🌵 Desert Sessions 🌵 2.0: Cheap Used Records – Steely Dan Aja

Steely Dan’s Aja is one of my top 25 albums of all time. It was my first audiophile obsession – this album sounds so good! It is sonic perfection. This is my go to reference album given its outstanding production:

• Test driving new equipment? Play Aja.
• Got a new piece of equipment? Break it in with Aja.
• Showing off your stereo? Exhibit One: Aja.
• An album that has a great sound and production – is it as good as Aja?

This album has never gotten old for me. It is slick, but in a good way. It is sophisticated pop – almost jazz. The musicianship is spectacular. Per Wikipedia, Steely Dan for this album was

“…nearly 40 musicians, band leaders Donald Fagen and Walter Becker pushed Steely Dan further into experimenting with different combinations of session players while pursuing longer, more sophisticated compositions for the album.”

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aja_(album)

If you see this LP used, in good shape and at a decent price (under $5) buy it. It is doubtful it will be reissued. Per Wikipedia

When DTS attempted to make a 5.1 version, it was discovered that the multitrack masters for both “Black Cow” and the title track were missing. For this same reason, a multichannel SACD version was cancelled by Universal Music. Donald Fagen has offered a reward for the missing masters or any information that leads to their recovery.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aja_(album)