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Yes. I know they came back 20 years after Gaucho but I won't even count these as "Favorite" Steely Dan albums. I am referring to "Can't buy a Thrill" up until "Gaucho." I know many know the albums but I will list them anyhow.
1972 Cant't Buy a Thrill
1973 Countdown to Ecstasy
1974 Pretzel Logic
1975 Katy Lied
1976 Royal Scam
1977 Aja
1980 Gaucho
Personally, I loved Countdown to Ecstasy the best. It was their least commercial album and had some really cool 70's vibes that were somewhat unique for 1973. The combination of rock and jazz was perfected of "Bodhisattva". "King of the World" was one of the coolest jams as well. Plus, anyone who doesn't look forward to HS and College Reunions has to love "My Old School."
My favorite song was "Don't take me Alive". It's too bad the rest of "The Royal Scam" wasn't up to snuff with their earlier work that had more focus on harder edged songs if you will.
Critics loved Aja. As time has gone on, I like it less and less. Maybe it's because light rock stations and elevators play it. I don't like to think of The Dan as "soft rock." However, dentists seem to think it is enroute to a root canal.
Gaucho seemed like a forced album trying to duplicate Aja but without the quality. Boring jazz fusion that seemed more contrived than ever.
I love the AJA cd and I still play it to this day. "Home at last" is my very favorite song.
I liked "Peg" and "Josie" the best on Aja. I'm more partial towards rock than jazz so I personally don't view Aja like I do their earlier work. However, many of all walks of life consider Aja their peak album. I know a lot of Dan fans from their 30's through 60's so hopefully this thread will make for some interesting discussion.
I will also add I wasn't a big fan of Katy Lied. Found that album boring. "Black Friday" was their big single but it was way inferior IMO to their songs on their previous 3 albums.
Pretzel Logic was a close second for me as far as best albums by Steely Dan.
I was gonna mention the song What a beautiful world but, after googling it, I saw that it was on Donald Fagens solo cd.
I owned both Donald Fagen solo albums. The Nightfly (1982) and that early 90's one with "Tomorrow's Girls." The title track on "The Nightfly" was my favorite personally. The song you referenced was also on "The Nightfly" . Good album but he certainly tried to continue the "Gaucho" style which as mentioned wasn't my favorite era of The Dan.
The first album of theirs that I have owned was Pretzel Logic. I have two others now, Ecstasy and Thrill. I've probably never heard their other albums in their entirety.
Some of my favorite songs include Night by Night (logic), Dirty Work (thrill), Show Biz Kids (Ecstasy); this is really a great band.
Heard the story of the meaning of the following song. Seems Fagan and/or Baxter lived in Brooklyn, in an apt. over an older guy whom they'd party with, hang out with, and who was always running down his wish list, (gripe list) of things he had comin'.
I would argue that Royal Scam would be worse than any of their "Classic" output if not for the song "Don't Take Me Alive."
BMD 69. I mentioned my thoughts on Katy Lied. For some reason, never appreciated it like their other albums. It's subjective so obviously no one is wrong in what they deem as their favorite Dan album here.
Mr Humble. Sounds like you and I feel about the same. Ecstasy and Pretzel are my 2 favorites as stated. Can't Buy a Thrill was probably their rawest album. More bluesy and rockish than later works.
I like all their albums through Gaucho. However, the contrived recording for the sake of sounding as polished as possible on Aja and Gaucho lacked the punch of earlier work.
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