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Music Music Vinyl Record Vinyl Record 180 Gram Vinyl Record

Donald Fagen - Morph the Cat


 Donald Fagen - Morph the Cat Donald Fagen - Morph the Cat

Label:

Reprise
Genre:

Pop/Rock
Product No.: AREP 49975
Availability: noshow
Category:

180 Gram Vinyl Record
No. of Discs: 2

180 Gram LP      

Sorry, this Product is no longer available.

  

"This is the best-sounding Steely Dan or Donald Fagen album that I've heard. Prepare to be blown away. Better yet, put a diaper on." – Chad Kassem, Acoustic Sounds CEO
This is a CAN'T MISS, SERIOUSLY AWESOME RECORD. We're predicting that it'll be among our best sellers of 2006. The music is GREAT. The sound is UNBELIEVABLE. Mastering is by Steve Hoffman and Kevin Gray at AcousTech. The pressing was done at RTI on virgin 180-gram vinyl. Very simply, Morph the Cat has all the makings of AN AUDIOPHILE CLASSIC. Don't wait for it to go out of print and up in price.

Donald Fagen himself approved the test pressing – and he approved the very first version that Hoffman and Gray sent! Fagen is known for being a perfectionist, and he's rejected many a lacquer from some of the most famous mastering engineers. For Hoffman and Gray to nail it the first time around is a big deal. You'll hear why Fagen was impressed.

Hoffman and Gray cut from the 15-inches-per-second, half-inch analog tape. "The reason it was done at 15," Hoffman said, "was to preserve the tremendous bass response." And the bass response on this record is just that – TREMENDOUS!

This is Fagen's first solo album in 13 years and includes all of his signature musical depth, uniquely layered lyrics and entertaining subject matter. Morph The Cat is another contemporary classic from half of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame duo Steely Dan. It's the newest chapter chronicling the most sophisticated music in rock.

"We're all gratified that he's so enthusiastic about vinyl," Hoffman said of Fagen. "Warner Bros. is also very enthusiastic about the medium."

Indeed, Warner Bros. is serious about vinyl. Finally, one of the major labels has gotten it right when it comes to LP. So often, we get a great record with a good pressing only to have it ruined by a shoddy inner sleeve that scuffs the vinyl when it's packaged. Not this time. Warner Bros. went all-out. Morph The Cat comes in a deluxe, thick cardboard gatefold jacket and the vinyl is packaged in rice paper inner sleeves. This is a quality release – from the music, to the mastering, pressing and even packaging.

1.   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)
Customer Reviews (4.38 Stars) 21 person(s) rated this product.

I wish the music were as good as the recording.

posted on 03/30/2012
3 Stars
Reviewer: Sam
The production value of this album is superb with the exception that Fagen's lyrics are, at times, a little hard to understand. The recording of the instruments is fantastic with gobs of deep powerful bass.

I was disappointed that the compositions, while okay, are not up to par with Fagen's other solo projects, particularly The Nightfly.

Sublime & Superb

posted on 01/26/2011
5 Stars
Reviewer: FJD
Balanced and sonically excellent vinyl release. Well done! If you like Donald Fagan and/or Steely Dan, you'll want this LP in your collection. Wish more releases were pressed this well.

Excellent record, great sound

posted on 08/30/2009
5 Stars
If you like Steely Dan, you probably have this already. The LP is streets ahead of the CD, sound quality-wise, the latter sounding anemic in comparison. Monster bass.

TOP ALBUM!!!!!

posted on 07/28/2009
5 Stars
Reviewer: JB
I've bought this album from France, and I must say that it's very very great!!! Mary shut the garden door and the reprise of Morph the cat are to die for!!!

The best use of vinyl

posted on 03/04/2008
5 Stars
Reviewer: Mike
There are not enough stars to rate this one... 5 stars just does not say it right! This is simply the best sound I've ever heard coming from vinyl, and way better than the CD. Absolutely outstanding. The first time I heard the opening bars on the first track, an ear-to-ear smile appeared on my face and stayed until the album was done. I was stunned! As far as song content... I wasn't thrilled with the songs at first, but after several listens, I'd say this is as good as anything he's done before. This record is a definite must-have (I have two just in case)!

Just Buy It-Now!

posted on 09/14/2007
5 Stars
Wonderful recording, great Donald Fagen riffs and layers of music. Worth the price for "H Gang" and "What I Do" alone. Outstanding.

Buy Gaucho or Aja instead.

posted on 06/27/2007
5 Stars
Reviewer: Louis Sohn
There is just something missing.

The power of Gaucho or Aja is just not there, while it is certainly the artist's expression to make, the music lacks a certain kinship in presentation with the stuff that made you like Steely Dan.

Sound-wise this is way short of Gaucho, and certainly no Aja.

Sorry Mr. Fagen....hope other folks liked it.

Chad was right about this one!

posted on 04/18/2007
5 Stars
I just finished listening to Donald Fagan's latest album Morph The Cat, and this is easily the best quality recording that Fagan, or for that matter Steely Dan has ever had. The music is typical of "The Dan" (albeit slightly more refined than in past albums) even if Fagan's other half is strangely absent here.

This superbly recorded album has me wondering what some of Steely Dan's earlier albums might have sounded like if the folks at ABC Records had been more interested in sound quality than in just raking in the bucks.

All I can say here is better late than never.

"Morph The Cat" is a very enjoyable recording; one that I will be spending much time listening to into the early morning hours for quite sometime to come.

The cut "H Gang" in particular has the appeal of so many of the "Dan's" early songs that drew the college crowd to them like moths to the proverbial flame.

Simply put, this album rocks!

Kudos to Mr. Fagan, the sound engineers, and Chad!

Jim

Vinyl sounds great through some crackles...

posted on 01/06/2007
3 Stars
Reviewer: marc
Not a totally quiet vinyl (Mine had some crackles) but I must say that when it is, it's among the best I've heard. I'm not much of a fan here. It's just sort of - hmm - like my dad's music. Sorry, no offense. I listen to it all genres and for some reason this feels like the soundtrack to bunch of cartoon "Jazz Cats" plotting the next big weekend. Some great "grooves" but lyrics at times are a bit soft...Bought it to experience the sound of this expertly produced vinyl - worth it? Yep. If only I could get the image of those darn cats with berets out of my head...

Awesome fidelity

posted on 01/03/2007
4 Stars
Don't judge this against Steely Dan's book

Stands on it's own.

None better

posted on 11/16/2006
5 Stars
Reviewer: Jim
As yourself this question. Why don't I own this LP? I'll wait... BUY IT, FOOL!

Sorry

posted on 09/03/2006
2 Stars
I wanted to like it. Never got around to playing disc 2.

just listen to it!

posted on 08/25/2006
5 Stars
Reviewer: Lee Vitalone
I finally got a chance to sit down, alone and check this out. I don't know where this guy gets his ideas for music.It seems he has a bottomless well of tunes! Morph is like other DF stuff alive,smooth, and very well produced. Hi Gang/ What I do and Brite NG get you buzzed up forSecurity Joan and it's very well placed organ solo! This goes in my Dan collection and fits right in. Another classic you'll hear all over the place.

Fair monotonous work

posted on 08/19/2006
3 Stars
Reviewer: Vladas from Lithuania
Donald Fagen's last work is fair and monotonous. Record quality is not bad, not good. If you like Fagen's solo, better buy his 1982 release The Nightfly on Vinyl or DVDA.

Good recording quality - songs are plain

posted on 08/08/2006
3 Stars
Reviewer: EW
Album quality is real good, but not great like earlier ones. Songs are contrite and simple. Not what we expect from Donald Fagen. Obviuosly just put together to make buck. Would have gave it lower score, but I can't bring myself to say too much bad about someone that has created REALLY great music and excellent recordings in the past. EW

Having owned every Steely Dan and Fagen record

posted on 06/29/2006
4 Stars
Reviewer: Frank
I'd say that recording wise, Everything Must Go is his best recording. It is much better balanced. After listening a few times, I've decided Morph is just way too bottom heavy and this is coming from a guy that was raised on 1970's funk. It's like a sexy girl with a super tremendous jiggling behind. Just too much of a good thing. That's just me, though. Everyone else seems to feel the recording is teriffic so I'm probably in the minority.

My feeling about the music is, it's not that inspired. It's like he gathered up these great musicians and told them to play as blandly as possible. Hard to believe this is the most he could come up with after 13 years. There are a couple of songs I love, and some I have trouble sitting through. But then, it's all pretty much in the same vein as the other solo albums. Whether that's good or bad is subjective. I personally think he should just stick with the Steely Dan thing.

I give it a 4 only because it's Fagen. I'm feeling 3, though.

Believe the hype.

posted on 06/21/2006
5 Stars
Reviewer: Beto
When I finally could listen to the 2-LP version of this album, my first reaction was to enjoy the music like mad. The second reaction left me pondering "Why can't all new LPs sound like this?" Seriously, most LP releases of new music these days seem to be made almost as an afterthought in terms of sound and pressing quality. Not this one. Kevin and Steve really hit the nail in the head with the LP mastering - will blow any CD away. Efforts like these are what make it worth pursuing analog as a format of choice these days. Just get it!

Maybe I'm Amazed

posted on 05/22/2006
5 Stars
Reviewer: Colin
These guys did a superb job of this transfer. I loved this album already, but compared to the CD it sounds like real musicians playing, and as other have mentioned, the bass response is excellent. Highly recommended, you won't be disappointed.

second coming of aja

posted on 05/24/2006
5 Stars
Reviewer: howie
awesome sound, awesome music, highly recommended. Even if you dont like steely dan, get this album, you'll love the sound. Buy the record, not the cd or dvd. vinyl is final!!!!!!!!!!

Superb

posted on 05/11/2006
5 Stars
This is perhaps the best sounding LP I own. Very full, rich enveloping sound.

Blown away means blown away.

posted on 04/18/2006
5 Stars
Reviewer: John Roucis
If Chad says I'll be blown away by this album, I will be blown away by this album. It's in my wish list, and I'll get a copy asap. JBR

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