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.

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.