Is it me, or is the new Pat Metheny album Side Eye 3 + boring. I miss Lyle.
It’s definitely you 
since I rather enjoy the new album.
I also find the recording quality poor. Maybe I’ll have to give it more listens.
It’s Pat giving space to his bandmates. I think the recording is pretty good and the performances are as good as it gets. The material isn’t as ground breaking as more classic Pat Metheny works, but I find it satisfying and I’m such a Pat Metheny fan I’ve even got “Zero Tolerance for Silence”
.
It seems to be missing the melodic climactic surprises that Pat is known for on his group albums. No comparison to the excitement of “Imaginary Day” for instance. Also, the DVD for “Imaginary Day” is great and the performance is thrilling. This new band is touring extensively for the new album so maybe they will get some Mojo down the line.
Will be seeing Pat live in Little Rock in a few days, be interesting to see how they perform.
I find this statement hilarious, here’s why: back in 1986 when the Ornette Coleman/Pat Metheny album “Song X” was release, The Coleman/Metheny group did a short tour in support of the album. I went to one of their shows at in May 1986 at Town Hall in NYC. The group played two sets and at the intermission between the sets the vast majority, yes the VAST MAJORITY, of the Pat Metheny fans (and remember in 1986 Metheny was at or near his peak in popularity) were running from the theater as if their hair was on fire, which tells one all one needs to know about Metheny’s fans love of “ground breaking”. This is not meant as a knock on Pat Metheny, who has always embraced new and challenging music, but of many of his fans, who are afraid of going outside their comfort zones, and believe me Ornette was way outside their tiny comfort zone.
By the way, the concert was great and since the theater was more than half empty for the second set I was able to move down from my balcony seats to the third row and enjoy the second set up close and personal.
I’ll admit it. 99 times out of 100 free jazz is out of my comfort zone. I’ve been to a half dozen Pat Metheny concerts and he usually plays at least one esoteric selection. While I may not appreciate the music I always admire Pat’s technical abilities and musical talent.
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