I guess I have to go with “My Old School”, although “King of the World” is a strong runner-up. That whole album (Countdown to Ecstasy) is one of my favorites, and takes me right back to college days. And I don’t really care for their stuff after that… it seems like they thought they were so cool that they didn’t need to cook any more… they could just… simmer.
That’s my favorite. It’s got this great, steady groove going on, and even as a kid I loved the way the guitar solo just so subtly and smoothly blends into the following synth solo. It almost sounds like the guitar just sort of turns into a synth midway through the solo. Coolness!
Josie is my number one. Followed by Aja and then Katy Lied.
Rikki Don’t Lose That Number – and by a mile.
Takes me right back to the summer of 1974, my first summer of collecting baseball cards and all the neighbors’ hogging the Petersons’ pool while the parents went through a separation.
I couldn’t pick one - Steely Dan is, to me, their own uniquely-defined category. Their music sits at this weird intersection of rock, pop and jazz that has very little overlap with other artists.
**Jaledin **- that’s just it; the Dan is NOT “smooth jazz” - they have enough rock influence in their music and arch/cooler-than-thou cynicism in their lyrics to have some *danger *in their songs. THAT is what sets them apart.
ETA: **cochrane **- do you have any evidence that the Eagles used the word Steeley in Hotel California to name-check Donald and Walter? I have never heard of that, and the lyrics don’t seem to need a reference to SD to make sense…
Green Earrings
I’m not cochrane but I remembered the story from years ago but I couldn’t recall if it was Don Henley or Glenn Frey who mentioned it. So I looked up the Wiki article on Hotel California, and it turns out to have been Frey.
Interesting. Not quite the same as Lynyrd Skynyrd “versus” Neil Young, but there ya go…
I see only two songs from AJA didn’t make it to the best of/show biz kids CD! 
Another vote for Bodhisattva. I love Steely Dan and I make the occasional mix cd of their tunes. **Bodhisattva **is always first.
More giant love for Kid Charlemagne here. And another observation similar to others upthread; the number of disappointing pieces in the SD catalogue is so low compared to just about any other musician or group that I also happen to love. Audio alchemy.
More on the list:
Everyone’s Gone to the Movies
Haitian Divorce (“first we dolly back, now we fade to black…”)
Babylon Sisters
Caves of Altamira
Time Out of Mind (which I wish someone would mash up with Billie Jean, already)
I love this thread. You’ve all just dropped about $18.00 in the All Steely Dan jukebox in my brain.
Hey Nineteen has to be my favorite. Followed by Bodhisattva, and FM. So many good songs! Who the hell says we’re not supposed to like Steely Dan?
Fuck them.
Favorite is “My Old School”.
Other favorites: “Katy Lied”, “With A Gun”, “Deacon Blues”, and (from Fagen) “The Goodbye Look”
Ricky don’t lose that lumber. It’s the only wood you’ve got.
My Old School
2nd Bad Sneakers
Don’t know why. Just stick with me. Hey 19 is up there for me too.
Rikki Don’t Lose That Number
… and many more
Do It Again is the only Steely Dan that I’m familiar with. It’s a great song. I didn’t know Rikki Don’t Lose that Number was a Steely Dan song. I like it too.
Deacon Blues, straight up. Damn, I can relate to that guy.
Only a Fool Would Say That…I believe it is dripping with sarcasm, though when I go back to look at lyrics, I am often surprised that I apparently miss the whole gist of a song…
And* Rose Darling*, which always struck me as a heck of a love song though I could be wrong about that too…
Around here, on my birthday, I get the special right to blast Steely Dan, pour a glass of white wine, and sing all the lyrics to the top of my lungs…Once a year, I can get away with that…
Come to think of it, it is Friday evening and I have had one rotten day…I wonder if I could get away with it now…Sounds like that would fix what ails me!
You can TOTALLY do that, and I might join you! I have certain personal celebratory days like that myself. Used to listen to all my Beatles LP’s back to back, head between the speakers. :D. A Steely Dan holler fest might do us both good.