Steely Dan: Aja

Aja Unraveled: A Sonic Disappointment from Mobile Fidelity

In the intricate tapestry of modern music, Steely Dan's Aja stands as a landmark recording—a masterpiece that transcends genre boundaries, capturing a moment of pure musical alchemy. Released in 1977, the album represents the pinnacle of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen's meticulous musical vision, a work so profound it was deemed culturally significant enough to be preserved in the National Recording Registry.

The Sonic Forensics
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab's Original Master Recording from 1980 arrives with all the promise of audiophile excellence, yet delivers a sonic experience that can only be described as a profound letdown. For an album renowned for its sophisticated production and groundbreaking sonic landscape, this pressing feels like a pale imitation of the original's potential.

The fundamental sonic characteristics reveal a pressing that is frustratingly two-dimensional. Where one might expect the legendary depth and nuance of Aja's original recording, this Mobile Fidelity release presents a sound that is uncharacteristically flat and constrained. The treble frequencies dominate with an almost harsh prominence, creating a listening experience that feels thin and analytically sterile.

Dynamic range—the lifeblood of any exceptional recording—is conspicuously absent. The intricate musical conversations between Fagen and Becker's meticulously chosen session musicians lose their magical interplay. Songs like "Peg" and "Deacon Blues," which should explode with sonic complexity, instead feel compressed and lifeless.

The pressing fails to capture the album's legendary production standards. Each instrument should feel like a carefully placed piece of a sonic mosaic, but here they blend into a homogeneous, unremarkable soundscape. The sophisticated orchestration that made Aja a landmark recording is reduced to a mere shadow of its original brilliance.

The Vinyl Verdict
For audiophiles and Steely Dan enthusiasts, this Mobile Fidelity release presents a frustrating compromise. The astronomical price point becomes impossible to justify given the mediocre sonic reproduction. It's a pressing that speaks more to collector completism than true audio excellence.

Seasoned vinyl collectors are directed toward more promising alternatives. The Cisco 30th Anniversary edition emerges as a potentially superior option, while whispers of an upcoming Analogue Productions UHQR release offer a glimmer of hope for those seeking the definitive Aja pressing.

In the end, this Mobile Fidelity pressing of Aja serves as a cautionary tale. Even legendary recordings can fall victim to subpar vinyl reproduction. For those who truly love this album, patience and continued searching remain the best strategy. A remarkable album deserves a remarkable pressing—and this, unfortunately, is not it. 💸

💰 Invest
💵 Consider
💸 Pass