Morph The Cat, the eagerly-anticipated new solo album from Steely Dan co-founder Donald Fagen, has been set for a UK release of Monday 6th March via Reprise Records (North American release is Tuesday 7th March).

Featuring nine new songs written and arranged by Fagen, Morph The Cat is the multi-Grammy winning artist's first solo album since 1993's Kamakiriad and the final installment in a musical trilogy that originally began with the release of The Nightfly in 1982.


Written and arranged by Fagen with engineering assistance courtesy of Elliot Scheiner (a regular Steely Dan collaborator who has also worked with bands as varied at The Eagles and Foo Fighters). “The Nightfly is sort of looking from the standpoint of youth,” Fagen explains. “Kamakiriad would be more about midlife. This new one is about endings, really.”

Morph The Cat selections include the title track and the debut single “H Gang.” Also featured are “What I Do,” “Brite Nightgown,” “The Great Pagoda Of Funn,” “Security Joan,” “The Night Belongs To Mona,” “Mary Shut The Garden Door” and a reprise of “Morph The Cat.” The album will be made available as both a CD and a CD/DVD in high-resolution audio and 5.1 Surround Sound.


Blending jazz, soul and a plethora of other musical influences with extended grooves and ever changing musical textures, Morph The Cat has already been compared to the Steely Dan classic Aja.


“I like it when songs develop in some way and four minutes usually isn't enough time for something to develop musically”, says Fagen. “I'm still plugged into the Duke Ellington model, something akin to classical music, where you start with something, you develop a little bit and stick with it. And when you get a groove going, time flies.”


Built around extended, richly textured jazz, soul and rock grooves, the themes of Morph The Cat range from impending mortality and assorted apocalyptic scenarios to homeland security and the ghost of Ray Charles. “I don't think you can escape the environment we live in now,” Fagen remarks on his songwriting strategy. “If Steely Dan has survived--and I have survived as a solo artist--it's partly because we've reflected what's going on around us.”


Fagen's renowned lyrical darkness once more comes to the fore throughout Morph The Cat. The hint of alien attack in “Mary Shut The Gate” was written after the Republican convention hit Manhattan. “I'd much rather be fighting aliens, although there are some similarities”, he says.


Morph The Cat was recorded in New York City and Kauai, Hawaii. The album features an extraordinary line-up of backing musicians, many of who have previously worked with Fagen and his Steely Dan partner Walter Becker on stage and in the studio. Included are drummer Keith Carlock, bassist Freddie Washington and guitarists Hugh McCracken, Jon Herington and Wayne Krantz. Fagen performs lead and backing vocals and plays keyboards.


Steely Dan's most recent studio album Everything Must Go was released in 2003 on Reprise Records.

http://www.allaboutjazz.c...hp?id=8639



tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

hm..!

should be interesting..

Kamakiriad was a VERY slick album :thumbsup:that's the only album i could probably play from beginning to end.

"Snowbound.let's sleep in today....
wake me up when the wolves come out to play.


oh yeah.i remember that one.

Two against nature how was that album? i only heard one song from it. is it any good?

I've ALWAYS preferred Kamakiriad to Nightfly..
& I definitely love Snowbound
as well as On The Dunes..


to answer your question Mercedes :
Two Against Nature is quite good, especially since in was their 1st studio album in 20 years. I don't know which track you heard, but I love all the tracks on the album execpt 'almost gothic' & 'cousin dupree' - those 2 are could have been left off the album, in my opinion.
the title track.. I'm still "getting used to"..

the BEST 3 songs are
JANIE RUNAWAY
Gaslighting Abby
What A Shame About Me

KOOL!!!! I figured something was happening, especially with the tour-dates already set...Thanks, tA!!


...

Got the announcement in the mail. I have not one of his solo-albums, and I will dive into this the coming period.
Gives him enough time to get the Donald Fagen Band '06 to Europe - wishful thinking at this point.

Funny how Steely Dan's touring entourage is an orchestra (as denounced by Fagen onstage on various tours),
while his solo-project gets a band treatment. Four-piece? Five-piece?
Anyone attending?

Excellent!

It'll give me an excuse to pick his other two up as well.

Holy crap, fantastic News!! releasing just on killer album every decade or so, oh well.. anyway, I can't wait!

already it's pretty save to say this will be my album of the year in 2006


.
[Edited 1/26/06 3:38am]

Mercedes73 said:

for me not the only, but one of a selected few... oh, and I'd put Nightfly in the same category

I saw this mentioned the other day - I can't wait to get it.

'Kmakiriad' is SUPERB.

mltijchr said:

thanks for answering...the song has the lyrics where he says someting like ."he'll be calling out your name but don't stop".....it was played on the radio and i liked what i heard.

Everytime Fagen releases a album it has purpose and meaning lyrics and music wise.
So.... it's good to see he's coming with the ending trilogy.


Here are the tour dates:


http://www.donaldfagen.com

Mercedes73 said:

AHHH.. so the song you heard was Jack Of Speed,
which is a nice tune - it reminds me of Black Cow..


I just saw the TOUR DATES!

DAMN, because I'm probably going to be
OUTSIDE
of the US when he starts the tour on the East Coast in March..
otherwise
I would be there for AT LEAST his show at the Warner in DC..

DAMN.
I really need to win the lottery..

Trickology said:

Damn, I didn't know he was touring. Fuck, the seats in Chicago are real crappy.

Stymie said:

girl..
I would get seats
ON THE ROOF
or
OUT IN THE PARKING LOT..
as long as I could hear Donald (or BETTER, Donald & Walter).


because they don't record or tour that often
EVERY CHANCE
you get to see them, you should go & see them.

anyway - I DO.

mltijchr said:

You are right. I missed Steely when they came here three years ago.

It's impossible for me to imagine him making a bad record.
Even though The Nightfly and Kamakiriad set such high standards.

If I wasn't treating myself to a b'day trip to NYC in March, i'd have bought tickets to the show here at The Wiltern.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

Got the e-mail too, Steely Dan is one of my favorite bands since I was a kid and I love Donald's solo efforts too. Great news about that new album, March is going to be a great month!