One of the best sounding recordings ever. Every song on this album is fire. Steely Dan had only 2 permanent members - Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. They gathered the best studio musicians and picked the ones whose playing they liked best. Steve Gadd was the drummer on this track.
@@butchstudley That doesn't really count. The transistor is a direct drop-in replacement for a tube in that context. There is no digital analog conversion happening, there is no bit stream or encoding or data processing or any of the other things that define digital audio of any sort. I don't understand why some people think tubes = analog. The tube serves literally the same function as a transistor in an amplifier circuit.
Walter and Donald wrote the charts for each instrument. It was up to the musician to interpret it. The base tracks with drums,bass,guitar, and piano Took two takes one in am,and one in the PM There are videos of Becker and Fagen explaining how and why they excluded and included tracks. The base track was done once,it took a year to finish all the rest of the song
5:31 "oh the drummer's really good too..." and those of us who know what's about to drop, we smile to ourselves.... 6:48 "fuck yeah!" and those of us who know now have a new friend, who also knows.
The Dan, my man. Discovering Dan is like finding Bruford for the first time. Steve Gadd on drums; Larry Carlton on guitar, I am so jealous of you hearing these guys for the first time. Enjoy!
The great Steve Gadd on drums. He did this in one take. He was one of the most sought after session drummers in the 70s and his drumming was required learning when I took percussion in college.
Gadd was also one of the few session musicians who actually made a lot of money (compared to most session men). He asked sky high prices - and got them because he was worth every penny. I think he must have had some run-in with Frank Zappa because Zappa hired Vinnie Colauita and pretty much had him imitate Gadd on Joe's Garage. (Course Zappa and Fagen weren't exactly the friendliest people and probably rubbed each other the wrong way.)
Years ago I was renting a car and the young girl behind the counter was Aja. I mentioned to her about the Steely Dan album named the same, and she said " her parents loved the album and her Mom loved the name, so here I am ! "
@@L33Reacts You just listened to a revered track. The album is generally considered the best recorded album of all time. It’s also widely hailed that the drum solo is the best in the history of pop music. Not that pop music has a lot of drum solos, but this was a huge radio hit back in the day. It was super sophisticated for the time, and even more so now. The Steely Dan rabbit hole awaits with special rewards.
On a lazy Sunday morning, this album in its entirety will just start your week off with such a relaxed vibe. Every Steely Dan album has a slightly different character but they are all so perfectly crafted and evoke such powerful emotional states. Love their stuff.
Steely Dan, is Walter Becker Donald Fagen EVERY OTHER musician on each track was hand picked by them of all the worlds BEST studio musicians ( the ones who make studio albums sound so good and polished from the 50-60-70s and 80s era of music..) what you are hearing is an ELITE conglomeration of all the absolute BEST musicians youve never heard of..
Donald and Walter were in complete awe of Wayne Shorter that when he asked them about what they wanted from his saxophone solo , these two guys who normally like to hold everything under a tight control just said “Wayne , play whatever you like “
My favorite song by Steely Dan. The drumming is just incredible, but the entire piece is incredible. So glad I got this album, when I bought 8 albums for a penny through Columbia House, or whatever they were called, back in the day : )
"That drummer" is the legendary Steve Gadd, one of the THE very best to ever play the instrument. Aja is the epitome of the all star lineup. Big catalog spanning an incredible variety of music. Enjoy the ride.
The drummer is Steve Gadd and the percussionist (including the marimba) is Vic Firth - you can hear them both on hundreds of songs with other artists. It won the Grammy for 'Best Engineered Recording. To me the use of space in the arrangement and in the mix is mind-blowing. The album was produced by Gary Katz and master engineer Roger Nichols. It's still used as a reference recording by engineers today. Thanks for the reaction!
Steve Gadd's drumming on this track is jaw dropping. Glad you're hearing it! Hey glad you seem ok again... check out Kid Charlemagne by Steely Dan - it has Larry Carlton playing the best guitar solo known to man (or woman)
I had this new on cassette, and would play it overlooking Monterey Bay at night, with a wineskin of Sweet Italian Red, m'lady and a doob in my vw bus. such good times.
Steely Dan never, ever compromised on the musicianship, and were downright obsessive about the finished product. That's why you'll never hear a Steely Dan album with a couple of good tracks and a bunch of filler. 80+ songs, all gems to one degree or another.@@L33Reacts
The Entire Album is an A+ Add this album to your Must Listen To List…You’ll open the door to MANY Very Cool Songs!!❤❤ love Steely Dan! You’ll keep coming back to them!! Just great vibes when this album is on!!❤
There are so many great songs by Steely Dan! Reeling in the Years, Peg, Hey Nineteen, Black Cow, Deacon Blues, Babylon Sisters, Kid Charlemagne, The Fez to name a few.
You may be the second reactor to start the Dan journey at the absolute pinnacle of their catalog. But don’t despair, there are NO bad songs by this fantastic band! If you stay with this album, I love Home at Last.
You can play the Dan as long as you want and I am in for it. One of my top 5 albums of all time includes The Royal Scam. Aja is definitely in my top ten. Steely Dan is their own genre. When I first heard 'Reelin In The Years' on AM radio, all those many decades ago, I decided I would definitely being playing the guitar, 45 years later I am still playing. SD is Production Perfection.
That's such a cool origin story for starting an instrument. I love it haha. Well I will definitely be going down this rabbit hole to see what else I can find:) probably gems everywhere you can see.
You just started out on probably the deepest progressive jazz/rock band rabbit hole. Green Earrings, Haitian Divorce, and Black Cow are good picks. Of course, the next song on the album, Deacon Blues is the epitome of Steely Dan. Most of their music has that 40s smoking lounge feel to it. Cool, man!
I'd like to push the other best band in that genre, Blood Sweat and Tears, with the best horns and vocalist. Just trying to keep this short. Bluesy, jazzy, ultra-tight musically. They had it all. Try Go Down Gamblin' or God Bless the Child.
And someone else has now been sucked into the Steely Dan wormhole….enjoy the long, epic journey with one of the greatest musical collaborations and studio musicians of all time. Many songs, both by Steely Dan and Donald and Walter individually, not to mention their modern material. This is going to be fun, lyrics and all. Don’t forget pulling up the lyrics!
Yes, there are lots of different instruments and sounds here - a very textured track. Gadd's drumming is superb and he never sounds hurried, just very dynamic. This is a truly classic album. The police whistle is a funny touch, but I think it was fairly popular with funk/disco bands at the time. IT can be heard too in this amazing funky workout by Herbie Hancock, taped live in Central Park, NYC in 1976 - makes you think it means "Hey, its ILLEGAL to be this funky!" 😄 Herbie Hancock - Hang Up Your Hang-Ups (live): th-cam.com/video/hdBLFkzKix8/w-d-xo.html (drummer: James Levi)
That is Steve Gadd on the drums. He is among my all time favorite drummers. Has done tons of session work through the years for various artists. Donald Fagen, founding member of Steely Dan, along with Walter Becker, asked session drummer Steve Gadd to be on this recording. The story goes, Fagan told Gadd precisely the sound and feeling he was going for, and supposedly, Gadd laid everything down in a single take.
Steve Gadd at the Drumkit , incidentally . Bernard Purdie (The famous"Purdie Shuffle") , Jeff Porcaro & Rick Marotta also contribute their drum skills on this album . "Aja" track has : Donald Fagen - lead vocals, synthesizer, police whistle, backing vocals Steve Gadd - drums Chuck Rainey - bass guitar Larry Carlton, Walter Becker, Denny Dias - guitars Joe Sample - Fender Rhodes Michael Omartian - piano Victor Feldman - percussion, marimba Wayne Shorter - tenor saxophone Timothy B. Schmit - backing vocals
No Porcaro on this album, but Ed Greene, Paul Humphrey, and Jim Keltner in addition to Purdie, Marotta, and Gadd. Porcaro was on most of Katy Lied then later on the tracks ‘Gaucho’ and ‘FM’
I've got to clarify something here: Drummers don't use the name "Steve Gadd" and "incidentally" in the same sentence. He is a legend, full stop. There is nothing "incidental" about him. He's STEVE GADD, always writ large. One of the best of all time, across many genres, but mostly Jazz. I just had to say something here because your first sentence really face-planted with me, just saying.
This is one of my Favorite Songs from Steely Dan . when I first heard this song I found a Abandoned Kitten when I was listening to this song . I named Her "AjA" 💜 Love your Channel .Thanks for sharing 💜🙏🎨
After just a few years of recording and touring, they dropped touring for more than 20 years at the height of their career, and chose to be studio perfectionist routely bringing in multiple Musician on each instrument to see who had what they were looking for each song.
Ohh goood call on doing Steely Dan! You have a lot of material to cover with this band! So many incredible albums…..each one with gems 💎 all killer no filler.
I'm going to listen to more of Him....... lol. I enjoyed this. you can tell that you are enjoying this as well, and you pick up on all of the greatness of the musicians..... just wait, keep going down the rabbit hole
You have no idea the rabbit hole you're about to enter discovering Steely Dan. So many hits. Reportedly, SD is what musicians listened to : here are a few to review: Rikki Don't loose that Number; Peg; Reeling in the Years; My Old School; Deacon Blues; Kid Charlemagne .
This is epic. The production (as usual) is off the charts! So smooth. Weather Report's Wayne Shorter on sax. Great Steve Gadd drum outro. What more could you want?
Hey dude, Steely Dan is the bomb. Listen to their whole catalog. Into the rabbit hole we go. Listen to "Throw back the little ones" next. Oh boy you are in for it! Keep moving forward,it gets better. A new subscriber!
You are getting into some amazing music. Steely Dan will open up the gateway to Jazz which is a broad church and is constantly evolving. Good luck in your exploration of music history.
Thank you so much! This channel and all of yall have been a godsend to my musical and mental health 🤣🤣 I will definitely keep going with SD and hear what else they have to offer!
Someone already mentioned Rick Beato's interview with Steve Gadd (exquisite!!), but he has also interviewed all living musicians on this track except Donald Fagen. Every interview is priceless.
One of Steely Dan's favorite session drummers was Bernard Purdie, one of the most in-demand drummers for R&B, Soul, Pop, Rock, Funk & Jazz. 'He is known for his precise musical time-keeping and his signature use of triplets against a half-time backbeat: the "Purdie Shuffle.' (Wikipedia). One of my favorite "relaxing" Steely Dan tracks is Babylon Sisters off the Gaucho album. Very infectious mid-tempo LA groove with some of the sleekest horn arrangements you'll find in pop/rock music. Another great cut with Purdie is Green Earrings off The Royal Scam. Not exactly "relaxing", but fast-paced and funky with some of Steely Dan's best guitar work with Denny Dias & Dean Parks. 2 solid recommendations.
Gadd is top notch. When Wayne Shorter passed away some months ago, I went through his discography and played some of his classic hard-bop jazz albums from 1959-1966. He was also a prolific sideman with Miles Davis, Lee Morgan, Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard and many other titans. And of course, founder of the fusion band Weather Report. The Aja solo is beautifully haunting.@@janewells5970
Yeah, great pick Jane. Steely Dan are so smooth and elastic and patient. Maximum musicianship and clever urban sarcasm in their lyrics with a good heart behind it. Early album Can't Buy A Thrill is one of my favorites. Reelin' In The Years is so rolling and free. Jeez, so many greats from them.
This came out the year I graduated from High School. Prior to that my my favorite album had been either "Physical Graffiti" by Zeppelin or "Wish you were Here" by Pink Floyd. There was an elegance and sophistication in the music of Steely Dan that always appealed to me. This became my new favorite for quite a while. My other favorite of the time, and still... Is "Court and Spark" by Joni Mitchell. She was doing what Steely Dan was doing at the same time all by herself. The drums on the outro of this song are legendary.
The legendary Steve Gadd was asked the question on how many takes he took on this tune, and he told us in one take! It was a pleasure/thrill/a memory I’ll always have of being in the same room as him. 🥁 🔥💯🙏
It's funny I didn't care for this much when it came out in high school, although I loved the song Josie off of this album. And I was already a musician by a few years at least but now I've been one for many decades, and when I hear this I'm just so amazed. It was so damn good. And of course I still like the earlier stuff that I was so in love with at the time when I was young but everything on this album just sounds fantastic to me.
I liked the chuckle when you heard the police whistle. This song has so much texture to it. As you mentioned, so many different instruments. Not overloaded, every note has a purpose.
Well, oh well. So, this is your introduction to the ocean known as Steely Dan. Wax-up your board and ride the swell. They offer the cleanest, smoothest lines of any break that I'm aware of. Crystal clear and a pleasure beyond measure. A sidebar from this to some other favorites of mine, Jethro Tull: "A Passion Play" and "WarChild". Gulp!
I've been a Steely Dan fan since "Can't Buy A Thrill". Although "Aja" was seen as a crowning musical achievement, their earlier albums are amazing! Incredible songwriting and genius production.
As for other Steely Dan songs.... "Peg," "Black Cow", "Babylon Sisters," "Hey Nineteen," "Reeling in the Years," "Kid Charlemagne," "Babylon Sisters"..... I could go on and on... Keep On Rocking
The drummer here is Steve Gadd. He has played with lots of people, live and in the studio. He can basically play any style of music and make it sound like he has been playing that music his whole life. He did this song in one take...no mistakes, no overdubs.
I told you about it as well, some time ago, lmao. First non classical recording to win the the "Dutch Gramophone Award" for best recording. I use this to evaluate stereo equipment. More SD "Royal Scam", "Cant buy a thrill" spring to mind.
I don't think I ever considered Steely Dan as a 'rock band'. They are beyond that. Really, they are a fusion band, and by that I mean, they fuse together rock, funk, soul, jazz, reggae, blues and musical styles from the past, to create something that is greater than the sum of their parts. They are true artists, that can pull from any musical genre, and make it sound authentic.
Progressive Pink Floyds 'Ricyard Wright once said Steely Dan was who he admired and loved to listen to because of their dedication to their tracts.... blending rock/jazz/blues
Nice work Sir! My first time here. Steely Dan is my favorite band and it's cool to find a new channel. Fagans solo album Nightfly is considered another production masterpiece you might want to check
To me there are very few Perfect Albums 1. Sgt Peppers, 2. Close to the Edge 3. Dark Side of the Moon 4. Aja 5. Take 5 by Dave Brubeck Quartet 6. Kind of Blue by Miles Davis those are the one I would consider perfect albums... from all of those Aja is different; because it is the pinacle of Session Musicians coming together to record multiple versions of the same songs in multiple conbinations... and then Walter Becker and Donald Fagen chose the best of those cominations to produce the best Steely Dan album you could ever get. ( Steely Dan is the name of the band, not a single person and that band is basically a Duo who writes and the music and find the best talent to realize their sound).
Steely have utilized a roster of stellar drummers throughout their tenure. A "deep track" I love is the slowed-down tempo version of "Third World Man" on their Alive in America album, with Peter Erskine (Weather Report) on the throne. It's very chill - may be what you need, right now.
79 the great Steely Dan Band released the epic AJA album, their most Fusion style LP to date. I was graduating about to move to California from the East and remember that summer when it was a huge Hit splash. Always brings back memories of that time. Great analysis! All Dan is very good and unique since 72.
I only got into Steely Dan a year ago, and I feel torn by this: Mad at myself for missing out, but also stoked because I have a huge catalog of amazing "new" music to dive into. This band has been at the top of my music library for a year now. Enjoy the ride!
Great choice, Jane. Aja is in my top personal favorite songs of all time. Stick with this album L33! Every track is stellar and vibrant. The song HOME AT LAST might suit you right now.
Hard to add to The Dan's rabid fans below (of which I also froth). The array of melodies and compositions are varied and sensational! There is a cool incongruence between the lyrics and melodies of these tunes. Steve F'n Gadd; lad, probably the best "feel" of any jazz player I've ever heard. Read the comparison to discovering Bruford,... in reverse, like discovering Nekrutman for you young cats! "Black Cow," first....let's freak'n go! Once you hear the full album, you're a Dan man, guaranteed!
Steve Gadd was a drum god and legend in the 70s Every drummer revered him. Big time studio guy and also a band leader The late jazz legend, Wayne Shorter, on sax here Song suggestions: Doctor Wu Don’t take me Alive Deacon Blues 70s was non stop musical greatness
One of THE most classic songs for drums there is in history! STEVE GADD!!! What a monster drummer he is on this track! Did you clock the left-hand rudiments and limb/hand independence he was demonstrating in that outtro?? Total rudimentary, Brazilian, backline/salsa/bossa nova snare-drum pattern against his incredible cymbal ride/crash work with the right-hand against his bass-foot patterns, then mixed with drum-fills around the toms, etc., etc., etc.,!! Beautiful work all around. Steely Dan...I mean, what can you say? They are phenomenal and you are JUST on the cusp of their super-deep Rabbit Hole, Lee!! Dude!! Get ready to have your mind expanded! SO MANY great songs and albums by this band! You will love it!
Mannnn Michael only 4 songs in and I am completely sold on this band as one of the best of all time. I had never heard of Steve until this song and he proceeded to make me feel stupid for never hearing of him. And yes the salsa/bossa nova snare was awesome in the outro I couldn't find the exact genre styling for what it was but it completely enraptured me. These guys have blown a hole in my music knowledge wall and completely built it back up in 4 songs! Insanity!!!
@@L33Reacts There's an amazing documentary about the making of this album on TH-cam, and one of the best parts is the discussion with one of the OTHER incredible studio drummers they used, the legendary Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, inventor of the Purdie Shuffle. He played on "Home at Last" -- take a look: th-cam.com/video/_ldtieSEyQM/w-d-xo.htmlsi=Nl98iYTtg-63T04B
Great suggestion. So much more from them. You'll not hear another band the sounds like Steely Dan. I'm a big fan of Kid Charlamagne and My Old School but there is a ton of excellent options with these guys.
The greatest piece of drumming ever put on vinyl. The song is fantastic but the drumming is the cherry on top. Any drummer would kill to play like Steve Gadd
One of the best sounding recordings ever. Every song on this album is fire. Steely Dan had only 2 permanent members - Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. They gathered the best studio musicians and picked the ones whose playing they liked best. Steve Gadd was the drummer on this track.
Well Mr gadd was killing it... like damn sir relax back there leave some ass for the rest of us... thank you for the info!
Rick Beato did an entire video on Steve Gadd's solo in Aja.
Steve Gadd.....of Rochester, NY 🙂
Gadd is a legend in the studio musician fraternity
Thousands of drummers have covered (or rather, TRIED to cover) Steve Gadd's utterly LEGENDARY performance.👏👏👏
One of the most iconic drum parts ever recorded. Steve Gadd is unbelievable.
agreed!
i LOVE THE STICK CLICK AT THE END OF THE FIRST SOLO
No computers, no digital, only great musicians in a studio, with tape..stands the rest of time. ❤
No digital? Not since '66, when LA Labs put transistors in their preamp...
@@butchstudley That doesn't really count. The transistor is a direct drop-in replacement for a tube in that context. There is no digital analog conversion happening, there is no bit stream or encoding or data processing or any of the other things that define digital audio of any sort. I don't understand why some people think tubes = analog. The tube serves literally the same function as a transistor in an amplifier circuit.
Walter and Donald wrote the charts for each instrument. It was up to the musician to interpret it. The base tracks with drums,bass,guitar, and piano
Took two takes one in am,and one in the PM
There are videos of Becker and Fagen explaining how and why they excluded and included tracks.
The base track was done once,it took a year to finish all the rest of the song
5:31 "oh the drummer's really good too..." and those of us who know what's about to drop, we smile to ourselves....
6:48 "fuck yeah!" and those of us who know now have a new friend, who also knows.
The Dan, my man. Discovering Dan is like finding Bruford for the first time. Steve Gadd on drums; Larry Carlton on guitar, I am so jealous of you hearing these guys for the first time. Enjoy!
Shit finding bruford was like discovering sex as a teen... just insane how your priorities shift 🙃
Walter Becker and Denny Diaz also played guitars on this song. Amazing stuff.
hey ya'll
@@Straydogger That soloing was a Denny Diaz
you found me??? :D :D :D
The great Steve Gadd on drums. He did this in one take. He was one of the most sought after session drummers in the 70s and his drumming was required learning when I took percussion in college.
I always heard it was two takes, but he played it almost the same way both times, including the place where he hits the drumsticks together.
Gadd was also one of the few session musicians who actually made a lot of money (compared to most session men). He asked sky high prices - and got them because he was worth every penny. I think he must have had some run-in with Frank Zappa because Zappa hired Vinnie Colauita and pretty much had him imitate Gadd on Joe's Garage. (Course Zappa and Fagen weren't exactly the friendliest people and probably rubbed each other the wrong way.)
Steve Gadd, drummer, upped the bar in rock drumming forever with this song. Aja the album is a perfect album!!!
His duet with Wayne Shorter on this track is lit.
The richness of the drum tones makes the whole track.
Years ago I was renting a car and the young girl behind the counter was Aja. I mentioned to her about the Steely Dan album named the same, and she said " her parents loved the album and her Mom loved the name, so here I am ! "
Really nice to see other people discover the majestic magic of Steely Dan...
Oh boy, you've found The Dan! Life will never be quite the same again, but in the nicest possible way.
Intro to Steely Dan through Aja is definitely diving into the deep end! No dipping the toe.
I don’t even need to watch this to know your mind was blown.
Yup, you are basically right LOL it was amazing
@@L33Reacts You just listened to a revered track.
The album is generally considered the best recorded album of all time.
It’s also widely hailed that the drum solo is the best in the history of pop music. Not that pop music has a lot of drum solos, but this was a huge radio hit back in the day. It was super sophisticated for the time, and even more so now.
The Steely Dan rabbit hole awaits with special rewards.
@@MJ1 The pinnacle of Western/Eastern muscle
I was a senior in high school when this came out. Everyone owned Aja, I mean everyone. What a great time to be alive.😁💖
Lee i would continue with this album. It is a complete masterpiece. Pretty much every song made it to the airwaves of radio. Incredible album!!👍😎
I can tell man... this shit was amazing. SO much nuance and dynamic audio. It was beautiful.
On a lazy Sunday morning, this album in its entirety will just start your week off with such a relaxed vibe. Every Steely Dan album has a slightly different character but they are all so perfectly crafted and evoke such powerful emotional states. Love their stuff.
Steely Dan,
is
Walter Becker
Donald Fagen
EVERY OTHER musician on each track was hand picked by them of all the worlds BEST studio musicians ( the ones who make studio albums sound so good and polished from the 50-60-70s and 80s era of music..)
what you are hearing is an ELITE conglomeration of all the absolute BEST musicians youve never heard of..
Donald and Walter were in complete awe of Wayne Shorter that when he asked them about what they wanted from his saxophone solo , these two guys who normally like to hold everything under a tight control just said “Wayne , play whatever you like “
My favorite song by Steely Dan. The drumming is just incredible, but the entire piece is incredible. So glad I got this album, when I bought 8 albums for a penny through Columbia House, or whatever they were called, back in the day : )
The best production, musicianship on any album imho, every song no exception…
That Gadd played this maybe isn't the most amazing thing ever. That he played it cold in two takes.....pretty amazing.
"That drummer" is the legendary Steve Gadd, one of the THE very best to ever play the instrument. Aja is the epitome of the all star lineup. Big catalog spanning an incredible variety of music. Enjoy the ride.
Smiles abound whenever this song enters your musical universe for the first time. Your Steely Dan cherry has been broken. Thanks for the video.
This whole album
wow dude now you on to even more good stuff. Yes and now the mighty Dan.
The drummer is Steve Gadd and the percussionist (including the marimba) is Vic Firth - you can hear them both on hundreds of songs with other artists.
It won the Grammy for 'Best Engineered Recording. To me the use of space in the arrangement and in the mix is mind-blowing. The album was produced by Gary Katz and master engineer Roger Nichols. It's still used as a reference recording by engineers today.
Thanks for the reaction!
Minor correction: the percussionist/marimbist is Victor Feldman, not Vic Firth.
When this came out, I fell in love with it. Named my cat Aja. ☮️❤️
That's so cool! I love that name. I can see how people fell in love with this. It's amazing!
That's so cool! I love that name. I can see how people fell in love with this. It's amazing!
Hope you are feeling better. Steely Dan - you just can’t lose listening to this band.
Steve Gadd's drumming on this track is jaw dropping. Glad you're hearing it! Hey glad you seem ok again... check out Kid Charlemagne by Steely Dan - it has Larry Carlton playing the best guitar solo known to man (or woman)
This Recording sounds so good and rich in musicality…especially on Vinyl! It’s perfect!
I bought it on vinyl yesterday - looking forward to listening to it at night with a glass of scotch
I had this new on cassette, and would play it overlooking Monterey Bay at night, with a wineskin of Sweet Italian Red, m'lady and a doob in my vw bus. such good times.
Arguably their most cohesive album .
A Crown Jewel .
I can't wait to listen to the rest! This was dope as hell. Musicians music for sure. I can tell lol
Steely Dan never, ever compromised on the musicianship, and were downright obsessive about the finished product. That's why you'll never hear a Steely Dan album with a couple of good tracks and a bunch of filler. 80+ songs, all gems to one degree or another.@@L33Reacts
@@L33Reacts
Seriously bro , this Album belongs in the Mount Rushmore conversation ...
Steely Dan 's entire Catalogue belongs in that discussion .
The Entire Album is an A+
Add this album to your Must Listen To List…You’ll open the door to MANY Very Cool Songs!!❤❤ love Steely Dan! You’ll keep coming back to them!! Just great vibes when this album is on!!❤
Album of the Year 1977 for a reason....!
Yah the vibes are on point here. Very relaxed. I love it. I'm gonna keep going with this album 😊
@@L33Reacts YaY!
There are so many great songs by Steely Dan! Reeling in the Years, Peg, Hey Nineteen, Black Cow, Deacon Blues, Babylon Sisters, Kid Charlemagne, The Fez to name a few.
There isn’t a Steely Dan song I don’t love. So good.
I can't wait to hear more!!
You may be the second reactor to start the Dan journey at the absolute pinnacle of their catalog. But don’t despair, there are NO bad songs by this fantastic band! If you stay with this album, I love Home at Last.
Listening to any Steely Dan album from the 70's is a Masterclass in musicianship.
A person could learn alot.....
You never want to hear a Steely Dan song end.
You can play the Dan as long as you want and I am in for it. One of my top 5 albums of all time includes The Royal Scam. Aja is definitely in my top ten. Steely Dan is their own genre.
When I first heard 'Reelin In The Years' on AM radio, all those many decades ago, I decided I would definitely being playing the guitar, 45 years later I am still playing. SD is Production Perfection.
That's such a cool origin story for starting an instrument. I love it haha. Well I will definitely be going down this rabbit hole to see what else I can find:) probably gems everywhere you can see.
Right there with ya!!
You just started out on probably the deepest progressive jazz/rock band rabbit hole. Green Earrings, Haitian Divorce, and Black Cow are good picks. Of course, the next song on the album, Deacon Blues is the epitome of Steely Dan. Most of their music has that 40s smoking lounge feel to it. Cool, man!
I'd like to push the other best band in that genre, Blood Sweat and Tears, with the best horns and vocalist. Just trying to keep this short. Bluesy, jazzy, ultra-tight musically. They had it all. Try Go Down Gamblin' or God Bless the Child.
I am huge on the smoking lounge feel... it's so relaxing and iconic. So much talent here. I love it. I'm gonna keep going for sure.
@@L33Reacts
Hello there, past Lee!
Ahh, my dear brother. Just you wait! 🤗
Steely Dan are the kings of having some of the most amazing music during the fade out of their songs.
Is that really a thing?? What a tease, man. That was awesome lol. I loved it.
And someone else has now been sucked into the Steely Dan wormhole….enjoy the long, epic journey with one of the greatest musical collaborations and studio musicians of all time. Many songs, both by Steely Dan and Donald and Walter individually, not to mention their modern material. This is going to be fun, lyrics and all. Don’t forget pulling up the lyrics!
Yes, there are lots of different instruments and sounds here - a very textured track. Gadd's drumming is superb and he never sounds hurried, just very dynamic. This is a truly classic album.
The police whistle is a funny touch, but I think it was fairly popular with funk/disco bands at the time. IT can be heard too in this amazing funky workout by Herbie Hancock, taped live in Central Park, NYC in 1976 - makes you think it means "Hey, its ILLEGAL to be this funky!" 😄
Herbie Hancock - Hang Up Your Hang-Ups (live): th-cam.com/video/hdBLFkzKix8/w-d-xo.html (drummer: James Levi)
That whistle was dope asHella! Honestly this song was playing with so many different sounds (organic and artifical) and it all sounded SO damn good :)
Steve Gadd is the ultimate drummer
That is Steve Gadd on the drums. He is among my all time favorite drummers. Has done tons of session work through the years for various artists.
Donald Fagen, founding member of Steely Dan, along with Walter Becker, asked session drummer Steve Gadd to be on this recording. The story goes, Fagan told Gadd precisely the sound and feeling he was going for, and supposedly, Gadd laid everything down in a single take.
Gadd seems like God.
He did this in one take after being TOLD what the sound is supposed to be... got it. Yeah the comment above me isn't wrong lol
You’ve got give up the vape.
@@L33Reacts And, apparently, Gadd was hungover that day. Rick Beato has a great interview with the man.
Steve Gadd at the Drumkit , incidentally .
Bernard Purdie (The famous"Purdie Shuffle") , Jeff Porcaro & Rick Marotta also contribute their drum skills on this album .
"Aja" track has :
Donald Fagen - lead vocals, synthesizer, police whistle, backing vocals
Steve Gadd - drums
Chuck Rainey - bass guitar
Larry Carlton, Walter Becker, Denny Dias - guitars
Joe Sample - Fender Rhodes
Michael Omartian - piano
Victor Feldman - percussion, marimba
Wayne Shorter - tenor saxophone
Timothy B. Schmit - backing vocals
No Porcaro on this album, but Ed Greene, Paul Humphrey, and Jim Keltner in addition to Purdie, Marotta, and Gadd. Porcaro was on most of Katy Lied then later on the tracks ‘Gaucho’ and ‘FM’
I've got to clarify something here: Drummers don't use the name "Steve Gadd" and "incidentally" in the same sentence. He is a legend, full stop. There is nothing "incidental" about him. He's STEVE GADD, always writ large. One of the best of all time, across many genres, but mostly Jazz. I just had to say something here because your first sentence really face-planted with me, just saying.
They asked Jeff to come down but he had a conflict per Fagen
This is one of my Favorite Songs from Steely Dan . when I first heard this song I found a Abandoned Kitten when I was listening to this song . I named Her "AjA" 💜
Love your Channel .Thanks for sharing 💜🙏🎨
After just a few years of recording and touring, they dropped touring for more than 20 years at the height of their career, and chose to be studio perfectionist routely bringing in multiple Musician on each instrument to see who had what they were looking for each song.
Ohh goood call on doing Steely Dan! You have a lot of material to cover with this band! So many incredible albums…..each one with gems 💎 all killer no filler.
I'm going to listen to more of Him....... lol. I enjoyed this. you can tell that you are enjoying this as well, and you pick up on all of the greatness of the musicians..... just wait, keep going down the rabbit hole
For sure this was the first video I noticed what big ears Lee has!
You have no idea the rabbit hole you're about to enter discovering Steely Dan. So many hits. Reportedly, SD is what musicians listened to : here are a few to review: Rikki Don't loose that Number; Peg; Reeling in the Years; My Old School; Deacon Blues; Kid Charlemagne .
This is epic. The production (as usual) is off the charts! So smooth. Weather Report's Wayne Shorter on sax. Great Steve Gadd drum outro. What more could you want?
Welcome to Steely Dan man 👏👏🎷🎹🎸🥁
Hey dude, Steely Dan is the bomb. Listen to their whole catalog. Into the rabbit hole we go. Listen to "Throw back the little ones" next. Oh boy you are in for it! Keep moving forward,it gets better. A new subscriber!
You are getting into some amazing music. Steely Dan will open up the gateway to Jazz which is a broad church and is constantly evolving. Good luck in your exploration of music history.
Thank you so much! This channel and all of yall have been a godsend to my musical and mental health 🤣🤣 I will definitely keep going with SD and hear what else they have to offer!
Someone already mentioned Rick Beato's interview with Steve Gadd (exquisite!!), but he has also interviewed all living musicians on this track except Donald Fagen. Every interview is priceless.
Steely Dan was always my go to band for mellowing out after some hard partying
One of Steely Dan's favorite session drummers was Bernard Purdie, one of the most in-demand drummers for R&B, Soul, Pop, Rock, Funk & Jazz. 'He is known for his precise musical time-keeping and his signature use of triplets against a half-time backbeat: the "Purdie Shuffle.' (Wikipedia). One of my favorite "relaxing" Steely Dan tracks is Babylon Sisters off the Gaucho album. Very infectious mid-tempo LA groove with some of the sleekest horn arrangements you'll find in pop/rock music. Another great cut with Purdie is Green Earrings off The Royal Scam. Not exactly "relaxing", but fast-paced and funky with some of Steely Dan's best guitar work with Denny Dias & Dean Parks. 2 solid recommendations.
Oh yes! The Purdie Shuffle! I chose this cut because of Steve Gadd and sax play by Wayne Shorter
Gadd is top notch. When Wayne Shorter passed away some months ago, I went through his discography and played some of his classic hard-bop jazz albums from 1959-1966. He was also a prolific sideman with Miles Davis, Lee Morgan, Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard and many other titans. And of course, founder of the fusion band Weather Report. The Aja solo is beautifully haunting.@@janewells5970
Yeah, great pick Jane. Steely Dan are so smooth and elastic and patient. Maximum musicianship and clever urban sarcasm in their lyrics with a good heart behind it. Early album Can't Buy A Thrill is one of my favorites. Reelin' In The Years is so rolling and free. Jeez, so many greats from them.
This came out the year I graduated from High School. Prior to that my my favorite album had been either "Physical Graffiti" by Zeppelin or "Wish you were Here" by Pink Floyd. There was an elegance and sophistication in the music of Steely Dan that always appealed to me. This became my new favorite for quite a while. My other favorite of the time, and still... Is "Court and Spark" by Joni Mitchell. She was doing what Steely Dan was doing at the same time all by herself. The drums on the outro of this song are legendary.
Excellent point about Joni Mitchell. Both are always at the top of my list.
The legendary Steve Gadd was asked the question on how many takes he took on this tune, and he told us in one take! It was a pleasure/thrill/a memory I’ll always have of being in the same room as him. 🥁 🔥💯🙏
always Amazing
Steve Gadd. Great drummer. Steely Dan always had the best drummers. Bernard Purdy another great.
Yeah, go down the Dan rabbit hole. Greatest band ever!!
It's funny I didn't care for this much when it came out in high school, although I loved the song Josie off of this album. And I was already a musician by a few years at least but now I've been one for many decades, and when I hear this I'm just so amazed. It was so damn good. And of course I still like the earlier stuff that I was so in love with at the time when I was young but everything on this album just sounds fantastic to me.
I liked the chuckle when you heard the police whistle. This song has so much texture to it. As you mentioned, so many different instruments. Not overloaded, every note has a purpose.
Well, oh well. So, this is your introduction to the ocean known as Steely Dan. Wax-up your board and ride the swell. They offer the cleanest, smoothest lines of any break that I'm aware of. Crystal clear and a pleasure beyond measure. A sidebar from this to some other favorites of mine, Jethro Tull: "A Passion Play" and "WarChild". Gulp!
Love the Dan and, in a list of so many great songs, this is my favorite.
I've been a Steely Dan fan since "Can't Buy A Thrill". Although "Aja" was seen as a crowning musical achievement, their earlier albums are amazing! Incredible songwriting and genius production.
Great to see a music reaction by someone who actually appreciates and understands music. So much great music for all to discover. Peace!
As for other Steely Dan songs.... "Peg," "Black Cow", "Babylon Sisters," "Hey Nineteen," "Reeling in the Years," "Kid Charlemagne," "Babylon Sisters"..... I could go on and on... Keep On Rocking
For a drummer I'd suggest "Your Gold Teeth II" Another awesome Steve Gadd performance, the cymbal work is incredible!
The drummer here is Steve Gadd. He has played with lots of people, live and in the studio. He can basically play any style of music and make it sound like he has been playing that music his whole life. He did this song in one take...no mistakes, no overdubs.
I told you about it as well, some time ago, lmao. First non classical recording to win the the "Dutch Gramophone Award" for best recording. I use this to evaluate stereo equipment. More SD "Royal Scam", "Cant buy a thrill" spring to mind.
Holy shit you're totally right. I remember now. This was crazy good! I will definitely check out more from them. The production was stellar
Oh yeah, one thing Aja has to be listened to at a substantial level with kick ass speakers
Oh Steely Dan are as serious a rabbit hole to go down. As much as Porcupine Tree... Keep On Rocking
You are in for a lovely trip down their rabbit hole!
Steely Dan always fits.
This is a perfect album. All of their stuff is really well produced and a favorite of vintage hifi guys to test a potential purchase.
I don't think I ever considered Steely Dan as a 'rock band'. They are beyond that. Really, they are a fusion band, and by that I mean, they fuse together rock, funk, soul, jazz, reggae, blues and musical styles from the past, to create something that is greater than the sum of their parts. They are true artists, that can pull from any musical genre, and make it sound authentic.
They cover multiple genres in single tracks. This is my favourite album of all time
Progressive Pink Floyds 'Ricyard Wright once said Steely Dan was who he admired and loved to listen to because of their dedication to their tracts.... blending rock/jazz/blues
Perfectly said
Nice work Sir! My first time here. Steely Dan is my favorite band and it's cool to find a new channel. Fagans solo album Nightfly is considered another production masterpiece you might want to check
Welcome to Steeley Dan! Musical greatness!
Welcome to the channel! I have a giant Dan playlist you are more than welcome to peruse! I’ve done a TON of
To me there are very few Perfect Albums 1. Sgt Peppers, 2. Close to the Edge 3. Dark Side of the Moon 4. Aja 5. Take 5 by Dave Brubeck Quartet 6. Kind of Blue by Miles Davis those are the one I would consider perfect albums... from all of those Aja is different; because it is the pinacle of Session Musicians coming together to record multiple versions of the same songs in multiple conbinations... and then Walter Becker and Donald Fagen chose the best of those cominations to produce the best Steely Dan album you could ever get. ( Steely Dan is the name of the band, not a single person and that band is basically a Duo who writes and the music and find the best talent to realize their sound).
I’d add Joni Mitchell Blue
@@fayesouthall6604 great choice
I’d add Tapestry from Carole King, as well.
Excellent choices. A man of great musical taste, obviously.
One of the best sounding recordings in rock. Also love the drumming.
I love the story about Steve Gadd hearing this track in the mid-90s and complimenting the drummer. Someone reminded him, "Dude, that's you."
Steely Dan is incredible! You can't go wrong with anything off of their "Aja" or "Royal Scam" albums 😃
Steely have utilized a roster of stellar drummers throughout their tenure.
A "deep track" I love is the slowed-down tempo version of "Third World Man" on their Alive in America album, with Peter Erskine (Weather Report) on the throne. It's very chill - may be what you need, right now.
Thank you Don! I will definitely add it to the list. Yeah I'm trying to take it easy for a few days... maybe some more jazz prog stuff.
love to watch your face, listening to music from the days of my youth👽
79 the great Steely Dan Band released the epic AJA album, their most Fusion style LP to date. I was graduating about to move to California from the East and remember that summer when it was a huge Hit splash. Always brings back memories of that time. Great analysis! All Dan is very good and unique since 72.
Great fan suggestion. Great intro to SD> Your in for a ride. Sooooo Mannnny great ones. that will stay with you for many years.
I only got into Steely Dan a year ago, and I feel torn by this: Mad at myself for missing out, but also stoked because I have a huge catalog of amazing "new" music to dive into. This band has been at the top of my music library for a year now. Enjoy the ride!
It's been said "Steely Dan is your favorite band's favorite band." They're just unbelievably talented, and nobody sounds like them, or ever could.
So glad you found the Dan! I predict a long and fruitful journey! I listened to this album over and over!! Along with ALL of the others!
Check out "Kid Charlemagne" from the Royal Scam album. That's my favorite by The Dan
Great choice, Jane. Aja is in my top personal favorite songs of all time.
Stick with this album L33! Every track is stellar and vibrant. The song HOME AT LAST might suit you right now.
Hey Robert! I'm gonna keep going with Aja. This intrigued me to no end lol
Steve Gadd on drums, yea he's pretty good....one of the best in the business.
Hard to add to The Dan's rabid fans below (of which I also froth). The array of melodies and compositions are varied and sensational! There is a cool incongruence between the lyrics and melodies of these tunes. Steve F'n Gadd; lad, probably the best "feel" of any jazz player I've ever heard. Read the comparison to discovering Bruford,... in reverse, like discovering Nekrutman for you young cats! "Black Cow," first....let's freak'n go! Once you hear the full album, you're a Dan man, guaranteed!
Steve Gadd was a drum god and legend in the 70s
Every drummer revered him. Big time studio guy and also a band leader
The late jazz legend, Wayne Shorter, on sax here
Song suggestions:
Doctor Wu
Don’t take me Alive
Deacon Blues
70s was non stop musical greatness
I'm totally on board with the 70s being the best decade for music of all time. Yeah I'm gonna look into him more... he was absolutely on fire here.
One of THE most classic songs for drums there is in history! STEVE GADD!!! What a monster drummer he is on this track! Did you clock the left-hand rudiments and limb/hand independence he was demonstrating in that outtro?? Total rudimentary, Brazilian, backline/salsa/bossa nova snare-drum pattern against his incredible cymbal ride/crash work with the right-hand against his bass-foot patterns, then mixed with drum-fills around the toms, etc., etc., etc.,!! Beautiful work all around. Steely Dan...I mean, what can you say? They are phenomenal and you are JUST on the cusp of their super-deep Rabbit Hole, Lee!! Dude!! Get ready to have your mind expanded! SO MANY great songs and albums by this band! You will love it!
Mannnn Michael only 4 songs in and I am completely sold on this band as one of the best of all time. I had never heard of Steve until this song and he proceeded to make me feel stupid for never hearing of him. And yes the salsa/bossa nova snare was awesome in the outro I couldn't find the exact genre styling for what it was but it completely enraptured me. These guys have blown a hole in my music knowledge wall and completely built it back up in 4 songs! Insanity!!!
@@L33Reacts awesome!! They are such an eclectic, genre-mutating/mashup vibe! Lee, have you heard their song “Do It Again”? Cool freaking song, bro!
@@L33Reacts There's an amazing documentary about the making of this album on TH-cam, and one of the best parts is the discussion with one of the OTHER incredible studio drummers they used, the legendary Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, inventor of the Purdie Shuffle. He played on "Home at Last" -- take a look: th-cam.com/video/_ldtieSEyQM/w-d-xo.htmlsi=Nl98iYTtg-63T04B
Great suggestion. So much more from them. You'll not hear another band the sounds like Steely Dan. I'm a big fan of Kid Charlamagne and My Old School but there is a ton of excellent options with these guys.
A perfect album, top 100 rock albums of all-time
The greatest piece of drumming ever put on vinyl. The song is fantastic but the drumming is the cherry on top. Any drummer would kill to play like Steve Gadd