Note: this release was originally purchased as a LP, later replaced by the original CD release (West Germany, 1985).
This album marks the first recordings of Metheny's writing collaborations with Lyle Mays, one of the most celebrated partnerships in jazz music in the years that followed. Heavily influenced by Weather Report, it is often considered the start of Metheny's signature sound, which - to my ears - moved in the direction of jazz fusion that was more melodic, lyrical, and accessible. Plus, Metheny's clean guitar tone of the time pairs quite well with May's experimental sounds, mostly synth and piano but there's also some autoharp in there.
The album was well-received critically and commercially; it became the first of Metheny's albums to crack the Billboard 200. Plus, according to the book Pat Metheny: The ECM Years, 1975-1984 by music scholar Mervyn Cooke,
The release stunned both ECM's management and the participating musicians by quickly selling more than 100,000 copies instead of the roughly 15,000 typically received by contemporary jazz alums, and by staying on the Billboard jazz chart for more than a year.Can confirm. According to my info, the album was on the Billboard jazz chart from 5 August 1978 through 8 December 1979, and on the CashBox jazz chart from 5 August 1978 through 16 June 1979.
Not the first Metheny album I ever heard, but certainly one of the first and one to which I often return.
Ratings/reviews:
- CashBox: "an exquisite, graceful work"
- Record World: "[Metheny] emerges here as an excellent improvisationalist with an ear attuned to melody."
- DownBeat (★★★★½): "Metheny certainly has crafted one of the best jazz-rock concepts, and there is every indication that it will grow."
- The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★★★
- The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★★
- The Penguin Guide to Jazz (5th ed., 2000): ★★½
Album chart peaks:
- US Billboard 200: #123
- Billboard Jazz: #5
- Record World Jazz: #8
- CashBox: #149
- CashBox Jazz: #10
- Rolling Stone: #98
Tracks: The "hits" are fantastically memorable: the first two tracks, San Lorenzo and Phase Dance, would quickly become favorites during live shows and are my favorite tracks. The next tracks are quite enjoyable even though April Joy is simply a retread of Phase Dance. The album's closer, Lone Jack, isn't bad, it just doesn't hold my interest for long.
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Sitting around and chewing the fat in my friend David's dorm room in Berry Hall while he played his Metheny tapes, ca. Fall 1984.
Previously revisited for the blog:
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