Steely Dan

Aja — Steely Dan's landmark sixth studio album reissue. Hybrid Stereo SACD release from Analogue Productions. Mastered by Bernie Grundman from an analog, non-Dolby EQ'd quarter-inch 15 ips tape copy.

Can't Buy a Thrill became an unexpected hit, and as a response, Donald Fagen became the group's full-time lead vocalist, and he and Walter Becker acted like Steely Dan was a rock & roll band for the group's second album, Countdown to Ecstasy…

Countdown to Ecstasy wasn't half the hit that Can't Buy a Thrill was, and Steely Dan responded by trimming the lengthy instrumental jams that were scattered across Countdown and concentrating on concise songs for Pretzel Logic…

Steely Dan’s 1977 classic, Aja, has been remastered for a new vinyl reissue overseen by Donald Fagen. It is the latest in a series of Steely Dan reissues, all remastered by Bernie Grundman. The new version of Aja, which comes without add-on accoutrements, is out September 29 (via Geffen/UMe).

For about the thousandth time, these very early recordings by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen that have remained officially unreleased for a reason: they're terrible and only vaguely resemble the actual Steely Dan that came years later. This is not to say that there is no merit to them, only very little, and only for those who are so obsessed by the Steely Dan legend they need to hear every bent note, of which there are plenty here. This is another shabby Dressed to Kill effort that should be avoided. Period.