This is MY old school music...it takes me back baby!!!

I'm listening to it this morning contemplating on giving it away because it had been a while since I heard it. The only song I really like is "Peg" because it always lifts me up when I am feeling down. However I find that some of their songs are gem classics that I have heard but had no idea that they sung them.
The first two songs I don't care for. The third song "Babylon Sisters" is okay. From the fourth song and afterwards, the CD starts to pick up with me. This is a good CD to have and listen to. I will keep it in my collection. I would have liked to give it 4 and 1/2 stars but a whole four stars is going to be the rating.

Only flaws here is that NOT all of the charted hits are included, and the mastering is somewhat low and all over the place. Good package for the price!

This cd contains, in my opinion, Steely Dan's best songs. It takes me back to the early 70's, which I seem to be stuck in. Takes me back to high school and the years right after high school.

I have lots of music but realized I had no Steely Dan for some reason and I like their sound so I wanted just one Steely Dan to fill this gap this worked perfect for me. I very much like almost all of this cd.

Few musicians have the ability of blending jazz textures within a rock context, and then put in some pop flavor instead of showing off (which is a normal tendency when you mix jazz and rock). That's what Becker & Fagen, 2 gifted musicians, did. And the results are unique: from the subtle changes of time signatures in "Deacon Blues", a monster of a song with sax solos and brass and wind sections appearing here and there, and great bass lines; the straight rock and roll of "Bodhisattva", with a duel of keyboard and guitar solos; the latin percussion that opens "Do It Again", not as raw as Santana's and more elegant; the rocking tunes "Black Friday" and "Reeling In the Years", showcasing great vocal harmonies in the chorus, steady drumming and killer guitars; the minimal feeling of "Rikki Don't Lose That Number", with its commanding piano; and the melancholy of "Bad Sneakers".
Music like this, very well crafted and executed, is not done anymore in this days of other musical styles with no substance. A big pity. But, those who were fortunate to listen to it in its heyday, don't forget them; and for those who don't know about (specially the kids), it's time to show them. And this record, a fine compilation originally in vinyl and now on CD, is a great starter for it.
My respects for Steely Dan, master of masters of great music.

I've always been an unabashed fan of Steely Dan and would highly recommend this compilation as an excellent summary of their works. I have found that the vast output of Steely Dan is all encompassing and there's so much to delve into.

Professionals in the strictest sense of the word, Steely Dan implemented unparalleled precision in their production and studiocraft coupled with excellent lyricism. Every song from "A Decade of Steely Dan" shines and serves as a great way to acquaint oneself with their work. Nice modern jazz inflected flourishes abound amidst rock overtones and groovy wordplay.

Snarky at times and incisive as well as articulate; "The Dan" can weave a tale from a myriad of elements and carry it off with aplomb. Singer Donald Fagen also has some interesting solo works of his own worth pursuing. Every track on this release is superb - check it out.

'A decade of Steely Dan' was the first compilations designed for CD, and was intended to showcase at least 1 song from each of the band's previous albums.
This album provides a good overview of Steely Dan's career, making this disc a very good introduction to the innovative Jazz-Rock group.

It is also 'a good to own' CD for any Steely Dan's fan who wants to hear great songs chosen from 8 different albums.

Steely Dan has been offering up interesting jazzy and bluesy fare for more than a generation. It's truly a lovable cacophony of sound whose timely dissonance is predictable for the band, whose very LA accents and references are a weathervane of musical esoteric perfection. We have the two classics, Rikki Don't Lose That Number and Deacon Blues in this collection, both of which are indicative of a rock/jazz marriage and quirky lyrics that have catergorized this group since day one. Steely Dan is a pacesetter, the inside track entry in any contemporary rock collection. This particular album is some of the best music that Steely Dan has put out and highly recommended for those of us who are diletantes of jazz or purveyors of rock.

Jay R Adler Massapequa, NY

They did such a great job re-mastering this album! The original CD was so flat. This one has so much range that really brings out the instruments and background vocals. You definately want to replace your old CD with this one.

First, East St. Louis Tootle-Oo seems like a random pick, but it's a good song just the same.
Anyway, this is one of the many Steely Dan comps on the market. Show Biz Kids, Best of Steely Dan, Gold, Then And Now, Reelin' in the Years, and this one. Although Show Biz Kids is by far the best. This is still good. The question is, DO YOU NEED THIS? If you're new, and on a budget or want just their best-known songs, go here. It's balanced, unlike Show Biz Kids. Each album is represented by two songs except, unfortunately, Royal Scam, only given one (Kid Charlemagne).
The main problem is it doesn't dig very deep at all. The choices are completely obvious (Do It Again, Reelin' in the Years, My Old School, Rikki Don't Lose That Number, Peg, Hey Nineteen), and Peg isn't all that good in the first place. Not even compilation standards such as Show Biz Kids, Doctor Wu, Fez, Haitian Divorce and Pretzel Logic made it. And that's not even skimming the surface of the treasure trove that is the Steely Dan's catalouge.
If you want just the big hits, go here, but if you want something a little more, get Show Biz Kids or just BUY THE FREAKING ALBUMS!

This is certainly a better one-disc selection than the "Greatest Hits" package, but if you're a fan who need a best-of, the 2 disc set titled "Show-Biz Kids" is far and away the bettter option.

Regardless of whether you like the oldies or just like music, this album shows how far ahead of their time Steely Dan was. There isn't one bad song in the entire collection. Some song writers write good lyrics, some write good music but Donald Fagen does both extremely well. I also recommend Donald Fagen's KAMAKIRIAD.

This band is amazing - and the collection of tunes on this Cd is a perfect introduction to Steely Dan.
I hardly knew anything about them and picked up this CD by coincidence -it's been in heavy rotation for about a week and I recently got the "Citizen Steely Dan" 4 Cd package.
Trust me, once you get used to their sound, this band is going to stay in your head for weeks.
The music heard in this collection incorporates so many different musical styles, which is what makes Steely Dan so unique and so approachable to even the most casual of music fans. There's so much to listen to, it never seems to be get boring: the lyrics are insightful and ironic and the musicians are extremely talented both in backing the vocalists and in their solos. Overall, this band is truly unique.
Get this album if you like classic rock, jazz, rhythm and blues, and even old school hip hop.

I am a huge Steely Dan fan and I don't really like the song selection on this one disc compilation. The music on this disc doesn't even fill up the 80 minutes on a CD. I think that a more reasonable one disc SD compilation would look like this:

1. Do it Again
2. Dirty Work
3. Reelin' in the Years
4. Bodhisattva
5. Show Biz Kids
6. My Old School
7. Rikki Don't Lose that Number
8. Pretzel Logic
9. Black Friday
10. Bad Sneakers
11. Kid Charlemagne
12. Don't Take Me Alive
13. The Fez
14. Black Cow
15. Peg
16. Josie
17. FM
18. Hey Nineteen

Yes, all that can fit on one disc! Putting "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo" on here is ridiculous, and not including Josie, Dirty Work, and The Fez is simply unnacceptable.

For those that were in the likes of Outkast, Chicago, Simply Red, Tribe Called Quest, Kanye West, Miles Davis, Barry White, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Kool and the Gang, Jon B., Alicia Keys, John Coltrane, Ronny Jordan, Norman Brown, Boz Scaggs, The Doobie Brothers and others, you must include this to go into your music collection.

Matter of it is I love Steely Dan and I'm a huge fan to them from the beginning. I first started off w/ the song "Peg" which is my all-time favorite and I started singing and then after that, I started listening to their entire compilation I never heard of. Once I became a fan to SD, I knew they had an album coming out which was 2000's "Two Against Nature" and soon inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I was blessed that they'll go in rock history.

The group never had a problem mixed a lotta styles of music they grew up on for instance Donald Fagen (who is the keyboardist and lead member of the group, and now a talented solo artist and a good saxophone player), also had his style like others to Daryl Hall of Hall and Oates, Miles Davis, Barry White and others w/ a good groove and talented message. And there came his partner Walter Becker (the 2nd and last member of the group that plays guitar, piano, keyboards, bass and everything) is always hot on his solos and everything. One thing I like about Steely Dan is that they do an instrumental break on every song and album they did after singing from verse to verse or whatever. Pretty amazing.

Long story short, they formed in '72 or '71 and first founded the group off a lunch box from a porn movie or something. May have to lookup their history a little bit more. I actually love all of their greatest hits they did which was amazing.

Favorite songs I like are: F.M. (the theme song to the movie), Black Friday (kinda reminds me of Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue" or Duke Ellington of course), Babylon Sisters, Deacon Blues, Hey Nineteen (that's one of my old school song w/ nice feel to it), Peg, Kid Charlegmagne, Bodhisitavva, Do It Again and the remake of Duke Ellington's classic "East St. Louis Toodle-Loo".

That's all I can think of at this moment. But I recommend this for fans of John Mayer, Outkast, Kanye West, Common, The Roots, Maroon 5, Stevie Wonder, Brand New Heavies, Miles Davis, Jon B., Simply Red, Nelly, Twista, Guru, Brand New Heavies, Jamiroquai, and others.

I've been listening to Steely Dan since the early 80's. They have a sound unlike any other group, which is what attracted me to their music. It sounds like jazz, but at the same time, the soft rock that hippies used to listen to when getting high.
Sometimes the lyrics don't even make sense to me, but I love it anyway.

Steely Dan, a definitive soft rock/ jazz rock group, have had a lot of greatest hits/ best of compilations released over the years with a lot of recycling of the same tracks. "A Decade of Steely Dan" was originally released in 1985, & it manages to somewhat stand apart from other Dan compilations such as "Gold" and the 1978 "Greatest Hits". With Steely Dan's 1972-1980 output being, in general, so astonishingly consistent and filled with brilliant songs, plus the fact that their biggest hits do tend to rank among their best work, it's pretty hard to screw things up when assembling a Steely Dan greatest hits/ best of. The tracks on "Decade" are not presented in chronological order, however there is at least one track from each of their '72-'80 albums, & with the track selection being as as strong as it is, this is a great listen and an effective overview of their career. The only inclusion that's particularly questionable is the Duke Ellington/ Bubber Miley-penned instrumental "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo"--yes, I like it, & it's certainly clever, but it's a questionable choice when such total Dan classics as "Any Major Dude Will Tell You", "Any World (That I'm Welcome To)", and "Haitian Divorce", among many others, are missing in action. Still, like I said, this is an effective overview of a band who had boundless creativity when it came to sophisticated, arresting compositions. The thing that really sets this compilation apart is that it contains a version of the soundtrack tune "FM" that has a haunting, extended song-ending guitar solo passage from Walter Becker; this is the only Steely Dan CD I know of that contains this superior version of this classic song--the "Citizen" box set, the 2 CD "Show Biz Kids" set, and the aforementioned "Gold" CD all contain the inferior version that ends with an extended sax solo instead. Also, the musician/ performance credits for each individual track are a solid bonus. With a band like Steely Dan, obviously there's a lot more you need than just what's on this disc, but still, it's filled with great songs and is an effective compilation.

(P.S. Somewhere along the line the "A Decade of Steely Dan" CD was indeed re-released ("original recording remastered" as they say), but the packaging remained extremely similar. The sound quality on the older version certainly isn't BAD, so it's a solid bargain if you see it around for a couple bucks somewhere. I wouldn't recommend spending a LOT more for this newer version.)

Steely Dan is so awesome, there has never been such an orginal group.

this is a classic set of music.

Donald Fagan never really went away and you may be aware of the more recent successes. As for this compilation, it covers all the basic hits. I saw Steely Dan (which I understand started out as "Ultimate Spinach") opening for the then-big Bread (David Gates) after "Reeling in the Years" and Do It Again". Such focus. You would think they were lipsynching but no! I've had this compilation a long time and highly recommend it. I an still see them on stage; they were great.

A truly comprehensive must-have Steely Dan collection would fill two or, more likely, three CDs. It's just impossible to cram all the vital cuts from the Dan's career onto one disc. But this one has the major American hits (excepting Grammy-winner "Cousin Dupree" from their later Two Against Nature album...though I can't really say it was a "hit"; really, the Academy was just guiltily giving the Dan their long long long long long overdue statuettes). It's well-sequenced and it sounds great.

Recommended for the casual Steely Dan fan, or for a friend who's only heard a few tunes in passing. There's enough here to further whet your appetite if you've got one. If you already know you like all these songs, go straight to the Citizen Steely Dan box set.

Collectors take note: There are two versions of the song "F.M." The one on this disc ends with a guitar solo, whereas the version on Steely Dan Gold and Citizen Steely Dan ends with a sax solo. Both are great.

This album is a wonderful laid-back compilation of the incredible sounds of Steely Dan from 1972 to 1981, which graced so many parties and poolside sunbathing during the Golden Age of the 1970's and beyond.

Each song runs nicely into the next, as jazzy melodies, or rythymmed disco hits.

My personal favorites are F.M (1978), Bodhisattva (1980), Deacon Blues (1978), Hey Nineteen (1980), Rikki Don't Lose That Number (1974) and the classic Reelin' In The Years (1972).
This is classic modern jazz at it's very best, and some of the best music of it's time.
Always with that funky, glorious 70's feel.

If you like the hits , here they are, nothing more needs to be said of these jazz rock giants, I love this CD, listen to it all the time. Great band with a great sound. Higly Recommended....

A Decade of Steely Dan is a great album The songs are fun, energetic and clean sounding. This album would be a great starter for anyone who was not familiar with the music or had not listened to Steely Dan in a while. I enjoyed listening to this album and it brought me great joy and fond memories of my childhood. Thank you for writing such great songs Anita McCollum

This band has so much good material, I don't know how you would come up with a greatest of - other than throw together the songs that seemed to get airplay - but if you're looking for a good sampler, then you've found it....

The later released 2-disc set "Show Biz Kids" was for the fan who wasn't ready for a relationship, yet still wanted a lesson in the musical tapestry of Steely Dan...but "A Decade Of" is strictly for the listener who wants only the radio favorites and none of the details. These 14 songs document Steely Dan's first era before their 1980 dissolution, with two tracks from each album, except "The Royal Scam" which is only represented by one. If you don't want a musical commitment, or are on a very tight musical budget, "A Decade of Steely Dan" is for you. You'll get the hits and steal a small glimpse at the minds of their creators, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen; the pop of 'FM,' 'Babylon Sisters,' 'Peg,' and the gutters of 'Black Friday' and 'Kid Charlemagne' will still teach you something.

A DECADE OF STEELY DAN is precisely nine years of the band's hit songs. The songs contained herein were recorded between 1972 and 1980. All the songs were previously released. The only non-album track,before this album,is FM,from the movie of the same name. The weird sounding band's first hit was DO IT AGAIN from 1972's CAN'T BUY A THRILL which was their debut. That song isn't really weird because unlike many others,there are no out-of-key chords or frequent key changes. The same applies to MY OLD SCHOOL from '73. BLACK FRIDAY is cool. But it makes no reference to the day after Thanksgiving. BODHISATTVA is OK also. Future Doobie Brother Michael McDonald sings background on BAD SNEAKERS,KID CHARLEMAGNE and PEG. In addition to PEG,from the AJA album is DEACON BLUES. From 1980's GAUCHO,the band's last album before disbanding for the next 20 years is BABYLON SISTERS and HEY NINETEEN. Also from CAN'T BUY A THRILL is REELING IN THE YEARS which is not weird also. All the other songs are good. This collection could have used Donald Fagen's 1982 solo hit I.G.Y. It would have truly been A DECADE OF STEELY DAN with I.G.Y. Also the collection could have used JOSIE and TIME OUT OF MIND. RIKKI DON'T LOSE THAT NUMBER from 1974's PRETZEL LOGIC is great. Steely Dan was reformed in 2000 and since then released two more albums. This album is on the MCA label just like GAUCHO.

As a four year old in 1974, one of the first songs I remember hearing is "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" while riding in the car. So basically, since I was a preschooler, Steely Dan has been an integral part of my life. This compilation is not a bad place to start for those who have had the misfortune of not being into the Dan (can life actually be good without Donald and Walter's music?!). Some of the key songs are here, and it's probably the best place to get the amazing "FM." Jeff Porcaro's drum groove on this song is mindblowing. Otherwise, you could find the out of print "Gold" CD (which also has the great "Here at the Western World."). This CD is a good one to take in the car when you can only have one CD with you, and the sound of course is exceptional. Maybe if you're good, someone will stuff your stocking with this baby this year and you can actually begin LIVING instead of existing!!

Several excellent tracks but how could the following be omitted:
"Rose Darling"; "The Royal Scam" (especially "The Royal Scam"); and "Katy Lied". Still, it is overall a good collection.

A great compilation from an innovative rock band, this disc loses a star for what is not included, namely "Josie" and "Dirty Work." What remains still makes for top-notch listening. "Deacon Blues" has always had a special place in my heart.

steely dan creates some of the best music around they are pure geniouses they aren't for everybody but there soft music is melded with great lyrics and melodies that will keep everybody wanting more

Though I really don't know why, this is a really good CD. I've only given one of the 14 tracks an excellent rating, but fully nine tracks get really good ratings. Three more get good ratings and only one gets an OK rating. If I try to deconstruct each song into its lyrics and type of music, I ought to not like this CD at all. However, maybe because the music came out in my college days, taken as a whole, I like darn near everything. My specific track ratings are:

1. F.M. -- 4 Stars
2. Black Friday -- 2 Stars
3. Babylon Sisters -- 3 Stars
4. Deacon Blues -- 4 Stars
5. Bodhisattva -- 4 Stars
6. Hey Nineteen -- 4 Stars
7. Do It Again -- 5 Stars
8. Peg -- 4 Stars
9. Rikki Don't Lose That Number -- 4 Stars
10. Reeling In The Years -- 3 Stars
11. East St. Louis Toodle -- 4 Stars
12. Kid Charlemagne -- 3 Stars
13. My Old School -- 4 Stars
14. Bad Sneakers -- 4 Stars

There is in fact an issue of the early "Greatest Hits" compilation in print on CD right now. But, it's only avaible as a pricy import.
Anywho, this is just a groovy sampler of their years between 1972-1980. What keeps this from becoming a 5 star CD is the missing songs "Dirty Work", "Josie", and "Aja". In this, there is only "Kid Charlemagne" from their brillent, yet underrated recording of The Royal Scam. Indeed, what is going on with the annoying "Babylon Sisters"? Otherwise, this is a great way for beginners to listen to one of the most innovtive and artistic musicians selection of catchier compositions. From the tight R&B/Jazz "FM" to the ending with a high note on the sweet "Bad Sneakers". This is for those who who need a good introduction of this band and are willing to try some real talent when image didn't matter to sell good recordings. Also get the masterpiece "Aja" and Donald Fagan's brillant debut as a solo artist "the Nightfly". Rock on!

No composers, no lyricists, can match the brilliance of Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. Collectively, they kick... From Can't Buy a Thrill, to 2VN, they are simply, purely-
the acme
the apex
the better
the best.

You know you're in trouble when a greatest hits album is dull. But then Steely Dan's obsession with studio perfection and fascination with Jazz clichés is not exactly the stuff of greatness. In fact, I would argue that given Dan's obsessions, it would be impossible for them to be any good, but they did have a few good tracks. If you are interested, this might be the place for you to start, but I recommend CAN'T BUY A THRILL, it's not a great album either, but it's probably the best album this band ever put out.