Zack: Last summer, a friend strongly hyped Aja to me,
but I kind of shrugged it off because something in my brain registered Steely
Dan as being lame. Now I don’t want to say that I was wrong, so I’ll just say
that I definitely wasn’t right. Holy shit. This was a smooth, flawless merging
of rock, pop and jazz. We saw other bands like Spirit try the formula, and I
vaguely liked it then. No more. Why settle for a cheap substitute when you can
get that raw, uncut shit like Aja? If you don’t believe me, then just read what
Ian Dury said about it. “It's a record that sends my spirits up, and really
when I listen to music, really that's what I want.” Yeah. It’s just so good
that it makes you happy to be listening to it. I don’t necessarily agree with
Mr. Dury on the last sentence (sometimes I don’t want my spirits lifted, and
then I listen to Nick Drake or The Cure), but if you want your spirits up on
the fucking roof, Aja is for you.
Favorite Tracks: Josie; Peg; Deacon Blues
Emily: I like jazz, and I like rock, but jazz rock just doesn't seem like it would be my thing. I thought it would be boring or trying too hard to be cool when it just ends up sounding like what your dad (okay, my dad) wants to blast during his evening commute. After listening to Steely Dan's Aja, however, I have to admit that my preconceptions were wrong. This album takes the edge of rock and smooths it out with jazz and pop undertones. It's smooth without leaning towards the extremes of boring or sleazy. And many of the tracks are just fun and upbeat. Though I wouldn't say I loved Aja (and definitely not as much as Zack did), I can't deny my ears' enjoyment.
Favorite Tracks: Peg; Home at Last; Black Cow
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