Aja

Fab album, always good to listen to it and the sax is out of this world

stejsi pogszamp

I really liked the combination of classic hard rock and jazz that Steely Dan have going on here. A nice album to listen to and a band I'll definitely revisit. Not entirely gripping enough for a 5 though.

never hit my radar and not an immediate win wither. the sounds is fine but not quite sure where it fits in

Rockin lounge jazz, not great music

Amazing :)

Impeccable jazzy soft rock. I found it enjoyable and easy to listen to. Peg and Home at Last were favourites on this one.

4.5/5. I'm surprised I enjoyed this one so much, it's not the kind of genre I usually listen to. Everything just works for me, fav tracks: deacon blues/peg

Smooth Yacht Rock. BT: Black Cow, Deacon Blues, Peg

Didn't like this much. Had to give up half way through Peg.

This album was prob the first to fuse jazz and rock this well. The sax throughout exemplifies this particularly on Deacon Blues. Steve Gadd’s drumming on Aja (the song) is mind blowing. His two solos on that track are played like guitar solos - ie played while the band provides rhythm- rather than Bonham style snoozer solos. Thanks to mgravelle59 for bringing it home circa 1977.

I listen to this Steely Dan album and I learn EXACTLY what all the fuss is about: it's the most accessible music while still being dignified, eloquent, and fun. It's exquisite how good this album is, really. Jazz rock has never been more fun. I bet my parents will love this; we can listen to it over drinks and talk about current events or something, idk! People with taste listen to Steely Dan, and Aja has to be the pinnacle of this or I'll be damned.

Very technically gifted, jammy yacht rock. Not sure that it's all hitting very strong but there are some fun feel good tracks here.

Brilliant album. A Classic

Ik had er meer van verwacht, werd snel saai

Really enjoyed this. Can’t decide if it’s 3* or 4 ? ***

Nothing really stood out. Decent background.

Beetje suf, weinig boeiends aan.

Echt heel tof en nog best wel van deze tijd! Heb dit album ol vinyl, maar pas een keer geluisterd. Echt een eye-opener.

Anders dan de bandnaam doet vermoeden (Fagen and Becker named the band after a "revolutionary" steam-powered dildo mentioned in the William S. Burroughs novel Naked Lunch.) is dit wel echt enorm braaf zeg. Prima om aan te horen maar het wordt nergens ook maar enigszins spannend. Zoutloos.

Arjan kan jullie vertellen wat een Steely Dan is. Laten we het erop houden dat de muziek een stuk braver is dan de naam doet vermoeden.

Masterpiece

Another incredible Steely Dan album. I prefer Countdown to Ecstasy/Pretzel Logic/Katy Lied, but this album hits all , the right notes and has some amazing songs. “Deacon Blues” might be one of my favorite Steely Dan songs, and it might well be a paradigmatic Steely Dan song. They write about losers and castaways and shady, shitty characters down on their luck and this song captures that ethos so well (“They’ve got a name for the winners in the world/I, I want a name when I lose/They call Alabama the Crimson Tide/Call me deacon blues”). “Peg” is another song about a figure with aspirations down on their luck, this time an aspiring actress who ditched her boyfriend for her dreams of stardom. “Black Cow” is about some down on his luck schmuck confessing about his faithless girlfriend. However, this album has more of Steely Dan’s cryptic songwriting on it than albums past, and less of their sardonic wit. The title track is almost impenetrable, it seems impossible to make meaning out of it (although the instrumental break that punctuates the middle of the song is hypnotic). The three closing tracks stand over the end of the album like a riddle, each growing more convoluted than the last. There isn’t much hope of finding a consistent story in any of them, but they’re fun to listen to and the lyrics can provoke a response even when they fail to cohere into a story. An incredible album, I love it. 9/10.

Jävligt bra. Väldigt bra trummare

No!

Ni es mi rollo ni he aguantado una escucha entera.

Loving this, funk ahoy

Quite liked most of it without ever really loving any of it.

"When all my dime dancin' is through I run to you" (Aja) "They got a name for the winners in the world I want a name when I lose" (Deacon Blues) Entiendo que es por el género pero qué cuesta arriba escuchar canciones tan largas. Me gustan mucho a ratos pero en seguida pierdo el hilo.

It was quite nice but did nothing to grab me.

false

Me gusta. Mezcla jazzística muy relajante.

The songs on this album are more homogenous and less adventurous than prior Steely Dan albums but the production, arrangements, and the cast of thousands (including Wayne shorter) who played and sang are brilliant. Full disclosure: I watched the making of Aja on Classic albums (Youtube) a few years ago. For one track they had different studio musicians submit guitar solos and then they picked the best one. Definitely not rock n’ roll.

ich will es ja mögen, aber es ist dann doch einfach nur scheußlich. und die alf-titelmusik hat jetzt auch was eingebüßt.

Da sprech ich Tags zuvor von Funk (ugh!) und schon kommt da was seitwärts angefunktes und die Ecke. Anfangs wollte es mir gar gut gefallen, bis mir schwerfiel zwischen den einzelnen Songs zu unterscheiden und alles zu einem langen Stück wurde. Wochenenden kann man die jedenfalls gut im Hintergrund haben, war bei Miriam Makeba auch so also gibt es: 2.0

Zum ersten Mal aufmerksam geworden auf Steely Dan bin ich, als Carsten "Erobique" Meyer ca. 1997 in der "Komm Küssen" irgendeine Plattenbesprechung abschloss mit den Worten "Ich muss jetzt erstmal Steely Dan hören". Ich kannte die damals nicht, fand den Spruch aber sehr gut und hab dann versucht rauszufinden, was es so auf sich hat mit der Band. Die waren dann lange und sind mir eigentlich bis heute ein Rätsel, vermutlich weil einfach zu schlau für mich. 2 Konservatoriumstypen, so weit wie nur vorstellbar von Punk und/oder Rockstarattitüde entfernt, aber ihre Band nach nem Dildo benennen. Sowas schon allein. Hab ich mich mit abgefunden, und steh jedenfalls schon seit einigen Jahren immer mal wieder total auf diesen yahzzigen Yachtrock-Style. Und möchte mich jetzt auch noch mal kurz für diesen Ausfall neulich gegen YES entschuldigen, von wegen "Angebermusik". Weil: eigentlich find ich sowas ja total gut, und Steely Dan trifft natürlich voll in dieses Klischee, dieses ganze ausgestellte Raffinement, die audiophile Produktion, Saxophonsolos von Wayne Shorter etc. Dabei aber halt viel luftiger, samstagmorgentauglicher verpackt als eben YES - und also meinen Nerv trifft das. Voll. Aja (auch wieder son Rätsel: wieso man eine Platte nach der Freundin des Brudes von einem aus der Highschool-Klasse benennt, mit dem man nicht mal viel zu tun hatte) werde ich mir jedenfalls gerne noch öfter, und gerne mit guten Kopfhörern anhören. Und freue mich dabei schon auf die ganzen neuen Ideen jedesmal.

Highlights: Deacon Blues, Peg Lowlight: Ironically...Aja 70's Jazz/Rock fusion and velvety lyrical prowess never sounded better. This isn't just a musically excellent album, it's also a sonic masterpiece; Every beat, crash, strum, pluck, and chord is deliberate and represented with crystal clear clarity, with plenty of space between to catch your breath. There is nothing overwhelming here, classics like Peg will have you tapping your toe...Even with tracks like Josie where there is more complexity, nothing is edged out or muddy. This is a well-built album.

always love steely dan

Awesome!

Mezcla de spandau ballet con música de ascensor sin tanta música. Sin más. Como vacaciones en el mar, pero menos alegre.

Mix of jazz, R&B and disco. 70s sound. Very good

Hey, do all of you not know a lot about Steely Dan?

Superbly produced album with expert musicmanship. I read a long time ago that Deacon Blues has the best lyrics ever and I can't argue with Learn to work the saxophone (I) I play just what I feel Drink Scotch whiskey all night long And die behind the wheel They got a name for the winners in the world (I) I want a name when I lose They call Alabama the Crimson Tide Call me Deacon Blues The rest of the album is not as brilliant, but it is still pretty darned good so it gets a 4/5 from me

Kjedelig

(Jazz rock / Pop rock) Extremely well-written jazz rock that still sounds contemporary thanks to the quality of the session musicians and production. However, the 'softness' of yacht rock detracts from an otherwise stellar album. 8/10

Truly a classic - Peg, Black Cow, and Deacon Blues alone are worth putting it on the 1001 list, but there's 4 more great cuts as well! Only reason I'm not giving it 5 is that I rank it 3rd in SD's catalog after Pretzel Logic and Gaucho

Jazz rock. Interesante.

Meh

Not really a Steely Dan 'guy,' but this record is so easy and good to listen to.

I hate Steely Dan.

My ears naked lunch’d but gently, oh so gently. Thumbs up - Don’t judge me.

Classic yacht rock.

i just really don't like steely dan. the drummer on this album (apparently bernard purdie) was excellent, but i just hate everything else about them.

Love this album. It's nearly perfect.

Well made, pleasant to listen to.

This one is so good. I’ll stretch to a five

Eh. Enjoyable but not for me.

Jazzy

I don't know why I thought I liked Steely Dan

Phenomenal, of course.

I mean... Not only is there not one bad song on the album, there are a bunch of absolutely classic bangers.

i was not expecting this to be so funky and energetic, so i was pleasantly surprised, but they didn't seem to diversify the funk

Don't like

All very similar. Enjoyable for a first listen. Good to play in a group as it serves as good background music.

John Mulaney said I had to like this or else

Somewhat forgetful but funky without a doubt.

dan really did it on this one :^)

top track black cow really vibes jazz. every track was about 6 mins and u could tell. but I liked the music lol

jazzy i like

Me likey

Sweet Rosalie, she's working at the five & dime train back to Hackensack with rosemary wine Yo-deedle doidle dee, cocaine We both like to do cocaine

One of the finest albums recorded in the 1970's

A new one for me

Beautiful instrumentals, I enjoyed this album very much.

I do not like Steely Dan. Their music sounds atonal and uncanny in an unpleasant way. This album is technically proficient, and I'm sure fans would enjoy it, but it is not my jam.

Another one that just isn't for me. The sort of thing I could live with as background music in a decent restaurant, but I've no desire to actually sit and listen to it again.

Nothing mind blowing, pleasant, enjoyed it, but ok

Boat Rock

It took me back to the 70’s, that cruise, that piano bar, a pina colada! I kinda liked it.

I hate Steely Dan

good sound but maybe a little too chill, feels like I'm in a Panera

Funky and jazzy. Definitely enjoyable.

rock with yacht vibes 3/5

It was something!

I have never been a huge fan of Steely Dan. There's a certain "cheese factor" that gets in the way of me truly enjoying the music. And the vocals are not that pleasant for me. As far as supermarket jazz goes, they do it pretty well I guess. I have always felt that I "should" like them more since they are so well respected by people who's music taste I admire. But it's just not for me. This album is fine, not my favorite by them though.

Not a huge fan of the music, but max points for musicianship and production values. Immaculately produced record. 3+

Gefällt mir super gut und ich will sie in meine Library aufnehmen, aber gleichzeitig weiß ich nicht, wann ich sie hören würde. Ich glaub, dass war beim letzten Album schon ähnlich...

Perfection

This album is a straight vibe. Great intersection between rock, jazz, and new age sounds. Album is a collection of art. Stand-outs: Deacon Blues

So great

Nice.

boring-ass soft rock garb

Spotify. Fave song "Deacon Blues”. 3.5

Melodisk 70’er pop/rock, kor, instrumentalt, behageligt

A very tight set of songs. Reminds me of Weather Report, but slightly more accessible. My former boss is a huge fan, and while it's not totally for me, I see the appeal. Favorite tracks: "Deacon Blues", "Peg"

Well produced, well played, just not my cup of tea. It was pleasantly listenable, but that's about it.

Yacht rock at its worst - bland music with awful, cringeworthy lyrics.

This is on-paper not up my alley, but I cannot help but be charmed every time I hear it.

Too much instrumental for my liking, couldn't stay focused for too long. Best song on the album in my opinion was Josie. It had a groovey beat, and some smooth lyrics.

STTEEELLYYY DANNNN

One of the best albums of all time!

I have no idea what to expect here, I've only heard their one big hit and it's not on this... It's a bit more disco/funky then expected, but still just rock. Like softer but similar to early Toto maybe? Gets pretty jazzy here and there but without actually being jazz, which is a good thing. 3/5 - 1 for not being a genre I've been beaten over the head with already in this list, 1 for being good musos and 1 for apparently being a couple of real weirdos haha

Incredible playing, but in places, a little too slick. I prefer some of their other albums, but it's still a great listen.