Steely Dan

[maccastheman]

One thing though, I did not like their comeback album Two Against Nature.

I agree with you to a certain extent on that. Although I found it pleasant to listen to at the time, I don't think it holds up as well as Fagen's solo albums. That's why I have high hopes for Morph. I hope it holds up better than Two Against Nature and Everything Must Go.

Let's keep our fingers crossed. Do you know when Morph the Cat is supposed to come out ?

March 6.

[Berkeleyan]

One thing though, I did not like their comeback album Two Against Nature.

I agree with you to a certain extent on that. Although I found it pleasant to listen to at the time, I don't think it holds up as well as Fagen's solo albums. That's why I have high hopes for Morph. I hope it holds up better than Two Against Nature and Everything Must Go.

Let's keep our fingers crossed. Do you know when Morph the Cat is supposed to come out ?

March 6.

Thanks for the info ! BTW, our fellow thread writer Dingle mentioned Kamikiriad (1993 or 1994) - it's a very good Fagen album, I must say.
It got a lot of swing, great musicianship (as always) and a few classics (unfortunately I can't recall the track names) - and it's a concept album !! I gottta mention it on the thread I created on concept albums

[Berkeleyan]

I loved that Laughing Pines song off Kamikiriad, a bit of the good ol' Steely Dan to me. I always thought I Got The News was just a great great sleeper off Aja.

It's a very good album, innit ? Yeah I agree some tunes sound like they're leftovers from AJA (and WHAT LEFTOVERS !).

[maccastheman]

Fagen's solo tour has been getting good reviews. The release date for his new album has been pushed back to next week. (March 13) The set lists from his solo concerts are great - almost all of the songs from The Nightfly, Kamakiriad, plus "Black Cow," "Black Friday," and a couple of other Steely Dan songs. I love "New Frontier" off of The Nightfly. (I like every song on that album - "IGY," "Green Flower Street," etc. - a perfect album IMHO)

Rumor has it that he will regroup with Walter Becker for another Steely Dan tour later this year. (Once his solo tour wraps up) Also, Michael McDonald is rumored to be the opening act and he might join the group on stage for a few songs he originally sang back-up on. ("Peg" being the most well-known)

I've never had the chance to see Steely Dan, so I'm hoping either he adds Dallas to his solo tour or the Steely Dan/Michael McDonald tour makes it this way.

[Berkeleyan]

I hope your wish comes true !
I've never seen those two live on stage either.
And Mike McDonald would be a very special guest in the gig, indeed !

I'm targetting "Morph the cat" on Amazon, like a shark sniffing and circling its potential prey

[maccastheman]

I hope your wish comes true !
I've never seen those two live on stage either.
And Mike McDonald would be a very special guest in the gig, indeed !

I'm targetting "Morph the cat" on Amazon, like a shark sniffing and circling its potential prey

I saw Michael McDonald with the Doobie Brothers several years ago. It was his first tour with them in ages, and he clearly didn't like being on stage with them - probably because they are such has-beens. I think reuniting with Steely Dan would be completely different - they still have such a dedicated following, and they still chart very well when they release new records.

Heck, McDonald had a surprise hit just a couple of years ago with a Motown covers album. (I think it was top 5 in the U.S.)

Less than a week before Morph the Cat...

[maccastheman]

I'm targetting "Morph the cat" on Amazon, like a shark sniffing and circling its potential prey

The album is out today. I haven't had a chance to pick it up yet, but judging from the reviews so far, I think I'm going to like it. It sounds like he's finally captured what's been missing from the two recent Steely Dan reunion albums. Here's the review from Rolling Stone:


Donald Fagen Morph the Cat (Reprise)

Smitten with obscure wordplay and ornate sonics, Donald Fagen hasn't focused on hooks since he reunited with Steely Dan partner Walter Becker in the mid-Nineties. So it's a welcome surprise that his first solo album since 1993's Kamakiriad contains his catchiest, most immediate compositions in decades. This renewed emphasis on melody hasn't ruled out Fagen's reliably wry metaphors: The opening title track describes how Manhattan gets happy when visited by a benign feline phantom, and "Mary Shut the Garden Door" likens Bush's reign to a terrorizing invasion of Lincoln Town Cars. But the tunes are as ripe and fleshy as summer fruit: When Fagen converses with Ray Charles' ghost on "What I Do" and flirts with airport security during "Security Joan," spirited results prove Fagen can still pop amid his jazz. (BARRY WALTERS)

[maccastheman]

Here's my review after listening to it a couple of times. I orginally posted this in the "CD of the Moment" thread, but I thought I would put it here too since it's relevant:

I hope this isn't irrational exuberence, but I think it's his best work since The Nightfly. Better than Kamakiriad, and better than the two recent Steely Dan records.

It has more melody than Kamakiriad, and the songs are a lot stronger than they were on the two recent Steely Dan records. The Steely Dan/ Donald Fagen sound is still there. In fact, it sounds a lot like The Nightfly in places. (Not that the songs sound the same, just the production)

The song about Ray Charles, "What I Do," is probably my favorite. I also like "Security Joan" a lot. There's a line in there where he sings, "Search Me Now." It reminds me of the line in "Hey Nineteen" where he sings "scate a little lower now."

Good stuff, and highly recommended if you like Steely Dan/Donald Fagen

[Berkeleyan]

Hey there Maccastheman, what can I say

I really appreciated the extensive information you sent off to this thread !
Amazon, there I go again (it's hard to tell when the album would reach Brazilain lands - and it could take months, so...)

[funkbeatle]

Hola amigo brasileño! Don't you like downloading songs from the web? Is not much more easy than waiting for CD releases in your country?