How Steely Dan finally made their perfect album

https://www.youtube.com ^ | 3 months ago from August 2023 | David Hartley

[Beowulf9]

Aja by Steely Dan is one of my favourite albums ever. Sure, it might not generally be considered the greatest of all time - but it is perfect in a way that no other album is.

Steely Dan made records like no other band. Donald Fagen and Walter Becker would write the songs, and then to record them they'd bring in some of the world's greatest session players. Couple this with beautiful arrangements and outstanding recordings and the result is an album that allows us to hear incredible musicianship.

The perfection on this album is intentional. It's not a gift or a coincidence that this record sounds so good. It's because of thousands of hours of hard work.

David Hartley

[Codeflier]

It’s a strong album.

[notdownwidems]

I’m a huge Dan fan but I actually like some of their other albums more, The Royal Scam, Can’t Buy A Thrill, Pretzel Logic are, to me, just as good or better than Aja

[thefactor]

They went through many musicians to find their sound in the studio. They pickiness is legendary. The Royal Scam is my favorite of all their albums. Kid Charlemagne is a masterpiece, imho.

[nwrep]

Greatest of all time? LOL. Was this written by an intoxicated teenager?

[Nik Naym]

He said it wasn’t the greatest of all time. Read it again.

[nwrep]

Oops sorry. Reading too fast.

[Paladin2]

1,000s?

[HonkyTonkMan]

Aja by Steely Dan is one of my favourite albums ever.

It's ya favourite, innit?

[Psalm 73]

"It’s a strong album."

I think mainly on the strength of Deacon Blues, which is a superbly put-together number.

I'm partial to their first (Can't Buy a Thrill) and The Royal Scam (their only album I actually own).

[KevinB]

The main thing that sets Aja apart from their earlier albums is the outstanding sound quality. I listened to Donald Fagen’s The Nightfly album a few days ago. Amazingly, that’s even better than AJA from a sonic perspective.

[Beowulf9]

Only a Fool Would Say That but maybe you’re just Reelin’ In the Years.

Maybe someday you’ll have a Change of the Guard after some Midnite Cruiser and you’ll Turn That Heartbeat Over Again, Do It Again.

You’re not from Brooklyn are you? Brooklyn Owes the Charmer Under Me.

[Beowulf9]

I love Nightfly.

[Calm_Cool_and_Elected]

I’m definitely fond of it.

[Bonemaker]

Hey nineteen.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Sure, it might not generally be considered the greatest of all time

It's way up there, though. When I was a kid, I didn't appreciate the music nearly enough, though every stereo store I used to go to when I was setting up a system for my parents used to use Aja as a demo disc.

As an adult, I was finally able to appreciate the craftsmanship Becker and Fagen put into the music, the lyrics, everything. The title track even has Wayne Shorter playing sax! There's not a single bad track on it - from the opening notes of 'Black Cow' to the beauty of 'Aja' to the funk of 'Peg'. Great, great album - let's not detract from it by saying it is not generally considered the greatest of all time. It is by most who've heard it.

[meyer]

I most definitely like the Steely Dan sound - kind of a gentle rock/blues sound, touch of jazz. Just a good mix of things.

clean this mess up ‘else we all end up in jail
the suitcase and the scale
just get it on out of here...

[Psalm 73]

Hey, Clean this mess up, else we'll all end up in jail -
Those test tubes and the scale,
Just get it all out of here

[Psalm 73]

Wow, same mind-track at the same time.

Great minds, and all...

[meyer]

Test tubes, not suitcase. But going from memory and it’s long ago that I’ve last heard it.

Great song.

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