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My 10 favourite PAT METHENY albums
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- čas přidán 17. 08. 2024
- Andy is a drummer, producer and educator. He has toured the world with rock legend Robert Plant and played on classic prog albums by Frost and IQ.
As a drum clinician he has played with Terry Bozzio, Kenny Aronoff, Thomas Lang, Marco Minneman and Mike Portnoy.
He also teaches drums privately and at Kidderminster College
I really enjoyed this! One small correction: It wasn't Metheny that claimed Bright Size Life wasn't a true representation of that trio. It was Bob Moses who said that and from the one or two live examples on You Tube of that trio the claim isn't backed up. Metheny also said that although Jaco was unknown to the world at that point and straight and dependable 'He still was Jaco'. Pat 'reigned him in' in places where he wanted to get wild as it was Metheny'as album and vision. I do think that BSL captures Jaco at his very creative and subtle best on record, to be honest i prefer it to anything he recorded with Weather Report for example.
The Way Up is an absolute masterpiece in my opinion. All Pat's albums are great, but The Way Up is just fantastic. I saw it performed live and I was awe-struck - one of the best gigs I've ever been to.
Make as many videos as you like about Pat Metheny - I'll watch 'em all. 🙂
The Way Up and Still Life are my two favorite albums. They're absolutely outstanding from start to finish.
I’ve tried with Zero Tolerance…I really have 🤣 from the man that gave me two of the best live gigs I’ve EVER been to, I’ve always been a little terrified he might do that for an encore 🤣
Ha Ha!! Totally agree. To misquote Meat Loaf "I'll do anything to listen to Pat but I won't play that!" 😂😂😂
"Electric Counterpoint" (1987) by Steve Reich, all parts performed by Pat Metheny🤌
For me, out of all of the great guitar players, Pat Metheny is my all time favourite and in my mount rushmore with Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett & Miles Davis It's very hard to choose ten albums when you have somone who's made some of the greatest music ever with no weak ones in his catalogue. I've seen him live for close to almost 20 years in every kind of setting from PMG to quartet to the Unity Band / Unity Band to duos with Brad Mehldau, Charlie Haden, Gary Burton and solo Orchestrion, i'm really looking forward to seeing him in June with his Side Eye band as there is no better feeling in the world than experiencing Pat Metheny live, it's a hell of a journey.
1. The Way Up
2. Offramp
3. Letter From Home
4. 80/81
5. As Falls Wichtia, So Falls Wichtia Falls w/ Lyle Mays
6. Secret Story
7. Unity Band
8. Rejoicing
9. Beyond The Missouri Sky w / Charlie Haden
10. From This Place
Watercolors is probably one of the best examples of the " ECM sound". I wish he and the legendary Eberhard Weber had done more collaborations.
Eberhard W made many masterpieces. I should do a video on him
Mr Pedantic here. The Bowie track was called This is Not America, not This is America. I first heard PM on a radio station, when Phil Collins was a guest DJ.
PM said he got his synth sound from listening to Robert Fripp.
first circle was the 1st Album i really listen too, then still life talking, letter from home , we live here, then going back to he's debut bright size life, all trio albums , the one he with Charlie Haden, BTM Sky, with Jim Hall, long story short, i proud owner of all PMG records , my trio one is with Roy Haynes and Dave Holland, i think that was when he first time used the Ibanez Guitar, i cannot put any album as favorite, because all of them are excellent, i do have my favorites, but i cannot definitively say this one or that one... Yes , he is prolific, can't think of any musician that played and travelled the world as much he has and top it all of , the 20 plus grammy awards , as PMG(Lyle Mays, Steve Rodby) and other works he has done... AMAZING!!
Just discovered your channel - Awesome . Great job rating this artist .
No editing... Brilliant!
Monumental Music. Exactly.
After watching this I look forward to exploring Metheny's music. I have a couple of his albums but have never really done a deep dive. Thanks.
Great video. I've seen Metheny live many times. See him a few months back at Hammersmith Apollo with just two other musicians (keyboards & drums - no bass) and it was amazing - one of the best Metheny gigs I've seen and I believe that is down to how young the other musicians were. Pat really fed of their enthusiasm and energy.
GREAT VIDEO!! Pat is my guy….. I love so much music but no one has moved quite like Mr. Metheny
Fantastic, so sorry I'm so late to this, very very glad I've caught Pat Metheny in London recently, what a legend, still pushing the boundaries, great summing up
You got it right, Metheny taught at Berklee when he was 19 and 20 years old. Nuts. The big "success story" for his teaching, often mentioned, is Mike Stern. Metheny encouraged Stern to leave school and audition for Blood Sweat and Tears. I imagine, though I don't know for sure, that he taught Bill Frisell, briefly, too. What I do know is that in early 80s Paul Motian was looking to put together a band, and asked Metheny if he wanted the gig; Metheny was doing too many other things by then, and suggested Frisell.
Frissell is another creative genius on guitar.
I saw Pat with his Orchestrion project in Grand Prairie, TX at the Nokia Theatre 4-13-2020. It was absolutely incredible. I smiled sound hard during that show my jaw was hurting at the end. I saw Pat Metheny Group at the Alabama Theatre in 86 and then at The Fox in Atlanta when First Circle had been released. All of those shows were awesome. I have the bluray of the live performance of The Way Up and it's completely killer.
The orchestrion project was jaw-dropping. You wouldn't think it was humanly possible.
Great mate thanks for another so informative video. Touching on Pat Metheny maybe it would be worth checking some of Hermeto Paschoal stuff, which you can tell a strong influence on PM’s composition. And another Brazilian musician Toninho Horta, said to be a big influence to PM, that bit I don’t know for sure, but Toninho (just as Hermeto) is another geniuses and a huuuuge PM’s fan 👍
Another good list with great insights of the artist. Keep them coming. I know you summarize his early 70s stuff with Works, but the Pat Metheny Gruop album should of been on the list. Classic album and it was a big hit and good place for someone to start with. Also Beyond the Missouri Sky: Short Stories with Charlie Haden would of been on my list.
I love the Charlie Haden album and his solo guitar albums he did around the same time. And yes I did cheat so I didn't have to include PMG, American Garage, 80/81 or Rejoicing...but they are some of my favourite PM albums
Id have to go with Bright Size Life, First Circle, Offramp, I love Secret Story, that marvellous duo album with Charlie Haden, Beyond the Missouri sky, and also We Live Here. Song X and 80/81 are killer mean beasts... and so and so. Pat's the man, some great collabs too, like in that Tales from the Hudson with Brecker, or that wonderfully beautiful Like Minds with Chick, Holland and Hines, or, that amazing Kenny Garret playing all Coltrane... and millions more! Pat's the mannn... cheers.
Secret Story is one of my favourite albums ever
Pat is so great that his work as a sideman is often overlooked. Don't make that mistake!
I believe "Imaginary Day" is his only DTS 5.1 Surround album. I do wish there were more. Please correct me if I am wrong. Aside from the incredible music, is the sound. The micro pitched delay sound that everybody copied at one point. So Pat Metheny joins the list of Hendrix, The Edge (dotted eighth delay) and Allan Holdsworth... if you know what I mean.
I am not intimately familiar with Metheny, but I like and appreciate his mastery. You’ve presented some records I’d be very interested in hearing. Derek Bailey and Pat? That will be first to get. Thanks again…
Andy, I recently discovered your channel and have enjoyed it immensely. Are you familiar with the work of Dave Holland? I know you’ve talked about ECM some. Holland made several outstanding quartet and quintet albums for ECM and for other labels. Anyway, thanks for your channel and your well-considered views.
I have done a video on ECM...check out the thumb!!!
@@AndyEdwardsDrummer Will do. Thanks!
I was at college when I first saw the Pat Metheny Group on channel 4. They sounded so progressive and had long hair like me.
Thanks for providing this video, I loved your take on Pat Metheny. From this place (2020), is a wonderful album with very talented young musicians. Zero tolerance to silence defeated me, it's gathering dust next to Trout mask replica.
Part 1 is deliberately obtuse but a great statement. There are some interesting tunes later on...but, yes, it's a difficult listen
Mine is next to Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music. And Neil Young's Arc.
Saw him numerous times, met him, alone on the street ,too. Saw song X tour! Rick Beato interview is amazing. The Shadows and Light with Joni, wowwwwww
Secret Story is a favourite of mine
Excellent video, Andy. I love the way in which your videos are done straight to camera in one take. Very natural and sincere.
I love Song X and Sign of Four but I came to those albums through an earlier interest in Ornette Coleman and Derek Bailey. Those albums are so brave when you consider his commercial standing. I suspect they alienated some of his fanbase but hopefully he opened some minds as well to a music outside the mainstream. Superb, expansive, adventurous music that demands and rewards repeated and close listening.
As well as his earlier ECM albums , I also love his work with Brad Mehldau and his collaboration with John Zorn for the latter's Book of Angels series.
I feel the same, always been interested in why Metheny is willing to explore these areas
Someone gave me free tickets to go see Pat Metheny for "The Way Up" tour and I didn't know that album at all at the time, although I had seen him live several times during the mid 80's, and knew his music very well. I was blown away by the ever building movement of the music created for The Way Up and, as you mentioned Andy, I had to put in the work and really do some deep listening. But it was so worth it. I'm glad I was already acquainted with Pat's and Lyle May's compositional work together as it made it a little easier to grasp what they were up to. I just had to smile when the piece ended, as Pat and Lyle just stayed in place, turned to the audience and smiled broadly. They knew they had just blown us away. Thanks for this video, Pat Metheny is a very important composer/guitarist and a must listen for any jazz/fusion lover.
Hi Andy great to see hear you discussing Pat Metheny. My favourite of his apart from Bright Size Life and American Garage would be in a trio setting with Roy Haynes and Dave Holland - Question and Answer. A brilliant album with some jazz standards and some original compositions, the interplay between these three is wonderful. Pity no more was done with this group.
Question and Answer is one of his top 5 albums for sure. One of my favorite albums of all time.
@@JohnPrepuce Definitely my favorite of his trio albums (and I have them all).
I remember a few of my college friends really liking _"As Falls Wichita, so Falls Wichita Falls"._ I remember liking the music, and thinking the album title by itself was pretty cool, and yet somehow I never picked it up. I think I'll finally do that. I suspect you were intentionally avoiding live albums, but another recommendation that I've been holding onto for many years is the Pat Metheny Group album titled _"Travels"._ I've been considering that for so long that I don't even remember where I got the recommendation from, but it must have been someone who made a pretty good case for it.
I got Travels in the early 80's and I was not disappointed one bit. Every track is brilliant. The version of 'Are You Going With Me' is possibly the definitive version. It's that good.
"The Way Up" is my n°1 Pat Metheny album.An absolute masterpice.
What about doing shows on Keith Jarrett, Anthony Braxton, David Sancious or McCoy Tyner solo output?
I have a lot of Jarrett but not enough to do his huge catalogue justice. I have bits of Braxton and none of Dave sancious solo stuff (I know it though, brilliant stuff) Sahara is one of my favourite albums ever and I may do a video on that and bring in a few of McCoy's other albums too
@@AndyEdwardsDrummer Great!
"The Way Up" for me as well. There isn't a single note out of place. Antonio Sanchez is pretty extraordinary on this recording. They released a DVD of this performed live in Korea which is really good.
@@timdrumheller I miss so much A Triggering Myth ,Tim.One of the best prog bands of the 90/2000 in my opinion."Forgiving Eden" is a masterpiece on par with Banco "Di Terra".
@@arnaudb.7669 Thanks so much for your kind words! "Di Terra" was definitely a big influence on us back then for sure. my favorite Banco album. We were fortunate to see them play at NEARFEST in 2001.
First circle is a special album for me...and a new direction *..I saw him in a small club in Brooklyn with his new band 1976..didn't know who he was..mind blowing i was a teenager..also saw brand x and jan hammer there
Pat's solo on Tell It All is phenomenal! Of course the title track is a stand out composition from the Metheny/Mays book, and Mas Alla is another gorgeous tune. The album concludes with the joyous, Praise.
Great Video! I wasn't aware of some of those earlier albums.
My 10 favorites:
Bright Size Life
Dreams So Real
Pat Metheny Group
American Garage
Offramp
80/81
Beyond The American Sky
Like Minds
Unity Band
Side Eyes
Great post. I’m surprised you didn’t include ‘From This Place’ from 2020. Such beautiful orchestral arrangements and two brilliant collaborators with Linda May Han Oh on acoustic bass and the great Antonio Sanchez on drums. Felt to me like that was a big move forward in both his style and directions in contemporary jazz more generally.
The Way Up is my favourite, closely followed by Imaginary Day. A lot of people don't seem to like the Unity albums but I love them, he changed his sound yet again, there not melodic but there is some of his best playing on those albums, more hard hitting and less nice. Great guitarist. 👍
My top 3 would be As Falls Wichita..., The Way Up and First Circle. Still Life Talking is up there though.
The one with Scofield is my favorite.
Love Pat Metheny. First heard him on Burton's "Passengers" album (an album I still love). All of those ECM albums are great. The first album that threw me a little was "80/81". You really didn't get a Metheny sounding song until side 4 ("Every Day I Thank You"). Still, it became one of my favorites. As a composer, I can think of very few jazz musicians who can match his ability to create a melody (and to do it for as long as he has). I've probably seen him live more often than any other artist - first time in '82 and I'll be seeing him again in a few weeks. "Secret Story", "Watercolors", "Wichita Falls", "First Circle"...too many to mention. The album he did with Zorn is also really good. And the "Live" concert video with Joni Mitchell. Okay, I'm done with my fan boy blubbering for now...;-)
Yes I agree. Making this video elevated his stature even more in my mind. He may well be the greatest jazz musician of the last forty years. I'm trying to think of someone who has done more....
@@AndyEdwardsDrummer I think he probably is and a muscian's muscian. He and Keith Jarrett perhaps.
Love Offramp to death,
love the guitar synth. Also love Wichita. He has an amazing guitar synth solo on a Kenny Garrett album where they are playing a Coltrane song. Need to run that down. Edit - tune is Lonnie’s Lament on the Pursuance album.
For the earlyer work i would suggest Travels. It is a double live album that doesn't have a hint of easy listening because of the live intensity.
Only just discovered you had your own channel, have seen you a few times with Pete from SOT. Have watched a few lately. I guess like you said it was the Crosswinds album was your favourite because it was the first Cobham album you had. My first PM album was First Circle, never heard anything like it and still love it today. Thanks for doing this vid, really hate the way a lot of people label him like he’s a guitar playing version of Kenny G.
Thanks Shane
I'm glad you included Imaginary Day as I consider it to be the ultimate PMG album. Where the band were meant to go if they were to produce their best album. Love every moment on that album. I have all these and more being a Pat enthusiast and seen the PMG on the Still Life (Talking) tour and on The Way Up and Pat with Charlie Hayden and the tour with Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette and that Herbie Hancock guy. I also saw Derek Bailey but not with Pat unfortunately. First album was Offramp and wondering if Dream Box will be my last or if Pat has more up his sleeve? Because I WILL buy it ;)
Genuinely love all your vids. The deeper, more thoughtful, the better.
Barely any mention of Secret Story here? Too fuzak for you?
He did get very MOR at that point, Still Life Talking is my favourite
I saw Metheny with the Burton Quintet in 1975. With Bob Moses (who was great!), Steve Swallow and Mick Goodrick. So good.
Ironically...After having heard each and every Pat Metheny albums (and loving them)...My favorite is the first i ever heard from him and to me the greatest he's ever done...Secret Story...But i also like the late 80's stretch (Still Life (talking)/Letter from home) and the late 90's (Quartet/Imaginary day)...But Secret Story is the most Epic...
Thanks for another cool video Andy. I've been listening to Pat Metheny for about 40 years and have a pile of his albums, yet in all honesty I still can't make my mind up about his work. I think you did a nice job extolling his virtues as a musician and his unique place in the firmament of jazz stars.
One of the main issues I have is that I'm not a big fan of his guitar tones ( his clean jazzy tone, or his synth sounds , even his acoustic sound can rub me up the wrong way!). I also feel he has a tendency to noodle aimlessly and given his large body of work I find relatively few of his solos to be particularly memorable, your spot on with singling out 'Third Wind' though.
He can be a fine composer with a great sense of textural detail, but often the music collapses into 'soundtrack in search of a movie territory'.
If I had to choose one album I think it would be 'Still Life Talking'. It plays to his strengths and would make a fine introduction to anyone wanting to investigate his work.
As far as his more experimental albums go ( Zero Tolerance, Song X and Sign of the Four ), I give him credit for trying but lets be honest - buy a Sonny Sharrock album instead.
I love his guitar playing, and I love his tone too. His soloing is very rooted in Ornette which can sound noodly as he is not always one for outlining the changes. But you make some great points
@@AndyEdwardsDrummer The tone thing is really just a matter of personal taste I suppose ( although when he plays with his cleaner sound I think he can get a bit buried in the mix ). There is a lot to enjoy on his albums, they all have magic moments, but that often throws the less magical moments in to sharp relief for me. I guess when it comes to Ornette inspired guitar I look to James Blood Ulmer. Cheers D.
I can tell that we have nearly identical record collections. Possibly consider making a video on Magnus Ostrom? Thread Of Life is a modern classic that captures that ECM sound perfectly.
Yep
Love the channel. Check out Ornette’s Virgin Beauty with Jerry Garcia on several tracks. Noticed Brecker’s album on your stack, just great. Saw him in my home state at the Newport Jazz Fest with The tremendous Mike Stern performing Original Rays. Worth a watch if you can find it in YT.
Thanks Andy for another interesting video - very difficult to come up with a short list of Pat Metheny albums, I wouldn't disagree with the albums you choose to highlight, there are so many good ones throughout his career. Some of his more recent albums I've enjoyed are the Unity Band albums and last year's 'From This Place'. When I saw the Unity Band live they even had some of the Orchestrion instruments on stage which certainly added visually and sonically to the gig.
Another album I thought you might have mentioned, following on from your John Zorn video, is Pat Metheny's collaboration with John Zorn - Tap: Book of Angels Volume 20. I really like this album, as it's arranged by Pat Metheny, to me it sounds as very much like a Pat Metheny album. I'm not particularly familiar with John Zorn's albums, but I did go and see Naked City back in the late 80s, amazing band but a very strange gig...
Some great info there Richard. i didn't even know about the Zorn album!
Any list which has First Circle, Offramp and Imaginary Day is ok by me. My list would also have included 'Beyond The Missouri Sky'. I'm glad you didn't have any representatives of the Unity Band/Group era - those albums did nothing for me - I have tried, really tried to like them but no go I'm afraid - could be because of the lack of any memorable/hummable tunes (at which the PMG excelled). Anyway all the PMG albums are great and Pat Metheny is one of my two favourite guitarists (Bill Frisell being the other). Keep up the good work. Looking forward to your next videos.
Thanks Nigel
Great summary and I share the love for some of your favourites. I must have a mainstream ear as I could not enjoy Song X and I felt ripped off with Zero Tolerance! (Good luck when you immerse yourself in that one….you will end up being sectioned!). Secret Story, Still Life and New Chautauqua are my favourites.
With albums like that I always start with some faith in the artist and go from there
charlie haden and billy higgins on rejoicing :))
Harvey Mandel - Wade in the Water.
The 70s stuff was excellent However apart from Song X, the 80s stuff like First Circle, shifted big units. Very Brazilian influenced. A sort of acceptable face of jazz but dangerously close to fuzak. In the last ten years he's embraced electronica and classical influences.
Pat Metheny was hugely influenced by Toninho Horta who also did marvelous albums with Milton Nascimento and solo albums
Este é o ego do brasileiro, sempre querendo dizer que aqui é melhor e etc....O Jazz veio da Música Eruduta Francesa-Impressionistas e os Brasileiros copiaram a Harmonia. Bom lembrar para todos os MPBistas e Jazzistas Brasileiros , que o primeiro disco do Toninho Horta é de 1980 e nesta época Pat já tinha muitos discos e sedimentado seu estilo. As participações de Toninho em discos como convidado não apresentavam este estilo como aquele "Beto Guedes, Danilo Caymmi, Novelli & Toninho Horta"..tudo é saturação cultural, a MPB é fruto dos Africanos, Música Barroca-Clássica Européia, música Portuguesa e Espanhola, Cantos gregorianos, Impressionismo Francês e Jazz e acabou gerando coisas únicas para o mundo pois é uma fusão com outras referências-Música dos indios etc...o mundo tem milhões de coisas, e Pat ouve tudo Balineses, Javaneses, Sardenha, Bulgária, Tango, e mais zilhões de coisas.
very nice job. you explain things very well. it would be very interesting if you do the same with Allan Holsworth, since he has so many albums with diferent people and colaborations with jean luc ponty ,gong, uk etc , so people would know better.
I have done a history of Holdsworth where I treid to pull together the albums he has guested on with his own albums
@@AndyEdwardsDrummer ok. Haven't seen it. I love Allan Holsworth, hope to find it.
@@joseantoniomartinezbombin1669 czcams.com/video/4a_Xj17k3rs/video.html
I'm sure Andy knows this. Eicher of ECM didn't want Jaco on Bright Size Live (sacrilege) and wanted someone like Charlie Haden (as much as I love Charlie Haden) but Jaco was allowed to play by Eicher on the proviso that he behaved himself. Bob Moses said that the album didn't feel quite right to him.
I think that band had a stronger power trio feel to it which perhaps Eicher's production approach my have diminished. This is what perhaps Bob Moses was on about. Bob Moses is perhaps the first true fusion drummer whoc has a huge stake in this genre. But this album is the one where he goes down in posterity. And perhaps it doesn't quite capture how hard they rocked. But it is a genre changing album precisely for these reasons too.
Rejoicing has Charlie Haden on bass and Billie Higgins on drums
I love that album, apparently Pat doesn't
I love 'Bright Size Life' but I really struggle to listen to albums with the guitar synth. I find it a really irritating sound. I much prefer Terje Rypdal, John Abercrombie and Mike Nock.
Good introduction and interesting top 10. I think it will always depend on your frame of reference, - where you are coming from musically. My list would be different, but that's what makes this interesting.
The two Rick Beato interviews with Gary Burton and Pat Metheny give a lot of information about where Metheny was coming from. The Metheny interview is fantastic:
czcams.com/video/QEgalcH_-b4/video.html
According to Metheny (in the interview) his first albums Bright Size Life and Watercolors were commercial failures initially and only sold a few hundred albums.
Interview with Gary Burton:
czcams.com/video/9VOw0oomUEY/video.html
And then there’s this extraordinary moments: czcams.com/video/nxMwGTQ1bzU/video.html
Was just listening to that...
@@AndyEdwardsDrummer a perfect musical moment.
Pat Metheny DOES NOT have a clean tone like Wes or Jim Hall! Metheny's tone is drenched in an elaborate "Chorus"-like effect! That's the "Pat Metheny" sound. Influential? Yes! Every jazz guitarist since Metheny has copied that chorus sound. Stern, Scofield, Abercrombie, Kreisberg, Rosenwinkel. Even Jim Hall, later recorded some stuff with chorus effect. It is NOT a clean sound. I personally don't like it because it kills sustain and attack.