Customer Reviews

Morph the Cat

5 star:		(100)
4 star:		(41)
3 star:		(23)
2 star:		(18)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Fagen's previous solo albums were "concept" albums: each had a definite theme that followed through each of the tracks. MORPH is also something of a concept album, although in a looser way. The title track sets the stage for what could have easily been called "New York City Stories," with various character dealing with their dreams and fears of post-9/11 America.

Musically, the album actually sounds more like Steely Dan than Donald Fagen...although this certainly isn't a bad thing. Fagen's trademark keyboards and bass abound throughout, but one immediately notices the prominent role of electric guitars on the disc. There's "real" brass (vs. electronically reproduced instruments) on several tracks, giving songs like "Brite Nightgown" and "The Night Belongs to Mona" extra punch. And my favorite new touch has to be the use of an organ and real piano on a few tracks. The music is uniformly tight, occasionally surprising (as in the trippy marimba flourish leading into the 3rd verse of "Brite Nightgown"), and NEVER dull.

As a longtime fan, my ongoing gripe is the brief amount of material covered here. Although MORPH has one more track than each of the previous Fagen albums, it still feels too short. And I love a good jazzy instrumental break, but a few of the tunes go on a little too long. In the final analysis: It's not as good as THE NIGHTFLY (nothing...ever...will be), but it's a slight improvement over KAMIKIRIAD.

Finally, a plea to Mr. Fagen himself...please don't make us wait another 13 years for more!

Maybe I can shed a little bit of light on the situation regarding the "5.1 surround sound" of this DVD edition. Despite the fact that on the cover of the DVD it says "5.1 surround sound" and inside the case it says "this disc plays on all DVD players," these statements can be a bit misleading for those not familiar with DVD-Audio (DVD-A) systems.

A DVD-A system is an enhanced DVD player that has 6 separate channels of sound output going into a receiver (that has six channel capability), each output channel typically has its own cable from the DVD-A player into the receiver. The receiver then outputs the signal, usually identified as a "six channel output," to the speaker system.

Your standard DVD player (a DVD-V) does not have this capability. Even if you are able to output your DVD movies to a 5.1 system using some sort of optic connection, this is not the same as DVD-A system which needs those 6 separate channels. Yes, a DVD-V system will play the disc, but you will not hear the benefit of the 5.1 surround sound - in fact I think the sound heard on a DVD-V system with this album is inferior to that heard using the CD version on a standard CD player.

And as one of the other reviewers stated, there is really not a lot of video images associated with this disc (no MTV-type clips, no lyrics, no listing of musicians, etc.) So if you do not have a DVD-A system you are wasting your money buying this DVD, stick to the CD only.

HOWEVER, if you do have DVD-A, the sound is fabulous! Steely Dan was the reason I installed a DVD-A system initially and they never let me down.

Morph The Cat is Donald Fagen's first solo release in thirteen years. The album, must like most everything he's done with Steely Dan and his previous two solo releases, is an impeccably produced mix of jazz, rock & soul. The album is built around the fears of the post 9/11 world. Much of Mr. Fagen's lyrics are cynical in nature and while his bite is still intact, there is a more personable feel. "Security Joan" is a funny look at the sexuality of a frisking by an airport security guard. "What I Do" revolves around talking to Ray Charles. Darker tones creep into "The Night Belongs To Mona" which tells the tale of a woman afraid to leave her apartment after 9/11 while "Mary Shut The Door" is the most overtly political song that contains thinly veiled lines about the Bush administration like referring to a thuggish cult gaining control of the government. Mr. Fagen perfectly balances these darker feelings with his sardonic humor. While he is a noted studio perfectionist, the sound of the album never feels over manipulated. There is a fluidity and natural feel that allows the songs to breath.

Donald 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.

First 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.

I 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!

Contrary 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.)

This 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.

No, 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.

My 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.

So it took Donald over a decade to collect enough songs that he considered worthy of a solo album. My question then, is: Where did the good songs go? As someone who has been listening to Steely Dan since I bought "Can't Buy A Thrill" with my pre-teen allowance money, I have just about everything recorded by Becker and Fagen in the many decades they've been making music. But "Morph The Cat?" Where are the hooks? Where are the memorable lines? And what happened to the variety?

"Morph The Cat" lacks those qualities. Frankly, only the title song is remotely memorable, and one of the main hooks is the unfortunate line "Christmas without the chintzy stuff." Even more unfortunate is that, for a change, the irony of using the word "chintzy" is unintentional. For Donald Fagen, that could be a first. Songs on this CD are often reflections of better songs (like "Security Joan" to "Cousin Dupree") that wouldn't hold a candle to any given song on "Pretzel Logic" or "The Nightfly." Only "What I Do," a conversation between Fagen and the ghost of Ray Charles, rates comparison to Fagen's finest.

That is a real drag. Even the lamest Steely Dan records courted enough variety to not get boring. "Morph the Cat" refuses to morph into much of anything except aural wallpaper. I bought this CD back in the spring and have returned to it only a few times since, hoping that something would grab me that I'd previously missed. No such luck. "Morph The Cat" falls flat...and not on its feet.

Mixing the characteristic sound he established with Steely Dan and his two previous solo albums Fagan's "Morph the Cat" doesn't plow any new ground but then it's not suppose to--Fagan's literate lyrics, wry observations and sarcasm are in place providing a cool alternate to the funk-jazz sound that has dominated the last couple of Dan albums and his solo work.

While some of the tracks go on a bit too long ("The Great Pagoda of Funn" and "Security Joan" for example)all of them create their own delicious groove that you either want to give into or at the very least tap your feet along to. As with previous Fagan solo albums I want to give them a listen. Fagan may not be making the same type of music he made on "The Royal Scam" but then he's not the same person he was nearly 30 years ago. This reflects where Fagan is now emotionally and as a musician.

Even "The Great Pagoda of Funn" with its witty lyrics and the sensuous sax trumpet solo and light jazz piano chords has its pleasures. I missed Fagan on his solo stop in the San Francisco Bay Area but hope to catch him during the Steely Dan tour. Hopefully he'll play the best tracks from this strong album.

I'd love to see "The Nightfly" reissued with the pair of solo singles that Fagan recorded for a couple of movies and with remastered sound. "The Nightfly" still stands as my favorite Fagan solo album with its concept of growing up in the paranoid world of the 50's and worshipping jazz, be-bop and early rock music. Hopefully Warner will get around to it and reissue it as a Dual Disc (one that hopefully plays on computers as well as CD players).

First off, I'm giving this album 5 stars because quite simply, Donald Fagen is the man and nothing out there can compete in this specific musical genre. What genre is it specifically? Well, sort of a vocal jazz lounge easy listening soft rock hybrid. Basically it defies categorization. When Fagen or Steely Dan release an album it's an event on par with the release of a new Star Wars movie. And they don't make those any more, so you better embrace it when it comes around like the return of Haley's comet. Or a new McCartney album for that matter.

But regardless of the irregularity of the release pattern, Fagen's music is lush. Easy on the ears, it's like a musical massage to the temples and this album is no different. It has the trademark Fagen/Dan sound and that's a good thing, because people rarely make music this sophisticated and purely enjoyable. The first time I heard this album all the way through I was driving in my convertible on Mulholland Drive here in L.A. and let me tell you, THAT was an experience. Couldn't have been better unless I saw the man live while sipping a glass of red. And I missed my chance to see him live recently when he performed at the Wiltern. Oh well, I know I'll get my chance eventually...

Anyway, back to this album: Morph the Cat. It's blazing 5 stars. Actually I'd give it 6 if there was the option. And if you can listen to it while in a convertible, do it!

As Donald himself sings, "Especially qualified, keep'em satisifed, it's what I do."

I am a huge music fan (particularly gospel and jazz) and am unimpressed with most of the mainstream music that rules the charts these days (and I'm a young person), but Donald Fagen (and Steely Dan) have NEVER disappointed me, and "Morph the Cat" is no exception. Donald has once again proven that he is still the musical genius he always was.

I would personally beg him not to wait another 13 years before putting out another project. I was elated to read somewhere that another Steely Dan album is on the horizon. I say keep 'em coming!! Fagen is definitely one of the coolest guys ever to hit the music world!! "Morph the Cat is awesome from the first track to the last!

If you do not have DVD audio player with 5 channels speakers,
just buy CD. But If you have this system, just buy this CD with
DVD audio disk: Fagen's vocal in center, backing vocals and horns are in surrounding speakers. So much better than CD.
Only recommend if you have DVD audio with multi channels set up.

as i get older, i wonder what is wrong with most people. i realize that tastes vary but i have only listened to half this album so far and i am amazed at how great the arrangements are and how lush the melodies and beautiful the lyrics. just listening to an album in these terrible days of pop music where great musicians get to stretch out in solos and backed by beautiful arrangements is a rare treat. so far, i would rate this even up to the Nightfly. While one might argue that the base melodies might be better on that release, the playing here is far more sophisticated and polished. I'm sure someone is making good jazz rock somewhere but as a middle aged guy i don't know where to look so i rely on donald and walter to impress me every few years. I hope it continues for a long, long time. I happen to think that the melody on h gang and morph the cat are excellent. as for there being nothing new here, i suppose that is true but only one artist in a 1000 can be so brilliant that one album is completely of a different style than a previous one. well, i've now listened and studied the whole album and believe it's donald's best. mona is perhaps the best song on the album, just a great melody . enjoy it all.