#63 Steely Dan, 'Aja' (1977)

Previously #145

A landmark album in Jazz Rock and one that would subsequently influence the rise of Yacht Rock in the late ‘70s to early ‘80s, ‘Aja’ is the magnum opus of the mad creative genius of Donald Fagan and Walter Becker. The chord progressions and melodies are so unique and so typically Steely Dan. The pair would assemble a revolving cast of almost 40 session musicians to play on the album, consisting of some of the all-time greats, including Joe Sample, Larry Carlton, Wayne Shorter, Steve Gadd, Lee Ritenour, Timothy B. Schmidt, and honestly, the list goes on. It’s a who’s who of sessions musos. The album name and its title track were inspired by a South Korean woman whom a high school friend’s brother had married after serving in the army in her country. The drum solo at the end of the track by Steve Gadd is simply astounding. The musicians on this record are just the best of the best.

‘Aja’ features the singles ‘Josie,’ ‘Deacon Blues’ and ‘Peg,’ the latter which was later sampled on De La Soul’s ‘Eye Know,’ from ‘Three Feet High and Rising’ (#103). Each song features an extended jam, a showcase of the incredible sessions musos featured. When you have musicians this good, why wouldn’t you try and squeeze as much as you possibly could out of them? ‘Aja’ would later go on to be inducted in the Grammy Hall Of Fame, as well as being selected by the Library of Congress for inclusion in the United States National Recording Registry based on its cultural, artistic or historical significance.

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