Steely Dan’s album, Aja, is one of the best ever produced. There are a few songs on it that I could point to as masterpieces of production (I mean, this is Steely Dan after all — that’s their M. O.), but the one to which I am most attracted is the title track. Let’s face it: Steve Gadd absolutely destroyed the drum track (that is a good thing for those who don’t get the lingo) and brought the song from excellent to phenomenal. And the absolute beauty of it is its simplicity. It just sings along with the music.
Yesterday, I posted about the complexity of Sousa. Today, it’s the simplicity of Steve Gadd. Go figure. In any case, just listen and enjoy…and pay attention to the drums. If you have any semblance of heart, you’ll get it…
Aja most certainly has one of the greatest drum tracks of all time. I was at their concert at Red Rocks just a few years ago before Becker died. They open the show with that song. Best live drumming I’ve ever seen. Some kid from Oakland, can’t remember his name. Great show with Steve Winwood opening…except for the hail storm.