EMG is a best heard without trying to compare it to other Steely Dan albums. It truly gets better over time. Somebody on this forum once recommended listening to it in reverse order which makes a whole lot more sense than the original running order. Start with the title track and end with "The Last Mall". The album is beautifully recorded. My favorite track is one that others seem to dislike: "Pixeleen". Great pace, chord changes and interactions between the male and female voices. "Lunch with Gina" is another classic for me. I enjoy Donald's keyboard solos - very 70's throughout. It's the freshest Steely Dan album for me to listen to so I put it on more than the others. It always reveals something subtle and surprising. "Green Room" may be the most mysterious Steely Dan song of all. Overall, I rate it above Gaucho (there really is no "last place" in the Steely Dan catalogue).
Here's a cool recent article I came across: Aloha Walter and Donald: Piercing the Veil Through the Zen of Steely Dan | San Diego Troubadour
Yeah- a couple of times I was thinking, "He hasn't played anything like this since, oh, 'Do It Again' and 'Bodhisattva' maybe..." His solo on "Green Book" is suitably demented...for the longest time I thought it was a guitar through an envelope filter, until I learned otherwise in the FAQ book.
“Green Book” is my key track as well. Sure, it's built around a standard (and solid) groove, but I sure dig the assortment of filigrees they put on it (yep, many of which echo back to the '70s albums). Plus it has (I think) the only recorded Becker and Fagen instrumental duel. Yeah, “The Last Mall” is a bit thin. It does crack me up when the big finish is abruptly cut off. And the way Fagen tears into “Roll your cart back up the aisle”. Love the way the chorus glides in on “Slang of Ages”. Anyone who hadn't heard 11 Tracks of Whack had to have gone “whoa!” when Becker's voice came out of the speakers. The credits on “Godwhacker” read solo synth, but it sounds a lot like Fagen busted out his melodica. It's the only post-Gaucho song they played when I saw them in ‘13. “Pixeleen” doesn't do much for me, even with the Carolyn Leonhardt feature. The lyrics read more like something from Kamakiriad. Fun fact: It's the only Steely Dan lyric to ever contain the word “cellphone”. Trying to think of who else used that particular synth sound on “Lunch With Gina”, it reminds me of someone. Not going to go into the obvious read on the title (and final) track. I’ll just say it wound up being a fitting finale to the very last Steely Dan album we’ll ever have. Let the speculation begin on the meaning behind the yellow highlighting of various letters on the song titles. And wow, those guys really don't like having their picture taken.
I think EMG is mostly brilliant but having three throway song (for the Dan) on the first side hinders it The intent was to shoulder through and prove they could put out an album without it being an arduous process and I think for the most part succeeded admirably. That tour had a very nice degree of enthusiasm and diversity. - I think they were a bit taken back when things didn't grab the public's eye. The last mall. - k-mart blue light apocolyptic specials Things I miss the most - a split with a twist - what a shame about a more wealthy me - Blues Beach - scraping bottom indeed - shoreside in Jersey Godwacker - mission impossible diety hit squad Slang - Dealer's sorry attempt at come on youthful venacular Pixeleen - Tomb Raider nadar Green book - city at your fingertips - goddess in the mind Lunch With Gina - laying low from a date site foe Everything Must Go - new hires getting the Enronesque stiff
everything must go is a decent album, not great, but good. i would place it below two against nature, but yes, it is similar to morph the cat for me.... ------------- i like most of the songs on it, however godwhacker stands out... almost every steely dan album has a song that really stands out to me.. the last mall is a relatively subdued intro to the album, things that miss the most is a more lively track, blues beach is a nice upbeat track with a catchy chorus, godwhacker is one of my favorite tracks - which is more like classic steely dan. slang of ages is a nice mellow midtempo track - don't really care for it, green book is another standout track, pixeleen sounds more like a donald fagen solo track - still decent, lunch with gina is a pretty decent track about women that they always seem to have, everything must go is a nice fitting end to the album. hopefully there might be another steely dan album in the future, but it will be tricky to not make it sound like another donald fagen solo one. later -1
for steely dan collectors: for everything must go: ============================================= it came out mostly in CD formats, Steely Dan - Everything Must Go but also: CD + DVD ------------------------------- Steely Dan - Everything Must Go the dvd is an interview: DVD: steely dan confessions Produced and Directed by Joe and Harry Gantz Approximate Running Time: 24 Minutes DVD-A -------------------------------- Steely Dan - Everything Must Go DVD-Audio: Advanced Resolution 5.1 (96kHz/24-bit) Advanced Resolution Stereo (192kHz/24-bit)* DVD-Video: Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo (48kHz/448Kbps) DTS 5.1 (48kHz/1.5Mbps) * The rear inlay incorrectly lists the stereo resolution as 96kHz/24-bit Recorded at Sear Sound, NYC; Skyline Studios, NYC; River Sound, NYC; Hyperbolic Sound, Maui; Bearsville Studios, Bearsville, NY. Mixed at Presence Studios, Westport, CT. Mastered at Sony Music Studios. and LP ----------- Steely Dan - Everything Must Go along with a promo interview: ----------------------------- Steely Dan - One Hour Sale! (A Conversation With Steely Dan) this is about an hour long. the singles next... later -1
for steely dan collectors, the singles from everything must go: ------------------------------------ 1 everything must go sampler: ----------------------------- Steely Dan - Everything Must Go Tracklist The Last Mall 3:36 Blues Beach 4:29 This was just a european promo. 2 blues beach -------------- Steely Dan - Blues Beach A 1 track US promo CD. 3 things i miss the most: ------------------------- Steely Dan - Things I Miss The Most A 1 track US CD promo. later -1
That duel in the "Green Book" solo is the highlight of the album for me- I always have to crank that puppy up... As with 2VN, listening to Everything Must Go in its entirety for the purposes of this thread was only the second time I've listened to the entire album. I wouldn't say EMG is 'disappointing' but it's definitely the Dan's weakest album. I'm pretty sure a new "Steely Dan" album would sound exactly like a Fagen solo album since that is more or less what it would be, unless they dust off some old archival tracks or something. And speaking of Fagen solo, we'll Morph The Cat either Monday or Tuesday night.
EMG has easily become my favourite Steely Dan album, certainly the one I play the most . It sounds fresh and inspired and I can say SD is the only artist from the 70's I know who has released something in this century I consider worth listening to . (I also love the last two Donald Fagen solo albums, not sure if they have been discussed yet)
Not yet. We're going chronologically, so it's down to the 3 latest solos (2 Fagen and 1 Becker). Then we'll go back and pick up the live albums, compilations and other odds and ends.
I've decided "Blues Beach" is a distant cousin of "Daddy Don't Live In That ...", at least in terms of feel.
You got it, that's exactly how we're gonna do it. Morph The Cat on Tuesday, didn't get a chance to listen to it this morning, was too busy doing pumpkin carving at my kids' school.
Late to this party so I'll just say my favorite album by the Dan is Can't Buy A Thrill. The first three albums are the Steely Dan I prefer overall. There is definitely the band feeling on them and sometimes getting the top session players doesn't mean a better or more interesting song - just usually more polished. A session player can definitely take a song to another level (Elliott Randall, Larry Carlton, Jim Gordon, Bernard Purdie, Jeff Porcaro, etc), but there is something special about Denny Dias, Jim Hodder and Skunk Baxter that makes them more enjoyable to me overall. I definitely prefer the songs of the early albums - especially the pedal steel, and the wide range of material covered. By Aja, everything fits neatly together as one cohesive album. A great album, but it doesn't appeal to me the way the first few albums did with their musical experimentation and great ideas.
And here it is: Wiki sez: Morph the Cat is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Donald Fagen. Released on March 7, 2006 to generally positive reviews from critics, Morph the Cat was described by Fagen as his "death album" in an interview with Fred Kaplan of The New York Times. Musicians on the album include drummer Keith Carlock, saxophonist Walt Weiskopf, bassist Freddie Washington, and guitarists Frank Vignola, Jon Herington, Wayne Krantz, and Hugh McCracken. Morph the Cat was released on CD and on a CD/DVD-Audio 2-disc package, with a 5.1 surround sound mix engineered by Elliot Scheiner.The surround recording won the Grammy Award for Best Surround Sound Album. Track listing All songs written by Donald Fagen except where indicated. "Morph the Cat" – 6:49 "H Gang" – 5:15 "What I Do" – 6:01 "Brite Nitegown" – 7:16 "The Great Pagoda of Funn" – 7:39 "Security Joan" – 6:09 "The Night Belongs to Mona" – 4:18 "Mary Shut the Garden Door" – 6:29 "Morph the Cat (Reprise)" – 2:53 Bonus tracks, from The Nightfly Trilogy MVI Boxed Set[edit] "Rhymes" – 4:22 (Al Green, Mabon Hodges) "Hank's Pad" (Live) - 4:48 (Henry Mancini, Donald Fagen) "Viva Viva Rock 'N' Roll" (Live) - 2:42 (Chuck Berry) Track credits Morph the Cat Backing Vocals – Donald Fagen, Jerry Barnes, Michael Harvey Bass – Freddie Washington Drums – Keith Carlock Guitar – Frank Vignola, Hugh McCracken, Wayne Krantz Guitar [Solo] – Jon Herington Fender Rhodes – Donald Fagen Tenor Saxophone [Solo] – Walt Weiskopf Trumpet – Marvin Stamm Vibraphone – Phonus Quaver H Gang Baritone Saxophone – Roger Rosenberg Bass – Freddie Washington Drums –Keith Carlock Guitar – Hugh McCracken, Wayne Krantz Guitar [Solo] – Jon Herington Percussion – Gordon Gottlieb Piano – Ted Baker Fender Rhodes, Backing Vocals – Donald Fagen Tenor Saxophone [Solo] – Walt Weiskopf Trombone – Mark Patterson Trumpet – Marvin Stamm What I Do Backing Vocals – Amy Helm, Carolyn Leonhart, Cindy Mizelle, Donald Fagen Bass – Freddie Washington Drums – Keith Carlock Guitar – Hugh McCracken, Jon Herington, Ken Emerson, Wayne Krantz Harmonica [Solo] – Howard Levy Wurlitzer Electric Piano – Ted Baker Brite Nitegown Alto Saxophone – Walt Weiskopf Baritone Saxophone – Roger Rosenberg Drums – Keith Carlock Guitar – Jon Herington Guitar [Solo] – Wayne Krantz Marimba – Phonus Quaver Percussion – Bashiri Johnson, Gordon Gottlieb Fender Rhodes, Backing Vocals – Donald Fagen Tenor Saxophone – Lawrence Feldman Trombone – Mark Patterson Trumpet – Marvin Stamm The Great Pagoda of Funn Alto Saxophone – Walt Weiskopf Backing Vocals – Donald Fagen, Jerry Barnes Baritone Saxophone – Roger Rosenberg Bass – Freddie Washington Drums – Keith Carlock Guitar – Jon Herington Guitar [Solo] – Wayne Krantz Percussion – Joe Pasaro Piano – Ted Baker Tenor Saxophone – Lawrence Feldman Trombone – Mark Patterson Trumpet [Solo] – Marvin Stamm Vibraphone – Phonus Quaver Security Joan Backing Vocals – Michael Harvey Bass – Freddie Washington Drums – Keith Carlock Guitar – Jon Herington, Wayne Krantz Guitar [Solo] – Ken Wessel Handclaps – Camille Meza, Candice Predham, Eddie Jackson, Jennifer Battista Organ, Piano, Backing Vocals – Donald Fagen Percussion – Gordon Gottlieb Wurlitzer Electric Piano – Ted Baker The Night Belongs to Mona Acoustic Bass – Harlan Post, Jr. Bass – Freddie Washington Bass Clarinet – Roger Rosenberg Drums – Keith Carlock Flute – Lawrence Feldman Guitar – Jon Herington, Wayne Krantz Harmonica – Howard Levy Percussion – Gordon Gottlieb Piano, Backing Vocals – Donald Fagen Fender Rhodes – Ted Baker Tenor Saxophone – Walt Weiskopf Trombone – Mark Patterson Trumpet – Marvin Stamm Mary Shut the Garden Door Backing Vocals – Carolyn Leonhart Bass – Freddie Washington Drums – Keith Carlock Flute – Illinois Elohainu Guitar – Jon Herington, Wayne Krantz Melodica [Solo], Backing Vocals – Donald Fagen Percussion – Gordon Gottlieb Fender Rhodes – Ted Baker Vibraphone – Phonus Quaver Morph the Cat (Reprise) Backing Vocals – Jerry Barnes, Michael Harvey Bass – Freddie Washington Bass [Remedial] – Brian Montgomery Drums – Keith Carlock Guitar – Hugh McCracken, Wayne Krantz Guitar [Chorus Solo] – Jon Herington Guitar [Tag Solo] – Frank Vignola Fender Rhodes, Backing Vocals – Donald Fagen Tenor Saxophone – Walt Weiskopf Trumpet – Marvin Stamm Vibraphone – Phonus Quaver * Harlan Post Jr., Phonus Quaver and Illinois Elohainu are pseudonyms for Fagen himself when he plays an instrument sample patch on a synthesizer trying to replicate the actual instrument. Production Producer: Donald Fagen Tracking Engineer: Elliot 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
One word comes to mind when it comes to my thoughts on Morph The Cat: smooooooooooth. Some of it's is a little too smooth for my tastes (a malady that afflicts most of the modern Steely Dan/solo projects). I only like about half the album, I suppose, but what I like I really like. "H Gang", "Security Joan" and "Brite Nightgown" are my favourites here. I'm not a fan of "The Great Pagoda Of Funn" or "Mary Shut The Garden Door". The rest I can take or leave. The album does sound fantastic, though. But like Kamakiriad it's not one I return to often. IMO if Fagen had waited a year or so he should have gotten together with Becker and we might have gotten a Steely Dan album that would have been a nice mix of Morph and Circus Money, which would have been a definite improvement on Everything Must Go. I much prefer Circus Money to Morph anyway... No song by song commentary here (too tired tonight), but I'll point out that "Brite Nightgown" and "Security Joan" were based on real life incidents Fagen experienced: getting mugged in NYC ("Brite Nightgown") and adventures whilst travelling ("Security Joan"). 9/11 seems to inform a couple of the songs on the album- "The Night Belongs To Mona" ("the fire downtown") and "Security Joan" in particular.
Nothing but love for this album. It's on a par with the last two SD albums, and as someone who generally has no tolerance for smoothness or excessively 'tasteful' arrangements, I find this a wonderful listen. I wish that there was maybe one more song on this album, and I'd put 'Brite Nitegown', 'Great Pagoda Of Funn' and 'Security Joan' as last among (mostly) equals. However, I rate 'What I Do' (especially) and 'The Night Belongs To Mona' as the two single greatest songs in Don's solo canon, and as good as, if not better than, at least 50% of Steely Dan's output. I wish that he'd bust out 'What I Do' on this recent tour, as he's dipping in to solo stuff (SD have played 'Green Flower St', 'I.G.Y.' and 'New Frontier' all in the last week, a well as 'Book Of Liars') so this would be a great addtion, especially since it's got Wahington, Carlock, Herington and Leonhart on the track, who're all still in the SD band). I'm in a hurry so can't write more, but love love love this album.
Well, I guess I'll be buying that one as well when it comes out Got my copy of the new Barney Hoskyns Steely Dan book yesterday (https://www.amazon.ca/Major-Dudes-S...258&sr=8-1&keywords=barney+hoskyns+steely+dan). Do not open until Christmas.
First time I heard “What I Do:” when the background box start up in the coda, I stopped and stared at my stereo wide eyed, and had to skip back and play it again to make sure I heard it right. I have no idea what is happening harmonically but that is one of my favorite musical moments ever.
