Morph the Cat

Morph the Cat
Studio album by Donald Fagen
Released March 7, 2006
Recorded 2004-05
Genre Jazz-Rock, Jazz-Funk
Length 52:49
Label Reprise
Producer Donald Fagen
Donald Fagen chronology
Kamakiriad
(1993)		 Morph the Cat
(2006)		 Sunken Condos
(2012)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic83/100 [1]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]
BBC Music(positive)[3]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[4]
The Guardian[5]
Jazz Police(?)[6]
Mojo[7]
MusicOMH.com[8]
Okayplayer[9]
PopMatters[10]
Q[11]
Rolling Stone[12]
Slate(positive)[13]
StylusC+[14]
Uncut[15]

Morph the Cat is a Grammy Award-winning 2006 album by Donald Fagen, his first solo release since 1993. The nine-track album was released in the US on March 14, 2006.

Additional musicians performing on the album include drummer Keith Carlock, guitarists Wayne Krantz, Kenny Wessel, Jon Herington, Hugh McCracken, Ken Emerson, clarinetist Lawrence Feldman, pianist Ted Baker and saxophonist Walt Weiskopf, among others.

The album, a mental rumination of death and old age, blends Fagen's signature storytelling and groove-oriented, backing vocal-laden style. "H Gang" is the lead single. It is available in digital format. The album was released as an audio CD, a vinyl record and a Special Edition CD/DVD. The DVD features versions of the album in Dolby Digital/DTS 5.1 playable on DVD-Video players and high-resolution stereo and surround tracks for DVD-Audio players. The 5.1 mix won the 2007 Grammy Award for Best Surround Sound Album.[16]

Fagen embarked on a 20-date studio tour (with the Donald Fagen Band) on March 1, 2006; nearly two weeks before the release of the album itself. Fagen performed songs from his latest album, his earlier solo work, as well as classic Steely Dan favorites. The tour was his first solo tour "since high school." The dates left out many areas along the USA's eastern seaboard and its south/southeast regions, leading some fans to correctly surmise that Fagen would join partner Walter Becker on a summer Steely Dan tour.

Track listing

All songs written by Donald Fagen.

  1. "Morph the Cat" – 6:49
  2. "H Gang" – 5:15
  3. "What I Do" – 6:01
  4. "Brite Nitegown" – 7:16
  5. "The Great Pagoda of Funn" – 7:39
  6. "Security Joan" – 6:09
  7. "The Night Belongs to Mona" – 4:18
  8. "Mary Shut the Garden Door" – 6:29
  9. "Morph the Cat (Reprise)" – 2:53

Bonus tracks, from The Nightfly Trilogy MVI Boxed Set

  1. "Rhymes" – 4:22
  2. "Hank's Pad" (Live) - 4:48
  3. "Viva Viva Rock 'N' Roll" (Live) - 2:42

Track Credits

Morph The Cat

H Gang

What I Do

Brite Nitegown

The Great Pagoda Of Funn

Security Joan

The Night Belongs To Mona

Mary Shut The Garden Door

Morph The Cat (Reprise)

-*Harlan Post Jr., Phonus Quaver and Illinois Elohainu are pseudonyms for Fagen himself when he plays an instrument sample patch on a synthesizer trying to replicate the actual instrument.

Production

Charts

Album

Year Chart Position
2006 European Top 100 Albums
2006 The Billboard 200 26
2006 Top Internet Albums 26
2006 UK Top 40 35

References

  1. ↑ Morph the Cat at Metacritic Retrieved 2012-11-02.
  2. ↑ Allmusic review
  3. ↑ BBC Music review Chris Jones, 2006-03-13
  4. ↑ Entertainment Weekly review
  5. ↑ The Guardian review
  6. ↑ Jazz Police review
  7. ↑ Mojo, April 2006, p.104
  8. ↑ MusicOMH.com review
  9. ↑ Okayplayer review
  10. ↑ PopMatters review
  11. ↑ Q, April 2006, p.113
  12. ↑ Rolling Stone review
  13. ↑ Slate review
  14. ↑ Stylus review
  15. ↑ Uncut, April 2006, p.104
  16. ↑ GRAMMY.com — 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards Winners List

External links

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