Number 100 - Aja by Steely Dan

    Number 100: Aja by Steely Dan 

 The gateway drug to jazz appreciation

 

Release: September 23rd, 1977 

Genre: Jazz Rock

Favorite Tracks: Peg, Aja, Black Cow

 

Where I heard it:

Steely Dan wasn't quite a group that was on my radar until later in life. By early high school, I was much more a fan of Can't Buy A Thrill for songs like Reelin' in the Years and Dirty Work. Years after high school, I was browsing a common Reddit thread about all-time great albums and Aja by Steely Dan was a popular response. I had always heard the short name of this album floating around when discussing Steely Dan's best work, and I couldn't understand at the time why my pick of Can't Buy A Thrill wasn't more colloquially accepted. I finally listened to this album sometime in the summer of 2017, and soon thereafter got my answer as to why my musical peers adored this album so much.

 

I'm ready to cross that fine line
Learn to work the saxophone
I play just what I feel
Drink Scotch whiskey all night long
And die behind the wheel
~ Deacon Blues

 

What to expect:

Inspired by Eastern culture (Aja is pronounced like Asia), each track is infused with a taste of exotic flair paired with the trademark jazz stylings that Steely Dan are known for. Unlike more popular selections in their catalog, Aja strays away from a contemporary rock and roll bias in favor of a more focused jazz fusion drive, offering a much smoother listening experience. As such, the instrumental technicality shines through in the shifting time signatures and long-drawn solos that pass along rhythms between each performer seamlessly. The studio production quality is immaculate on every track and stands among one of the best recordings I've heard for any album, let alone one that's nearly a half century old. While the complexity of this album can be daunting for more casual music lovers, the melodies are often straight forward enough that harder sections will hold the listener's hand through each bar to aid in receiving the fullest from each instrumental section. Aja is fantastic for those looking to dip their toe into the deep, wide world of jazz music!

 

 On the counter by your keys
Was a book of numbers and your remedies
One of these surely will screen out of sorrow
But where are you tomorrow?
~ Black Cow

Why it's my favorite: 

I actually think Steely Dan are at their best when they have as many artists as they can put on a track as possible. Saxophone, trombone, keyboard, electric guitar, bass, marimba, backing vocals...the more the merrier. Steely Dan can blend any musical pairing together and make it sound like they were made for each other. The conglomerative talent of this group is simply unmeasurable, and I truly feel Aja is an embodiment of what that talent is capable of. Yet, Aja doesn't go too far to overwhelm the listener with an all-out assault of complexity. It knows exactly what it's trying to be, and executes it flawlessly. Aja's seven tracks aren't too many to overstay their welcome, nor too long to where I feel any section is unnecessary in its addition. Each solo oozes with style, every harmony rings sweetly throughout my ear canal. What better way to kick off this list by setting the bar high with this quality piece of music!