| Steely Dan | Primary Artist |
| Donald Fagen | Synthesizer, Keyboards, Vocals, Background Vocals, Whistle (Instrument) |
| Michael McDonald | Vocals, Background Vocals |
| Larry Carlton | Guitar, Electric Guitar |
| Pete Christlieb | Flute, Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone |
| Victor Feldman | Percussion, Piano, Keyboards, Electric Piano, Vibes |
| Don Grolnick | Keyboards, Clavinet |
| Plas Johnson | Flute, Saxophone |
| Steve Khan | Guitar |
| Bill Perkins | Flute, Horn, Saxophone |
| Joe Sample | Keyboards, Electric Piano, Clavinet |
| Tom Scott | Flute, Conductor, Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Lyricon |
| Wayne Shorter | Flute, Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone |
| Paul Humphrey | Drums |
| Chuck Rainey | Bass |
| Clydie King | Vocals, Background Vocals |
| Jim Keltner | Percussion, Drums |
| Walter Becker | Bass, Guitar, Electric Guitar, Vocals |
| Gary Coleman | Percussion |
| Denny Dias | Guitar, Guitar |
| Venetta Fields | Vocals, Background Vocals |
| Chuck Findley | Horn, Brass |
| Steve Gadd | Drums |
| Jay Graydon | Guitar, Electric Guitar |
| Ed Greene | Drums |
| Paul Griffin | Keyboards, Electric Piano, Vocals, Background Vocals |
| Jim Horn | Flute, Saxophone |
| Richard Hyde | Trombone |
| Jackie Kelso | Flute, Horn, Saxophone |
| Rebecca Louis | Vocals, Background Vocals |
| Rick Marotta | Drums |
| Lew McCreary | Horn |
| Michael Omartian | Piano, Keyboards |
| Dean Parks | Guitar |
| Bernard "Pretty" Purdie | Drums |
| Lee Ritenour | Guitar |
| Timothy B. Schmit | Bass, Vocals, Background Vocals |
| Slyde Hyde | Brass |
| Paul Humphrey & the Cool Aid Chemists | Drums |
| Lou McCreary | Brass |
| Sherlie Matthews | Vocals, Background Vocals |
| Donald Fagen | Liner Notes |
| Tom Scott | Horn Arrangements, Horn Conductor |
| Walter Becker | Liner Notes |
| Irving Azoff | Contributor |
| Bernie Grundman | Mastering |
| Gary Katz | Producer |
| Roger Nichols | Engineer |
| Elliot Scheiner | Engineer |
| Al Schmitt | Engineer |
| Bill Schnee | Engineer |
| Michael Diehl | Reissue Design |
| Dinky Dawson | Sound Consultant |
| Stuart Dinky Dawson | Sound Consultant |
Anonymous
Posted October 1, 2010
There is no question that this disk will evoke many fond memories of Steely Dan's earlier hits. The sound quality for the vocals and musical accompanyment was excellent and the recording was true to the material and performances of Steely Dan of yesteryear.
While playing the album, I realized that I no longer had the patience nor the inclination to listen to several of his longer arrangements such as "Black Cow". I proably would have enjoyed shorter and more up-beat hits such as "Ricky Don't Lose that Number". There is no question that music such as Steely Dan's Aja remains true to its time and place; however, our tastes in music, for example, may change as swiftly as the constantly moving beat of our own lives over time.
Anonymous
Posted October 1, 2010
'Aja' is about as sophisticated and professional that rock music got during the 1970's, and the high point of Steely Dan's recorded works. I remember first hearing the 'Aja' hits "Peg" and "Josie" when there were first on FM rock radio in the late '70s and how different they sounded from anything else at the time (and to this day). It's always been hard to describe Steely Dan music, but their influence has loomed large on 'lite jazz' music (i.e. much of what appeared on the GRP label, jazzers who have a leaning for pop styles), and any rock acts that wanted to reach for more highly developed musical pastures and professional studio craft (i.e. Billy Joel, Doobie Brothers, Eagles), just as the Beatles did in the late '60s when (just like Steely Dan later) ceased touring to concentrate on studio recording. Similar to how after hearing Edward Van Halen and Randy Rhoads (the late guitarist on the first two solo Ozzy Osbourne albums), that the hard rock and metal guitarist had to re-evaluate his thinking on the genre, after hearing 'Aja', anyone who was a studio musician had a new benchmark to reference (not that previous SD albums weren't amazingly brilliant, 'The Royal Scam' in particular). The title track has arguably the finest Steve Gadd drumming ever; plus the song itself is just about perfection in every way imaginable.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 1, 2010
This album marks the end of the first stage of Steely Dan's many incarnations. All previous albums led to this work, and for all that has followed by Becker/Fagen, this album is seminal. The players, all well known on their own, would form an all-star band on their own, and, since most had worked with B/F before, were well seasoned as to what they were expected to add to the mix. The performances of Steve Gadd, Wayne Shorter and Bernard Purdy alone are reason enough to buy this album. The songwriting talents of the two composers are at their pithy, bittersweet and cynical pinnacle, and Fagen's idiosyncratic voice has never sounded better. If a listener is interested in the best of Steely Dan, or the best of what some call "jazz-rock fusion," than this album is a "must have."
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 1, 2010
Clearly, this is the one of the finest albums of the 1970's and of jazz-rock music. Simply put, Deacon Blues is one of the greatest fusions of different music styles ever recorded.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 1, 2010
If you have Style, Class, and Taste... This magnum opus is for you. This album broke new ground in '77. When I heard it for the first time, I was amazed at the depth of feeling, and scope of intellect. A beautiful work that is a true classic.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 1, 2010
Almost all 'albums' I have listened to over the years have a few songs which I didn't like or took a while to grow on me. This album took hold of me cut by cut and has never let go 20 something years later. It is a tight, polished masterpiece and should be in anyone's collection.
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Posted July 28, 2009
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Anonymous
Posted October 20, 2008
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Editorial Reviews
All Music Guide - Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Steely Dan hadn't been a real working band since Pretzel Logic, but with Aja, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen's obsession with sonic detail and fascination with composition reached new heights. A coolly textured and immaculately produced collection of sophisticated jazz-rock, Aja has none of the overt cynicism or self-consciously challenging music that distinguished previous Steely Dan records. Instead, it's a measured and textured album, filled with subtle melodies and accomplished, jazzy solos that blend easily into the lush instrumental backdrops. But Aja isn't just about texture, since Becker and Fagen's songs are their most complex and musically rich set of ...