The Pat Metheny Discography Thread: Unity Band (2012)

[darkshade]

Listening to Watercolors now.   I wish I could think of something to say about this music other than that I think it's really, really good.

Pat has such a unique tone, and the material at this stage is very pastoral, evoking images of wide open Midwestern US landscape, or isolation in thick wood, maybe near a body of water. A lot of the music coming out in the late 70s from Pat as well as much of the other artists at the ECM label at the time was a lot more creative than what other Jazz musicians were doing. It really goes beyond jazz, or rock. Pat is a jazz musician who plays like he's in a rock band. The moods invoked are unlike much of anything else out there.

[Orbert]

Pat is a jazz musician who plays like he's in a rock band.

See, that's the kind of thing I was trying to come up with.  How would I describe his playing?  I have no idea.  But "a jazz musician who plays like he's in a rock band" is both immediately clear and something I never would have thought of.  Pat goes for it, dives right in, yet somehow his music has a "clean and light" sound that's hard to quantify.

[darkshade]

Pat Metheny Group self titled debut (1978)


An amazing debut for an amazing band. Every song here is a classic. Pat Metheny Group is a rare band where chops play second fiddle to melody. Every note on this album is hummable and catchy but there is a hidden complexity to the music that unearths itself with repeated listens. To me, this is the soundtrack to those drives across back roads that cut through farms, fields, etc.. or mountainous landscape, on bright sunny days. Even though this music is uplifting, there is a certain sadness in there, particularly from Lyle Mays' piano playing. His style is reminiscent of the great Bill Evans, and paired with Metheny's ethereal playing, they create music that is both joyous and unique.

[darkshade]

Pat Metheny - New Chautauqua (1978)


Pat's first SOLO recording. However, there are multiple guitars and bass in the mix, all played by Pat, so obviously it is not a solo guitar album. It almost sounds like a Pat or PMG album of this time period, just without drums. I could picture drums on almost all tracks. Pat Metheny Group played some of these songs live, so obviously those had drums, and they sound cool. But the moodiness is what this album is all about. Drums are not missed here, as the songs themselves are strong enough without them. Long Ago Child might be a little long, and very much reminds me of some of the sounds from Watercolors, but the other tracks work very well. The opening title track to the closer Day Break. This album has all the features of Pat's old sound, with his electric guitar front and center. Not one I pick up as often as the albums surrounding it, but always a good choice when I do.

[ReaperKK]

I just had a listen to the Pat Metheny Group album. I know I've listened to this album before when my buddy was trying to get me into Pat and when this thread started but today is the first time it "clicked". I don't know why I didn't care for it at first but I really enjoyed it.

I think one thing with Pat is that his music always seemed a little intimidating to me but surprisingly this album was light, airy and full of great melodies. I'll give New Chautauqua a listen this weekend.

[darkshade]

Pat Metheny Group - American Garage (1979)



To me this album pairs well with the debut PMG album. They have a similar sound, that pastoral, melodic, post-fusion progressive jazz that makes you think of scenery depicted on the album cover (blue skies, puffy clouds, midwestern landscape.) When I listen to these first two PMG albums, and other PMG albums, I always think "this is really the Lyle Mays Group" because Lyle really dominates the sound, his keyboard work is all over the albums.
The only downside is the last track "The Epic" which I like but it is a little all over the place, doesn't really have any central theme that I am aware of. Even Pat and Lyle have expressed disinterest in the piece. Airstream might be my favorite here, and I really like the title track, one of those somewhat rare moments of the band rocking out.

[Skeever]

I'm a big fan of Pat Metheny Group, the debut and American Garage. I also listened to his newest "From This Place", which I enjoyed a lot. I like the two Group albums I've heard much better than the solo stuff, though, which seems more like hardcore jazz.

[darkshade]

I'm a big fan of Pat Metheny Group, the debut and American Garage. I also listened to his newest "From This Place", which I enjoyed a lot. I like the two Group albums I've heard much better than the solo stuff, though, which seems more like hardcore jazz.

From This Place is the closest to a Pat Metheny Group album Pat has released since The Way Up, or maybe Orchestrion. It's also one of his best.

The Group albums are more band efforts (collaboration with Lyle and/or others bring in material) and the closest thing to "rock" albums for this kind of music, same with Lyle's early albums.
Pat's own solo albums often lean more towards jazz, improvisation, or even chamber music and is all written by him, but there are exceptions, such as Secret Story, and From This Place, among others, which are more in line with PMG. Some of his solo albums that lean more towards "hardcore" jazz have one or more tracks that are more reminiscent of PMG.

Pat's "jazz" albums cover a wide variety of jazz styles, some of it I would not classify as "hardcore", but there's a couple of albums that go to the extremes. Something like 80/81, which is the next album, is serious jazz, but not free-jazz or of the sort, though there are some dissonant moments. It's more like post-bop similar to Miles Davis or Wes Montgomery, but with the Metheny touch (and the other members on that album bring their own style, but more on that later...) Pat HAS released some stuff that is a bit... tough to listen to, for anyone who isn't familiar with a lot of jazz that might be more atonal or avant-garde, but Pat does not dwell in these musical areas a lot, to great relief (I don't find that kind of stuff to be his strong point.) If you don't have the ears for jazz, at least progressive jazz, avant-garde, or other styles developed since the early 60s that isn't fusion related, I could see how a lot of jazz comes off as "hardcore", especially compared to the Pat Metheny Group sound, which is generally quite warm and inviting, and include things that are more "mainstream" like rock rhythms and Latin styles.

[Skeever]

Using the term hardcore jazz was a poor choice on my part because I'm not really steeped enough in jazz lingo to tell you what that means. Over the last few years I've probably listened to more jazz than any other "new to me" genre and some stuff has resonated more than others. The post bop you mentioned is kind of right in the wheelhouse of where I'm comfortable currently, and I like them more accessible stuff from there. When it just becomes the musicians trading verses that's where I get a little bit less interested. I think that's why the Pat Metheny gGoup albums I've heard resonate so much, because they sound a little bit more composed. It's not just the head followed by all of the people in the band trading solos until the end.

[darkshade]

Pat Metheny - 80/81 (1980)
with Charlie Haden, Jack DeJohnette, Dewey Redman, Michael Brecker


An all star lineup and the first album where Pat shows that he can hang with "real" jazz musicians and play "real" jazz. Not that what he was doing prior wasn't real jazz, I use quotes because many Jazz purists despise fusion, or anything that isn't in the sphere of bop, or swing, so a lot of ECM jazz music is seen as not real jazz music. But this lineup is made up of some of the best musicians in the genre, so this opened many eyes and ears on Metheny in the jazz world who may have not given Pat much attention at that point. Despite that, the music is not just post-bop late night party jazz, this is more open spaced sounding. There are acoustic guitars along with electric and some folksy sounding stuff, like in the opening tunes "Two Folk Songs", strong melodies and dynamic swells such as on "The Bat", some heavy improv and freer moments like on "Open", bluesy romps like on the Ornette Coleman piece, "Turnaround", and it all culminates in the last two tunes, "Every Day (I Thank You)" and "Goin' Ahead": the first is a 14 minute piece showcasing Michael Brecker's prowess at the tenor sax, but also how much emotion he can bring out of it, especially since at this point he was mainly seen as a jazz-fusion and funk-jazz sax player. In this context, we hear a player hitting peaks ala Coltrane, while underneath Pat provides lovely textures with his guitar and the rhythm section is just destroying everything. The middle section where the band drops out leaving Pat playing alone is such a gorgeous piece it brings me to tears. The second piece Goin' Ahead is a mostly improvised piece, yet sounds entirely composed, and is one of the most beautiful passages of music I've ever heard.

An interesting transitional period for Pat, and going forward we'll start to hear many changes in his and the Group's sound.

[Orbert]

I have a little trouble with this one.  I like some kinds of jazz, but I swear, sometimes "real" jazz apparently means wailing and wailing without any regard for what the rest of the band is even playing.  The comparison to Coltrane is fitting.  I've never understood what people like about that guy.  I don't hear anything resembling a melody.  I just hear someone wailing and wailing without any regard for what the rest of the band is playing.  What key is he even playing in?  Doesn't matter.  What song is this?  Doesn't matter.  He's just wailing for several minutes.  Deal with it.

Sometimes.  And then, as you said, there are also some very, very beautiful passages.

[Fritzinger]

I have a little trouble with this one.  I like some kinds of jazz, but I swear, sometimes "real" jazz apparently means wailing and wailing without any regard for what the rest of the band is even playing.  The comparison to Coltrane is fitting.  I've never understood what people like about that guy.  I don't hear anything resembling a melody.  I just hear someone wailing and wailing without any regard for what the rest of the band is playing.  What key is he even playing in?  Doesn't matter.  What song is this?  Doesn't matter.  He's just wailing for several minutes.  Deal with it.

Sometimes.  And then, as you said, there are also some very, very beautiful passages.

I'm not the biggest Coltrane fan either. But when I heard A Love Supreme for the first time I was speechless. And I still am whenever I hear it now.

[darkshade]

I think even big jazz fans have trouble with later Coltrane, as his playing became very 'out there' and I believe was supplemented with LSD and a spiritual awakening,
but honestly his playing with Miles Davis and on his earlier albums is butter to me. You can't deny his or anyone's playing on Kind of Blue, for example.
There are "exercises" to be found sometimes, like on Coltrane's album Giant Steps, but the melodies are still very much important in those tunes. Pat did a cover of the tune Giant Steps on his Trio 99->00 album.

[darkshade]

Moving along...

Pat Metheny & Lyle Mays - As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls (1981)


One of my favorite albums by these guys, and an unofficial Pat Metheny Group album. Though billed as a duet, this is really a trio recording, with Naná Vasconcelos providing drums, percussion, and vocals. Pat overdubs bass along with guitar and Lyle is of course on piano, synths, and keyboards.

Opening with the 20+ minute epic title track, this tune moves from soundscapes, to strange electronic sounding percussion breaks, to droning guitar, to light airy keyboards, climaxing when the drums come crashing in while the main theme is played on top, with a beautiful ambient "coda" full of lush keyboards. That's Lyle counting those numbers there.
The rest of the album moves like a PMG album, and my favorite tune on the album is It's For You, an inspiring piece, with one of Pat' best guitar solos. September Fifteenth is also an emotional number, dedicated to the late Bill Evans (the one who played with Miles Davis, not the one who played with the band Elements, Mark Egan's band formed after getting kicked out of the PMG.) who passed during the making of this album. Naná Vasconcelos would go on to join the PMG for a couple of album after this.

[Skeever]

I think even big jazz fans have trouble with later Coltrane, as his playing became very 'out there' and I believe was supplemented with LSD and a spiritual awakening,
but honestly his playing with Miles Davis and on his earlier albums is butter to me. You can't deny his or anyone's playing on Kind of Blue, for example.
There are "exercises" to be found sometimes, like on Coltrane's album Giant Steps, but the melodies are still very much important in those tunes. Pat did a cover of the tune Giant Steps on his Trio 99->00 album.

Yeah, this is what I'd say. Kind of Blue and Blue Train are definitely albums to check out.

[darkshade]

I think even big jazz fans have trouble with later Coltrane, as his playing became very 'out there' and I believe was supplemented with LSD and a spiritual awakening,
but honestly his playing with Miles Davis and on his earlier albums is butter to me. You can't deny his or anyone's playing on Kind of Blue, for example.
There are "exercises" to be found sometimes, like on Coltrane's album Giant Steps, but the melodies are still very much important in those tunes. Pat did a cover of the tune Giant Steps on his Trio 99->00 album.

Yeah, this is what I'd say. Kind of Blue and Blue Train are definitely albums to check out.

For sure. Also, Round About Midnight and any of the 4 Prestige albums with Miles recorded to end the trumpeter's contract with the record label.
A Love Supreme is also seen as the bridge between Coltrane's earlier work and his later "out there" work, and is one of the most popular jazz albums besides Kind of Blue.

[darkshade]

More words on As Falls Witchita, a couple of 40th Anniversary retrospectives.

https://artsfuse.org/227188/arts-remembrance-at-40-pat-metheny-and-lyle-mays-as-falls-wichita-so-falls-wichita-falls-still-enthralls/

https://www.jazzviews.net/pat-metheny--lyle-mays---as-falls-wichita-so-falls-wichita-falls.html

[darkshade]

Pat Metheny Group - Offramp (1982)



Only the 3rd official Pat Metheny Group album, and compared to the first 2 albums, this is like a new band, even if the only main difference in lineup is the bassist and one additional member. Steve Rodby joins on bass, and has remained with the Group since, as well being Pat's main producer on most of his albums since the 90s. Though his style is more reserved than Mark Egan's, I think it fits quite well in the band and makes the band sound more timeless. Also joining the band is Naná Vasconcelos who performed with Pat and Lyle on the previous album, As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls. He is a big reason for the change in the Group's sound. Naná bring exotic flavors and his Brazilian influence into the band's sound, while at the same time, Pat and Lyle have evolved since American Garage, with Lyle more involved in synthesizers and Pat bringing in synth guitar as well as both using Synclavier technology for the first time. The writing is also changed, sounds more mature, unlike efforts prior which were sometimes aimless or overly busy sounding; and of course less Americana sounding and more Brazilian-influenced and esoteric sounding in spots, like on the title track, which sticks out like a sore thumb on this album.

The first two tracks invite you in, and the album goes through a range of emotions that few bands are able to accomplish. Compared to other PMG albums, this one is a little more laid back, and I like to put this one on in the very late-late afternoon on a nice day when the sun is beginning to set, to unwind from the day. It has that relaxing vibe to me (except the title track, lol, I used to skip that one A LOT back in the day, but now I leave it when it comes on, it's grown on me.)

Overall this is one of my favorites, and one of the earliest Pat Metheny albums I checked out back in my teens when I only knew one or two other albums. The first album I ever heard was Jim Hall & Pat Metheny, then eventually I got The Way Up, then this album. That was probably in the span of 2 years though, I didn't desire to hear everything right away. Pat's music has a way of creeping up on you. Before you know it, you want to hear every note he and Lyle ever played, all the side projects of other PMG members or others Pat played with, etc... At least that's how it worked out over time for me.

[ReaperKK]

Took a listen to this album again and I've definitely warmed up to the album, I'm still not a big fan of Barcarole but I did enjoy this album.

[darkshade]

Pat Metheny Group - Travels (1983)


The Group's first live album, released in 1983. Recorded throughout 1982 with the same lineup as the one on Offramp, this live album is not like most live albums from most bands. While there are certainly new renditions of older songs, there is quite a bit of new material here as well. 7 out of the 12 tunes featured here are previously unreleased tunes, so this is not to be skipped. I really like all of them, but Farmer's Trust, Extradition, and the title track are my favorites. The title track has a gorgeous melody. Straight on Red has some cool poly-rhythm thing going on during the main melody. There is a lot of exotic percussion on this album, and this is the first Pat Metheny Group album to feature extensive lead vocals by Nana Vasconcelos.

The older songs are all great, and some might say they're better than their original recordings. Are You Going With Me has Pat really shredding on the guitar like a mad man. I don't know why, but I prefer this version of Phase Dance over the original from the self titled debut. The Goin' Ahead/Witchita Falls combo is really exciting, and it's great to hear the actual group play that piece. San Lorenzo closes out the album, and really features more dynamics than the original recording. The audience is really into it on this version. Sadly, this would be the last album to feature Nana and original PMG drummer Danny Gotlieb, but Danny continued playing with former PMG bassist Mark Egan (from the first 2 PMG albums) in the band Elements.

Took a listen to this album again and I've definitely warmed up to the album, I'm still not a big fan of Barcarole but I did enjoy this album.

What do you think of the title track?

[Orbert]

I love a good live album, and this one is no exception.  The ones that are previously unreleased sound great... actually it all sounds great.  Jazz, to me, is best when it's performed live, so this is where it's at.  Even on studio recordings, I prefer things as "live" as possible.  Single take if possible, minimal (or no) overdubs.  The only thing "studio" about it would be that it's recorded in a controlled environment, and possibly after a few takes.

Anyway, I love this one.

[ReaperKK]

Pat Metheny Group - Travels (1983)


The Group's first live album, released in 1983. Recorded throughout 1982 with the same lineup as the one on Offramp, this live album is not like most live albums from most bands. While there are certainly new renditions of older songs, there is quite a bit of new material here as well. 7 out of the 12 tunes featured here are previously unreleased tunes, so this is not to be skipped. I really like all of them, but Farmer's Trust, Extradition, and the title track are my favorites. The title track has a gorgeous melody. Straight on Red has some cool poly-rhythm thing going on during the main melody. There is a lot of exotic percussion on this album, and this is the first Pat Metheny Group album to feature extensive lead vocals by Nana Vasconcelos.

The older songs are all great, and some might say they're better than their original recordings. Are You Going With Me has Pat really shredding on the guitar like a mad man. I don't know why, but I prefer this version of Phase Dance over the original from the self titled debut. The Goin' Ahead/Witchita Falls combo is really exciting, and it's great to hear the actual group play that piece. San Lorenzo closes out the album, and really features more dynamics than the original recording. The audience is really into it on this version. Sadly, this would be the last album to feature Nana and original PMG drummer Danny Gotlieb, but Danny continued playing with former PMG bassist Mark Egan (from the first 2 PMG albums) in the band Elements.

Took a listen to this album again and I've definitely warmed up to the album, I'm still not a big fan of Barcarole but I did enjoy this album.

What do you think of the title track?

Probably my second least favorite. I'm actually listening to the album again right now though and it definitely grows with subsequent listens.

A bit unrelated but I saw that Pat is coming fairly close to where I live and thanks to this thread I'm going to try and go see him.

[darkshade]

That's pretty cool. I'm considering going to see him this year as well.
You don't like that first track, though. I just picture the sun setting in a wilderness environment and Pat's guitar sounds like an elephant blowing it's trunk. 

I love a good live album, and this one is no exception.  The ones that are previously unreleased sound great... actually it all sounds great.  Jazz, to me, is best when it's performed live, so this is where it's at.  Even on studio recordings, I prefer things as "live" as possible.  Single take if possible, minimal (or no) overdubs.  The only thing "studio" about it would be that it's recorded in a controlled environment, and possibly after a few takes.

Anyway, I love this one.

It is a good live album, but this is one of my least favorite PMG albums overall, at least from the 80s/early 90s era. Not because it's not good, since they have no bad albums, but I just like the other albums surrounding it more, and I had heard their live album "The Road To You" long before I heard Travels and the sound production is like night and day, Travels just being fine, good for the era, but TRTY production is stellar. The performances of course, as stated earlier, are great.
However, there is tons to enjoy.

[Orbert]

I guess I don't think that much about the production of live albums.  I mean yeah, it matters; a really bad mix or seriously muddy sound or clipping can ruin a good performance.  But having grown up on live albums with less-than-great production (Yessongs, ELP's Welcome Back..., Chicago at Carnegie Hall) it's always been about the playing.  I can listen "through" the bad production and hear the playing, as I said, as long as the sound isn't so horrible that I just can't listen.  Something about hearing a band play live in real time gives it the extra push, and for me adds a few points on whatever scale one might be using.

On studio albums, it's almost the opposite.  Since it's basically a given that the performances will be perfect, I want the sound to be perfect as well.  There are no excuses when it's a studio album.  Sometimes I listen to an album and think "You probably did five takes of this song, five tries to get the solo right, and this is what you put on the album?"

[darkshade]

I guess I don't think that much about the production of live albums.  I mean yeah, it matters; a really bad mix or seriously muddy sound or clipping can ruin a good performance.  But having grown up on live albums with less-than-great production (Yessongs, ELP's Welcome Back..., Chicago at Carnegie Hall) it's always been about the playing.  I can listen "through" the bad production and hear the playing, as I said, as long as the sound isn't so horrible that I just can't listen.  Something about hearing a band play live in real time gives it the extra push, and for me adds a few points on whatever scale one might be using.

On studio albums, it's almost the opposite.  Since it's basically a given that the performances will be perfect, I want the sound to be perfect as well.  There are no excuses when it's a studio album.  Sometimes I listen to an album and think "You probably did five takes of this song, five tries to get the solo right, and this is what you put on the album?"

I don't know if you've heard The Road To You, but it could have been recorded yesterday, even though it's 30 years old. Travels sounds good, but not as much. I mostly just don't care for the original content on the album as much as the albums before and after, though.

I've listened to hundreds of audience recordings by many bands, a lot of Phish recordings, and I judge a "live album" like the ones released by PMG differently than I would a general live recording or a soundboard / release of a band or artist's full concert. Zappa was the same way, releasing live albums with mostly all new material not on previous albums. When a band is putting out a live album with more than half the album being original material previously unreleased, I'm going to hold it to a higher standard (The Road To You also features a lot of original material)

I totally agree though, that I want to hear the band in a live setting, especially in Jazz, as that is the true sound of the band. Pretty sure (not 100%) there's overdubs on the PMG live albums, but if you listen to their raw recordings they sound amazing as well.

[Orbert]

When a band is putting out a live album with more than half the album being original material previously unreleased, I'm going to hold it to a higher standard

That's fair.  If the only official version of a song is on a live album, then in any meaningful context it's the version you use to compare with other songs.  Expanding on that, the album itself can be judged on its songs in the same way as you'd compare studio albums.  I hope that makes sense.  I guess I'm saying that because I put such emphasis on the musical performances on a live album, over the quality of the songs themselves, that I never step back and judge the songs at all.  That's weird.  I've never thought about it that way before.

And even more oddly, with Zappa I don't seem to have that problem.  Two of my first Zappa/Mothers albums were Roxy & Elsewhere, and Sheik Yerbouti.  A "live" album and a "studio" album theoretically, but in both cases blurring the line between more than once.  So with Frank I've come to think of his work as occurring almost in a third medium, set somewhere between live and studio.  And that brings up the question "how much does it really matter?"  Frank would take entire tracks from one song and put them on another song if he thought it sounded good.  If something musical that happened during a live recording works with some stuff recorded in the studio, he puts it together.

So anyway... with Travels I guess I'm so busy going "Fug yeah, live Metheny!" that I never notice if the songs aren't killer quality.  I'm easy to please.  Pretty much any live music, especially guys like Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays, is gonna sound great to me.

[darkshade]

Right. Zappa constantly blurred the lines between studio and live on every album pretty much after the first few Mothers albums. Roxy is a great example, a "live" album with 90% new material.

The great thing about any live recording from PMG (or Zappa) is every solo is played differently, and sometimes there's jams.

It's a shame there aren't more live albums by PMG or Pat himself. With PMG there's been more live videos than live albums, and the videos/DVDs never came with audio versions, unfortunately. Pat has technically never actually released a live album as a leader under his own name.

[Skeever]

I'm going through Pat's discography chronologically right now. So far I've listened to Pat Metheny Group, Bright Size Life, American Garage, and Watercolors. Oh, and From the Place. I would probably rank them like this: PMG, American Garage, BSL, From this Place, and Watercolors.

Any advice on how to move forward would be appreciated. I'm tempted to just keep working up chronologically, spending at least 5-10 listens with each record. But if there's any other way I should navigate his discography, that's cool and I'd consider that as well.

[darkshade]

I'm going through Pat's discography chronologically right now. So far I've listened to Pat Metheny Group, Bright Size Life, American Garage, and Watercolors. Oh, and From the Place. I would probably rank them like this: PMG, American Garage, BSL, From this Place, and Watercolors.

Any advice on how to move forward would be appreciated. I'm tempted to just keep working up chronologically, spending at least 5-10 listens with each record. But if there's any other way I should navigate his discography, that's cool and I'd consider that as well.

I think chronologically is cool until you reach 1993 or so, as his discography diverts in a million directions after that point, and he becomes involved in a multitude of different projects both within the scope of his own music as well as other artist's music/vision. Then there's all the guest appearances he's made over the years on other people's albums that are worth checking out. From This Place from 2020, is a return to form album for Pat. A lot of his other releases for the last 15 years are jazzier, solo recordings, duets, or full bands that are "clinical" sounding, especially any release from the 2010s.

I'd say all Pat Metheny Group albums with Lyle Mays (which is all of them) are worth checking out sooner than later. I think any album he's released or appeared on up until and including 1993 is essential. Jack DeJohnette's album "Parallel Realities" is a Pat album in all but name (and features Herbie Hancock, plus there's a live recording out there with these guys, plus Dave Holland on bass, which is also great) and if you like the Group albums, check out Lyle Mays' first two albums, they're Metheny-less PMG albums (Lyle co-wrote most of the Group's music along with Pat) and feature Bill Frisell, Marc Johnson, among others. Be sure to also check out Pat's own album "Secret Story" from '92, which has almost every former or then-current member of PMG on it, plus many other musicians, and is one of his most emotionally moving albums.

[darkshade]

Pat Metheny - Rejoicing (1984)
with Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins


Pat's 2nd foray into non-fusion jazz, bringing back Charlie Haden from 80/81, as well as drum legend Billy Higgins (who played with John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Herbie Hancock, Sonny Rollins, and many other jazz greats). This album is definitely jazzier, and more stripped down than Pat's current music at the time. Bluesier too, something we only had a taste of on 80/81. The first 5 cuts are all of a similar vibe, laid back jazzy playing with a lot of slick playing by Pat, and Haden and Higgins support his playing very well, really plays well to his style. The 2nd side begins with Story from a Stranger, which is one of those tunes that kind of sounds like a lost PMG tune, Pat's non-PMG albums always tend to have at least one or two tracks like that. Pat busts out the synth guitar for this one, but the song itself is more emotional than the previous tunes.

Then we get to the centerpiece song, if only because it's the longest and is the finale to the album... but it is quite dissonant for a while, has that kind of anxious feeling to it, even if it sounds like the band is playing around a major scale; between the synth guitar, Haden's chromatic bass playing, and Higgins' shuffling around of the beat, it is not some background music to throw on casually, and would be distracting if you tried. All ends well with a short, tranquil, ambient piece similar to how Offramp ends with The Bat pt 2, Waiting For An Answer, which I believe was performed live together with The Calling as one long piece (There is a live album with DeJohnette "Montreal 89", might be a radio broadcast bootleg, and they perform a lot of this music, but this lineup also performed live in '86 if you can find a recording)

Apparently, the recording and release of this album would motivate Pat in leaving the ECM label, due to disagreements on how albums should be recorded. Pat wanted more than 2-3 days to record and mix everything, which is the process ECM producer Manfred Eicher insisted on, almost a policy. Pat felt Rejoicing did not come out the way he wanted it to, both in sound and production. After this album, Pat would release only one more album under the ECM label before moving on to different record labels.

A strange album, but one that I like to throw on a lot, especially for the tracks other than The Calling, which I might skip sometimes. The rest of the album is superb early afternoon or late night chilling music.

[darkshade]

Moving right along here, feel free to discuss any album so far.

Pat Metheny Group - First Circle (1984)


Pat Metheny Group released their last album on ECM called "First Circle" and it's the beginning of a new era in Pat Metheny's and the Group's music.

First off, the band had hired a new drummer, Paul Wertico, as well as new multi-instrumentalist and singer Pedro Aznar to round off the quintet. To me, this is the classic PMG lineup, and many of the band's most famous songs came from this lineup, such as the title track on this album. This is the first album where we can hear vocals that play a more dominant role in the music than before in PMG, and the title track epitomizes this.

The album opens strangely though, but after that, we hear an almost thrash drum beat, followed by a waterfall of sounds, many never before heard on a Pat Metheny album. Colorful is a word to describe this era of the band. A big Brazilian influence in felt on this album and many more going forward. Then there are otherworldly things and mild psychedelia here and there. There is also the lovely If I Could, a more heartfelt piece. One of my favorite Pat albums, I'm a sucker for all these great melodies. There are tons of great melodies throughout this disc (except the first track, bleh.)

[ReaperKK]

Nothing to really add for me yet but I'm going to give First Circle and Rejoicing a listen tomorrow and report back.

[ReaperKK]

I ended up liking that Pat Metheny Group album so much I picked up a copy on vinyl:



Sounds fantastic on record.

[Orbert]

Nice!

[Max Kuehnau]

Moving right along here, feel free to discuss any album so far.

Pat Metheny Group - First Circle (1984)


Pat Metheny Group released their last album on ECM called "First Circle" and it's the beginning of a new era in Pat Metheny's and the Group's music.

First off, the band had hired a new drummer, Paul Wertico, as well as new multi-instrumentalist and singer Pedro Aznar to round off the quintet. To me, this is the classic PMG lineup, and many of the band's most famous songs came from this lineup, such as the title track on this album. This is the first album where we can hear vocals that play a more dominant role in the music than before in PMG, and the title track epitomizes this.

The album opens strangely though, but after that, we hear an almost thrash drum beat, followed by a waterfall of sounds, many never before heard on a Pat Metheny album. Colorful is a word to describe this era of the band. A big Brazilian influence in felt on this album and many more going forward. Then there are otherworldly things and mild psychedelia here and there. There is also the lovely If I Could, a more heartfelt piece. One of my favorite Pat albums, I'm a sucker for all these great melodies. There are tons of great melodies throughout this disc (except the first track, bleh.)

I love this album and I find Forward March hilariously funny.