Aja

Good listen! Very chill sound.

bacano, no me gustan los temas así tan largos y tiene un par pero el estilo fue cool, depronto muy tranquilo pra mi gusto

It was so vibey, but when focusing on it I could not grasp any substance. Yet it was, so vibey. Like a lackluster meal but it's drenched in heavenly sauce. The sauce on this album was so good.

Ive been forced to listen to this album for the last 9 years and my parents liked this album, so suffice it to say, ive been conditioned to enjoy Aja. It actually is good, more catchy innuendo songs. Deacon Blues probably the best song off this.

I always find myself saying, “I didn’t know this was steely Dan, maybe I do like them.” And then I hear the rest of the album and realize I don’t really like them that much.

Good for a lark, but not something I come back to a lot. I was just talking to a friend about Steely Dan last week and told them they're the kind of band I like on a play list, but not the kind of band who's records I would collect. Also, they're insufferable, pretentious dorks (trust me - takes one to know one), which makes them hard to like.

JAaaz?

Liked but all Steely Dan songs sound the same to me.

Smooooth. Steely Dan makes a jazzy argument for sax in music.

"Deacon Blues" and "Peg" are the standouts for me and perhaps it's because they're the two I know best. I like Steely Dan but I have to be in the right mood or frame of mind for Steely Dan because otherwise it's too much. Like I prefer to hear Steely Dan mixed in on a classic rock radio station because I know after one of their songs is over then I'll hear Hotel California or some Led Zeppelin. Nothing but Steely Dan is honestly a bit much.

I think it is a 3

Got some nostalgia going on here. Dad fixed up a 1937 Chevy in the early 80s and put an 8 track in it. Aja was in heavy rotation in that car. Here for it, remembering good times going to "rod runs" with my dad.

Short and sweet! 3.5

This album sounded a lot better than it actually was… Urgh i wish i liked this. I liked all of the ingredients, which is why i’m a bit disappointed by the final product. That being said, i still like a lot of this album and it’s generally pleasant

This was a nice smooth listen but nothing sensational. That being said I feel like this is an album that will grow on me with more listens and then I will appreciate it more.

Very bluesy and they really liked to jam. It was good- easy to work to while I listened. Not a lot caught my attention. I didn't recognize any of the songs, though I had heard of Steely Dan before. Glad I am now familiar with their sound.

not really my vibe but I appreciated peg, home at last and josie. there are some cool basslines on this album

Latter half of Black Cow was really good. I like quite a bit of it, but will likely never rate something like this a 5

My brother like Peg and the song after peg!

Groovy!

Saxamaphone.

This was fun! I enjoyed it!

Glad to finally have listened to Aja, I liked it quite a bit. Jazzy, great players and a horn section, good stuff. The songs are good, I enjoyed the music but I couldn't get over the lyrics. Laughably cliche, and distractingly bad.

All I can think of when I hear Steely Dan's Aja is the hundreds of tons of drugs that must have been consumed by all of the boomers in the mid to late 1970s while they listened to Steely Dan playing on the hi-fi in the background of a key party (if they ever actually happened) while they openly wore velour and huge bell bottoms and leisure suits that they just picked up at Sears. Clearly these guys were talented, I just don't like their music very much. Peg is not bad.

Surprisingly eclectic, I think I heard some reggae, all most jazz bud mostly soft rock. Nice music to have on the background I wouldn't mind listening to more by the band. 3,4/5.

Nice ans smooth classi rock Talented musicians

Nice sounds but everything is too similar and too caged in its genre. Can't see anything revolutionary in this. Nonetheless nice vibes.

Yea

This feels VERY produced for jazz, but it's enjoyable.

Fun album to listen to, but not my jam. I liked the production quality of this album.

jazzy-funky. sterile in a good way, and that's all there is to say about it. you can safely play it in the background for evening listening at home

liked this more than i thought i would, groovy pre PSA elevator music core (with compliments)

bonne musique d'ambiance

Great album. Good flow throughout.

Background music

Solid album with lots of hits!

Vibey and cool - not what I imagined having heard the name Steely Dan many times but not listened to the music befofe.

had it on in the background while i worked and it was very unobtrusive. 3 stars

C'est beige. Pas mauvais, juste beige.

It was a great album. Got me back into jazz second song too long didnt listen completely loll. But its nice i would def listen again.

3 1/2

better than expected

3.5/5

✅️

this album is just ok

Surprisingly groovy

Their minor 5th orchestration is annoying, but compared to what passes as music these days they are ok

Prima

Infectiously fun vibes, albeit this falls off a bit towards the end. I know "Peg" from somewhere, but I can't place it.

It‘s ok, not great, not bad, just okay.

My first thought of Aja is a drag queen not steely dan. I didn't actually mind this, though.

I wanted to appreciate this album (which I'd checked out previously without "getting it") - I gave it a couple of listens, but still felt most of it is too cool to engage me. I far prefer the energy and warmth (together with interesting chords, rhythms etc) of The Royal Scam. The title track is "well made" but doesn't really attract me to play it again. Same for most of the other tracks. One stand-out, I like Peg from start to finish (faster tempo, nice funky riffs and hooks) - was chuffed to realise this was the song heavily sampled for Eye Know - interesting guitar solo, slapping bass - I'll listen to that song again, but without the rest of the album. Since each song in isolation is at least moderately interesting - I give the album as a whole a 3 rather than a 2.

Nice chill vibes, something to play in the background

Goeie lobbyvibe

- 0 nummers toegevoegd aan MMMM - 0 nummers al toegevoegd aan MMMM

Okay

It's not my usual kind of vibe, but it's still good and I actually went back afterwards to listen to it again. Great find!

Didnt leave mutch of an impression to me. Not overtly bad or horrible to listen to but wont be listening to this album any time soon.

I dont have too much to say. Steely Dan is okay. Some songs have some swangin', but they are kinda samey

This was a nice album that somehow didn't really leave an impression on me, but in a weirdly good way. It was all genuinely nice to listen to, the grooves were great. But simultaneously nothing really stuck to me. Even in writing this review I struggle to say what exactly was good. Exactly the type of album I'd put on if I had a record player, because I feel like you can't go wrong with this. 7.5/10

On a donc aujourd'hui du jazz rock. Un mélange qui devrait en principe me parler, mais j'ai trouvé que j'avais surtout affaire à une version édulcorée de chaque genre, même si c'est bien interprété et que ça sera faux de dire que c'est un mauvais album. Mais pas rapport à ce que peuvent produire des artistes comme Cynic ou certains albums d'Allan Holdsworth, ça me semble un petit peu faible.

It was my style of music but surprisingly it was a little hard to listen to the album bc it got a little boring at times I was confused what the goal was supposed to be

As far as production goes, impeccable. The songs are all good, but I personally feel no motivation coming back to this album, except maybe for one or two songs. In the end, I feel the album has more going on in its backbone than in the final product.

Yessss. What a wonderful and fun album. Brilliant cooking music or just something easy to listen to on the go. It’s a short album so it’s digestible and offers uplifting but interesting jazz. Would listen to again.

this was a vibe while cooking some tacos

(71/100)

There are better Styx records

to paraphrase Lux Interior, Dad music for Dad people.

I liked it but I wasn't blown away. The hits are elsewhere.

Pleasant.

not something i'd typically listen to but i really enjoyed

Opet background music. Zvuk mi jeste primamljiv ali nekako ne privlaci mi paznju mnogo. Peg i Home at last najbolje sa albuma def

Groovy, not necessarily a stand out but enjoyed my listen!

Genre: Jazz-Rock Steely Dan has been a group with surprising longevity. Fagen was the architect of a very clean, very meticulously produced, sophisticated studio sound, and would continue in this vein through Aja and beyond. Aja is good, enjoyable even, but I almost feel like I'm meant to study this as a music lesson rather than a rock album. It's good, sometimes very good, but I personally don't see myself revisiting this very often. Good record. Best enjoyed while feeling like a douchebag (endearingly). 3/5

Didn’t enjoy as much as Pretzel Logic. The only one I recognised was because it was sampled by De La Soul!

1st listen: nothing wrong but nothing inspiring.

Favourite Tracks: Black Cow Deacon Blues Peg Home at Last

ik ben erg fan van t album, t lied aja zelf vind ik 50/50 wel. Instrumenten zijn echt gaaf maar ik ben weer van de old school manier van zingen in rock liedjes (door mannen) trekt me niet zo aan. maar good album!

Nice for background, calming. Wouldn't play it for myself tho.

It was fine

Short and classic. Peg is great!

Polished yacht rock. I would have hated this back in the day, but 40 year old me gets it. 3/5

6/10

This is perfectly acceptable chill music. It would be a great song on the radio but like … you know… it’s fine 3/5

Solid jazz vibes

The Yacht Rock Era has given Steely Dan new life post-2000, and I'm glad for them. They're obviously masterful musicians who are the kings of this kind of smooth, jazzy rock. It's something I respect more than I actually enjoy. There's nothing disagreeable on this album; I appreciate their skill and what they pull of in these songs. But I wouldn't cue up Aja on my own volition. "Peg" is fun, but I prefer De La Soul's "Eye Know." Sorry, Jeremy.

Don’t love his voice, but great instrumental work

I prefer the Dan’s earlier sound: jazz-inflected rock, blues, and soul (as opposed to this rock-inflected jazz and schmaltz). “Peg” is a great tune, though.

It's actually better than the Young Gods album. "Aja" has some ordinary '70s rock tunes. There's nothing to write home about. I believe this is the 2nd Steely Dan album I've listened to. I wonder when I'll get an album that's 4 stars and up. 3 stars for "Aja".

V/rv

Great line-up, ambition and artistry, certainly well done, but the music doesn't speak to me.

Not bad, not something I would put on myself - maybe it requires more familiarity to really get into?

Very enjoyable listen.

Lots of fun but a little too lounge jazz for me

It was fine; very focused on the intricate instrumentals; would be good as background music at a dinner party

One of the finer examples of musical & studio prowess sucking the life out of a work of art. Is it good? Technically yes, of course it is. Is it boring? Definitely yes, it sure is.

I liked Peg thanks to De La Soul, the rest is just kinda mid and not particularly exciting. 6/10 Favourite track: Peg

It's definitely a good-sounding album, but man is it easy listening and not very interesting at all. I think the word is "inoffensive." Very easy listening. Fine for background music but I have no idea why this album would be in the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or artistically significant."

Smooth.

Almost designed to be uninvolving.

Good musician, not my kind of music

Cheesy but great

I can't help but think of Steve Albini's 2023 twitter post while listening to this album. If punk truly is a rebellion to what this album represents, I think I understand why I am not crazy about this.

Very middle of the road/beige for me - suspect I’m missing something

i guess punk happened because of this. and thats good. some good points but mostly boring. Largely overrated. 3/5

Henry loves these guys. I’ve heard a lot of their songs via his playlist and do like some of them. Nick asked me specifically to look for this album as his one choice when I asked him what I could look for for him while album hunting. I hear the yacht rock perfection here, but I’m not sure ‘yacht rock’ and ‘perfection’ belong in the same sentence. I just don’t get it, I guess, but, like a fading Kegel squeeze, these songs just can’t hold me for long

I am Steely Dan neutral. I have no strong Steely Dan opinions.

later

Yacht rock

I qualify this review by saying that I've drunk quite a lot of wine, hence my focus is somewhat lacking! This had a lot more funk and groove than I was expecting which certainly wasn't unpleasant but at the same time the album didn't really grab me beyond that fact. For the most part, it just happened while I was listening. The only thing I really noted is that _Peg_ is sampled by **De La Soul** on their song _Eye Know_. I strongly doubt that I'll listen to this again, not because I disliked it as such, but because I don't remember any other bit of it.

Steely Danin biiseissä on semmoinen siisti äänimaailma aina. Chilleintä rokkia mitä on. Ja tosi funkkia. On nää Steely Danin levyt kyllä aina tosi kovia. Parhaat: Home At Last, I Got The News

Bit of a mixed bag. Some really good stuff.

Smooth as shit off a ducks ass

Who spells Aja like that

Super Meh. 2.5 stars

Harmless, but lacking in oomph. Good lift music.

Imagine, IMAGINE, being so into Steely Dan that you can muster four separate opinions about four separate albums. Baffling.

Hmmm....human music.

Would never really put this on just apropos of nothing, and these boys took 'emselves too seriously and it sounds like maybe were very undude with their studio musicians, but there's some songcraft here and if you can't see or appreciate it that's a you problem.

These dues have such serious music chops. Jazz rock fusion makes for some buttery soft yacht rock. Deacon Blues is such a jam. Peg is such a good fuckin song. Really this whole album is me going, “dang that’s a good song.” A generation of ska was made by marching band kids getting together and wanting to go nuts. This band feels like a bunch of jazz musicians getting together and doing rock n roll. I feel like a can diagram of steely Dan fans and Dave Matthew’s band fans is a circle. This is very good music that makes me feel nothing beyond, “wow this is very good music.” Which is good.

Great production and musicianship. I just wish it had more soul. Peg is a bop, though.

Not bad, not great. I’m not big into Steely Dan, but liked the 70s rock/funk feel. Favorite Song(s): Peg

6/10… yacht pop / elevator music

Not really my thing although quite relaxing to listen to. It did spur me on to look into more of Steely Dan's music (I have never really listened to them before). I love: Do it Again (different album). It does sound like Pharrell W. spent a long time listening to Reelin' in the Years.

Smooth, well produced jazz-rock that lacks the vigor and passion of either genre. We do get some quality instrumental playing, but the music has a smoothness and polish to it that makes it more palatable to the average listener. Lyrics are unimportant and take a back seat to the actual music, which is competently performed but lacks emotion.

Cool funky 70s rock

3.5 stars

A jazz-rock album which fuses cool jazz, blues, and pop into a masterpiece of an album. The production and mixing are amazing; filling soft melodies with jazzy solos and rich background instrumentals which flow seamlessly with each track.

Steely Dan is so hard to put in a genre box. Is it jazz, is it rock, is it pop? It's a bit of all of those things.

I’ve quite liked the other Steely Dan albums on this list but I found this a bit dull if I’m honest and it missed the great songs of their other stuff But disappointed as I thought I’d become a Steely Dan fan

Somewhat overrated. Well executed but the music very much lacks feeling. It’s just “insert jazzy chord here” over and over again.

No takeaways from me, but this put Steely Dan on the map for me, I didn't realize they had so many hits. Good album overall, but one I won't revisit

Production here is amazing and I guess that alone warrants it's place on the 1001albums. It's clear that the musicianship's there too but this not my cup of tea.

I just wish it was The Royal Scam, my favourite Steely Dan album

A very well crafted album -- maybe too much so. This album, containing only seven songs, was released right at the cusp of a new age in music, where shorter songs were valued over eight-minute ego trips. Case in point: Their next album was Gaucho, another seven songs, a full three years later. Aja was released about the same time as Elvis Costello's My Aim is True. By the time Gaucho was released, Costello had released around forty songs, each a mini-masterpiece. TL/dr: Aja was well-crafted, but that's about all.

It's okay. I didn't hate it but it's not great either.

Not for me, but I understand why it is important.

Mmmmmm chill yacht rock

Groovy. Jazzy. Fun. Yeah. I liked it. Not exactly my style of rock, but I'd listen again. I would come back to this in the future

Not for me. Great musician ship and layers to songs, but nothing stood out

Ihan mukavat vibat. Musiikillisesti silleen taidokasta ja nautinnollista kuunneltavaa, mutta hieman tylsä, joten meni lähinnä taustamusiikkina.

nicht meine Musik

Hits from my youth. Radio music to me 6.0.

Its ok

Fucking critics wanting everything to be more Jazz

Decent

Decent album

Kept falling asleep, not what I expected.

For some reason people have decided that this is the DSOTM of yacht rock

I can understand why some people really likes this. It's good, but I don't think it is incredible either.

„I wrote 7 songs but they are all meh“ 🤷‍♂️ „Let’s overproduce them so nobody notices“ „Splendid!“ 🥂 „Look now they even put it on the 1001 album list“ 🙃 “We trolled them so hard!” 🤘

70’s rock

70’s rock

It was fine

Sorry Dad, I don't like it as much as you do.

Steely Dan is synonymous with yacht rock, much to Donald Fagen’s chagrin. I happen to love yacht rock, so I consider this a compliment. With that said, I don’t love Steely Dan as much as I do their counterparts. The musicianship on the album is excellent, but I’m rather ambivalent about Fagen’s voice. Certain songs like Peg sound so good with his vocals and others just fall flat for me. Michael McDonald’s backing vocals on a couple of songs definitely add dimension. I really enjoyed the various rhythms on the album and found them interesting. Some of the album sounds dated, but that’s added value in the yacht rock world. A little nostalgia goes a long way.

3/5 - fairly solid album, that's about all I can say!

My first Steely Dan album! I had heard a lot of mixed reviews about this band but had never listened to any of their music. Firmly enjoyed this album and look forward to hearing more!

Very mellow - all very pleasant. An album to have on as mood music

Steely Dan is weird to me because I think everybody knows who Steely Dan is but simultaneously nobody could tell me a single thing about them

2/1089 I don't have the attention span for 7-minute songs, and especially not an album full of essentially the same 7-minute songs over and over, but I like the drum solos, and the production is indeed crisp. 2.5

I liked a lot of the grooves on here. Not offensive to listen to, but also not extremely interesting either. I asked myself a few times why this album sounded like the intro to one of those educational TV shows you watched on vhs when the substitute teacher was in. I like Deacon Blues though.

Listenable.

Muy reputado álbum de jazz rock que no alcanzo a determinar si es el culmen de un género que recoge múltiple influencias o si es el punto de partida que ha influido a cientos de músicos posteriores. Sea como fuere, a mí me ha sonado a antigua. De mucha calidad, pero falta de punch, para mi gusto.

Good album because steely always makes good music very easy to listen but more of the same this thou its probably one of their best records

I always assumed Steely Dan was country music. Turns out it's some really smooth 70's funk-soft rock fusion kind of thing. The bass is working overtime on its interesting and groovy basslines and each song has a soulful choir of background singers. It's incredibly 70's but I did find myself enjoying the toe tapping funky melodies.

I mean it's great. Not really my taste in music tbh. A lot of the album kind of just blended into one and as a result nothing was super memorable Subject to change if I come back to it 6.8/10

Better than my last Steely Dan but still Didn’t need 2 albums by him in & days 3.5 stars

Cool sound!

First listen through the album. Didn't know much about Steely Dan. Sounds like an interesting way of creating an album!

Soft smooth soul/rock (easy listening?), with jazz elements. In places sax solos get quite jazzy indeed. Aja end with long improv section? Some latin elements again. Harmonies/chord progressions are notable, not typical sounding. Not sure I like though. Reminds me of KG's Changes or Sketches, but without so many hooks. Some instrumental bits are good but vocals are meh. Josie is good funk riff, then ruined by those ambiguous/jazz chords. Decent length album too. Best track - Home At Last, Aja, Josie 3 stars

It was pretty good, but honestly I don't really see the big deal about Steely Dan. This is another that I'd probably give three and a half stars, but this time I'm rounding down.

I'll give this one 3 stars. It's ok.

Know that the band name is inspired by William S. Burroughs' Naked Lunch changes my perspective a lot. Putting that aside, very pleasant to listen to in the background. ★★★

Nice listen. But given its cult status, I expected more.

i actually really liked this. would listen to it again.

Play that funky music white boys I guess. Enjoyable listen.

These guys are really good. They play very clean and tightly together, but I just can't find myself in their target audience. I assume this is for hippies turned yuppies? Very boomer. It is weirdly good, just not that enjoyable for me.

I really enjoyed parts of this and others not so much. Think it might grow on me though.

I feel like I only ever hear people saying they fucking love this album or it's complete ass where in actuality it's pretty good 3.5*

Ok I’m not going to lie, I did come in with some preconceived ideas about how I was gonna hate this album and I didn’t hate it! Peg and black cow do feel like the only reasons I’d come back to it but overall not too bad!

Blimey, there’s a lot of Steely Dan in this list. This album was more jazz inspired than the others, and I recognised Peg from De La Soul’s sample. Besides that not too much to note. Made a nice enough soundtrack while I made huevos con chorizo for lunch.

Solid

I don't understand why this album is so revered, I mean it's pleasant enough but that's it. It is unexciting, safe and perfectly nice. there's absolutely nothing wrong with this album, other than it felt like they were playing a 40 minute long song, the songs are so similar.

I was sort of enjoying this album but also thinking it was a bit mediocre and then, 💥out of nowhere came Peg and I was like I know this and it changed the whole album for me. I still don’t think it’s the best album I have ever heard but I did start enjoying it more.

Jazz inspired, classic Steely Dan. Fine, but not really my cup of tea.

Disco charlie

Nice jazz an easy going experience 6

50/1001 Steely Dan - Aja Heard before? ❎ Revisit? 🫳 Without a doubt an ultra polished sounding album that mixes jazz and rock. The playing and arrangements in this are great. However, it does kind of fade into the background a bit, once you've settled in to it. I imagine I'd probably only revisit it if I needed something on in the background whilst working...

Sonically impressive and captivating, but not my jam.

Trevligt! Framförallt Peg

Sådär. Inte så spännande.

Great album.

While I appreciate the pleasant technical jazz rock fusion arrangements and the excellent instrumental performances, the album itself seems rather soulless. The one thing elevating this album is the genius of Steve Gadd on drums, but even with his heroic efforts the music comes off sounding like a very expensive night at a dinner theatre in the 1970s. I love me some Yacht Rock, it just isn't Steely Dan. Other than Gadd's drumming, the shining moments for me were the fine saxophone playing of Wayne Shorter, and the patch choice of the synth played on the outro of the song "Aja". The only song that really stands out all the way through is the single "Peg". I am always a bit ambivalent about Steely Dan's efforts. There seems to be every reason for me to love the band and yet for some unknown reason I don't. I want to love the album for the excellent production, engineering, and recording, but ultimately, no matter how well recorded, I have to dig the ideas that are being laid down and I'm not sure I do. In terms of the evolution of popular music, this, along with Stevie Wonder, did certainly influence many other artists to bring more exotic and complicated jazz chords to popular music formats. So for that reason I can see why they merit inclusion, I just don't think they merit so many albums on the list. All cerebellum, no aorta. It manage to take me back to the years when my family eagerly sat down to watch episodes of CHiPs.

I get it, it's bland, mellow to the point of catatonia, arguably even dull. Steely Dan is for the technicians. For people who play instruments like an engineer. And you know, good for them, I guess. Personally, I like music based in emotion expressed a little more spontaneously. I'm impressed with the technical wizards and all, but I gotta have a little feeling in there to get properly invested. That said! Some of these songs are great - true mellow classics to kinda vibe out too. The rest are the definition of inoffensive.

M'eh

Slickly produced to within an inch of its life, even compared to earlier Steely Dan records. And I think it fits the laid back nature of the songs. The songs are mostly long and expansive, leaving room for those impeccable guitar parts, drum fills, and horns. But it still leaves me cold, and I think it's because of the songwriting. The Dan's earlier work was tighter, which allowed for more hooks and grooves. Here the grooves are looser and the hooks more spread out. While the instrumental flourishes sound great, I find myself wishing there was less space between them. "Peg" is the outlier, and the best song, as the melody continues during the verses and makes the song interesting throughout. I like parts of "Black Cow" and "Deacon Blues" too, but I find myself wishing the songs were shorter and hookier.

This is not what I expected Steely Dan to sound like. Didn’t mind it though. Actually think that’s exactly what I said for their last album. So maybe they aren’t the most memorable. Simpsons: Yes

The music was good. I probably would go seek it out, but overall I enjoyed the music. I can at least understand why it gets posted on r/vinyl on a regular basis.

как-то опять незапоминающеся и скучно( но запомнила инновации написания)

Upbeat jazz, pretty solid.

Nice chill jazz album Highlights: - Josie - Deacon Blues - Home At Last

Meh

I think this is songwriting mastery, but i hate jazz and instrumental music, which is A LOT here.

Ah, so this is what yacht rock sounds like. Impeccable musicianship, slick production, complex chords — everything polished to perfection. And yet… not much of it sticks. It’s sonically impressive, but emotionally distant. Great to admire, harder to love.

Jazzy rock. It was fine. Pleasant background music.

Before now, my brain had only an imagined idea of what Steely Dan sounded like, based solely on context clues from references to Steely Dan in other media. I thought it was something like classic arena rock, comparable to perhaps a Boston or a Kansas. Turns out, the actual Steely Dan is more of a funky, jazzy pop rock thing.

my brother bought this record for me years ago - first album on here I've had a physical copy of

This is now the 3rd Steely Dan album for me in this project. I had fond memories of Stelley Dan and was looking forward to listening to the album. Well, it was ok. I'm not enthusiastic. You can listen to it, tap your foot a little, nod your head to the beat of the music, but it doesn't inspire. Compared to my expectations, it was disappointing, but that was because of my expectations. 3/5

This was alright. Good instrumentals, but I wasn't feeling the vocal work this time around. The album has good energy but didn't feel particularly compelling.

This is a good album but not really my jam

I have steely dan trauma from jazz band unfortunately

Crisp and clean instrumentation and production. In a soft rock shell, the music is rich and meticulous, accessible and poppy, complex and jazzy. It has engagingly layered arrangements yet plenty of breathing room. It can be equally enjoyable for easy listening or deep study. But ultimately I respect and appreciate hearing this pop-jazz-rock perfection more than I actually enjoy it. I like Steely Dan, but prefer select songs to their full albums, Aja included.

Nice smooth jazz and blues. Felt good as background music. Elegant, easy, and well-crafted, but didn’t hit me emotionally.

3/5 easy listening yacht rock

Steely Dan has been one of my favorite discoveries from the Generator. After getting Countdown To Ecstasy and Can't Buy A Thrill, was looking forward to hearing more of them. This one was still good, but not as fun as the first two. Mostly some chill slow jams. Deacon Blues was a lot of fun though. All in all, decent album. Best song: Deacon Blues

Un peu comme écouter un album composé de génériques de téléromans des années 1980

Jazzy and nice. However, nothing really stood out to me and all the songs kind of blended together for me.

Similar to my review of different Steely Dan album; The cross into Jazz and funk is interesting, but it's not really my bag. Never really liked this era or Steely Dan for that matter. It's perfectly listenable, 3.

You've gotta get into a cruise ship state of mind before tossing this one on

3/6

3.75

Funky. Quite enjoyed it but won't be a regular feature of my listening library I reckon. Chilled, jazzy vibes. Josie is good.

C'est bon au boutte pis c'est plate à mort. 3.49 étoiles

Steely “ don’t call it yacht rock” Dan. That easy listening.

Steely Dan is know for appropriating many artists to make their crazy music that truly defines the sound of a certain part of the 70s. They are like drinking a cup of tea and being stuck in a Proust novel. Their sounds can pull memories from a rat in a cage. Plus their lyrics are as odd as my last sentence.

Immense vibes but the songs don't really do anything outstanding

steely WHO?!

This is the most I've tolerated Steely Dan on the list so far, but even so it is, at best, just a bit dull. I did like recognising the De La Soul sample though.

pretty good voice

Funky! Don't think I'd listen to the album again though

nice and chill but it doesn't connect with me

Bit bland for me

Interesting… definitely sounds like the 70s but I liked the funk

Interesting lyrics and jazzy vibes

It's jazzy, it's danceable, it's easy to listen to... Maybe too easy? Something about Steely Dan is just kind of boring, but I can't put my finger on what. It's pleasant enough though

cocaine is a hell of a drug

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Black Crow 3.6 Aja 3.4 Deacon Blues 3.7 Peg 3.5 Home at Last 3.5 I Got the News 3.3 Josie 3.4 Score: 3.485714286

Smooth rock album with a nice vibe to it.

Better than anticipated

The music was good, but I honestly couldn't remember any of the songs after I'd finished the album Became more like background noise 3 ⭐️

Train back to Hackensack with rosemary wine

I can appreciate Steely Dan on the whole, some songs I know and like, but couldn't truly connect with the songs on this album

Sounds good but also very sterile. Didn't enjoy this yacht rock as much as I expected to. 2.5

Fairly mellow kind of yacht rock vibes. I thought it was fairly cool but didn’t really get anywhere. I was listening to it with my father and he said to the song after which was Ventura Highway by America wow this album is getting somewhere. However, that was after the album had finished. Guys, that know how to play but surely they could’ve gone somewhere with it.

I'm a fan of Steely Dan, but this album falls a little flat for me.

I like the idea of Steely Dan more than I ultimately end up actually liking Steely Dan

Great for testing out your new headphones/speakers or as background music for dinner. Not much else. There's still a lot to be appreciated in regards to the musicianship and quality/engineering of the recording. Just feels very safe. Maybe too safe. I still enjoyed it.

This is sort of in the realms of super drugged out Bowie mixed with peak Bee Gees. This type of music is for guys who love to get drunk off of coolers and women who have full 80’s bush. It’s yacht rock in my opinion. Musically sound, bass heavy. It could make you dance like an idiot on purpose. It has no power against heavy hitter 5 star albums but it would last a round or two longer than expected. Oh, I hear glimpses of Supertramp in this as well. Does that help you out enough to understand what this album is about? Choice cut: Peg

Not bad. No saves

Not my favorite music, but so well recorded. Crazy.

I've always been just a hits guy if steely Dan but this is a classic of theirs, it was good, but just not my favorite, but I didn't hate it!

Peg is definitely a standout track. As for the rest of the album, it’s nice and laid-back, with a very chill vibe. It’s the kind of music that wouldn’t be out of place while you’re waiting for your name to be called at the dentist’s office.

Makes me wanna sip Bartles & Jaymes poolside with an overly tanned older woman with just a little too much plastic surgery.

This album sounds like cigarettes in a leather interior on the way to the roller rink

Bit boring

“Sue me if I play too long” and you know what? I will yOUUUUU WERE HIGH! - my mom realizing what the cousin walk was about at Christmas Here at the duuuuuude raaaaanch - the boys at the Beaver Lodge I’m such a lyrics bitch. I can appreciate a jam, but for Christ’s sake this song is 4 minutes longer than it should be. And this is coming from a Dave Matthews Band fan. Roll tide mention?

Just not my thing overall. People love them, but I am just kinda meh. Dirty Work is a banger tho

The jazzy funky elements date this but I have no real complaints, it’s well put together and all the elements compliment each other. Would be a good vibe at the right venue.

Not my favorite steely dan album tbh. Low 3

Rock, Pop, Pop Rock, Jazz da jeg startede den første sang "black cow" blev jeg virkelig overrasket og troede ikke at det vil lyde som det gør. Track nr. 2 "Aja" har en virkelig fed lyd i introen. har en meget spicel lyd men det er ikke noget som der virkelig rammer mig, kan dog godt lide guitaren og keyboarden. Mega fed trommesolo i track nr. 2. track nr. 3 er faktisk meget fedt. den har en fed sax solo midt i sangen og det er bare utrolig fedt. det giver virkelig en fed stemning med de kvindelige harmonier på albummet. track nr. 4 "Peg" er utroligt fedt, og vil sige det er det bedste nummer (indtil vidre) nummeret har bare en fed energi, og der er ikke så meget mere at sige. track nr. 5 "Home At Last" starter ud med en rigtig fed lyd. nummeret swinger virkelig godt, og jeg er faktisk meget vild med det. track nr. 6 "I Got The News" har et virkelig funky beat og lyder meget fedt. track nr 7 "Josie" tracket har et meget fedt guitar riff. ville sige det er et meget fedt nummer som afslutning. ville give albummet 6/10. det var et meget fedt album, og jeg syntes de spiller meget godt.

Some fun songs but I wouldn't revisit it

eh

Steely Dan has a pretty unique sound. I had a good time. Overall, though, it doesn't have any standout songs for me. It never really bought me in, lyrically, musically, or structurally.

Good and jazzy, but not for me. A little too much of the same sound throughout the album.

3.5/5 smooth, easy listening

Good

Groovy, chill Easy to focus or let fly by Classic 'Josie'

Alright album. Titular track was good.

Liked it. Good. Want to give it 3.5 really

extremely steely dan! i thought aja was cool and deacon blues was kinda funny bc any song about a deacon is silly! it’s coincidental steely dan, but i was surprised to read that this was their most experimental album. i was going to write that i didn’t think it was as far out as Katy Lied but i guess not (according to the provided wiki entry?!?!) Home at last is perhaps my favorite song maybe

I loved Can't buy a Thrill, not sure why this didn't stick for me. Also fuck you personally for enjoying this.

Complete

þetta er eiginlega of fágað fyrir minn smekk. en fíla sumt eftir þá og fær því 3,5.

I'd never heard it before. I liked it a good deal, but was happy when it was over.

Filtered to alienation

I realised I had no exposure to Steely Dan, and in fact had them confused with Stealer's Wheel, about a minute into this. It's so smooth it's almost paste, but the quality of the playing is such that it narrowly avoids being bland. It caught me on a good day, but I liked this a lot.

Very solid album

Off to the yacht club in my socks and sandals. Horribly white jazz rock. Not bad, but only in small spurts. Favorite songs: Peg, Josie, Black Cow Least favorite songs: Aja 3/5

Good sounding album overall, though not many tracks specifically stuck out!

This is an album I'm going to have to return to later in the challenge - I could appreciate a lot of what was going on, and didn't find myself disliking any aspects of the album, but nothing about it really stuck with me.

Seems a little dated to me. Nothing wrong with anything in particular to me. Just bland as far as my tastes go.

Ik heb het idee dat je in kamp Steely Dan moet zitten, of in kamp anti-Steely Dan. Hun ietwat flauwe instelling, en cheesy en simplistische muziekstijl, verdeeld nog al. Maar dat simplisme vertaal ik vaak naar effectief, en die flauwe vibe lees ik als cool en laidback. Maar ik begrijp de kaarten die gespeeld worden tegen Steely Dan best. Ik vind het altijd voor een heel album ook een beetje te veel fabriekswerk, maar ik kan niet ontkennen dat ik een zwak heb voor de zoete samenzang (helemaal als Michael McDonald zich er mee bemoeit) en de funky, jazzy ritmes. En voor een 'gefabriceerd' en 'zielloos' stijltje is het toch altijd wel bijzonder hoe snel je aanvoelt dat het Steely Dan. Generiek doch uniek, als dat kan. 7,5/10 Highlights: Deacon Blues Peg

Those guys again, of course. It's excellently executed, smooth and cool musicians' music, but it makes you understand why punk happened, why it had to happen. There were some great bits - the last part of the title track slaps - but all in all? I can imgine myself in a setting - and time - where I could enjoy this whitest of beige music but that's not here or now.

Aja is the sixth, and most successful album from Steely Dan. Band leaders Walter Becker and Donald Fegan pushed the band's sound further into jazz experimentations for this album, utilizing a number of studio musicians to create the layered, complicated compositions. The album won the Grammy for the Best Engineered Nonclassical album, and is known among audiophiles for the remarkable recording. Aja includes some of the band's biggest hits, like "Deacon Blues" and "Peg." These are strong examples of the soft rock side of 70s pop, much of which has become known as "yacht rock."

i liked this better than the other steely dan i have gotten. which is two others which feels insane given only 14 albums have been generated so far!! home at last was my fave. 3.5 but i cant do half stars.

This is the album that produced all the Steely Dan songs I know. It was a little funky and groovy.

I have somehow never really listened to any Steely Dan considering how much music from that era I focus on. I thought there'd be a lot more rock involved. Surprisingly WAY more disco-funk than I would have ever expected. Jazz undertones (and clearly Jazz musicians I assume). Feels VERY much like a time capsule. Every song sounds a bit too much like a sitcom theme song. Not a favourite, but a fun listen.

Oh so *that’s* how it’s pronounced. I always wondered. I hope someday I get really into Steely Dan. I’m just not there yet.

3.5/5. I don’t own a yacht which might explain why I don’t like these albums as much.

I’ve sort of skirted around Steely Dan for a couple years without properly listening until now and this wasn’t really what I expected. Favourite tracks were Deacon Blues and Home At Last, but generally a bit underwhelmed.

3.5 finally warming up to them

I don't dislike it, it sounds... pleasant

I thought steely Dan was going to be more singer songwriter but the funk beats were cool to listen to. Some longer solo performances but spirited!

2.5/5 Jazzy rock, good on the back ground. Nothing too special but certainly not bad. Not much to say about other than I enjoyed it.

Enjoyed it as bg music but didn't save anything

Always loved Steely Dan 3/5 #musicsky #albumsky

Wisselend.

Aja is smooth, polished, and full of that signature Steely Dan precision — maybe too much of it. It’s technically impressive, no doubt, but it doesn’t hit the same for me as some of their other albums. That said, “Deacon Blues” is an absolute banger and easily the standout track here. The rest kind of blends together into a well-produced, jazz-tinged blur. Not bad, just not their best.