PAT METHENY GROUP

One of Metheny's earliest efforts (and indeed the debut the Pat Metheny group) is this album. Very limited (by the standards he later set) in terms of instruments, band members, and even a little bit in the compositions. With a small group of four (and no fancy guitars!), Metheny manages to create the large scale of a symphony. The speedy-demon guitar solos that sound majestic - and even personal - begin; the fast, cymbal-heavy drumming, and even the cosmic piano all begin here (though not fully matured quite yet).

Some more memorable (and perhaps even catchy) melodies appear throughout the album, completed by the smooth dynamic shifts, the mind-blowing musicianship, and a joyful aura mark this as the true root of what Metheny would later create. The atmospheric, psychedelic, ambient-like sections are not yet found, and the soloing sometimes grows standard and not wholly inspiring. The songs sometimes melt together in my memory, mainly because the atmosphere of each is not vividly different. However, some few really catchy sections do in fact make an impact.

My biggest complaints about this album, however, are the overly joyful colour it is painted in (which only sometimes annoys me), the deficiency of powerful atmosphere, emotional melodies, or a coherent musical storyline (so to speak). However, it is an excellent jazz album, if only a decent prog album, and should be recognized as Pat Metheny's true debut. Consider this a very high three star rating.