squeezing on my cheeeeeeks Are you grabbin on my buunnnnns

It's the moment when the Dan went full Yacht Rock, or even started whatever one considers Yacht Rock. That's far from a diss. It's both a feature and a benefit.

First time listening to a Steely Dan album - time to see what all the fuss is about. The groove out the gate certainly caught my attention, but things never really carried my excitement from there - except maybe the occasional moment of recognizing a sample or two I've known forever but heard in its original context. I would definitely enjoy this album more if it were strictly instrumental - the vocals really do nothing for me. And even as an instrumental album I wouldn't love it, I would simply enjoy it more than I enjoyed this as is. The music is very obviously well-played but it's far too cream-of-wheat for me.

Ok. Interesting finding the song De la soul sampled for eye no. Some sounded like musicians joined the session later not knowing what the tune was.

Sleek, elegant, jazzy, cooler than you. What a pleasure. One of the more soulful albums I can remember in Steely Dan's catalog. Splendid, flawless production and strong musicianship, with well crafted compositions that feel really loose but are actually quite intricate. Lots of musical twists and turns for the band's aficionados to pore over, but nothing a casual listener can't enjoy. The lyrics are surprisingly straightforward as Steely Dan lyrics go, with Fagen and Becker using fewer obscure references and a more sly approach to their trademark cynicism. I mean, maybe Deacon Blue is a loser, but at least he's a sincere loser. I can dig that. Side note: I see a lot of reviewers struggling to "get" this album. I cannot stress this enough: Stop trying to understand Steely Dan. This is music that is designed to be a bit inscrutable. Some people love that. Others would be best served by just choosing a groove and settling in for some quality music. If you're still not feeling it, you may want to check out the bottom 20 albums on the global stats for some perspective. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): Deacon Blues, Peg, Josie, Home at Last, Aja, I Got the News, Black Cow

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

booped along during work

A jazzy sorta rock. Some of it to my taste, some of it not so much Saved tracks: Aja, Peg, I Got The News

Great songs do not an album make. The songs are all easily listen to able, but just lacks for me.

Our second Steely Dan album in less than a week, eh? Okay then... Right off the bat, I had to check and make sure I had the correct song queued up, and yep, I sure did. And now I know that Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz sampled the opening snippet of "Black Cow" for their song "Deja Vu (Uptown Baby)". I prefer the latter track (that opening bit is as funky as "Black Cow" gets, so kudos on separating the wheat from the chaff on that one, guys). I also prefer the De La Soul song "Eye Know (The Know It All Mix)" over "Peg," which it sampled. Two quality hip-hop samples from one Steely Dan album. Who'da thunk it? Unfortunately, the familiar sampled bits were the highlights of the album for me. The rest of it was too soft rock for my taste. Or perhaps I should say "yacht rock," a brilliantly descriptive term I was just reminded of. This definitely feels like rich wypipo on a boat music.

Aside from Peg, this album fell flat & was boring.

Two Steely Dan albums in a week is a bit too much for me to take.

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.

Nice album, you're dad's smooth rock. I'm not a crazy fan of Steely Dan but you're always going to know what you're going to get with them - smooth, easy listening. 7/10.

2 not a steely fan

yeah this one rules

Not my favorite Steely Dan record, but still great production, incredible guitar solos, and tight hooks all around.

2.5/5 This album reminded me how much I really dislike saxophone/most brass and pretentious jazzy sounding music. Every song sounded the same, and didnt have anything catchy about it. I'm sure the artists are/were talented but it just came off like every person in the back thought they were the star. Will not relisten to this.

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.

I just love me some Steely Dan

Not my Jam

Wack

ett riktigt fint album! inte riktigt bra som pretzel logic men ändå

Not bad but boring

With a straight up feeling of a 90's late night show "The Late show with David Letterman with Paul Shafer and the CBS orchestra", not rock enough even soft rock, not even al dente. Not jazz enough, not funk enough. If this is what yacht rock is, I think it came pre capsized. "You're neither cold nor hot. So because you are lukewarm, I will spew you out of my mouth." - Bill The Butcher

jazzy album

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.

I was Steely bored!

Utterly devoid of anything with any merit whatsoever. What was the point of even making this, let alone adding it to this list?

Awful

It's a bit like having toast without any butter, it's acceptable but meh. At least I now know where Deacon Blue got their name from.

This is another one that I thought I wouldn't enjoy as much as I did. I can't say it was the most interesting album ever, but it was enjoyable enough, and they are clearly talented musicians. 3.5/5 rounded up to 4.

Not really my taste

It was Ok not my favorite

No es que sea un disco malo, que no lo es, pero bastante olvidable y un tanto repetitivo en algunas canciones

If Thundercat was a middle aged white man. Excellent.

Funky but very samey

Das klassische Problem bei Classic Rock: Ist mir über weite Strecken zu Dad-haft. 3/5

Écoute nocturne Avant dormire; Quel Jam exceptionnel

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

A superb album

Soothing listening experience, groovy musical sections. Just fantastic drumming!

This one doesn't do much for me. Definitely prefer Can't Buy a Thrill

i hated this.

This is pure yacht-rock. It's enjoyable and you can see the elements of rock and funk being pulled together. 7/10

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

More jazzy than countdown to ecstasy, combined with the worst bits of the 80s. Sounds like something the guy from American Psycho would like

I didn’t know Steely Dan was so jazzy. Also didn’t know so many grocery store songs I know are SD. Learning is fun! Peg

Great album!

Steely din

Hated it

Actually suffers from being too well produced... makes it sound very cheesy, but generally a solid listen. A slightly harsh 2*

Lame. Pound for pound, the absolute worst band in this book

I just can't get into this. They're great musicians, though.

Not my cup of tea.

turned into a pixies kinda day😅

One of the things I love most about Steely Dan is their lyrics. Very few of their songs are what you'd call traditional love songs. More often they write character sketches or social satire (and there's plenty of songs I've heard 100 times but still have no clue what they're about). The album "Aja" would at first seem to be the exception to this rule. Three of the seven songs are named after women. But when you dig into the lyrics, "Peg" (which has a great funky groove) is about a guy pining over a movie star. And "Josie" (which opens with that strangely menacing minor key intro) is about a woman whose return home sparks an all-night party and features this incredible description: "She's the raw flame / The live wire / She prays like a Roman with her eyes on fire." And the epic, 8-minute title track, which seems to be a pretty clear love song, spends more time on cryptic details like "Chinese music under banyan trees / Here at the dude ranch above the sea" than it does describing the actual woman that the song is supposedly about. But while trying to figure out what Steely Dan songs are about is definitely fun, it's not the best part about listening to Steely Dan. It's the music, man. This album is full of stellar jazz solos, including a ton of awesome guitar playing. I also love the sax solo at 4:42 on "Aja" played by special guest star Wayne Shorter, a jazz legend, and how the drums go absolutely berserk behind him. Such an awesome moment. Steely Dan get a lot of credit for pushing rock into jazzy territory. But here they play jazz that absolutely rocks. Even though the Dan didn't write a lot of love songs, so much of their music is romantic in the more classical sense of the word. Take, for example, the chorus of "Deacon Blues," which is often cited as being quintessentially Steely Dan because it's dark and twisted: "Learn to work the saxophone / I play just what I feel / Drink scotch whisky all night long / And die behind the wheel." It's an undeniably romantic fantasy: playing jazz, staying up late and dying in a blaze of glory. Steely Dan may not have written a lot of love songs but all their songs are love letters to the music.

A classic that I am ashamed to say I haven't listened much to. Great jazz rock. Love the vibraphone in "Aja". I love the whole feel of this track and how it has things to say but isn't in a rush to say them. That's a little thesis statement on how I like to live my life. Awesome drumming on "Aja" too. The more you listen the more you can only be impressed by the performances. This is a really solid album and I feel a little sacrilegious to write but it doesn't hit that legendary 5 mark for me personally. Songs are interesting in good ways but not frequently enough get enough excitement in them that elevates them to a truly legendary listening experience. It all gels really nicely but I would love for some moments where the energy really lifts. I didn't feel that tension/release cycle much and I think that's what makes it a clear cut 4/5, like a 4.5.

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/

creepy old man in a van tunes

Heroin music that goes on way too long. Likely the single album that caused the shift to 3-4 minute songs

I wanted to like this because I feel like as an aging middle-aged white woman, I'm nearly obligated to love stuff in this realm, and yet, here we are and I am bored to tears. There's nothing wrong with it, per se, but I don't find anything particularly right with it, either.

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

Wonderful chill funk vibe. Hard not to like.

very funky, fun album with some genuinely great songs! A lot of jazz influence as well. My only gripe is how long some of the songs stretched on for - I feel like they didn't retain my attention super well, but maybe that's just me.

Incredibly…. Pleasant. I picture dinner parties with olive green furniture, giant speakers connected to a hi fi, and lots of cocaine.

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.

Best ever

One of the greatest albums of all time.

I thought there were a lot of songs I enjoyed by Steely Dan. Maybe it's the Velvet Underground effect.....I was blown away by Velvet, dived into all their music for several days, then ripped on most albums afterward, because they didn't compare to Velvet. Well, as Prince would say, "Nothing Compare 2 U" and Steely had the unfortunate circumstances of following Prince's 1999 and several days of binging on nothing but Prince. I do like Josie and even Peg. I don't like Deacon Blues because of the line, They call Alabama the Crimson Tide. Fuck Alabama, the OG of cheating in college football. Most of their team can't spell football, let alone speak coherently. And their inbred fans are some of the worst, but not as bad as all the Michigan arrogant assholes who don't realize their last consensus championship happen during WWII. But when your mom and dad are brother and sister, I suppose your life should revolve around football. Back to the album. Nothing got me excited or made me want to download any of the songs. Still though it was OK, but nothing to get excited about. I have a feeling it's going to take a while for the Prince buzz to wear off. 2

Oh man the sax is back! At first I was thinking that it was a little jammy for my taste but then I got through the title track. The jazzy musical assault (that low-key sounded like a mario kart soundtrack) left me feeling like the Maxell cassette guy. At this point I was all in. All I knew about Steely Dan previously were all the jokes about them being lame and of course, "Do It Again", thanks to Guitar Hero: World Tour. I genuinely don't understand those jokes. This felt just as exciting and unexpected as any metal album I've heard. Damn good stretch of albums through the middle 100's, here. 5

1 Oh my God Steely Dan is such a boring band, and living proof that putting personality into music is much more important than being technically proficient. Supposedly this album also helped invent the genre of yacht rock which makes it infinitely worse. Honestly, I’d even go as far to say that I’d rather listen to a Beatles album over this.

4,5. Bavil mě ten jazzovej nádech (I Got the News).

- Pretty cool ngl 4/5

Super liked!!

That's good

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.

Man, what an album! Jumped out the gate groovy and smooth and just overall a bop. Loved the jazzy vibes and the music break were my favorite parts of the songs. So cool and definitely a great jam for a bbq or just when you want a solid enveloping time. I lament that this typa 70s shit is far and few in between these days!

Technically good with good production and interesting harmonies but the songwriting is uninteresting and feels soulless

I always forget how short this album is. It's less about the songs and more about the vibe.

Fijne muziek, vooral lekker saxofoontje en blues vibe in een paar nummers. Heel dicht tegen 4 sterren, maar net niet.

Boring. Really boring.

fantastic album, always sounds clear

It was fine

listened to again a jazz pop classic

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.

Steely Dan at their best just felt so tight. And this is Steely Dan at their best. You can squeeze a fab paper between their musicianship. I'll still be popping on their greatest hits though.

It's like this band was created for me in a lab. Favorite track: Josie

Iconic but very easy listening lift music!

Yacht rock's highest moment when a prog rock band decided to make a jazz rock masterpiece.

No thanks

Lots of good songs on this breakout album. Exceptional musicianship. Good driving music

Enjoyed it more than I thought, especially on my 2nd listen. Will certainly revisit this.

Um, might be my favorite album of all time. Masterful performance, beautiful mixing and mastering, and classic Steely Dan stank.

I guess it's kinda good

Certified classic 10/10

So jazzy. Great musicianship but I couldn’t sit through this one.

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

Brilliant. Michael McDonald on backing vocals! Sublime musicianship and intelligent lyrics. Includes three of the best songs ever written.

Nearly 5 stars. The production is amazing, just a little it safe

Solid Steely Dan album with lots of the hits. I found myself bopping along to it.

My sister named her Doberman Pinscher bitch Asia, but she spells it Aja. They're American. She, my sister, not the dog, has a full mouth of fillings. Aja, the album, not the dog, is her favorite music to play when getting her teeth drilled. Dr. Goldman agrees.

I'm sorry, hellyeah, that after giving you so much grief about Jeff Buckley that I now must do this to your beloved Steely Dan. But I just couldn't with "Aja." I kept continuously laughing out loud at the cheesiness of so many parts. Steely Dan definitely has a signature sound that I now recognize as Steely Dan. But it only works for me on a couple of their biggest hits, and those were not to be found here (I did recognize "Peg"). Apologies, but this one is even below the JBZ for me.

I love these guys! They took a sound I like with a structure I despise (jazz) and fused it with a soft rock sound that ends up being incredible. Walter Becker and Donald Fagen were truly masters. They stopped touring in the mid 70s to focus on studio work and this masterpiece came out. Bravo!!! The arrangements are tight and meticulously executed to perfectly achieve the soundtrack in their heads. I hadn’t realized until now how many different session musicians a band could use on one album. I’ve always assumed that an album is recorded by one set of musicians with a guest appearance here and there. Steely Dan nearly had a different musician on each instrument for each song. So Steely Dan was more a duo with a rotating backing band for Aja. I would think changing musicians constantly would be difficult. It seems like it was refreshing for these seasoned pros because rotating musicians helped Aja become a masterpiece.

gawd this is terrible. I thought these guys were good. Maybe just a couple of good hits? Not sure I can finish...

Super album de steely dan mais la partie jazz tres accentue le place en dessous d ecountdown to ecstasy pour moi. 4.25

Killer album

Perfect for when you are insanely tired after a big day and just want to listen to music brain off

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.

Please no. Boring, dated and just not good.

Better than I thought it would be, but it is oh so 70s

Peak

I consider this to be one of the finest albums made by any band, not just Steely Dan, and the title track, in particular, is on its own plane. One layer of many incredible layers: take a glance at the list of personnel who contributed to and performed on this album. It's a Hall of Fame line-up. Just amazing what came out of these sessions.

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.

Pfff....saai....Muzikaal zal het best prima zijn. Maar ik krijg mijn aandacht hier niet op gevestigd.

Jazzy en bluesy poprock dat prima als intermezzomuziek bij van die tv comedy shows past als Home Improvement. Ik vind dit dus superrelaxed. Ga dit zeker vaker opzetten tijdens het werk.

So good! I can listen to this on repeat all day.

Solid tunes! It’s amazing to think that they packed this much into a seven-song record. This album really is quality over quantity.

Fresh as f#ck

Nostalgic tones, good sound and culturally relevant

Stunning and exquisite. Not just the production and playing (obvs), but also the sense of languor and the extremely underrated lyrics (which people seem to both overthink and underaopreciate). The hits are top-notch – "Peg" is an all-time top-five groove, inclusive of any and all pop music genres and "Deacon Blues" is a Cheever story that just happened to get near the top of the charts. The opener, title cut and "Home at Last" are all extraordinary. Sure, it's dad rock and yacht rock -- for dads and yacht owners who possess taste and intelligence and a mature musical palate. People who don't find this interesting simply cannot themselves possibly be interesting. They certainly lack taste and probably fear jazz. One recalls loving it upon a first full listen as a teenager and the record only gets better with each passing decade; in other words, the more music one hears, the better Aja gets, a sure sign of quality.

Solid album cover. Dark, somber, portentous, eye catching. Raises some questions, which the eponymous song really doesn't particularly resolve. In fact what is any of this album about? Don't know, but I like it. Sure, I like raw, emotional, edgy. But clean, pretty, and carefully constructed can also be enjoyable when done well. And this is done *so* well.

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.

This was the one Steely Dan album that I had heard years ago. Back then, I didn't understand the hype at all. It's just mildly groovy, adult contemporary dad rock with little that grabs my attention. I think I liked one song. Hearing it again now, a new man with thousands of listening hours and an expanded palette since then, I've reached the same conclusion. The one song I like changed, but it's still mostly nothing for me. I've liked the other Steely Dan projects so far, but this one for me is a dud. Favorite tracks: Black Cow (used to be I Got the News). Album art: The cover is actually really cool (red white and black at it again). Some weird shape of color, and then suddenly you notice a woman's painted face. Far, far more interesting than the music it denotes. That's why I listened all those years ago and was so disappointed. 2/5

2.5/5

I didn't love this, wouldn't listen to it again. Not my cup of tea musically.

This album exists in my head as "the" album that guys born in the 50-60s use to test high end stereo equipment. Obviously a very high level of production, but I do not get excited to listen to the album.

2/5. It’s a technically good album but it feels like a group of people who just found out that jazz was a genre and made a whole album to try it out. I don’t feel the passion in it.

slickly nihilistic

Easy to listen to…perhaps too easy.

Great music throughout entire album. Awesome guitar solos.

Muito bom, sonzao instrumental

LET'S FUCKING GOOOO LET'S GO STEELY FUCKING DAN OH HELL YEAH i joke a lot on social media but steely dan really is the pinnacle of white people soul music there's so much complexity in their songwriting but it still manages to be the catchiest, hookiest shit in the world. i have no idea how they manage to so effectively combine music theory and pop sensibility black cow is so fucking catchy. the title track is high art. deacon blues is maybe the best song ever, i'm not kidding. this album has PEG on it dude, on top of all of the rest of these fucking songs. what a work of art i don't even have the words to describe why steely dan brings me the amount of joy they do, but this band is an integral part of my very being and that will never change. all hail fagen and becker

My lord

Incredible how some people get albums produced.

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.

So smooth, is this yacht rock? I think this is yacht rock. Ima get a bourbon...

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

It was good. Jazzy

Good

T3B 1. Deacon Blues 2. Peg 3. Josie Don’t get much better than Steely Dan. Especially with their best album? Every song so jazzy, rocky hard to stay still. Easy 5.

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.

Teemamusiikkia - toki tahallaan, mutta eihän tällaista jaksa kuunnella kuin korkeintaan hyvin hiljaa taustalla.

Se, että käyttää musiikin hirveyttä koukkuna, ei tee musiikista vähemmän hirveää.

Pretty funky album (especially from the middle on), and a mild introduction to jazz/rock fusion. Love the jazzy chord progressions and "dialogues" between piano, sax, and guitar.

A good album but I have my issues. Vocals are an issue for me - no sense of command or facilitation. They hit the middle spot of being a bit wishy-washy. Musically, it is highly intricate - the mixing is insanely good (something I never appreciate unless it's an extreme, an example of bad is enter the 36 chambers, but obviously there are reasons). However, this in some ways can be detrimental to my enjoyment. "Smoothness" is something I enjoy in small doses - a guitar lick, a saxophone solo, a cymbal crash. When every track is smooth it lacks the power to grab me. Good music not great music, would play at a dinner party when I am 50. Fav song - Peg

Perfect for a slow morning

Didn't expect it to be so funky - seems like jazz rock. Piano was used well and I like Donald Fagen's voice. The lyrics were super random which is always fun. It's musically complex and well produced but still accessible. Fav track: 'I got the news'

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.

Crisp and clean almost to the point of being laboratory sterile. Jazzy yacht rock. It’s so tight it almost sound 80s quantized. I do like it, I don’t love it.

Always pleasant, but not often exciting. 3/5

Insufferable soft rock dreck.

Funk saxophone. Bello divertente comfort smhoot funk in tha room. Un po' simile a se stesso ma riesce a rendere non noiosi i coretti aiutatori

I’m so proud of myself for spotting Michael McDonald on backing vocals on some of these tracks! Nothing more to say.

Amazing album. Rare musicianship and songwriting ability.

Well, after three Steely Dan albums so far, I think I can say with some level of confidence that it’s just not my taste. I did like “Peg,” though!

Its really good Not really my style though 2

HL: “Peg”, “Aja”, “Deacon Blues” Shoot, I’m unsure but “Aja” gets 4 stars for now. “Peg” is my favourite Steely Dan song; yet the second half dragged more than the first, despite the 1st having longer songs. Could be anywhere from a 3 to a 5 depending on mood & location.

Well prepared, forgettable soup. Didn't hate this. Unfortunately though, it elicited no discernible emotional response beyond apathy. What is music if not to lift the soul? There's some thought behind the lyrics - but the music they're saddled with is so non-descript it's hard to care less. All the nuance is lost in the cloying do-bops and tsch-bop-bops that smother the record like an unremarkable blanket. Probably at one point I've heard snippets of this in a hotel lobby but I don't know because I wouldn't remember it; case in point ended up listening to most of the album twice for the purposes of this because it fused with the background noise on the first occasion. Trying a little harder on the second attempt, the initial chord progressions in the unfathomably beloved Deacon Blues set the scene for a whole bunch of nothing to happen, and as listeners, we're not proved wrong with this assumption. Music should make you feel alive, this is beige soup for beige people with beige lives and beige ambitions who live in beige houses and drive beige cars to beige stores and ask for a manager when they get there because beige products are out of stock. There's a scene. And Steely Dan is playing in the background, naturally. So anyway, it was dull. Maybe one day I'll hear it again and not even know. 1/5

favourite song: deacon blues really enjoyed this album.

Great album overall.

This album is killer. Deacon Blues is a masterpiece. Peg is great. All these songs are awesome.

it's steely dan babyyy

My second favorite Steely Dan album...although it's technically a better overall album experience than my first favorite which is purely about what Dan record I came to all on my own and not through anyone else's influence. This also has the better cover. I catch myself quoting snippets of these lyrics in daily life. All of this is to say that for a band I actively *hated* as a younger person, I ultimately fell for them and that's in no small part to this record.

I vibe with this record. First Listen?: Y Fav. Track(s): Black Cow, Home At Last Rating: 3.5/5

Easy listening by the one and only Mr Steely

Favorite song: Josie Groovy.

Meh. I know that’s sacrilege to the diehard Danimals, but I just don’t care. Peg is a bop, but the rest of it is pretty bland.

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

Great tracks, really tight band, Deacon Blues is stuck in my head at least once a week.

I had heard of Steely Dan, but I didn't realize it was soft rock. Or as I found out: Historically, Steely Dan has been most often and best described as jazz fusion. This is distinct from progressive rock (another common descriptor of Steely Dan) in that jazz fusion incorporates other musical elements like funk and reggae.

I see why people find steely Dan insufferable, but I dug it.

Here's the thing - I really like Steely Dan. I don't know much more about them than the music. I've never seen them live. I got their box set at some point during film school and it was one of those situations where you listen to something and you like every single song you hear. As if you'd heard it all before. And some of it I had heard before, but the deep cuts were just as good if not better than the hits. And among Steely Dan albums is probably my favorite. I like the way it sounds, I like that it sounds like easy listening and the subject matter is drugs and porn and losers. And Ulysses, I guess? I love it.

If anyone asks me my favourite Steely Dan album, depending on the day and the direction the wind blows I might say Katy Lied, Gaucho or even Can't Buy a Thrill. But I always follow it up with "...though really, it should be Aja." Why? Because it's immaculate. And perhaps that's why it's not quite top of the tree for me. It's like gorging on chocolate, and washing it all down with yet more chocolate. There comes a point where you a bit of grit or nastiness is welcome. However, for all that, and for all the carping that the Dan sacrifice emotional truths on the altar of technical ecstasy, it's wonderful. Oblique lyrics about disaffected demimonde America, compositions that successfully combine pazz 'n' jop, crystalline production, some outstanding individual musical performances - they're all here. Gimme more chocolate...

I. Just. Do. Not. Get. It. This isn't my first attempt to listen to this album and I made it all the way through this time. Occasionally, I like what's happening on the guitar. But overall it this music has as much edge as a tub of butter. Why is this band and this album so revered? Wouldn't you rather just listen to prog rock?? Or jazz?? Or butter??? Help me.

I just don’t like it

bit repetitive but cool !

- Sehr Seventees - gute 3 würde ich sagen

The first Steely Dan album I've listened to in full. Sounds like a collection of '70s TV themes. Peg is fun but better when sampled by De La Soul. Seems a bit directionless

C'était bon, mais je m'attendais à plus

Pretty great! Such a great blend of prog rock, jazz and mellow funk.

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

I said that I was going to hold back on 5 stars right before I got this album lol What can I say, I love the Dan. I gel with Fagen and Becker’s sense of humor, their wordplay, and their jazz-meets-rock sensibilities. This is as good as their sound ever gets, although I also have a soft spot for Katy Lied. Still, I like how the big, progressive tracks are sequenced early on to get them out the way for listeners to familiarize themselves before going back to the lighter, catchier tracks. It’s a screw you to a big sect of the audience, and it works splendidly. A

Steely Dan brought Rock and Jazz together in their own unique way. They have a distinctive sound. Aja (pronounced Asia) is their sixth album and they have four albums on the 1001 list. Standouts: Deacon Blues, Peg, Josie Others: Aja, Home At Last, I Got the News

Achei legal, ok, nada muito marcante, Melhor música: Josie

This is really mood dependent. I've heard this before and been so into it; this time I could take it or leave it. It's a bit boring. Technical ability, for sure. Understand why it's on the list as well. A generous 4.

Masterpiece!

Blazing out of the seventies and into your open plan sunken lounge comes Steely Dan. Like car keys in a bowl it sounds good in your mind, but in real life I'd be the one who cycles to the party. Felt this way about the album, a bit of a let down

I've been told that Aja is Steely Dan's magnum opus. I still don't know if I agree. I've been listening to Steely Dan for as long as I can remember. Well I should say I've been listening to one singular song of theirs: Reelin' in the Years (it's in the soundtrack for a baseball movie my family watches every year). And that one song, along with a few other of their hits from "Can't Buy a Thrill" have essentially been my only exposure to the band. In the past few years I've gone out of my way to listen to a few more of their hits, and even some deeper cuts (Hey Nineteen, Doctor Wu, Jack of Speed) but nothing off Aja. And I think that simple fact makes me dislike the album just a little more than I really ought to. It's too... jazzy. "But you love jazz!" Well, yes. But my perception of Steely Dan does not consist of vamps and improvisation, instead I think of catchy melodies with fun lyrics and great harmonies that really let the vocals pop. It's cool guitar riffs and bass lines that mainly serve to support said vocals. But Aja is more than that, and therefore more than I expected going in. The vocals take a backseat. And to a guy who's fallen in love with Steely Dan because of their biggest hit whose vocals carry the piece... it feels off. I can pretty confidently say that had Aja been the first Steely Dan album I had listened to, it would be one of my favorites. The jazz and funk elements come together with a classic rock sound where beautiful melodies are gracefully rested atop luscious guitar riffs and elegantly composed piano pieces. Where grooves in "Josie" and "Peg'' allow for glorious solos and improvisations, with perfectly timed transitions and crisp instrumentation. I love this album. But hearing it from my perspective, it sort of sits in an uncanny valley, where the band's new direction feels... wrong. The shift in focus from vocals to instruments is one I almost always support. And I wish I could support this one more than I do. high 4.5/5

Pretty good. Sounds like a regular bowie

A classic

funky

Ultra easy listening

09/30/22 Incredible production. Not my favorite collection of steely Dan. But got what amazing cruise music.

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.

eu gosto do jeito que steely dan faz uma musica dançante com progressão de acordes incomum. o uso de menores e etc. tem um certo sambá, que sendo brasileiro eu aprecio muito

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.

This is not a good record. 90% of it is filler. May be a competitor for most dad rock album of all time.

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.

Okej, men inte mycket mer.

Fantastic album. Favourites after the first time listening: Aja, Peg, Home At Last

10/10 same as what I said before about Steely Dan when I quoted walter white lol seriously, one of my favorite bands

This was not what I expected, but then I didn't really know what to expect. I quite liked it though.

Fuck these critics and their love of Steely Dan

Really enjoyable album by steely Dan. I enjoy their jazzy smooth rock style as it’s pretty easy enjoyment wise. Their guitar playing is sonically really solid. I think this is one of their best albums all around. 8.3/10

Own this on vinyl. Very nice.

Chill

Not a Steely Dan fan.

Short, but concise album by Steely Dan, a jazz/rock ensemble with a core of two musicians: Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. The record itself is a very broad mix of of many jazz and rock subgenres, giving it a rather unique sound. The album is a quintessential leisure music - what I mean by that, it's a perfect music to relax and enjoy during a quiet evening, with a lamp of wine. The songs are really well written and produced, it feels like every track has its purpose, every instrument and every note is meticulously pre-planned and arranged. Steely Dan knew what they want and they achieved that in 100%. Songs are, from a more distant perspective, very similar to each other, it's easy to miss a transition from on to another, which feels like it's a one continous 40-minutes track, stretching for whole album. As a fan of different type of music, I had a rather hard time enjoying it after first few minutes - I felt like it's very repeatitive and unoriginal. In a context, album like that released in 70s must have been a great occurrence - not only it's something new, but also played and produced to perfection. But right now, it just gets lost in the sea of plenty of similar, or quirkier bands.

Extremely okay

Really cool. Quiet jazzy with lots of groove, but also really accessible.

Prefs: Aja, Deacon Blues, Peg Moins pref: Black Cow

This might be one of the best-sounding albums I’ve ever heard. Everything about the album is crystal-clear. Great instrumental performances and vocals. Standout tracks are “Peg” and “Deacon Blues”.

Mellow; classic songs like "Deacon Blues", "Aja" and "Peg" - I don't always know the song name but I've heard these a lot. Not for everyday, but good for many.

Black Cow- 9.5/10 Aja- 6/10 Deacon Blues- 9/10 Peg- 4/10 Home At Last- 9/10 I Got The News- 4/10 Josie- 7.5/10 Aja-7/10

bueno

Never really knew what Steely Dan did. This is a great introduction and has some amazing songs.

Meh

Its okej.

One of the best albums of all time. Not Steely Dan's best album, but one of the best.

The production on this is actual black magic. This sounds like it came out yesterday. At first I thought this was pretty standard and inoffensive music, but after listening to it again.. yeah, it's really good. The vocals, drumming, saxophone and everything work so well together. Also this is easily in the Top 5 best album covers. No question.