Rating: 
Summary: OK, but simplified
Review: So I got the Steely Dan songbook from MCA, but a lot of the chords seem to be "rounded off", and some of the songs are in the wrong key! Maybe my Mobile Fidelity CD copy of Aja runs a bit slow, but I transcribed "Aja" (the song) in B, and this book has it in C. Ditto with "Peg", Db instead of C. Bummer. Also, this book shows the first chord of "Aja" in the right hand as E-G-B with C in the bass. I figured out the first chord as F#-A#-C#-D# with B in the bass. After that, it's not even close. There are a bunch of things like that. The intro of "Sign in Stranger" doesn't resolve up like the book says, it stays on the C and there is a trill they missed. I was hoping this book would be a step above the average piano book, like the transcriptions in Keyboard or Guitar Player, but it's not. Oh well, at least it's fun to jam to the changes. -jl
Rating:
Summary: Complete but not same key as original recording
Review: This book has all of Steely Dan's greatest albums, so it is complete. However, in trying to play along with the Aja album I noticed that the key written in the book differs from the recording by a half-step. For example, if the song is recorded in the key of C, the music in the book is written in D flat, as is the case with Josie. This is why I gave the book only 3 stars.
Rating: 
Summary: Basically Good
Review: This is a reasonable transcription of Steely Dan's music through Gaucho. Most of the lyrics are included with the written music so a vocalist can merely look at the music to follow along with the music. A few songs could have been transcripted better. Its ridiculous that there are no guitar chords listed for Charlie Freak. What did Denny Dias and Jeff Baxter do on this song off the recorded version. Much of the music is left off of Bodhisattva. There is no introduction translated although the progression really is about the same. The instrumental break in Do It Again is also missing and that is less obvious. However, the basis for the Aja instrumentals is present.Anybody with any musical talent can tell that Donald Fagen and Walter Becker were two talented and complex song-writers. Gee, just look at the introduction in Deacon Blues. Thirteen chord changes?! Anyway, this is worthwhile for most musicians who play Steely Dan as the much of their music can not be easily transcribed by most musicians. Do It Again, Rikki Don't Lose That Number, Bodhisattva, and a few others may be exceptions.
Rating:
Summary: Basically Good
Review: This is a reasonable transcription of Steely Dan's music through Gaucho. Most of the lyrics are included with the written music so a vocalist can merely look at the music to follow along with the music. A few songs could have been transcripted better. Its ridiculous that there are no guitar chords listed for Charlie Freak. What did Denny Dias and Jeff Baxter do on this song off the recorded version. Much of the music is left off of Bodhisattva. There is no introduction translated although the progression really is about the same. The instrumental break in Do It Again is also missing and that is less obvious. However, the basis for the Aja instrumentals is present. Anybody with any musical talent can tell that Donald Fagen and Walter Becker were two talented and complex song-writers. Gee, just look at the introduction in Deacon Blues. Thirteen chord changes?! Anyway, this is worthwhile for most musicians who play Steely Dan as the much of their music can not be easily transcribed by most musicians. Do It Again, Rikki Don't Lose That Number, Bodhisattva, and a few others may be exceptions.
Rating:
Summary: It's a decent piano book...
Review: Well, I *am* a piano player and Steely Dan fan who bought this to see what the heck they are doing on some of these songs. If you're an intermediate piano player who is looking for melodies and a reasonably decent sketch of how the song goes, this is the book for you. If you're an advanced player, or a jazz fan, or want to know *exactly* what kind of chord voicings are being used, you might be disappointed on some songs. (Not all songs; some transcriptions are better than others.) The guitar chord listings are the most accurate -- if you follow those rather than the staff, and are familiar with jazz voicings, you can pretty much figure it out. I knew that going in, and I've still found the book worthwhile because figuring out all the A7+(b9) chords by ear gets old quick.
Rating:
Summary: It's a decent piano book...
Review: Well, I *am* a piano player and Steely Dan fan who bought this to see what the heck they are doing on some of these songs. If you're an intermediate piano player who is looking for melodies and a reasonably decent sketch of how the song goes, this is the book for you. If you're an advanced player, or a jazz fan, or want to know *exactly* what kind of chord voicings are being used, you might be disappointed on some songs. (Not all songs; some transcriptions are better than others.) The guitar chord listings are the most accurate -- if you follow those rather than the staff, and are familiar with jazz voicings, you can pretty much figure it out. I knew that going in, and I've still found the book worthwhile because figuring out all the A7+(b9) chords by ear gets old quick.
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