You better rate this one 5 stars. It is their finest work. "Home At Last" "I got the News" are my favorites "Deacon", "Peg" and "Cow" are played out. You must be a Bay City Roller fan and unworthy to listen to any music if you do not recognize the awesome musicianship on this cd. Fagen's vocals + keyboards, Becker's guitar and all the other musicians simply rock; their musicianship trandsends and defies time. I guess that is what makes it a classic. Thought these two were from SF not NY! Certainly there is some SF influence here.

Their best album in my opinion, is Katy Lied. I loved Steely Dan growing up as a Kid. When I finally moved out of the house I took all my brothers albums and bought AJA for myself.

Personally I have had marginal success with this CD. Had better luck with "Dr. Woo" on "Katy Lied" (Did she?).

Bill in SF

The best sample of Jazz-Rock
Steely Dan is the definitive "band", when it comes to Jazz-Rock. All of their trademarks are present in this album, it's a very polished recording. Great jazzy vocal harmonies, intrumental breaks, musicianship, cynical lyrics... Some of the best jazz musicians around, like Steve Khan, Larry Carlton, Wayne Shorter, Victor Feldman, and Steve Gadd, who does and amazing work on the drums in the title track. It's a priceless investment for any musician who want to expand their language and musical horizons, or any good music lover. If you've never heard of Steely Dan before, this could be a great introduction to the amazing works of the Walter Becker and Donald Fagen's project. If you're searching for intelligent lyrics, vocal harmonies, technical AND soulful performances, this is the perfect album for you, no matter if you're into progressive, blues, rock, metal, pop, jazz... it's one of those albums that truly deserve to be called a MASTERPIECE.

A must own for any fan of true music genius.
When you tried to throw this one in a particular section of the record store back in 1977, the year of its' release, you really had a difficult task. To avoid complication, stores were filing the record under Rock. You see, back then you only had 4 or 5 different categories to choose from. Things like Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Rap, Hip Hop, Alternative, Smooth Jazz, and Acid Jazz were all nifty names that came after 1977,...way after. Yes, in 1977 you had Rock, R&B, Jazz, and Classical, that was about it. So, is this a Rock record? Well, kind of. Is it a R&B record? Well, at times it is. Is it a Jazz record? Well, it's not your "traditional" jazz record. So where do we put this one, boss? If you're the boss you reply, "Rock". Why was this filed under Rock? Well, for 2 reasons really; 1 - It rocks very nicely at many points throughout. 2 - Rock radio is playing it, ...this is the important one. Rock radio grabbed this record and abused the airwaves with it, and to this day these songs are in regular rotation on the classic rock stations. I don't know about anybody else but, I have a hard time seeing this as simply a Rock record.

"Aja" is an album that is rich in pure musicianship, tone, and texture. It may sound as if I'm describing a Monet, I know, but this is Rock at its' most artistic. With Walter Becker playing guitar, and Donald Fagen providing the synthesizer and soul for Steely Dan, this is a masterpiece. Donald Fagen has a trademark voice that is soulful and smooth. With this duo getting hired help such as Tom Scott, Larry Carlton, Wayne Shorter, Rick Marotta, Steve Gadd, Venetta Fields, and Dean Parks, it reads like an all-star Jazz Fusion jam, and that's a pretty accurate description of what you get here. These are some of the finest jazz session players in the world coming together to make one of the most artistic records of all time. I would categorize this record as Smooth Jazz if you gave me a choice. It's a record that you take with you when you go down to Montrose Harbor at night to look out at the awesome Chicago skyline. It's a record that makes bathing an entirely new experience. It is a smooth, cool, breezy Jazz record that everyone should experience.
This is an album you hate to see come to an end. With only seven tracks, and a running time of just over 39 minutes, it ends way too early. With 5 out of the 7 tracks still in regular rotations on classic rock radio, it shines like a greatest hits diamond. Kicking off the record is "Black Cow", with its funky bass line intro, its' airy background vocals, and the gentle sway of Tom Scott's tenor sax sliding around, it's nothing short of perfect. The album continues to dazzle as it moves on to the title track, a slow charmer that has an incredibly loose jam toward the middle of its' almost 8 minutes. With Wayne Shorter taking the tenor sax duties this time, and the brilliant Steve Gadd rumbling incessantly with some of the greatest cymbal work ever done, this is another gem. Can it get any better? Sure it can. If you put the stellar "Deacon Blues" as the next track, the record would continue to excel. Well, ...the next track is none other than radio staple "Deacon Blues". Perfect. Can it possibly keep this perfect pace going? Sure it can. With the next track being another radio fave, "Peg" has a jumpy jazz rhythm highlighted by a subtle background vocal provided by Michael McDonald. As the next 2 tracks being the only tracks that haven't seen radio airplay, the luck must be running out, right? Nope. With "Home At Last" you, arguably, get the most Jazz influenced song on the record. With phenomenal vibes played by Victor Feldman, and brilliant guitar parts from Larry Carlton and Walter Becker - it's another winner. "I Got The News" is a great song also, with more amazing musicianship. So, how do they end a classy record such as this? They "break out the hats and hooters", of course! With one of my personal favorites from Steely Dan, "Josie" is a sassy and street smart song. A funky jazz strutter that sizzles with persistent rhythm.

Steely Dan is one of my favorite acts, and this record is their shining triumph. Are all the Steely Dan records good? Yes, absolutely. Are they all this good? Nope. There is a feel to this record that remains unparalleled. It was a special moment in time; when all elements of sound, and talent, and beauty came together to form a genuine masterpiece. Maybe the greatest thing about this record is, simply, that it got recorded. It's now locked in time, and it's ours to draw pleasure from whenever we like. Don't miss your chance, draw yourself a bath and check it out.(...)

You can't beat this...Don't even try.
You can't beat this. Don't even try. You're gonna look like a fool if you do.

I really don't have to say much more, but since I don't think the review will show up with one sentence, here goes: Every song is amazing, the album's flow is continual and the tunes surprise the listener, even today, every time. There are so many dimensions to be digested here that it takes 2000 spins to even begin to hear the very subtle nuances. Now, here's one Dan album that transcends the "compilation" problem that I mentioned in regards to some of their other original albums. You need every tune from this to understand the brevity of their musical approach. It is staggering. Jazz and rock have never been fused like on "Aja". I know that several people will say that this review is not helpful if I don't mention song titles, but, really, if you haven't heard it, you don't know what I'm talking about anyways, so it doesn't matter. Best tracks: all, but if I have to name names: "Black Cow", "Aja", "Peg", "Josie".

There's a reason why this album won several Grammys and is their best seller on Amazon. Who's gonna need this review?? I'll bet you already have it. If you don't (and its very unfortunate and also socially dysfunctional if you don't), then I'm sure you know someone that does, and they probably live next door. Even Norah Jones fans will dig this, and that's saying something.

I run to you...
I went searching for the reissue of "Aja" after a conversation with one of my former co-workers. He was a true hip-hop head (a DC-based rapper, actually, who was working in the mail room at my office while looking to get that big break.) Anyway, we were talking about some of our favorite samples in rap songs--instead of working, of course. The topic of Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz's song "Deja Vu (Uptown Baby)" came up, a track which infamously sampled the opening break of "Black Cow" without Becker & Fagen's approval (which Becker slyly jokes about in the promotional video for "Everything Must Go"), which led to us talking about how funky Steely Dan's music is and how particularly infectious the entire "Aja" album is.
And, oh my God, is this album tight (as a previous reviewer very aptly put it).
This is B&F at their wittiest, funkiest, and shrewdest. The song craft is impeccable: the lyrics are thrifty, but dagger-sharp. (Example: "Home At Last" condenses Homer's "Odyssey" into two stanzas.) The melodies are full of catchy hooks and soulful grooves that blend jazz and rock together so smoothly that it makes you wonder why so many other supposed "fusion bands" that preceded SD, who tried to combine rock and jazz, mixed that delicate cocktail all wrong. (The key is shaken, not just stirred...)
Also, B&F decided to bring in some of the best jazz session players (like the late Victor Feldman) to get the sound and precision they envisioned, even stepping out of the limelight to let the session players' chops shine. And while SD often took a lot of heat for using session players instead of a set line-up of band members, the end result is musicianship unlike you'll hear on any other "pop" album that stands the test of time. (Insert sound of B&F getting the last laugh.....here.)
Also, the sound on the remaster is perfect--no tape hiss to be found. Plus, there's the added bonus of expanded liner notes, which are funny as hell. (Check out the transcript of the supposed phone conference between B&F and two, former ABC Records' execs who the pair track down to harass after 25 years...)
In all, this is what an album SHOULD be. All seven songs are distinctively different yet blend seamlessly. Like seven chapters in a funky/jazzy novella, "Aja" leaves you craving the sequel, yet you feel completely satisfied with the experience you've just had...
This is an essential album from the 70s. Buy it.
History gives Steely Dan's Walter Becker and Donald Fagen the last, hearty laugh on this, the crown jewel in their remarkable canon of '70s Mensa pop. Sneaking onto the charts a half-decade earlier with sinuous, jazz-inflected "rock," the dysfunctional duo's acerbic, anti-heroic visions had been critically lauded for their band identity and killer guitar riffs, then promptly challenged when the two songwriters retired from the road, dissolved any formal band lineup, and used the studio as laboratory. Aja carried the added indignity of its increased focus on sophisticated jazz models and musicianship, which carried the Dan's ambitions even further in terms of suave harmonies, intricate song structures, and brilliant playing. Time has proven them wiser than their rock crit detractors: These seven songs abound in knotty plots, sneaky imagery, and drop-dead brilliant performances from a blue chip studio repertory studded with first-call jazz players epitomized by Wayne Shorter's towering solo on the title song. From the hard-boiled jazz romance of "Deacon Blues" to the twisted Homeric vamp of "Home at Last," the veiled but ominous swing of "Peg" to the sci-fi eroticism of "Josie," Aja is a modern pop classic and the coolest fusion record no one ever thought to lump in that category. --Sam Sutherland