I'm pretty sure Offramp is analog. Even The First Circle recorded in 1984 is analog. Still life (talking) was the first PMG album recorded and mixed digitally.
My son found this and sent it to me yesterday. I'm not really a fan of Metheny's synth guitar sounds being more of a Bright Size Life person. But saw this thread was still active and thought it might interest some.
Wow. I had no idea they collaborated. However, I'll say this - As much as I love Metheny, I feel like his solo here doesn't reflect the musical vibe of the song. It's like he brought an AR-15 rifle to a knife fight. I think a solo more in keeping with the rhythmic island bouyancy of the song would have been more effective.
It's like Metheny was playing with a new toy, i.e., the guitar synth, and was imposing what he was exploring with his new toy rather than responding to what was there. That solo is pretty heavy-handed, not in keeping with the style of the song. Early on in his career, I recall him sitting in with someone in the front room at Ryle's in Cambridge. Back then, all he had was the thick tone he employed on his first album, very identifiable. But that thickness could obscure or dominate other players, and I remember the leader of the group asking him to pull back. As Metheny continued to mature, he sought out more tonal color. I remember when he first started using the guitar synth, he used it to explore more out there sounding stuff, such as the title track to Offramp and "Song For Bilbao". I'm guessing that the above live cut sitting in with Fagan was during a time when the synth guitar was still fairly new to Metheny, and he was concentrating on ways to use it.
Thanks! It means it was recorded as analog, mixed and mastered in analog. The D pertains to the medium which is a digital medium and it is a CD in this case.
Right. I posted it out of historical interest more than anything else. It's actually a shame because one of his more old-school solos would have sounded brilliant on this tune. Along the lines of the way he plays on Joni Mitchell's Shadows and Light. I wonder why he didn't think of that.
Actually, listening to it a couple of more times just now, his licks in the verses are pretty inspired. And it really is a ripping solo--I would say, on reflection, in keeping with the tune as performed that night. And the crowd is going flippin' nuts. Who are we to say...
Thanks...this was a year or two before the SD reunion.Pat is a big fan of The Nightfly...the solo is a little heavy,an impromptu gig to get the Dan back on the radar...I'm a fan of his guitar synth work..."Are You Going With Me" from Offramp,the live version is amazing!
Actually in this case (Offramp) I don't really care, as at both, the original WG ECM LP amd CD sound fantastic. Actually Offramp was the first Pat Metheny I have heard and it still my favourite Pat Metheny (Group) album. "Are you going with me", "Au Lait" and "James" are in a way unsurpassed IMHO.
To my ears Pat always sounded great on record and in concert. His live shows were always at a comfortable volume that didn't cause ear damage and the sound was warm.
This is one my fave Pat solos. He explodes in, yes, but given the sci if nature of the song, it doesn’t feel out of place. And those runs on the fret board are pure Metheny. Get goosebumps when I hear it.
Just got done spinning Watercolors, and Offramp. Two very different but beautiful albums. So many different kinds of music on both of these. I love both the freewheeling improvisation on the Offramp title tune and the catchy James which sounds much more breezy easy that it is to play.
Watercolors was made before he put a regular group together. And it clearly is influenced by the bassist Eberhard Weber's playing on it. The album was a lot about tonal color. Offramp, a terrific album, is a great example of how many influences Pat and Lyle were soaking in at the time. "James" was a homage to James Taylor (Pat told me so when I asked him about it.), and you can hear a nod to JT's interpretation of Carole King's "Up On The Roof" at one point in Lyle's solo.
Not familiar with the Carole King song but James features two superb solos back to back by Pat and Lyle.
One of her most famous solo works. But JT had a huge hit with it on his Flag album (It was released as a single). Notice the base chord riff that repeats throughout. Then listen to Lyle's solo, paying attention particularly for that two-chord riff he works in at one point.
Oh, I've heard that tune. James is great but I just don't buy those kinds of records. He obviously loves jazz musicians because he hires all the top players for his touring bands.
I seem to remember Lyle playing a "What A Fool Believes" type riff in some of those early "James" versions. Yes, a simple sounding tune but the chromatic ascending chord sequence in the bridge can't be easy to solo over. At shows at the time the group would play "James" followed by "Offramp" and Pat would mention that they'd just played a piece dedicated to James Taylor and were going to follow it with a piece dedicated to Ornette Coleman.
I've never heard Pat talk that much at any of the shows I've attended. He would usually play 4-5 tunes in a row, say hello and keep playing. On the Side Eye tour he didn't mention the names of any tunes for the entire concert. Luckily I'm a long time fan so I knew just about every piece.
Pat was more chatty in old (late 70's/early 80's) shows I have on tape. When I first saw him in 1989 he didn't talk a lot, but mentioned that they were playing new unrecorded songs that didn't have titles yet (a common theme at his shows).
