Loving the insane production on this song. Seriously good and it's obvious a lot of time and talent went into it. Thanks for the suggestions for this and let me know what else you would like me to do!

@mikemorgan5015

9 ай бұрын

This album cost 2 million dollars in 1977. On top of that, Becker and Fagen were anal retentive perfectionists famous for doing literally hundreds of takes until it was right.

Every song off of Aja is a treasure in its own right. Damn straight!

Steely Dan has such high production that "deacon blues" and "hey nineteen" are often used to test the fidelity of studio equipment

Steely Dan is timeless. Trust me when I say you are opening up another Rabbit Hole.

Watching young musicians react to Steely Dan is like validation crack.

@liraloo

3 жыл бұрын

Truth bro.

@StewartUSAF

3 жыл бұрын

You're not wrong, sir.

@lindaweston4482

2 жыл бұрын

True that!!!

in 1977, at over $1 million, Aja was THE most expensive album ever produced. .

@smilerpink

3 жыл бұрын

You can hear every dollar spent. Flawless. Still one of my favorites to this day.

@PogueMahone1

3 жыл бұрын

Until their next album, "Gaucho", which took 20 months and ~$2M to produce. Worth every effin' cent.

@green917

3 жыл бұрын

@@smilerpink mine as well

@busterrabbit

2 жыл бұрын

a bargain at that price!

Aja is one of the greatest albums ever produced in ANY genre.

Can’t go wrong with more of Steely Dan✌🏻

Tim, you absolutely have to react to "Don't Take Me Alive"! The guitar work is FREAKIN' INSANE!

"Uptown baby, uptown baby, we gets down baby, up for the crown baby"

@JeffreyWJeffJones

3 жыл бұрын

Yep. Lord tarique and Peter gunz

Aja their masterpiece all done on tape no pro tools as you said the production values are still top notch one of the best pop / jazz /funk albums ever made !

I was also a hard rock guy BUT after hearing this band with headphones you got to have mad respect for the talent!

If you look at other first reactors when talking about Steely Dan they almost all say, "How do they do this? How can every song I listen to by them be so good?" And being a huge Dan fan, I can tell you they rarely miss. They don't really sound like anyone else. Becker and Fagen are basically the only band members and the rest are the best studio musicians that can be found for each particular song.

You started smiling like somebody flipped a switch., welcome to the rabbit hole known as Steely Dan. Enjoy the ride

Aja - the song that changed a lot of things in music

Aja is considered by many (including a Grammy award) to be the gold standard of music production. Donald and Walter were unrivaled in their abilities to get the absolute best from musicians, instruments, and production equipment.

The Royal Scam album may be SD's strongest guitar-oriented album. Start with the mind-blowing Green Earrings, Kid Charlemagne and Don't Take Me Alive.

You will listen to this band for the rest of your life- guaranteed!!

Earlier Steely Dan (anything from their first five albums) will be the most incredible things you've ever heard.

Steely Dan is their own genre. Its one of those few bands that people who are fans of all genres enjoy. Even your Grandmother loves them. There music touches all genres. Rock, Pop, Jazz, Ragee, Blues, Country. They do it all.

@green917

3 жыл бұрын

My favorite quote about them has always been, "Steely Dan is probably your favorite band's favorite band"

Another great album as far as production is Joni Mitchell - Court and Spark

One of Jimmy Page's favorites! Steely Dan is just TOO phenomenal, to pick out just one. Truly whole catalog VERY GOOD!! Aja is popular classic, but if you want to go DEEP, "Your Gold Teeth" 1&2, "Pearl of the Quarter" and "Kid Charlemagne"!!

Steely Dan’s story is worth learning. First couple albums they were a band who toured. After that, the two principal members, Donald Fagen (vocals, keyboards) and Walter Becker (guitars) stopped touring and made a succession of albums in which they did the writing and arranging but auditioned multiple musicians for each piece of each song. You get a mixture of studio aces as well as better known recording artists (Doobie Brothers vocalist Michael McDonald on backing vocals is an example). Fagen and Becker paid everyone scale and said thanks but little else. Musicians found out if they “made the record” when it came out. “Making” a Steely Dan record became a real feather in the cap. Their music is hybrid of a number of genres (rock, jazz, funk, R&B) and all produced at this insanely high level of quality.

The year I graduated high school - So many other brilliant artists & bands. Just go explore 68-77!

How I wish I could listen to this album again for the first time.

Still holds up? Golden age of music.. won the Grammys that year. When was the last time your keyboardist tuned up before he started. The Beatles white album was 1968. A little production on that one.

Reeling in the years. First and last actually rock song they ever did. Very good.

One of the great things about music is experiencing a great song without any influence or suggestion . You feel like your the only one that realizes the greatness and special feeling listening to it. Music is a great experience

The 70s were full of extremes in music. Extremely awesome musicality... and then disco. Extremely awesome production... and then Sonny and Cher. Extremely stunning songwriting... and then KC and the Sunshine Band. For more of the great production values, you want Boston, anything produced by Alan Parsons (including Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon"), Heart, Jethro Tull, Mannheim Steamroller (if you really don't care about genre), Mike Oldfield... and of course anything by Steely Dan.

That's the first string on Aja. Just run through the whole album. Then branch to the rest. Welcome to one of those albums that for over 30 years shows me something new every single listen.

The title track from Aja. Everything about the song is perfection including the production. Wayne Shorter sax solo and 2 drum solos by Steve Gadd. It doesn't get any better.

Good music never dies. Those horns on the second verse take this to another level. It is hard to believe this came out at the height of both disco and punk.

Yep flippin amazing 1977 my now hubby... Our 1st car cracked opened that 8 track Went driving!!!! Dam we were lucky!!! Ohh god know real talent amazing productions.... ELP, yes , Genesis, Rush of course. Smart Dad!!!! Need to do Aja Cheers

My favourite album of all time...have been listening to it for over forty years !!

I'm trying to think of a bad Steely Dan song. It's been a mission of mine for many years, and I've finally come up with one. It's.... Nah, I'm just pulling your leg. There is no such thing as a bad SD song. For me the keyboard solo on this cut is just such a classic. This SD rabbit hole is deep and rich man. My favorites by them are "Kid Charlemagne", "Aja", "Deacon Blues", the entire "Aja" album, "Hey Nineteen", "Peg", “The Fez”, “Green Earrings”, "Do It Again", "Reelin' In The Years", "Babylon Sisters", "Home At Last", "Dirty Work", "Rikki Don't Lose That Number", "Don't Take Me Alive", "My Old School", "Any Major Dude Will Tell You", and "Doctor WU. Try "Peg" next and go from there. Even how they came up with their name is clever.

Kid Charlemagne, Josie, Hey Nineteen, My Old School

@Trapping_ackbar7

3 жыл бұрын

Love My Old School, such a treasure!

Musical perfection.

Great composition,clever lyrics and an array of top tier musicians. A deep dive is so rewarding. The title track is so good.

Good reaction... and honest too 👍 Another 70s band to checkout would be Supertramp.... these three albums are well worth listening to "Crime Of The Century", "Even In The Quietest Moment" & "Breakfast In America"

This album and Yessongs were essentially my gateway drugs from traditional rock to jazz.

The best musicians in the business! Featuring Victor Feldman on electric piano solo! He's a percussionist too! Quality choice dude!

For some more guitar-oriented tracks by them, check out Chain Lightning, Bodhisattva, Kid Charlemagne or Don’t take me alive 🤘🏻

@sirsuse

3 жыл бұрын

"DON'T TAKE ME ALIVE"

@dberg666

3 жыл бұрын

Kid Charlemagne has one of the coolest solos ever

@sirsuse

3 жыл бұрын

@@dberg666 Yes but "Don't Take Me Alive" is a guitar fest. 😀

@davecoalwood9487

3 жыл бұрын

@@sirsuse Larry at His finest.

@sirsuse

3 жыл бұрын

@@davecoalwood9487 No doubt in my mind.

70's has the best productions

I've loved this since it first came out and its so great to see younger people discovering it!

So many great SD songs to choose from, and the production is consistently top notch. I’d suggest “Green Earrings” next.

What a great introduction to the Steely Brothers

This was played all the time on the rock stations in Chicago when I was 15 in ‘82

A million dollars, more than worth it

it was the first digitally record album ever made.

It's always such a rush to see someone's first reaction to Steely Dan. And man, you picked a wonderful song for your first recorded reaction. I'm anxious to see what else you enjoy, thanks!

LOVE Steely Dan. Their entire catalogue is 🔥 but Green Earrings is my fave track.

There is perfection,then there is Steely Dan perfection. Another level entirely. My favourite band,and i'm a Brit! For guitar,check out Dont Take Me Alive by them. I'm also predominantly a hard rock/metal guy but everyone loves Steely Dan dont they?

Jethro Tull is another Jazz-rock band you might like. The flute playing by Ian Anderson and lead by Martin Barre are outstanding. My God; Thick as a Brick; Locomotive Breath; The Whistler; Velvet Green.

Can’t over-emphasize the studio work of Larry Carlton, dishing out sweet guitar solos on Royal Scam (Kid Charlemagne, Don’t Take Me Alive, Everything You Did and The Royal Scam) and on Aja (guitar on all songs but few solos). And that studio work included his arrangements of Black Cow, Deacon Blues, Aja, and others. He was the connection between Becker and Fagan and the other musicians because he knew what they wanted and since Larry was writing down the music for the players to read, he knew how/what to communicate to both sides. Anyway, that’s what the DVD on the making of Aja says. He was very influential and important to the productions of the albums Katy Lied, Royal Scam, Aja and Gaucho, the best of SD.

Thoughtful analysis. Still incredible after all these years. Thank you Yuma, AZ.

In general, I believe the majority of music in the 60's, 70's and 80's was high end production as opposed to a lot of the music coming out in later years. This is mainly because the music was produced by people who actually were trained to produce. When I think of 70's music, I think of high end production. This continued into the 80's.

All Dan has a purpose. Hear em all.

This entire album is still used to test studio monitors and studios to this day. That’s how proper the mix and master was. Decades ago? Donald and Walter are absolute legends!

Go down the rabbit hole you'll be amazed. Timeless groves with some really heavy tunes!

I sold this the day it came out. Not a single bad cut on the LP.

Uptown, Baby! This song was sampled for Uptown. The Dan are the best. They worked a lot with guitar great, Larry Carlton.

This record, along with The Nightfly (donald fagen, half of steely dan) is often used to test out PA systems. Keep diggin into Steely Dan - some of the best jazz/rock youll ever hear with some crazy ass guitar solos!

understated but perfect backup vocals

Just keep going with this album...the title track is absolute perfection, it's one of the Dan's best. Deacon Blues is another masterpiece, as is Peg, Josie, etc... And then hit the Countdown to Ecstasy album - Boston Rag, Razor Boy, Your Gold Teeth, Show Biz Kids...they are the best. And check out the guitar solo on Green Earrings...holy crap.

LOVE Steely Dan !! Try some "Fusion Jazz. May I suggest - Jeff Beck "Freeway Jam", Stanley Clarke "Rock & Roll Jelly" and "All Hell Broke Loose", and, Ramsey Lewis/ Earth, Wind, and Fire "Sun Goddess" ? The Ramsey Lewis cut will teleport you into another dimension :-)

@4:31 a lotta musicians have been there “Shit I’ll never be that smooth”

Their are a few great producers from that time period of ‘70’s. Allan Parsons has credit as an 18 Y.O. Engineer on the Beatles Abbey Road album. He went on to produce “ Dark Side of The Moon” for Pink Floyd. Alan also has IMO a must listen to album from his Allan Parsons Project group “i Robot “ As far as production values in a time without pro tools, these are albums that you may find interesting. Steely Dan’s perfectionist ways and volume of time and takes and musicianship are King IMO. When you’re done with “Aja” checkout “Royal Scam” and “Gaucho”. You can see their evolution from earlier albums with a great and steady lineup, including Denny Diaz( a personal favorite), til it was Donald Fagan and Walter Becker along with some of the greatest jazz musicians of all time. To many to name, but my favorites guitarists include Larry Carlton, Lee Ritenour, Denny Diaz, Walter Becker, Jay Graydon, and Dean Parks. Bass guitar Chuck Rainey and a few I’m forgetting. Drums Steve Gadd, Bernard “ Pretty” Purdey. Keyboards and Vibraphone Victor Feldman, Sax players Wayne Shorter and Tom Scott. Vocalists David Palmer ( who sang leads on Steely Dans first album. Background Vocalists who included Michael McDonald, Timothy B. Schmidt.and a ton more I can’t remember.

I have loved Steely Dan ever since they came out many years ago. They are perfect mix of jazz and pop. So many great songs that are timeless.

Production just a part of the genius. Some of the most unique and varied pop songwriting. Story telling and sound scaping and atmosphere conjuring and amazing singing and arranging and musicianship

Steely Dan?!? 😍 Oh, I am so here for this! ☺️ Cool Beans! 🤔 Your dad was right! 🤯 They sound like the record Live too. Blessed to see the yearly SD Residency shows at the Beacon Theater in NYC. 🎷 A different Album throughout Oct. 😒 'Greatest Hits' night always sells out first. AJA is always the 1st Album up! I usually do 5pkg night and more if I can work some of the shows. 😔 RIP Walter Becker #FunFact 🎸 Walter produced 3 Albums for my friends China Crisis who I still work with when they hit the East Coast. 😏🐰 #ENRGYZRBunny

THE power of real musicians,excellent vocals , insane and precise production, versus digital machines, and digital keyboards, and auto tune! THIS holds up because it was a fine example of true talent! CAN NOT go wrong with STEELY DAN! AWESOME!, is an understatement!

React to DO IT AGAIN. My fave Steely Dan song

Listen to the guitar work on Steely Dan's songs Kid Charlamagne and Don't Take Me Alive. Both are played by session-guy Larry Carlton and considered possibly the finest guitar solos in rock music for the way they incorporate jazz licks and themes into mainstream rock music.

This should sound great, they hired the best studio session musicians around to record it

Kid Charlemagne!

Jinjer teacher teacher production is fucken good

Kid Charlemagne is great. You should read about the song too. Very interesting story-line. AND of course Babylon Sisters!

I like Becker's comment on this song, "defies categorization"

"aja" is a phenomenal album and my fave of Steely's.

70s music, with regard to what you’re saying, check it out. My father was a blues guitarist and my mom a singer, jazz- they had killer music playing all the time when I was a kid

One of the very few alums that far back that I still listen to in it's entirety.

The album Aja is a masterpiece possibly the greatest album made production musician ship Musicality

If you want to hear a Steely Dan song with a great guitar solo, listen to "Reelin' In The Years". Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin mentioned it as one of his favorite solos to listen to.

TIM, Please Please react to "Don't Take Me Alive". I promise you won't be disappointed.

Have a listen to Gino Vanelli Brother to Brother, also seventies track. Great song, outstanding musicians and pay special attention to Carlo Rios with his unbelievable guitarsolo.

Gee,dads got it together junior lol kindest regards

Melody, harmony, soul and top production.

Great reaction. Steely Dan does not have one bad song. Please do more. Try Kid Charlemagne. Its a banger.

Thanks for reacting to one of the best songs of my lifetime! You are definitely right about not restricting yourself to a genre! Good music is timeless.

Kid Charlemagne has one of the greatest guitar solos ever.

I listen to reaction channels all day long because of my work allows me to have that luxury and I have to tell you since I’ve discovered your channel what I love about what you do is simply how much you love music and you can see that you have no prejudice about music so and your format is amazing the way you allow the song to play out you interject a couple comments so whatever you were doing just keep doing it because the way you have it set up is perfect at least in my opinion

Got to listen to "FM" by Steely Dan!!

Keep it going. "Aja"! They probably spent 2 months on just this track. Probably ripped through 5 sax players to get just the right sound.

@sooutrageous007

3 жыл бұрын

The saxaphonist, Tom Scott was THE sax player on this song and actually arranged all the horn charts for Aja. IMO: Black Cow's outro features one of the most soulful sax solos in recording history. So outrageous, indeed.

@lewismaddox4132

3 жыл бұрын

@@sooutrageous007, who would have thought? Steely Dan, going overboard on quality... Live and learn.

great react - thanks

The title track of that album, Aja, and their song King Of The World are my two favorite Steely Dan tracks.

I was mesmerized by the bass and the drums the first year of the album's release!

Many consider Aja Steely Dan's peak album. If that is true, I would throw in the two albums bracketing it: The Royal Scam and Gaucho as a real sweet section of their catalog. As a guitarist, I suspect you might favor the Royal scam as it's one of their best guitar-heavy albums. I've noticed others have recommended Kid Charlemagne. I'll side with them and point out that Larry Carlton's work on it is masterclass. Here's the skinny on the song: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kid_Charlemagne Best. Leo.

This was released in 1977. Yet i remember being in Tokyo in December 1976 and seeing this album for sale somewhere. Is that possible?

Peg is my favorite Steely Dan. Definitely the most poppy. OH, and Reelin' in the Years.

Fun reaction. At 5:46, you start talking just as Shorter blows one of the coolest sax licks ever. Go back and listen. Enjoyed it. Welcome to the deep and immensely satisfying SD rabbit hole.