A Decade of Steely Dan [Gold CD]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The notion of a Steely Dan greatest-hits collection is suspect at best, if only because their biggest public successes ("Reelin' in the Years" from Can't Buy a Thrill, Pretzel Logic's "Rikki Don't Lose That Number," and Aja's "Peg") are also in many ways their least typical. Indeed, after the craft-conscious "Thrill," the duo of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen showed an almost perverse penchant for swimming against the prevailing pop current, despite the protestations of numbskull critics who Didn't Get It in a big way. That said, here's the duo's best-known public works and radio fodder (including all of the above), a sampler that will satisfy the hit-hungry and tempt the less acquainted to sample B&F's more colorful musical adventures. --Jerry McCulley

Tracks:

F.M.
Black Friday
Babylon Sisters
Deacon Blues
Bodhisattva
Hey Nineteen
Do It Again
Peg
Rikki Don't Lose That Number
Reeling In The Years
East St. Louis Toodle
Kid Charlemagne
My Old School
Bad Sneakers

Amazon.com

The notion of a Steely Dan greatest-hits collection is suspect at best, if only because their biggest public successes ("Reelin' in the Years" from Can't Buy a Thrill, Prezel Logic's "Rikki Don't Lose That Number," and Aja's "Peg") are also in many ways their least typical. Indeed, after the craft-conscious Thrill, the duo of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen showed an almost perverse penchant for swimming against the prevailing pop current, despite the protestations of numbskull critics who Didn't Get It in a big way. That said, here's the duo's best-known public works and radio fodder (including all of the above), a sampler that will satisfy the hit-hungry and tempt the less acquainted to sample B&F's more colorful musical adventures. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

STEELY DAN AT THEIR ABSOLUTE BEST........2007-03-07

I will be writing a review on the legendary compilation album entitled "A DECADE OF STEELY DAN" by one of Rock's greatest bands. I give you STEELY DAN. This legendary compilation album was originally released in 1985 on Vinyl/LP and Cassette on the MCA Records label. This legendary album would see its first release on Compact Disc in the late 80's. As always, if I hear any new additional information concerning this legendary compilation album or the artist, I will edit this review immediately so that you the consumer will get the best informative and most accurate review possible.

The band STEELY DAN has been entertaining audiences the world over and has also been recording and releasing great albums and solid hit songs since the early 70's. When this legendary band met and joined forces, a special blend of sound was forged and Rock n' Roll would forever have a new addition of music that would forever change 70's Rock music. As a result of STEELY DAN'S spectacular career of incredible songs, "A DECADE OF STEELY DAN" would evolve and highlight some of STEELY DAN'S greatest hits from the 70's and 80's period. In my opinion, "A DECADE OF STEELY DAN" is a true testament of the genius and talent of a legendary band and a fine fitting tribute to a great legendary band that was indeed, far ahead of their time.

Now it is time to let the music speak for itself and do all of the talking. This disc contains classics such as the incredible Rocker "F.M.," the soothing Rocker "Black Friday," the smooth sounding Rocker "Deacon Blues," the forever legendary STEELY DAN trademark Rocker "Do It Again," the jazzy soulful Rocker "Peg," the beautiful slow mellow Rocker "Rikki Don't Lose That Number," the blistering classic Rocker "Reeling In The Years," the slow heartfelt Rocker "My Old School" and the amazing groundbreaking mellow Rocker "Bad Sneakers."

Overall, this is one hell of a compilation album worth seeking further into and checking out especially if you are a newcomer and a new beginner to the sound and music of STEELY DAN.

I would like to highly recommend purchasing this legendary compilation album to own as a valuable and important part of his or her own personal music collection. This legendary album has already proven to stand the test of time and will always be around to be enjoyed, appreciated and cherished for many years to come, NOW AND FOREVER. This legendary compilation album is one collection that a devout music collector would not want to be without.

In closing, STEELY DAN is here to stay. STEELY DAN has continued to record and release great albums to this very day. Rock n' Roll definitely needs a great band like STEELY DAN to keep the glorious tradition Rock n' Roll sounding beautiful and giving Rock n' Roll a breath of new fresh air when needed. I know for fact that we have not seen or heard the last of STEELY DAN. The band still has so much to accomplish and contribute to Rock n' Roll that I cannot imagine Rock n' Roll without a legendary band like STEELY DAN. So here's to all of the band mates of STEELY DAN. Keep Persevering. Keep The Faith. And as the saying goes, "AND THE REST IS ROCK N' ROLL HISTORY," need I say more? Thanks for reading my review and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it for your reading pleasure. I also hope that you will read all of my other reviews in the near future when time permits. STEELY DAN RULES. Long Live Rock n' Roll. Rock out always and take it easy. Forever In Rock, John L.

Its Steely Dan... What more do you need to know?.......2007-01-05

Some of their later work, but its great music in the Steely Dan tradition.

Love this CD.......2006-11-04

I play this CD all the time. Great classics that you never get tired of.

A Lifetime of Steely Dan!!!.......2006-11-02

This is MY old school music...it takes me back baby!!!

This is a Good CD.......2006-09-04

I'm listening to it this morning contemplating on giving it away because it had been a while since I heard it. The only song I really like is "Peg" because it always lifts me up when I am feeling down. However I find that some of their songs are gem classics that I have heard but had no idea that they sung them.
The first two songs I don't care for. The third song "Babylon Sisters" is okay. From the fourth song and afterwards, the CD starts to pick up with me. This is a good CD to have and listen to. I will keep it in my collection. I would have liked to give it 4 and 1/2 stars but a whole four stars is going to be the rating.

Average customer rating:

A Decade of Steely Dan
Steely Dan
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000PM9RU2

Product Description

Released 1985 MCA Records, Inc.

Average customer rating:

"FM" with (extended) WALTER BECKER GUITAR SOLO!
1 of many SD comps, but one oddity helps this disc stand out
NOT BAD BUT...
Real Solid Introduction for the New Steely fan
the originals had better sound

Decade of Steely Dan

Manufacturer: Universal Music & VI
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Gold
The Hits
Janis Joplin - Greatest Hits
For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge
So Far So Good

ASIN: B000002O1Y
Release Date: 1989-10-27

Customer Reviews:

"FM" with (extended) WALTER BECKER GUITAR SOLO!.......2005-06-11

I was looking for where that version of "FM" was that seemed to only exist on, well... FM radio. I'd always heard the version with the drawn out guitar solo at the end, and then as I bought their albums -- in this case, compilation CDs -- I could only find the version with the floating sax solo that is okay enough but... THIS, folks, is the version of "FM" I like best. Walter Becker's solo sounds a ton like David Gilmour's on HAVE A CIGAR, as do the keyboards in the background sounding like other tunes from WISH YOU WERE HERE... this might have been on purpose, I don't know. Either way, this is the version I like. The rest of the CD is good enough, as in, there are good tracks, as in, your standard BEST-OF fare. I like that "BAD SNEAKERS" closes everything up, which is kind of neat. Although I could mention a ton of other better Dan songs than the ones on this compilation... But, hey... this is the first of many limbo-Dan (in between GAUCHO and TWO AGAINST NATURE) greatest hits packages and for the fact that it holds the best version of "FM", I suggest ya'll buy it!

1 of many SD comps, but one oddity helps this disc stand out.......2005-02-17

Steely Dan, a definitive soft rock/ jazz rock group, have had a lot of greatest hits/ best of compilations released over the years with a lot of recycling of the same tracks. "A Decade of Steely Dan" was originally released in 1985, & it manages to somewhat stand apart from other Dan compilations such as "Gold" and the 1978 "Greatest Hits". With Steely Dan's 1972-1980 output being, in general, so astonishingly consistent and filled with brilliant songs, plus the fact that their biggest hits do tend to rank among their best work, it's pretty hard to screw things up when assembling a Steely Dan greatest hits/ best of. The tracks on "Decade" are not presented in chronological order, however there is at least one track from each of their '72-'80 albums, & with the track selection being as as strong as it is, this is a great listen and an effective overview of their career. The only inclusion that's particularly questionable is the Duke Ellington/ Bubber Miley-penned instrumental "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo"--yes, I like it, & it's certainly clever, but it's a questionable choice when such total Dan classics as "Any Major Dude Will Tell You", "Any World (That I'm Welcome To)", and "Haitian Divorce", among many others, are missing in action. Still, like I said, this is an effective overview of a band who had boundless creativity when it came to sophisticated, arresting compositions. The thing that really sets this compilation apart is something the previous reviewer has also pointed out--it contains a version of the soundtrack tune "FM" that has a haunting, extended song-ending guitar solo passage from Walter Becker; this is the only Steely Dan CD I know of that contains this superior version of this classic song--the "Citizen" box set, the 2 CD "Show Biz Kids" set, and the aforementioned "Gold" CD all contain the inferior version that ends with an extended sax solo instead. Also, the musician/ performance credits for each individual track are a solid bonus. With a band like Steely Dan, obviously there's a lot more you need than just what's on this disc, but still, it's filled with great songs and is an effective compilation.

(P.S. Somewhere along the line the "A Decade of Steely Dan" CD was indeed re-released ("original recording remastered" as they say), but the packaging remained extremely similar. The sound quality on the older version certainly isn't BAD, so it's a solid bargain if you see it around for a couple bucks somewhere. I wouldn't recommend spending a LOT more for the newer version.)

NOT BAD BUT..........2003-05-02

Why is there is not one Steely Dan best of collection ever put out that includes their outtakes and rare b-sides like: Kulee Baba, The Second Arrangement, Dallas, Sail the Waterway and This All too Mobile Home??? C'mon Steely!!
I know you guys are perfectionists but throw us die-hards a bone sometime! This disc is of value as the only extant version of "FM" with the Walter Becker guitar solo at the end. All other versions of "Fm" (no static) currently on the market have the Pete Christleib extended sax solo at the end.

Real Solid Introduction for the New Steely fan.......2002-08-31

this Set has quite a bit on it&if you are just getting into Steely Dan than this set just might work for you.this disc captures many of there moments from there 70's Albums.this Band hasn't gotten there full Props to me overall but the Music here speaks for itself.Enjoy.they are one of my All-Time Favorite Bands.

the originals had better sound.......2001-09-03

I am a steely dan fan and listen to them during the early 70'sfaithfully. I do appreciate all the trying in this CD but altho I do have a very nice CD player do not receive a good sound quality from this CD version. It remarks on the back of CD that is is remaster by...and, that digitally re-mastered by.... but the original sound better. This is a group that must have good sound effect for them to shine and the listener appreciate. Not one bad song but you best stick to the originals or they may have re-done this one with better quality. I hope so for there is only one STEELY DAN. But i cannot recommend this one because of the sound quality.

Average customer rating:

A Decade of Steely Dan
Steely Dan
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000QJG8FG

Product Description

14 tracks from a decade of Steely Dan

Average customer rating:

STEELY DAN AT THEIR ABSOLUTE BEST.
Its Steely Dan... What more do you need to know?
Love this CD
A Lifetime of Steely Dan!!!
This is a Good CD

A Decade of Steely Dan
Steely Dan
Manufacturer: Mca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Soft Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Aja
Steely Dan - Greatest Hits
Doobie Brothers - Greatest Hits
The Nightfly
The Very Best of Chicago: Only the Beginning

ASIN: B000002OVI
Release Date: 1995-03-14

Tracks:

FM
Black Friday
Babylon Sisters
Deacon Blues
Bodhisattva
Hey Nineteen
Do It Again
Peg
Rikki Don't Lose That Number
Reeling In The Years
East St. Louis Toodle-Oo
Kid Charlemagne
My Old School
Bad Sneakers

Amazon.com

The notion of a Steely Dan greatest-hits collection is suspect at best, if only because their biggest public successes ("Reelin' in the Years" from Can't Buy a Thrill, Pretzel Logic's "Rikki Don't Lose That Number," and Aja's "Peg") are also in many ways their least typical. Indeed, after the craft-conscious "Thrill," the duo of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen showed an almost perverse penchant for swimming against the prevailing pop current, despite the protestations of numbskull critics who Didn't Get It in a big way. That said, here's the duo's best-known public works and radio fodder (including all of the above), a sampler that will satisfy the hit-hungry and tempt the less acquainted to sample B&F's more colorful musical adventures. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

STEELY DAN AT THEIR ABSOLUTE BEST........2007-03-07

Its Steely Dan... What more do you need to know?.......2007-01-05

Some of their later work, but its great music in the Steely Dan tradition.

Love this CD.......2006-11-04

I play this CD all the time. Great classics that you never get tired of.

A Lifetime of Steely Dan!!!.......2006-11-02

This is MY old school music...it takes me back baby!!!

This is a Good CD.......2006-09-04

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