The 500 - #145 - 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: #145
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 - #240 - Can't Buy A Thrill - Steely Dan

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-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: #240
Album Title: Can't Buy A Thrill
Artist: Steely Dan
Genre: Jazz Rock, Soft Rock, Pop, Folk Rock
Recorded: The Village Recorder, West Los Angeles, USA

Released: November, 1972
My age at release: 7
How familiar was I with it before this week: Quite

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #168, up 72 places from 240 since 2012
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Do It Again

Steely Dan's Can't Buy A Thrill album cover

Can't Buy A Thrill was the debut record by American Jazz Rock band Steely Dan and became the second of three records by the group to make The 500 list. In January, 2021, my friend Heather guest-blogged about about one of them – album #386, Pretzel Logic. She plans to return in about two years to write about the stronger performing album, Aja, at #145.

Steely Dan's Aja album cover, #145 on The 500

Last April, my wife and I got a chance to see Pretzel Logic, a Canadian tribute band who perform the music of Steely Dan. With us was Heather and  her husband. Also sitting in the front row were two other guest bloggers, Gary Fowler who wrote about Funky Kingston by Toots and The Maytals (#380) and Doug Hampson who wrote about Siren from Roxy Music (#374). It was a memorable 500 Blog reunion.

The band Pretzel Logic is a nine-piece group from Toronto who faithfully recreate the complex songs from Steely Dan’s ninerecord catalogue. The massively talented musicians capture the rich harmonies, saxophone and trumpet solos, intricate keyboard and guitar melodies with seemingly effortless precision. I was riveted. If you get a chance to see them...go!

Pretzel Logic performing in April, 2023 at Eastside Bar & Grill

As I prepared to write this post, I chuckled a little about my introduction to the band. It was in the summer of 1974 when the song Ricky Don't Lose That Number was an omnipresent hit on the radio. My parents had sent me on a wonderful, one-week vacation at a summer camp called Canterbury Hills Camp, nestled in the beautiful forest of the Niagara Escarpment near Ancaster Heights, Ontario. I spent seven glorious days swimming, canoeing, making crafts, learning archery and singing songs around a campfire.

Although we hiked and camped in a tent one evening, I spent most nights in bunkhouses. Despite the fact that it was a camp run by the Anglican Church, I had a bunkmate who told me the dirtiest jokes and shared the most offside stories I had ever heard. I can't remember his name, but I do remember one thing he said when Ricky Don't Lose That Number played on a nearby radio.

"Steely Dan was named after a dildo," he chortled. I had no idea what he meant, but I laughed anyway. It would be some time before I learned what a "dildo" was and I have no idea how a nine-year old had this information (I suspect he had older brothers) I learned, much later, that he was correct. Steely Dan had taken their name from a fictional, steam-powered dildo mentioned in the William S. Burroughs novel, Naked Lunch.

Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs

Can't Buy A Thrill is a wonderful record full of familiar hits, including Do It Again and Reelin' In The Years. It also features the hit single (in Canada anyway) Dirty Work. I've heard Dirty Work hundreds of times without paying close attention to the lyrics. I suspected it was more about the killer saxophone solo by studio musician Jerome Richardson. However, after listening to the companion episode of The 500 Podcast, I was surprised to learn that it is a song of self-loathing, written from the perspective of a man who is cheating with another man's wife. A remarkable bit of lyrical writing for two men in their early twenties.

It delights me when new information helps me reframe something  I have enjoyed listening to for many years and yet have misunderstood. Discoveries like this are gems. As I work my way through the next 240 records on The 500, I hope to uncover more. It is a learning thing. For now I will never listen to Dirty Work in the same way again. In the meantime,  I look forward to hearing Pretzel Logic perform the song the next time they’re in  London.

 

The 500 - #386 - Pretzel Logic - Steely Dan

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

Album # 386

Album Title: Pretzel Logic
Artist: Steely Dan
Genre: Rock-Jazz-Fusion
Recorded: The Village Recorder, West Los Angeles
Released: February, 1974
My age at release: My guest blogger Heather was 6, I was 8
How familiar was I with it before this week: Very
Song I am putting on my Spotify: Any Major Dude Will Tell You 

Guest Blogger Introduction

This week, I am delighted to welcome my dear friend Heather Keep as guest blogger. We met at Saunders Secondary School where her future husband and my future wife also attended.  Consequently, the four of us have been part of each other's lives for 40 years. I was thrilled when she accepted my invitation to share her connection with this record by American music pioneers Steely Dan.

Background Information

Pretzel Logic was the third record from the American jazz, fusion, soft and pop rock band Steely Dan. It's story began in 1967 at Bard College, New York, when pianist Donald Fagen heard fellow student Walter Becker practising guitar at The Red Balloon Cafe on campus. The two cynics bonded over a love of music and beatnik culture. A musical experiment began and the duo became the core members of a musical collective they called Steely Dan. Together, they released nine records, and their attention to production and detail in the studio has become the stuff of legend. Steely Dan has sold more than 40 million records and were inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. In 2017, Becker died from esophageal cancer and the musical experiment came to an end.

By Heather Keep

Steely Dan was my "go-to-band" in high-school. At the time, I didn't know another soul who loved them like I did. Everyone seemed to know the classics, such as Rikki Don't Lose That Number, the lead single from the record, Pretzel Logic. However, few seemed to know those obscure "B-side" tracks like Kid Charlemagne from the The Royal Scam (1976) or Babylon Sisters from Gaucho (1980). 

Pretzel Logic - Steely Dan (1974)

Any Major Dude Will Tell You from this, the first of three Steely Dan records to appear on The 500 list, is one of those deep-cut pearls that I listened to as a young teen. The easy going melody, beautiful vocals, and layered acoustics always offered me comfort when I was feeling down. In some ways, it helped put things in perspective for a serious teenager dealing with high school in the 80s! 

That's me, the serious teenager on the far left (Circa 1981)

Any Major Dude's release on the flip-side of the single Rikki garnered some FM radio-play, but it has remained a hidden gem and one of Steely Dan's most underrated creations. I love it dearly still.

My introduction to Steely Dan came through my Uncle Brian and my dad. I have a clear memory of my dad lying on the carpet in our living room, headphones on, with Steely Dan spinning on the turntable. I thought my dad was so cool. I wanted to do that too and was intensely curious about this record he was listening too. 

I also have memories of my Uncle, with his wild, long, afro-like black curls, blasting Steely Dan on the cassette player at his house or in his car. The memories of which album he was playing are fuzzy, but I remember the feeling -- that great feeling was undeniable.

My sister (left), baby brother and me in 1974 - the year Pretzel Logic was released

Perhaps the thing that drew me most to the band was the inclusion of piano and electronic keyboards as principal instruments in their brilliantly orchestrated fusion of jazz, rock, and R&B. I started playing piano at six and continued to take lessons until I was 18. The classical training provided by the Royal Conservatory gave me a deep appreciation of the piano. 

I needed a way to reconcile my love of rock music with my love of the piano and the sounds it could make. Steely Dan was the answer. The band could perfectly blend keys and guitars and then accent them brilliantly with a jazzy saxophone or trumpet flourish. The keyboards didn't take over the ensemble, yet remained a crucial element in the music. The result was a unique sound and a genre too elusive to peg. Sometimes, I wasn't sure what I was listening to -- I just knew I loved it.

The walls of my teenage bedroom profess my love of piano and music.
I spent a lot of time there.

Pretzel Logic, the album's title track, is on the bluesy side and remains faithful to that genre, but is also a great example of the duo's knack for production. In it, the sax, trumpet and trombone accompany Fagen's Wurlitzer electric piano and Becker's guitar perfectly. I love the vocals on this track. Pretzel Logic was the first Steely Dan album to feature Becker on guitar. Prior to this, the guitar work had been shared by several top-shelf session musicians, with Becker only playing bass. The end result firmly established Steely Dan's trademark sound. 

With critical acclaim and commercial success with their first and biggest pop chart hit, Rikki Don't Lose That Number, the band embarked on a successful promotional tour. They even recruited future legend Michael McDonald (Doobie Brothers, Kenny Loggins Band) for backup vocals.

However, shortly after the tour ended, Becker and Fagan made the decision to focus exclusively on recording in the studio. The other members of the band (Danny Dias, Jeff Baxter and Jim Hodder) moved on to other projects. Steely Dan continued to record four more records before disbanding in 1982 to pursue their own solo careers. However, they reunited in the mid-90s to record and tour again.

For me, their music and sound remains in my top 10 list of all-time favourites. I have had the privilege of seeing them twice in concert at the Molson Ampitheatre in Toronto. The first was their Art Crimes Tour in July, 1996 and the second, their Two Against Nature Tour in 2000 -- a record that won them Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards. 

I'm also happy to say that my husband, who accompanied me to both of those shows, became a Steely Dan fan in the early days of our relationship. We still enjoy their music together and I continue to spread the "word of the Dan" to whomever will listen.

My time-battered concert shirt from the 1996 tour

Thanks to you Marc for giving me the opportunity to travel a bit down memory lane and revisit songs I haven't listened to in a long time. Food for the soul.