# Are any other Steely Dan albums as good as Aja?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-any-other-steely-dan-albums-as-good-as-aja/640629
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [November 10, 2012, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-any-other-steely-dan-albums-as-good-as-aja/640629 "2012-11-10T22:49:36Z")
**Posts on this page:** 15
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)
#### Post date: [November 10, 2012, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-any-other-steely-dan-albums-as-good-as-aja/640629/1 "2012-11-10T22:49:36Z")
I bought Aja when Amazon had the mp3 download on sale a couple years ago.
Are any of their other albums worth a listen? I enjoy this laid back, jazzy style of music on Aja.
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### Author:  [@kbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kbear)
#### Post date: [November 10, 2012, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-any-other-steely-dan-albums-as-good-as-aja/640629/2 "2012-11-10T22:59:56Z")
Absolutely. As a longtime fan, I’d have to say Aja is still my favourite but the others are great too. Gaucho is pretty good, as is The Royal Scam. Can’t Buy a Thrill has a lot of great stuff on it you probably heard years ago but didn’t know was them.
Haven’t kept up with newer stuff…I find with most bands I like, I prefer the older albums. They’re good live too.
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### Author:  [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)
#### Post date: [November 10, 2012, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-any-other-steely-dan-albums-as-good-as-aja/640629/3 "2012-11-10T23:04:48Z")
Apart from Aja, I’m only familiar with “Can’t Buy a Thrill” and “The Royal Scam,” but I love them both. Aja might be a bit more jazzy, but the style is definitely there on the other two albums.
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### Author:  [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2012, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-any-other-steely-dan-albums-as-good-as-aja/640629/4 "2012-11-11T00:11:42Z")
I really like Can’t Buy A Thrill, but it is more conventional and pop songy than Aja.
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### Author:  [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2012, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-any-other-steely-dan-albums-as-good-as-aja/640629/5 "2012-11-11T00:26:11Z")
“Katy Lied” is a great album. I think their best.
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### Author:  [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2012, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-any-other-steely-dan-albums-as-good-as-aja/640629/6 "2012-11-11T00:28:27Z")
All their albums from the 70s and 80s are awesome, in my opinion. I don’t really even think of them as separate albums, just as one looooong smoooooth groove.
ETA: Donald Fagen’s solo album, “The Nightfly” is awesome as well.
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2012, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-any-other-steely-dan-albums-as-good-as-aja/640629/7 "2012-11-11T00:47:44Z")
Everything from _Katy Lied_ through _Gaucho_ is gold.
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### Author:  [@Pine\_Fresh\_Scent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pine_Fresh_Scent)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2012, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-any-other-steely-dan-albums-as-good-as-aja/640629/8 "2012-11-11T02:33:05Z")
In my opinion, their strongest effort is “The Best of Steely Dan”. Man, those guys were on their game for that one! 😉
I own every one of their albums and agree 100% with **Tim R.Mortiss’** post. It’s an amazing body of work.
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### Author:  [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2012, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-any-other-steely-dan-albums-as-good-as-aja/640629/9 "2012-11-11T02:41:33Z")
The earlier albums are not as good as Aja. They are better.
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### Author:  [@Charles\_Peterman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charles_Peterman)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2012, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-any-other-steely-dan-albums-as-good-as-aja/640629/10 "2012-11-11T02:53:04Z")
I’ll step in and say there isn’t anything really **like** _Aja_, but agree with above re _Katy Lied_. _Pretzel Logic_ is kind of in the same bag as well.
Propers to Donald Fagen for _Morph The Cat_ – that’s a heavy jazz-soul sound, beautifully mixed, with great tunes. I know someone else will come and say his other solo albums, and, yes, we all know they’re great, but MTC doesn’t get as much talk as the earlier albums, and it’s much more in the _Aja_ bag, IMHO.
Course, without Steve Gadd on trap drums and that whole crew, it’s not going to be _Aja_, but they got lucky those dates, what can you do?
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### Author:  [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2012, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-any-other-steely-dan-albums-as-good-as-aja/640629/11 "2012-11-11T03:19:27Z")
Aja is the best and most accessible. Katy Lied is second best, but tougher to get into. Gaucho, Can’t Buy A Thrill are wonderful. Royal Scam and Pretzel Logic are good too. Nightfly is a Fagan solo album and is wonderful.
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### Author:  [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2012, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-any-other-steely-dan-albums-as-good-as-aja/640629/12 "2012-11-11T04:04:13Z")
No love for _Countdown to Ecstasy_? I’m listening to “My Old School” as I type.
I don’t share the love for _Can’t Buy A Thrill_ because I’ve thought it was too conventional since it came out, but agree that from _Countdown_ to _Gaucho_ you have a long, smooth groove.
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2012, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-any-other-steely-dan-albums-as-good-as-aja/640629/13 "2012-11-11T17:01:17Z")
_Can’t Buy A Thrill_ suffers from containing _Reelin’ In the Years_, which is absolute crap. That alone ruins any good that comes from the rest of the album.
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### Author:  [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2012, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-any-other-steely-dan-albums-as-good-as-aja/640629/14 "2012-11-11T17:47:44Z")
Fagen’s new solo album [_Sunken Condos_](http://www.amazon.com/Sunken-Condos-Donald-Fagen/dp/B008O9V4C2) isn’t half bad, either
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### Author:  [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2012, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-any-other-steely-dan-albums-as-good-as-aja/640629/15 "2012-11-11T22:18:13Z")
4 disk box set:
Steely Dan - Citizen
> **[Steely Dan - Citizen Steely Dan: 1972-1980 - Amazon.com Music](https://www.amazon.com/Citizen-Steely-Dan-1972-1980/dp/B000002ORE)**
>
> Steely Dan - Citizen Steely Dan: 1972-1980 - Amazon.com Music
You cannot go wrong. All great stuff.