Pat Metheny Group albums - poll of your favorites

PMG is, to me, the perfect amalgam of jazz and rock. Almost every album is distinct, with its own character and mission.

What are your top three and why?
Comment also on which ones are in the cellar.

 

Answering this was much harder than I expected.

In the end, I went with the 2 live albums (Road to You and Travels) because of the breadth of compositions, and because I used to love seeing them live... plus Imaginary Day, which I thought was a cool step outside Pat's usual box at the time.

 

The Falcon and the Snowman soundtrack

 

Travels
American Garage

 

Travels is my go to, it beats the studio versions big time ( especially Are You Going With Me?).

Still Life has that Brazilian influence that I love.

 

Curious to see where @John Kelman would vote on this.

 

Travels
Imaginary Day
The Way Up

No cellar picks from me.

 

These were my three, too.
Cellar picks, such as the are, to come.

 

My cellar picks are Letter From Home (too derivative), Quartet (too sketchy), and American Garage (too slight). None of them are BAD, but they do not have enough of the high marks of the rest of the catalog.

 

Totally missed this, as it was not on the list I referenced. Also, I so seldom listen to it that it was a bit outfight, outofmind.
In any case, too late for me to edit the poll to include this, so my apologies.

 

I was introduced to Pat through Joni Mitchell and after hearing her Shadows And Light album went back and bought all the ECM Group albums & As Falls Wichita So Falls Wichita Falls so that era is my favourite. I wouldn't say any are in the 'cellar' as all the group albums and other projects (except Zero Tolerance For Silence) are albums I revisit regularly.
I do like the DVD audio version of Imaginary Day as well.

 

Pat Metheny Group from 1978...San Lorenzo is a stone cold classic...

 

I like his albums with ECM.

Scott

 

The First Circle , it sounded like a big leap forward for the band back in 1984. The title track is an evergreen classic, and Tell it All features one of Pat's most inventive guitar solos in the studio.

Travels, great live set with some new tunes and it was the end of the first era of the band.

Imaginary Day, sounded fresh after the string of Brazilian influenced albums. The title track and Roots of Coincidence are fantastic pieces of music.

 

I have all of them, like all of them, for my favourites i went for:

Offramp (love the atmosphere and it is a nostalgic favourite)
First Circle (that epic title track)
Letter From Home (the 'perfect' PMG album IMO: this collection of songs kind of captures all of their aspects in one handy, thoroughly enjoyable album).

 

Just read the thread and figured out what a 'cellar pick' was. My only one would possibly be Imaginary Day... just a tad overcooked IMO; it's the PMG album i listen to least. Still like it though.

 

My #1 as well. A spectacular album, IMHO.

 

Although I didn't vote for it, The Road To You contains two of my top PMG compositions/performances in Third Wind, and Half Life Of Absolution.

 

The Way Up is their crowning achievement IMO. Love the Steve Reich influence. Also voted for Still Life (Talking) and Offramp.

 

The DVD is great! I hardly ever reach for the CD.

 

"The First Circle" is my favorite tune by any artist of any genre. I will go to my grave loving that tune.

 

I was fortunate enough to go the three shows in Saratoga, CA that was the basis for the filming and recording. On one of those nights, the performance of "September Fifteenth" was transcendent and ephemeral; something about the way Pat and Lyle connected that night that eclipsed the others. I do not know if that was the performance that made the DVD.

 

Goodness, no apology necessary! That was just my favorite is all. For the poll I chose Still Life, Travels, Garage.

 

I believe the DVD was filmed in Seoul.

 

I like them all (no cellar picks) but have very large soft spot for American Garage. Definitely one of my most-played albums of all time (especially side A)