Classic Albums - Steely Dan: Aja

Rating:
Summary: aja
Review: Let me first off explain that I work in a major recording studio in Philadelphia and in watching this DVD I thought it was an honest portrayal of the crudity of putting together a record only to watch it take on a life of it's own in the studio. The camera work was crued...but then again it was probably an extemporaneous interview recorded by a camcorder after a session. The tracking of the cut starts like that, crued and extemporaneous, it is then fine tuned in the studio as each piece is laid down and perfected. Aja was perfect. And as a studio person I was absolutely refreshed to see the "mundane and human side" of making a record rock. After all, isnt that what viewers want in the first place? ...they cant be there to watch it transform from reference tracks to demo tracks to a fully mastered project. This may sound unexciting...but it IS exciting to those of us who have the priviledge of making it ROCK.

Rating:
Summary: I'm a fan of the band and I'm disappointed
Review: Someone down the way said that that wouldn't happen, and someone else said that you'd better be a BIG fan of the band to get this. I am a big fan of the band. I was still disappointed. The saving grace in my case was that I discovered that it came in a 3-pack version for about the same price as the single item, so I didn't pay so much (although the other two in that pack, on U2's Joshua Tree and Phil Collins' Face Value, were no better, really).

First off, lousy camera work/film quality on much of it. Looks like I filmed it. Secondly, if it's such a classic album, then I think it would have been worthwhile to cover all the songs on it, especially since there were only 7! "I Got the News" is relegated to credits playover at the end. Evidently it wasn't so classic. Third, if you're going to cover a band and show how they play -- and one good thing in this case is that a version of the whole band does do a couple of tunes together for the video -- for Pete's sake get the audio set up properly! Becker's soloing in at least one of the 2-3 tunes shown this way can hardly be heard, and not because anybody's talking over it or something else is being presented. It would also have made more sense to follow the sequencing of the original album, to give the film some added coherence (especially given the disparate styles/songs the album contains).

I might have given this 3 stars, being a little generous, but it particularly pales by comparison to at least one other title in this series, on Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. I am a bigger fan of the Dan than I am of the Floyd, but that effort was more professional all around, did cover every track of the album in question, did respect the original sequencing, and moreover, provided about 40 minutes of interesting bonus material, whereas this one provides none.

In short, although it's nice to see the boys talking about their work, and you can definitely glean the kind of rapport they have with each other musically and personally in their subtly ironic conversations at the mixing board, and you get to hear a bit about the tunes and see them perform a bit (remarkable how much Fagen looks like Freddie Mercury when shot in profile while singing!), they and this album deserved much better treatment. More frustrating and disappointing than interesting, despite my great interest in the artists in question.

Rating:
Summary: Well Presented DVD....A Classic Album? Now That's Debatable
Review: A very well done dvd and a must view for any Steely Dan fan. No fan of the band will be disappointed with this purchase. Just be prepared for more "words" than music.
Personally, however, I always felt "Katy Lied" was the band's best work. Whether or not "Aja" can be considered a classic album, worthy of a dvd documentary in the company of albums like the Who's "Who's Next" & The Band's "The Band" is highly debatable. For the casual Steely Dan fan, best off saving you cash on this one and getting the Steely Dan box set instead.

Rating:
Summary: A cool inside look at the people and the process behind Aja
Review: This one is definitely a must for any musician/Steely Dan fanatic. The interaction between Donald and Walter behind the board is priceless and a window into their songwriting personalities. Very cool current-day interviews with the players from the record and even a little (very little) vintage footage. The only thing I don't get is how on earth there was no mention at all of the amazing playing/soloing of Steve Gadd on the title track. Very strange...Non-players might fall asleep (like my wife did) but I personally consider this one in my top 3 DVD's! P.S. If you want GREAT Steely Dan concert DVD, pick up Two Against Nature Jazz-Rock party in Sensuous Surround Sound. DTS 5.1 that sounds INCREDIBLE!

Rating:
Summary: My Appreciation for "Aja" now runs EVEN deeper!
Review: If I were a tree, one or more of my rings would be taken up with Steely Dan's masterpiece "Aja," as every microscopic note has infiltrated my soul over the last quarter century. That said, seeing how this album was recorded behind the scenes lends an even greater appreciation. Listening to the world's funkiest drummer, Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, dissect his Purdie Shuffle is nirvana for this drummer. Rick Marotta's groove on "Peg" is also a wonder to behold. Becker and Fagen are truly masters at getting the right performance from the right person and integrating them into the most amazing whole. Whereas most musicians this meticulous would get a soulless performance, Becker and Fagen get one for the ages. My only quibble is that "I Got The News" was only played during the closing credits, and not discussed at all, since it's just as strong as the other tracks. Still, make a great album even greater and pick this up.