Chicapah The more I hear of Pat Metheny the less sure I am of what kind of artist he is. I realize that I’m catching up with most of his albums decades after they were released and, therefore, they’re bound to be dated to some extent but I still have to call ‘em as I see ‘em and they tend to run the gamut from intriguing to insomnia-curing. My earliest exposure to his aural art came in the form of his partnership with keyboard wiz Lyle Mays that culminated in 1981’s exciting “As Falls Wichita So Falls Wichita Falls” album. By contrast, his namesake group’s ’84 offering, “First Circle,” is as boring as watching paint dry while the very jazzy “80/81” record is so complex at times that it makes my head spin. So who is Pat Metheny? After listening to “Letter from Home” several times I still have no definitive answer to that question. Let me make this clear, though. Just because I don’t cotton to everything he produces doesn’t mean he’s not an extremely talented musician. He’s a monster guitarist. Period. The bottom line is what emotions his music elicits in the listener and I can only speak for myself in that regard.

The disc opens with “Have You Heard.” Pat and his merry men had been dabbling heavily in South American flavors for years so it’s no surprise that a lively Latin aura surrounds this song, setting the tone for what’s to come. Metheny zips all over his fretboard as if to flash his impressive credentials up front and then Lyle Mays injects hot pizzazz into the final section. It’s a great way to start an album. “Every Summer Night” is next and it’s a light jazz tune that alternates between 4/4 and 6/4 time signatures seamlessly. It sports a very elegant atmosphere but it’s also quite predictable. If not for the outstanding solos by Pat and Lyle it would’ve been branded as mall muzak. “Better Days Ahead” is contemporary, Sergio Mendes-styled Brazilian fare that passes without making any impression on me at all. “Spring Ain’t Here” follows, a moody number they dedicated to Stanley Turrentine. It’s a very subtle piece of music and they keep it low key for the full seven minutes. I’m beginning to think that Metheny’s association with Mr. Mays is the best thing that ever happened to him because the stuff I like most is the stuff Lyle either wrote or helped to write. “45/8” is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it glimpse of festive Rio that’s over in less than a minute whereas “5-5-7” takes a little more time to unfold. Mays’ synthesized whistle effect gives this relaxing song a breezy vibe. Pat’s guitar ride is smooth as silk but the track morphs into something much more fascinating when Lyle takes over and changes it into a flowing fantasy of musical colorings. He is truly the progressive thinker of the bunch and he makes a huge difference.

An up-tempo Bossa Nova pulse drives the perky “Beat 70” relentlessly. The piece features a clever accordion melody that gives it a unique aspect but it’s the fluid piano and guitar leads that I find most gratifying about it. Percussionist Pedro Aznan adds spice to almost every cut while also serving duty as the band’s part-time vocalist. “Dream of the Return” is a lovely ballad that he contributed Spanish lyrics to and, while it’s romantic and all, it’s a tad too mushy for my tastes. Perhaps if I was in seduction mode it would come in handy but those days are long gone nowadays and it just makes me sleepy. Speaking of Lyle Mays, however, his “Are We There Yet” is the finest tune on the record. It has a funky but wonderfully quirky and complicated melodic foundation that not only captures but steadfastly holds your attention from beginning to end. Mays’ synth solo is scintillating before he gracefully transforms the piece into an ethereal soundscape that’s as deep as the trenches of the Pacific Ocean. It’s hypnotic and well worth the price of admission. Aznan’s “Vidalia” follows. Its mysterious intro leads to his lonesome singing over a semi-tribal drum pattern that is reminiscent of what Peter Gabriel was investigating in that era. It’s all a bit strange here and there but I do like its sense of adventure and the group’s collective courage to go where it leads them. “Slip Away” adopts a peppy pace that’s semi-inviting but the song’s glossy veneer is too slick for me. I know what they’re doing isn’t child’s play but I always hope to be surprised by something that pops up along the way. Unfortunately, nothing does on this one. Glad to report that they end on a classy note. “Letter from Home” is a gorgeous, soothing piano piece that Lyle presents with quiet but powerful passion.

This album ended up winning the Grammy for Best Jazz Fusion Performance at the 1990 awards ceremony, the same trophy the Pat Metheny Group had garnered for each of their three previous discs, so it’s obviously held in high esteem by many who know a lot more about jazz fusion than I do. All I can tell you is that it is immensely better than the dull-as-dirt “First Circle” and has moments of greatness to savor if you are patient. Some of it is overly tame yet it never stoops to patronization. South American-tinted jazz can grow tiresome for those who like to be pleasantly shocked from time to time but the band tosses in just enough imaginative detours to keep it from slipping into Exotica territory.

FunkFreak75 One of those albums that I find myself compelled to dance to no matter if I'm sleeping, sitting, or walking. (Yes: I've had dreams to some of this music.) I was fortunate enough to have attended a concert during the Group's tour of this album--with all three of my brothers sitting beside me. I'll always remember the concert for A) how hard all of the musicians worked to perfectly render this music live, on stage and 2) for never dancing so hard, so continuously at any concert before or since (and I'd been to a Parliament concert in 1979!) and yet never leaving my seat!

1. "Have You Heard" (6:25) such a high-spirited song with amazing performances from everybody in the band. Those vocal/guitar/keyboard melodies are so infectious; once heard they dominate one's brain for days! (10/10)

2. "Every Summer Night" (7:13) opening with a BURT BACHARACH Arthur-like feel (and simplicity) with some equally engaging melodies coming from Pedro, Lyle, and Pat. Thoroughly winning and joy-ful. (I cannot help but smile my hugest [&*!#]-eating grin throughout the course of this song. Amazing.) Some great soloing from Pat in the fourth minute that ties in with his work on his 1991 solo masterpiece, Secret Story. Perhaps not the most impressive song for complexity, intricacy, and surprise, but a masterpiece nonetheless--especially to the soul. (14/15)

3. "Better Days Ahead" (3:03) a super-fun song with a definite care-free Brazilian vibe (and complex meters). There is some excellent work here from Lyle as well as Pat on his electrically-amplified acoustic guitar but even moreso from those rollicking percussionists/multi-instrumentalists up on the backstage risers. (8.875/10)

4. "Spring Ain't Here" (6:55) a gentle, hypnotic weave from the start led by Pat's heavily-effected guitar and boosted by Lyle's piano and the percussionists' laid-back support--as well as Pat's great melodies. And it's still danceable! I love the peaceful melody-making that is perfectly appropriate for a child's lullaby.(13.5/15)

5. "45/8" (0:57) Latin fun! (4.5/5)

6. "5-5-7" (7:54) another song with an absolutely killer construct--so filled with excitement and potential--all lurking Pat and Lyle's twin exposition of the melody line until 1:08 when their is a change in motif into something more classically jazz, but then at 1:35 we move back to the original motif where the infectious melody line is trebled with the vocalese talents of Pedro Aznar. This is obviously meant to be the chorus. The band moves back to the jazzy motif for Pat to burst into an extended solo of impressive jazz guitar play, everybody laying back in support until the beginning of the sixth minute when Pat's Wes Montgomery-like chords and Paul Wertico's cymbal crashes signal a transition into a different motif--one that sees the band return to the chorus at 6:06 with Pedro given the full lead over Lyle and Pat--an expression he takes to the song's gentle end. Excellent! (14.25/15)

7. "Beat 70" (4:55) moving back into Brazillian joy, the bassa nova/Caribbean rhythm track evokes full movement, engaging the hara/dantien with full license to abandon all inhibition! Enter the steel drums and other Calypso instruments from the multi-instrumentalists up top and we have a sure-fire expression of rollicking fun and island spirit. Pedro's vocalese of Pat and Lyle's main melody is one that you can't help but want to sing out with--but singing is not enough! You have to move! Your hands have to drum! Your voice has to hit its top volume! (9.3333/10)

8. "Dream of the Return" (5:26) the repetition of the form, style and formula of Pedro's ever-popular (and super-powerful) "Más Allá (Beyond)" from his first collaboration with Pat and Lyle, 1984's First Circle album--this time incorporating a little punch of Disney princess theme music thrown in for good measure). It's good but not nearly as powerful as Más Allá. (8.75/10)

9. "Are We There Yet" (7:55) a song constructed and performed to exemplify much more of the band's odd-tempo rock and jazz-rock fusion proclivities and talents, there are odd and challenging (for the listener) things going on all over this song while Lyle Mays' genius definitely comes shining through as Pat's famous horn guitar cuts through all of the brutal obstacles to deliver a "Are You Going With Me?" caliber albeit sometimes more-angular solo. Also a great illustration of a how critical (and versatile) are the contributions of all of the other "Group" members. The unexpected and eerie pause in the sixth minute always gets me--especially when the other tracks from the previous minute are exposed for a few seconds as if from far away--but then, that is part of the genius of this band: always coming up with creative and unusual ideas for their musical expression. (13.75/15)

10. "Vidala" (3:03) bleeding over from the end of the previous song, sustained synth washes provide the soil for Pedro and Paul Wertico to express what sounds and feels like some kind of Scottish folk anthem. The other instrumentalists join in giving the music more of an Andean sound with panpipes. I don't know why I'm always so surprised by Pedro's perfect English pronunciation. I suppose it's because he always sings in wordless vocalese or Portuguese. A very cool song that I always forget exists but then really enjoy when it comes on. (8.875/10)

11. "Slip Away" (5:25) one of the Group's main staples and concert favorites, this song sounds very much like some of the music Pat put into his soundtrack to The Falcon and the Snowman a few years previously. The rhythm track is so engaging, but the melodies even moreso--especially with Pedro's iconic vocalese but even Pat's every note from his iconic jazz guitar evokes joy and a kind of nostalgic beauty. (9.25/10)

12. "Letter from Home" (2:33) Another kind of "reprise" of a previous song from the Group ("In Her Family" from 1987's Still Life (Talking)). (9/10)

Total Time: 61:34

Overall an excellent album with even more accessibility for the general public than previous albums.

A-/five stars; a masterpiece of radio-friendly and crowd-pleasing melodic jazz-rock fusion that every prog lover should experience whilst driving in the countryside with the wind blowing in your hair! (And yet, this is NOT "Yacht Rock" or "Smooth Jazz": the performances and constructs are too difficult for that!)