Morph the Cat

Morph the Cat
Studio album by Donald Fagen
Released	March 7, 2006
Recorded	2004-05
Genre	Jazz-Rock
Label	Reprise
Producer	Donald Fagen
Donald Fagen chronology
Kamakiriad (1993) Morph the Cat (2006)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Jazz Police	(?)[2]
Okayplayer	[3]
Rolling Stone	[4]
Stylus	(C+)[5]

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 patented storytelling and groove-oriented, backing vocal-laden style.^{[citation needed]} "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. ^[6]

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.^{[citation needed]}

Track listing

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
10. "Rhymes" (Bonus track, from downloaded album and The Nightfly Trilogy MVI Boxed Set) – 4:22
11. "Hank's Pad" (Live) (Bonus Track, from The Nightfly Trilogy MVI Boxed Set) - 4:48
12. "Viva Viva Rock 'N' Roll" (Live) (Bonus Track, from The Nightfly Trilogy MVI Boxed Set) - 2:42

Production

• Producer: Donald Fagen
• Tracking Engineer: Elliott Scheiner
• Overdub/ProTools Engineers: Brian Montgomery, T.J. Doherty
• Mix Engineer: Elliott Scheiner
• Second Mix Engineer: Brian Montgomery
• Assistant Engineers: Eddie Jackson, Jim Keller, Chad Lupo, Steve Mazur, Brian Montgomery, Matt Scheiner, Bryan Smith, Allan "A.T." Thomas
• Piano Technicians: Sam Berd, Wayne Williams
• Drum/Guitar Tech: Artie Smith
• Music Copyist: Gary Blu
• Mastering Engineer: Darcy Proper
• Additional Mastering: Joseph M. Palmaccio
• Mastering Assistant: Maria Triana
• Management: Irving Azoff
• Production Coordinators: Jill Dell'Abate, Cindy Osborne
• Production Assistant: Mary Lou Arnold
• Art Direction: Jeri Heiden
• Design: Ryan Corey
• Photography: Danny Clinch

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. ^ Allmusic review
2. ^ Jazz Police review
3. ^ Okayplayer review
4. ^ Rolling Stone review
5. ^ Stylus review
6. ^ GRAMMY.com — 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards Winners List

External links

• Complete lyrics
• New York Times — Album Preview
• Donald Fagen interview in Sound on Sound - Article by Paul Tingen about the making of Morph The Cat