The Nightfly
Donald Fagen
1982
Album Summary
The Nightfly is the debut solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Donald Fagen. Produced by Gary Katz, it was released October 1, 1982, by Warner Bros. Records. Fagen was previously best known for his work in the group Steely Dan, with whom he enjoyed a successful career in the 1970s. The band separated in 1981, leading Fagen to pursue a solo career. Although The Nightfly includes a number of production staff and musicians who had played on Steely Dan records, it was Fagen's first release without longtime collaborator Walter Becker. Unlike most of Fagen's previous work, The Nightfly is almost blatantly autobiographical. Many of the songs relate to the cautiously optimistic mood of his suburban childhood in the late 1950s and early 1960s and incorporate such topics as late-night jazz disc jockeys, fallout shelters, and tropical vacations. Recorded over eight months at various studios between New York City and Los Angeles, the album is an early example of a fully digital recording in popular music. The nascent technology, as well as the perfectionist nature of its engineers and musicians, made the album difficult to record. The Nightfly was well-received, both critically and commercially. It was certified platinum in both the US and UK and generated two popular singles with the top 40 hit "I.G.Y." and the MTV favorite "New Frontier". Among critics, The Nightfly gained widespread acclaim and received seven nominations at the 1983 Grammy Awards. The relatively low-key but long-lived popularity of The Nightfly led Robert J. Toth of The Wall Street Journal in 2008 to dub the album "one of pop music's sneakiest masterpieces."
WikipediaOver produced, yacht rock that appeals to a very generic, "beige" set of people
Very middle of the road for me. A nice morning listen. The cover is definitely better than the album.
May induce a face-palming epidemic among first-timers in the present day. I get that. It incorporates most of the "oh, that's so 80s" sounds received wisdom says we should avoid: a faux fur bed of cool swing, shamelessly smoothed-out jazz, criminally toothsome hooks, synthesisers, conga(!) But I say this face-palmers: seriously, are those bad things? Especially when they accompany satire so arch you can walk under it without noticing (consider Fagen's sincerity on the opener - "The future looks bright" - or how the line "Ruby Baby, how I want you / Like a ghost I'm gonna haunt you" flips that one into an artlessly creepy song that ends oddly with a super fun coda and fake jazz-club applause). And technical virtuosity that's not only impressive for what it does (like play every modulation known to man) but how accessibly it does it. And the crystalline rhythms that playfully evolve from start to finish without letting a speck of dust settle. And stories about lonely disc jockeys, using your dad's nuclear bunker as a sex den and being ominously stuck in Cuba in guessing). And also remember that received wisdom calls Meatloaf a camp hack but Springsteen a butch genius, immortalises Radiohead and Pink Floyd and celebrates everything that's "oh, so 80s" about Prince.
I love Steely Dan, but had never listened to any of Donald Fagen's solo work without Walter Becker. Can I describe it as "too smooth" or "too upbeat"? I must miss the more biting aspect to the lyrics and music that were Beckers influence. Maybe 3.4/5? Then I listened to it some more, and its really growing on me due to the jazzy music. Solid 4.
A well crafted album with lots of Donald Fagan charms, with his dry, witty, intelligent lyrics and expressive voice. Some nostalgic value for me too - this album slowly became a family favorite starting sometime in my teenage years.
It was initially nice to hear the light rock 80s sound of Steely Dan's Fagen because just about any music from that era takes me back to fuzzy places. However, I quickly realized that the only thing I like about The Nightfly was the album cover.
Comenzó bien y como al segundo 40 ya todo se fue al carajo con el jazz. Es aburrido y tal vez por lo que comenta Vic está en la lista pero fuera de ahí no me aporta nada
Ernsthaft? Dann lieber ne Stunde Helge Schneider Pink Panther Variationen
First time I’ve listened to a solo from either one of the Dan’s. Solid stuff
Brilliant, love this album. Better without Becker IMO. Such a cool retro/futuristic vibe to it
Had me from the hop! Jazzy, poppy, post steely dan yacht rocky. Good vibes all around.
10. Considered a 9, because Donald Fagen really is only half the man Steely Dan is
I really dug this, it sounds amazing and the songs have just the right amount of cheese to balance out how smooth they are
So chill! Great lyrics! 9/10 for the vibes, would want to relisten for a better appreciation
this is a really great album, theres a couple tracks i don't like as much that make it 9/10
The Nightfly and I go a long way together! I remember it from when it was first introduced in Ad Pop by Ehud Manor as a new album. Love it, and regularly listen to it.
The style...the musicianship...the vocals...immaculate. Wondering why this is not on my iPod already.
Real gem this one. Never listened to any Steely Dan, but this solo album was smooth, catchy, full of jazzy tunes and beautiful Rhodes sounds. Really loved it.
Five Stars Standouts: IGY, The Nightfly, New Frontier, Maxine, Green Flower Street
I absolutely LOVE this album. It's Steely Dan-esque with a kinda Frank Zappa vibe?
Opening notes - I knew it was going to be great. Smooth, melodic, lyrically wonderful from end-to-end.
Oh yeah. Funky, smooth, slick...great rhythm, great piano. This is my jam.
One of my favorites. 5/5 I love every song. The extended version has a couple of extras that were included on soundtrack albums (Heavy Metal and Bright Lights Big City).
Fell in love with this album when I got it back in 1982. I loved the sound of the song, IGY and quickly the rest of this album became a classic to me. I am grateful that the extended version contains True Companion from Heavy Metal (Soundtrack) and Century's End from the Bright Lights, Big City Soundtrack were included. I really think these two songs complete the album quite well. This is a rare 5/5 from me.
Steely Dan with less guitar and more saxophone. Brilliant, I love Steely Dan.
This has been one of my favorite albums since it was new and I.G.Y. was on the radio and the video for "New Frontier" was on MTV. Although I was a young teen at the time, I still really connected with the nostalgic themes and optimism for the future. This is an album that shines best as the whole album, as each song is a vignette that continues the theme. This is one of the few in this project that I've listened to so many times over the past 40 years that I can play it in my head (well, the line, "Won't you pour me a Cuban breeze, Gretchen?" is one that I hadn't remembered but love love love.) This is smooth and jazzy and wonderful. One of the best.
With the distinctive voice from Steely Dan, you'd think this would be just another Steely Dan album. It's definitely not. There's some sharp commentary in here, along with some very tasty grooves. I love this album. How are things on Mount Belzoni, by the way?
Fantastic Album that’s known as the benchmark for testing out Hi-Fi Systems due to its incredible production and coordinated, tight arrangements.
I admittedly don't like jazz, but the jazz influence on this album is sick. It also reminds me of Christmas music, a little bit. I think this one is kind of awesome, not something I'd listen to all the time but I'm gonna save it on Spotify for Christmas vibes. Omg, also a little Vulfpeck-ish! Another surprising four star album!!
surprisingly great pop jazz, not a huge fan of the more jazz oriented songs but overall great sound
Big Steely Dan fan. I feel like this is a very natural extension of that sound with alot of the same players. Although I love the character perspectives in Steely Dan songs it is nice to hear something a little more personal.
Lo disfruté y tiene ritmos muy pegajosos (¿beats?). La voz muy bien y puse poca atención a las letras, aunque sí escuché eso de "Mexico City" jaja. Me parece un álbum animado y que te pone feliz, en un humor medio bailador, pero tranquilo, a gusto, chill que se diría. La canción que abre me parece muy bien colocada al principio. Mis favs: "Green Flower Street", "New Frontier" y "The Goodbye Look". 8.5/10
A lovely album to listen to in the sunshine. A cultured performance akin to Deco in his pomp.
Donald Fagen once took a golden shower on my belly and some of it ricocheted into my mouth. Yummy.
Couple of tracks were definitely familiar, I had not heard the rest and dang if it isn't a fine album. Steely Dan-ish, of course.
Ok this first song.... spicy I like this album omg Favorites: I.G.Y Ruby Baby Maxine The Nightfly The Goodbye Look
Obviously similar to Steely Dan, thick harmonic lines, great arrangements.
Had some jazz club vibes to it and made me miss going out to nice bars. The music itself was catchy but the lyrics less so.
80's synth pop/jazz pop(?). Good nighttime cooking/chilling album I'd say. Kind of funky as well.
I never realized that Donald Fagen was the Steely Dan guy... wild. Recognize the 1st song, reminds me of when I was a kid. 70's groove songs.
I'm a big Steely Dan but had never listened to any of Donald's solo stuff, so I was curious what this was sound like. Overall, it was quite pleasing - "I.G.Y" and "The Nightfly" offered a lot of those same great Steely vibes. "Ruby Baby" was kind of annoying, but I can overlook that.
Never get tired of listening to the musical genius of Donald Fagen - very fresh sounding all these years later!
I've heard several tracks from Steely Dan, and I knew enough to recognize Donald Fagen's name as a part of the band. As I listened, I would have thought that this album was from Steely Dan, if I hadn't seen the name of the artist. "I.G.Y." sounded familiar to me, and is a track that I'd probably play again. I'm not sure if I'm familiar with "New Frontier" or if the track just sounds like Donald Fagen's work. I'm not a particular fan of Fagen, but I think I enjoyed this listen. Some albums BARELY squeak into the 3 category. I think this one squeaked into a 4.
I happen to love Steely Dan -- such incredible musicianship, craft, humor, and mind-blowing playing (man, the people they brought in...wow) -- so I also had a couple Donald Fagen albums in my collection at one time, including this one. I think it's great. I think he's a hell of a songwriter, love his dry humor, and even though I don't usually like too much organ playing in songs, it's fine here. Always loved the cover art on this one, too.
pretty sure persona 5 stole concepts from this album And mario sunshine??
From note one you know this dude was Steely Dan. Hell of a song writer. Hell of a musician.
Den poppede udgave af Steeæu Dan. Fedt solo album med lækker lækker lyd. Et genlyt værd
The fact that I have Steely Dan's Black Cow stuck in my head after listening to this says that this is not substantially different from a Steely Dan album. That's not a bad thing, as I love Steely Dan. It does make me wonder a bit what Walter Becker brought to the table. I liked this a lot, glad I listened to it. 4 stars.
I love this album, but it is definitely not something you have to hear before you die. Super smooth.
I confess to hating this album (or at least the singles from it that I heard) upon its release as it fit neither the classic rock mode I was growing out of (but still enjoying and respecting) and the new wave/alt direction I was heading into for college and beyond. Full appreciation for Steely Dan was still quite a few years off, though they were vaguely on the radar, from summer hits heard at the swimming pool. Their breaking up just as I was entering high school didn’t help, but obviously the music is more sophisticated than I could process at the time. I remember hearing about the high-tech recording approach and thinking “yeah, but the music is still lame and wimpy.” I would have guessed the release date of this was later. I can definitely remember hating the annoying, repetitive synths and his strainy-thin-voiced vocal, but now I get their mellowness and love the shapely, unhurried guitar solos over them (“New Frontier”) and the phrasing and dry-martini vocal tone seem one-of-a-kind. The overall mood of this record is just totally up my alley on a snowy Friday afternoon nearly 40 years on. Not only does it hold up well, it’s somehow got a lot better.
Don Fagan, of Steely Dan fame, cutting tracks on his own. The recording style is T I G H T. I.G.Y feels meticulously crafted, with not a beat out of place. This album is very best of this style of sound. There is something so perfect about it, it feels stripped of its spontaneity.
I love Steely Dan so why wouldn't I like this? A couple of big hits surrounded by effortlessly smooth and well produced tracks. All together great for relaxing and pondering intelligent lyrics. I was into the Jam and New order at the time but now I'm older this appeals to my older bones.......it's upbeat but sooooooothing.
This was surprisingly funky. Really thoughtful bass lines with tunes that go places you weren't expecting
Had no idea who this was until he started singing, then I realized he's one half of Steely Dan. A tight set of jazzy numbers, very lively. The almost bossa nova of "The Goodbye Look" is a little jarring. A little yuppie-ish, though I think I'll have the melody from "I.G.Y." stuck in my head for a while. Favorite tracks: "I.G.Y.", "New Frontier"
I read Jazz Pop and then Steely Dan on the Wikipedia page and immediately rolled my eyes thinking I was going to dislike the album. I however was amazed at how much I enjoyed it. Right off the bat "I.G.Y." hits you with this groovy bass driven, borderline funky jam. I can see why this song is so loved by audiophiles and used as a reference song by so many sound engineers. It has so much to digest and I imagine in many more listens I will only continue to appreciate it. The next three songs are nice easy listens and then "New Frontier" is another fun energy boost right in the middle. The titular track is probably my least favorite on the album, but it still isn't a bad track. The final two tracks are a nice calm, but happy way to end an album. This is the first album I have found on this list that I had no exposure to beforehand and I instantly want to get on vinyl. Right now this is a 4 for me but I need to give it a 5 upon a few more listens.
Actually loved this. Hidden gem from an era and genre of music I'm less familiar with
Quite enjoyed this one as background music. If I hadn't read the wiki first I would never have guessed that this was the frontman for Steely Dan. With the versatility of SD it's not that much of a stretch for their frontman to also be convincing in a completely different style of music. To be fair, this is more of a 3.5 and not actually interesting enough for a clean 4 or more. But it's much better than the three other records I listened to today, so I'm rounding up.
One can't but be delighted by Fagen continuing in fine form after Steely Dan. Nightfly's hearty; The initial sheen is just a bit clinical pop. I shamelessly nod along.
There was something about I.G.Y. and New Frontier that made me inexplicably vaguely uncomfortable in 1982. That seems to have passed. This is nice.
Pretty sweet little record. Definitely is a Steely Dan record but with a bit more pop influence. Some songs didn't quite hit but most were a good time. 7/10
I had listened to Steely Dan but hadn't ever heard any of their solo work before this very enjoyable throughout
Pretty sure I've heard some of the tracks in stores, maybe they used the album as a benchmark? Exceedingly clear sound. Solid album, liked it.
I really liked the sound of this album and given the time, would have listened again. Although it wasn’t mind blowing an average and usual score of 3* seems inadequate so I’m giving 4* . There could be an element of nostalgia influencing me too.
When you run out of Steely Dan albums, you'll be ecstatic to find Fagen and Becker both made solo albums. Here, Fagen delivers with (almost) everything you'd expect from a Steely Dan album. But since this is the 80s, we also get synths which work surprisingly well with their jazzy yacht rock formula. Suitable for late night listening by the fireplace. Loved them all for different reasons, and it flew by. There are even some dance tracks like "New Frontier" that wouldn't look out of place in a New Wave mix. Can't give a bad score to an album that throws in ska in the closing track as a treat. Only track I wasn't crazy about was "Maxine", but it serves as a nice break. Favorites: I.G.Y, New Frontier, Nightfly
Un viaje muy placentero por un jazz/pop ochentoso y suave. Alegró una mañana de oficina sin esfuerzo y podría escucharlo por la noche entre whiskys y vinos también
His first solo effort without Walter Becker. Love his cynical lyrics and jazz like song framing.
Pretty crazy personnel on this record- Marcus Miller, chuck rainey, Steve gadd, Anthony Jackson, brecker brothers, Larry Carlton. The instrumental and the production are amazing. Donald Fagens voice and songwriting are pretty hit or miss with me. I know a lot of musicians that obsess over all the Steely Dan stuff. I really love a handful of songs off of Aja but rarely can listen to the whole album through. Props for having a totally original style - it’s so slick but also soooo awkward sometimes. 3.5
I absolutely love Steely Dan, and would be game for a Steely-Dan-like product containing 25% less Dan and 50% more binders and fillers. But this is actually really good. It of course has all the SD tricks - smooth sound, consistently moderate pace with a strong syncopated backbeat, every extension known to man (check where the harmonies end up on that "W-J-A-Z"!). And some of the changes are generally positive - I like adding more female backing vocals, it just makes their already strong backing voice even stronger. It's a little more piano- and synth-heavy vs. Steely Dan, which I guess makes sense if this guy is the keys player. But otherwise very comparable. Apart from the fact that it's super-smooth, two of the things that make this so easy to listen to and enjoy are that (a) it's really short, at under 40 minutes and (b) it's stronger on the back half, with the two strongest tracks ("New Frontier" and "The Nightfly") on the back half. Not game-changing, but I liked it so much I listened to it 2-3 times.
I enjoyed this album, although it's Fagen's debut solo album, it's not a big departure from Steely Dan musically. The difference is in the lyrical content, this is more upbeat. Best songs were I.G.Y. and New Frontiers.
This was a pleasant listen. Not what I expected but I still enjoyed it - 3.5
Good old Donald Fagen. Some good stuff here, sounds a lot like Steely Dan of course
La música de este disco está agradable: rock-pop de los 80's con toques de Jazz, lo cual es notable en algunas canciones más que en otras. No soy particularmente fan del rock-pop de los 80's, y tampoco del jazz, pero lo volvería a escuchar sin problema y guardé la canción de "Green Flower Street", por eso es que dejo la calificación en tres. Dejando de lado la parte musical, la historia este disco me pareció muy interesante. Para aquellos que no hayan leído la historia, este fue de los primeros discos en tener un master 100% digital, utilizando algo llamado '1978 3M digital audio mastering system', es decir, una grabadora multitrack digital del tamaño de un congelador. Si hay algo por lo que este disco merezca ser recordado, sin duda es eso.
some great sounds by Donal Fagen here. jazz vibes and interesting lyrics. 3.4/5 for me
Måtte google Donald Fagen. Ikke rart siden jeg ikke akkurat er noen Steely Dan-fan heller. Skikkelige 80 tallsvibes. Kan jo være artig det, men ble litt slitsomt i lengden.
Vähän rennompaa menoa vaihteeksi. Ei ehkä ihan lounge musaa, mutta jotain siihen suuntaan. Ruby Baby jäi mieleen. Ihan okei, mutta ei aiheuttanut suurempia riemunkiljahduksia.
Silky smooth and easy on the ear (eye) if a bit saccharine and meh at times. Kai Havertz.
It's hard not to compare this to Steely Dan which isn't fair. Good luck if your first LP has to look good compared to Aja. For the first solo album to really be a home run it should validate why you needed to leave. The music fan should see something really different in the sound (like Sting's first solo album added many instruments and a completely different sound) or should understand that you wanted to write songs that would have been out of the old band's capabilities / comfort zone (I can't imagine Roger Daltrey singing songs about Ecclesiastes in Empty Glass or I am an Animal). This album sounds like SD w/o Becker. To be sure, it's quite good but imo Fagen missed an opportunity to tap his potential in a ground breaking way - like he did with SD when they fused jazz and R&R . (Perhaps he did this lyrically and I missed it.) I'm stuck comparing this to Aja.
The Nightfly is lush and shimmering, produced with cinematic flair by Gary Katz; romanticized but never sentimental, the songs are slices of suburbanite soap opera, tales of space-age hopes (the hit "I.G.Y.") and Cold War fears (the wonderful "The New Frontier," a memoir of fallout-shelter love) crafted with impeccable style and sophistication.
War bestimmt in den 80er Jahren wahnsinnig cool. Musikalische Ansätze Vorhanden
Had some hits and misses, decent album for the most part with some songs rating higher than others.
On first listen - music to be heard in elevators and whilst on hold. After listening again I am beginning to see the appeal. Still, it's too smooth and overproduced for me.
So. Very. 80's. The fact that this came out in 82 and is so full of the sounds that defined the decade suggests a sense of prescience. The saxophone alone locks this record in time. The jazzy vocals and drums, aligned with the pop rock rhythms scream "easy listening" and "background music" in 2021. Nothing here really feels especially interesting in a modern context. I.G.Y. may be the only song that has had a broader appeal in a way that I've heard it out in the wild. However, the sound has become cliche enough for the decade that I don't know that this is a record of extreme importance. The Nightfly is where it feels like this album actually opens up. The rest of the songs are soft, subtle, and easy to hear. While The Nightly is certainly all that as well, it takes a rounder dimension and seems to fill out a bit more.
Well…. I really tried on this one. There’s only a few songs on the album and I literally listened to it 3 times today. I’ll try and give it another listen tomorrow but I just can’t seem to gel with this album. I know this is good music but I can't see me heading back to this album in a hurry.
Jazz rock que segueix la ruta dels últims àlbums d'Steely Dan, tot i que jo crec que sense la solvència que en aquells es mostrava. Un disc duret, on costa entrar, i que no sempre està a l'alçada de les expectatives
Completely new to me. Might be more to it on repeat listens, and I enjoyed it enough that I will give that a go, but seemed more “blandly pleasant” than “essential”?
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would, in a kind of ironic cheesy nostalgic 80s vibe.
I always used to think this wasn't as good as any of the Steely Dan albums owing to its absence of extremely tasteful guitar playing. I like it more these days (and picked it up cheap on vinyl in Tokyo) but it still doesn't have enough guitars. (3.5 stars)
Alez wylosowalo zagadke, pierwszy solowy krazek pana Fagena, ktorego zna sie glownie z duetu steely danowego, plyta z 82, wiec rok po pierwszym rozejsciu sie w rozne strony bandy, wiec muzycznie przypomina to tworczosc grupowa, zwlaszcza ze wzgledu na to, ze wiekszosc muzykow zangazowanych w projekt the nighfly byla juz slyszana na poprzednich materialach danowych, wiec pomimo tego, ze sluchalem pierwszy raz odczuwalem lekkie deja vu, ktore sa tylko potegowane przez Fagenowe wokale, nie zabraklo takze doszlifowania, bo album ma 38 minut, a nagrania trwaly 8 miesiecy, wiec tutaj rowniez po staremu, wiec czemu nie oczarowala tak samo jak starsze wydania steely dana, zaznaczam starsze, bo reunionowe juz nie brzmia tak samo jak te z lat 70, o ile o tamtych reunionowych myslalem, ze brzmia jak taki zdziadzialy kombak z tym samym brzmieniem 20 lat pozniej, tak lirycznie to zdziadzienie juz slychac na nightflyu, ktory poza openingowym I.G.Y nie ma w sobie czegos do zapamietania, niby koncept calego krazka jako powrotu do czasow mlodosci i sielankowego zycia hamerykanskiego w cieniu zimnej wojny brzmi calkiem ciekawie, ale jego przelozenie na album nudzi, bo ilez mozna sluchac o pieknych dziewczynach w schronach i radiowcach puszczajacych jazzy po nocach, wiec nie ma tutaj typowej dla duetu aronii i przegranych opowiesci, jak teraz slucham to nawet same melodie wydaja sie byc o wiele bardziej popowo jazzowe, odchodzace od rokowo gitarowych brzmien, ktore wnosil Becker, bo The Nightfly jest wyprodukowany przez pana odpowiedzialnego za reszte dyskografii duetu, pana Katza, wiec nawet tutaj roznic nie widac, chyba ze wziac pod uwage, ze jest to jeden z pierwszych w pelni digitalowo masterowanych albumow, co pewnie tez mialo jakis wplyw na finalne brzmienie przy takim dazeniu do perfekcji dzwieku jakie Fagen zawsze idealizowal, zatem dowiedzialem sie, ze ten duet dzialal dobrze za sprawa obu panow i nikt tu nikogo nie prowadzil za nos, na plejke leci openingowy I.G.Y
Ah miten miellyttävä jazzahtava poppis-avausraita! Sen sijaan ainakin Ruby Baby aika itseään toistava. Sanoisin 3/5, vähän epätasainen kokonaisuus.
Nightfly is a pleasant and soulful collection of intimate music. The only weaknesses are Fagen's vocals (rather unoriginal and often stretched) and the melodies (rather derivative). (6/10) FT: I.G.Y.
This album sounds good, but it doesn't feel like there's a lot to it as far as groundbreaking music goes. It definitely has some of the Steely Dan sound that Fagen was instrumental in forming. Overall, it comes off more as an easy-listening album than an album that pushed the boundaries of music in its time. It's not bad at all, in fact it's quite pleasant, but I don't see much else here. I'm on the third song and I'm already bored (update: as of song 5 I am still bored and about to give up on this album). As always, it's a super bad sign when the coolest thing about an album is its cover 3/5
Genre: Sophisti-Pop 3/5 Donald Fagen's post-lounge epic The Nightfly, one of the first fully digitally recorded albums ever, is a perfectionist's wet dream. Sophisti-Pop, essentially a snootier take on Jazz Pop and Pop Soul, is the perfect lane for a guy like Donald Fagen to find a niche in. His earlier forays with Steely Dan had the same markings of perfectionism, but this album here doesn't have a single click out of place. Its crunchy, dissonant chord progressions, its aggressive use of double- or triple-tracking vocals, and its penchant for full, heavy arrangements, make this an interesting listen. Unfortunately, it sits in the same sonic drivers' seat for the entire project, and doesn't step outside of its neatly constructed comfort zone at all. The strenuous effort which was poured into the record is not lost. Hours of overdubbing and mixing are quite evident in the final product. The album sounds great, mixed and engineered flawlessly by the ex-Steely Dan-ites, but it doesn't make the music itself that much more interesting. Songs like I.G.Y. and the title track are both decent examples of what the genre is capable of, but is dripping in too much of itself, never becoming an engaging experience and only sounding of how proud of itself it is. The layers are each so thick and produced that it almost serves better as an example of what good production can sound like in a digital setting, but never quite reaches the "very-enjoyable album" mark. Incredibly slick, and annoyingly so, but not very exciting. Should interest those who are looking for what it sounds like to be this far up your own ass.
Strange, different, interesting, otherworldly. A true jazz-pop album - I'm not sure how to feel. Very slickly produced. There is some funk involved but sometimes it comes off a bit like smooth-jazzy "elevator music" nonetheless. Perhaps I should listen to his latest album, where after three albums he changes to a yatch-rock/R&B style. Wow that was bizarre, sometimes the vocals are like a barbershop quartet idk
IGY and New Frontier stand out as obviously catchy and enjoyable examples of Fagen's pop-jazz sound. Though they are definitely strong, the rest of the album blends together... nothing great but nothing bad either. Feels like background music at that point.
Opening song, fuck yeah! You got me, I love this sound. The 80s were the best Era. You can fight me on that. This just makes me happy!
Soft and warm easy listening. Pop with groovy jazz elements here and there. Kind of ok, but also a bit boring
I'm not that into Steely Dan, but this album feels like the best elements of their sound and style. I guess Fagen is 99% of Steely's essence? Huh, kinda seems like why even bother going solo? This is just a Steely Dan album with only Fagen's name on it. I'm enjoying it more than I thought I would though, and that's probably because these songs are all brand new to me and haven't been played to death by classic rock radio, unlike Ricki Don't Lose The Number or Reeling in the Years have. I love this album cover, it's a spectacular photograph, it evokes a mood perfectly fitting the album title.
Not bad actually, a weird vibe that I'm not particularly familiar with. Wouldn't add it to my person playlists but fine to have on in the background.
Quirky album. Jazzy and poppy, reminds me of that "Pazz and Jop" annual poll just for the weird blend of genres. Never heard of Mr. Fagen, but he's quite alright. A few tracks on here that I dug, but nothing worth screaming about. Favorite tracks: Ruby Baby, New Frontier. Album art: Really like this picture, nails the '50s nighthawk aesthetic (better than the recent Tom Waits album I might add). Got my hopes up a little too high, but still a cool one. 3/5
Fun little album but don't think it should be on the list. Thought it was going to be jazz but not at all.
Some tracks worked, some didn't for me. The first few sounded almost too pretentious and corny, but I liked the last 3 or so ones
Not a huge Steely Dan fan and this was alright; sounds very similar to Fagen's band work for obvious reasons. I recognize "New Frontier" and hadn't heard it in many years; love that this 1001 list sometimes gives you little nuggets every now and then of songs you haven't heard in forever. Very easily listen and kinda reminds me of music you'd hear in a department store. 6/10.
Hints of Stevie Wonder, The Police, Sheena Easton and some surprising funky bass made this an unexpected listen.
I enjoyed a lot of this. A lot of the writing reminded me of Billy Joel.
I've never listened to any of Donald Fagen's solo stuff, but am familiar with his work with Steely Dan. This is his first solo album, which was made after Steely Dan broke up. It has a lot of the same characteristics as a Steely Dan record, but doesn't have as much of the "rock" sensibilities. This record is heavier to the funky/jazzy pop rock sound, sometimes termed "yacht rock". Heavy to piano and synth as well as brass instruments. It has the ability to make the listener bob their head to the beat. Donald Fagen's vocals are smooth and layered perfectly with the funky music backing. Overall, this is a good record, not phenomenal or anything, but I didn't mind listening to it, just wouldn't rush out to buy it (I have the same feelings towards Steely Dan records... They're good, just not phenomenal). Favourite songs: I.G.Y., Green Flower Street, Ruby Baby, New Frontier Least favourite songs: The Nightfly, Maxine, 3/5
Isto jedna laganica od albuma, al de zamisli stavit takav font na album cover. Nisam znao, a i kako ću znat kad nisam previše upučen u taj bend, ali je bio član Steely Dan-a. Zapravo glavni? Ali da je prva stvar s albuma banger? To jeste tačno. Općenito zabavan, ritmičan album s premazima jazza. 3.5.
A personal favorite. Sounds a lot like Steely Dan, of course. New Frontier was always one of my favorites on this album, but Ruby Baby sticks with me a lot.
A decent album that felt like a cookie cutter version of steely Dan given he is on half of them. Usually when people make solo stuff their music sounds a little different but Fagen stayed true to the steely Dan style which isn’t a bad thing since I like them but I found it similar to their music but not as good. 6.9/10
Ganska trött avslagen jazz-pop från Steely Dan-snubben. Ungefär 1/5 så bra som omslaget.
Olipas hajuton ja mauton levy. Easylistening-höttöä ilman mitään mieleen jäävää. Ruotsinlaivalla tämä menisi taustamusiikkina.
Like Steely Dan without the interesting songwriting. Oh boy. There were some good moments, so it's not a 1, but I was not thrilled overall.
Honestly couldn't get through it all. Not something I HATE but absolutely not my jam.
¿Sólo me pasó a mi o algunas canciones se escuchan más bajitas que otras? ¿Es culpa de Spotify? En fin, los 80s se notan a más no poder: "Tengo dinero y te lo puedo dar, Maxine", "Estudiar fuera, que gran momento de estar vivo", "Violencia por todos lados". Básicamente es como hoy, pero en ese momento se veía como un gran prospecto de mundo. La música es lo más rescatable, entre 80era y jazz muy suave. Creo que ahí radica el problema, no suena mal. Suena agradable, como música de fondo (Excepto la canción que le da nombre al disco, me pareció terrible). Son canciones para un señor americano de 40 años, 2 niños, vive en los suburbios, etc. 1.5 estrellas que voy a dejar en 2 porque realmente no lo odié, pero me parece completamente olvidable.
0:05 - Hmmm no esperaba ese sonido teclado ochentero por la portada 0:30 - Hmmm rock pop jazzeado... me recuerda a Steely Dan 2:12 - Que bien producido y nivelado está todo... todo se oye impecable... hmm si la voz suena hasta parecida supongo fue una manera muy de moda de cantar 5:10 - Pinche canción larga... bueno y a todo esto ¿qué hay de este disco? /Wikipedia... No... Noooo NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Un disco más de Steely Dan, ahora solo con medio Steely Dan. No hay diferencia alguna realmente, tiene los mismos pros que mencioné en Pretzel Logic; producción muy buena, excelente mezcla, una combinación de ritmos en manera que usualmente no se hace (aunque era mucho más novedosa en el otro disco, 8 años antes... quizá para estas fechas era ya mucho menos apantallante) y un resultado de música de studio con una calidad inmejorable y tremendamente aburridaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa... es ABURRIDISIMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. No creo que pueda decir mucho más que no hubiera mencionado ya en Steely Dan. Lo único que puedo agregar es que en esta ocasión las letras me parecen ligeramente mejores, en algunos casos llegan a ser bastante buenas en cuanto al humor medio negro y crítica que pueden hacer... lástima del pareo de flojera con esa música que llevan.
The first song IGY is pleasant enough, Steely Dan lite. But I wasn't engaged for the rest of the album because all the songs sounded the same to me.