AJA

I find Aja to be the most laid-back and romantic Steely Dan album. The most mellow, smoothed out tracks go down extremely well, the opener "Black Cow" and "Deacon Blues" are real gems, with snappy lyrics too ("I cried when I wrote this song, sue me if I play too long"). Two other favoutites are "Home At Last" and "I Got The News". The melodies are beautiful, with gorgeous production and fantastic performances (as usual!) And also as usual, this album is full of subtle yet complex musical concepts. The title track "Aja" for example, takes you on a diverse eight minute ride of musical patterns that vary between rock and jazz moods, amplified by rich orchestration. We are also blessed with the presence of saxophonist Wayne Shorter. As well as the other guests on the album he brings in his own gifts to combine with a different environment. Some of the greatest studio players ever are here in fact, and at their best. I love the drumming on the title track too. The seven songs make up quite a classic set that seems to inject a lot of soul, and it is the sort that matures like an excellent wine.