Steely Dan albums

A major proportion of FOH techs use Aja as a reference prior to sound check. There is a reason, because it is a benchmark for that genre, but it is an inside joke of sorts. If only every live show could measure up to that!

Steely Dan has always been something I will put on the turntable to show off. Mainly because I love their work, grew up with anticipating each release. I don't stress over what pressing - love em all.  Enjoy! 

Steely Dan was on the radio virtually everywhere in the 70's when I was a teenager. At the time I thought it sounded good on the radio. Now I have most of their CDs and also listen on Tidal. It's amazing the detail that was not noticeable on AM radio but I've discovered since. Aja, Gaucho, and also Nightfly are favorite albums for SQ.

Yeah, I’ve noticed that too. Aja and Gaucho both have that classic, super-polished Steely Dan sound that came out of their work with UMG, but Two Against Nature feels a little different. It’s still really clean and detailed, but the overall dynamic range and production style have more of that late-90s digital character. The mix seems a bit tighter and less airy compared to the analog warmth of the earlier albums. I’ve always wondered if the shift in label and era had a lot to do with that.