The 500 - #146 - Aja - Steely Dan

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by New York-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: #146
Album Title: Aja

Artist: Steely Dan

Genre: Jazz Rock, Pop Rock, "Yacht Rock?", Art Rock

Recorded: Multiple Studios in New York City & Los Angeles

Released: September, 1977

My age at release: 12
How familiar was I with it before this week: Quite

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #63, rising 83 places
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Black Cow

 

INTRODUCTION

This week, I am delighted to welcome back my friend Heather Keep to guest blog for one of her favourite records of all time, Aja, by Steely Dan. Heather has been part of my musical journey since high school and we have both influenced and celebrated each other’s tastes. She previously posted on #The500Blog back in January, 2021, for another Steely Dan record, Pretzel Logic. You can read that here.

SOME BACKGROUND

Aja is the sixth studio record from American rock band Steely Dan. Released in 1977, it’s a smooth, sophisticated blend of jazz, rock, and pop that showcases the band’s obsession with perfection. The album features complex arrangements, top-tier session musicians, and cryptic lyrics that reward repeat listens. Steely Dan was formed by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen in 1971. The pair became legendary for their studio wizardry, meticulous focus on perfection and dry wit. They also refused to tour for much of their career, in part because of stage fright, but also because the level of precision captured on the records was impossible to replicate at a live performance.  

Aja is often cited as a cornerstone of the “yacht rock” genre, a catchall term coined in 2005 by comedy writers J.D. Ryznar, Hunter Stair and David Lyons for their satirical web series of the same name. The series humorously chronicled the careers of soft rock icons such as Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins and Steely Dan, retroactively defining a genre that had never been named during its heyday in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Enjoy Heather’s post

The Neural Bond: Why Steely Dan Still Defines Us

I've recently come to understand more thoroughly the scientific reasons for my enduring love and appreciation of Steely Dan's music. There's a neurochemical explanation for why our brains form such unbreakable attachments to the music of our youth—bonds that remain strong well into adulthood and simply don't weaken over time. In a sense, our brains stay permanently wired to the artists and songs of our formative years. We almost have no choice in the matter.

My sister Allison and I after a piano recital, circa 1978, right around
the time Aja was on the radio and playing at home.

My logical self finds this idea fascinating, while other parts are uncomfortable with the determinism of it. It's well known that when we listen to music, our brains release neurotransmitters, like dopamine, that create feelings of pleasure and reward. While this is true at every stage of life, the years from 12 to 22 are significant because of the accelerated development of our brains. Our capacity for neuroplasticity is at its peak during these years and coupled with the heightened emotions and first-time experiences of adolescence, musical connections are forged like steel. We are becoming ourselves at this time as the music of our youth literally defines us.  

This also explains why I have low tolerance for today's popular music charts, with a few exceptions. Rather, I find myself really leaning into new music, trying to secure some mental real estate for that sweet spot that came so easily as a youth. Inevitably, I retreat to my favourites. Reflecting on these neurological facts now, it's clear to me why I still love Steely Dan. I wrote about my youth and introduction to Steely Dan in a previous blog (link here).  

Album cover for Steely Dan's Pretzel Logic (#386 on The 500)

Aja: The Pursuit of Sonic Perfection

Aja, released in 1977 as Steely Dan's second-to-last album, maintains its reputation as an exquisite production today. I doubt we'll ever hear a remastering by Donald Fagan -- the quest for sonic perfection achieved by him and Walter Becker stands as a benchmark that audio engineers still use to test fidelity. Production quality aside, the music feels expansive, enveloping listeners in its sophisticated jazz-rock rhythms. Steve Gadd's famous drum solo on the title track inspired a generation of drummers, while Wayne Shorter's tenor saxophone solo on the same piece is simply outrageous -- gorgeous in its complexity and range.

Steely Dan is Walter Becker (left) and Donald Fagen.

Beyond the Yacht Rock Myth

Steely Dan has been unfairly credited as a progenitor of "Yacht Rock," if we can even call it a genre. The band's sonic evolution is remarkable: listen to Reelin' in the Years from Can't Buy a Thrill (1972), then follow it with Don't Take Me Alive from The Royal Scam (1976), and you'll hear how their sound was developing -- not yet as fusion-oriented as Aja, but clearly evolving. But Yacht Rock? The vast majority of Steely Dan's catalog doesn't fit that narrative of Michael McDonald harmonies and Fender Rhodes pianos. Keyboardist Michael Omartian actually said his piano work on Rikki Don't Lose That Number from Pretzel Logic (1974)  was in a country style -- decidedly pre-Yacht Rock territory.

The truth is that Aja represented Fagen and Walter Becker finally achieving what they'd always wanted to do -- write songs like the title track Aja with complex chord progressions, unique melodies, and the freedom to experiment. Their earlier commercial successes provided the creative license to bring together premium jazz and fusion musicians for the recording. This is why you won't see the same band members on every track -- the musicians changed according to the writers' and producers' evolving tastes and inspirations.

 

The Full Experience

The best way to experience this record is through a high-quality vintage vinyl pressing on the best system you can access, preferably with excellent headphones. While I don't consider myself an audiophile, I appreciate descriptions like "tubey magical midrange" and "tight punchy bass" that vintage record sellers use to capture what makes these Aja pressings special.

If you haven't already, I encourage you to give Aja a proper listen. Maybe you'll find that neural sweet spot and form a new bond with the legendary Steely Dan and create fresh pathways of neural nostalgia to cherish for years to come.

 

The 500 - #147 - Surrealistic Pillow - Jefferson Airplane

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by New York-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: #147
Album Title: Surrealistic Pillow

Artist: Jefferson Airplane

Genre: Folk Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Acid Rock

Recorded: RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, California, USA

Released: February, 1967

My age at release: 1
How familiar was I with it before this week: Several Songs

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #471, dropping 324 places
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: White Rabbit

In 2004, the hottest show on television was Lost, a mystery-adventure drama about plane crash survivors stranded on a mysterious island. As they struggled to survive, each episode revealed their past through strategically placed flashback sequences, deepening the intrigue surrounding both the characters and the island’s secrets. By the winter break that year I, along with 35 million North American viewers, was hooked. In a time before streaming services, it was appointment viewing -- Wednesdays at 8 p.m.. When reruns began airing during the winter, I started recording episodes with the goal of building a multi-curricular unit around Season One for middle school children.

The following spring, I work-shopped my newly created Lost Unit with my Grade 8 class, and, as expected, they were riveted. Their enthusiasm carried into every reading, writing, math, science and discussion activity, creating a level of engagement unlike anything I’d seen in my first decade of teaching. I used their feedback to refine the unit, and later drew on that experience to complete my Master’s Degree in Education, which I began in the fall of 2006.

As the Lost Unit expanded in both scope and structure, I became increasingly fascinated by how deeply students connected with the series and its characters. They were captivated by the mysteries and hyper-focused on subtle details hidden throughout each episode, often referencing clues, debunking red herrings and reveling in plot twists with remarkable insight. This engagement translated into noticeable improvements in their writing, speaking, and critical thinking skills.

My Master’s research focused on student engagement, particularly among 12 - 14 year-olds. At the time, I believed I had stumbled upon something revolutionary and was feeling pretty confident that I would reveal groundbreaking revelations to the education community. However, I was quickly disabused of that notion when I discovered the work of Kieran Egan, a professor of education at Simon Fraser University. Egan had already articulated many of the ideas I was exploring, especially through his theory of Imaginative Education. His collection of essays, Children’s Minds, Talking Rabbits & Clockwork Oranges, became a cornerstone of my studies. I devoured Egan’s body of work, recognizing in his writing the theoretical foundation for what I had observed in my classroom.

In summary, Lost fits many of the touchstones of imaginative learning highlighted in his essays. The show was rich in the things pre-teen and teen learners are cognitively designed to connect with, including:

• Compelling Storytelling
• Mystery and Wonder
• Emotionally Engaging Characters
• Symbolism and Metaphor
• Cross Curricular Connections
• Philosophical and Ironic Thinking

Unravelling the mysteries in each episode of Lost could even begin with the episode titles, which I used to prompt discussion and prediction. One of my favourites was Episode 4, White Rabbit, which is also the title of the tenth track on this week’s record, Surrealistic Pillow, by Jefferson Airplane -- a psychedelic-folk rock band from San Francisco whom I discussed in my April, 2021 post. White Rabbit is one of Jefferson Airplane’s biggest hits and is ranked at #455 in Rolling Stone Magazine’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (2021) as well as their song Somebody To Love from the same album. The latter sits at #274.

Airplane and the episode of Lost borrowed the term White Rabbit from the well known novel Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, published in 1865 by author Charles Dodgson (under the pen name Lewis Carroll), The “children’s book” follows the title character, Alice, who chases a white rabbit into an imaginative world filled with whimsical characters, unpredictable adventure and playful language. However, it is also filled with philosophical ideas, puzzles (logical and illogical) and satirical commentary on Victorian society.

The episode of Lost, with the same name, centers on a key protagonist, Jack, who is haunted by visions of his deceased father. He chases visions through the jungle, much like Alice chasing the rabbit. The title and theme reflect Jack’s internal struggle with leadership, grief, and identity, and also mark the beginning of his heroic journey in the series.

In White Rabbit, a physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted, Jack discusses
leadership and the pursuit of "ghosts" with fellow castaway, John Locke.

A psychedelic classic, this week’s playlist selection, White Rabbit, uses imagery from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to explore themes of curiosity, altered perception and rebellion against conformity. As you might imagine, the exploration of the episode title from Lost can lead down a a veritable "rabbit hole" of discussion topics. This provides a teacher with plenty of options to connect students with classic literature, poetry, and literary devices -- including symbolism and metaphor. It is also a perfect place to discuss the pitfalls and risks of recreational drug use from the Ontario Health Curriculum.

Jack, middle, is pressed to make a leadership decision about the
dwindling water supply in the fourth episode of Lost; White Rabbit

Eventually, I built the Lost Unit into an eight-week syllabus and presented it to educators in my board and Ontario. It has been used by dozens of teachers and has been delivered to thousands of Grade 7 & 8 students. In fact, it has spread so far that I sometimes meet educators who, while we are discussing lesson plans, excitedly tell me about it -- not realizing that I am the author.

I’ve taken a break from the unit over the past two years. I was getting a little tired of delivering some of the lessons and my best teaching happens when I am deeply engaged in the material. However, I am debating a reworking of the lessons and activities for the upcoming school year. If there is an educator reading this post and is interested in the unit, feel free to reach out – tv14101@tvdsb.ca . It is fun to present the unit at the same time as another class so that students can share their writing in the same way I share this blog -- to an authentic audience.

The 500 - #147 - Deja Vu - Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by New York-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: #148
Album Title: Deja Vu

Artist: Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young

Genre: Folk Rock 

Recorded: Wally Heider Studios, California, USA

Released: March, 1970

My age at release: 4
How familiar was I with it before this week: Quite

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #220, dropping 72 places
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Helpless

There was a time when a weekday road trip from London, Ontario, to Toronto, just 190 kilometres away, felt like a perfectly reasonable idea. Back in the late ‘90s, my friends and I would clock out at 4:00 in the afternoon, pile into someone’s marginally reliable vehicle, and cruise down the 401 highway with just enough time to grab a bite before a concert or sporting event. The show would wrap up around 11:00, and we’d be back in London by 1:00 a.m., tucked into bed with the satisfied glow reserved for road trip champions.

Fast-forward to today, and that same journey feels like a test of patience, endurance, and bladder control. Urban sprawl has turned the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) into one giant traffic jam and a brake light testing arena. Construction zones result in more bottlenecks than a brewery assembly line and a pre-show dinner is a bottle of lukewarm water and a slightly crushed granola bar.

On August 25, 2010, my friend Bill Gudgeon and I decided to take a different approach to attending a concert. We had scored two tickets to see Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers on their Mojo Tour at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre. It was a show made even more memorable because the opening act was the legendary Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN).

Rather than drive directly into the city and battle the inevitable traffic, Bill and I opted to park in Aldershot, about sixty kilometers southwest of Toronto, and take the GO Train the rest of the way. We figured this would spare us the stress of downtown congestion and make for a smoother, more relaxed journey to and from the venue.

We arrived in enough time to grab a quick bite and then see Crosby, Stills and Nash take the stage alongside four supporting musicians. Their 15-song set included five songs from this week’s groundbreaking record, Déjà Vu.

CSNY (l-r) Neil Young, David Crosby, Graham Nash, Stephen Stills.

Released in 1970, Déjà Vu was the trio's second studio release. However, it was the first with the inclusion of Canadian musician, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Neil Young. Consequently, the initialism CSN became CSNY (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young) – as it would on seven other occasions between 1969 and 2013.

The addition of Young added a new layer of songwriting depth and musical texture to an already formidable trio. Indeed, all four singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalists have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice:

• David Crosby as a member of CSN and The Byrds.
• Stephen Stills as a member of CSN and Buffalo Springfield.
• Graham Nash as a member of CSN and The Hollies.
• Neil Young as a solo performer and as a member of Buffalo Springfield.

Déjà Vu is considered by most fans and critics to be the highwater mark for the quartet. Released in the wake of the Woodstock Music Festival and the political and social upheaval of the time, the album’s themes of introspection, rebellion and life resonated deeply with listeners. It combined folk rock with influences from country, jazz and Latin music, as well as pop sensibilities with the closing track Teach Your Children – a song that also closed the CSN performance Bill and I attended in 2010.

Tom Petty also delivered a phenomenal performance that night. It is one I’ll never forget and I feel fortunate to have seen him live, especially knowing now that it would be just seven years before his untimely passing at age 66 from an accidental drug overdose. His music, energy and presence were unforgettable.

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers performing live in 2010.

After the show, Bill and I floated out of the Air Canada Centre on a musical high, making our way to Union Station a few blocks away to catch the GO Train back to Aldershot. Unfortunately, the journey home proved more challenging than expected. Multiple events had just let out, including a Blue Jays game at the Rogers Centre (formerly the SkyDome) and a concert by progressive metal band Avenged Sevenfold at the Molson Amphitheatre. The surge of people meant we had to wait for space on a second train, and each stop along the route was agonizingly slow as passengers loaded and unloaded in waves. What followed was a tightly packed, grueling odyssey. It was a humid, chaotic crawl along through the GTA, steeped in a pungent cocktail of marijuana sweat, spilled beer, and hot dog breath. It was the kind of ride that tests your patience and your nostrils in equal measure.

Still, I doubt driving would have been any faster. In the end, as my head hit the pillow at 2:30 early Thursday morning, I couldn’t help but borrow from baseball legend Yogi Berra’s amusingly illogical lexicon, “It was déjà vu all over again.” Needless to say, I am hesitant nowadays to accept an invitation to visit Toronto for a show or game -- doubly so on weeknights.

The 500 - #148 - Houses Of The Holy - Led Zeppelin

 I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by New York-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: #148

Album Title: Houses Of The Holy

Artist: Led Zeppelin

Genre: Hard Rock, Art Rock

Recorded: Multiple Studios, London, England

Released: March, 1973

My age at release: 7

How familiar was I with it before this week: Very

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #278 - dropping 130 spots

Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: The Rain Song

To say my high school clique and I were fans of Led Zeppelin in the early ’80s would be putting it mildly -- our enthusiasm veered into full-blown obsession for months. At some parties, the debate wasn’t which album to play next, but which side of which Zeppelin album deserved the honor. It was serious business.

Led Zeppelin: John Paul Jones (bass, keys), Jimmy Page
(guitars), John Bonham (drums), Robert Plant (vocals).

We were already devoted fans of the 1976 concert film The Song Remains the Same, which captured Zeppelin’s electrifying  performances at Madison Square Garden, interwoven with behind-the-scenes footage and surreal fantasy sequences tailored to each band member. In 1984, when the film became available on video cassette, our friend, Steve Mackison, quickly tracked down a bootleg copy, and it became a staple of our viewing rotation.

Steve had built up an impressive collection of cult classic video tapes by the early ’80s. His townhouse became our unofficial screening room. We’d skip a few high school classes, head over to Steve’s place, drink tea, eat Pop Tarts and dive into his ever-growing archive of rock films and other flicks destined to become dramatic and comedic classics. Steve, unbeknownst to his parents, was taking a one-year hiatus from school, so he was always home and ready to hit play. We actually framed our morning sojourns from our high school to his town house on Dalhousie Drive in London, Ontario, as if we were attending a film class, We called it Mackison 101.

Steve's place in the 80s, pic courtesy of Google Street View.

In 1985, Hammer of the Gods: The Led Zeppelin Saga hit the shelves, and it landed like a thunderclap in our circle. Written by rock biographer Stephen Davis, the book was packed with gritty, lurid tales of the band’s wild years, including tales of sex, drugs, mysticism, and mayhem. I didn’t get around to reading it, but it became gospel among my Zeppelin-obsessed friends. The book sparked endless debates and retellings, often between puffs at parties. Though the book was a hit with young rockers, the band famously criticized it for its sensationalism and factual liberties. Still, for the rest of us, it added another layer to the myth. It was our backstage pass to the chaos behind the music. As the adage goes: “Never let truth get in the way of a good story”. This was doubly true for teenagers in a time before the Internet.

Hammer of the Gods book cover (1985).

Houses of the Holy is the first of five Led Zeppelin records on this The 500 list Released in 1973, it marked a bold evolution in the group’s sound. Departing from the heavier blues-rock of their earlier albums, it embraced a more eclectic and experimental vibe. The record features fan favorites, such as The Song Remains the Same, (later to become the title of the aforementioned concert film). The Hobbit inspired Over the Hills and Far Away, and the reggae-tinged D’yer Mak’er. For years, my friends and I pronounced that track as “Dire Maker”, not realizing it was a play on the expression “Did ya make her?’ said quickly with a Cockney Accent -- “Jamaica”. It was, I would later learn, a play on a well known and silly British joke.

“My wife’s gone to the Caribbean.”

“D’yer mak’er?” ("Jamaica" aka “Did you make her?”)

“No, she went of her own accord.”

Houses of the Holy is a record I often cite as my favorite, although I’ve come to accept that ranking Zeppelin albums is a game of inches for me, and the criteria change with age and mood. The album contains an eclectic mix of songs, including the ethereally beautiful The Rain Song, a tune that will forever hold a spot in my personal top ten. But it also includes The Crunge, a James Brown-inspired funk experiment that’s never quite landed for me. As a teenager, I’d often joke (hoping for a laugh that never came) that it sounded like it was written specifically to make a drunk person feel like vomiting.

The Crunge is predominantly crafted in a time signature of 9/8 -- nine beats to a measure with the each eighth note getting a beat and an emphasis on the first fourth and seventh beats. The result is a rolling feel that can seem slightly uneven. Thinking about it as ONE-two-three, FOUR-five-six, SEVEN-eight-nine. Consequently, it moves a bit like a lilting ship in heavy waves. Now, throw in a few measures of 4/4 time (and a sneaky 10/8) and one might be able to understand how it could even make a drunken sailor a bit sea sick.

As I mentioned in my Black Sabbath Masters Of Reality post, back in September, 2022, Houses of the Holy was the first Zeppelin record I brought (sneaked) into my home -- having borrowed it from a chum named Adrian. At the time, I knew that the cover, which featured 11 naked, golden haired children bathed in an eerie, orange-pink glow climbing a stepped, rocky cliff, would not meet with parental approval. At the very least the gatefold art piece would prompt many questions I was ill equipped to answer.

Full gatefold picture for Houses of The Holy.

I would later learn that the photograph, taken by Aubrey Powell from the legendary art group Hipgnosis, actually depicts the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland, a natural rock formation of interlocking basalt columns. The photo was created using multiple exposures of two child models, siblings Stefan and Samantha Gates, who were photographed in different poses and positions.

Aubrey Powell -- who also did the covers for many of my
favourite bands, including Pink Floyd, Styx, Peter Gabriel,
Black Sabbath, Yes and Genesis.

The use of nude children, even in this non-sexual artistic context, has sparked discomfort and debate -- particularly in recent years. However, the image was not intended to be provocative. Powell noted that it was inspired by Arthur C. Clarke's science fiction novel, Childhood’s End. It was meant to evoke a sense of mystery, mythology and transformation that aligned with the album's eclectic and experimental tone.

I do know that the Houses of the Holy cover was never considered provocative by my high school peers. Like so many Zeppelin album covers, it was simply a cool, mysterious image and one we could project our own meanings onto while jamming to the eight tracks within. If anything, it felt more straightforward than the eerie minimalism of Presence (1976) or the cryptic symbolism of their untitled 1971 release, often called Led Zeppelin IV. Such was the “serious business” of Zeppelin fandom for a handful of Ontario teens in the early ’80s -- decoding album art, debating track rankings, and letting the music shape our own mythology.