AOTW May 8th

[Jazz Kat]

I'm up for Album Of The Week. I have just found Metheny's music, and I can say he's nothing like anything I have ever heard. He is my favorite artist at the present time and this recording is pretty damn good!

[Spontooneous]

We have some serious Metheniacs on this board; I'd love to know how they rate this disc.

Job duties have called on me to interview Pat a couple of times. I got a chance to ask him: Who is "James" named after? Guesses, anyone??

[Free For All]

Taylor?

[Michael Fitzgerald]

Oh, James Taylor - easy one.

This is one of my least favorite PMG records. It's rather bland - The Bat and Barcarolle and Au Lait particularly. They just seem to keep on going without saying much. Eighteen is a rocker, Offramp is an Ornettish thing, and Are You Going With Me is kind of the centerpiece with the introduction of the Synclavier stuff. James is the most typical PMG thing on the record, a nice tune, but kind of out of place by this time.

A billion times better in my estimation, is the stuff from this tour, issued on Travels. It integrates the Synclavier into the group sound, there's a balance with the old and new sound of the group and you get more prominent Nana.

Mike

[Guy Berger]

Nice choice for an AOTW. I borrowed a copy from the "library" yesterday. I've never really gotten into the PMG stuff I've heard -- the 1st album is a little too "smooth-sounding" for me (obviously it isn't really smooth jazz, but for me it gives off that vibe), and "As Falls Wichita..." a bit too progrockish.

Nevertheless after listening to it once or twice, it was better than I expected. Reminded me a little of Weather Report c. 1980.

Guy

[Jazz Kat]

Funny, I got mine from the library too.

[baryshnikov]

i dident like Metheny at first, then i heard Still life Talking, have seen three times in london, great. he is just different from what most jazz heads are used to, but when it gets you wow? and Lyle Mays on Keyboards, brilliant. my favorites are Dream of the Return from still life talking and, first circle, from album of same name, stick with it its worth it Jazz Kat.

[7/4]

Not my favorite, but I don't hate it. This is where the PMG found it's direction and started to loose me.

I do like Travels and parts of First Circle. I like his solo and collaboration/sideman material better.

[Guest akanalog]

i got this LP on ECM of a live pat metheny performance from 1977. they play this song "wrong is right" which i like a lot and is also covered on larry coryell's "spaces". i wonder how come ECM has never reissued this one. i also downloaded a bootleg version of this show-i think maybe it was also radio broadcast or something. the other songs played are more popular metheny tunes i think like "phase dance" and "watercolors". i thought my dad would like it but i played it in the car for him and he was like "take off this new age crap." and this was live earlier metheny.

[Michael Fitzgerald]

That live promo LP on ECM has been bootlegged, one I know is "Blue Asphalt" on Jazz Door. My assumption is that PM didn't want it out as a "regular" album.

Mike

[Jazz Kat]

It's the last few hours of this AOTW. Let's celebrate.

[CJ Shearn]

man, I should have seen this thread sooner! "Offramp" is a critical album of me turning into a PMG nut, and "Are You Going With Me?" is my favorite PMG tune of all time, it had a profound effect on me when I first heard it. Even better is the rearranged drum and bass sorta version Pat did with Anna Maria Jopek on her "Upojenie" album from 2002. Oh yeah, anyone notice the unison bass/piano/crash cymbal passages lifted directly from "Barcarole" (originally it was all in the bassline) in the trumpet/guitar synth section of "Part Two" from "The Way Up"?

[Joe G]

Only a nut like you would notice that, CJ.

[CJ Shearn]

lol, thank you very much Joe. Come on, I bet you hear it too

[Jazzmoose]

This one gets a lot of play from me, although I think I tend to reach for it more when I'm missing my rock days than for any other reason. I can't say it's my favorite Metheny LP, but obviously I like it more than some do. Not the one to try if you're attracted by Metheny's Brazilian oriented stuff or the Trio stuff or really, much of anything else by him. But as I say, I like it. Without this and Witchita Falls, I probably wouldn't be where I am musically today. You know, broke and all...

[Jazz Kat]

What I have learned from Metheny is that you can't expect anything, with each upcoming and past albums that you are about to hear. He's always different and does some really strange ass stuff all the time, which makes me love his playing and his music. The Way Up remains my the best of Metheny IMO, or at least from what I have heard. Metheny is like a blessing to me. My jazz listening experiences would be good, just not as good without Metheny.

[Alfred]

I never liked Offramp very much. I would rate other albums higher. New chautauqua his first solo album is excellent. Bright size life or Watercolors are other examples.

[Cina]

New Chautauqua is essential in my opinion. The rest are good but not solid like his first.

[CJ Shearn]

the PMG just toured Japan in a limited engagement as a quartet playing many tunes they have not played in years. Really hope a CD or DVD is released.