Aja is the sixth studio album by American jazz rock band Steely Dan , released September 23, 1977 via ABC Records . The disc reached 3rd place in the United States and 5th in the UK and received the Grammy Award on February 23, 1978 in the Best Non-Classical Engineered Recording category (the award was received by sound engineers Ellitot Scheiner , Bill Schnee, Al Schmitt and Roger Nichols ) [1] . In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine included this album under No. 145 in the list of " 500 greatest albums of all time according to Rolling Stone magazine." The album received positive reviews from music publications and critics, including Allmusic [1] , Robert Christgau [2] , BBC Music [3] , Rolling Stone [4] .
| Aja | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album Steely Dan | ||||
| Date of issue | 9/9/1977 | |||
| Recorded by | 1976-1977, Village Recorders, West LA, Los Angeles ; Producer's Workshop, Hollywood; Warner bros North Hollywood Recording Studios; ABC Recording Studios; Sound Labs, Hollywood; A & R Studios, New York | |||
| Genre | Jazz rock , soft rock , pop rock [1] | |||
| Duration | 39:58 | |||
| Producer | Gary katz | |||
| A country |  USA | |||
| Language of songs | English | |||
| Label | ABC Records | |||
| Timeline of Steely Dan | ||||
| ||||
| R s | Position No. 145 in the List The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time by Rolling Stone Magazine |
On April 6, 2011, the album “Aja” was recognized by the Library of Congress as “culturally, historically, and aesthetically important” and added to the 2010 US National Register of Audio Records .
Donald Feigin gave the name to the album by the name of a Korean girl who married the brother of his student friend [5] . The cover was made by photographer Hideki Fujii , depicting Japanese fashion model and actress Sayoko Yamaguchi on it . [6] [7] .
| Aja Professional Album Ratings | |
|---|---|
| Critics' ratings | |
| A source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [one] |
| Robert Christgau | B + [2] |
| Bbc music | + [3] |
| Rolling stone | + [4] |
| Q | [eight] |
| Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music |  [9] |
Content
List of Songs
All songs are written by a duet of songwriters Walter Becker ( solo guitar , bass guitar ) and Donald Feigen ( vocals , keyboards, synthesizer). The session was attended by many session musicians, including famed saxophonist Wayne Shorter (jazz tenor and soprano saxophonist and composer, multiple Grammy - winner ), drummer Jim Keltner (who is called the "best session drummer in America"), guitarist Larry Carlton , composer and guitarist Lee Reitnaur , drummer Steve Gadd [1] .
- Side one
- The Black Cow - 5:10
- Aja - 7:57
- Deacon Blues 7:37
- Side two
- Peg - 3:57
- Home at Last - 5:34
- “I Got the News” - 5:06
- Josie 4:33
Charts
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | UK Albums Chart | five |
| 1977 | Pop albums | 3 [1] |
Singles in Pop Singles
| Year | Single | Label and number | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | “Peg” ( B-side: “I Got the News” ) | ABC 12320 | 11 [1] |
| 1978 | “Deacon Blues” ( B-side: “Home at Last” ) | ABC 12355 | 19 [1] |
| 1978 | Josie ( B-side: Black Cow ) | ABC 12404 | 26 [1] |
Rewards
Grammy Awards ( Ceremony February 23, 1978 ) [1]
| Year | Winner | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Aja | Best Non-Classical Engineered Recording |
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Thomas, Stephen. Allmusic: Aja
- ↑ 1 2 Christgau, Robert (October 31, 1977). Robert Christgau: Aja
- ↑ 1 2 Easley, Daryl. BBC Music: Aja (link unavailable) (link unavailable from 08/10/2013 [2217 days])
- ↑ 1 2 Rolling Stone: Aja
- ↑ Classic Albums: Steely Dan - Aja (Video 1999), Directed by Alan Lewins, Eagle Rock Entertainment, ASIN: 6305772649 [1]
- ↑ http://www.grayflannelsuit.net/blog/album-cover-of-the-week-aja . Date of treatment September 9, 2008. Archived June 5, 2013.
- ↑ Steely Dan: Reelin in the Years by Brian Sweet - page 130
- ↑ Q: Aja
- ↑ Steely Dan: Aja (inaccessible link) . Date of treatment June 4, 2013. Archived July 27, 2013.
Links
- Complete lyrics
- Promotional Video , courtesy of The Museum of Classic Chicago Television
- Classic Albums: Aja by Steely Dan 1977 at YouTube
- "Steely Dan: Reelin 'in the Years" at Google Books