Reviews (page 9 of 15)
Classique 3.5/5
Queria dar 3.5 Achei gostosinho de ouvir
3/5. pretty good. might listen again. some songs a bit too trumpetry and waily
very nice
So this morning I had a weird inclination to listen to Steely Dan. Specifically the song Do It Again off of Can't Buy A Thrill which I did positively rate a few weeks ago and do remember fondly. Keep in mind I usually don't rate as soon as I wake up, but anyway I press shuffle on my largest playlist and the song it plays is exactly Do It Again! Then I go to rate my last album, and the new one for today is more Steely Dan! Guess I was fated to enjoy some Steely freakin' Dan today. Anyway, this album is jazzy, it's nice, it's well put together, definitely feels more magnum opus-y and an amalgam of their ideas of what they did before. That being said, I didn't enjoy it as much as Thrill. This is missing some of that fun factor for me which they had on their debut, this feels a bit more clinical. The tracks are also way longer a bit needlessly, and the album kind of blends together but not in a good way. Maybe I'm missing something and will probably revisit on that basis, but this is where I'm at right now.
Dun album. Very calming and lively. The ending of Aja was one of my favorite moments. 6.5/10
I could hear the mix of jazz and pop better this time. I have to intently focus to get anything out of it yet despite that I can barely remember any specific parts. A lot of the time I can’t tell if I’m enjoying it or not. Rating: 3.3
Groovy, smooth jazzy, and mellow.
It's Steely Dan.
It was the best of times, it was the deacon blues of times.
I knew of Steely Dan but never really listened. Quite funky! It's not the best I've heard but not bad at all. Some tracks are a little bit too much elevator music for my tastes. As soon as the opening track "Black cow" starts playing I realize where Chris Sawyer got the musical inspiration when selecting music for the tycoon-games, most prominently Transport Tycoon - trivia for the nerds I guess. No real outstanding track but also none that stands out in a negative way makes this a solid 3,5 for my tastes, rounding down to 3 because I know there'll be a lot of more albums actually worth a 4 in this list.
The songs are really creative and I overall like it. The vocals are pretty dull.
there's something just a tiny bit boring and yacht-rocky and golden oldie about the vocal delivery, but a lot of the instrumentation is pretty sick actually. very busy and fun sound. favorite song is either I Got The News or of course Peg. very strong 3
I legit had no idea of what Steely Dan actually were like, I just assumed something like the Eagles. This album is very much not like that. Man I love this style of 70's bass and drums mixing - so warm, tight, and clean! The arrangements, timbre, production, and song structure were interesting, but I cannot for the life of me recall a single melody. This might need a few revisits later.
6/10
Have I listened to this album before? No How familiar am I with this album? Unfamiliar How do I feel about this artist? Steely Dan is fine but kind of boring Pre-Listen Thoughts: I don’t think I’m gonna fall in love with this but I don’t think I’m gonna hate it either Favorite track(s): Post-Listen Thoughts: This album went by really fast and I don’t know if that’s a compliment or an insult. It just faded into the background so easily and nothing stood out, but it wasn’t unpleasant, it was just Steely Dan.
surprisingly short album, perfect length of songs in my opinion for this album head bopping!
It was fine, not sure it belongs on a greatest of all time list though
5 - AVERAGE
I just... it just makes me mad.
Groovy, fun music. Sounds like Stevie Wonder.
I had a buddy a long time ago who was super into Steely Dan. He’d go on and on about how these guys wrote music. Apparently, the Steely Dan guys were meticulous craftsmen when it can to songwriting and studio production…which I find kinda funny considering they named themselves after a popular dildo at the time. Anyway, my friend wasn’t wrong about the studio production. Aja sounds great. The musicianship is tight and professional. My problem is that, attention to detail aside, Steely Dan does not write songs that excite me in any way. Every song on this record is a finely and meticulously crafted song that I’ll forget about the second the next one starts. And finally, the record will end, and I’ll move onto something less refined that actually inspires something in me, and I’ll forget about the genius of Steely Dan all over again. I’m happy that Steely Dan gives us something that music nerds can obsess about, but I can’t do it. 6/10
This was alright, quite enjoyed it
I'm glad we got a good album today but it does annoy me that Steely Dan is the type of band you KNOW is in the list a disproportionate amount of times. After listening: it's not even that good of an album. It doesn't pain my ears but neither does it excite them.
Good
Grooving bass lines and great lyrics.
Acceptabel, maar gewoon erg bland.
80% Sure ive listened to this already but I will give it another go
Fine not as good as earlier works
Not as good as Can't Buy a Thrill imo
A little boring
Fundamentally, I shouldn’t like this. But there’s something about this Steely Dan that just sort of works. Admittedly, it works best in snippets and small doses. Preferably as a sample on some one else’s record … but I still works.
I liked the sounds of this band's groove du-wops more for some reason than others from this era.
Uma mistura de rock com elementos do jazz, um excelente a ser apreciado com calma, ocasional.
STEELY DAN
Molto bello, però per me non raggiunge can’t buy a thrill
This might be the most decent album of all time. Not great, not bad, just decent.
3.5/5
Ok
groovy, dark, white boy soulish and smooth
Aight
Produced quite well, but the combination of his voice and the slow jazz-rock really made this record forgettable.
Yllätys minulle. Steely Dan vain nimenä tuttu mutta musatyyliään en tuntenut lainkaan. Musana kaukana siitä, mistä pidän. Kuitenkin, jos herrat Becker ja Fagen olivat kuuluisia perfektionismistaan niin totisesti se levyltä kuuluu. Hurjaa virtuositeettia, jota on mukava kuunnella. Ehkä koko albumi tätä kuitenkin vähän liikaa… Hyvä ja ennen muuta taitava levy. 3/5
3 puntos. Melodías que no se te quedan en la cabeza. Es para escuchar una vez y punto.
Very slick and well-produced. I enjoy the jazz elements, but the album’s still a little boring. It’s not commercial slop, but it’s lacking the edge of their first couple albums.
Standouts Black Cow Deacon Blues
This was a good album, I really liked the jazz and funk theme throughout. However there were some places in which it was lacking, like the second track I felt wasn’t the strongest. Favourite - peg
uhhhh its good but it so dad rock, like uhhhhh
its okay, not sure when i would listen to it or if i would listen to it again but i like some songs.
Chill, para poner de fondo
Ideal for those who wish Joni Mitchell's jazz period albums like "Don Juan's Restless Daughter" and "Mingus" sounded a bit more like George Benson or Boz Scaggs. Jazz Rock polished to the point of smooth sterility, it's an audiophile wet dream. Magnificent playing from the very best session players, lush harmonies, but we're a very long way away from "Ricky Don't Lose That Number" or "Reelin' in the Years" and not necessarily the better for it.
I liked it more than I thought I would but no where near as much as John Mulaney apparently does.
Classic 70s radio music. Interesting mix of pop and jazz
sounds cool and well made, but I'd probably have to listen to it more carefully to understand it better. Unfortunately, after one hearing, i wouldn't be able to differentiate between this and similar bands of that time
Steely Dan is not a band I’ve listened to much before, and so it was a treat to listening to this very prog rock album, which features literary references, a plethora of instrumentations, and long, meandering tracks. It grew on me more while listening, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was highly polished lounge music. The lyricism is very good, and the innovative harmonies and vocals are interesting and well done, but I didn’t fall in love with any tracks besides “Deacon Blues”. 3 stars for me.
Funky groove but overall listening experience was relatively average. This aside, the record has clearly had influence on future sonic works. 6/10
Favorite: Aja
Prob not the best steely dan songs I've heard, but the style is the same.
Third Steely Dan, and an album which has long been overdue. Shortly after I listened to "Countdown To Ecstasy" I downloaded a bunch of albums onto my phone from the artists of this list whose work I liked and wanted to explore more of. Needless to say, this album was among the 20 or so I downloaded and never got around to hearing. It's been a looong time since the last Steely Dan. About 390 albums - the longest gap to date. I know this is the most acclaimed release from the band, so it seems right to be jumping back in with this album. Here's hoping it's good. Yeah. This is fine, but kind of a bummer. It's unfortunate that my Steely Dan journey began with their debut album as the group have largely been unable to live up to my expectations since. "Can't Buy a Thrill" has an astute musical sense which none of their later albums are able to capture. "The Nightfly" came relatively close, however. I kind of regret undercutting that album by saying it should have been removed from the list - maybe it's due for a relisten. Anyways, this album is duuullll. There's a deafening emptiness hanging over much of this music which can adequately be attributed to how homogenised and one-note the instrumentals are. Admittedly, I admire how well-paired and cohesive the instruments on this album are, but such an approach is diametrically opposed to what I value in music. I like big instrumentals with distinctive, moving parts that work together to form a greater whole while also being dissonant in a way. By comparison, this music is pedestrian to me with how well everything flows together. It's for this reason that I don't see why Wikipedia describes this album is a go-to for audiophiles who want to test their gear. What you hear is what you get with this album, and there isn't much that a good audio setup is capable of animating or fleshing out. Hey, there's "Peg". I, of course, know of this song because of how extensively it was sampled on "Eye Know" by De La Soul - one of the few hip-hop songs I like. The strange feeling of being presented with songs that I'm vaguely familiar with is always enjoyable, particularly in the case of sampling. The first 45 seconds of this song honestly had me on edge. It made me stop what I was doing and stand to attention, trying to pin where I'd heard the funky bass and plucky acoustic guitar before. Even the similar, albeit unsampled "I know they're gonna love it" vocal section managed to slip by me before I was bowled over by that signature sax. It's probably sacreligious to compare a hip-hop track to a boomer rock song, but I honestly can't listen to Peg without wanting to put on Eye Know. The latter song is considerably more fleshed out and has a much fuller sound. By comparison, this tune is competent on the whole, but the dynamism just isn't there. The funky backing instrumental is stretched way too thin for my liking. The other instruments occasionally and intermittently jilt the piece, but never in a way which builds towards something satisfying. That isn't to say the song is bad, however. The sampled components of this song are fundamentally good. I just know where they were put to better use. I don't need to check the book for this album. Like I said earlier, I know that this album is widely considered to be the band's career highlight, so I like to think this album is in here on good authority. I cosign this inclusion.
Album 161. Aja — Steely Dan (1977) Probably the most smooth and jazzy Steely Dan album. I like it, but it's so tiresome... 3/5 Liked: — Black Cow — Deacon Blues — Peg — Josie
Ok
If I hadn’t been on a run I think I may have fallen asleep. How can a band with a name like steely dan be so mellow? In the end I didn’t hate it but it wasn’t for me.
Entiendo porque trasciende, es algo diferente, casi que tiene un sonido único. Al no ser mi tipo no me deja ninguna canción especifica en mi cabeza pero siento que funciona muy bien como álbum. 1.Aja 2.Peg
Está bien, los 70 fueron una década extraña en música…
No real opinion on Steely Dan’s jazz rock thing. Josie only thing here that’s kinda bad but didn’t love anything either. Peg’s the best
There is plenty to value here. Its got obvious songwriting skill, good playing and seems bright and well done. I really tried to engage with it emotionally but couldnt.
Oh lol MFDoom samples that opening track “Black Cow” Great bass lines across this thang, particularly on Home at Last and Peg Probably closer to a 4
FUN
Decent. Not my jam ngl
Le blues n'est pas mon style mais c'était franchement pas mal
LOVED IT
7/10
Hey I actually knew this one already!
3.75 - Funny enough, I got sent a video yesterday that was a piano cord lesson and the last cord was the first cord in the song 'Peg' and it said "YOU JUST GOT PEGGED" And that happened to be today, when I listened to this album. Not my fav steely Dan but absolutely some hits. Fav Songs: Deacon Blues // Peg
There’s one word I can use – smooth. This opening track is just so pleasing to listen to, great little synth solo too. The title track is just an explosion of musicianship. Everyone gets a chance to shine here and there’s great use of dynamics. Though there is great musicianship (I have read that they employed the talents of a bunch of session musicians) I feel a bit let down with some of the songs. Sure they’re polished and sound aesthetically pleasing, but I don’t FEEL much at all from them. It’s kind of hard to explain, I’m torn. I began to feel this as one song bled into the next with not much really grabbing me. It’s a shame as I’d heard about this album from an old band mate a while back so expected something else. There are some more popular SD tracks that I really like, particularly Reelin in the Years which I think is fantastic. Perhaps I’d have liked more in that vein.
I honestly didn't give this a full enough listen, but I absorbed a lot of Steely Dan as a child so I get it. Solid album.
I didn't hate this as much as I thought I would. Actually quite interesting and a few tracks I recognised. One or two I found a little too clever for their own good but not objectionable
I liked can’t buy a thrill more
This is good, I did not know steely Dan sounded like this
No suelo escuchar jazz, me costó un poco osea si me concentraba por ahí vibraba bastante con la canción pero me costo
Honestly a little boring. Have always heard great things about this album but it feel flat for me. Not bad per say, just not memorable.
Me gustó la mezcla de rock y jazz.
The second Steely Dan album in two weeks? God mocks me.
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.
Quality production, and the title track has some cool solo parts. Overall, it’s hard to find anything to fault with this album—maybe it’s worth another listen sometime, but for now, a 3.
Good but not enough to push to 4
pink panther tip toe
This was alright, I'm not a huge fan of Steely Dan, I think I enjoyed another album of theirs more than this one, but overall an OK 3 star album
I like the idea of this album more than the actual album. The hits are strong, but the rest of the album did not hold my interest. 3 stars.
This was good, though many of the songs blended together a little too much. I appreciate this but probably wouldn't revisit super often.
I want to like this so much more than I do, but there's a feeling I get with the sound/production value, something to do with soft rock stations and growing up... I don't know. It's like an objectively good album but I guess it's just not for me
okay flute!
cool but nit for me too happy ahhh
7/10
I could listen to it in the background but wouldn’t willingly go out of my way for this. This is better than some of the pretty shirty 2s I’ve heard so I guess it’s in the middle.
Not bad music but some of the tracks were super long and i wish they would have been a little bit shorter
Hmmmm. Fun, smooth, good, but not great. I'd say this is record is super dependent on set & setting. A sunny sunday with a drink in my hand? 6/5 project. And when Aja is at it's best ("Peg" is so obviously it's best), it can teleport you to that sunny day, no matter where you stand. There is a creeping sense of unease this album can instill if you catch it on a bad day. I get how you can hear a facade put up by Steely Dan with their conspicuously easy instrumental deliveries and ultra-shiny lyrics about drinking scotch whiskey. Perhaps a microcosm of my entire listening relationship with Steely Dan, I'll take the hits from this and leave the rest. 3/5
Plutôt bon album. L'ambiance était soigné avec une patte très particulière comme toujours avec Steely Dan. Néanmoins, même si certains éléments ont su sortir de l'ordinaire comme les bass lines de presque tous les morceaux qui happent l'auditoire de manière très efficace, j'ai trouvé l'album assez moyen passé les trois premiers sons, avec une certaine répétitivité dans les sonorités, ce qui est assez dommage connaissant la diversité qu'a pu nous offrir Donald Fagen par la suite. En résumé je trouve l'album assez surcoté pour ce qu'il propose même si ça reste de bonne qualité
I should have been high when listening to this.
Jesus, my second Steely Dan album in a week. This one starts off with a sample I remember from a hiphop track, kind of funky. The guy's voice is slightly less annoying in this track than in the last album I pulled, Countdown to Ecstasy. Later on I hear the sample of De La Soul's Eye Know. Definitely this album is better than Countdown. This is about as good as Can't Buy a Thrill, though it's different, funkier. 3/5
Nothing is really bad or anything per se, but this whole record feels a bit too clean and rigidly structured. It doesn’t feel alive to me. Also I hate the fusion rock saxophone production on here.
Heard it so much I can’t objectively rate it…
Steely Dan is a the safest music I’ve ever heard.
This is one of those albums that I've seen everywhere and I know it's a total classic but I don't think I've ever heard it. I was never really in to Steely Dan but I don't think I have any real negative thoughts towards them either. I appreciate their jazzier vibes and their musicianship is always amazing. Looking forward to listening to this one. Ok so this album is incredibly well played and orchestrated. Really really good musicianship here. There is definitely nothing you can fault in that department. But I feel like the whole album is just lacking something. I can't really say what. It's a bit too shiny and polished maybe? It's all very bright and new sounding. And there's nothing that really grabs you and pulls you in. I feel like this could be playing in the background and you might pick up a bit here and there but it wouldn't really make you listen. I get why it's a classic but there are much better albums out there. This one kind of needs to pick a lane. 3.5/5 but rounding down because it isn't quite there to round up.
Not my thing. If I am going to listen to that type of music I would much rather prefer Frank Zappa
This is a kind of soft-rock that I think is now pejoratively termed "yacht rock". My Dad loves Steely Dan; all I could think about while listening to it was "oh, where have I heard that before?"
Peg is an undeniable banger.
Was fine I guess but not memorable
Yeah, what should I think of this? Nice music, sure, but it doesn't do much for me.
Listened to this on the plane to Ireland. Yet again reinforces that my brain likes jazzy tunes. I guess i wouldnt call this album suuuuper memorable but I saved one song.
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
A nice listen, picked up towards the latter half of the album but there was nothing here I'm that interested in going back to
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...