Steely Dan – Aja (Reissue) [180g LP Vinyl]

Steely Dan – Aja (Reissue) [180g LP Vinyl]

Details

• Format: LP Vinyl (180g Heavyweight, Gatefold Sleeve), Album
• Catalogue Number: 453596 3
• Barcode: 602445359639
• Genre: Jazz Rock / Soft Rock / Pop
• Label: Geffen Records / UMC
• Originally Released: 1977
• Released: 28 September 2023 (EU Reissue of 1977 Original)
• Pressing: 180g Heavyweight Vinyl, Remastered, Gatefold Sleeve
• Condition: New & Sealed

Description

Aja is the sixth studio album from Steely Dan, originally released in September 1977 on ABC Records, and widely regarded as one of the finest albums of the decade — a record that sits at the precise intersection of jazz, rock, and pop with an attention to sonic detail that borders on the obsessive. Written by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, and produced by Gary Katz, the album saw the duo push further than ever into the use of elite session musicians — enlisting nearly forty players across seven tracks — while pursuing longer, more harmonically sophisticated compositions than anything in their already immaculate catalogue.

The result is a record of extraordinary polish and depth. "Peg", "Deacon Blues", and "Josie" became staples of American radio, but the nine-minute title track — featuring a legendary drum solo from Steve Gadd — remains one of the most celebrated performances in recorded music. This 180g reissue, remastered by Bernie Grundman from the original analog tapes and presented in a gatefold sleeve, gives one of the great studio albums the audiophile treatment it has always deserved.

Tracklist

Side A

1. Black Cow
2. Aja
3. Deacon Blues

Side B

1. Peg
2. Home at Last
3. I Got the News
4. Josie

Credits

• Donald Fagen – Vocals, Keyboards, Songwriting
• Walter Becker – Guitar, Bass, Songwriting
• Gary Katz – Production
• Roger Nichols – Engineering
• Steve Gadd – Drums (Aja)
• Bernard Purdie – Drums (Home at Last, Deacon Blues)
• Larry Carlton – Guitar (Josie)
• Lee Ritenour – Guitar (Peg)
• Wayne Shorter – Soprano Saxophone (Aja)
• Label – Geffen Records / UMC