THIS HAS BEEN MY FAVORITE ALBUM, FOR 31 YEARS SINCE IT'S RELEASE IN 1977.
NOW IN 2008, IT STILL IS TRULY THE GREATEST ALBUM OF ALL TIME.

THE SECOND BEST ALBUM OF ALL TIME IS PERFECT ISLAND NIGHTS - BOBBY CALDWELL, RELEASED IN 2005. CHECK IT OUT, YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED..

GOD BLESS, THE GENIUSES DONALD FAGEN & WALTER BECKER, WE THANK GOD FOR THESE GREAT TALENTS. AMEN

Steely Dan's first five albums between 1972 and 1976 reinvented the language of rock in a manner seldom if ever replicated. Their consistently quirky and complex arrangements made them always interesting purely from a listening perspective, but what made them so unique was the manner in which their literate lyrics told tales that are remarkably endearing and in a manner quite unlike any other band of the 1970s. From tales of ecological devastation to immigrant lives, Fagen's lyrics were much better than anyone in rock at the time and have rarely been equalled (Paddy McAloon of Prefab Sprout and Tori Amos on her first two albums come close).

After the masterful The Royal Scam, Steely Dan became even more of a studio band than before with "Aja". The story of how the band's notorious perfectionism led to songs being given tens of takes to complete is well-known, but the trouble is that whereas this perfectionist style made for music that expressed the feelings of their lyrics remarkably well on previous releases, on "Aja" it is fair to say the Dan took it beyond anything reasonable. As so often in the early days of overlayering, it serves merely to reduce the emotional level of the music.

"Black Cow", the opening track, is very catchy but does not really match previous openers like "Black Friday" or "Do It Again" despite the band trying quite wholeheartedly to be more pretty than they were meant to be. The title tune, a multi-part epic, is well-designed and played but is not the song to capture a listener's attention for the full eight minutes. The next three songs, however, are really flyweight and even soppy compared to the energetic work of their previous album: it is difficult to see any reason for the Dan's decline apart from fear they would not meet their recording costs if they lost airplay due to "punk revolution"-driven tightening of playlists.

It is true that when one thinks there is no limit to the decline of a great group, Fagen and Becker do hit back with the two strongest tracks, "I Got the News" and "Josie", to close the album. The former is a love song that is simultaneously simple and intricate, whilst "Josie" might seem to be about the Vestal Virgins (akin to "Whiter Shade of Pale") but fires like nothing else on the album in terms of tight, yet complex and changeable, playing.

Nonetheless, even two good tracks to finish are not enough to prevent "Aja" from being a major let down after five albums with hardly a weak track. As I see, rather than being a landmark, "Aja" is the weakest album from Steely Dan's original period, weaker even than Gaucho which does at least have one or two tracks ("Glamour Profession", perhaps "Hey, Nineteen") that match the very best from their first five albums.

this is one of the greatest pop rock albums ever produced,and if you only had to buy one steely dan cd,this would be the one to grab.this has several of the steely dan classics on here,such as josie,decon blues,and peg.this is a true masterpiece,from one of the most talented bands to ever come down the pike.great cd.

From the arrangements and lyrics, to the musicians and production, this September 1977 release is simply a stunning technical masterpiece.

The musicians appearing on the album - including Larry Carlton, Lee Ritenour, Wayne Shorter, Tom Scott, Steve Gadd and Chuck Rainey - is a who's who in the jazz and rock fields, with producer Gary Katz perfectly putting together every element from the lengthy sessions, which spanned from January to July 1977.

Peg, Deacon Blues and Josie are superb, with the title track and Black Cow perhaps slightly underrated due to the terrific trio.

Aja is a timeless masterpiece, which any major dude will tell you.

Smooth, rich, almost silky, but never slick. This is the best of Steely Dan. A must for those brandy-in-the-snifter, feet up, after-dinner-with-friends nights. Wonderful!