TAGEN IS THE artistic anchor in Aja: he plays synthesizer, writes, and sings backup vocals (the credits list no lead vocals, a forthright statement about instrumental priority) on every cut.

Steely Dan's musical versatility emerges on the first cut, "Black Cow." The electric piano, clavinet, sax and synthesizer take charge from the upbeat and become hewn into a cogent sound that becomes Aja.

The second side is not as strong as the first. It is continuation of the same sounds, assembled in shorter cuts, perhaps for the benefit of the air waves. "I Got The News" uses graceful vocal harmony and some fine guitar leads with the album's usual set of jazz instruments to weave a fluent, atriking cut. "Peg" is that cute tune to which all the top-fortyettes will bump. Peg," despite its true quality, approaches the barrier between easy-listening-jazz and disco. The "Disco Dan" concept puts a damper on the album, raising doubts as to whether or not this band will in fact "die behind the wheel."

But in Aja, for every doubt there is a hope. The strides this group makes with each consecutive album amazes me and promises. And, there are also Steeley Dan's own reassurances:

This is for me...

Libations

Sensations

That stagger the mind