The Album Review Club - *** Christmas Break Playlist (next album 7/1/26) ***

Great nomination from @FogBlueInSanFran, enjoyed by most and takes us nicely into the Christmas break.
Aja by Steely Dan scored an impressive 7.47 from 16 voters, which is enough for a place in the top 20 of our ever-growing league table. Nice.

The Album Review Club will now take a 3-week break with the next nominator @southamptonblue making the next selection for review on 7th January. (@Saddleworth2 stand by just in case of a no-show).

I hope everybody has a great Christmas, and thanks for the ongoing contributions that make this such an enjoyable thread to run and be part of.

@Coatigan has kindly agreed to run this year's Christmas playlist, so listen up for instructions.
 
Aja - Steely Dan

They got a name for the winners in the world
I want a name when I lose
They call Alabama the Crimson Tide
Call me Deacon Blues

One of the most famous lyrics from this band, everyone knows it, but the meaning is lesser known. Donald Fagen chose the mascot for the University of Alabama because it sounded so grand, and he wanted to contrast it for the "losers", and due to copywriting on a famous NFL legend at the time, Deacon Jones, he took the musical equivalent of "Deacon Blues", and the rest is history for the best song on Aja.

One never forgets where one was when first hearing an iconic album. I will admit back in the early 1980s as an emerging teen looking to get my first set of speakers and a turntable at the high-end fancy record store (that was out of my league of discernment and taste), I did not expect this one to be played. When I answered "Rock" to "What type of music do you like to listen to?", I wasn't anticipating the mostly black album cover with the red and white streamer on it to be brought out next. I would soon learn that Steely Dan albums were on constant rotation at such type of musical sound stores to really highlight the sound of the system under scrutiny. I was not getting Van Halen or the like that I was hoping for and eager to hear instead, but such was the situation of a musical novice in the blending of jazz, pop, and rock that Steely Dan does so well. That was my first hint and clue that maybe my tastes in music would need to evolve.

I'm already on record here that The Royal Scam is my favourite Dan album, and that hasn't changed this week in hearing this. I'd rate that a 9 at least, quite likely higher, but this was quite enjoyable here too. I'm very familiar with "Black Cow", "Deacon Blues" as already mentioned, "Peg", and "Josie". I'm a little surprised that no one has mentioned the special sauce of background singers on this album, but Michael McDonald himself is so pronounced and iconic on "Peg", that to me his voice makes that song. He's also on "I Got The News", a song I've not listened to as much as I did this week, but was the "new" one I enjoyed the most. The jazzy instruments there from the bass to the horns until when Michael comes in just after 2 minutes really makes that song the winner it is with Walter Becker's trademark guitar on that track that is just beyond smooth.

"Home At Last" musically reminded me of "Sign In Stranger" from their prior album that was my favourite, but was enjoyable nonetheless. "Aja" as a song is very underrated, and other guest singer Timothy B. Schmit lends his voice there, but being in the range he is, in a background, it is not really distinguishable like McDonald's is on his 2 tracks.

Given I've been slammed at work and falling behind here and on other threads (please count this one, Rob), I'm looking forward to the work to end for the year, but hearing Aja again was another nice chill-out sound overall to have in the background this week. I needed a @FogBlueInSanFran lifeline to mostly be familiar with here, and the full album was much more enjoyable than the song bite snippets heard in a prior week here. It's an enjoyable 8/10 for me and reminding me how much I enjoy this band that Mr. Stereo Salesman initially introduced me to.
 
Last edited:
Black&White&BlueMoon Town said:
Aja - Steely Dan

They got a name for the winners in the world
I want a name when I lose
They call Alabama the Crimson Tide
Call me Deacon Blues

One of the most famous lyrics from this band, everyone knows it, but the meaning is lesser known. Donald Fagen chose the mascot for the University of Alabama because it sounded so grand, and he wanted to contrast it for the "losers", and due to copywriting on a famous NLF legend at the time, Deacon Jones, he took the musical equivalent of "Deacon Blues", and the rest is history for the best song on Aja.

One never forgets where one was when first hearing an iconic album. I will admit back in the early 1980s as an emerging teen looking to get my first set of speakers and a turntable at the high-end fancy record store (that was out of my league of discernment and taste), I did not expect this one to be played. When I answered "Rock" to "What type of music do you like to listen to?", I wasn't anticipating the mostly black album cover with the red and white streamer on it to be brought out next. I would soon learn that Steely Dan albums were on constant rotation at such type of musical sound stores to really highlight the sound of the system under scrutiny. I was not getting Van Halen or the like that I was hoping for and eager to hear instead, but such was the situation of a musical novice in the blending of jazz, pop, and rock that Steely Dan does so well. That was my first hint and clue that maybe my tastes in music would need to evolve.

I'm already on record here that The Royal Scam is my favourite Dan album, and that hasn't changed this week in hearing this. I'd rate that a 9 at least, quite likely higher, but this was quite enjoyable here too. I'm very familiar with "Black Cow", "Deacon Blues" as already mentioned, "Peg", and "Josie". I'm a little surprised that no one has mentioned the special sauce of background singers on this album, but Michael McDonald himself is so pronounced and iconic on "Peg", that to me his voice makes that song. He's also on "I Got The News", a song I've not listened to as much as I did this week, but was the "new" one I enjoyed the most. The jazzy instruments there from the bass to the horns until when Michael comes in just after 2 minutes really makes that song the winner it is with Walter Becker's trademark guitar on that track that is just beyond smooth.

"Home At Last" musically reminded me of "Sign In Stranger" from their prior album that was my favourite, but was enjoyable nonetheless. "Aja" as a song is very underrated, and other guest singer Timothy B. Schmit lends his voice there, but being in the range he is, in a background, it is not really distinguishable like McDonald's is on his 2 tracks.

Given I've been slammed at work and falling behind here and on other threads (please count this one, Rob), I'm looking forward to the work to end for the year, but hearing Aja again was another nice chill-out sound overall to have in the background this week. I needed a @FogBlueInSanFran lifeline to mostly be familiar with here, and the full album was much more enjoyable than the song bite snippets heard in a prior week here. It's an enjoyable 8/10 for me and reminding me how much I enjoy this band that Mr. Stereo Salesman initially introduced me to.
Click to expand...

Your reminiscing put me in mind of this...

 
RobMCFC said:
Great nomination from @FogBlueInSanFran, enjoyed by most and takes us nicely into the Christmas break.
Aja by Steely Dan scored an impressive 7.47 from 16 voters, which is enough for a place in the top 20 of our ever-growing league table. Nice.

The Album Review Club will now take a 3-week break with the next nominator @southamptonblue making the next selection for review on 7th January. (@Saddleworth2 stand by just in case of a no-show).

I hope everybody has a great Christmas, and thanks for the ongoing contributions that make this such an enjoyable thread to run and be part of.

@Coatigan has kindly agreed to run this year's Christmas playlist, so listen up for instructions.
Click to expand...
I have just the album chosen to start the new year and prove once and for all how truly cool I am ;-)
 
RobMCFC said:
Great nomination from @FogBlueInSanFran, enjoyed by most and takes us nicely into the Christmas break.
Aja by Steely Dan scored an impressive 7.47 from 16 voters, which is enough for a place in the top 20 of our ever-growing league table. Nice.

The Album Review Club will now take a 3-week break with the next nominator @southamptonblue making the next selection for review on 7th January. (@Saddleworth2 stand by just in case of a no-show).

I hope everybody has a great Christmas, and thanks for the ongoing contributions that make this such an enjoyable thread to run and be part of.

@Coatigan has kindly agreed to run this year's Christmas playlist, so listen up for instructions.
Click to expand...

Christmas Break Playlist

No point reinventing the wheel, will stick to a tried and tested format.

Free for all song choice, no theme, whatever you want to impart on the rest.

PM me the song by the end of Sunday.

I'll collate and post the list on Monday some time, and who is participating, and then the usual listening who's who guessing can go on. People can highlight their top 3 songs on the thread, but there is no prize.

Will sum up the results on the Monday before our next Wednesday round.
 
Coatigan said:
Christmas Break Playlist

No point reinventing the wheel, will stick to a tried and tested format.

Free for all song choice, no theme, whatever you want to impart on the rest.

PM me the song by the end of Sunday.

I'll collate and post the list on Monday some time, and who is participating, and then the usual listening who's who guessing can go on. People can highlight their top 3 songs on the thread, but there is no prize.

Will sum up the results on the Monday before our next Wednesday round.
Click to expand...
So doesn't need to be Christmas related?
 
Coatigan said:
Na. Can be if you want it to. Or it can be Hangul Day related. Totally up to you, free for all.

Edit, already received yours.
Click to expand...

Missed a trick there, can only nominate K-Pop songs ?

Spose I could still do a BTS track. I'm sure I read somewhere that they'd added something insane like over $25 billion dollars to the Korean economy since their creation. . Probably bollocks but those numbers would explain why it seems like such a scuzzy industry.
 
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