Not a masterpiece. Can't Buy a Thrill, Aja, Pretzel Logic, Katy Lied and The Royal Scam are the cream of the crop.That said, all of their discs are outstanding.
Once I "got" Gaucho I listened to it for a month straight. Part of me wishes Fagan wasn't such a perfectionist to go with the drum machine, but the album IS smooth as silk. My personal #2 album from SD.
Agreed! It's extremely difficult for me to really put ANY of these albums in a particular ranking order. Finally one day, I decided to just listen to every album in order of release. What amazed me the most, was the evolution of the sound from each album to the next. Pretty much a steady progression into a further expansion of their musical knowledge and talent. But again, not one single "bad" album. All insanely epic in their own right.
It’s incredible, but I don’t consider it quite a masterpiece. There are certain songs/sections I think could be better- e.g. Caves - fantastic chorus melody, but I thought the way they resolve it at the end of the chorus could have been better. Aja... yeah masterpiece
"GAUCHO" is a Real MASTERPIECE, a work of outstanding artistry, with the tremendous special guests like Anthony Jackson and Chuck Rainey on BASS, Hiram Bullock, Larry Carlton, Rick Derringer, Steve Khan, Mark Knopfler, Hugh McCracken on GUITARS!!! Steve Gadd, Rick Marotta, Jeff Porcaro (Genius), Bernard Purdie (the really maestro) on DRUMS....Michael Brecker - sax/Randy Brecker - trumpet, flugelhorn/David Sanborn - sax/David Tofani - sax....Victor Feldman, Ralph MacDonald, Patti Austin, Michael McDonald, Valerie Simpson, Joe Sample and Don Grolnick on KEYS And Much Much Much More!!! Just to listen tracks like "Babylon Sisters" with Bernard Purdie and his unique shuffle!! God bless that metronome Man!!!!
SD had this phenomenal production with excellent sound quality and brilliant mixing on all albums. They're first on the list when testing jazzy pop on hi end audio for sure. Love all their albums. Aja is my fav followed by the Royal Scam. Great channel!
Mr Music Larry Carlton played at the Classic East concert summer of 2017 when Walter fell ill. I had waited 40 years to see them along with the Eagles at Citi Field that summer and missed seeing both Glenn Fry and Walter.
The first six albums (in release order) are masterpieces, the rest still are very good albums. There is hardly any bad track or filler on any Steely Dan album. One of the most consistently brilliant discography of any band ever. I bought the first album right in 1972 when I heard Do It Again on the radio and any subsequent album as soon as I became aware of its release and each one was a revelation. Aja and Gaucho both took some time and at first listening did not reveal their full potential. Until I noticed that I could not get some hooks or lines out of my mind for days and slowly began to acquire them. 1. Countdown to Ecstasy (this is on the list of my 25 best albums of all time) 2. Can't Buy a Thrill 3. The Royal Scam 4. Katy Lied 5. Aja 6. Pretzel Logic 7. Gaucho 8. Two Against Nature 9. Everything Must Go
I'm an English offshore oil worker, worked with a Taylor diver from New Orleans in our North Sea back in the 70's, he gave me a tape of Steely Dan and wow, brilliant stuff all through, very few Brits i know have been exposed to them believe that ?, Aja for me but like you say.....they're all superb.
Still got all the 70s albums on vinyl . Such a great band. Top 5 are: 1. Aja 2. Can't buy a Thrill 3. Royal Scam 4. Pretzel Logic 5. Countdown to Ecstasy
I grew up in a college town, and for a while when I was a teenager, they (Southeastern LA university) had a “$2 Concert” series, live shows by up-and-coming but largely-unknown bands for, yes, really, two dollars. I was 14 in the fall of ‘72, and my best friend Chuck had to talk me into going to see a show by these two bands we’d never heard of. I was reluctant because we’d gone to the previous one, a Mac “Baby, Don’t Get Hooked on Me” Davis solo show, and had left, bored, partway through, so I hated the idea of wasting another $2. But they were just starting to play “Listen to the Music” on the radio and I liked it, so I went with him to see The Doobie Brothers with Steely Dan opening. It was mind-blowing, the most unexpectedly brilliant show I’ve ever seen.
The Dan were very influenced by the New York prodigy, Laura Nyro, particularly her revolutionary 1968 jazz pop masterpiece LP 'Eli and the Thirteenth Confession', recorded with a host of jazz greats such as Zoot Sims, as well as Hugh McCracken and Chuck Rainey. The title track Eli's Comin' is fantastic. See youtube discussions of Nyro and her LP by Todd Rundgren ("it blew everybody's mind"), Elton John ("she influenced more successful songwriters than anyone"), and Alice Cooper. In a Rolling Stone podcast about a year ago, Donald discusses Nyro's influence on the Dan. Nyro is Songwriters Hall of Fame, Rock Hall of Fame.
New subscriber... THIS video sold me on subscribing. I absolutely love your passion. This and the Sabbath ranking video are my favs, so far. Keep up the great work. Cheers. :)
Steely Dan, love 'em to death. Love everything they've released. The top three, at different points, each ranked as my #1, so they are almost interchangeable. Here would be my rankings: 9. Everything Must Go 8. Two Against Nature 7. Can't Buy A Thrill 6. Countdown To Ectasy 5. Gaucho 4. Katy Lied 3. Aja 2. Pretzel Logic 1. The Royal Scam I wish Fagen could/would release many of these outtakes, demos, unfinished tracks that are scattered throughout YT, officially on CD. Many of them are quite good (I especially love Stand By The Seawall, a late-night jazz-fusion pop instrumental treat which didn't make the final cut on Aja.) One thing I love about Pete is the fact that he listens to (and still buys) actual CDs. I've never converted to the downloading thing. I just can't do it. Weird as it sounds, I love the sound of the CD cases clapping together, one by one, as he's wrapping up each list near the end of these album ranking videos.
I love this band, I must admit I haven't heard their complete discography, so I am going to try just a top 5: 1 Gaucho 2 Aja 3 The Royal Scam 4 Pretzel Logic 5 Katty Lied
I bought my first Steely Dan album in 1977 and it was Royal Scam. I much later got their earlier albums (and later ones). Royal Scam has always been my favorite (I am not even going to try to rank the others). Years ago I read various SD rankings which put Royal Scam low on the list. I never understood that - so many great songs on the album!
My two favorites are "The Royal Scam" (for me it has the strongest jazz-rock vibe, in a Blood Sweat & Tears vein, and features prominently an amazing horn section) and "Pretzel Logic" (for the variety of genres it incorporates). Then "Aja", "Katy Lied" and "Gaucho" (which I really like, with the title track being a masterpiece - and the Jarrett's controversy is just preposterous - but it has a big turndown in its longest track, "Glamour Profession"). Then "Can't Buy A Thrill" and "Countdown To Ecstasy". But, as you said, in each of them there are four/five tracks that are close to perfection. That's it for their classic catalogue. Then there are the two reunion albums. I only have "Two Against Nature": it's good (I especially like "Jack Of Speed" and "West Of Hollywood", with a shimmering Chris Potter) but in a kind of different league.
SD is timeless. Agree Royal Scam and Aja are interchangeable at the top. Would throw in Gaucho at three. “Time Out Of Mind” is one of my favorite songs of all time. Listening to the Dan was unforgettable in the moment.
I grew up in the seventies. I can remember when pretty much every song on Can't Buy a Thrill got radio play. Has that ever happened for another band's debut, maybe other that the Beatles? I would sit with my music nerd friends and we'd listen to the records on repeat, trying to suss out the lyrics, and being blown away by the sheer musicianship displayed. There will never be another band like Steely Dan. RIP Walter
I’m 60 and was into Sabbath/UFO/Judas Priest/ Robin Trower etc. like you said I knew SD but didn’t appreciate them till my 30’s. I would be torture for me to rank them, they are all so incredibly good
1. "Can't Buy a Thrill". I bought this album when I was 15 years old when it was released back in 72. Well, I bought the 8 track. And now I own all the cd's. But this was the one that hooked me, so it's number one. 2. "Aja". Just too good to drop any farther. 3. "Pretzel Logic". "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" is filled with a ton of memories. High school, first love, broken hearts. 4. "Gaucho". "Hey Nineteen" just rocks man. 5. "Katy Lied". Soundtrack from the senior year in high school. "Black Friday". 6. "Two Against Nature". This album was a pleasant surprise. 7. "The Royal Scam". 8. "Countdown to Ecstasy". 9. "Everything Must Go".
It's always been 'Royal Scam' for me. The stories, the music, the memories. Pete's order on this one would me similar to mine. They sure had a lot of good stuff!
Great video, Pete. I think you shouldn't have to explain yourself that much when it comes to ranking albums. Your opinion is as valid as our and I respect it. Thanks.
Sadly, a good third of the people who watch don't get the concept. I'm kinda done with giving the disclaimer at the beginning, so it will be disappearing.
@@seaoftranquilityprog An argument(from me) could be made to rank Royal Scam 1a, Aja 1b and Gaucho 1c based upon one's mood at the time, the amount of tequila flowing through the blood stream and proximity to NYC, LA or Tokyo. As each album, dam right I said album, represents those locales very well. BTW, just found your youtube page, it is solid and thanks!
I grew up with Steely Dan at that certain age when music is the soundtrack of your daily life - from 16 to 25 or so. Can't Buy A Thrill was released close to my 19th birthday and I remember hearing Do It Again and Reeling In the Years all over the radio dial, from Top 10 to FM rock stations. Steely Dan came on the scene at the time other American bands like The Doobie Brothers and The Eagles and I put Steely Dan in the same category of AM friendly rock music. But as they continued to release albums Steely Dan became one of my favorite bands, each album they released being more complex and better than the last. For me their best albums were the ones they released in the middle of their career 1. Katy Lied - The perfect mix of jazz and rock. 2. The Royal Scam - Some of the best guitar solos ever recorded on a Steely Dan album. Take a bow, Larry. 3. Pretzel Logic - Their lyrics had a way of speaking to the listener like no other band I know of, and Any Major Dude is the best example that comes to mind, followed by Rikki, Don't Lose that Number. 4. Aja - A stunning technical achievement, but by this point Steely Dan had forsaken their ability to rock in exchange for filling their songs with jazz chords. Aja is my favorite Steely Dan songs, but I get bored quickly with the smooth jazz style of Peg and Josie. 5. Countdown to Ecstasy - This could easily be my number three pick over Pretzel Logic. It's and essential album to own, if only for the inclusion of two of my favorite Steely Dan songs, Bodhisattva and King of the World, that flat out rock. 6. Can't Buy A Thrill 7. Gaucho 8. Two Against Nature
Man I love the Dan, if you put a gun to my head and made me choose my favorite I would say “Katy Lied.” Just a sublime record. A great rainy day record. I also love “The Royal Scam” about equally. I look at both albums as companion pieces, a double feature. Great video as usual Pete!
Such a cool tune. I so love Brecker's initial sax solo on what I would characterize as the real song. Wish they'd taken time to come up with more thoughtful sax & guitar solos in the follow up section Loose jam with little musical statement by guys with so much more to offer..
Kdj0706 Right on. Never broke it out that way, but I went back and listened to it, and you are right on the money.......and don't even get me started on 'Kid Charlemagne".
I’m kinda like you, I couldn’t get into the band when I was a young man, I was much more into rock and metal. But over the decades I’ve really started to appreciate the brilliance of the band…. And now I’m a super fan. So much great stuff in their discography.
Same for me. I've known and liked SD's music forever but the older I get, the more appreciative of it I'm now becoming. Now I'm 59, it's become one of my alltime top 3.
Every album in order of release shows a refinement of the musical, and lyrical elements Becker and Fagen are ultimately known for. The chords and melodies become more complex and the lyrics becomes more multilayered. Steely Dan's whole catalog is a real work of art in the realm of 20th century popular music.
It’s great to see so much love for the unique Steely Dan. Their albums really are works of art! As I’m not much of a jazz aficionado, I tend to prefer their earlier recordings to the more critically acclaimed releases like Aja. The album that I listen to most regularly is Pretzel Logic, although all of their first 5 albums are brilliant in my view.
My list was the same as yours, Pete, except the bottom two were flipped. A band called The Ergs have a song with the lyrics. "I met a girl named Aja, she said her Dad loved Steely Dan. I laughed and asked if her sister's name was Katy." Great song. :)
A large part of the soundtrack of my teenage years. Very high quality "sophisticated" rock music, in terms of lyrical subjects and musicianship. What a catalog indeed! RIP Walter. 😔
Some bands or solo artists have a way of both touching your heart and broadening your horizons. The Dan has become part of my DNA since the day in 1973 when I bought my first 2 albums on wonderful HQ 8-track format: Doobie Bros ‘Captain & Me’ and SD’s ‘Can’t Buy a Thrill’. Life-altering Music.
The synthesizer solo is just so retro cool. And the guitar interplay with the synthesizer as “ King “ draws to a close. “ Countdown to Ecstasy” has the most “band” feel of the Dan’s albums . You just can’t go wrong with that band !
I agree. Their discography is oh so brilliant across the board. 1. Aja 2. Countdown to Ecstasy 3. Pretzel Logic 4. The Royal Scam 5. Can't Buy a Thrill 6. Katy Lied 7. Two Against Nature 8. Gaucho (seems low, but I still think it's great!) 9. Everything Must Go (deserves more of a listen from me to be fair) As ever, great content Pete. Keep it up!
One of the very few bands that don't have a bad or worst album, they are all great in their own special way. I wholeheartedly agree that The Royal Scam is their masterpiece and it also contains my favourite track of theirs: Don't take me alive. Surely the best intro of any song in the annals of rock history.
Awesome! My favorite band ever! And I agree with your ranking and thoughts. Great job. Thank you for the wonderful appreciation of a fantastic group. Fagen and Becker - Rock gods.
Greetings from England. OK, no-one else seems to have ranked the albums. I will have a go and you can all tell me where I went wrong. This is not necessarily a "worst to best" list but I think it is my "least favourite to favourite" (at the moment) it could change, but my favourite album never changes and while I know no-one will agree with me, it has my favourite Steely Dan song on it. In other words my favourite song by my favourite band, so why wouldn't I love it? 9. Everything Must Go (this one felt like an afterthought. but the more I listen to "Godwhacker"...what a groove!) 8. Gaucho (still a wonderful record but if only "The Second Arrangement" had survived) 7. Two Against Nature (waited years for this one of course. "Jack of Speed" and "West of Hollywood" made it worth the wait. 6. Aja (Often puzzled over why this is their biggest seller then I remember how brilliant "Deacon Blues", "Josie" and the title track all are) 5. Pretzel Logic (I know most people will rank this one higher but I actually consider some of the tracks on here to be "filler." Not Rikki, Night By Night, Any Major Dude or the title track though.) 4. The Royal Scam (Donald and Walter simply didn't write many songs better than "Kid Charlemagne" and for that matter neither did anyone else.) 3 Can't Buy A Thrill (The best debut album of all-time? That's another argument for another day, but for me it probably is) 2. Countdown To Ecstasy (most bands would love to write a song as beautiful as "Pearl OF The Quarter" but here it is surrounded by so many other classics that people hardly seem to notice that is even there.) 1. Katy Lied (I know I will be in a minority with this choice but this is the Steely Dan album I always go to first. I adore every second of it.) And if anyone has read this far, thank you and keep on enjoying Steely Dan.
I too am very fond of this album. The movie soundtrack LP they recorded just before 'Thrill' (walk it like you talk it) oddly does not show much of the writing talent Becker and Fagan present shortly after.
Thank you - it's so good to hear these opinions from fellow Dan lovers. I'coming in there with mine. I think it is tempting to let nostalgia get the better of things and I guess it does also come down to which 'period' you like a little more - earlier or later or later again. For what it's worth though this is my ranking and again - just for the record - all are absolute masterpieces. 1.Gaucho 2. Aja 3. The Royal Scam. 4. Katy Lied 5. Everything Must Go 6. Two Against Nature 7. Countdown To Ecstasy 8. Pretzel logic 9. Can't Buy A Thrill. Love on all
Countdown is definitely number 1 - on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Pretzel is number 1 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. On Sunday it's Aja. Thrill should not be so high. Some great tracks but some not so good … and Dirty Work is dreadful. The best ever live rendition of Reelin' In The Years was at Wembley, London last year with Mr Randall !!!!
Agree. For me the song that really became a 'brain Worm " on Countdown to Ecstasy is Razor Boy,that slide guitar by Jeff"Skunk" Baxter is just too sublime
Hey-that was the European Tour T shirt (2007?) -bought one when they played Liverpool.Now being worn by my 18 year old daughter at University-spread the news!
Thanks. Enjoyed that. I have all of their album playlists on my channel up until (and including) Gaucho. Aja & Pretzel Logic are neck & neck when it comes to viewers, etc. The Royal Scam comes in next. I'm only offering this up as a point of interest, not to contradict anyone or make any staggering point. Love them all. Steely Dan just took it all into another dimension where others simply cannot gain access!
The song Aja is my second favorite song of all time. I just love going back to the interlude on that; it just keeps getting better and better as the song progresses. Steve Gadd and Wayne Shorter of some of the best jazz musicians out there and it always tears me up whenever I listen to it, whenever I listen to them on that track. You can tell it's a masterpiece when it strikes you hard like that.
Pete!!!! I understand your love for the Royal scam now. I've been getting into some Steely Dan as of lately. The same story as you. I knew them and I liked them. Knowing that hitch they would play on the radio. Never had a chance to really sit down and listen to these albums until as of recently. MIND BLOWN. I just got in Asia and the Royal scam today and Gucch is on its way.
Man my heart was swelling as you got to the end and you dropped me. I don't know if you come across this but... I had been hearing SD as radio play and loved their sound though a bit on the pop side. During the 70s I was no doubt a hard core fan of hard and prog rock. How was Aja even in my realm? I bought it and I new I hard purchased the best LP SD would ever release. I never bought another LP by SD. I have done this with so many bands. You do encourage one to expand so thanks. You are appreciated.
As a fan for over 40+ years have never heard anyone even mention my favorite Steely Dan album, Royal Scam, on their list. You sir are clearly a genius!!
Great Vid, Pardo! For once watching a S.o.T. video didn't cost me money. I have a massive music collection myself... a little over 8,000 albums. I have always had a thing where I have to own every album by an artists or band I dig but with a sizeable collection there are still gaps and there are always other bands, sure you know how it is. 'Worst to Best' always reminds me there's one or two albums I don't have and then I got to go get them. The 'Live' playoffs were especially brutal because I love live music of any and all kinds and there were albums I had forgotten about and didn't own... operative word ''were'. Every goes on about Alan Parsons production on "Dark Side of the Moon' being so sonically perfect but I would argue that Steely Dan put out the best engineered and produced albums there are with amazing arrangements with a clarity of mixing no one has, or come, close too. Every instrument is a distinct and integral part of a whole and the modes stand out individually to make a tone musically freaking sound and tight. Dig your list but... 1. Can't Buy a Thrill 2. Countdown to Ecstasy 3. Pretzel Logic These first three are for one damned good reason... Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter. If he wasn't on this albums my list would probably be closer to yours because the next four are killer albums. 4. the Royal Scam 5. Aja 6.Katylied 7. Gaucho Last two are good albums but just a scratch behind the ones preceding. 8. Two Against Nature 9. Everything Must go 'Can't Buy a Thrill' isn't with the other Steely Dan albums in my collection but instead sits on a separate shelf along with a number of other albums... Bad Company 'Bad Company', ELP 'Tarkus', ZZ Top 'Tres Hombres and a number of other albums that I consider essential to have in any collection. Which brings up the idea of a video of your choices of albums that make up the perfect collection. Also I would like to hear your, and anyone else's, opinion on reissues vs. the original release. I own reissues... remastered, extended etc. … but also have the original as I first bought it. I was thinking about this when the 'Live' wars were going on. I have always loved Black Oak Arkansas' 'Raunch 'n' Roll' album as one of the best live albums there is and a few years ago bought the reissue that consisted of several shows at the Paramount for that tour. It was cool to have all that new stuff but in the end I wanted the original version of that album because that was the one I grew up listening to.
Even though these song weren't on any of their albums but FM, True Companion and Big Noise New York are stellar standouts. Again, their entire catalog is phenomenal. 🤛✌💖💯
Hi there mister Pete. Very honest and complete review. And here is most probably the longest you've had so far in your channel... lol..! I've stumbled across your critic, most probably 'cause UA-cam algorithyms knows I involve/ immerse myself very deeply in the Steely Dan world by doing very advanced animated guitar chords tutorials. I've undertook a year ago, the ambitious challenge of producing (60 to 65 +) Steely Dan guitar tutorial. So far I'm at nineteen (did all Gaucho's album and Aja's as well) I'm now attacking chronologicaly the rest of their musical discography. So l'm doing/ attacking the "Can't buy a thrill" album, wich I'll finish my third song from this album soon. Did "Dirty Work","Only afool.." and "Reelin' in the years" comin' soon. Again your critic was/ is a bit influent in my process, 'cause the way I rank Steely Dan's album (not easy like you said) is by ; would I take the time to do a tutorial of it. So for that matter there are 4 albums that I wouldn't want/ be totaly inspired to produce all of their tracks as tutorials. ("Can't buy a thrill" 6 out of 10, " Countdown to ecstacy" (5 out of 8) , "Pretzel Logic" (5 out of 11), "Katy lied" (6 out of 10)) Allow me me go in details of the one's I wouldn't produce #1- Cant buy a thrill = "Kings", "Midnight Cruiser", "Turn that Heartbeat" and "Change of guard" wich this one, I now reconsider adding, since viewing your love for it. #2- Countdown to Ecstacy = "Razor Boy" (still considering it), "Boston Rag" and "Pearl of the Quarter" #3- Pretzel Logic = "Charlie Freak", "Barrytown", "Through with Buzz", "With a gun", and " Monkey in your soul". #4- Katy Lied = "Rose Darling", "Everyone's gone to the movie", "Any world (that I'm welcome to" and "Throw back the little ones". Now my rankings; #1- The Royal Scam, #2- Aja, #3- Gaucho, #4- Two Against Nature (won best album of the year in 2000 grammy lets not forget), #5- Eveything must go ( even though it went pretty much unnoticed and is less catchy, I'd still animate all the tracks in), #6- Pretzel Logic, #7- Katy Lied, #8- Countdown to ecstacy and # 9- Can't buy a thrill (cause I find it's most commercial of them all and the musicians are way more experience in the last 6 to 7 seven chronologicaly. I see that we share the same arguments by having a tough times ranking all those amazing album of musical masterpieces, cause their are all so good and timeless. But I would say that the main difference between me and you, would be that I kind of like/ prefer more the latest 5 to 6 album because of their astonishing craftmanship and all the top-notch/ top-gun session musicians in them. And you seem to have a bit morre enthusiam for the earlier part of their career. Put it this ironicaly I'm quite a late bloomer concerning the diverse knowledege of the Steely Dan musical masterpieces. I kinda really got into it about 7 years ago as a listener. I just couldn't believe all the amazing music I've never heard of them before and indirectly regret that I've haven't been initiated earlier !.
Before that "Do it again", " Reelin' in the years" and "Ricky don't loose that number" was as much as I knew about them. Then I don't know when and how exactly (obviously internet helped a lot) I came across, Two Against Nature the album, Aja the album and the rest Gaucho, The Royal Scam,Pretzel Logic, Can't buy a thrill ... and I was so overwhelmingly flabbergasted, on how many songs I really liked and how I could never get tired of listening them on and on and on. So for my ultimate critic about them, is that if I had only one band discography that I'de be allowed to listen to, I'de choose hands up and without hesitation Steely Dan over The Beatles, The Police, Pink Floyd and I guess all the rest. When you like over 70 songs of someones career, I don't think that you can name any other bands that would be ;" as groovy, as inclusive (always about 8 to 10 musicians + back vocalists involved in their latest songs), always warm and well recorded albums, incredible poetry, so much attention to details", that has produced that many good elaborated tracks. (I must addicted somewhat ... lol..) I see you have guitars behind your back, therefore must be guitarists. So here's an example of what I do ! ua-cam.com/video/UziG8OiuAWk/v-deo.html give it a try and hopefuly tell me what you think. To finish, like I've mentioned I didn't thought about producing "Change of guards", but since I've seen this vidéo of yours, I decided to add it in my list of future tutorials inspired by your honest review. My point would be that if there's a couple of songs you'de put a veto on and would consider almost a crime for not producing it, please consider letting me know. Like I said i'm in / attacking the "Can't buy a Thrill album", then I'll go chronologicaly till "Everything must go" Peace sir ;^) ♪
Deep cut gems (meaning you don't hear 'em on the radio) - Your Gold Teeth I and II. King of The World. Night by Night. Doctor Wu. The Royal Scam is my favorite album. My least favorite is Everything Must Go. Nice chat. And here I go again down the Dan hole.
Great ranking! I agree, so hard to order these, but their debut will only always be my favorite! I really can't listen to "Reelin'" or "Do It Again" anymore (brilliant, but so overplayed), but the rest of the album is so diverse and just so ahead of it's time. Every time I listen to this album, I'm just blown away by the songwriting and the creativity - just off the chart... Love your channel!
1. Katy Lied 2. Royal Scam 3. Can't Buy a Thrill 4. Aja 5. Steely Dan's Greatest Hits (1978 version) 6. Pretzel Logic 7. Countdown to Ecstasy 8. Gaucho 9. Two Against Nature 10. Everything Must Go But, as you say, all are so close as to be unrankable. Been listening since 1976 and I'm not tired of them yet.
Love 'em! Saw them live a few years ago; great show! "Can't Buy a Thrill" is my favorite. I haven't actually heard "Everything Must Go" yet, but I've got all the rest of them. Love Donald's solo stuff too!
Been listening to gaucho on repeat all week. All killer no filler. A masterpiece.
Not a masterpiece. Can't Buy a Thrill, Aja, Pretzel Logic, Katy Lied and The Royal Scam are the cream of the crop.That said, all of their discs are outstanding.
@@davidbowman4259gaucho is a masterpiece to me buddy
Once I "got" Gaucho I listened to it for a month straight. Part of me wishes Fagan wasn't such a perfectionist to go with the drum machine, but the album IS smooth as silk. My personal #2 album from SD.
If you add in the remastered outtakes, like The 2nd arrangement, The Bear and Kuli Baba, this is a top 3 SD album all time.
@@bmardon2112fucking love that album
My favorite of their hired gun guitar players is definitely Larry Carlton. The solo on Kid Charlemagne is a masterpiece!!!
Larry and Elliott Randall are my 2 favorites.
Don’t forget ‘Third World Man’ on Gaucho. Gorgeous. Love Larry Carlton….. :)
Did you pick that album up in your car?
The horns on "The Caves of Altimera" are sublime😍.
tru dat
I really loved AC⚡️DC when you were the singer. Brian is great, but you were the real shit. Why did you have to go and die?
yes
Agreed! It's extremely difficult for me to really put ANY of these albums in a particular ranking order. Finally one day, I decided to just listen to every album in order of release. What amazed me the most, was the evolution of the sound from each album to the next. Pretty much a steady progression into a further expansion of their musical knowledge and talent. But again, not one single "bad" album. All insanely epic in their own right.
Altamira
"The Royal Scam" is truly a masterpiece!
Definitely my favorite of theirs.
by far their best album
100% their best alongside Aja
oh yeah it is
It’s incredible, but I don’t consider it quite a masterpiece. There are certain songs/sections I think could be better- e.g. Caves - fantastic chorus melody, but I thought the way they resolve it at the end of the chorus could have been better.
Aja... yeah masterpiece
"GAUCHO" is a Real MASTERPIECE, a work of outstanding artistry, with the tremendous special guests like Anthony Jackson and Chuck Rainey on BASS, Hiram Bullock, Larry Carlton, Rick Derringer, Steve Khan, Mark Knopfler, Hugh McCracken on GUITARS!!! Steve Gadd, Rick Marotta, Jeff Porcaro (Genius), Bernard Purdie (the really maestro) on DRUMS....Michael Brecker - sax/Randy Brecker - trumpet, flugelhorn/David Sanborn - sax/David Tofani - sax....Victor Feldman, Ralph MacDonald, Patti Austin, Michael McDonald, Valerie Simpson, Joe Sample and Don Grolnick on KEYS And Much Much Much More!!! Just to listen tracks like "Babylon Sisters" with Bernard Purdie and his unique shuffle!! God bless that metronome Man!!!!
"Got the Steely Dan T-Shirt"
They don't give a fuck about anybody else...
@@jamesmack3314 And for the coup d gras?
@@robertrodriguez9050 THEY'RE OUTRAGEOUS now honey let me tell ya
The Royal Scam is by far their most interesting and powerful, creative album absolutely love it. Truly a masterpiece
Best Steely Dan album: ALL OF THEM
Chrono Logic Their output is beyond category. The older I get, the more I listen. Amazing.
SD had this phenomenal production with excellent sound quality and brilliant mixing on all albums. They're first on the list when testing jazzy pop on hi end audio for sure. Love all their albums. Aja is my fav followed by the Royal Scam. Great channel!
Like your ranking. Royal Scam has ALWAYS been my fav SD album.
Yes...
It was my always fav too!
It was listening to Steely Dan that got me into Larry Carlton
Mr Music Larry Carlton played at the Classic East concert summer of 2017 when Walter fell ill. I had waited 40 years to see them along with the Eagles at Citi Field that summer and missed seeing both Glenn Fry and Walter.
The Royal Scam, Aja and Gaucho are all masterpieces imo. Steely Dan at their finest.
The first six albums (in release order) are masterpieces, the rest still are very good albums. There is hardly any bad track or filler on any Steely Dan album. One of the most consistently brilliant discography of any band ever.
I bought the first album right in 1972 when I heard Do It Again on the radio and any subsequent album as soon as I became aware of its release and each one was a revelation. Aja and Gaucho both took some time and at first listening did not reveal their full potential. Until I noticed that I could not get some hooks or lines out of my mind for days and slowly began to acquire them.
1. Countdown to Ecstasy (this is on the list of my 25 best albums of all time)
2. Can't Buy a Thrill
3. The Royal Scam
4. Katy Lied
5. Aja
6. Pretzel Logic
7. Gaucho
8. Two Against Nature
9. Everything Must Go
Their BEST album-one of the greatest albums ever produced-is Aja. My FAVORITE album is Katy Lied. Steely Dan never disappoints.
Why is Katy Lied your favorite?
Aja? No. It’s way too smooth and vanilla. Their best album is Pretzel Logic.
I'm an English offshore oil worker, worked with a Taylor diver from New Orleans in our North Sea back in the 70's, he gave me a tape of Steely Dan and wow, brilliant stuff all through, very few Brits i know have been exposed to them believe that ?, Aja for me but like you say.....they're all superb.
Still got all the 70s albums on vinyl . Such a great band. Top 5 are:
1. Aja
2. Can't buy a Thrill
3. Royal Scam
4. Pretzel Logic
5. Countdown to Ecstasy
I grew up in a college town, and for a while when I was a teenager, they (Southeastern LA university) had a “$2 Concert” series, live shows by up-and-coming but largely-unknown bands for, yes, really, two dollars. I was 14 in the fall of ‘72, and my best friend Chuck had to talk me into going to see a show by these two bands we’d never heard of. I was reluctant because we’d gone to the previous one, a Mac “Baby, Don’t Get Hooked on Me” Davis solo show, and had left, bored, partway through, so I hated the idea of wasting another $2. But they were just starting to play “Listen to the Music” on the radio and I liked it, so I went with him to see The Doobie Brothers with Steely Dan opening. It was mind-blowing, the most unexpectedly brilliant show I’ve ever seen.
Now that's a great combo SD and Doobie Bros!!
The Dan were very influenced by the New York prodigy, Laura Nyro, particularly her revolutionary 1968 jazz pop masterpiece LP 'Eli and the Thirteenth Confession', recorded with a host of jazz greats such as Zoot Sims, as well as Hugh McCracken and Chuck Rainey. The title track Eli's Comin' is fantastic. See youtube discussions of Nyro and her LP by Todd Rundgren ("it blew everybody's mind"), Elton John ("she influenced more successful songwriters than anyone"), and Alice Cooper. In a Rolling Stone podcast about a year ago, Donald discusses Nyro's influence on the Dan. Nyro is Songwriters Hall of Fame, Rock Hall of Fame.
New subscriber... THIS video sold me on subscribing. I absolutely love your passion. This and the Sabbath ranking video are my favs, so far. Keep up the great work. Cheers. :)
I agree with your ranking but you cannot go wrong with any of the top 7. All stellar records. What an incredible catalog!
Steely Dan, love 'em to death. Love everything they've released. The top three, at different points, each ranked as my #1, so they are almost interchangeable.
Here would be my rankings:
9. Everything Must Go
8. Two Against Nature
7. Can't Buy A Thrill
6. Countdown To Ectasy
5. Gaucho
4. Katy Lied
3. Aja
2. Pretzel Logic
1. The Royal Scam
I wish Fagen could/would release many of these outtakes, demos, unfinished tracks that are scattered throughout YT, officially on CD. Many of them are quite good (I especially love Stand By The Seawall, a late-night jazz-fusion pop instrumental treat which didn't make the final cut on Aja.)
One thing I love about Pete is the fact that he listens to (and still buys) actual CDs. I've never converted to the downloading thing. I just can't do it. Weird as it sounds, I love the sound of the CD cases clapping together, one by one, as he's wrapping up each list near the end of these album ranking videos.
I love this band, I must admit I haven't heard their complete discography, so I am going to try just a top 5:
1 Gaucho
2 Aja
3 The Royal Scam
4 Pretzel Logic
5 Katty Lied
Gaucho at No. 1? Thats interesting.
I bought my first Steely Dan album in 1977 and it was Royal Scam. I much later got their earlier albums (and later ones). Royal Scam has always been my favorite (I am not even going to try to rank the others). Years ago I read various SD rankings which put Royal Scam low on the list. I never understood that - so many great songs on the album!
My two favorites are "The Royal Scam" (for me it has the strongest jazz-rock vibe, in a Blood Sweat & Tears vein, and features prominently an amazing horn section) and "Pretzel Logic" (for the variety of genres it incorporates).
Then "Aja", "Katy Lied" and "Gaucho" (which I really like, with the title track being a masterpiece - and the Jarrett's controversy is just preposterous - but it has a big turndown in its longest track, "Glamour Profession").
Then "Can't Buy A Thrill" and "Countdown To Ecstasy". But, as you said, in each of them there are four/five tracks that are close to perfection.
That's it for their classic catalogue.
Then there are the two reunion albums. I only have "Two Against Nature": it's good (I especially like "Jack Of Speed" and "West Of Hollywood", with a shimmering Chris Potter) but in a kind of different league.
"Can't Buy a Thrill" is a desert island disc for me. "Midnight Cruiser," "Brooklyn" - top to bottom phenomenal.
Could not agree more! I listen to these guys a lot and keep returning to these tunes. Just mindblowingly good music!
SD is timeless. Agree Royal Scam and Aja are interchangeable at the top. Would throw in Gaucho at three. “Time Out Of Mind” is one of my favorite songs of all time. Listening to the Dan was unforgettable in the moment.
I grew up in the seventies. I can remember when pretty much every song on Can't Buy a Thrill got radio play. Has that ever happened for another band's debut, maybe other that the Beatles?
I would sit with my music nerd friends and we'd listen to the records on repeat, trying to suss out the lyrics, and being blown away by the sheer musicianship displayed. There will never be another band like Steely Dan.
RIP Walter
Actually all you ever heard were Reeling,Do it again,and ricki.....not much else
I’m 60 and was into Sabbath/UFO/Judas Priest/ Robin Trower etc. like you said I knew SD but didn’t appreciate them till my 30’s. I would be torture for me to rank them, they are all so incredibly good
So...Sabbath, UFO, Judas Priest, Robin Trower, and Steely Dan? In other words, you have good taste.
40 years later and I still rock to Zeppelin, Maiden, Sabbath, etc.... to this very day
IFilmAlways I do too but my tastes have expanded
@@1wired4sound Agreed..
"Third World Man" always leaves me wanting more xD
1. "Can't Buy a Thrill". I bought this album when I was 15 years old when it was released back in 72. Well, I bought the 8 track. And now I own all the cd's. But this was the one that hooked me, so it's number one.
2. "Aja". Just too good to drop any farther.
3. "Pretzel Logic". "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" is filled with a ton of memories. High school, first love, broken hearts.
4. "Gaucho". "Hey Nineteen" just rocks man.
5. "Katy Lied". Soundtrack from the senior year in high school. "Black Friday".
6. "Two Against Nature". This album was a pleasant surprise.
7. "The Royal Scam".
8. "Countdown to Ecstasy".
9. "Everything Must Go".
Love em. Great website too !!!
Great list, and thanks for sharing.
It's always been 'Royal Scam' for me. The stories, the music, the memories. Pete's order on this one would me similar to mine. They sure had a lot of good stuff!
Great video, Pete. I think you shouldn't have to explain yourself that much when it comes to ranking albums. Your opinion is as valid as our and I respect it. Thanks.
Sadly, a good third of the people who watch don't get the concept. I'm kinda done with giving the disclaimer at the beginning, so it will be disappearing.
@@seaoftranquilityprog - Wait... Countdown To Ecstasy not ranked first?? (kidding)
@@seaoftranquilityprog Good choice on Royal Scam at 1, those first three songs might be best three to start an album ever imo.
@@seaoftranquilityprog An argument(from me) could be made to rank Royal Scam 1a, Aja 1b and Gaucho 1c based upon one's mood at the time, the amount of tequila flowing through the blood stream and proximity to NYC, LA or Tokyo. As each album, dam right I said album, represents those locales very well. BTW, just found your youtube page, it is solid and thanks!
I grew up with Steely Dan at that certain age when music is the soundtrack of your daily life - from 16 to 25 or so. Can't Buy A Thrill was released close to my 19th birthday and I remember hearing Do It Again and Reeling In the Years all over the radio dial, from Top 10 to FM rock stations. Steely Dan came on the scene at the time other American bands like The Doobie Brothers and The Eagles and I put Steely Dan in the same category of AM friendly rock music. But as they continued to release albums Steely Dan became one of my favorite bands, each album they released being more complex and better than the last. For me their best albums were the ones they released in the middle of their career
1. Katy Lied - The perfect mix of jazz and rock.
2. The Royal Scam - Some of the best guitar solos ever recorded on a Steely Dan album. Take a bow, Larry.
3. Pretzel Logic - Their lyrics had a way of speaking to the listener like no other band I know of, and Any Major Dude is the best example that comes to mind, followed by Rikki, Don't Lose that Number.
4. Aja - A stunning technical achievement, but by this point Steely Dan had forsaken their ability to rock in exchange for filling their songs with jazz chords. Aja is my favorite Steely Dan songs, but I get bored quickly with the smooth jazz style of Peg and Josie.
5. Countdown to Ecstasy - This could easily be my number three pick over Pretzel Logic. It's and essential album to own, if only for the inclusion of two of my favorite Steely Dan songs, Bodhisattva and King of the World, that flat out rock.
6. Can't Buy A Thrill
7. Gaucho
8. Two Against Nature
Got it Pete killer steely Dan love it.
Man I love the Dan, if you put a gun to my head and made me choose my favorite I would say “Katy Lied.” Just a sublime record. A great rainy day record. I also love “The Royal Scam” about equally. I look at both albums as companion pieces, a double feature.
Great video as usual Pete!
I know this isn't on a Steely Dan album, but I think "FM" is one of their great songs.
Kevin Hallisey no static at all
It sure is. Haven't seen that movie since its release. Wonder how it holds up?
Such a cool tune. I so love Brecker's initial sax solo on what I would characterize as the real song. Wish they'd taken time to come up with more thoughtful sax & guitar solos in the follow up section Loose jam with little musical statement by guys with so much more to offer..
Kdj0706
Right on. Never broke it out that way, but I went back and listened to it, and you are right on the money.......and don't even get me started on 'Kid Charlemagne".
@@kdj0706 I can't find any info of a "Brecker" playing sax on the song F.M.
I’m kinda like you, I couldn’t get into the band when I was a young man, I was much more into rock and metal. But over the decades I’ve really started to appreciate the brilliance of the band…. And now I’m a super fan. So much great stuff in their discography.
Same for me. I've known and liked SD's music forever but the older I get, the more appreciative of it I'm now becoming. Now I'm 59, it's become one of my alltime top 3.
One of my favorite bands! Excellent job, Pete! Thanks for bringing attention to this fabulous, and sometimes forgotten, band.
Every album in order of release shows a refinement of the musical, and lyrical elements Becker and Fagen are ultimately known for. The chords and melodies become more complex and the lyrics becomes more multilayered. Steely Dan's whole catalog is a real work of art in the realm of 20th century popular music.
It’s great to see so much love for the unique Steely Dan. Their albums really are works of art!
As I’m not much of a jazz aficionado, I tend to prefer their earlier recordings to the more critically acclaimed releases like Aja. The album that I listen to most regularly is Pretzel Logic, although all of their first 5 albums are brilliant in my view.
My list was the same as yours, Pete, except the bottom two were flipped. A band called The Ergs have a song with the lyrics. "I met a girl named Aja, she said her Dad loved Steely Dan. I laughed and asked if her sister's name was Katy." Great song. :)
Love your shirt!
"Night By Night" = MOST underrated Dan tune - prove me wrong! :P
great choice for the underated one Jeff... I kinda a dig the later one of their's Cousin Dupree myself LOL
Agreed. Best guitar work was Don't Take Me Alive-Larry Carlton. IMV.
Its up there but I love "Third World Man" no one ever talks about that song
Totally agree
Kinda hard to prove "most underrated"...much of SD's catalog is underrated by popular music (especially today).
A large part of the soundtrack of my teenage years. Very high quality "sophisticated" rock music, in terms of lyrical subjects and musicianship. What a catalog indeed! RIP Walter. 😔
Thanks for the video.. The older classics.. Love these shows
Some bands or solo artists have a way of both touching your heart and broadening your horizons. The Dan has become part of my DNA since the day in 1973 when I bought my first 2 albums on wonderful HQ 8-track format: Doobie Bros ‘Captain & Me’ and SD’s ‘Can’t Buy a Thrill’.
Life-altering Music.
Agree on Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan!
"King of the World".... sublime.
As far as I know
The synthesizer solo is just so retro cool. And the guitar interplay with the synthesizer as “ King “ draws to a close. “ Countdown to Ecstasy” has the most “band” feel of the Dan’s albums . You just can’t go wrong with that band !
Donald Fagan's solo work is just as good. Steely Dan is one of my top two favorite bands for sure. Aja is #1 for me.
As are Walter's two
What an excellent and interesting review, and you matched my top 3 exactly! This is a must watch for any long time SD fans; brilliant!
I agree. Their discography is oh so brilliant across the board.
1. Aja
2. Countdown to Ecstasy
3. Pretzel Logic
4. The Royal Scam
5. Can't Buy a Thrill
6. Katy Lied
7. Two Against Nature
8. Gaucho (seems low, but I still think it's great!)
9. Everything Must Go (deserves more of a listen from me to be fair)
As ever, great content Pete. Keep it up!
What a band , and you are so right.....NO BAD ALBUMS!!!
Just some are slightly less awesome than others!!!
Ive liked SD for decades myself, but really was only familiar with the hits, but in recent years have been chilling to much more
Je suis d'accord! I agree with your top choice. Wonderful album. But now I need to listen to more Steely Dan.
Enjoyed that :) UK Fan seen them 3 times - love all the albums and this rundown is exactly how i would have ranked them too .
One of the very few bands that don't have a bad or worst album, they are all great in their own special way. I wholeheartedly agree that The Royal Scam is their masterpiece and it also contains my favourite track of theirs: Don't take me alive. Surely the best intro of any song in the annals of rock history.
Don't Take me Alive. Close your eyes, and just listen to the guitar work in that song a few times. Spectacular...
You are correct. It was also difficult to play. I have seen/heard LC three times. He is such a great guitarist.
two beer that intro! Wow!
I so love that opening solo by Larry Carlton. Absolutely classic.
And those lyrics!
“ Don’t Take me Alive” is just a sublime , turgid track about a most disagreeable subject. In other words, vintage Steely Dan .
Awesome! My favorite band ever! And I agree with your ranking and thoughts. Great job. Thank you for the wonderful appreciation of a fantastic group. Fagen and Becker - Rock gods.
Greetings from England. OK, no-one else seems to have ranked the albums. I will have a go and you can all tell me where I went wrong. This is not necessarily a "worst to best" list but I think it is my "least favourite to favourite" (at the moment) it could change, but my favourite album never changes and while I know no-one will agree with me, it has my favourite Steely Dan song on it. In other words my favourite song by my favourite band, so why wouldn't I love it?
9. Everything Must Go (this one felt like an afterthought. but the more I listen to "Godwhacker"...what a groove!)
8. Gaucho (still a wonderful record but if only "The Second Arrangement" had survived)
7. Two Against Nature (waited years for this one of course. "Jack of Speed" and "West of Hollywood" made it worth the wait.
6. Aja (Often puzzled over why this is their biggest seller then I remember how brilliant "Deacon Blues", "Josie" and the title track all are)
5. Pretzel Logic (I know most people will rank this one higher but I actually consider some of the tracks on here to be "filler." Not Rikki, Night By Night, Any Major Dude or the title track though.)
4. The Royal Scam (Donald and Walter simply didn't write many songs better than "Kid Charlemagne" and for that matter neither did anyone else.)
3 Can't Buy A Thrill (The best debut album of all-time? That's another argument for another day, but for me it probably is)
2. Countdown To Ecstasy (most bands would love to write a song as beautiful as "Pearl OF The Quarter" but here it is surrounded by so many other classics that people hardly seem to notice that is even there.)
1. Katy Lied (I know I will be in a minority with this choice but this is the Steely Dan album I always go to first. I adore every second of it.)
And if anyone has read this far, thank you and keep on enjoying Steely Dan.
It's so tough eh? If push came to shove I think Countdown to Ecstasy is mine favourite. Depends what day you ask me though! Great clip as always Pete!
Can't Buy a Thrill, best album of all time for me, I've listened to it a million times, I plan on listening for million more.
Good post Jacob. I've been listening to it for 45 years and I've never got tired of it. It's an old friend with a real emotional connection.
Good man, my choice too Jacob.
Agree with you...their first was their best..more of a band album !
I too am very fond of this album. The movie soundtrack LP they recorded just before 'Thrill' (walk it like you talk it) oddly does not show much of the writing talent Becker and Fagan present shortly after.
Kings and Fire in the Hole. so good
Thank you - it's so good to hear these opinions from fellow Dan lovers. I'coming in there with mine. I think it is tempting to let nostalgia get the better of things and I guess it does also come down to which 'period' you like a little more - earlier or later or later again. For what it's worth though this is my ranking and again - just for the record - all are absolute masterpieces.
1.Gaucho 2. Aja 3. The Royal Scam. 4. Katy Lied 5. Everything Must Go 6. Two Against Nature 7. Countdown To Ecstasy 8. Pretzel logic 9. Can't Buy A Thrill. Love on all
I’m psyched just clicked the like button and it went from 1.4 k like to 1.5 likes. Pete you rule.
Mostly agree, but for me "Countdown to Ecstasy" should be higher.
I agree, would definitely be a top 3 SD album for me. Depending on what I feel like that day it might be number 1 actually. :)
Countdown is definitely number 1 - on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Pretzel is number 1 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. On Sunday it's Aja. Thrill should not be so high. Some great tracks but some not so good … and Dirty Work is dreadful. The best ever live rendition of Reelin' In The Years was at Wembley, London last year with Mr Randall !!!!
Agree. For me the song that really became a 'brain Worm " on Countdown to Ecstasy is Razor Boy,that slide guitar by Jeff"Skunk" Baxter is just too sublime
@@titanus49 Yes... underrated song on that album. Beautiful.
@@MacXpert74 Definitely Numero Uno - Jeff Baxter fabulous player
Hey-that was the European Tour T shirt (2007?) -bought one when they played Liverpool.Now being worn by my 18 year old daughter at University-spread the news!
Thanks. Enjoyed that. I have all of their album playlists on my channel up until (and including) Gaucho. Aja & Pretzel Logic are neck & neck when it comes to viewers, etc. The Royal Scam comes in next. I'm only offering this up as a point of interest, not to contradict anyone or make any staggering point. Love them all. Steely Dan just took it all into another dimension where others simply cannot gain access!
Great review Pete ;)
Don't profess to be a Steely Dan expert, but up to this point Katy Lied has clicked with me the most.
That seems to be the one most DanHeads agree on. Me, howrver, being a contrarian, would say their best album was, "Gaucho."
Loved that album. I owned it as a teenager.
Can't go wrong with that one. Any of them for that matter.
I love that album.
@@apollomemories7399 "Pretzel Logic" imo, I return to it most often.
"Can't buy a thrill" is a lyric in a Dylan tune from- I think - Blonde on Blonde (I know/ would recognize but forget the name of the song).
"It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry" from Highway 61 Revisited.
The song Aja is my second favorite song of all time. I just love going back to the interlude on that; it just keeps getting better and better as the song progresses. Steve Gadd and Wayne Shorter of some of the best jazz musicians out there and it always tears me up whenever I listen to it, whenever I listen to them on that track. You can tell it's a masterpiece when it strikes you hard like that.
Thank you for this review. Finally after 40 years I saw them last summer. Great job. Surprised me with your #1. My #1 Pretzel Logic. Great job
Least to most favorite:
Everything must go
Two against nature
Pretzel Logic
Can't Buy a Thrill
The Royal Scam
Countdown To Extasy
Gaucho
Aja
Katy Lied
Too bad you couldn't have included "NightFly" Fegan's first single piece of work. one of my favorites.
Larry Carlton rips it apart on this album!
Never listened to it.
Guess I’ll look it up and give it a whirl
Peter Symes I 😍 NightFly!
Agreed. Possibly the best songs Fagan wrote. Maxine is one of the best things ever recorded.
Stew Lincs I have just finished listening to the album for the first time on a sunny drive along the coast here. Sublime.
Maxine? I concur
Pete!!!! I understand your love for the Royal scam now. I've been getting into some Steely Dan as of lately. The same story as you. I knew them and I liked them. Knowing that hitch they would play on the radio. Never had a chance to really sit down and listen to these albums until as of recently. MIND BLOWN. I just got in Asia and the Royal scam today and Gucch is on its way.
Man my heart was swelling as you got to the end and you dropped me. I don't know if you come across this but...
I had been hearing SD as radio play and loved their sound though a bit on the pop side. During the 70s I was no doubt a hard core fan of hard and prog rock. How was Aja even in my realm? I bought it and I new I hard purchased the best LP SD would ever release. I never bought another LP by SD. I have done this with so many bands. You do encourage one to expand so thanks. You are appreciated.
The Intro to 'The Boston Rag' has been playing in my head for two weeks now; and I'm not sure what to replace it with.
Johnny was the kingpin back in 1965!!!
The guitar break in that song rocks!!!
Nothing, keep it there.
Matt Mccormick don’t take me alive might be a good choice
Simon Boyers
the rest of the song.
And night by night
The quality from Can't Buy A Thrill to Aja is outstanding but for me, Countdown To Ecstasy is the definitive Steely Dan album.
I'm with you! My favorite is 'Countdown To Ecstasy' followed closely by 'Aja'! I'm 62 and I've been a fan since they first came on the scene.
Well done, Pete.
The Royal Scam and Aja are my top two as well.
Great video Pete, I'm really into Steely Dan at the moment. My favourite Dan album is Can't Buy A Thrill.
Royal Scam is my favorite Steely Dan album
…..yeah, agree on all the rest with exception … "Katy Lied" was my favorite
Got them all. Great job ranking them. 👍
I agree totally with your ranking yey!
Steely Dan’s songs are perfect, imho.
Two Against Nature is SO underrated! What a Shame About Me is maybe the quintessential Dan tune...
That album may be the best album OF ALL TIME.
As a fan for over 40+ years have never heard anyone even mention my favorite Steely Dan album, Royal Scam, on their list.
You sir are clearly a genius!!
Great Vid, Pardo! For once watching a S.o.T. video didn't cost me money. I have a massive music collection myself... a little over 8,000 albums. I have always had a thing where I have to own every album by an artists or band I dig but with a sizeable collection there are still gaps and there are always other bands, sure you know how it is. 'Worst to Best' always reminds me there's one or two albums I don't have and then I got to go get them. The 'Live' playoffs were especially brutal because I love live music of any and all kinds and there were albums I had forgotten about and didn't own... operative word ''were'.
Every goes on about Alan Parsons production on "Dark Side of the Moon' being so sonically perfect but I would argue that Steely Dan put out the best engineered and produced albums there are with amazing arrangements with a clarity of mixing no one has, or come, close too. Every instrument is a distinct and integral part of a whole and the modes stand out individually to make a tone musically freaking sound and tight.
Dig your list but...
1. Can't Buy a Thrill
2. Countdown to Ecstasy
3. Pretzel Logic
These first three are for one damned good reason... Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter. If he wasn't on this albums my list would probably be closer to yours because the next four are killer albums.
4. the Royal Scam
5. Aja
6.Katylied
7. Gaucho
Last two are good albums but just a scratch behind the ones preceding.
8. Two Against Nature
9. Everything Must go
'Can't Buy a Thrill' isn't with the other Steely Dan albums in my collection but instead sits on a separate shelf along with a number of other albums... Bad Company 'Bad Company', ELP 'Tarkus', ZZ Top 'Tres Hombres and a number of other albums that I consider essential to have in any collection. Which brings up the idea of a video of your choices of albums that make up the perfect collection.
Also I would like to hear your, and anyone else's, opinion on reissues vs. the original release. I own reissues... remastered, extended etc. … but also have the original as I first bought it. I was thinking about this when the 'Live' wars were going on. I have always loved Black Oak Arkansas' 'Raunch 'n' Roll' album as one of the best live albums there is and a few years ago bought the reissue that consisted of several shows at the Paramount for that tour. It was cool to have all that new stuff but in the end I wanted the original version of that album because that was the one I grew up listening to.
Even though these song weren't on any of their albums but FM, True Companion and Big Noise New York are stellar standouts. Again, their entire catalog is phenomenal. 🤛✌💖💯
The Royal Scam is just magical I listen to it every day. Couldn’t agree more with your ranking. Katy Lied maybe higher but whatever.
Katy much higher for me.
Steely Dan is so hard to rank they are fantastic your doing a great job 👍👍👍👍👍
Hi there mister Pete.
Very honest and complete review. And here is most probably the longest you've had so far in your channel... lol..!
I've stumbled across your critic, most probably 'cause UA-cam algorithyms knows I involve/ immerse myself very deeply in the Steely Dan world by doing very advanced animated guitar chords tutorials.
I've undertook a year ago, the ambitious challenge of producing (60 to 65 +) Steely Dan guitar tutorial. So far I'm at nineteen (did all Gaucho's album and Aja's as well) I'm now attacking chronologicaly the rest of their musical discography.
So l'm doing/ attacking the "Can't buy a thrill" album, wich I'll finish my third song from this album soon.
Did "Dirty Work","Only afool.." and "Reelin' in the years" comin' soon.
Again your critic was/ is a bit influent in my process, 'cause the way I rank Steely Dan's album (not easy like you said) is by ; would I take the time to do a tutorial of it.
So for that matter there are 4 albums that I wouldn't want/ be totaly inspired to produce all of their tracks as tutorials. ("Can't buy a thrill" 6 out of 10, " Countdown to ecstacy" (5 out of 8) , "Pretzel Logic" (5 out of 11), "Katy lied" (6 out of 10))
Allow me me go in details of the one's I wouldn't produce
#1- Cant buy a thrill = "Kings", "Midnight Cruiser", "Turn that Heartbeat" and
"Change of guard" wich this one, I now reconsider adding, since viewing your love for it.
#2- Countdown to Ecstacy = "Razor Boy" (still considering it), "Boston Rag" and "Pearl of the Quarter"
#3- Pretzel Logic = "Charlie Freak", "Barrytown", "Through with Buzz", "With a gun", and " Monkey in your soul".
#4- Katy Lied = "Rose Darling", "Everyone's gone to the movie", "Any world (that I'm welcome to"
and "Throw back the little ones".
Now my rankings;
#1- The Royal Scam,
#2- Aja,
#3- Gaucho,
#4- Two Against Nature (won best album of the year in 2000 grammy lets not forget),
#5- Eveything must go ( even though it went pretty much unnoticed and is less catchy, I'd still animate all the tracks in),
#6- Pretzel Logic,
#7- Katy Lied,
#8- Countdown to ecstacy and #
9- Can't buy a thrill (cause I find it's most commercial of them all and the musicians are way more experience in the last 6 to 7 seven chronologicaly.
I see that we share the same arguments by having a tough times ranking all those amazing album of musical masterpieces, cause their are all so good and timeless.
But I would say that the main difference between me and you, would be that I kind of like/ prefer more the latest 5 to 6 album because of their astonishing craftmanship and all the top-notch/ top-gun session musicians in them. And you seem to have a bit morre enthusiam for the earlier part of their career.
Put it this ironicaly I'm quite a late bloomer concerning the diverse knowledege of the Steely Dan musical masterpieces.
I kinda really got into it about 7 years ago as a listener. I just couldn't believe all the amazing music I've never heard of them before and indirectly regret that I've haven't been initiated earlier !.
Before that "Do it again", " Reelin' in the years" and "Ricky don't loose that number" was as much as I knew about them.
Then I don't know when and how exactly (obviously internet helped a lot) I came across, Two Against Nature the album, Aja the album and the rest Gaucho, The Royal Scam,Pretzel Logic, Can't buy a thrill ... and I was so overwhelmingly flabbergasted, on how many songs I really liked and how I could never get tired of listening them on and on and on.
So for my ultimate critic about them, is that if I had only one band discography that I'de be allowed to listen to, I'de choose hands up and without hesitation Steely Dan over The Beatles, The Police, Pink Floyd and I guess all the rest.
When you like over 70 songs of someones career, I don't think that you can name any other bands that would be ;" as groovy, as inclusive (always about 8 to 10 musicians + back vocalists involved in their latest songs), always warm and well recorded albums, incredible poetry, so much attention to details", that has produced that many good elaborated tracks. (I must addicted somewhat ... lol..)
I see you have guitars behind your back, therefore must be guitarists. So here's an example of what I do ! ua-cam.com/video/UziG8OiuAWk/v-deo.html give it a try and hopefuly tell me what you think.
To finish, like I've mentioned I didn't thought about producing "Change of guards", but since I've seen this vidéo of yours, I decided to add it in my list of future tutorials inspired by your honest review. My point would be that if there's a couple of songs you'de put a veto on and would consider almost a crime for not producing it, please consider letting me know. Like I said i'm in / attacking the "Can't buy a Thrill album", then I'll go chronologicaly till "Everything must go"
Peace sir ;^) ♪
The royal scam, absolutely the best, great guitar solo's, Every song on the album is great!
I'm with you....really their last "rock" album
Also their best sounding album... Starring Larry Carlton. He's still playing these songs live?
ua-cam.com/video/H1hDD6AKSKQ/v-deo.html
Deep cut gems (meaning you don't hear 'em on the radio) - Your Gold Teeth I and II. King of The World. Night by Night. Doctor Wu.
The Royal Scam is my favorite album. My least favorite is Everything Must Go. Nice chat.
And here I go again down the Dan hole.
I agree.good list
Great ranking! I agree, so hard to order these, but their debut will only always be my favorite! I really can't listen to "Reelin'" or "Do It Again" anymore (brilliant, but so overplayed), but the rest of the album is so diverse and just so ahead of it's time. Every time I listen to this album, I'm just blown away by the songwriting and the creativity - just off the chart... Love your channel!
Steely Dan is one of the few bands that really didn't have a stinker album.
Very true Joseph.
Until Gaucho.
James Mack
The movie was good but I always thought the song was great. It is on the "FM" soundtrack, but I think it's also on a greatest hits album.
I thought Two against Nature was awful but I do like Jack of Speed.
@@robgronotte1 Sorry have to disagree - I think it's one of their best.
Some credit to Gary Katz one great producer
Katz corralled the studio musicians. Walter and Donald "produced" the albums.
Sure you hear the difference when he wasn't Involved anymore.
1. Katy Lied
2. Royal Scam
3. Can't Buy a Thrill
4. Aja
5. Steely Dan's Greatest Hits (1978 version)
6. Pretzel Logic
7. Countdown to Ecstasy
8. Gaucho
9. Two Against Nature
10. Everything Must Go
But, as you say, all are so close as to be unrankable. Been listening since 1976 and I'm not tired of them yet.
Like that you included 5 - love that Greatest Hits (1978) double album!
Best album cover is either pretzel logic or the royal scam
Love 'em! Saw them live a few years ago; great show! "Can't Buy a Thrill" is my favorite. I haven't actually heard "Everything Must Go" yet, but I've got all the rest of them. Love Donald's solo stuff too!