| 1. San Lorenzo |
| 2. Phase Dance |
| 3. Jaco |
| 4. Aprilwind |
| 5. April Joy |
| 6. Lone Jack |
Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Japanese limited edition reissue of 1978 album, 24 carat gold disc packaged in a miniature LP sleeve. ECM Records. 2002.
When I first listened to "Offramp", I enjoyed it, but I didn't find it groundbreaking. Granted, the only records I had heard previous to it was "The Road To You", a fantastic live album by the Group and one of my favorites of theirs to this day, and "Imaginary Day", a broad and bold escape to another world. But I was still young and unaware, a 12-year-old kid who was looking for something along the lines of "The Roots of Coincidence" from "Day" or "Third Wind" on "The Road". Now, seven years later, I have heard almost every Group album and am determined to get my voice out on this fantastic band. Well, after "American Garage", I popped this in with the volume turned way up. Almost immediately, I forgot about any doubts regarding my opinion of this recording seven years ago. Ladies and gentleman, you are looking at the album cover of one of the greatest albums of one of the greatest bands in modern jazz history, and that's saying something. While the Group has never released a bad recording, at least not to this listener's ear, there are precious few albums that can be considered cornerstones, turning points, REVOLUTIONS in both the band's history and music history. "Offramp" is one of them.
After a three-year stint with Mark Egan on bass, Pat Metheny the bandleader decided that it was time for a change in direction, and, if you'll forgive me for being cornball, an offramp to go down that lead to a long and winding road of unlimited possibility. Mark Egan was replaced with the Joliet bass prodigy Steve Rodby, and the Brazilian percussionist extraordinaire Nana Vasconcelos was brought in as a "special guest". C'mon, let's be honest here: he should practically be a band member right from the get-go, as evidenced by the masterful percussion work and atmospheric wordless vocals on the haunting yet rousing opener "Barcarole".
I think the duet (it's really a trio) recording "As Falls Wichita" really helped Metheny and keyboardist and co-composer Lyle Mays focus and hone their musical maturity. Many of the orchestrations and textures from "Wichita" influenced the sounds on "Offramp", but the two are very different in their execution. For instance, it features the instrument that Metheny continues to use to this very day: the Synclavier guitar, a bold new innovation back in the day, and still quite effective today.
On the opening "Barcarole", we get Metheny's take on the Synclavier in action, backed by lush orchestrations, amazing percussion as said earlier, and a killer bass line, although very subtle (subtlety is an innate quality of Steve Rodby that makes him an indispensable bassist). Metheny programs it to sound like a trumpet, which might seem off-putting to some people, but to me, it makes the guitar sing like a power-house soul singer who reads Joseph Conrad. The exotic influences heat this album up, especially on the masterpiece...wait for it..."Are You Going With Me?". There is no denying the popularity behind this tune, and it is unquestionably justified. It starts slow, and builds and builds and builds with a harmonica synth solo from Mays and a sublime solo from Metheny, still considered to be one of, if not, his best, particularly to rock fans, I imagine. It has that staying power, conveying a beautiful love affair where the passion ensnares you into going places far beyond your wildest dreams. Believe the hype: it's a hallmark. Sadly, the follow-up "Au Lait" has long been overlooked by the Group and the fans. Don't dismiss for easy-listening at all, because "Au Lait"'s beauty isn't atmospheric for the sake of being atmospheric: It encourages you, the listener, to create your own experience. Let your mind wander when listening to that one, and don't be afraid to go where it takes you.
The next few tracks appear to be more conventional, but they too are grounded in deeply layered production, almost like a good New Wave record, which is evidenced on "Eighteen". I didn't care too much for this one at first, but it grew on me, much like "Airstream" on "American Garage". There are simply too many things going on to dismiss it as filler, and it will get you movin' and groovin'. However, it is the calm before the storm that is the title track, a ferocious, atonal free jazz slugfest where almost all musical convention is thrown out the window. But like its influence Ornette Coleman, the song "Offramp" is grounded in loosely-structured melody. If it wasn't, I couldn't stand it, but I really dig it, and hopefully, you will too. It was almost as if Metheny was saying, "Alright, guys, we did you a favor. Nana, Lyle and I wrote a tune that's 'pleasing to the ears' and 'relaxing'. Yeah, we gave you what you wanted. So allow us, good people, to kindly counter with an incendiary opus that is beneficial to the progression of our musical erudition. In other words, 'Kiss our grits, we're gonna go crazy'. Yeah.
Returning to conventional jazz form on "James" as a way of cooling off after "Offramp" was wise, and shows off just how versatile a band they are. This loving tribute to James Taylor has amazing solos, especially on Lyle's part, probably the best he's ever done. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and a great end at that, with "The Bat Part II", a gorgeous reworking of "The Bat" from Metheny's trad jazz album "80/81".
I'm sorry this review is so long, but not enough can be said about how fantastic this album is. It has held up so well because its spirit can be felt in every Group album that came afterwards. Sit back and enjoy the ride.
GRADE: A+
Normally, I don't have a problem with an artist trying to achieve a sound that is outside of the norm. The problem I have with Metheny's guitar synth is that it doesn't really contribute to the music at all. It just heightens the cheese-factor of the music. As a listener, I don't like having to hack my way through thick walls of molten mozzarella with a machete in order to recognize the greatness of the music. Plus, it detracts from his image as a great guitarist when the listener has trouble separating Metheney from Mays. The synth-disease isn't as bad on this album as it is on Secret Story, but I just don't see any reason for the infection at all. The title track especially promises to be one of the most musically interesting tracks on the CD, but the guitar synth just detracts from the material.
Overall, I guess what I'm saying is that I like to hear Metheny play in a more straight-ahead setting. Who wants to hear a guitar that sounds like a diseased brass instrument? Not me.
Other reviewers cover the specfics of this cd quite well so I will not. Instead, I will say that if you have ever wanted to sit down late in the evening, pour a glass of wine and just melt away this music is the vehicle for your escape. Hit the Off Ramp, down shift and enjoy the lovely ride off the highway.
It just raises the bar for good, modern music to an unseen height for me. I almost felt cheated, that this was released in '82, and it took me this long to hear this. It most reminds me of the kind of stuff one might hear in a soundtrack to a movie from Europe, or maybe the film Koyaanisqatsi(the one where they shoot various city scenes and speed it up to a near blur). It also reminds me of stuff like some the National Film Board of Canada vignettes shorts that used to be so much a part of Canadian consciousness. I'm not nearly versed enough in music and culture (I used to think that folk music was enough), but listening to album makes me feel like I'm in the right place, here in the city, stuck in some otherwise post-modern dreck. It suddenly all disappears, and then I'm back where I'm supposed to be, hearing music that most accurately describes the human experience from a true artist's perspective.
This album is regarded as one of his very best ,if not THE best Metheny's ever done,and rightly so...and bought to the fore the use of the guitar synth with its very unique sound,and range of possibilities.
There's not a lot I can say that hasn't already been said about this album,so here's a few thoughts.....
For me this album is at once dark,brooding,driven,other-worldly,almost psychedelic, yet gentle,light,sane,and utterly romantic..."Are you going with Me" contains the most rivetting, sensual, synth solo from Metheny,oozing a sense of space and time,with notes that are left hanging mid -air,the relentless build up to the musical climax....one almost gets the feeling that God has taken over...
"Au Lait" I find to be absolutely intriquing,I haven't quite made up my mind wether its haunting or romantic in its mood....but the opening few minutes or so remind me of a Priest giving a service in Latin,the last rites at a funeral,and as for the music,well I regard it as among the most brilliant examples yet of taking a simple phrase and spinning it out, but each time making it unique and with a depth of feeling.Pat and Lyle's playing is beautifully understated,and Nana's vocal effects reaches into your soul."Au Lait" makes me cry...
As for the title track...well... it cracks me up every time I hear it,its so wild and wacky....Metheny basicly goes awol with the synth guitar,a high octane Ornette Coleman inspired musical roller coaster that almost leaves you breathless at the end,but underpinning it all is a profound sense of structure, direction,and overall concept- it is truly amazing,and has to be heard to be believed.
Other reviewers have said more and said it much better than I have here,but be in no doubt Offramp is a truly mind blowing album,and is THE place to start if you are new to Metheny's music,and want a recommendation......if,on the otherhand, your a longtime fan,and if, for some unfathomable reason, you've NOT got this album,what the heck are you waiting for?....go and get it,light some candles,get a glass of wine and brace yourself for one hell of a trip!
Rating:10/10
Opening does just that and introduces the key structures & elements of the three parts. The upbeat work features one of many intricate guitar solos by Metheny. Drummer Antonio Sanchez drives Part One, with trumpeter Cuong Vu soloing late, along with outstanding interplay between Metheny & Mays.
On Part Two, close your eyes when Gregoire Maret is soloing on harmonica and you will visualize Toots Theilman, his playing is that good. Vu's voice especially complements the motif designed by Mays in Part Three.
Like a fine wine, the Pat Metheny Group has gotten better with age. The Way Up is nothing less than the band's masterpiece.
The long songs that dominate The Way Up are not compelling enough to hold interest even after repeated attempts. The first track, "Opening" is described in one of the many 5-star reviews as a song that "...combines everything Metheny has done over the years in one song..." I see that as an inherent problem with this recording - it's as if Metheny tries to throw in his entire post-ECM catalog; diffuse, distort and ratchet up the mix enough to achieve something new. Yes, Pat Metheny has earned the right to experiment but like it or not, any artist can end up a commodity and the road back, like the way up, can be a haul.
This is a must-have for all Metheny fans in my opinion.
There is not a drab track on this album, and Metheny is joined by an entirely new lineup of musicians: Lyle Mays (piano, autoharp, Oberheim synthesizer), Mark Egan (bass), and Dan Gottlieb (drums). The group really brought new life into the genre. The album starts off with "San Lorenzo", featuring some wonderful piano solos by Mays that will knock your socks off. "Phase Dance" is the most widely recognizable Metheny piece on here, with some great riffs by Pat threading throughout the piece. The track "Jaco" is not really very funky as one might expect, since it was a tribute to bassist Jaco Pastorius, but does show off Egan as a great bassist that knows how to groove to an upbeat. "Aprilwind" is a brief quiet piece that is fairly straightforward in the delivery department. "April Joy" features Pat gracing the guitar in a style we have all grown to love. And finally, "Lone Jack", a track that has a bop feel to it.
Most of the tracks on this release have gone on to become standards in their own right. This album soldified Metheny's place as a gifted composer with an outstanding mastery of his guitar-craft. This is certainly one of the most important contemporary jazz albums ever released. I can never seem to hear enough of it.
The Pat Metheny Group was just a blip on the radar of many of those following this new and exciting music when they burst onto the scene. The dynamic frontman was fresh off of his first two solo albums, having formed his new Group just one year earlier with his new friend and right-hand-man, keyboardist Lyle Mays. After touring extensively and relentlessly searching for that brand new sound, the salvation of these struggling musicians was finally found.
The Pat Metheny Group, or PMG as many fans affectionately call it, has skyrocketed up the path of success since then, but they started off skyrocketing. I've been a die-hard fan of the Group for years, but I was unfamiliar with their roots, so I decided to check this one out. I was stunned. Despite many brilliant albums since 1978, PMG's freshman debut has aged magnificently, remaining one of the finest albums they've ever recorded.
You can credit producer Manfred Eicher for helping to create on the mellow and atmospheric sound the Group has become known for, but the key to the album's success is the songwriting. The Group members were all in their early to mid 20s when this was made, but their musicianship and songcraft give them the characterization of Michelangelo. The buoyant opener "San Lorenzo" captures the happiness and passionate MO of their music, with a stark yet soulful piano solo by Mays that brings to mind the touch of Keith Jarrett. However, Mays holds his own and proves himself a force to be reckoned with. "Phase Dance" continues to expand on the Group's principle of melodic improv and not a single note is out of place.
The great guitarist Pat Metheny is still finding his voice, but for him, that's like saying he's ranked #2 as the greatest guitarist of all time. He is relentless in his creativity, reflecting his Missouri roots with country riffs on "Phase Dance", smoking the axe on the funky "Jaco" only to spread soothing calm one song later on the minstrel-like "April Wind".
Not everyone will appreciate this gem; the mellow yet loud drumming of Dan Gottlieb and the melody lines might convince some listeners that this is just Muzak, which it's not. If anything, it's a thinking man's Muzak: the paintbrush of musicianship engulfs the canvas to create something that ensnares your senses. The throbbing bass of Mark Egan, the guitars, the keyboards, the drums, everything is woven together to create an exquisite feeling of delight. I read a review of this album that said, "The music grows in interest with each listen." As the interest grows, the love grows too. I'm interested enough to hear it again and again.
GRADE: A+
Several weeks later, a friend approached me and said that Pat Metheny was appearing at a club called the Paradise and would I like to go see him? I replied, "Who's Pat Metheny?" His response was, "Don't worry about it, I know you'll like him." I thought, what the hey.
After we were seated at our table and a round or two of drinks were served, the stage lights came up and there was, at center stage, a guitar on a stand positioned at a 45 degree angle, waiting for a guitarist to approach it from behind, grasp its neck and begin playing it for all it was worth, which is just what happened when some floppy-haired performer bounced onto the stage, wearing another guitar over his back, accompanied by the other menbers of his band. The guitarist bent over the guitar on the stand and seconds later the first bars of Phase Dance were blasted from the speakers onstage.
My eyes widened. I said "That's the guy!!!" That was the night when I began to fully appreciate the artistry of Pat Metheny, his uncanny ability to wrest every ounce of emotion from a guitar, his ability to express every emotion from despair to elation using nothing but his fingers, strings and a geyser of talent.
That night, I went to a music store and bought all of the Pat Metheny Group albums I could find (there were no such things as CDs at that time) and began a journey of exploration into an area of jazz that widened my horizons to an entirely new level. Pat Metheny remains, to this day, the guitarist for whom I hold the utmost respect and in whose talent I stand in awe.
As far as albums are concerned, the Pat Metheny Group's first album comes out swinging for the knockout punch. Every song is strong, not a note is out of place. The simple quartet structure is a far cry from what we've come to expect from PMG (complex, flexible septet sets), but the music remains as tight and fresh as ever, even if it's from 1978. While you can make the argument that "Watercolors" was technically the first PMG debut (everyone on the disc except bassist Mark Egan peformed on that solid yet sometimes dwindling outing), this is where the key was in ignition and the engine was fired up.
It's a true rarity that artists can create something that cannot be classified except unto themselves: this band is one of them. The opening "San Lorenzo" moves fast and smooth, with a buoyant and captivating sense of happiness that came to define the Group's sound. Even though it's a little over 10 minutes long, it never feels that way, and is the coming-out party for a kid in the corner that nobody seems to notice: Lyle Mays. He absolutely shines, with firm support from the jaw-dropping Danny Gottlieb on drums. I prefer this version over the live version because this one has the stronger piano solo.
On the classic "Phase Dance", the guys settle into a comfortable groove, with some mean licks courtesy of Pat, and killer synth lines from Lyle that give this a futuristic touch. The overlooked "Jaco" shows Pat's wide-ranging interest in different styles of music, with a folkie opener that transitions beautifully into cool Steely Dan-esque funk. This tribute to the late and great Mr. Pastorius sadly seems to have been forgotten like its subject matter.
Despite some near-perfect music, the minstel-stylings of "Aprilwind" dwindle a bit, but within about 40 seconds, spectacular jazz chords abound and keep it from being a bit of a navelgazer. The transition to "April Joy", the first song Pat ever wrote by the way, has an atmospheric and Jaco-esque bass line backed up by haunting guitar that simultaneously evokes a frigid flurry and the sun peaking over budding trees on the horizon. "April Joy"'s opening section is nice, but contains an interlude that goes into a slow reprise of "Phase Dance". Either look on it as writer's block or genius. I'll take the latter.
Finally, "Lone Jack" foreshadows the brisk samba stylings the Group would later come to embrace in full force, and ends the album with a bang. If nothing else, listen to a bit of Pat's solo, then fast forward to about 4:07 in the song, where it's just piano and bass. You can thank me later.
n3ur010g1c gives "Pat Metheny Group" a 10...out of 10.3 (~97%)
Secondly, a lot of the little notes (the percussion, the cymbals) that did not come thru' in the original CD all came out beautifully. if you are a devotee of acoustic elements in jazz, you will be very much rewarded to be able to hear all these. and you said to yourself, "gee, i did not know they played those little notes before."
by the way, i already purchased the Letter from Home CD which has the same high quality results per this review.
"Travels" not only captures the brilliance of the band's songcraft and musicianship, it captures the illuminating spirit of their true home: live performances. They get the ball rolling no problem with a predictably incredible but nonetheless intoxicating rendition of "Are You Going With Me?", foreshadowing that song as a concert favorite. Of course, a lot of great covers are here, from the torrid "Goin Ahead-AFWSFWF" to a non-nonchalant "Phase Dance" (I prefer this one over the original), but it's the concert originals that are worth noting. I've never heard so many different styles of music all rolled into one with "The Fields, the Sky". Strumming folk, complex Latin percussion, roots rock, and of course, jazz, fit together like all the best sweets in one cookie. It does sound a little bit like a remixed "Ozark" from the Metheny-Mays duet "AFWSFWF", but it doesn't matter. You're so caught up in the beauty of it all that you refuse to draw any comparison, that is, until you're done listening. "Goodbye" is a bittersweet ballad in the spirit of "Mas Alla", which it obviously influenced, and it sometimes makes me wonder why percussionist/vocalist Nana Vasconcelos ever left the band in the first place. His idiosyncratic, almost Egyptian/calypso voice is a departure from Pedro Aznar and might make you feel awkward at first, but weirdness has beauty, too.
Speaking of which, the Brazilian stuff transitioned quite well from "Offramp" to this, as I found myself dancing about like a raving lunatic at the spectacular "Straight on Red". Lyle gives a solo for the ages on that one, as do Dan Gottlieb and Nana. Eat your hearts out, American high school marching bands! "Farmer's Trust" ends the first disc on a high note, as the chirping bird effect basically states, "Yes, guys. We know you're awesome."
One of the things I love most about this album is its ability to appeal to just about everyone, like the rockers with "Extradition". Pat's use of the synth guitar at this point was still relatively new, but he used to a more constructive effect back in the day, rather than today. Today, he solos on an electric guitar, has a little transition, then busts out with a synth guitar solo. Here, if he uses it, he uses it for the entire song, which is refreshing to me. The title track is an amazingly beautiful folkie ballad, and the torrid Brazilian cha-cha-cha "Song For Bilbao" just wrecks the joint. This was my first full exposure to the fan favorite "San Lorenzo", but I have heard bits and pieces of the original. I didn't hear many differences, and Lyle's piano solo dwindles a bit at the beginning, but gradually gathers steam. The transition from the opening melodies to the grooving "Red Baron"-sounding bassline will have you clicking your heels in blissful excitement. It definitely deserves to be called one of PMG's best. Oh, and the crowd...the crowd...wouldn't I have loved to be a part of that.
All in all, this one of PMG's classic albums, which is definitely saying something, and is a fitting farewell to drummer Dan Gottlieb and Nana. For all y'all newcomers, get this and "The Road to You". You'll be turned on just like I was. Thank you, PMG, for making music for the world.
n3ur010g1c gives PMG's "Travels" a 10...out of 10.
SKY!! to no availe.The only cut they play today from this albun is SONG FOR BILBAO. I would love to hear the former cut in concert and would love even more to see this album/cd on a dvd.
I highly recommend this to any Pat Metheny group fan or anyone who loves jazz-fusion.
James
This recording is underrated and filled with so much subtlety that the point would be missed by many. Contained here is recording that contains some excellent pieces which are melodic, but effectively convey a vibe, with excellent soloing and arrangements.
Pat's displays a virtuosity in his playing without running away with himself. This recording's influence is world beat. First class world beat seamless woven throught the Mays/Metheny conciousness.
"Have You Heard" is simply one of the best pieces the group has composed and performed. It has aged well over the years. It has one of Pat's very best solos and some impressive vocal work by Pedro Aznar who holds an impossibly long note toward the end. Pedro has to perform these difficult octave leaps throughout and he does so in good voice.
"Spring Ain't Here is one of the pieces where the subtlety factor comes in. Pat's solo here is excellent. His he so beautifully embellishes the melody and also makes great use of space. This one has an intangible element for me that I can't lend words to. It so effectively conjures not a relaxed mood as more an introspective inspiration.
45/8 is this short little piece that so effectively conveys a South American feel that you wish that it had been much longer just to see what they would've done with it.
5-5-7 is also is also another elegant piece which has an arrangment anchored by Steve Rodby's amazing bass playing which fuels Metheny's imagination throughout. Pat's lead here is remarkable.
"Are We There Yet/Vidala" is amazing the way they tie a modern electric piece to a folkloric and plaintive piece. They do this seamlessly and to perfection. "Are We There Yet" is for you Guitar Synth fans of Pat's. The interplay between Pat and Lyle is if full force here. It's one of those quirky pieces whose pacing makes it somewhat unique. The segue portion is ethereal.
"Dream of the Return" is unique in that Pat rarely features a vocal with words. Aznar is the composer of these lyrics and they are thankfully, thoughtful. Good lyrics are hard to come by and often in instances where instrumental groups attempt them, they usually are pretty goofy. Not in this case though. This one has that patented tension and releast thing that the group does so well. A moving piece of music.
My one complaint is that Pat tends to use the vocables a tad too much on certain songs like "Better Days Ahead" and "Every Summer Night" a bit too much, when the pieces don't need them at all. Pedro Aznar is a talented multi-instrumentalist. Perhaps one of these other talents could've been lent to these same pieces. He has a very good voice, but there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.
The group showed yet another fact of themselves and of a particular aspect of their exploration of world-beat themes. This one different than the preceding "Still Life (Talking)" and "First Circle" both of which are excellent, which embraced similar but distinct themes.
The 1985 grammy award winning title song "First Circle" is still one of the greatest hidden secrets in the music world.....
I also am fully aware that he is a musical giant especially as an arranger, band leader and explorer of different styles.
The music is pleasant but nothing knocks my socks off except...
The last song "Praise" is a stunningly beautiful song. I saw Metheny circa 1985-1986 and he played it full knowing how beautiful of a composition it was. It worked very well as an encore, show closer. The cd is worth the price just for that 4-5 minutes of utter joy.
The PMG has gotten to a point where record labels mean nothing anymore. The ECM record label has always had a trademark for dishing out raw, cold, Nordic jazz-fusion, complete with "Anno's Counting Book"-ish album covers. It's a label with masters on it to be sure, but PMG has finally said: "Let the falcon go."
Like "Offramp", "First Circle" has the band getting a complete facelift. Dan Gottlieb is gone and has been replaced with the equally talented Paul Wertico, and percussionist extraordinare Nana Vasconcelos leaves the shoes for Argentinan multi-instrumentalist Pedro Aznar to fill. Unlike Nana, whose voice provided haunting ambience rather than poppish stage presence, Aznar comes out swinging, proving full well that he can sing his booty off.
One of the great things about this album is the variety, and the band's control over their own style. The ridiculous opener "Forward March" is a dead-on parody of inept high school marching bands, and can afford to be skipped if you want to get down to the meat of this steak. It's obviously Pat's way of saying that the metal in his mouth didn't blend well with the Satchmo-a-bob back in middle school. Then comes the effervescent "Yolanda You Learn", a space-aged Charleston/new wave jazz/hand-clapping/toes-tapping slugfest. After 22 listens on my iPod, almost all in a row, it has become one of my favorite PMG songs. I heard about it getting plenty of videoplay on MTV back in the '80s, and I kind of wish I was alive to have seen it. I heard it was very impressionistic, kind of like those Charles Schwab commercials with the rotoscoping animation. How cool is that?
Yet here comes another inevitable comparison to "Offramp": it has a track that becomes every fan's favorite. "Are You Going With Me?" was the highlight of "'Ramp", and the title track is the highlight of this. However, I'm surprised at this opinion of a lot of people: "'First Circle' is the only good song on this. Everything else is just filler." The title track is by all means a classic, but come on, people. There are plenty of great songs to be had here. Besides, unlike the live version on the band's second live album, "The Road To You", Pedro Aznar almost sounds like he's running out of gas in the middle of the tune. I do love the overdubbed vocals, though, something the live version didn't have. Next up is "If I Could", a sweet jazz ballad in the tradition of Pat's more hardcore jazz albums. Like I said, the variety here is amazing.
You can hear how many of PMG's later albums borrowed so many elements from this. The tense and swingin' avant-jazz of "Tell It All" was obviously influential on later tense and swingin' avant-jazz PMG songs like "Proof" and "Place in the World" from "Speaking of Now". That's what makes "Tell It All" such a special song, and the perfect newcomer avant-jazz epic: it's surprisingly catchy, rhapsodic, and metaphysically complex. You don't get that with a lot of those types of songs, and I love the glockenspiels/bells in the beginning and end: "Da-dum. Da-da. Da-dum. Da-da. Dum-dum. Da, da-da!" Ha ha! By the way, I'm lovin' Lyle's solo on that one.
The eclecticism of this stunning album hits its peak with "End of the Game", a smooth, funky jazzer where Pat does a great job at improvising, and just when you think the song resolves when the cadens come in, it doesn't. It almost feels like a lounge you'd hear on a space station. Unlike some efforts, it rarely seems like Pat is taking up all the solos here: he's taking a lot, but he's also letting everybody take form, including the amazing Steve Rodby, a perpetually humble yet supple bassist. Aznar is showcased brilliantly, and sings his fanny off on one of the most heartfelt ballads I've ever heard, "Mas Alla (Beyond)". I read the translation of the poetry, and it's deep, man. Aznar is not only a great musician and singer, he's a poet with a heart of gold. Finally, the poppish "Praise" will have you praising this amazing masterwork for a long time.
Music fans everywhere, if you're just now being exposed to PMG, have this be the first album you pick up. It is one of their most accessible recordings, yet requires you to listen multiple times to hear all the great things that are going on. Catch the fever.
n3ur010g1c gives PMG's "First Circle" a 10...out of 10.
You really have to view this album as a whole work. It really takes you on a journey....
I love Forward March. I can't imagine someone having the kahunas to put that on the record, let alone as the opening track. But, PMG did.
PMG was going through some changes, Danny Gottlieb was gone, as was Mark Egan. Steve Rodby and Paul Wertico stepped in without missing a beat. In fact, I think the group really came together in a new way when Rodby and Wertico came aboard. And of course, Pedro Aznar joined at this time. What an amazing voice. Absolutely perfect for this music.
Metheny had displayed the influence of South American music, but with this recording it really came to the forefront. The spirit of Nasciemento is evident here.
Pedro rejoined Metheny Group for Letter from Home, which was also excellent.
Shawn
The recording starts out with one of the essential Metheny/Mays pieces, "Have You Heard?". The solos and passages are faithful to the original but really no real surprises except for a slightly different feel due to the live environ.
"First Circle" is one of their masterpieces and an album highlight. Again done very true to form. Just beautiful and this one should be left alone because this piece is unique in it's scope, vision and beauty. Lyle takes his solo in excellent form.
"Last Train Home" was actually better than the studio version that was done in "Still Life (Talking)". That feel, that attracted you to this piece in the first place is much more urgent here. Aznar provides a subtle vocal embellishment and you feel the plaintive, wistfulness of the piece. Steve Rodby's bass is essential to this.
"Better Days Ahead" - This version is much better than in "Letter From Home". Paul Wertico's backbeat, Lyle's piano solo and Pat's guitar solos are more expressive and frankly better than in the original. I find myself skipping the original version in "Letter From Home" but listing to this one with much more interest
"Third Wind" - done very nicely with a bit of a different feel since Pedro is a different kind of vocalist than Ledford and Blamires. His tones rounder and so the vocal sections not quite with that edge when he hits that loooonnnnnggggggg note. The group interplay is excellent coming off the break. They really cook.
Very nice live recording.
Since that time, one has to pick Metheny's albums carefully. There seems to be drive, which one guesses is an occupational hazard among popular jazz musicians, to prove to your contemporaries that you indeed are "artistic" and a deadly serious creative type. After all, no one wants to be regarded as another Kenny G. What comes out is this earnest, edgy stuff appreciated by aficionados of "deep jazz"--otherwise known as "pure music". Whatever the effect these immersions have on peer respectability, they sell very few records. They also have the lethal effect of persuading the general public that jazz is not for them.
Fortunately, THE ROAD TO YOU has none of impulses to bow to the jazz elite. This is an excellent record full of the most loved pieces in the Metheny catalogue. The live performances and the mixing are about all you could ask for given the recording art of the time. THE ROAD TO YOU is also absent any traces of one of Metheny's favorite guitar-synth sounds I lovingly call "the raging elephant". There have been several great Metheny albums since this recording and he continues to draw an ever larger fan base. But you could do much worse than starting here. It any so bad for us long time fans either.
Other superb Metheny albums to explore:
As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls
Letter from Home
Offramp
First Circle
80/81
Travels
Speaking of Now
The Way Up
I've been listening to Pat for about 20 years now.....I'm 40 so thats half of my life....... I've seen him in several concerts and also had the pleasure of meeting him in NY at J&R Music World where I got his Autograph! I wish that I weren't nervous because I would have hugged him..... I did shake his though.
He's the only musician the I can say I LOVE. His music reaches my soul like no other.....period.
From where Metheny and his group members,
(of a common soul, I'd almost swear,
playing different tools from the same heart
with different fingers) take me and took
European audiences on this album,
I would have titled it "Levitation."
Music, well composed and performed, built
and played with care, love, creativity
and talent, takes me places that approach
ecstatic.
With this work on the audiograph I am
transported places VERY few other musicians
have ever taken me close to, in any genre.
I can only compare it to feeling lifted up
and floating, being held aloft--levitated--
by Pat's group, working together so tightly
while flowing, like liquid, over and through
the songs' melodies, arrangements, rhythms.
Listening, right now, to this CD's version of
the Metheny-Mays standard "First Circle."
Am in the clouds! Think it's just my opinion?
Listen to the crowd! Damn!
Those big, blocky Mays chords.
Buy the album. Put it in a car's player.
Turn it up!!! You will thank me.
You will thank those 6 guys.
You won't want to get where you're going.
Lee
If you haven't seen this man live, do yourself a favor and catch him in concert. You will have a new appreciation for him and these songs, as virtually all of them (Minuano, So May It Secretly Begin, and the moving Last Train Home especially) are part of a PMG setlist. Without sounding like a major "Stan", I'll tell you that SLT is a must purchase for music enthusiasts. It's also a great driving cd, which not a lot of jazz is. Turn it up!
I wrote this because the two exceptions to this slight disappointment are "Distance" and "In Her Family", and I've not found a reviewer who has mentioned what genius they are. 'Distance', could only come from the mind of Lyle Mays, for anyone who has ever heard his brilliant solo music. It's dark and haunting atonally, in a way that those words can't possibly begin to describe, and 'Distance' brings up heartbreaking vibes that I've never heard before. It literally could have been part of the soundtrack to 'The Sixth Sense' in it's darkly moving, stately grace. Chilling is the word for it. 'Distance' leaves me speechless (which is saying a LOT!). The duo of it, which segues into 'In Her Family', can only conjure up one image or feeling - overwhelming loss. The title, to me, relates something very sad, like 'something' tragic runs 'in her family', like cancer, or suicide, or some other horrible affliction. I don't know whose title it is (Pat's or Lyle's), or what the inspiration for the song was, but you almost don't need to know much, just look at the title and listen to the song, and it informs you in a way that lyrics perhaps could not have. If you have lost a loved one, to death, as I have recently, (or on a much minor level, breaking up with a loved one), I defy anyone to listen to these two songs together alone, and not break down. Once the orchestra and cymbal swells at the bridge of 'Family' wash over you in hope, but return to the anguished, child-like melody of absolute crushing solitude, you can really only sit there in your chair, frozen in despair, for a few minutes. PMG accomplishes this like no other artists I know, along with 'The Bat, Part II' (from 'Offramp'). What is it with these guys and the last songs on their CD's? They're as beautiful as any hymns I've heard. There are no more perfect endings to their albums.
So, the other tunes on Still Life (Talking)' are entertaining, crowd-pleasing, mood-brightening, typically reflective pieces (and perhaps, too familiar) that PMG does so well. But nobody does haunting and touching like they do in the last six, or so, minutes of this album. "Distance" is chilling, "In Her Family" is loss.
That said, I love everything else about this work from the melodic lines, to the soloing and the harmonic progressions. All of which are top notch as far as progressive jazz is concerned. The problem consistantly lies with the groups obsession with quietudes! Well sirenity is fine if you're some kind of new age zombie that wants to meditate until you become one with the great void. However, if you're like most folks that still get excited about experiencing life on this side of the River Styx then this is nothing more than glorified elevator music.
Inspite of all I have said so far, this remains one of the groups livelier albums second only to "First Circle", which should give you a clear indicator as to how dead and boring the rest of their stuff is.
It's a real shame because the compositions here have some real great potential. If only these tunes could have been played by any other group then maybe they would have stood a chance of coming to life. There seems to be a South American if not Brazilian feel to most of the compositions which I normally find a delightful combination when fused with jazz. The problem lies in the groups overuse of REVERB, REVERB, REVERB!
And don't forget those electronic keyboards of Lyle Mayes! While many PMG fans will claim that Lyle is some sort of keyboard genius, I attribute the majority New Age feel to this girly man on keyboards. Just imagine the spaced out reverberated cosmic sound of the electronic keyboards on any New Age meditation CD and you'll get the idea. Lyle's contribution alone is enough to suck the life out of even the firiest Salsa, Bossa Nova, or Samba.
Three stars for good compositions but the lack of energy makes me say pass on this one. My advice to you is to go get some Rippingtons.
It's not that "American Garage" is a bad album. In fact, it's quite good, and there are some tracks in its surprisingly short selection that have withstood the test of time despite the somewhat dated production. But the history behind this album is rooted in contention. Metheny has repeatedly remarked that this is his least favorite album that he's ever made with the Group: it was too commercial and the collaborative writing with his partner-in-benevolent-crime ('cause it's almost a crime that he's so good), keyboarding prodigy Lyle Mays, lacked focus and direction. Also, the lineup changes that were made shortly afterwards, such as the replacement of borderline Jaco Pastorius imitator Mark Egan, reflect perhaps a sense of falling out from within.
You can't blame them for wanting to make an effort to reach out to a mass audience, which seems to be the case judging from its heavy emphasis on rock 'n' roll. I mean, come on, their first record is a classic, and they HAD to capitalize on a follow-up. Despite Metheny's complaints, this is an album that is worth the listen. It opens up with a jazz/roots rocker "(Cross the) Heartland", a strong jazz-rocker, riddled with complex rhythms and rousing piano and synths. I'm not gonna lie, and I know that PMG is referred to as "great music to listen to while driving", but "Heartland" fits that bill quite nicely. Its follow-up "Airstream" is a favorite of Metheny's, and even though I hated it at first, it has definitely grown on me with repeated listening. It's refreshing to hear an early Mays establish a balance between left and right-hand playing (he returns to right-hand dependency on the soothing yet somewhat dwindling "The Search"), and the tune of the song almost sounds like "After the Love Has Gone" by Earth, Wind, and Fire.
The title track is a rowdy, freewheeling, almost gospel-rocker, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I don't think I've heard the band be this loose before. You can even hear some cries of almost frat-boy delight as Metheny lets loose on the axe, and sometimes I could just picture all of them standing in front of a giant American flag. The final piece "The Epic" is certainly what it is, a 13-minute long jam that goes from atmospheric post-bop jazz to hot samba back to atmospheric post-bop jazz to pop to hot samba and then Springsteen-esque rock. It's all over the place, and while parts of it are certainly enjoyable, particularly Mays's and Metheny's smoking hot solos in the samba section, I think this and "The Search" were what Metheny was talking about when he meant a lack of focus. Nevertheless, they're still very strong tunes, and I think Metheny doesn't give himself enough credit. "American Garage" is a entertaining romp that sees the Group let their hair down a little bit, if you get my drift. I wouldn't call it essential, but I wouldn't pass it up, either. It's a bunch of virtuosos having some good fun, and that's an American way.
GRADE: B+
Oh, by the way, I'm sick of people calling the Pat Metheny Group's music "Weather Channel music". I know music is a matter of personal taste, but calling it that undermines their musical virtuosity. Muzak helped destroy the public's perception of the great American art of jazz.
GRADE FOR MUZAK: D- (salvaged from "F" because at least they recognize Kenny G as their posterboy.)
Far from dreary, AMERICAN GARAGE sings of joy and provides much to interest upon repeated listening. Metheny would go on to be a small jazz industry in himself in succeeding years and his musical vocabulary would expand--sometimes not for the better. Nevertheless, this is the perfect marriage of electric guitar and keyboards many still seek today. Only five cuts; but pleasing and intelligent all the same.
Japanese limited edition reissue of 1978 album, 24 carat gold disc packaged in a miniature LP sleeve. ECM Records. 2002.
Pat Metheny Group,Pat Metheny,Ecm,Jazz
Average customer rating: 
|
Offramp
Pat Metheny Group Manufacturer: Ecm Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD  General
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Jazz Fusion
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Modern Postbebop
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Smooth Jazz
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
General
| Rock
| Styles
| Music
ECM Classical
| ECM Records
| Amazon.com Label Stores
| Stores
| Music
ECM Jazz & World
| ECM Records
| Amazon.com Label Stores
| Stores
| Music
Similar Items:
ASIN: B0000262LA Release Date: 1999-11-16 |
Tracks:
- Barcarole
- Are You Going With Me?
- Au Lait
- Eighteen
- Offramp
- James
- The Bat Part II
Amazon.com
This 1982 recording by the Pat Metheny Group represented a crossroads for the guitarist, a creative expansion from his original concept in terms of acoustic and electric instrumentation, folksy roots material and modern jazz influences, American and third world sources. Having thus marked out the territory for a decade's worth of experimentation and growth, the Metheny Group cemented its standing on the cutting edge of contemporary jazz with Offramp. Lyle Mays' harmonica-like synth theme, Metheny's soaring, vocalized synth-guitar lead, some rich orchestral touches, and an easygoing blend of backbeat and chord changes made "Are You Going with Me?" one of Metheny's most enduring arrangements. Still, for every gentle, alluring set piece, such as the tangolike "Au Lait" or the rural vistas of "James," there was a visceral, emotive free-for-all like the title track, where Metheny unleashed wild, wailing synth guitar elisions over a loose, abstract pulse--anticipating the energy of the guitarist's collaboration with free jazz guru Ornette Coleman some four years hence on Song X. --Chip Stern
Customer Reviews:
Perfect Turn.......2007-01-13
When I first listened to "Offramp", I enjoyed it, but I didn't find it groundbreaking. Granted, the only records I had heard previous to it was "The Road To You", a fantastic live album by the Group and one of my favorites of theirs to this day, and "Imaginary Day", a broad and bold escape to another world. But I was still young and unaware, a 12-year-old kid who was looking for something along the lines of "The Roots of Coincidence" from "Day" or "Third Wind" on "The Road". Now, seven years later, I have heard almost every Group album and am determined to get my voice out on this fantastic band. Well, after "American Garage", I popped this in with the volume turned way up. Almost immediately, I forgot about any doubts regarding my opinion of this recording seven years ago. Ladies and gentleman, you are looking at the album cover of one of the greatest albums of one of the greatest bands in modern jazz history, and that's saying something. While the Group has never released a bad recording, at least not to this listener's ear, there are precious few albums that can be considered cornerstones, turning points, REVOLUTIONS in both the band's history and music history. "Offramp" is one of them.
After a three-year stint with Mark Egan on bass, Pat Metheny the bandleader decided that it was time for a change in direction, and, if you'll forgive me for being cornball, an offramp to go down that lead to a long and winding road of unlimited possibility. Mark Egan was replaced with the Joliet bass prodigy Steve Rodby, and the Brazilian percussionist extraordinaire Nana Vasconcelos was brought in as a "special guest". C'mon, let's be honest here: he should practically be a band member right from the get-go, as evidenced by the masterful percussion work and atmospheric wordless vocals on the haunting yet rousing opener "Barcarole".
I think the duet (it's really a trio) recording "As Falls Wichita" really helped Metheny and keyboardist and co-composer Lyle Mays focus and hone their musical maturity. Many of the orchestrations and textures from "Wichita" influenced the sounds on "Offramp", but the two are very different in their execution. For instance, it features the instrument that Metheny continues to use to this very day: the Synclavier guitar, a bold new innovation back in the day, and still quite effective today.
On the opening "Barcarole", we get Metheny's take on the Synclavier in action, backed by lush orchestrations, amazing percussion as said earlier, and a killer bass line, although very subtle (subtlety is an innate quality of Steve Rodby that makes him an indispensable bassist). Metheny programs it to sound like a trumpet, which might seem off-putting to some people, but to me, it makes the guitar sing like a power-house soul singer who reads Joseph Conrad. The exotic influences heat this album up, especially on the masterpiece...wait for it..."Are You Going With Me?". There is no denying the popularity behind this tune, and it is unquestionably justified. It starts slow, and builds and builds and builds with a harmonica synth solo from Mays and a sublime solo from Metheny, still considered to be one of, if not, his best, particularly to rock fans, I imagine. It has that staying power, conveying a beautiful love affair where the passion ensnares you into going places far beyond your wildest dreams. Believe the hype: it's a hallmark. Sadly, the follow-up "Au Lait" has long been overlooked by the Group and the fans. Don't dismiss for easy-listening at all, because "Au Lait"'s beauty isn't atmospheric for the sake of being atmospheric: It encourages you, the listener, to create your own experience. Let your mind wander when listening to that one, and don't be afraid to go where it takes you.
The next few tracks appear to be more conventional, but they too are grounded in deeply layered production, almost like a good New Wave record, which is evidenced on "Eighteen". I didn't care too much for this one at first, but it grew on me, much like "Airstream" on "American Garage". There are simply too many things going on to dismiss it as filler, and it will get you movin' and groovin'. However, it is the calm before the storm that is the title track, a ferocious, atonal free jazz slugfest where almost all musical convention is thrown out the window. But like its influence Ornette Coleman, the song "Offramp" is grounded in loosely-structured melody. If it wasn't, I couldn't stand it, but I really dig it, and hopefully, you will too. It was almost as if Metheny was saying, "Alright, guys, we did you a favor. Nana, Lyle and I wrote a tune that's 'pleasing to the ears' and 'relaxing'. Yeah, we gave you what you wanted. So allow us, good people, to kindly counter with an incendiary opus that is beneficial to the progression of our musical erudition. In other words, 'Kiss our grits, we're gonna go crazy'. Yeah.
Returning to conventional jazz form on "James" as a way of cooling off after "Offramp" was wise, and shows off just how versatile a band they are. This loving tribute to James Taylor has amazing solos, especially on Lyle's part, probably the best he's ever done. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and a great end at that, with "The Bat Part II", a gorgeous reworking of "The Bat" from Metheny's trad jazz album "80/81".
I'm sorry this review is so long, but not enough can be said about how fantastic this album is. It has held up so well because its spirit can be felt in every Group album that came afterwards. Sit back and enjoy the ride.
GRADE: A+
Will the guitarist please stand up???.......2007-01-10
Normally, I don't have a problem with an artist trying to achieve a sound that is outside of the norm. The problem I have with Metheny's guitar synth is that it doesn't really contribute to the music at all. It just heightens the cheese-factor of the music. As a listener, I don't like having to hack my way through thick walls of molten mozzarella with a machete in order to recognize the greatness of the music. Plus, it detracts from his image as a great guitarist when the listener has trouble separating Metheney from Mays. The synth-disease isn't as bad on this album as it is on Secret Story, but I just don't see any reason for the infection at all. The title track especially promises to be one of the most musically interesting tracks on the CD, but the guitar synth just detracts from the material.
Overall, I guess what I'm saying is that I like to hear Metheny play in a more straight-ahead setting. Who wants to hear a guitar that sounds like a diseased brass instrument? Not me.
Proof that the music can transport you........2006-07-06
Other reviewers cover the specfics of this cd quite well so I will not. Instead, I will say that if you have ever wanted to sit down late in the evening, pour a glass of wine and just melt away this music is the vehicle for your escape. Hit the Off Ramp, down shift and enjoy the lovely ride off the highway.
mind-blowing music.......2006-04-25
It just raises the bar for good, modern music to an unseen height for me. I almost felt cheated, that this was released in '82, and it took me this long to hear this. It most reminds me of the kind of stuff one might hear in a soundtrack to a movie from Europe, or maybe the film Koyaanisqatsi(the one where they shoot various city scenes and speed it up to a near blur). It also reminds me of stuff like some the National Film Board of Canada vignettes shorts that used to be so much a part of Canadian consciousness. I'm not nearly versed enough in music and culture (I used to think that folk music was enough), but listening to album makes me feel like I'm in the right place, here in the city, stuck in some otherwise post-modern dreck. It suddenly all disappears, and then I'm back where I'm supposed to be, hearing music that most accurately describes the human experience from a true artist's perspective.
Pat Metheny's "Dark Side of the Moon".......2006-03-24
This album is regarded as one of his very best ,if not THE best Metheny's ever done,and rightly so...and bought to the fore the use of the guitar synth with its very unique sound,and range of possibilities.
There's not a lot I can say that hasn't already been said about this album,so here's a few thoughts.....
For me this album is at once dark,brooding,driven,other-worldly,almost psychedelic, yet gentle,light,sane,and utterly romantic..."Are you going with Me" contains the most rivetting, sensual, synth solo from Metheny,oozing a sense of space and time,with notes that are left hanging mid -air,the relentless build up to the musical climax....one almost gets the feeling that God has taken over...
"Au Lait" I find to be absolutely intriquing,I haven't quite made up my mind wether its haunting or romantic in its mood....but the opening few minutes or so remind me of a Priest giving a service in Latin,the last rites at a funeral,and as for the music,well I regard it as among the most brilliant examples yet of taking a simple phrase and spinning it out, but each time making it unique and with a depth of feeling.Pat and Lyle's playing is beautifully understated,and Nana's vocal effects reaches into your soul."Au Lait" makes me cry...
As for the title track...well... it cracks me up every time I hear it,its so wild and wacky....Metheny basicly goes awol with the synth guitar,a high octane Ornette Coleman inspired musical roller coaster that almost leaves you breathless at the end,but underpinning it all is a profound sense of structure, direction,and overall concept- it is truly amazing,and has to be heard to be believed.
Other reviewers have said more and said it much better than I have here,but be in no doubt Offramp is a truly mind blowing album,and is THE place to start if you are new to Metheny's music,and want a recommendation......if,on the otherhand, your a longtime fan,and if, for some unfathomable reason, you've NOT got this album,what the heck are you waiting for?....go and get it,light some candles,get a glass of wine and brace yourself for one hell of a trip!
Rating:10/10
Average customer rating: 
|
The Way Up
Pat Metheny Group , and Pat Metheny Manufacturer: Nonesuch ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
| Contemporary Folk
| Folk
| Styles
| Music
Avant Garde & Free Jazz
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
General
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Jazz Fusion
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Modern Postbebop
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Smooth Jazz
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
General
| Rock
| Styles
| Music
General
| Miscellaneous
| Styles
| Music
$8.99 and Under
| Blowout Music
| Stores
| Music
Rock
| Styles
| Blowout Music
| Stores
| Music
Jazz
| Styles
| Blowout Music
| Stores
| Music
All Blowout Music
| Blowout Music
| Stores
| Music
$8.99 and Under
| Prices
| Blowout Music
| Stores
| Music
More Titles at Least 25% Off
| Blowout Music
| Stores
| Music
Similar Items:
ASIN: B0006M4SO6 Release Date: 2005-01-25 |
Tracks:
- Opening
- Part 1
- Part 2
- Part 3
Amazon.com
For nearly 30 years, guitarist Pat Metheny and his longtime musical cohort, pianist/keyboardist Lyle Mays, have covered an incredible amount of diverse material. On their debut recording for this label, they and their international group--bassist Steve Rodby, Mexican drummer Antonio Sanchez, Vietnamese trumpeter Coung Vu, and the Swiss-born harmonica virtuoso Gregoire Maret--distill that diversity into a continuous 68-minute opus. The challenge here lies in sustaining the melodic narrative thread while keeping the sound of surprise. Thanks to Mays's evocative pianisms and Metheny's array of acoustic, electric, and synthesized guitars, the group pulls it off. For Metheny fans this disc contains elements of his most acclaimed recordings, from the straight-ahead swing of Question and Answer and the folk-fusion of Offramp, to the Afro-Latin tinges of We Live Here, the atonally adventurous Zero Tolerance for Silence, and the Asian impressionism of Secret Story. --Eugene Holley, Jr.Album Description
The Way Up represents, in the words of guitarist Pat Metheny himself, "our most ambitious undertaking ever as a group"-a single, brilliant 68-minute piece composed by Metheny and his collaborator of 28 years, Lyle Mays. Metheny has likened the creation of The Way Up to making a film, and in some respects, the album feels like a vividly rendered journey, its moods shifting like scenes glimpsed from a fast-moving vehicle.Customer Reviews:
The Way Back.......2007-06-12
Orchestral Maneuvers.......2007-02-22
Opening does just that and introduces the key structures & elements of the three parts. The upbeat work features one of many intricate guitar solos by Metheny. Drummer Antonio Sanchez drives Part One, with trumpeter Cuong Vu soloing late, along with outstanding interplay between Metheny & Mays.
On Part Two, close your eyes when Gregoire Maret is soloing on harmonica and you will visualize Toots Theilman, his playing is that good. Vu's voice especially complements the motif designed by Mays in Part Three.
Like a fine wine, the Pat Metheny Group has gotten better with age. The Way Up is nothing less than the band's masterpiece.
Transcending genre into pure music.......2006-09-21
Up and Out.......2006-09-06
The long songs that dominate The Way Up are not compelling enough to hold interest even after repeated attempts. The first track, "Opening" is described in one of the many 5-star reviews as a song that "...combines everything Metheny has done over the years in one song..." I see that as an inherent problem with this recording - it's as if Metheny tries to throw in his entire post-ECM catalog; diffuse, distort and ratchet up the mix enough to achieve something new. Yes, Pat Metheny has earned the right to experiment but like it or not, any artist can end up a commodity and the road back, like the way up, can be a haul.
The best PMG record since Imaginary Day - can't wait for the DVD!!.......2006-08-20
Average customer rating:
|
Pat Metheny Group
Pat Metheny Group Manufacturer: Ecm Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General
| Bebop
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
General
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Jazz Fusion
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Modern Postbebop
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Smooth Jazz
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
General
| Rock
| Styles
| Music
ECM Classical
| ECM Records
| Amazon.com Label Stores
| Stores
| Music
ECM Jazz & World
| ECM Records
| Amazon.com Label Stores
| Stores
| Music
Similar Items:
ASIN: B0000261NL Release Date: 2000-02-29 |
Tracks:
- San Lorenzo
- Phase Dance
- Jaco
- Aprilwind
- April Joy
- Lone Jack
Amazon.com essential recording
Having crisscrossed America to the tune of 250 to 300 one-nighters a year while getting their sound and repertoire together, the Pat Metheny Group struck gold with this self-titled jazz-fusion classic in 1978. All the familiar components that have defined their evolution over the last 20 years are in place on Pat Metheny Group: the leader's dark, reverberant electric guitar sound and graceful acoustic colorations; pianist Mays's blend of Presbyterian hymnbook major-chord hosannas, Bill Evans-styled minor mystery, and orchestral synthesizer effects; the rolling, cymbal-inflected groove of Dan Gottlieb; and the Jaco Pastorious-influenced melodic bass lines of Mark Egan. On "San Lorenzo" and "Phase Dance" the band defined their anthemic blend of electric jazz, progressive rock, and roots Americana, while the countrylike intro to "Jaco," the sublime acoustic romance of "April Wind" and the brisk jazz samba changes of "Lone Jack" (with the leader's jaunty, lightly echoed melodic lead) speak to Metheny's interest in a wide range of source material--with a commitment to both extended forms and the art of improvisation. --Chip SternCustomer Reviews:
My Favourite Metheny.......2007-01-12
This is a must-have for all Metheny fans in my opinion.
Musical bliss.......2007-01-07
There is not a drab track on this album, and Metheny is joined by an entirely new lineup of musicians: Lyle Mays (piano, autoharp, Oberheim synthesizer), Mark Egan (bass), and Dan Gottlieb (drums). The group really brought new life into the genre. The album starts off with "San Lorenzo", featuring some wonderful piano solos by Mays that will knock your socks off. "Phase Dance" is the most widely recognizable Metheny piece on here, with some great riffs by Pat threading throughout the piece. The track "Jaco" is not really very funky as one might expect, since it was a tribute to bassist Jaco Pastorius, but does show off Egan as a great bassist that knows how to groove to an upbeat. "Aprilwind" is a brief quiet piece that is fairly straightforward in the delivery department. "April Joy" features Pat gracing the guitar in a style we have all grown to love. And finally, "Lone Jack", a track that has a bop feel to it.
Most of the tracks on this release have gone on to become standards in their own right. This album soldified Metheny's place as a gifted composer with an outstanding mastery of his guitar-craft. This is certainly one of the most important contemporary jazz albums ever released. I can never seem to hear enough of it.
The One That Started it All..........2006-06-13
The Pat Metheny Group was just a blip on the radar of many of those following this new and exciting music when they burst onto the scene. The dynamic frontman was fresh off of his first two solo albums, having formed his new Group just one year earlier with his new friend and right-hand-man, keyboardist Lyle Mays. After touring extensively and relentlessly searching for that brand new sound, the salvation of these struggling musicians was finally found.
The Pat Metheny Group, or PMG as many fans affectionately call it, has skyrocketed up the path of success since then, but they started off skyrocketing. I've been a die-hard fan of the Group for years, but I was unfamiliar with their roots, so I decided to check this one out. I was stunned. Despite many brilliant albums since 1978, PMG's freshman debut has aged magnificently, remaining one of the finest albums they've ever recorded.
You can credit producer Manfred Eicher for helping to create on the mellow and atmospheric sound the Group has become known for, but the key to the album's success is the songwriting. The Group members were all in their early to mid 20s when this was made, but their musicianship and songcraft give them the characterization of Michelangelo. The buoyant opener "San Lorenzo" captures the happiness and passionate MO of their music, with a stark yet soulful piano solo by Mays that brings to mind the touch of Keith Jarrett. However, Mays holds his own and proves himself a force to be reckoned with. "Phase Dance" continues to expand on the Group's principle of melodic improv and not a single note is out of place.
The great guitarist Pat Metheny is still finding his voice, but for him, that's like saying he's ranked #2 as the greatest guitarist of all time. He is relentless in his creativity, reflecting his Missouri roots with country riffs on "Phase Dance", smoking the axe on the funky "Jaco" only to spread soothing calm one song later on the minstrel-like "April Wind".
Not everyone will appreciate this gem; the mellow yet loud drumming of Dan Gottlieb and the melody lines might convince some listeners that this is just Muzak, which it's not. If anything, it's a thinking man's Muzak: the paintbrush of musicianship engulfs the canvas to create something that ensnares your senses. The throbbing bass of Mark Egan, the guitars, the keyboards, the drums, everything is woven together to create an exquisite feeling of delight. I read a review of this album that said, "The music grows in interest with each listen." As the interest grows, the love grows too. I'm interested enough to hear it again and again.
GRADE: A+
Let me share a memory with you..........2006-04-26
Several weeks later, a friend approached me and said that Pat Metheny was appearing at a club called the Paradise and would I like to go see him? I replied, "Who's Pat Metheny?" His response was, "Don't worry about it, I know you'll like him." I thought, what the hey.
After we were seated at our table and a round or two of drinks were served, the stage lights came up and there was, at center stage, a guitar on a stand positioned at a 45 degree angle, waiting for a guitarist to approach it from behind, grasp its neck and begin playing it for all it was worth, which is just what happened when some floppy-haired performer bounced onto the stage, wearing another guitar over his back, accompanied by the other menbers of his band. The guitarist bent over the guitar on the stand and seconds later the first bars of Phase Dance were blasted from the speakers onstage.
My eyes widened. I said "That's the guy!!!" That was the night when I began to fully appreciate the artistry of Pat Metheny, his uncanny ability to wrest every ounce of emotion from a guitar, his ability to express every emotion from despair to elation using nothing but his fingers, strings and a geyser of talent.
That night, I went to a music store and bought all of the Pat Metheny Group albums I could find (there were no such things as CDs at that time) and began a journey of exploration into an area of jazz that widened my horizons to an entirely new level. Pat Metheny remains, to this day, the guitarist for whom I hold the utmost respect and in whose talent I stand in awe.
The White Album.......2006-04-20
As far as albums are concerned, the Pat Metheny Group's first album comes out swinging for the knockout punch. Every song is strong, not a note is out of place. The simple quartet structure is a far cry from what we've come to expect from PMG (complex, flexible septet sets), but the music remains as tight and fresh as ever, even if it's from 1978. While you can make the argument that "Watercolors" was technically the first PMG debut (everyone on the disc except bassist Mark Egan peformed on that solid yet sometimes dwindling outing), this is where the key was in ignition and the engine was fired up.
It's a true rarity that artists can create something that cannot be classified except unto themselves: this band is one of them. The opening "San Lorenzo" moves fast and smooth, with a buoyant and captivating sense of happiness that came to define the Group's sound. Even though it's a little over 10 minutes long, it never feels that way, and is the coming-out party for a kid in the corner that nobody seems to notice: Lyle Mays. He absolutely shines, with firm support from the jaw-dropping Danny Gottlieb on drums. I prefer this version over the live version because this one has the stronger piano solo.
On the classic "Phase Dance", the guys settle into a comfortable groove, with some mean licks courtesy of Pat, and killer synth lines from Lyle that give this a futuristic touch. The overlooked "Jaco" shows Pat's wide-ranging interest in different styles of music, with a folkie opener that transitions beautifully into cool Steely Dan-esque funk. This tribute to the late and great Mr. Pastorius sadly seems to have been forgotten like its subject matter.
Despite some near-perfect music, the minstel-stylings of "Aprilwind" dwindle a bit, but within about 40 seconds, spectacular jazz chords abound and keep it from being a bit of a navelgazer. The transition to "April Joy", the first song Pat ever wrote by the way, has an atmospheric and Jaco-esque bass line backed up by haunting guitar that simultaneously evokes a frigid flurry and the sun peaking over budding trees on the horizon. "April Joy"'s opening section is nice, but contains an interlude that goes into a slow reprise of "Phase Dance". Either look on it as writer's block or genius. I'll take the latter.
Finally, "Lone Jack" foreshadows the brisk samba stylings the Group would later come to embrace in full force, and ends the album with a bang. If nothing else, listen to a bit of Pat's solo, then fast forward to about 4:07 in the song, where it's just piano and bass. You can thank me later.
n3ur010g1c gives "Pat Metheny Group" a 10...out of 10.3 (~97%)
Average customer rating:
|
Still Life (Talking)
Pat Metheny Group Manufacturer: Nonesuch ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Brazil
| South & Central America
| International
| Styles
| Music
Brazilian Jazz
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
General
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Smooth Jazz
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
General
| Rock
| Styles
| Music
Similar Items:
ASIN: B000CZ0Q5W Release Date: 2006-02-07 |
Tracks:
- Minuando (Six Eight)
- So May It Secretly Begin
- Last Train Home
- (It's Just) Talk
- Third Wind
- Distance
- In Her Family
Album Description
A trio of Grammy Award-winning albums by the Pat Metheny Group return to the artists's active discography on Nonesuch. Still Life (Talking (1987), Letter from Home (1989), and The Road To You (1993) are the first in a series of remastered reissues of Geffen Records titles.Customer Reviews:
Music the way it should be............2007-02-25
Fantastic Copy.......2006-11-12
15 years later... not just "still good" but BETTER!!.......2006-11-05
Secondly, a lot of the little notes (the percussion, the cymbals) that did not come thru' in the original CD all came out beautifully. if you are a devotee of acoustic elements in jazz, you will be very much rewarded to be able to hear all these. and you said to yourself, "gee, i did not know they played those little notes before."
by the way, i already purchased the Letter from Home CD which has the same high quality results per this review.
Fantastic.......2006-06-07
A five*star* stunner.......2006-04-29
Average customer rating:
|
Travels
Pat Metheny Group Manufacturer: Ecm ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General
| Bebop
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
General
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Jazz Fusion
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Modern Postbebop
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Smooth Jazz
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Modern Postbebop
| Live Albums
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Jazz Fusion
| Live Albums
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
General
| Live Albums
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
General
| Rock
| Styles
| Music
Similar Items:
ASIN: B0000262UV Release Date: 1994-05-10 |
Tracks:
- Are You Going With Me?
- Fields, The Sky, The
- Goodbye
- Phase Dance
- Straight On Red
- Farmer's Trust
Tracks:
- Extradition
- Goin' Ahead / As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls
- Travels
- Song For Bilbao
- San Lorenzo
Amazon.com
This two-CD set was recorded live during several 1982 concerts, covering music that grew out of the studio recordings As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls and Offramp. At this stage, the Pat Metheny Group was a quintet with longtime partners Lyle Mays on piano, organ, and synthesizers; Dan Gottlieb on drums; Steve Rodby on bass; and Nana Vasconcelos, contributing a distinctive Brazilian element, on percussion and voice. Touring constantly, the group successfully balanced their increasingly electronic sound and spontaneity with Vasconcelos's rhythmic ingenuity, which clearly acted as stimulus to Metheny's consistently inventive guitar work. It's a fitting commemoration of the tremendous success that the Metheny Group had begun to enjoy, both a travelogue of their concert venues and an in-depth look at their diverse material. --Stuart BroomerCustomer Reviews:
The Jaw-Droppingest of Jaw-Dropping "Jazz" Tunes.......2006-09-01
An unforgettable CD.......2006-03-15
This is America...This is the Best.......2006-03-04
"Travels" not only captures the brilliance of the band's songcraft and musicianship, it captures the illuminating spirit of their true home: live performances. They get the ball rolling no problem with a predictably incredible but nonetheless intoxicating rendition of "Are You Going With Me?", foreshadowing that song as a concert favorite. Of course, a lot of great covers are here, from the torrid "Goin Ahead-AFWSFWF" to a non-nonchalant "Phase Dance" (I prefer this one over the original), but it's the concert originals that are worth noting. I've never heard so many different styles of music all rolled into one with "The Fields, the Sky". Strumming folk, complex Latin percussion, roots rock, and of course, jazz, fit together like all the best sweets in one cookie. It does sound a little bit like a remixed "Ozark" from the Metheny-Mays duet "AFWSFWF", but it doesn't matter. You're so caught up in the beauty of it all that you refuse to draw any comparison, that is, until you're done listening. "Goodbye" is a bittersweet ballad in the spirit of "Mas Alla", which it obviously influenced, and it sometimes makes me wonder why percussionist/vocalist Nana Vasconcelos ever left the band in the first place. His idiosyncratic, almost Egyptian/calypso voice is a departure from Pedro Aznar and might make you feel awkward at first, but weirdness has beauty, too.
Speaking of which, the Brazilian stuff transitioned quite well from "Offramp" to this, as I found myself dancing about like a raving lunatic at the spectacular "Straight on Red". Lyle gives a solo for the ages on that one, as do Dan Gottlieb and Nana. Eat your hearts out, American high school marching bands! "Farmer's Trust" ends the first disc on a high note, as the chirping bird effect basically states, "Yes, guys. We know you're awesome."
One of the things I love most about this album is its ability to appeal to just about everyone, like the rockers with "Extradition". Pat's use of the synth guitar at this point was still relatively new, but he used to a more constructive effect back in the day, rather than today. Today, he solos on an electric guitar, has a little transition, then busts out with a synth guitar solo. Here, if he uses it, he uses it for the entire song, which is refreshing to me. The title track is an amazingly beautiful folkie ballad, and the torrid Brazilian cha-cha-cha "Song For Bilbao" just wrecks the joint. This was my first full exposure to the fan favorite "San Lorenzo", but I have heard bits and pieces of the original. I didn't hear many differences, and Lyle's piano solo dwindles a bit at the beginning, but gradually gathers steam. The transition from the opening melodies to the grooving "Red Baron"-sounding bassline will have you clicking your heels in blissful excitement. It definitely deserves to be called one of PMG's best. Oh, and the crowd...the crowd...wouldn't I have loved to be a part of that.
All in all, this one of PMG's classic albums, which is definitely saying something, and is a fitting farewell to drummer Dan Gottlieb and Nana. For all y'all newcomers, get this and "The Road to You". You'll be turned on just like I was. Thank you, PMG, for making music for the world.
n3ur010g1c gives PMG's "Travels" a 10...out of 10.
Time Capsule of Metheny's Finest Hour.......2005-12-19
original album owner.......2005-06-27
SKY!! to no availe.The only cut they play today from this albun is SONG FOR BILBAO. I would love to hear the former cut in concert and would love even more to see this album/cd on a dvd.
I highly recommend this to any Pat Metheny group fan or anyone who loves jazz-fusion.
James
Average customer rating:
|
Letter from Home
Pat Metheny Group Manufacturer: Nonesuch ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Brazil
| South & Central America
| International
| Styles
| Music
Brazilian Jazz
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
General
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Jazz Fusion
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Modern Postbebop
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Smooth Jazz
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
General
| Rock
| Styles
| Music
Similar Items:
ASIN: B000CZ0Q6G Release Date: 2006-02-07 |
Tracks:
- Have You Heard
- Every Summer Night
- Better Days Ahead
- Spring Ain't Here
- 45/8
- 5-5-7
- Beat 70
- Dream of the Return
- Are We There Yet
- Vidala
- Slip Away
- Letter From Home
Album Description
A trio of Grammy Award-winning albums by the Pat Metheny Group return to the artists's active discography on Nonesuch. Still Life (Talking (1987), Letter from Home (1989), and The Road To You (1993) are the first in a series of remastered reissues of Geffen Records titles.Customer Reviews:
Music That Stands The Test of Time.......2007-06-03
An underrated recording. .......2007-04-10
This recording is underrated and filled with so much subtlety that the point would be missed by many. Contained here is recording that contains some excellent pieces which are melodic, but effectively convey a vibe, with excellent soloing and arrangements.
Pat's displays a virtuosity in his playing without running away with himself. This recording's influence is world beat. First class world beat seamless woven throught the Mays/Metheny conciousness.
"Have You Heard" is simply one of the best pieces the group has composed and performed. It has aged well over the years. It has one of Pat's very best solos and some impressive vocal work by Pedro Aznar who holds an impossibly long note toward the end. Pedro has to perform these difficult octave leaps throughout and he does so in good voice.
"Spring Ain't Here is one of the pieces where the subtlety factor comes in. Pat's solo here is excellent. His he so beautifully embellishes the melody and also makes great use of space. This one has an intangible element for me that I can't lend words to. It so effectively conjures not a relaxed mood as more an introspective inspiration.
45/8 is this short little piece that so effectively conveys a South American feel that you wish that it had been much longer just to see what they would've done with it.
5-5-7 is also is also another elegant piece which has an arrangment anchored by Steve Rodby's amazing bass playing which fuels Metheny's imagination throughout. Pat's lead here is remarkable.
"Are We There Yet/Vidala" is amazing the way they tie a modern electric piece to a folkloric and plaintive piece. They do this seamlessly and to perfection. "Are We There Yet" is for you Guitar Synth fans of Pat's. The interplay between Pat and Lyle is if full force here. It's one of those quirky pieces whose pacing makes it somewhat unique. The segue portion is ethereal.
"Dream of the Return" is unique in that Pat rarely features a vocal with words. Aznar is the composer of these lyrics and they are thankfully, thoughtful. Good lyrics are hard to come by and often in instances where instrumental groups attempt them, they usually are pretty goofy. Not in this case though. This one has that patented tension and releast thing that the group does so well. A moving piece of music.
My one complaint is that Pat tends to use the vocables a tad too much on certain songs like "Better Days Ahead" and "Every Summer Night" a bit too much, when the pieces don't need them at all. Pedro Aznar is a talented multi-instrumentalist. Perhaps one of these other talents could've been lent to these same pieces. He has a very good voice, but there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.
The group showed yet another fact of themselves and of a particular aspect of their exploration of world-beat themes. This one different than the preceding "Still Life (Talking)" and "First Circle" both of which are excellent, which embraced similar but distinct themes.
PMG Remastered editions sound superior, but misses on extras.......2007-02-21
If this is "elevator music" let me go to the top floor with it.......2007-01-13
A Spiritual Journey ..........2006-12-21
Average customer rating:
|
First Circle
Pat Metheny Group Manufacturer: Ecm Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General
| Bebop
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
General
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Jazz Fusion
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Modern Postbebop
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Smooth Jazz
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
General
| Rock
| Styles
| Music
ECM Classical
| ECM Records
| Amazon.com Label Stores
| Stores
| Music
ECM Jazz & World
| ECM Records
| Amazon.com Label Stores
| Stores
| Music
Similar Items:
ASIN: B0000261UH Release Date: 1999-11-16 |
Tracks:
- Forward March
- Yolanda, You Learn
- The First Circle
- If I Could
- Tell It All
- End Of The Game
- Mas Alla
- Praise
Customer Reviews:
thank you.......2007-01-18
The 1985 grammy award winning title song "First Circle" is still one of the greatest hidden secrets in the music world.....
decent but unexciting cd with an awesome last song.......2006-09-03
I also am fully aware that he is a musical giant especially as an arranger, band leader and explorer of different styles.
The music is pleasant but nothing knocks my socks off except...
The last song "Praise" is a stunningly beautiful song. I saw Metheny circa 1985-1986 and he played it full knowing how beautiful of a composition it was. It worked very well as an encore, show closer. The cd is worth the price just for that 4-5 minutes of utter joy.
What a wondrous circle it is..........2006-03-05
The PMG has gotten to a point where record labels mean nothing anymore. The ECM record label has always had a trademark for dishing out raw, cold, Nordic jazz-fusion, complete with "Anno's Counting Book"-ish album covers. It's a label with masters on it to be sure, but PMG has finally said: "Let the falcon go."
Like "Offramp", "First Circle" has the band getting a complete facelift. Dan Gottlieb is gone and has been replaced with the equally talented Paul Wertico, and percussionist extraordinare Nana Vasconcelos leaves the shoes for Argentinan multi-instrumentalist Pedro Aznar to fill. Unlike Nana, whose voice provided haunting ambience rather than poppish stage presence, Aznar comes out swinging, proving full well that he can sing his booty off.
One of the great things about this album is the variety, and the band's control over their own style. The ridiculous opener "Forward March" is a dead-on parody of inept high school marching bands, and can afford to be skipped if you want to get down to the meat of this steak. It's obviously Pat's way of saying that the metal in his mouth didn't blend well with the Satchmo-a-bob back in middle school. Then comes the effervescent "Yolanda You Learn", a space-aged Charleston/new wave jazz/hand-clapping/toes-tapping slugfest. After 22 listens on my iPod, almost all in a row, it has become one of my favorite PMG songs. I heard about it getting plenty of videoplay on MTV back in the '80s, and I kind of wish I was alive to have seen it. I heard it was very impressionistic, kind of like those Charles Schwab commercials with the rotoscoping animation. How cool is that?
Yet here comes another inevitable comparison to "Offramp": it has a track that becomes every fan's favorite. "Are You Going With Me?" was the highlight of "'Ramp", and the title track is the highlight of this. However, I'm surprised at this opinion of a lot of people: "'First Circle' is the only good song on this. Everything else is just filler." The title track is by all means a classic, but come on, people. There are plenty of great songs to be had here. Besides, unlike the live version on the band's second live album, "The Road To You", Pedro Aznar almost sounds like he's running out of gas in the middle of the tune. I do love the overdubbed vocals, though, something the live version didn't have. Next up is "If I Could", a sweet jazz ballad in the tradition of Pat's more hardcore jazz albums. Like I said, the variety here is amazing.
You can hear how many of PMG's later albums borrowed so many elements from this. The tense and swingin' avant-jazz of "Tell It All" was obviously influential on later tense and swingin' avant-jazz PMG songs like "Proof" and "Place in the World" from "Speaking of Now". That's what makes "Tell It All" such a special song, and the perfect newcomer avant-jazz epic: it's surprisingly catchy, rhapsodic, and metaphysically complex. You don't get that with a lot of those types of songs, and I love the glockenspiels/bells in the beginning and end: "Da-dum. Da-da. Da-dum. Da-da. Dum-dum. Da, da-da!" Ha ha! By the way, I'm lovin' Lyle's solo on that one.
The eclecticism of this stunning album hits its peak with "End of the Game", a smooth, funky jazzer where Pat does a great job at improvising, and just when you think the song resolves when the cadens come in, it doesn't. It almost feels like a lounge you'd hear on a space station. Unlike some efforts, it rarely seems like Pat is taking up all the solos here: he's taking a lot, but he's also letting everybody take form, including the amazing Steve Rodby, a perpetually humble yet supple bassist. Aznar is showcased brilliantly, and sings his fanny off on one of the most heartfelt ballads I've ever heard, "Mas Alla (Beyond)". I read the translation of the poetry, and it's deep, man. Aznar is not only a great musician and singer, he's a poet with a heart of gold. Finally, the poppish "Praise" will have you praising this amazing masterwork for a long time.
Music fans everywhere, if you're just now being exposed to PMG, have this be the first album you pick up. It is one of their most accessible recordings, yet requires you to listen multiple times to hear all the great things that are going on. Catch the fever.
n3ur010g1c gives PMG's "First Circle" a 10...out of 10.
excellent choice.......2006-01-19
Introducing.. Pedro Aznar.......2005-09-26
You really have to view this album as a whole work. It really takes you on a journey....
I love Forward March. I can't imagine someone having the kahunas to put that on the record, let alone as the opening track. But, PMG did.
PMG was going through some changes, Danny Gottlieb was gone, as was Mark Egan. Steve Rodby and Paul Wertico stepped in without missing a beat. In fact, I think the group really came together in a new way when Rodby and Wertico came aboard. And of course, Pedro Aznar joined at this time. What an amazing voice. Absolutely perfect for this music.
Metheny had displayed the influence of South American music, but with this recording it really came to the forefront. The spirit of Nasciemento is evident here.
Pedro rejoined Metheny Group for Letter from Home, which was also excellent.
Shawn
Average customer rating:
|
The Road to You: Recorded Live in Europe
Pat Metheny Group Manufacturer: Nonesuch ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Brazil
| South & Central America
| International
| Styles
| Music
Brazilian Jazz
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
General
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Jazz Fusion
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Modern Postbebop
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Smooth Jazz
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Modern Postbebop
| Live Albums
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Jazz Fusion
| Live Albums
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
General
| Live Albums
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
General
| Rock
| Styles
| Music
Similar Items:
ASIN: B000CZ0Q7A Release Date: 2006-02-07 |
Tracks:
- Have You Heard
- First Circle
- The Road To You
- Half Life Of Absolution
- Last Train Home
- Better Days Ahead
- Naked Moon
- Beat 70
- Letter From Home
- Third Wind
- Solo From 'More Travels'
Customer Reviews:
Nice, Elegant Restatement of their repertoire..........2007-05-02
The recording starts out with one of the essential Metheny/Mays pieces, "Have You Heard?". The solos and passages are faithful to the original but really no real surprises except for a slightly different feel due to the live environ.
"First Circle" is one of their masterpieces and an album highlight. Again done very true to form. Just beautiful and this one should be left alone because this piece is unique in it's scope, vision and beauty. Lyle takes his solo in excellent form.
"Last Train Home" was actually better than the studio version that was done in "Still Life (Talking)". That feel, that attracted you to this piece in the first place is much more urgent here. Aznar provides a subtle vocal embellishment and you feel the plaintive, wistfulness of the piece. Steve Rodby's bass is essential to this.
"Better Days Ahead" - This version is much better than in "Letter From Home". Paul Wertico's backbeat, Lyle's piano solo and Pat's guitar solos are more expressive and frankly better than in the original. I find myself skipping the original version in "Letter From Home" but listing to this one with much more interest
"Third Wind" - done very nicely with a bit of a different feel since Pedro is a different kind of vocalist than Ledford and Blamires. His tones rounder and so the vocal sections not quite with that edge when he hits that loooonnnnnggggggg note. The group interplay is excellent coming off the break. They really cook.
Very nice live recording.
EUROPIAN VACATION.......2006-11-08
Since that time, one has to pick Metheny's albums carefully. There seems to be drive, which one guesses is an occupational hazard among popular jazz musicians, to prove to your contemporaries that you indeed are "artistic" and a deadly serious creative type. After all, no one wants to be regarded as another Kenny G. What comes out is this earnest, edgy stuff appreciated by aficionados of "deep jazz"--otherwise known as "pure music". Whatever the effect these immersions have on peer respectability, they sell very few records. They also have the lethal effect of persuading the general public that jazz is not for them.
Fortunately, THE ROAD TO YOU has none of impulses to bow to the jazz elite. This is an excellent record full of the most loved pieces in the Metheny catalogue. The live performances and the mixing are about all you could ask for given the recording art of the time. THE ROAD TO YOU is also absent any traces of one of Metheny's favorite guitar-synth sounds I lovingly call "the raging elephant". There have been several great Metheny albums since this recording and he continues to draw an ever larger fan base. But you could do much worse than starting here. It any so bad for us long time fans either.
Other superb Metheny albums to explore:
As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls
Letter from Home
Offramp
First Circle
80/81
Travels
Speaking of Now
The Way Up
AweSome!.......2006-08-07
I've been listening to Pat for about 20 years now.....I'm 40 so thats half of my life....... I've seen him in several concerts and also had the pleasure of meeting him in NY at J&R Music World where I got his Autograph! I wish that I weren't nervous because I would have hugged him..... I did shake his though.
He's the only musician the I can say I LOVE. His music reaches my soul like no other.....period.
Five Stars does not do this art justice........2006-05-20
From where Metheny and his group members,
(of a common soul, I'd almost swear,
playing different tools from the same heart
with different fingers) take me and took
European audiences on this album,
I would have titled it "Levitation."
Music, well composed and performed, built
and played with care, love, creativity
and talent, takes me places that approach
ecstatic.
With this work on the audiograph I am
transported places VERY few other musicians
have ever taken me close to, in any genre.
I can only compare it to feeling lifted up
and floating, being held aloft--levitated--
by Pat's group, working together so tightly
while flowing, like liquid, over and through
the songs' melodies, arrangements, rhythms.
Listening, right now, to this CD's version of
the Metheny-Mays standard "First Circle."
Am in the clouds! Think it's just my opinion?
Listen to the crowd! Damn!
Those big, blocky Mays chords.
Buy the album. Put it in a car's player.
Turn it up!!! You will thank me.
You will thank those 6 guys.
You won't want to get where you're going.
Lee
Exhilarating!!!.......2006-05-09
Average customer rating:
|
Still Life (Talking)
Pat Metheny Group Manufacturer: Geffen Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Brazil
| South & Central America
| International
| Styles
| Music
Brazilian Jazz
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
General
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Jazz Fusion
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Modern Postbebop
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Smooth Jazz
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Similar Items:
ASIN: B000000OQD Release Date: 1990-10-25 |
Tracks:
- Minuano (Six Eight)
- So May It Secretly Begin
- Last Train Home
- (It's Just) Talk
- Third Wind
- Distance
- In Her Family
Amazon.com essential recording
Pat Metheny's open-hearted odyssey through music has encompassed fleet jazz, garage rock, and avant-garde chaos, but this 1987 hit finds its most significant wrinkle in the band's increased emphasis on Brazilian accents and vocalise choruses, using three singers (including percussionist-vocalist Armando Marcal and singers David Blamires and Mark Ledford) to augment the core quartet of Metheny, keyboardist Lyle Mays, bassist Steve Rodby, and drummer Paul Wertico. Metheny by now comfortably integrates his own guitar synthesizers into Mays's seasoned electronic orchestrations, and Still Life (Talking) is by turns sunny, wistful, and kinetic. The Brazilian aesthetic gives us the lovely opener, "Minuano (Six Eight)" and colors "So May It Secretly Begin." Metheny's instinctive, American sensibility is rooted in his Plains upbringing and the prairie-wide sound that his music has always evoked. The album's best-known piece, "Last Train Home," revives the sound of electric sitar to unexpected emotional effect. --Sam SutherlandCustomer Reviews:
Classic PMG material. .......2006-04-18
If you haven't seen this man live, do yourself a favor and catch him in concert. You will have a new appreciation for him and these songs, as virtually all of them (Minuano, So May It Secretly Begin, and the moving Last Train Home especially) are part of a PMG setlist. Without sounding like a major "Stan", I'll tell you that SLT is a must purchase for music enthusiasts. It's also a great driving cd, which not a lot of jazz is. Turn it up!
Distance and In Her Family - underrated and gut wrenchingly beautiful........2006-03-13
I wrote this because the two exceptions to this slight disappointment are "Distance" and "In Her Family", and I've not found a reviewer who has mentioned what genius they are. 'Distance', could only come from the mind of Lyle Mays, for anyone who has ever heard his brilliant solo music. It's dark and haunting atonally, in a way that those words can't possibly begin to describe, and 'Distance' brings up heartbreaking vibes that I've never heard before. It literally could have been part of the soundtrack to 'The Sixth Sense' in it's darkly moving, stately grace. Chilling is the word for it. 'Distance' leaves me speechless (which is saying a LOT!). The duo of it, which segues into 'In Her Family', can only conjure up one image or feeling - overwhelming loss. The title, to me, relates something very sad, like 'something' tragic runs 'in her family', like cancer, or suicide, or some other horrible affliction. I don't know whose title it is (Pat's or Lyle's), or what the inspiration for the song was, but you almost don't need to know much, just look at the title and listen to the song, and it informs you in a way that lyrics perhaps could not have. If you have lost a loved one, to death, as I have recently, (or on a much minor level, breaking up with a loved one), I defy anyone to listen to these two songs together alone, and not break down. Once the orchestra and cymbal swells at the bridge of 'Family' wash over you in hope, but return to the anguished, child-like melody of absolute crushing solitude, you can really only sit there in your chair, frozen in despair, for a few minutes. PMG accomplishes this like no other artists I know, along with 'The Bat, Part II' (from 'Offramp'). What is it with these guys and the last songs on their CD's? They're as beautiful as any hymns I've heard. There are no more perfect endings to their albums.
So, the other tunes on Still Life (Talking)' are entertaining, crowd-pleasing, mood-brightening, typically reflective pieces (and perhaps, too familiar) that PMG does so well. But nobody does haunting and touching like they do in the last six, or so, minutes of this album. "Distance" is chilling, "In Her Family" is loss.
Still Flat Lining.......2006-01-04
That said, I love everything else about this work from the melodic lines, to the soloing and the harmonic progressions. All of which are top notch as far as progressive jazz is concerned. The problem consistantly lies with the groups obsession with quietudes! Well sirenity is fine if you're some kind of new age zombie that wants to meditate until you become one with the great void. However, if you're like most folks that still get excited about experiencing life on this side of the River Styx then this is nothing more than glorified elevator music.
Inspite of all I have said so far, this remains one of the groups livelier albums second only to "First Circle", which should give you a clear indicator as to how dead and boring the rest of their stuff is.
It's a real shame because the compositions here have some real great potential. If only these tunes could have been played by any other group then maybe they would have stood a chance of coming to life. There seems to be a South American if not Brazilian feel to most of the compositions which I normally find a delightful combination when fused with jazz. The problem lies in the groups overuse of REVERB, REVERB, REVERB!
And don't forget those electronic keyboards of Lyle Mayes! While many PMG fans will claim that Lyle is some sort of keyboard genius, I attribute the majority New Age feel to this girly man on keyboards. Just imagine the spaced out reverberated cosmic sound of the electronic keyboards on any New Age meditation CD and you'll get the idea. Lyle's contribution alone is enough to suck the life out of even the firiest Salsa, Bossa Nova, or Samba.
Three stars for good compositions but the lack of energy makes me say pass on this one. My advice to you is to go get some Rippingtons.
Best of the Best.......2005-09-19
One of those few that truly move you.......2004-10-10
Average customer rating:
|
American Garage
Pat Metheny Group Manufacturer: Ecm Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Jazz Fusion
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Modern Postbebop
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Smooth Jazz
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
General
| Rock
| Styles
| Music
ECM Classical
| ECM Records
| Amazon.com Label Stores
| Stores
| Music
ECM Jazz & World
| ECM Records
| Amazon.com Label Stores
| Stores
| Music
Similar Items:
ASIN: B0000261LA Release Date: 1999-11-16 |
Tracks:
- (Cross The) Heartland
- Airstream
- The Search
- American Garage
- The Epic
Customer Reviews:
A Bit Dated, But Still Great Guitar.......2007-04-06
At the Crossroads..........2007-01-08
It's not that "American Garage" is a bad album. In fact, it's quite good, and there are some tracks in its surprisingly short selection that have withstood the test of time despite the somewhat dated production. But the history behind this album is rooted in contention. Metheny has repeatedly remarked that this is his least favorite album that he's ever made with the Group: it was too commercial and the collaborative writing with his partner-in-benevolent-crime ('cause it's almost a crime that he's so good), keyboarding prodigy Lyle Mays, lacked focus and direction. Also, the lineup changes that were made shortly afterwards, such as the replacement of borderline Jaco Pastorius imitator Mark Egan, reflect perhaps a sense of falling out from within.
You can't blame them for wanting to make an effort to reach out to a mass audience, which seems to be the case judging from its heavy emphasis on rock 'n' roll. I mean, come on, their first record is a classic, and they HAD to capitalize on a follow-up. Despite Metheny's complaints, this is an album that is worth the listen. It opens up with a jazz/roots rocker "(Cross the) Heartland", a strong jazz-rocker, riddled with complex rhythms and rousing piano and synths. I'm not gonna lie, and I know that PMG is referred to as "great music to listen to while driving", but "Heartland" fits that bill quite nicely. Its follow-up "Airstream" is a favorite of Metheny's, and even though I hated it at first, it has definitely grown on me with repeated listening. It's refreshing to hear an early Mays establish a balance between left and right-hand playing (he returns to right-hand dependency on the soothing yet somewhat dwindling "The Search"), and the tune of the song almost sounds like "After the Love Has Gone" by Earth, Wind, and Fire.
The title track is a rowdy, freewheeling, almost gospel-rocker, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I don't think I've heard the band be this loose before. You can even hear some cries of almost frat-boy delight as Metheny lets loose on the axe, and sometimes I could just picture all of them standing in front of a giant American flag. The final piece "The Epic" is certainly what it is, a 13-minute long jam that goes from atmospheric post-bop jazz to hot samba back to atmospheric post-bop jazz to pop to hot samba and then Springsteen-esque rock. It's all over the place, and while parts of it are certainly enjoyable, particularly Mays's and Metheny's smoking hot solos in the samba section, I think this and "The Search" were what Metheny was talking about when he meant a lack of focus. Nevertheless, they're still very strong tunes, and I think Metheny doesn't give himself enough credit. "American Garage" is a entertaining romp that sees the Group let their hair down a little bit, if you get my drift. I wouldn't call it essential, but I wouldn't pass it up, either. It's a bunch of virtuosos having some good fun, and that's an American way.
GRADE: B+
Oh, by the way, I'm sick of people calling the Pat Metheny Group's music "Weather Channel music". I know music is a matter of personal taste, but calling it that undermines their musical virtuosity. Muzak helped destroy the public's perception of the great American art of jazz.
GRADE FOR MUZAK: D- (salvaged from "F" because at least they recognize Kenny G as their posterboy.)
An adventure of my own.......2006-11-11
JUST SMILE AND HANG OUT WITH INTELLIGENT PEOPLE.......2006-08-10
Far from dreary, AMERICAN GARAGE sings of joy and provides much to interest upon repeated listening. Metheny would go on to be a small jazz industry in himself in succeeding years and his musical vocabulary would expand--sometimes not for the better. Nevertheless, this is the perfect marriage of electric guitar and keyboards many still seek today. Only five cuts; but pleasing and intelligent all the same.
One Of His Best!!!.......2005-12-26
Jazz Music: