Morph The Cat-Bass Notes

I agree, Rja, but the sad thing is that Audiogon continues to support creeps as long as they pay.

Fagen is a digital freak as far as I can tell.
I like Morph The Cat and I do agree the bass notes go low, but overall the recording is pretty digital sounding. I wouldn't call it artificial, but listening to it a lot, over time it becomes obvious that the attempt was made to make this album sound as hi-rez as possible.

But I do think that the Morph is overall a decent sounding album. I remember when I bought Aja and Gaucho remastered CDs. Just to discover when I came home and played the remastered Aja that the older versions sounds more natural. The remastered Aja and Gaucho CDs sound artificial to me.

Also, I don't think that Morph is the album to take with you to evaluate speakers, although if you think this is the benchmark for quality of recorded bass, then yeah.
There are better discs for that I think. I usually use Patricia Barber's Modern Cool - track 7 for drums and track 11 for bass. Also, Brian Broomberg's WoodII disc has some crazy bass.

One thing I've learned Audphile, when I purchase a remaster I never get rid of the original until I've listened to the remaster a few times. I got burned too many times when the remaster sounded worse than the original. And, I believe this happens far too often. So far I'd say approx. 50% of remasters are superior enough to make a repurchase worth while. I'm beginning to suspect that this remaster game is just another marketing ploy. It's a shame too because if you have the opportunity to remaster why not do a good job? Just my 2 cents worth.

I agree RJA. I also think that in most cases it is a marketing ploy.
There really is no way to listen for quality before you buy.

It is very hard to audition/test bass...it is so room dependent (as natural instruments with ultra LF have bass notes with long duration and therefore fully excite room modes)...is it a room mode or the speaker?

Good transients are probabaly the only thing you can use to test speaker bass response in an unfamiliar listening environment like a store demo. Something with your favorite kick drum (and make sure to avoid something that has been harmonically sweetened to give it punch like most rock music such as AC/DC Back in Black). For some uncompressed drums try the Naxos Hok-Man Yim Chinese Drums, Poems of Thunder. Alternatively Harvey Mason's drumming on George Benson's Weekend in L.A. "On Broadway" or Stuart Copeland on "Murder by Numbers", Police, Synchronicity. There are many others....good luck ;-)

Kick drum goes down to about 40 Hz but it is more of a 'feeling' of compression in the room than an audible sound (such short duration and so much transient attack).