The Nightfly

neat and very clean soft rock

First song goes absurdly hard. The rest was just meh.

Tight Harmonies and nice arrangements. Yacht Rock indeed.

7/10

a beautiful great time. a very easy listen

I'm a big fan of the 'Dan, but I haven't branched out to the solo stuff yet. This was good, but didn't seem to have any huge hits? Still enjoyable though

It’s 1993, and I’m helping stock the shelves of the K-Mart opening in my hometown later that summer. My hands are filthy—coated in a grim paste made from leaking laundry detergent, cardboard dust, and the neglect of shelves no one bothered to clean before telling us to fill them. I trip over heaps of flattened boxes in the aisle and head to the restroom for the fifth time that shift, hoping it’ll be the last, though I know better. Management has finally connected the intercom. The store’s speakers crackle to life, ready to pump out an endless loop of soft rock standards and chirpy sale announcements. Then something sleek and expensive starts drifting through the ceiling tiles—Steely Dan, or maybe just Donald Fagen. I scrub my hands harder, sigh, shut off the faucet, and dry them with paper towels already running low. Back on the sales floor, I’m greeted by another traffic jam of pallets stacked shoulder-high with more detergent. My shift, it turns out, is nowhere near over. That’s the feeling The Nightfly leaves me with: immaculate craftsmanship arriving in the middle of drudgery. It’s polished, tasteful, and undeniably well-made, but also so smooth it risks fading into the background. The musicianship is pristine, the production luxurious, and Fagen’s cool precision is everywhere. I can admire it more than I love it. It sounds excellent at all times, but not always essential.

Ignoring the fact the Fagen is the spitting image of Sacha Baron Cohen on the album cover, this is a Steely Dan album without the name. There were a couple of tracks I was familiar with, but there's nothing about this that really separates itself from his other work with the full band. As with everything Fagen touches, this is well produced, expertly performed, and smooth. If you dig Steely Dan, you'll dig this.

3.0

I had no idea who or what this is. As i listened to the first song I thought to myself 'unless this album has a huge hut single, I have no idea why it's on the list'. In the second song I was thinking 'this is groovy and all, but why is it on the list', but then I thought 'hey, this singer sounds familiar....it sounds like Steely Dan'. A quick Google and yes, Donald Fagan is the Steely Dan guy. So thay explains why the writers put the album on the list, if not why it is justified in being here. Let's face it, there's no good reason for this album to be on the list alongside several SD albums. It's a good, average album. Nothing more.

Ok, I'm a little scared of this one. Steely Dan are kind of boring, and this is just one of the guys from Steely Dan doing a solo album. Lo and behold, it sounds pretty much exactly like Steely Dan. Smooth, polished, overproduced rock with all the emotion smoothed out of it. The lyrics aren't very good, and the instrumentals are competent if bland. This is the definition of "muzak": music that is made by committee to be unhateable and inoffensive. Yet, at the same time, it is these very qualities that keep it from being good. It's not going to have any bearing on your life whether you hear this(or really any Steely Dan-related anything) because it's just so polished. It has no grit, no soul, no passion; just ennui for the masses. This should not be on the list, and really it belongs in a landfill with the rest of the era's soft rock bands.

Nunca había escuchado algo relacionado con el Afro-Beat, pero me agrado bastante

Good music.

No surprise, this sounds just like Steely Dan. This must be on the list because it's one of the first fully digitally recorded albums (1982). It's not a bad album, but doesn't diverge far from the Steely Dan path. Pitchfork: 8.6 (2019) Rolling Stone: n/a Best Songs I.G.Y. New Frontier The Nightfly

It was good vibe

A decent steely fan album.

Funky and cool vibe

The jazz vocal harmonics are tough to listen to. The lyrics are surprisingly engaging -- especially for words written by Donald Fagan. I like the themes.

Fav song: I.G.Y

Very middle of the road late 70s early 80s yacht rock “safe” sound for me. A nice listen on the morning commute to work today that takes me back to being in the car with my dad (when he had control of the radio). 3⭐️

Mittwoch, der 22.04.2026 ~ nachmittags, nachts, vormittags ~ In der Vekehrsschule am Wassertorplatz - beim Abräumen der Fahrräder, in diversen Bussen auf dem Weg nachhause, in der Ringbahn auf dem Weg zur Uni.

Almost interesting album that was fine to listen through once. Decent vocals + backing band combo, but nothing that sparked joy 5.0/10

Jeez, this is pure 1982. Feels like these sounds were widely emulated in movies and television. It was everywhere. The influence this had was significant. Even if it skews a bit too modern jazz for my taste, the work is clear. I don’t hate this, but I don’t particularly like a lot of it. Kind of wish some of this was just instrumental. IGY is still really good, though. 3/5

Enjoyable but this hasn't aged well.

Me: "This sounds like Steely Dan" Eslo: "He was in Steely Dan" Me: "oh" (reads wikipedia)

I have listened to this multiple times now, but every time I find it hard to focus. I feel like this may be a feature, not a bug. It's kind of lovely.

Positivt överraskad. Jag trodde inte att jag skulle gilla detta men det var faktiskt helt ok. Bäst var I.G.Y och The Nightfly.

okay... had some catchy melodies, but not my overall vibe preference

Funky cool nothing crazy

Enjoyable listen with pleasing jazz-pop-rock evocative of both earlier and later styles

po nekoj logici stvari trebalo bi mi se sviđati, al nije toliko. počelo jako i krenulo slabjeti. u principu steely dan al uronjen u osamdesete. na kraju završi a da se čovjek baš i ne sjeća šta je točno slušao, premda načelno jest pristojno, solidno. nevezano za glazbu: odličan omot

Very 1980 time capsule

Solid, optimistic

This was some pretty nice jazzy easy listening. None of the songs stood out that I need to add to my playlist but I generally liked everything I heard.

3 - I didn't realize that this was the guy from Steely Dan. I really enjoyed the music, background vocals, and general vibes. I don't love the lead vocals.

OK

I could swear that New Frontier is the opening credits music to a network sitcom about a quirky family who grapple with the complexity of modern life while trying to love each other and I’m here for it. IGY doesn’t hold up as well. Rest of the album is a bit dull but I like it better than Steely Dan.

I enjoyed the smooth jazz and r&b in this album, and particularly enjoyed Ruby Baby, Green Flower Street, and Maxine! Funny enough, I think I prefer Donald Fagen’s solo work to the music of Steely Dan!

I can see why so many people love Donald Fagen's music (and that of Steely Dan), but it just doesn't move me. Very well written, produced, and performed, but just not for me.

Everything I don’t like in one album. It’s not you it’s me.

Straight from the speakers in a grocery store, in an affluent neighborhood, that sells expensive whiskies, and craft syrup, honey, and candles.

suave

Smooth jazz-pop that was pleasant enough to listen to. My biggest issue was that for the short run time it felt long. Every track felt like it was 8 minutes long for some reason. I didn’t not enjoy it though. 3.5/5

Didn’t click at first that this is half a Steely Dan album. Enjoyed it a lot, grooooovvyyy

Donald Fagan's debut solo album carries on the gloriously sterile production from the two Steely Dan albums before it. But it abandons the drawn out songs for a set of nocturnal pop songs. As with those Dan albums everything here sounds really nice, and most of the songs are pretty catchy; the title track is the highlight in that regard. The sophisti-pop sound suits Fagan's voice well, but it doesn't always suit the production. Where the best sophisti-pop is colorful and dynamic, the clean production keeps all of the guitars and horns sounding the same gray color as the album cover. Something like the harmonica on "New Frontier" should jump out but instead just kind of blends in. Because of this the album never achieves the dingy night-time vibe I think it's going for, but despite that it's hard to resist the pop songwriting here.

Solid 7

Can't decide if this great or absolutely terrible

Not bad at all

Not bad

i wanted to like this so much more than i actually did. like i really wanted to like it the vibes were almost perfect. the issue is i love the beat and i really don’t like his singing on top of it. not that his singing is bad it’s just the underlying beats are exactly what im looking for in a song and his singing isn’t. i really tried so hard. i will say the album cover is amazing. it made me even sadder that i didn’t end up downloading any of the songs. one of my favorite album covers just so effortlessly attractive.

The production is mindblowing, the actual substance of the record is weak in comparison. Mid 3

liked the vibe, the context of this album being a representation of the artirst teenage years makes the lyrics of some songs have more sense but still feel a bit weird

3.5/5

Fun album, and I'm glad I heard it. But the songs don't feel like they have meaning, and the lyrics give creepy weirdo. I want more in this vibe/genre, but this one wasn't it. - Talk about building an atmosphere! - Holy pop! And it doesn't sound like lame-o 80s music. Loving it - Faded to background noise mid-album, giving it another listen with lyrics - Lyrics feel a bit niche so far, sound is fun but idk. I'll keep listening

Weirdly Caroline and I recognised different tracks from this, but neither of us really knew who he was. Not bad for a journey listen.

Not an unpleasant listen and I really enjoyed some of the tracks. However, the same sound was overplayed on the album, where in some instances it failed to deliver

Wel ome

Pretty decent

Better elevator music

Not too bad.

This one fascinates me more than it connects with me. The level of detail is almost obsessive. Every instrument is placed perfectly, every tone feels deliberate, every lyric sounds measured. It’s clearly the work of someone who cares deeply about precision. But sometimes I miss a little mess. A little risk. A moment where something strains or breaks. Instead, it glides. Smoothly, intelligently, almost clinically. I can admire it for hours, but admiration isn’t the same as emotional pull. For me, it lands right in the middle. Impressive, yes. Essential, not quite.

boringgg

Sympa, groovy 3.5/5

Never heard of Donald Fagen. Track one - ironic dystopian yacht rock. I could like this. The rest of the album I realised it was still playing the same unobjectionable stuff twenty minutes later while leaving absolutely no impression on me. It's fine. I made me idly muse about musicians who want absolute perfection in every sound of every instrument, obsessed over every tiny detail, then sing over the top in a voice that can't really reach some of the notes.

I kept thinking man this really sounds like steely dan, eventually I had to look up donald fagen and found out he started steely dan so that makes sense. It's steely dan but with more synth/80s to it, enjoyable album but it misses something from there top tier stuff

Get that yacht ready

На фон хорошо Простые инструменталы Просто приятно слуху

The Steely Dan touches are all there, just without the sleaze and debauchery that I love about Steely Dan. IGY is a standout for good reason.

Not at all unpleasant, but didn't grab me as hard as Steely Dan does on first listen.

This album was okay. A lot of feel good sounding music throughout - soft, interesting instrumentals. As a whole, it just wasn’t my thing.

this one evoked no emotions, none at all. works as backgroud music and doesn't even try to catch attention.

The Marechaussed (on dirait The Police)

Carino alla fine

It feels like Steely Dan-lite, but I like Steely Dan so it's still smooth listening. Just nothing that really stuck with me. I'll put on Aja instead.

Pleasent listening experience with nice vibes going on all the time. Definitely not the most exciting or interesting album in the world but can see my self listening to songs from this again. Best song was Green Flower Street. Amazing groove and vibe.

Not really sure how to describe this - mellow and enjoyable, 80s jazzy modern, singer from Steely Dan

At least it was short. The playing, the production, the mastering, all impeccable, but fuck me it's so just so freaking smooth, and I don't think that's a good thing, it's the auditory equivalent of luke warm water. This did absolutely nothing for me, it's the antithesis of what I want music to be.

Smooth listening, good background music.

Very chill 80s vibe

I’m not super familiar with the steely Dan universe, but Fagen has an undeniably important sound. To my ears, this record has a sort of dated sound, but that is only because of how engrained in the canon Fagen is as a song writer. This was definitely easy on the ears. -Ruby This record is a cool early example of an entirely digitally recorded album but for that reason, I feel it lacks the warmth of Fagen’s work with the Dan. Plus, he’s not quite Fagen without Becker. —Noah

7/10

Steely Dan Lite, if that's even possible. Still, not a bad listen, at that.

Geht soo

I quite liked the first two songs, but after that it was boring. Stand-outs - I.G.Y. - Green Flower Street

meh

It's a good album, but it unfortunately will get compared to a proper Steely Dan album, which it is inferior to. It has all the marks of a Dan album, without that certain something extra to make it really good. 3/5 Might listen again

It was good. I think I might listen to a bit. Again, but not sure how I feel about it.

Good first song, worse after that

It’s ok

Maybe one of the best sounding, produced records on the list. But you can't have the Steely... without the Dan.

3.5⭐️/5 01.11.2026

7/10

Solid album, not remarkable but not offensive to listen to

this shit was chill, slap it on at 2:00AM and clear the bar while cars drive past softly 3/5

This was a fun listen.

3/5

Easy listening, well mixed, kinda boring.

his ties with steely show! A perfectly ok album

Blind album and artist. If this didnt have lyrics, I would thought this was some DVD or video game menu music.

The Nightfly; niithe debut from Donald. Starts strong with I.G.Y (best song to lead it off) and then fades a bit, but holds up throughout. Also recognized Ruby Baby and New Frontier. Good musicianship and intriguing lyrics. L = (2.6*s) It’s obvious that DF is one of the main song writers for Steely Dan, which I prefer over his solo work. J = (2.95*s) Familiar with The Nightfly as Uncle Mat had the album. Always liked I.G.Y. Which got some radio play and still holds up.

I've heard many times that Steely Dan was a set of detail oriented perfectionist virtuoso musicians. This comes through in some of their albums but feels even more evident in The Nightfly from Donald Fagen. Fagen is still in Steely Dan form as a handful of songs felt like they could have been later releases by the band which I say with a lot of respect. I enjoyed my listen though at times it does feel like a watered-down Steely album without the rest of the players. Something about The Nightfly felt very sophisticated which is both good and bad as it might feel a little hoity toity at times. Regardless of the subject matter, Fagen often nails the slight jazz rock/pop/fusion tones that Steely were so known for. While I'll continue to prefer Steely Dan to this solo entry, The Nightfly has a lot of the heart and soul that made Steely Dan special. I've wondered why I never previously checked out more of the solo stuff from the other artists but maybe this listen and review gave me the answer I kinda already knew. Still a solid entry though. 3.08 stars

It was a good listen but didn't feel anything special towards it

Like his voice and the overall vibe

Lovely Steely Dan singer and vibes.

Elevator music in the best way

Nice

Just a big ol' bag of whatever. I guess it's well done for what it is, but I couldn't wait for it to be over. 2.4

Fun

Interesting album, but I really can't say it's an incredible one. Good for you if you enjoy it!

Hey, I'm always in for a little Steely Dan related yacht rock album. I can't say it's a keeper, but I was really impressed by the delivery, chords progressions and vocal harmonies. The guy know what he's doing.

I really like Donald Fagan's voice, but I don't like this style of 80s synth music.

Not as bad as I anticipated!

Would you believe that one half of Steely Dan still sounds like Steely Dan? Good time jazzy yacht rock. Fagen doesn't reinvent the wheel, but is consistently enjoyable on this solo outing.

Smooth, excellent production. A bit more enjoyable to me than his Steely Dan albums, but I'm not sure it would have made my 1980s album cut. While a fine album, it sounds far too 70s to have had any meaningful impact on the music that would follow it in the 1980s and 1990s. Personally, I prefer many others from the 1980s that I think were far more influential than this album.

Fine

7/10 Favourite: I.G.Y Least Favourite: New Frontier

Mmm it's okay! I wasn't super hot on Steely Dan to begin with when I first heard Aja, but this is definitely not as good as that. That said, still fairly groovy and not bad!

i think I enjoyed this overall, but after listening to other Steely Dan stuff, I know it was just missing *something*

Good album but lacks the magic of Steely Dan. I'm not sure what exactly is missing. Maybe it's a little too polished or maybe it doesn't have that bite of social commentary, but it's solid enough.

Pretty good, completely new to me.

Nice

Not good, not bad

Not keen not my taste

Not bad but not my thing.

Thoughts before listening: The dude from Steely Dan's solo album. I know that fans of the Dan like this album, but I've never thought of it as something that would land on an album like this. I have to assume this will be 70s soft/yacht rock with strong instrumentation and probably some subversive lyrics. Review: Yep...this album is full of Steely Dan's jazzy pop rock sound and sly social commentary lyrics. I like Steely Dan in doses and this album is no different. Outside of a couple songs ("I.G.Y." and "New Frontier") it all kind of comes off as background music, but from time to time something perks my ears up, usually a guitar solo. I'm sure this is one that would grow on me over time if I had the time to really dig in. That being said, this is 3-stars.

Wow, this is very Steely Dan easy listening isn’t it. I was surprised that I actually knew some of them.

Really cool record. Donald Fagen is a genius and I dig his work with Steely Dan and I enjoyed this too.

Decent

Funk it upppp funkeros!! Widermal e gueti Ladig inegfunket de Donald Fagen. Gstarted miteme riese Funk Banger, het er immer abgewechselt zwischen biz ruhigere Hintergrund Musik zu wider chli meh gefunke. Wunderbar geeignet zum schaffe, aber doch gnueg guet das mer au gern aktiv herelost. Da ich aber hohi Funk-Ahsprüch han gits doch nur 3 Chlapfer mit em Flügetätscher.

interesting synth infused 80's pop, never heard of Donald Fagen and through this exercise of listening to 1001 album was able to discover him.

pretty into this easy listening. not sure i’d go back to seek specific songs out but generally really enjoyed the tunes 6.5/10

Appreciate the effort, the music less so

Cheesy, as expected

Pleasant enough, a tad too MOR for me.

it was fucked up what you did to those black neighbourhoods

not bad

Нот бэд

Not offensive in anyway which I can respect. Unfortunately there's nothing that stands out

Beautifully mixed album. Light low end, but so crisp and clear. Not my usual listening, but an interesting experience non the less.

I recognized the groove on the first song as the intro to the cult classic and utterly hilarious YouTube series “yacht rock”. Donald Fagen is a card carrying member of the smooth music creators that create the genre. I applaud the creativity and songwriting of the album. I’m not sure I followed the story telling much but I still feel like I entered the world of Fagen. It was a good listen. I might even give it a relisten just because I did find it interesting.

Really shows off how good Steely Dan is because this just feels like a half formed album

At first I thought I didn’t know who this was and then he started singing and I knew it was the Steely Dan guy. This sounds like a steely Dan album. Maybe a little more synth heavy but it’s got that Steely Dan sound. I’m not a huge Steely Dan guy so this was just ok to me.

було би краще без слів

Smooth and jazzy

6/10

This is soft yacht rock but it also isn't the worst thing I've ever heard. The production is impeccable. The album is not really my thing buy I dug Maxine. The Goodbye Look = yacht rock Sting

I don't know....I don't hate yacht rock, it has its place and it is nice for a simple day to just listen and chill too. He also has some interesting lyrics and it is nice to hear about his future and where he is headed. But where it sort of falls away for me is that I don't think the yacht rock tune really always meshes with the lyrics. I have never really thought of the genre overall and how melodies and tunes fit with the lyrics. Everything is so mellow and chill, and I don't think I want someone to write me a mellow chill love song. I want a little fire and a little emotion. Maybe I will just go back and forget the lyric and music connection and say, this is fine, chill for a chill day (as long as you don't think about it)

Donald Fagan solo still sounds exactly like Steely Dan. The songs are cool and relaxed in a jazz lounge way, and the production sounds so very of its early 80’s time. All in all it’s good, but unless you’re a Steely Dan Stan, there’s nothing extraordinary here.

Unashamed amalgamation of all that the 80s had to offer. Felt like the median song of the GTA Vice City soundtrack

Familiar from FM radio

Had hem een 3,5 gegeven als het kon, erg leuk. Krijg een erg positieve vibe ervan en hou ervan hoe hij veel verschillende instrumenten gebruikt die goed op elkaar aansluiten

Nice for yacht rock/easy listening. solid solo after Steely Dan and interesting that it was all digital!

this album was surprisingly solid. i was expecting something a bit slower, but i ended up really jamming to it. even listened to it a second time. not sure i could give this a full four, but i would give it a 3.5. solid album for sure, so middle of the road for me.

Love some yacht rock vibes, I’ll never complain about that. Not too many standout tracks but all of them were above average in quality. Gonna go listen to some Steely Dan now.

Smooth and easy to listen to. About what you expect to hear when you see the words jazz Rock together.

For me, it was Steely Dan but not as enjoyable. Groovy and funky at times, but parts of the first half didn’t really get me as much. I liked second half a bit better. Overall a bit too on the nose.

Pop,, Jazzrock, 1982 -> 3

I definitely like Steely Dan, but this is my first time listening to a Donald Fagen solo album in its entirety. It's not bad, just a little slick. He definitely leans into a modern pop jazz sound on this record. 3/5 #181

I had previously heard this album once or twice. It sounds very much like Steely Dan, of which Fagen was a member before it split, but it also sounds like a product of the 80s. The production is top notch. I did not really mind listening to it but it is a little bit too slick for my taste. I may listen again at some point, but won't be in any rush to do so.

Yeah, this tootles along kind of jauntily but in the end it’s all pretty dull and unmemorable. 2.5

Temu Steely Dan.

70s rock

Radio Test 1 star: I’m on the wrong station - change it quickly. 2 stars: Not my thing. No no no. Keep scanning. 3 stars: Listen for half the song until it bores me. Search. 4 stars: Oh yeah! Interesting. This is good stuff. Hold steady. 5 stars: Blast it until the neighbors complain. Then play it again. Fagen does something I’ve never heard. It’s a clean recording. I like some jazzy sax. I’ll give it a 2.5 and round up because one of my boys liked it because it reminded him of his favorite pizza joint.

Boring. Lot of repetitive synth work from an era that should be forgotten.

It’s got great musicianship and performances. But it really doesn’t move me much at all. With the exception of the title track- I loved the little jazzy radio jingle section of that song.

I liked this considerably less than some other Steely Dan albums I’ve listened to. I understand it would not be the same, you could hear SD echoes here but overall just too light-rock for me today. 2.5/5

Only familiar with I.G.Y., overall it's smooth and a nice listen, not necessarily doing amazing stuff but it's a nice suave listen for a rainy city stroll

its good but it's so Smooth and Hip Jazz coded that there's no real memorability or hooks and is probably only really super enjoyable after 5 listens

I'm so confused by this album. Production is good, some songs are pretty catchy. But I just can't muster up any feelings about it. 3/5

Enjoyed listening to the album. Interesting to learn that it is an early completely digitally recorded album.

This is #day377 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… I've seen this album cover before, and it always kind of resonated with me. Though smoke and vinyl should never go together. Otherwise, I liked the music: tight, funky late '70s-early '80s sound mixed with jazz pop/rock, or whatever you'd call it. I can't say the same about vocals/delivery/lyrics, though. This is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day378.

If Steely Dan continued into the ‘80’s, it would have probably sounded like this.

Cheesy 80s stuff.

Fine. Listening to this album is like trying to sleep on a full length mirror.

You can definitely tell this album has one guy from Steely Dan in it and is missing the other guy.

Pretty hit or miss, some songs I liked a lot, others not so much. Solid 3/5.

love his vibe but this did not need to be on this list

It was fun and groovy

It was ok

Gostei do disco, principalmente da parte instrumental. Celest Phoenixcall.

its like how the coen bros movies are more interesting than any of the individual coen movies

Donald Fagen’s voice floats above a sumptuous blend of jazz, pop, and pristine digital production. Don’t know them but Larry Carlton on guitar, Jeff Porcaro on drums, not particularly standout instrumentals. For its time the sound is amazing though. Final Ranking: Lyrics: 6/10 Instrumentals: 5/10 Vocals: 6/10 Album Flow: 7/10 Originality: 5/10 Overall for a debut album it’s really standout. Matter of fact with such good sound production it’s one of the better debuts of the time. Overall okay not overly enjoyable

Day 1

Easy on the ears. Good production. Gifted musicians. Anyway it don't really hooks me. Maybe too blend or quiet? favourite: "New Frontier" just because of the harmonica 2,5

sounded strangely like elton john, i need to know the songs to like it i think

This is just another Steely Dan Record.

Came into this knowing nothing about Donald Fagen or Steely Dan except for some pop culture references relating to a steam powered dildo. Not exactly sure what I was expecting. I.G.Y is very boppy. Love the castrato chorus and the keening synth in the second half. Green Flower Street is like Stevie Wonder at the disco. Ruby Baby is a bit lame and definitely not as challenging as the previous track. New Frontier is better with more kind of retrofuturist lyrics about makeout sessions in a fallout shelter. The Nightfly is cool for somehow being able to turn radio jingles into a song. The Goodbye Look has a super-fun little digital vibraphone intro and then some beautiful chords. Apparently this was written as instrumentals and I reckon it might have been a little more credible if it had stayed that way. It all sounds very futuristic which is cool. The digital recording process doesn't take too much of an edge off the music. Not something I'd listen to again but kind of interesting.

Digital soft rock from the 80-s. Wellknown Sound.

The Steely Dan heads were eating with this one

Should I know who this is? His wiki is pretty long-- oh, he was in STEELY DAN. The Wilco of the 80s. More dentist office music. Maybe a little too peppy for a surgery, though. Better than Steely Dan, and I don't think I would have connected them on my own, but I still don't love it. The "International Geophysical Year" concept is pleasant to learn about, so kudos to this album for introducing me to that. I appreciate that this is an 8 track album. I bet people nowadays think that's what an "8-track" was (not me though! I looked it up long ago!). This is more of an I-didn't-dislike-it 3. A snoozer but not quite a loser. Highlight: 'The Goodbye Look' (if it were in Japanese, maybe it could be in a Persona soundtrack. Man, I'm really invested in video game music apparently!)

I didn’t realize the first song wasn’t Steely Dan, even after hearing it a zillion times over the years. I like Steely Dan, and this sounds a lot like another solid Steely Dan album to me. But I don’t need a lot of Steely Dan, and a little bit once in a while lasts me a long time. Like it, but don’t love it. A very stolid three stars.

I have a nagging feeling that this must be what Steely Dan sounds like to people who don’t like Steely Dan. It’s a bit too slick for its own good.

Haven’t heard any steely Dan yet, so no idea how this compares in both quality and musically. This is quite good - parts definitely haven’t aged so well, this whole style arguable also hasn’t as well. Instrumentally it’s very detailed and well produced, which I guess is both good and bad, and from what I know about Steely Dan and them being perfectionists, I think that carries over to here. The synth stuff is ok. Favourite songs: I.G.Y, green flower street, new frontier, the nightfly. Overall around 6/10

Not as good as any Steely Dan album from '72 to '80. Which, I think, would mean all of them.

Great

Feel like I should like this more. Might be too much in the pop realm. Instrumentals were fantastic. But overall felt like something was missing.

Fine. Sounds like something my parents would listen to that doesn’t quite do it for me.

Steely Dan solo not bad but nothing incredible

Listening to this album is liking going through a museum for something you're not quite interested in. Everything that you see and learn is curiously intriguing, but you wonder at times whether it matters to you. I enjoy Fagen's lyrical playfulness and distinct vocals, but the real strength of the album is the music. It's way more jazz that rock and roll, which hurts it for me in the long run. Beyond the familiar singles, I am happy to return to good ol Steely Dan.

Heeft niet echt indruk gemaakt, maar was wel leuk om naar te luisteren

3.5

very jazzy, loving the synth, bro is just fucking around and i'm here for it.

Nice catchy melodies lacked depth but still a great listen

Super pleasant, but if I wanted to hear Donald Fagen, there are seven Steely Dan albums I'd rather pick than this.

Funky Steely Dan. 4er for første halvdel, falt etterhvert. Litt ensformig.

Very straightforward and easy listen; reminded me of more developed muzak. Nice background music for being productive, but nothing going on thay requires a deeper engagement. Just feel-good lyrics with simple melodies. Top tracks: I.G.Y., New Frontier, The Nightfly

A very listenable album. Bit of a Sting dupe; mum would love.

Steely Danny for sure. Quite good of you like that sort if thing, and I don't mind. That's a three.

Nice and flowy

The album cover set a bar for coolness that the music couldn’t match. I’m not a yacht rock connoisseur, but that’s what I would call this if I just heard it. It’s decent background and didn’t make me actively angry, so I can’t downvote it too much. It’s just… fine.

Some interesting tunes, i liked the production and uniqueness of these songs. There weren’t any that particularly stood out to me, seemed like generic pop/rock, but it was enjoyable to listen to.

Lyrics awkward. Overall not unpleasant

I had high hopes for The Nightfly. The title track has always been a favourite. The rest of the album is patchy. The production is slick, but the songs can't quite keep up. Another advert for bad drugs.

I've been around some Steely Dan more than I care to be. Didn't know Fagen had some solo work but it sounds exactly the same. You would think having your own chance to make something you would do something a bit different but most of the songs all sound relatively the same.

Smooth

This is a very Dan album. We probably don’t need it. But I quite like it. Fave Tracks: Ruby Baby, The Nightfly 3.4/5

This album started with so much potential, but then it fell into these silly sounds with cheesy vibraphone and synth lines that completely ruined the mood. If Fagen had just leaned into the more minor melodies and darker feel it would have been amazing. But, he didn't, and then he succumbed to lyrics that basically amounted an Ivy League bro chasing rich girls. So much wasted potential...

This album was OK. I didn't particularly like any song, but the sound didn't bother me. It has hints of smooth jazz / funk.

Not a bad album but a little too early 80s for me. I’m a fan of jazz rock, but just a little too 80s.

Very Steely Dan-ish. Liked New Frontier but honestly they all sounded soooo similar to each other….

Another perfectly all-right background-listening one.

I didn't recognize the name Donald Fagan but as soon as I heard the first song I knew this was the guy from Steely Dan. I like Steely Dan and I liked this record. A slightly more funky sound but almost just another Steely Dan record. Not a lot to set it apart. But that is not an awful thing, Steely Dan is good.

The Steely Dan style is certainly evident in the beginning of the album for the first 2/3 tracks. However, Donald then shifts the energy and vibes of the music elsewhere to try make it his own which personally I meshed with less. Otherwise still a good album with not too many songs you'd be encouraged to skip but not quite hitting the consistency of Steely Dan so a 3/5.

pretty okay. super relaxing but nothing special. the instrumentation is where this album shines. very jazzy. you can see how this may have influenced the development of yacht rock as a genre for sure. the one standout on this album is “maxine”. that was PEAK. everything else was meh. my dad probably would have liked this more than i did. 3/5.

Easy listening. 7/10

Not really for me, bit too 80s

Adult Contemporary. Some interesting stuff, but even more sterile than Steely Dan. Exceptions: I.G.Y. wiht it's new-wave tinged funk, "New Frontier" which has a very soothing melodic chord progression - I could listen to this all day - a kind of pulsing 16th note rhythm underneath the signature Fagan smooth vocals. And finally "The Goodbye Look," this pseudo-carribean thing that is just silly. Overall not as awesome as Steely Dan, still pretty good. No rough edges, sometimes you need this. Yacht rock!

Didn't hate it but in no rush for a second listen. Pretty consistent start to finish.

Very easy listening, soft rock vibes, but not in a bad way. Surprised this guy is from Steely Dan, since I’m not a fan of theirs but I didn’t mind this.

somehow it does feel like a Steely Dan album *but at night*. I actually really liked the first song (I.G.Y.)

Altfor glatt pg åttitalls

A pretty nice listen. Sounds pretty similar to Sterly Dan, unsurprisingly I like the little jazzy flourishes and the subtle synths, that gives it a bit more character than other soft rock of this type It doesn't change up that much so it kind of blends together after a point. At least it isn't too long Good, not great Highlights: Green Flower Street, I.G.Y., New Frontier

Definitely different!

El álbum más ochentero que he escuchado en mi vida. Producción impecable, una agrupación de músicos supervirtuosos, y ese organillo típico del pop de su época por doquier. Un pop supersuave, con toques de jazz, unas líneas de bajo que se te calan por todo el cuerpo, y una atmósfera etéreo-sintética (?), por decirlo de alguna manera. Un álbum perfecto para conducir de noche, pero que no arriesga un pelo y que acaba por no decir nada. Me parece muy revelador que su nota en este sitio sea exactamente 3. Es exactamente lo que merece.

Maybe the real steely Dan heads can tell the difference between them and this solo project, but you could’ve fooled me. I always find it funny when an artist leaves a band to do solo stuff that sounds the exact same. Like the other Steely we’ve had, this was fine.

Nem rossz de monoton, chill

Although I found it banal it started off melodically strong and then my interest waned halfway through. I liked it better than I thought. It’s pretty much a 2.5 but heyho!

Not bad. I don’t mind his style and sound in small doses but lose interest over a whole album. Low end of 3 for me.

It’s pretty good

Some decent Yacht Rock here

01) I.G.Y. - 7,5 02) Green Flower Street - 7,5 03) Ruby Baby - 6,5 04) Maxine - 7,0 05) New Frontier - 7,5 06) The Nightfly - 7,5 07) The Goodbye Look - 6,5 08) Walk Between Raindrops - 7,0 TOTAL: 7,13 (71/100) Current ranking: 309/535

Very 80s, I like IGY

Smoother than my brain

I wanted to put 5 just to infuriate you. Lol

Lesser Steely Dan? This was OK but it seems a bit too slick, over-produced and it also has a slight taint of an 80's vibe. Too synth-y and electric.

Steely Don, New Recipe! All the gas, a fraction of the sugar.

Easy listening while working. Didn’t find this to be particularly special or note worthy, but it was nice.

Fav: I.G.Y. Least Fav: Green Flower Street Yeah I’m not surprised this was a Steely Dan solo project

Eh

Basically, it’s Steely Dan. Brilliant musician. Not my thing

Fine album.

Jeez, this is pure 1982. Feels like these sounds were widely emulated in movies and television. It was everywhere. The influence this had was significant. Even if it skews a bit too modern jazz for my taste, the work is clear. I don’t hate this, but I don’t particularly like a lot of it. Kind of wish some of this was just instrumental. IGY is still really good, though.

Peak 80s R&B

3/5

A smooth easy listening jazz rock/ yacht rock project. The super clean, sleek production often veers into over produced but surprisingly it didn’t bother me too much. The tracks are well made and and the performances are super solid, the songs themselves are unfortunately quite forgettable but the album creates a nice vibe. Inoffensive, slightly boring at points but not generally something I’d be disappointed in. 3/5

meio chill e gostosinho de ouvir mas nada não é nada de mais

album bem gostoso de ouvir, não cheguei a prestar muita atenção ent vou ouvir dnv pra ver se gosto, mas não agora quero ganhar dinheiro sem trabalhar 7/10

I like Steely Dan, but not Donald Fagan as a solo artist. Maybe it’s really a 2.

I had never heard any Donald Fagen solo music before, but I went into this pretty excited to hear music from a cofounder of Steely Dan. Once the album started and I heard a somewhat familiar Steely Dan-esque yacht rock sound, I remained hopeful. But man, at the end of the day, this was just okay. Just average. It does still pretty much fit the bill of yacht rock throughout most of the album and was at least baseline enjoyable because of this, but the album is really missing the spark and the magic that makes both yacht rock and Steely Dan so great. So yeah, this was okay. It didn't hit quite like I had hoped it would, but it was a nice listen.

Lekker jaren '80. Wel weer één waar ik mij niet zo aan erger. We zijn er al een paar tegengekomen. De vergeetbare jaren '80 platen. Op zich knap. Maar ik noteer toch gewoon die 3.

Ik vraag me bij het zien van het album of ik hier iets van ga kennen. En dan begint het eerste nummer. Aaah, dit nummer. Ja, dit is alsof Steely Dan in de jaren 80 is beland. En Steely Dan kan ik altijd goed waarderen. Het behoudt dezelfde relaxte vibe, met natuurlijk het karakteristieke Donald Fagen stemgeluid, en nu met jaren 80 synths toegevoegd. Het heeft ook iets weg van Hall & Oates. Ik vind het zoals gewoonlijk weer erg fijn klinken, maar de vraag is wel in hoeverre dit wat toevoegt aan de lijst. Er staan al 4 Steely Dan albums in en om dan ook nog eens een solo-album toe te voegen, lijkt mij weer een gevalletje van de gebruikelijke overkill, die we helaas veel te vaak zien in deze snoblijst. Vier sterretjes voor de kwaliteit, maar helaas een strafpunt voor de overbodigheid. Al luister ik dan wel weer liever 10 overbodige albums van deze kwaliteit dan 1 nieuw slecht album als charlie XCX of die toverkol FKA twigs die we pas geleden hadden.

Hablar de Donad Fagen es hacerlo de Walter Becker, es decir Steely Dan. UN estilo en sí mismo: calidad y perfeccionismo a raudales. Seguro que has escuchado sus discos alguna vez , además sin saberlo. Los ponen los técnicos de sonido en las pruebas de los conciertos. Este debut en solitario sigue los mismo parámetros del duo. IGY es un estupendo inicio. Maxine y The nightfly son otras de las destacadas. ¿Más de lo mismo? Por supuesto.

JCPenney background music is an excellent descriptor.

Nice album. 80s feel with a Steely Dan twist

Sounded like Steely Dan….but wasn’t quite. Missing a certain I don’t know what. Still okay enough.

80s jazz pop is an adequate descriptor

Спокойная нейтральная музыка

Some dece yacht rock

Le petit côté jazz avec des synthétiseurs ne m'a pas tellement interpellée.

Nothing special.

Leuk hoor

Yeah. As you would have guessed, sounds like Steely Dan.

It was a fun surprise that this was Steely Dan

It’s like he wanted to prove he could make a Steely Dan album all by himself.

I.G.Y. // The Nightfly //

I'm sure I've had my haircut to this album. Dad insists he'd gladly have his throat cut to it.

I don’t hate this and I don’t hate steely dan but I can’t see many people jumping up and saying… OH MY GOD DONALD FAGEN FROM STEELY DAN HAS A SOLO CAREER!!! THIS IS A MUST LISTEN!!! The album’s… nice that’s the best way to say it… nice. I can see the appeal but I can’t see any excitement, I’m not sure about this album but I know steely dan had rather strenuous recording sessions for their albums and I can see that being the case again it’s ‘crisp’ but theres no peaks or drops, just left thinking okay 3/5

Okay funky I like Favs: IGY Maxine New frontier The night fly

interessante, a un certo punto diventa anche Sting

Silly smooth and billowy soft - leans hard into 80s production, pushing the sound as far as possible through perfectionist performance and recording, elaborate harmonies and complicated jazzy composition. My taste was formed valuing raw, direct and aggressive music - so polished convoluted and mellow sounds have been a challenge to learn to love. There's a detached wet irony and indulgent technophilia you have to respect if it ends up sounding like supermarket music.

I felt this album was relatively average. No great songs, but no songs I hated. Middle of the pack all around. Solid 2.5 Favorite Song: I.G.Y Least Favorite: The Goodbye Look

drei bis vier

I love Steely Dan but the best song on this album would be the sixth best song on Katy Lied or Pretzel Logic. I’ll take all the Dan I can get but this just isn’t doing it for me.

Es curioso que pese a haber oído dos veces entero el álbum casi no lo recuerde, pero bueno. Entretenido e ya. Canción destacada: I.G.Y.

Hmm. Imagine Steely Dan, but it's just the singer and some extremely over-produced and not particularly good yacht rock. This is that. It's the epitome of style over substance, but the style is stylish enough to make it fun for 39 minutes.

A well-played but ultimately pretty uninteresting album to listen to. I wouldn't be bothered by having the album on in the background, but doubt I'll ever come back to it myself.

Recognised the name, but can't remember what band he was in. No doubt the others in this group will tell me who it was. Though strangely enough though, the album was exactly what I expected it to be. That said, I enjoyed it. Easy listening (very) soft rock done well. Got to be worth a very mediocre 3.

This thing reeked of Steely Dan as soon as I started it. This really is just American City Pop.

Lovely record. Smooth and laid back

we have aja at home

kind of groovy but his voice is offputting

I didn't really realize how much I enjoyed Steely Dan's music before starting this album journey. I've had 3 SD albums before getting Fagen's solo debut. It's unfortunate, but this album lacks what very little edge Steely Dan had in the first place, so it comes across as easy listening. It's well produced, it just comes across as what it is: someone's solo efforts after being a part of a band who's sum is greater than it's parts. As of listening, this album is sitting at a perfectly balanced 3.0 rating. I can't think of any other time in the 500+ albums I've heard so far where I agreed with the consensus so much.

Pretty lame and boring, just listen to steely dan

Fun jazz pop, probably wouldn’t relisten but nice it exists

Dan just isn’t the same without Steely… or is this steely?

Solid album and calm vibes

Mellow.

never listened to any donald fagen on his own but enjoyed this. all new songs to me, new frontier stuck out

This album felt very Donald Fagen-y. In line with other Steely Dan albums, but with a little 80's influence. New Frontier is good. I think I'll need to give it more listens!

Aite but boring