Bernard Purdie on drums. That shuffle rhythm is magic.

You're right, like Ulysses tied to the mast of his ship as the sirens lured him onto the rocks, Fagen is telling the story about the paradox of found love and possessive rage by a partner he can't let go. It's a deep theme but the light treatment in the song makes it unpretentious and kinda beguiling......much like the aforementioned paradox. signed: the sirens off the starboard bow.

The utter joy on your face when listening to this song......it’s just priceless. There’s no words to describe this album taken as a whole. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️😁😁😁😁

At one time or another, every Steely Dan song will be your favorite song

The hidden priceless gem on this album. Great analysis and reaction.

Bernard Purdie...what a helluva drummer. That Purdie Shuffle is legendary!

I love every song on this masterpiece but this one just gets me.

Steely Dan is just fantastic. All their songs are great.☝️ thanks for the reaction ☝️

Terrific song off a legendary album. It also is a well placed buffer on the song list between classics Peg and Josie with a slowed down hipster vibe. Oh, and one video per day is great, no worries. You’ll never get to everything JP so just do your thing ...

a peter green tribute would be nice.

This whole album is sheer perfection... so blissful.

Not only is there the Homer reference There is also a biographical aspect Don and Walt grew up in NYC and had went to LA a few years before as their career took off. These guys lived in the studio - perfectionists and they had the best session players begging to play with them. They saw LA a little dumbed down for their highbrow mystique “I know this Super highway, bright familiar sun” “set on this peaceful shore”. - LA The line “She serves the smooth retsina” Retsina is a “greek wine”, it is anything but smooth, it is made of pine needles A little subversive D&W humor The space left in this song with the pace is perfect Just like Ulysses “slowly getting home”. You need to see the Classic Albums Making of Aja dvd - it’s available freebie on amazon prime (netflix?) or youtube

Just think - you still have Josie and I Got The News to look forward to - and then you get to play this masterwork in its entirety to do the inevitable full album review - lucky you . Once done - some non-Aja tracks I think you'll absolutely love the vibe to : Babylon Sisters and Glamour Profession . Also -need to hear FM , Don't Take Me Alive and my favorite underrated Dan tune - King of the World . It's okay - we'll wait patiently - lol In the meantime - want a couple short gems to check out to mix it up : Cream - Tales of Brave Ulysses , Traffic - Rock and Roll Stew and the unforgettable Fire - The Crazy World of Arthur Brown

Steely Dan, Kings of the Groove.

One of my favorite songs for bass, compliments of the legendary Chuck Rainey ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

There must be VERY few WHO don't Play Here, that Arent top, world class!

Steely Dan!! Even their "marginal" work is great. This song, however, has always held a special place for me in all they have produced. It is PERFECT. I got a kick out of your take on this song just for the fact that I've been enthralled with it for over forty years now and you've just heard it for the first time. Call it a justification (or perhaps a JUSTINfication). If the opportunity presents itself, Their album "Gaucho" is a noteworthy consideration.

man the Aja album is a big part of my youth, discovering FM radio changed my life, AM was all top40 and 70s bubblegum.finding this amazing music on FM as a kid made me actually become passionate about it. the groove on this tune is absolutely infectious it's beautiful

My favorite on this album is Aja, but this whole album is just so smooth. Another album I think you'll really enjoy is Blow by Blow by Jeff Beck. Great stuff.

A great song from one of the great albums of all time, just gets better with age. Steely Dan stakes their claim the greatest american recording act...... ever!

For me, the silkiest of tunes on Aja, and Justin, you know by now I love my Dan. It's always interesting to me what audiophiles think of this particular song because it was never released as a single. FWIU, it's supposed to be a "filler" song on the album, yet it ends up being lots of people's favorite on it. I always find that indicative of a great album... when the "filler tunes" end up being the favorites. My favorite on the album is still the title track (musical heaven I like to call it), but Home at Last is right up there.

Larry Carlton plays guitar on this track, but the solo is Walter Becker.

Definitely heard this tune hanging at my cousin house, dude is a huge SD fanboy. Enjoyed the reaction, love the vibe of the song. I'm good with the one a day uploads, mostly because I find myself behind lately, busy with other interest. I've gotten so busy, I don't have to to play guitar. Man that sucks.

You make my day. 1st : I was one those who asked for this song. 2nd : as I commented in other Steely Dan reaction. I sang that to my son each night etc. And both of us watched this reaction together, with me singing (massacre) over the song like I used to do, balancing my baby boy in my arms. Thank you!

1977. My first term at university and this track is blasting out of every every room in the hall of residence. If you had blown your grant on an expensive hi fi instead of buying books, then this was the track you played. LOUDLY.

"She serves me smooth retsina, she keeps me safe and warm, it's just the calm before the storm" is one of my favorite lines in all of Steely Dandom.

Your facial reactions say a thousand words lol

When you get back to "The Yes Album' I highly recommend you play the extended version of 'A Venture'. It's only 1.5 minutes longer but the playing at the end is wonderful.

Desert Island, for sure. I’ll listen to it while eating off the album as a plate and drink while using the CD as a coaster... my mom raised me right. Wilson loves it too! Always starts my day off righteous. Thank you for staying with this incredible album. From memories of slipping in the bright blue 8 track in the car to streaming it at work, it has made my existence consistently brighter. Now I see it’s changing your life as well. Your face was glowing and I almost began to worry you’d explode. HAL is deep, like beautiful intricate woven tapestry, the closer you look the more that is there for you to marvel at. Take care everyone, a simple mask for a complicated time, stay alive and well, Peace and Desert Island Music

The Purdie Shuffle! Such a great groove. His video demonstrating how it works is so good. “Don’t worry ‘bout those ghost notes. Ain’t nuthin but rebound!”

I have always considered this song criminally underrated, so it's great seeing you enjoy it and calling it a favorite too. You have good taste, Justin, haha. I love this song for its clever spin on the Odyssey. In that tired sea song, Ulysses ties himself to the mast, so he can listen to the Sirens sing without being lured to his death. But it is only a temporary thing, and he eventually returns to his family ashore. You think you've hear this one before, but you're wrong! The twist is, our narrator decides that it's best for him to remain traveling, "tied to the mast", so none of the women he meet can lure him into settling down and experiencing relationships' inevitable "storm"s. His home is traveling, not residing. "Well the danger on the rocks is surely past Still I remain tied to the mast Could it be that I have found my home at last? Home at last" Just f-ing brilliant. I love Fagen's trademark style of telling a tawdry tale by talking all around it, but never actually saying it. Drugs (Kid Charlemagne ), death (Daddy Don't Live In That New Your City No More", nazi rallies (Chain Lightning), cheating girlfriends (Black Cow, Everything You Did), nuclear holocaust (King Of The World)... the list is endless and wonderful. Please do more Steely as your life allows. I appreciate what you do!

"You done it"... "You done hired the hitmaker, Bernard ‘Pretty’ Purdie!" - actual signs that Bernard Purdie would bring with him into the studio. Perfect groove. Great reaction!

Might I suggest try watching the wonderful Eagle Rock Classic Album video of The Making of Aja. I believe it is still available to watch in its entirety on KZfaq. It's one of the rare times that you see Becker and Fagan expressing their thoughts and explaining their creative process. There are also great insights from Chuck Rainey, Larry Carlton,Dean Parks, Rick Marotta, and yes Bernard Purdie.

That bass Chuck Rainey 👍omg one of the best albums of the 70’s all done on tape production costs back then around $ 1 Million 😉

My favorite song on Aja. It’s a great album with a lot of great songs but to me something about this one just stands out.

I think the lyrics also play off Joyce's version of the Homer tale, at least according to the liner notes on the album which Walter Becker wrote under a pseudonym Michael Phaelen. He also wrote the liner notes for Can't Buy a Thrill. Odd sense of humor in that man, miss him. Nice review as always JP.

As a Steely Dan Fan for 50+ years, this is my favorite Steely Dan song. Now on to Royal Scam.

Been waiting for you to react to this song! It's always been my favorite out of all the excellent songs on this album.

have always been back and forth between this and AJA itself on this album as the best thng they ever did. That said, so many, many other fantastic SD pieces.

That walking bass line is really something how it holds everything together.

I knew you'd like the reference to Odysseus, you still need to hear Cream's 'Tales of Brave Ulysses'. Once you've gotten to the end of this album you should watch the hour long "Steely Dan - Aja (Classic Albums documentary)" video on You Tube. You get to see and hear the players talk about the recording sessions as well as Fagen and Becker at the console isolating bits of the tracks and explaining their choices. You'll love it.

It is a smiling kind of song so it fills that niche summer music backdrop not going to reach for it often but yeah the musicianship is top notch

Of course, I totally agree! Great reaction, Justin!

Steely Dan and Rush , were added to the power triad of Tull/Genisis/ELP club, a few years later, you missed you generation Justin!

This group whether you like their style of music or not...this group is musically perfect and on point!!!! You and other reaction people felt the same....This group is perfect. And again...their style went far in the 70's due to groups like Blood Sweat and Tears who paved the way, made Jazz acceptable to my generation who were dominated by the Beatles, The Bee Gees, Led Zeppelin, The Who, and many other groups and this group accomplish success. So yeah ... what great group Steely Dan was.

Got this album in 80

One of seven masterpieces from the album. Every time I hear this song I always hear something I haven't heard before, or failed to appreciate more. This time: Mr Perdie and his " shuffle" . So good, so perfect, and it allows the rest of the song to sparkle

Justin, knew you would love this song, with Bernard Purdie on drums, not to mention Larry Carlton's great guitar and Chuck Rainey on bass. Fagen's vocal delivery and Victor Feldman's piano also contribute a lot to this song. Many people probably don't realize that Walter Becker did the guitar solo here. Lyrically this song is relaxing but kind of haunting. Their lyrics are usually complex and besides the obvious inferences to Homer there could be references to living in Southern California but still wanting to return to New York. What also elevates this song for me is that the other 6 cuts on this album were all overplayed but this one was largely neglected. That turned out to be a good thing.

This song is about Damn perfect.

Listen to the first 4 songs you don't know which song you like better, then the next song and you are really quite amazed. How can such an album be so good. Just an absolute great album, no doubt. My favorite is , what I'm listening too!

I only have one word: Smooooooooth

Never tires, always had the best musicians. Nice reaction JP.

4:50 you like, “ok...bring it... bring that satisfying whatever that you never fail to bring”. Amazing band aren’t they? This is one of my favorites for sure.

Another great review, yours is by far my favorite music review channel. This may be blasphemy, but this is my favorite song on this album!

Yay! I recommended this one! The smile on your face says it all!

I prefer quality to quantity, so I'm good with one (sometimes two) song a day. Especially with complex and avant-garde prog music you need time to absorb it. Your fans know that you are in it more for the music than the $ so keep doing what you're doing.

My favorite Steely Dan song, and I pretty much love them all.

One of my favorite SD songs...Ironically wistful. Next ...Donald Fagen's Nightfly...you will not be disappointed.

That awesome rhythm section of Purdie/ Rainey once again

Another great track...

Wonderful reaction to a wonderful song full of wonderful arrangements and wonderful musicianship. Wonderful. Thank you JP.

Thanks for listening to this one, it means a lot. Loved every minute of you enjoying this. One thing that perhaps becomes more apparent on multiple listens: Did Odysseus maybe feel most "at home" at sea, escaping the Godess Calypso who serves the smooth Retsina? I think there's an ambivalence in this song and it's about feeling home sick and the glory of returning, but it's also about the opposite of home sickness, I think. In German, the word for "home sick" is "Heimweh" (home pain) but it's counterpart, "Fernweh" (Far pain) doesn't have an english synonym to describe that feeling. I think the song is about that ambivalence between those two forces.

Donald Fagans solo albume "NightFly" has some real gems with a whole album review as is AJA

💯

Nice! Glad you loved this one!

My favorite song from Aja tends to be the one I most recently listened to. Such an amazing album.

great reaction. Great you know so much about what you think this song is about.

As good as it gets, right JP? Flawless. When those horns come in on top of that fat groove... Damn...

May favorite song on Aja.

Hoping for I Got the News soon. My favorite track from Aja

Can't tell you who, but someone did a really good video for this song.

Few albums so complete as this album.

Led Zep's John Paul Jones once told an interviewer how John Bonham would tell anyone who would listen how much he took from Purdie's drumming here for LZ's Fool In The Rain.

Genius.....

Caught you smiling. 😊 You're powerless to resist the infectious groove. Aja is a tremendous album, but it lacks the rockiness of earlier albums in favor of lush textures and relaxed jazz rock sophistication. I would recommend checking out Countdown To Ecstasy next arguably the most exhilarating Steely Dan experience with extended jams and stylistic variety. There's even a synth solo that reminds me a lot of Camel on the proggy sounding King Of The World. Pretzel Logic is equally great.

I BURNED THE HELLLLL OUTTA THIS ALBUM ON MY 8 TRACK JUSTIN, IT WAS JUST A GR8888 LISTEN ANYTIME! :)

You have a gift for this, my friend

What you’re doing is cool don’t stop

Apologies, I haven’t read the previous comments: Excellent analysis! Purdie does indeed shuffle with the gods. Bassist Rainey pockets like no other as well. I’m 61 and the lyric “still I remain tied to the mast” has haunted me for decades. There’s so much heart and humanity just under the surface of Fagan’s city cool vocals. A hipster jazz poet that somehow manages a Dylan like microscope on human struggle while looking cool in shades. I always figured this protagonist was going to be fucked in those rocks shortly, but hope rings through. And in no way is it fatalistic but rather focuses on that sliver of chance. Maybe. Had he found his home at last. No way? Maybe? Probably! Great, great, great job dissecting a great piece of music and lyric. I’m your newest fan!

Classy record..and this is one of the lesser tracks from this magnificent album.

As always, great reviews. I do enjoy your ability to determine what makes a song great and articulate your feelings. I have mentioned Autumn by Strawbs, Ritual by Yes and I know you will get to them, they are gems. Here's another I will bug you about: PFM "World Became the World". I won't let you forget these songs, once you hear these songs, they will stay with you. You should listen to Autumn with your wife present, my wife recommended that. Cheers.

Such a great song with Homers Odyssey analogies. Bernard Purdie’s Purdie Shuffle features on this song as well as Babylon sisters, and other notable uses are John bonham on fool in the rain and Jeff portraits on Rosanna

Again, another gold nugget from Steely Dan. But as you know, they are my deserted island band and they have too many gold nuggets to count. Please do the "Royal Scam" album next. "Green Earrings" is my favorite among many on that album. Thank for appreciating (yet) another SD song.

Great song from the Dan love you and your reactions. Don’t forget Joni it’s been so long remember Hijra Time for another one seemed like you really liked it love you

The Purdie Shuffle!

one of the deepest pockets you will ever run across.

When I was in college in the late 70s/early 80s, I was in a band that had a horn section. We did quite a lot of Chicago, Blood Sweat and Tears, and any other stuff you could name that had a horn section. We did exactly one Steely Dan song: this one. Home At Last was chosen because it was the easiest to figure out how to play on the Aja album. We wanted to try the title track but found it way too tough to get the sound right. I was piano and lead vocal for the song, thus playing the role of Donald Fagen. Not an easy tune but it was an absolute blast to play.

Fantastic tune! solid, smooth, all instrumental times in perfect harmony with a very nice vocals. Yeah, looks like a tipical background music but it is not for listening while cooking or washing clothes, it deserves direct attention. JP! you love to make us suffer by waiting, It's been 2 weeks since God last visited your channel, come on! SEBTP and W&W are knocking on your door to be finished 😅

Another great vid. I hope you do the whole album. “I Got The News” is one of my favorites. The drumming is my favorite on the album. Yes, more than the amazing Purdie. Yes, I’m a drummer. Just my opinion.

JP my friend you have excellent taste . Here is one I think you would like "Blue Collar" by BTO. Thanks for what you share and keep up the good work.

COMING BACKKKKK TO AJA HUH??? LOL :) I LOVE ITTTTT. BTWAYYYY, MORE JONI, MORE JONI, MORE JONIIIIIII, YOU LOVE JONI HUH?

Estrum - All I Need

I have a playlist that consists of every SD song + every Fagen solo song. When I listen to it shuffled, there is one song I skip because I don’t like it. One. Among my favorites that also include The Beatles, XTC, Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, etc. the Dan has easily the highest hit to miss ratio.

Don’t take me alive or caves of Altamira

Going in for oral surgery today! So I will be very happy to be "Home At Last"! Have a great day-Peace.

I've always put "You think you've heard this one before" in the same vein as "you can't step in the same river twice"

They are the band other bands listen to at home i herd someone say years ago

You may want to react to Al Stewart . His tunes have a similar sound to this song. Try Time Passages, On The Border, Roads to Moscow, Merlin’s Time,A Man For All Seasons,Carol, And especially Modern Time! Guarantee you will love his songs!👍🏻❤️☮️

Please, Please play "I Got the News" next. Pure Steely Dan jazz-fusion.

Justin, you're practically through Aja, but I think you only did Kid Charlemagne of their previous album " The Royal Scam." You should definitely give "Don't take me alive" a shot. It's Larry Carltons next best work with "The Dan", after Kid Charlemagne. Also, the way you enjoy the perfect production of Aja, you will love their next album "Gaucho." Not as universally loved as Aja, but still, so many great songs... Hey Nineteen, Gaucho, Babylon Sisters, and Time out of mind.