@@billhiggins1882 you really just tried to say Steely Dan isn’t a band? Maybe try looking up the word instead of trying to sound smart on the internet.
But obviously no comparison to non-American bands, which are so clearly superior. Among American bands specifically, though, Steely Dan is pretty good. But again only if you are qualifying it with "American" bands. Otherwise, they suck.
Get “The Royal Scam,” the preceding album. That’s my favorite SD album. Just as impeccably recorded and played as “Aja,” but less slick sounding. The whole catalog is worth exploring.
I call Steely Dan ‘mature music’. Not rock. Not pop. They are what they are but it has always seemed to me to be for mature people who aren’t taken in by playing fast, loud, or posing. It’s just about the music and the music alone. The stories of their studio time are amazing. How many takes and with so many people doing the same song. Looking for the right sound. And what you get is very thought out music where every note is important and has its place. Good stuff Jim! Thanks for reviewing! Onto side two!
The title cut is my absolute favorite, the drumming by Steve Gadd is absolutely stunning and noted by Rick Beato as the solo that changed popular music
Hi Jim. I highly recommend you watch this album from the "Classic Albums" series. Ian Dury said it's the most sophisticated Jazz album ever made. If you think the musicians came in and did one take then think again. Fagan and Becker got a reputation for fastidiousness to the point of exasperation of the other musicians. They wanted it how they wanted it down the the last "ding". If you go back to their first album "Can't Buy A Thrill" then "Countdown To Ecstasy" "Pretzel Logic" "Katy Lied" "The Royal Scam" through to this album and "Gaucho" you will see how they changed and grew.
Hey Jim! Just found you and immediately subscribed. When my wife and I got married in 74, this is all we listened to. I love that you play vinyl where you're basically forced to let it play. I hope this is your modus operandi. I hate these reaction channels that take everything off the internet, and stop every five seconds to spew out some mindless dribble. Let the music play, and then react. Well done my man!
Jim how have you never heard this masterpiece? sometimes I wonder where you have been. Had the vinyl since its release one of the greatest recorded albums ever.
My favourite album by one of my favourite bands of all time. I can still remember getting it in my stocking Christmas 1977. Iconic and hugely influential on so many musicians.
I became a fan of this band in the last two years. This album was my first introduction to the band. My first real glimpse into this band was from watching a video about the making of this album on NicknLex youtube channel. Very good record but not their best. They have some really great ones. Royal Scam might be my favorite. Thanks for the reaction Jim!!
Context: a dark, foggy morning in Nebraska, US watching/listening to this on my way to work. Totally making my mood for the day with coffee in hand. Haha. Thank you.
I bought the Aja vinyl in 1977 when I was 19 years old now in my mid 60’s I mostly listen too Steely Dan and Donald Fagen’s solo albums enough said ! production values are par none a few others too mention are the Pat Metheny Group, Joni Mitchell, Kenny Rankin and Michael Franks ! 😉
YES! The thing with Steely Jim is they were all about studio production and the best of the best, so they really are top tier especially on this album!
Yep, Jim, when you listen to Steely Dan, you're listening to the apex of musicianship. Fagan and Becker pursued absolute perfection and very frequently achieved it. On this album, for example, they used several entire studio bands and a great many takes and musician substitutions. There's not a song and any of their albums I don't like. AS for style, I consider them jazz-rock driven progressive.
One of my favorite albums of all time, and Aja is definitely my fav Dan track. So damn good. Steve Gadd killin' it with Wayne Shorter, legend, on sax. It took a little convincing to get Wayne to play on this. He was afraid they were going to try and tell him what to play. He came in, and told them, just play the part you want me to solo over. Listened to it, then rolled tape.
I love Steely Dan. You can’t really go wrong when buying a SD album. I bought this album about 1978 so I heard it already many many times. Steeleye Span is a great folk band. Love them too. You might know their hit song: all around my hat.
Thanks Jim, there’s so much more to be said and read about The Dan and their place in popular music. After you read the liner notes you’ll see the level of talent that played on the Aja album: Bernard Perdie, Steve Gadd, Wayne Shorter, Larry Carlton, Chuck Rainey, Joe Sample, Victor Feldman, Michael Omartian, Jay Graydon, Tom Scott, Lee Ritenour, Pete Christlieb, those back up singers, Michael McDonald, Rick Marotta, Steve Kahn, and too many others to mention. I understand why others prefer their preceding album, The Royal Scam, over Aja. For me it’s like trying to pick a favorite child. Impossible, because you love them all the same.😊
All of their albums are brilliant in their own way. Their first 3 are more blues (and jazz)-influenced rock, with Jeff "Skunk" Baxter playing many of the guitar solos. Their next two (Katy Lied and The Royal Scam, my personal favorites) are more "transitional" in that you can see how they progress toward the more jazz and funk-oriented Aja and Gaucho. Donald Fagen's first solo album The Nightfly is also one that's not to be missed. Nice clean record you got there, by the way. I'm afraid the one I have in my garage (from the 70's) is probably not in that kind of shape.
Perfect recording. This was one of the first albums that was recorded entirely on digital equipment. In the old days when I wanted to test out a pair of speakers I'd put on Aja and listen to the drumming at the end. If the speakers are up to snuff you'll hear every sustained ringing of the symbols, every strike with the stick. It's a remarkable recording of brilliant material played by some of the best musicians on the planet.
"Intelligent pop music" -- yup, pretty much nailed it. They also usually appear on most 'yacht rock' lists, alongside groups like The Doobie Brothers or Toto. But it's important to remember that Fagan and Becker were originally hardcore bebop freaks back in their college days, and a lot of the music they made as Steely Dan was a big F-U to the music biz and the LA pop machinery of the 1970's. It's also interesting to me that Steely Dan never progressed beyond a small cult following in the UK (despite one of their most well known live recordings being from a London gig in 1974). I'm guessing they may have been a bit too "LA slick" for UK audiences, plus the lyrics were often idiosyncratically American, inscrutable even to Americans! But every studio ace probably sat in on one of their songs at one time or another, including Steve Gadd.
I remember when this cane out, it was the favorite of all the hipster radio DJs. I can't remember what type of music I was listening to mostly. It was probably Disco, since it was that era, so I paid little attention to it. But Now I am enjoying it.
Deacon Blues... simply sublime... listened to it a thousand times... for goodness sake Jim do a playthrough of DF The Nightfly... Ruby Baby will have bopping like popping candy my friend! 😂👊
U know when I added deacon blues to my dead and more mix tape I wasn’t sure, how you would feel about Steely Dan. Understand this album at least is the pinnacle of their evolution of sound. If you heard their first record you’d think it was a different band, it is that different from this.. So glad you found and enjoyed this, hope you don’t mind the second comment Jim
I love Steely Dan but this is from the extreme jazz end of their range and I'm just not much of a jazz fan, so that makes Aja my 7th favorite album of theirs. Just a little too slick and polished. But I still love it!
Ah yes... finally. Looking forward to your take on this.... listened to loads of SD when I was 10-12 . No wonder my tastes are so eclectic ....from this to Gojira ,and everything in between. What can I say ¯\_(ツ)_/¯....I'm weird.
"they call Alabama the crimson tide, call me deacon blues" .. incredible lyric.. the whole content of the bridge and chorus is to set up the playoff of " call me deacon blues" with a river of bubbling syllables
@@JimNewstead i still plan to send that LP! It's on my desk in packaging, I'm worried it won't be a clean as your CODY album but I'll give it a go anyway. Might keep it here for a few months before adding it you your long list :P
Lord Jim, have you an adventure before you with this most intelligent of American pop bands. Beck and Fagen are a bit like the Davies Brothers, writing catchy songs from the top of their cerebra. High on the list of brilliant songs by Steely Dan (as opposed to Flaccid Dan)? Royal Scam, Babylon Sisters, Charlie Freak, Bodhissatva, Gold Teeth II, Don't Take Me Alive, Reeling in the Years, Do It Again, Any World I'm Welcome To...that should get you going anyway. Asa is one of their very best. Royal Scam and Babylon Sisters are as well.
I will never understand how a grown up man who is interested in music has not heard this masterpiece until 2023 - it seems to me like never having heard about a book called The Bible...
Good stuff... but overplayed on the radio back in the day.... falls into the category of Hotel California or Stairway to Heaven.... great songs, heard em too many times 🤐 (I envy those that can hear these classics for the first time!)
@@shyshift I haven’t had a chance to check the P.O. Box since last week as I was away Friday-Tuesday, been busy today. I’ll check tomorrow, fingers crossed 🤞
I never heard this album until now. I had the first 3 albums but kinda lost interest after pretzel logic. There was too much else happening in 77. Blame it on Joe Strummer!
Great album. On the song "Aja" so many people love the Steve Gadd part, but to me he just repeats the same motifs over and over. It really goes nowhere and is, to me, kind of boring. But the sax solo by Wayne Shorter is explorative and thematically rich. Nevertheless, there is really no such thing as a bad SD song. They are, IMO, along with Eagles and Journey, America's greatest band. I prefer of course, listening to SD over both those other two.
Our survey asked 100 music lovers what they thought of Steely Dan. Top answers were: Great production (37) Tediously dull (25) Impressive players (23) Best band ever (6) Really tediously dull. Please make it stop (5) and that just about sums up my views. Obvious quality but I can't find a thrill and once again the cheesy sax at 14.00 just kills it for me.
@@cobbycaputo3332 Wayne Shorter? I did not know that but this isn't the first time that I've used the 'c' word when describing his work. Like much of Steely Dan, it's clearly hugely professional, entirely musical and hums like a 3 year old Roquefort. (Hah! That's not fair but I've always wanted to use that line. The Dan 'hits' like Reelin in the Years and Rikki, I thoroughly enjoy but I can't stand the entirely predictable jazzy sax that sometimes accompanies them and I'm not surprised to find out that Mr Shorter had something to do with it!. Each to their own though, eh?)
Hey Jim, great album even though my personal favorite SD is The Royal Scam. Steve Gadd is awesome on the title cut. The 2 guys always found great studio musicians to make their records smooth, classy and listenable while blowing you away with the quality of the musicianship.
