Donald Fagen New Album "Morph The Cat"

Steely Dan principal Donald Fagen finds love in an airport security line, mulls the ramifications of a ghostly feline, chats up the late Ray Charles and ruminates on aging and death on "Morph the Cat," his first solo album in 13 years. The nine-track set is due early next year via Reprise.

Fagen is backed on the set by such familiar Steely Dan sidemen as drummer Keith Carlock, guitarists Wayne Krantz, Jon Herington and Hugh McCracken, clarinetist Lawrence Feldman, pianist Ted Baker and saxophonist Walt Weiskopf, among others.

As usual, the album is highlighted by the unique blend of Fagen's imaginative storytelling and the groove-oriented, backing vocal-laden pop for which Steely Dan is renowned.

He woos an airport security screener on "Security Joan" ("Girl you won't find my name on your list / Honey you know I ain't no terrorist"), talks shop with Charles on "What I Do" ("He says, 'Don don't despair -- just take some time / You find your bad self -- you're gonna do just fine'") and imagines a "thuggish cult" taking over the U.S. government on "Mary Shut the Garden Door" ("So if you ever see an automaton in a midprice luxury car / Better roll the sidewalks up, switch on your lucky star").

"Morph the Cat" is the follow-up to 1993's "Kamakiriad," which debuted at No. 10 on The Billboard 200. Plans are in the works to release a boxed set featuring that set, "Morph the Cat" and Fagen's 1981 solo debut, "The Nightfly."

Here is the track list for "Morph the Cat":

"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)

This album is due early february 2006

Comments

[PolishBear]

ANYTHING new by Donald Fagen or Steely Dan is worth celebrating. "Two Against Nature" and "Everything Must Go" were fantastic albums ... Maybe not up there with "Gaucho" or "Aja," but easily head and shoulders above the rest of the dreck that saturates pop radio these days.

[Robert M. Ducanes]

I can't wait for this album. Way to go Donald, way to go Steely Dan!!!

[gary golleher]

If Donald Fagen has trouble finding a drummer for a hopefully steely dan tour this summer,he can call my friend Ricky Lawson.Who toured with them before.If he is not busy.

[Vaughn]

Anyone know what's on the special edition DVD?

[Phil]

Anyone interested in a veritable 'once in a lifetime event' should catch Donald during his tour this month, if humanly possible. The Boston gig last Saturday night was fantastic, even though he was still dealing with the cold that forced the postponement from the previous Thursday. He promised to "rise above it", and bigod he did! Most of The Nightfly was performed, only one tune from Kamakiriad, several from Morph (Bright White Gown stands out), and a slew of SD. A unique opportunity to anyone who knows how special an artist Donald Fagen is.

[Dr. Debra Reeves-Gutierrez]

I am a life-long fan of Donald Fagen (literally) but at this point am a bit perplexed. His latest creation is a masterpiece of previously unexplored territories and gorgeous and bright new vistas that we have not yet been priveledged to hear. I had no doubt as I motored toward Oakland and the Paramount Theatre that my experience in his concert would be nothing less than amazing - and that further -I would be immersed in "Morph the Cat". I am still in shock to have to relate that not only was the sound engineer explicitly in absence that night (drums drowned out everything else, horns incomplete, worst of all - could not hear Donald's blessed voice as the girls sang all over the top of him) - but to my great sorrow, Donald only played ONE, just ONE tune from the new CD!!! What the hell happened?? Instead he meandered around other musician's works when what I wanted, what I NEEDED was "What I do", and "The Great Pagoda of Funn" and the like. Donald - I love you no less but MAN - why you got to be so selfish with your beautiful music??
Dr. Deb