A DECADE OF STEELY DAN

As a huge fan of Steely Dan I started with this compilation some 15 years ago. In other comments about this release I often read this is the best compilation and this could very well be true although it will always be a matter of preference for the individual tracks that decides which one is the best of course.

A big advantage of this compilation is to begin with the presence of FM, a track that isn't to be found on one of their albums and also my very favourite ever by SD. But also many of my other preferences are on this collection such as Black Friday, Deacon Blues, Do it again, Reelin'in the years and Bad Sneakers.

After I had this for a long time and the opportunity came to buy all their albums for a lower price I decided to acquire them all including the latest two, so I think you can call yourself a fan in that case. Advantage of that is that I got to know all their songs and by now learned there are a number of great songs that are not on this compilation such as Aja, Josie, The Fez and Royal Scam.

So that means A decade .. isn't perfect but still very very good, good enough for 4 at least.

This compilation was my introduction to Steely Dan, it is a nice compliation if you want to get into this band.

However there are some key track missing like "Aja", "Midnight Cruiser" and "Dirty Work" which happen to be some of my favourites not included, also another being "King of the World" which is a shame.

Anyway, the tracks which are on here are still worth a listen. A sountrack was recorded in 1978 by Steely Dan and this CD features that track called "FM" (No statik at all) is the opener track to the compilation.

Other favourites are "Reeling in the Years" a nice bluesy rocking track with great guitar solos and jazzy piano drive. The indian and reggae crossover "Do it Again" with some nice unusual instrument solos and is a more progressive sounding track. "Bodhisattva" another progressive track with cool guitar solos, the song has a jazz and heavier rock feel with a jazzy piano vibe and some proggy synths and is one of my all time favourites.

Last but not least a nice soul/funky jazz track "Peg" with a good rhythm and a excellent rhythm section and features guest vocalist Michael McDonald.

Again a reasonable Steely Dan compilation but you should start listening to the albums of Steely Dan to really hear them at their best as the compilations only give a taster of what is to come from them.

There was a time back in the nineties before I discovered Prog that I bought a lot of greatest hits albums just to check out bands I had heard of but didn't own any of their albums. It was a desperate time for me and I hoped to fill that musical void. Sure I was into and enjoyed the Alternative scene but I was looking for more. Like most of you I find these compilation records pretty useless these days and haven't reviewed very many here, but I thought I would dig this one out in the hopes it might be worth 4 stars to me. Nope ! When it comes to STEELY DAN, SAGA and a few other bands, I can say that i'm not really too into their albums but admire a lot of songs they've created, so yes I thought this "Decade Of Steely Dan" might satisfy me with all those popular tracks.

Like another reviewer mentioned i'm surprised "Dirty Work" isn't on here but most of the hits are.The thing is that these guys have many "best of" albums so you can always find one that works best for your tastes i'm sure. So this has been an enjoyable listen the last couple of days but this is far from essential. Favourite track for me is "Rikki Don't Lose That Number".

As compilations go, A Decade of Steely Dan (even though it really only covers eight years, not ten) is a good sample of Steely Dan's most accessible material, and it contains many of my favorites, including 'Babylon Sisters,' 'Hey Nineteen,' 'Do it Again,' 'Kid Charlemagne,' and 'Bad Sneakers.' 'Rikki Don't Lose That Number' and 'Reelin' in the Years' are great songs as well. There is over an hour of material here, and it includes a track from the soundtrack of the 1978 film FM. This is an excellent sampler for someone new to Steely Dan or someone who simply wants most of the hits in one convenient package.

From 1985, A DECADE OF STEELY DAN. 14 of what you would consider the "hits" of this fine band. The non-album track "FM" is here along with 60 minutes of classic Steely Dan. Nothing groundbreaking or new to reccomend this but for beginners to the band it would make a good start. Not all my favorites are here, this is more of an assemblage of the best know tracks of the band up until 1985, hence A DECADE in the title. Not all albums seem to be represented however. Good but not fantastic collection. An average rating is merited. I prefer the regular albums.