 | | |
| | Morph the Cat | | | Music Artist : | | Donald Fagen | | Music Style : | | General | | Record Label : | | Reprise / Wea | | Release Date : | | 2006-03-14 | | Store Price : | | $18.98 | | Artistopia's Price: $14.99 | | Usually ships in 24 hours | | |
|
|
|
|
|
CD Tracks/Songs
Disc 11. Morph the Cat
2. H Gang
3. What I Do
4. Brite Nitegown
5. The Great Pagoda of Funn
6. Security Joan
7. The Night Belongs To Mona
8. Mary Shut the Garden Door
9. Morph the Cat (Reprise)
| |
Other Artist Albums
|
|
|
|
Customer Reviews of This Album/CD |
|
 Craft
Submitted on: 2009-08-21 |
|
Rock n roll is a very pure art form, in the sense that in its ideal form it doesn't often take a lot of training to get to the point where an artist is able to express him/herself. This of course is a double-edged sword. For bands like The Ramones or Nirvana, for example, the untrained thing worked brilliantly. But for too many young bands, I am increasingly finding that a punk aesthetic is used to mask an inability to write songs or play instruments. Perhaps that's why I tend to be the anomalous early-thirty-something who spends quite a lot of listening time on music like that found on the "Morph The Cat" disc.
Call this what you will - it tends to get labeled "adult contemporary" or some such - Donald Fagen's work is really a smartly sleek extension of Steely Dan's sophisticated jazz-pop. Meticulously sculpted with witty, clever lyrics that often tell a story, the music sounds modern and oddly retro at the same time. The musicianship is of course refreshingly excellent, and repeat listens reveal new aspects of these carefully layered compositions. It's something you can really sink your teeth into, so to speak, and will reward repeated lsitens.
I can't wait to hear a new band that plays music like this. Until then, at least the old guard is still reliably cranking out collections that give music fans something worth their time. |
|
|
|
classic
Submitted on: 2009-07-25 |
|
There is no sense arguing whether Morph The Cat is a good album. Either you like Donald Fagen's high end jazz pop or you don't. The music is well written and immacualtely played: that is a given. More interesting is if Morph The Cat works as a concept album about post 9/11 New York. This is debatable.
Obviously, the title track, "Mary Shut The Garden Door," and a lot of the other pieces here contain obvious referances. But then there is "H gang," and "What I Do." On the surface, these, and others, have no connection to New York life after the towers fell.
Or do they? "Jade Pagoda Of Fun," seems like an almost-trite love song until you consider the idea that the lovers are looking for a hiding place, safe from the storm clouds outside. "Mona," dances inside all night. Where was she dancing on 9/10/01? Fagan gets love advice from Ray Charles--is he going back into his teenage mind, trying to escape the modern threats of New York City? Who knows?
You're walking a fine line when you use the term concept album for Morph The Cat. It is obviously not in the 60s/70s sense that Tommy or Preservation Acts 1&2 are. There is no linier story. But themes emerge: facing death, goverment control, and escaping into one's own apartment, pagoda, or fantasy. The towers are no longer standing, but a big, benevolent feline has taken their place.
There is not a huge sense of menice outlined by Fagan here. In many ways, those September morning attacks feel like a long, long time ago, and the panic has long left the Big Apple. We have adjusted, maybe even gotten too complacant. Fagen does not use a storyline to deal with this, but uses small details, seperate vingettes, to speak about how 9/11 still impacts us subtlely, with almost invisable changes we may not even be consious of.
His intention or not, the album completely works on this level. Of course, the music is exceptional as always.
An album to buy, as pleasing to the ears as stimulating to the mind. |
|
|
|
 Almost but not quite
Submitted on: 2009-06-24 |
|
| Having been into Steely Dan since 1976, I really want to like everything these guys do. Well, I still like most of what they do, but this is my second-least favourite of all the Dan albums and the 3 Fagen albums. Nightfly, I will always love. Kamakiriad, I like one or two tracks. Morph has taken me a couple of years to get into. Now I REALLY like H Gang (in fact I think it is a great tune) and What I Do. I am trying to like some of the others but it ain't happening. Sigh. Whatever Donald I will still love your music forever. |
|
|
|
Not as good as Kamakiriad or The Nightfly
Submitted on: 2009-03-24 |
|
In my opinion, Morph the Cat isn't quite on par with Donald Fagen's previous work. Sure, the songs deal with serious, mature topics, but musically, most of them I didn't find especially catchy or memorable. For the Fagen completist only.
~~LJB |
|
|
|
Donald Fagen's 3rd album
Submitted on: 2009-03-05 |
|
| Once again Donald does not fail to please,excellent songwriting and musicianship,a must for all Steely Dan fans. |
|
|
|
