Donald Fagen: Morph the Cat CD Track Listing

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Donald Fagen Morph the Cat (2006)
Originally Released March 7, 2006 \n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: There are no surprises in sound and style on Morph the Cat, Donald Fagen's long-awaited third solo album, nor should any be expected -- ever since Steely Dan's 1980 masterwork, Gaucho, his work, either on his own or with longtime collaborator Walter Becker, has been of a piece. Each record has been sleek, sophisticated, and immaculately produced, meticulously recorded and arranged, heavy on groove and mood, which tends to mask the sly wit of the songs. When it works well -- as it did on Fagen's peerless 1982 solo debut, The Nightfly, or on Steely Dan's 2001 comeback, Two Against Nature -- the results go down smoothly upon first listen and reveal their complexity with each spin; when it doesn't quite succeed -- both 1993's Kamakiriad and the Dan's 2003 effort Everything Must Go didn't quite gel -- the albums sound good but samey on the surface and don't quite resonate. Morph the Cat belongs in the first group: at first it sounds cozily familiar, almost too familiar, but it digs deep, both as music and song.\n\nSonically, at least superficially, it is very much a continuation of the two Steely Dan records of the new millennium -- not only does it share Fagen's aesthetic, but it was recorded with many of the same musicians who have shown up on the Dan projects. There are slight differences -- without Becker around, there's a greater emphasis on keyboards and the songs stretch on a bit longer than anything on Everything Must Go -- but this, at least on pure sonics, could have functioned as a sequel to Two Against Nature. But Morph the Cat is very much a solo affair, fitting comfortably next to his first two solo albums as a conclusion to what he calls a trilogy. If The Nightfly concerned the past and Kamakiriad was set in a hazy future, Morph the Cat is rooted in the present, teeming with the fears and insecurities of post-9/11 America. Fagen doesn't camouflage his intent with the gleefully enigmatic rhymes that have been his trademark: his words, while still knowingly sardonic, are direct, and in case you don't want to bother reading the lyrics or listening closely, he helpfully offers brief explanations of the songs (for instance, on "Mary Shut the Garden Door," he writes "Paranoia blooms when a thuggish cult gains control of the government," a statement that's not exactly veiled). On top of this unease, Fagen faces mortality throughout the album -- he talks with the ghost of Ray Charles, borrows W.C. Fields' phrase for death for "Brite Nitegown," writes about attempted suicides -- and every song seems to be about things drawing to a close. \n\nIt's a little disarming to hear Fagen talk so bluntly -- although he came close to doing so on the deliberately nostalgic The Nightfly, the fact that he was writing about the past kept him at a bit of a distance -- but despite the abundance of morbid themes, Morph the Cat never sounds dour or depressing. In large part this is due to Fagen's viewpoint -- he never succumbs to mawkishness, always preferring to keep things witty and sardonic, which helps keep things from getting too heavy -- but it's also due to his smooth jazz-rock, which always sounds nimble and light. This, of course, is how Fagen's music always sounds, but here, it not only functions as a counterpoint to the darkness creeping on the edges of the album, but it's executed expertly: as spotless as this production is, it never sounds sterile, and when the songs start stretching past the five-minute mark -- two cuts are over seven minutes -- it never gets boring, because there's a genuine warmth to the clean, easy groove. More so than on Kamakiriad, or on the tight Everything Must Go, there is a sense of genuine band interplay on this record, which helps give it both consistency and heart -- something appropriate for an album that is Fagen's most personal song cycle since The Nightfly, and quite possibly his best album since then. -- Stephen Thomas Erlewine\n\nAmazon.com Editorial Review\nFor all the delight their fans take in parsing their wry and obstinately obscure lyrics, Steely Dan wouldn't command the kind of following they have if they weren't such consummate craftsmen in shaping melodies, layering keyboard and guitar effects and applying sophisticated doses of jazz, funk and soul. On his own albums, of which Morph the Cat is only the third--and the first since 1993's Kamakiriad--the group's sardonic co-mastermind Donald Fagen avails himself to more socially observant and personally revealing themes. But here, too, it's the music's dark shimmer and bumptious grooves that get under your skin, carrying his serious intentions with them. The grandly allusive "Morph," named after what Fagen describes as a "vast, ghostly cat-thing" that hovers in the Manhattan sky (not unlike Woody Allen's catty mother in "New York Stories"), reflects with no loss of irony or oblique meaning on the angst and sense of loss felt in the post-9/11 world. There are visions of death--including his own--and political oppression. There's a comic romantic encounter with a female airport security guard and a reverent faceoff with the ghost of Ray Charles, whose essence is nailed: "Well, you bring some church but you leave no doubt/As to what kind of love you love to shout about." Even when Fagen's hipster sensibility flirts with preciousness, the music is so richly, radiantly alive, the collective power of the songs can't be denied. --Lloyd Sachs \n\nAmazon.com Product Description\nThe first solo album in 13 years from Donald Fagen, Morph The Cat is another contemporary classic from half of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame duo Steely Dan. With Fagan's adventurous musical depth, uniquely layered lyrics and entertaining subject matter (from a conversation with the ghost of Ray Charles to a romantic liaison with an airport security guard named Joan), Morph the Cat is the newest chapter chronicling the most sophisticated music in rock. \n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nWhen he is good, he is very good, June 12, 2006\nReviewer: John Palmer (Scarsdale, NY United States)\nA couple of overall opinions...there are two fine guitarists on this disk: Wayne Krantz and Jon Harrington. For the most part, I much prefer these guys to Walter Becker. "Ready Freddy" Washington, a legendary bass player, is largely wasted. Nothing on this disk approaches his work with Anita Baker. \n\nMy complaint is that a number of the tunes lack the inventive, harmonically challenging chord progressions that are key to a good Fagen tune. H Gang, Brite Nightgown, It's What I Do are the worst offenders. These would be good pop songs for most writers. Unfortunately, Fagen has to compete with Fagen. \n\nOn the other hand, Pagoda of Funn and Night Belongs to Mona have some really nice chord sequences. I am very grateful to have even one more Fagen tune that holds its own against his earlier work. \n\nI consider Fagen's Nightfly to be a 5 star work. Kamakiriad is good but it's no Nightfly and so would rate 4 stars. I don't think Morph is as good a Kamakiriad. \n\nThat said, I believe most Fagen fans will want to judge for themselves and will buy this disk or gratefully accept it as a gift. Those who want to start to become fans should start with Nightfly \n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nI've heard it all before., April 29, 2006\nReviewer: Ben (Columbia, MO USA)\nI almost feel guilty giving this a poor review. I love everything Becker and Fagen have done, together and apart. \n\nThe vocals aren't quite right. They're too straight. In the past, Fagen always embellished the melody rhythmically. Here, he follows it way too rigidly for my tastes. Tonally, it used to be that they were more bare, more piercing, they had some kick. Maybe it's his age, but Fagen's vocals slip farther back into the mix here, especially when they're multitracked. \n\nRhythm section is good, but could use more life, more grease. It's not alive. What makes Steely Dan's rhythm sections great isn't the rhythmic flawlessness. It's the interactions between each of the players' idiosyncracies. It's that stuff that makes it a different listen every time. You hear things you hadn't heard before. You don't use a studio cat because you want it perfect - you want his thing on the track. It's a good rhythm section here, and it grooves, but not in that band-playing-together-in-the-same-room way. \n\nHorns are methodical. Again, needs more grease. \n\nThe guitar player's tone on Morph The Cat (the title track) sounds just like Carlton's, only the solo is all stuff I've heard before. I miss Walter. Even if his playing wasn't perfect, you could always hear him strive for something he had never heard before, and when he nailed it, it was incredible. \n\nEdit: the solo on Great Pagoda of Funn is amazing.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nMorph the Cat, April 16, 2006\nReviewer: Joemikehap (Washington, DC)\nDonald Fagan is definitely an aquired taste. Either you find his music not your cup of tea, or you love it. I am definitely of the latter mindset. His music is always clever, funky and full of intricate harmonic structures that most popular musicians are afraid of or don't know how to do it in the first place. If you look at the most popular artists over the last several decades, you will find a pattern of writers who like to use a lot of ii-V's and clever turn-arounds. Fagan's music is always loaded with this kind of complexity. Along with this is his penchant for awesome grooves and strange, often "inside baseball" lyrics that force the listener to root around the internet to find out what he is talking about. \n\nMorph the Cat is a bit tamer than some of his previous solo projects. The vibe is very cool and groove-heavy. None of the tunes are in a hurry. He sets up the mood and lets it grow at its own pace. The title track is subdued and the lyrics are very individualized. It took me several listenings before I caught on. Once I drank the koolaid, I found myself listening to it repeatedly. The horn kicks are so hip! Check out "The Night Belongs to Mona" and "Security Joan". These are both very groovy tunes. \n\nFagan knows how to suround himself with great musicians who intuitively know how to create a groove and keep it rock-steady throughout the entire track. Guitar, sax and keyboard solos are consumate examples of great studio players who can step out of the sidelines to offer great material when given the opportunity. \n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nNone too good, April 4, 2006\nReviewer: M. Spiegel (Berkeley, Ca)\nI suspected this new effort from Donald would be weak as were his last two albums "Everything must go" and "Two against nature" (Janie Runaway a very good song from "Nature", the exception) Very rarely does an artist have a resurgence. But out of appreciation for the wonderful magic he worked in the 70's with his pal Walter Becker, I thought I'd contribute to his retirement fund by buying a copy. \nThe positives first, the seque into the guitar solo on "Morph the Cat", is fantastic, I had to hit the rewind for that one over 15 times. The last reprise song has a great intro but then seems to turn into a Christmas song. Oh well. Song #3 "What I do" sounds a little like early Dan, mellow, sweet, hypnotic. It features a cool sounding electric keyboard, very musical. I wish he would use it more. The girl background singers on this cut really shine. The guitar solo on "Great Pagoda of Fun" is interesting and satisfying. \n\nThe rest of the album is a deja vu experience. Security Joan sounds so much like "Cousin Dupree" off "Two against Nature" it's like Donald is plagarizing himself. Listen to both songs and see for yourself. Now listen to "Bright Nightgown" (this album) and "Teahouse on the Tracks" from Kamakiriad and prepare to be disgusted. Donald should sue himself for copy rite infringement. \nMany of the rhythms are repititious. \n\nIf you like creepy goofy kazoo sounding horn instruments, you will be pleased, if not oh....well. \n\nThat Bright Nightgown song should not be allowed. To take a horrible line like "Bright nightgown" and repeat it 47 times to end the song is retarded. Also, Donald words not to use in a song "cat" "chintzy" "nightgown" \n\nIf Donald keeps on writing, he is threatening his own legacy. \n\nMostly, these songs are syrupy, have no personality, and are undistinctive, the opposite of Steely Dan's work from the 70's. "...those days are over, over a long time ago. Oh yeah... \n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nThe tank is empty Donald !, April 2, 2006\nReviewer: Vincent Cardella "VJ the DJ" (Vancouver)\nExcellent............ elevator music. That's it, I've had enough, I can't take it anymore. I once read an excellent review written about a fairly recent Rod Stewart CD, and the reviewer suggested that Rod be tied in a chair and forced to listen to 'Every Picture Tells A Story' over and over again until he realized that once upon a time, he could write and produce excellent music. It's time we did the same thing with Donald. This album is as bland as it gets - and I LOVE Steely Dan and Donald Fagen music - I'm not some recent band-wagon jumper who just discovered them - I've been an avid fan since the early 70's. \n\nThe area that upsets me the most is the drum playing. Where are the Bernard 'Pretty' Purdie-type drums, with changes in tempo and great cymbal work. This album is drum machine after drum machine monotony. I knew I was not going to like this CD when at the very first listen, I could tell which instrument was going to hit which note next. Song after song, the drum machine keeps playing at virtually the same tempo. Jeez, Donald, if you're going to use a drum machine - spin the dial a little to get a different sound! \n\nThe guitar work was just as bad. If you've seen the Aja DVD, where Donald and Walter discuss the choice of different guitar solos for particular songs, you get the sense that they aren't that far from paralysis by analysis. They pick apart every nuance of a solo to get the right 'feeling'. No such luck on Morph - they obviously took the first guitar lick laid down in the studio. Zero originality. \n\nI could go on and on with my frustration over this CD. I can't stand it when an artist wimps out, is afraid to take chances, or refuses to get input from other great musical minds to bring something new and fresh to our ears. Don not only went for the 'middle-of-the-road', he's the crack down the center line. Donald, it's time to go off-roading - forget the Audi T-1 you lost in the divorce (last Steely Dan album) and get behind the wheel of a Hummer and create a new road! \n\nThis CD gets 1 star for the 'wackiness' of the song subjects - I guess the lyric-writing cells are still alive and well, but the music-writing cells are in safe-bet, early retirement mode! \n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nFagen's 3rd Solo Album a Winner, March 27, 2006\nReviewer: Brian Whistler (Forestville, CA United States)\nDonald Fagen may very well be incapable of witing bad music. So, to criticize an artist of his caliber is almost superfluous in this age of disposable music. Nonetheless, because of the high standards he holds for his own output if may be useful to discuss his work as compared to the high watermarks of his career. \n\nFirst of all, let me say that this is no Nightfly, easily the best of his trio of solo works. That being said, there are songs on here that are as musically deep, as richly textured and as lyrically savvy as anything he has ever produced. \n\nI read in a recent interview that Fagen considers these solo efforts to be a trilogy of sorts, the first being a look at his youth, the second an exploration of mid life and this (hopefully not his last!) being a look towards the winter of his life. Death, he claims, is the overriding theme here. While there are certainly allusions to the Grim Reaper this CD hardly seems like the last creative gasp of an artist at the end of his productive years. It is interesting to note that the one song that directly addresses the subject of death (Brite Nightgown,) is delivered in the form of a lively and infectious funky groove that makes you want to get up and boogy! \n\nContrary to Fagen's stated intention, this CD does not seem to be a concept album per se. While there are a few underlying post 9/11 references, it is really a collection of expertly penned tunes which touch on a variety of favorite Fagen themes, sexual adventure (Security Joan,), rock and roll (The H Gang, a light hearted history of an all girl rock band) rocky relationships, (the autobiographical, "Great Pagoda of Fun",) political paranoia (the chilling, "Mary Shut the Garden Door",) and the ubiquitous lost souls that populate Fagen's ultra cool urban landscapes ("The Night Belongs to Mona",another gem.) \n\nThis album, like all Fagen's stuff, grows on the listener with repeated play. The band is top notch, the horn writing meaty and tasteful and Fagen's keyboards are a joy to hear, particularly his gorgeous melodica playing which he has taken to a level of expressiveness I hadn't thought possible. At times it reminds me of Stevie's harmonica-very soulful stuff. There are many more layered vocals here than in the past two Dan releases. It's a lushly produced recording, yet Fagen's highly accurate ear keeps everything in line and miraculously, manages to allow the arrangements to breathe in the midst of some serious density. \n\nNo, it's not all top of the line Fagen, but there is so much to like on here that I won't belabor the negatives. I will say that I agree with a prevous reviewer who felt that "Morph the Cat" is not the strongest tune of the lot, and seems like an odd choice to be the title track and the album opener to boot. This odd little piece about a "Totoro" like cat who showers Manhattan with good vibes seems too sunny for the rest of the album, and tends to be pretty static. It's my least favorite tune at the moment. \n\nMy advice to the first time listener is to hang in there; it gets better and better the further in you go. Inside, gems Like "Great Pagoda of Fun and "The Night Belongs to Mona " await, songs as good as anything this dependably excellent artist has ever written. Overall, Morph the Cat is that rareest of things in pop music, ear candy with real nutritional value.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nCat's a Tonic, March 15, 2006\nReviewer: steak boy "dmbois" (san francisco, ca)\nAccording to Morphy's Law, anything that can go right, will. \n\nWith Morph the Cat, Donald Fagen continues with the momentum of Steely Dan`s recent reactivation, this time, with another outstanding solo release--his third, and first since 1993's Kamakiriad. \n\nWill anyone who's not already familiar with the work of Fagen--by himself, and with Walter Becker, of Steely Dan's significant contribution to recorded music--use this album as an introduction to his work? I suspect not. But I still hope so: this member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is there rightfully, and Morph the Cat offers corroborating evidence for the justice of his selection. \n\nSurprises? Few. Some--here, and elsewhere--have bemoaned a manner of predictability observed in this recording. I'd offer--as a decades-long and dedicated fan of Donald and Walter, apart and separately--that predictability is a right fine thing. Now in his late 50s, Donald Fagen has his manner of craft dialed in. \n\nWhat to expect? (for those who don't already know?) Songcraft that reveals a deep fondness for the pop songform; an unusual gift for melody; textured horn and backing vocal arrangements; and a lyrical wit dryer than hot laundry lint. \n\nPersonal highpoints include: \n\nThe absolutely lovely and heartfelt tip of the hat the recently-passed Ray Charles: a blues verse that breaks free of the 12-bar format for the chorus, Fagen seems to give some due thanks as he works his way through a continued need to self-efface; \n\nA tip of hat to same absolutely chilling and gorgeous harmonica by Howard Levy--it presents surprising and elegant flourishes; \n\nAmerican culture has not comfortably made a place for death. Fagen, though, dresses him in white in Brite Nitegown, offers three vignettes of passing on, and sets it to a manner of funky bump shuffle that few besides Fagen are capable of. Healthy. Fun. Genius. \n\nWithout naming any specific presidents that any of us may or may not have voted for, In Mary Shut the Garden Door, Fagen paints an image of individual choices and behaviors in response to the political and social climate we now find ourselves in. To me, this is a terribly sad, powerful piece. \n\nFortunately, the album wraps with a reprise of the title track to shift the mood from what would have other wise been a somber emotional conclusion. While this native New Englander and lifelong Red Sox fan will have a very hard time singing along to Lyrics that include "Blessed Yankees," I'm grateful for this reprise. For the melody. For the return to the top. \n\nI am among those who see every Dan and solo project release as a gift, knowing faithfully that it will not stray from principles of songwriting and production excellence that the track record has established. I'll refrain from making comparisons from Morph the Cat to other works (solo or as Steely Dan). Fellow dedicated fans will find their own moments of recollection, similarity, and connection. I can say, without naming titles, that I absolutely detect harmonic, rhythmic, and thematic ties that bind this work within an evolutionary path that includes Donald Fagen's work as a solo artist and as a member of Steely Dan. Morph the Cat sits very comfortably alongside and among a well-established body of work.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nNot that any of us really know..., March 15, 2006\nReviewer: Raymond B. Wilson (Liverpool, NY)\nIt's really too early to review a Fagen work; if you could catch it all right away it wouldn't be Donald Fagen. Still, I can't read the comments of others and resist throwing in my two cents. First, my guess is that if you're a Steely Dan fan, then they may well be your favorite band, and no one else comes close. No other rock band sounds like them, no other rock band could. That said, we're now in a phase of Walter and Donald's careers where creativity comes with a formula. You know what your new Dan / Fagen album is going to sound like. It's nice to imagine an album that sounds as breath-takingly original as Katy Lied or Aja, but that's asking a lot for guys in their 60's. These guys still make music that sounds like no one else, but surer than hell it sounds like THEM. \n\nSo I've gotta disagree with those people who are suggesting there's something new and different here. Donald's stretching a little bit with his arrangements, but just a bit. The vocals -- of course they're the best, and if you heard anyone else do this stuff, we'd have a new musical genius to talk about. It's Fagen, though, and he's doing the same incredible stuff he always has. I'm not sure there are any ways to twist a phrase that we haven't heard from him already. \n\nAnyway, I ain't complaining. If it's a formula, it's the best one out there, and I'm going to keep buying. And I sure disagree with the guy who indicates there is some slippage in quality here. That's almost impossible. The guy (Fagen) is a freakin' perfectionist, and his talent is intact. How anyone can claim to be a huge Fagen fan, but dismiss the value of a song like "The Great Pagoda of Funn" -- I'm mainly talking about the vocals here -- is beyond me. If you like Donald, those first few lines have to make you smile. \n\nOne other thing -- I'm seeing people here reference lines that I'm not sure actually exist in the songs. Instead, they're those little summaries that appear above the lyrics in the insert. I haven't studied these yet, but on first glance, it's not clear that these overviews always align real closely to the songs themselves. Which, as a diehard SD fan for over 30 years, I find extremely cool. One of the reasons most of us have gotten into the band is those cryptic lyrics. So it would be disappointing if Donald was spelling out exactly what was happening in each of the songs. It's cool though, where the words and summary don't match up, to think that we have a.) what Fagen was thinking about, and b.) what actually showed up in the song. That makes this kind of a Dan graduate course. \n\nIf we can trust Donald. He's a sneaky bastard.\n\nHalf.com Details \nContributing artists: Cindy Mizelle \nProducer: Donald Fagen \n\nAlbum Notes\nPersonnel include: Donald Fagen (vocals, Fender Rhodes piano); Wayne Krantz (guitar); Marvin Stamm (trumpet); Freddie Washington (bass guitar); Keith Carlock (drums); Bashiri Johnson (percussion); Cindy Mizelle (background vocals).\n\nRecording information: Avatar Studios, New York, New York.\n\nDonald Fagen may be one of the most subversive artists in the pop/rock world. Unlike, say, Prince or Sinead O'Connor, who've worn their subversion on their sleeves, Steely Dan main man Fagen has wormed his way into the American consciousness (and pop charts) with a deceptively harmless sound. Like the Dan catalog and Fagen's previous solo albums, MORPH THE CAT seems on the surface like ear candy that goes down easy. Lurking just below the skin of Fagen's trademark bouncy grooves and pristine, lite-jazz production, however, is a seamy, disconsolate underworld that bespeaks both a lifelong cynicism and a deliciously morbid sense of humor.\n\nThough MORPH isn't Fagen's first post-9/11outing (that would be Steely Dan's EVERYTHING MUST GO), it deals more explicitly with that world. For all the foreboding expressed in "Mary Shut the Garden Door," though, it takes a narrator as willfully perverse as Fagen to find himself turned on by the airport security officer giving him the once-over in "Security Joan." MORPH THE CAT is prime Fagen, existing in that singular Twilight Zone where Bob James plays the Leonard Cohen songbook and makes you love it.\n\nIndustry Reviews\nMORPH THE CAT fans out in all sorts of magical directions, delivering multilayered musings on everything from a skyward feline determined to brighten New York's trampled soul to a bedraggled but bemused traveler eager to hand his heart to a wand-wielding airport-security officer.\n\n5 stars out of 5 -- [T]he juxtapositions play out while he reflects on mortality....In 2006, as in 1976, pop music doesn't get any headier than this. YEAR: 2006
This rock cd contains 9 tracks and runs 52min 55sec.
Freedb: 690c6509
Buy: from Amazon.com

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