The eight tracks that make up Pat Metheny’s debut album Bright Size Life are exactly what I was looking for. They hit the spot.
One Saturday afternoon in the summer I was enjoying instrumental jazz on the front porch. I wanted more, and was recommended Bright Size Life by jazz enthusiast Robert Lawson. The presence of the legendary Jaco Pastorius on fretless bass made me more intrigued.
From the very start of the title track, we’re treated to smooth, rich guitar tones and melodies. Drift back, but not too far, because the lyrical basswork of Jaco deserves your full attention. From harmonics to chord bending, his basswork is thick with technique. Little waterfalls of notes splashing here and there. Though sometimes fast and unpredictable, it always settles back into the groove of the song. Meanwhile, Bob Moses on drums paints a picture with cymbals.
Bright Size Life is warm but sparse, featuring a basic jazz trio with Metheny playing both six and twelve string guitars. His fingers dance a dance of tone and texture. The melodies he plucks are challenging with unexpected notes and runs dotting the landscape. The drums are often light and the cymbals bright. Jaco’s bass is usually telling its own story.
You can hear the influence on instrumentalists since. The guitar is the main focus, and it is always delivering interesting melodies to and fro, rarely repeating but always exploring. It’s a clean, clear sound with richness and natural depth. On some tracks, Metheny plays it slow and relaxed, on others like “Missouri Uncompromised”, it’s a race with Pastorius and Moses neck-and-neck. Yes even so, an unexpected melody darts in here and there, keeping you on your toes. Speed is employed effectively but not exhaustingly.
Top track: “Midwestern Nights Dream”, a suitably noctunral beauty with smoke and atmosphere. A Jaco bass melody dominates the second half to delicious effect.
RECORD STORE TALES #1076: Weekend Listening At Home
When I have time and the inclination at home, I like to go through dusty corners of the CD collection and finally get them ripped to PC. I take my hard drives with me everywhere, so my music collection is always portable. This weekend I took some deep dives, and sampled the sweet exotic fruits of the E section, a sampling of K’s and L’s, and some new arrivals too.
First of all, the newer stuff.
I’m going to have to re-review Morning Report by the Arkells again! Turns out, I made a mistake in my original review. I said that the deluxe edition had three bonus tracks, but I was wrong. I didn’t realize that there was another bonus track inserted as track #2, between “Drake’s Dad” and “Private School”. This makes all the difference in the world to the sequencing. Now we get “Knocking At The Door”, a new single, as the new track #2. Since “Drake’s Dad” and “Private School” were my two least favourite songs, having something of much higher quality between them really helps the flow.
I always buy something after doing a show on Grant’s Rock Warehouse. This time, it was the Stone Gods. I’ve acquired the single for “Burn the Witch”, which comes with two awesome non-album songs: “Breakdown”, and “Heartburn”! “Breakdown” is exactly like Thin Lizzy, to a tee, except with Richie Edwards on lead vocals. “Breakdown” is of equally high quality, a light and humorous tune about Pepto-Bismol and Gaviscon. Expect a review at some point in the future.
Finally, I sampled some April Wine, from Over 60 Minutes With…All the Rockers. People ask me “Why do you not own any April Wine?” I said “I never grew up with April Wine, my friends didn’t like them, so I never bothered.” Well Tim Durling said I need April Wine. I will evaluate this at a later date, but I have some April Wine now.
The next batch of discs was from the last part of the E section, five discs that had escaped ripping to the PC all these years. It could be 20 years or more since I have last played some of these. Earth, Wind & Fire, nothing need be said here, that’s essential. I was surprised at the quality of Elf, as boogie-woogie isn’t usually my thing. The Rik Emmett CD is cool because it has 2001 live versions of some of his old Triumph classics. Episode Six runs the gamut from quaint to psychedelic. “UFO” is one cool such song, a spoken word bit over drums, that reads from UFO sighting reports. But that’s Ian Gillan and Roger Glover on the front cover, yes indeed! Finally, the Eric Singer Project (ESP) was the weak link in this batch. Just a bland covers album to me.
Next, over to the K section. I noticed that none of my Kula Shaker music was on PC, and I have a lot of Kula Shaker. That’s the entire collection below, in fact.
Look! The 2 CD edition of debut album K with a cool remix of “Tattva”. Two CDs of “Govinda” singles with B-sides and remixes. “Grateful When You’re Dead/Jerry Was There” CD single with two non-album tracks. The highlight of me of these was “The Leek”, a quiz show style radio appearance by bassist Alonza Bevan. (A distant cousin of Roger Glover, in fact.) Really funny stuff. To me, anyway! Two CDs of “Hush”, the Joe South cover (also covered by Deep Purple Mk I) with lots more non-album tracks. Then we have the Summer Sun EP, which has four of the previous B-sides and two songs I didn’t have elsewhere. The second album, Peasants, Pigs & Astronauts spawned a CD single called “Sound of Drums”, both of which are here. More non-album tracks on that as well.
Well, it turns out, I still love Kula Shaker! Like, a lot. That Britpop sound, mixed with 60s psychedelia and far Eastern influences just tickles my fancy. There were a couple tracks I really loved, but none more than “108 Battles of the Mind” from the second album. What a cool, manic track that definitely benefited from the Austin Powers era.
One thing about Kula Shaker that needs to be addressed: the stellar musicianship. These guys can jam! Special notice to drummer Paul Winterhart who is absolute monster. Incredible band. Once I start re-absorbing these songs back into my memory, I may have to catch up with what they’ve been up to since 1999, where my collection ends.
Continuing through K, and into L, the listening continued on Sunday morning.
Kyuss is a band that I don’t think was summed up well by compilation. I will have to dig further. I have their split EP with Queens of the Stone Age, which has “Fatso Forgotso” on it, but I think Kyuss were an album band. The two Kulick albums are excellent. Corabi is on Transformer, which is signed! I didn’t know I had a signed copy! The James LaBrie solo disc also sounds great from what I sampled! Very Dream Theater, in a good way. Some heavy, some soft. Then we have Life Sex & Death, also called LSD. Their gimmick was their lead singer “Stanley” who was supposedly homeless (but wasn’t). This 1992 album is one that needs more exploration. What I heard was heavy, gritty and riffy while retaining some melody. To be further examined in the future.
As far as I got on the weekend, this just scratches the surface. Look at all this stuff that is still sealed in my collection. Time or inclination just haven’t lined up with the proper mood yet. Some are newer arrivals, like Metheny, Hollywood Vampires and Eric Carr. Others have been sitting around for years. The Kiss compilation may as well stay sealed for collector’s purposes, but The Boxed Life by Rollins…that could have been waiting a decade on these shelves. The Garth Hudsons have been here since 2020. The Etta James and Beatles since 2018. They were in Jen’s mom’s collection.
Wish me luck as I continue to delve into these unheard corners of my collection. What would you be playing first if you stumbled onto these discs?
Here’s part 2 of 3 – 30 albums essential to Meat’s being, that should be essential to yours, too! So, without anymore preamble, I’ll leave you with Uncle Meat, as he discusses 10 more albums, in alphabetical order by title, that you need to visit (or re-visit).
HIGH TENSION WIRES – STEVE MORSE (1989)
Simply put, Steve Morse is my favorite musician of all time. I have had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Morse a total of 6 times when you combine The Dixie Dregs, Deep Purple and The Steve Morse Band. Unlike the releases of some of his contemporaries, High Tension Wires is not your typical shredder album. Oh it shreds alright, but Steve Morse is much more than a trickster. There are beautiful compositions, unforgettable solos and some just plain ol’ rocking too. Included is the link to a live version of a track perfectly named “Tumeni Notes”. For more examples of the greatness of Steve Morse, introduce some Dixie Dregs into your collection. You can thank me later.
HOT HOUSE – BRUCE HORNSBY (1995)
When Bruce Hornsby said goodbye to The Range, he immediately said hello with Harbor Lights, a heavily jazz-infused turn that completely changed the music world’s perception of him. Hot House sees Hornsby taking that one step further. The album’s cover speaks a thousand words. It is a painting of an imagined band session between Bluegrass legend Bill Munroe and Jazz legend Charlie Parker. Nuff’ said there. This recording contains many musical giants including Pat Metheny, Jerry Garcia, Bela Fleck and Chaka Khan. Hot House is very addictive. I know most of the words off by heart on this record. Hopefully someday you will too.
JEFF BECK GROUP – JEFF BECK GROUP (1972)
This album definitely falls under the underappreciated category. Sometimes known as The Orange Album, Beck’s playing has never been better on this collection of original compositions and covers. I would call this more of a Soul album than anything. The incredible vocals of Bobby Tench seem to highlight this record at times, as you will see on the live performance of “Tonight, I’ll Be Staying Here With You” I have included for this entry. Also worth noting, this album is one of the first recordings of the late Cozy Powell’s career. The guitar work alone on “Definitely, Maybe” is enough reason itself to seek this record out. Perhaps a rock n’ roll legend’s best work.
JOHN PRINE – JOHN PRINE (1971)
I actually discovered the music of John Prine while working at the same record store chain that Mr. Ladano speaks of in this blog. There is no one quite like John Prine. Some artists write great songs. Some artists write great lyrics. Only a select few truly do both this well. There is no doubt that John Prine’s self-titled album contains some of the best lyrics ever written. “There’s a hole in daddy’s arm where all the money goes. Jesus Christ died for nothin’ I suppose?” That is just brilliant shit. “You may see me tonight with an Illegal Smile. It don’t cost very much, but it lasts a long while”. I have said this many times and I am still saying it now. John Prine is THE best lyric writer …. Ever. Fuck Bob Dylan. Yeah, I said it.
KRIS KRISTOFFERSON – KRIS KRISTOFFERSON (1970)
For the sake of alphabetical order by album, this Kristofferson follows the John Prine album on this list. Really it should be the other way around. While I stand by my earlier praise of Prine lyrics, I would certainly listen to the argument that there wouldn’t be a John Prine without Kris Kristofferson. The songs on this album show a huge diversity and a sense of patience that just makes him so cool. “Best Of All Possible Worlds” is just insanely-good storytelling and “Me and Bobby McGee” became a mega-smash for Janis Joplin. Of all the great concerts I have seen, watching Kris Kristofferson and a guitar for two hours in 2006 will always be one of the best concerts I will ever see. The true greats just need to show up.
LEGALIZE IT – PETER TOSH (1976)
After being a key member of Bob Marley & The Wailers for years, Peter Tosh embarked on a solo career. On his first solo release, Legalize It, I personally believe Tosh recorded the greatest Reggae album of all time. Fuck Bob Marley. Yeah, I said it. (Wait why am I so hostile? Ha.) Remember that one of Marley’s biggest hits “Get Up Stand Up” was co-written with Peter Tosh. I love this album from beginning to end, and the album’s cover remains a visual anthem for Marijuana activists everywhere. Sadly, Peter Tosh was taken from us when he was shot in the head during a home robbery. Rastafarian music at its finest.
LITTLE EARTHQUAKES – TORI AMOS (1992)
There is only one way to put it. During the spring of 1994 I became a literal disciple of Tori Amos. By the end of 1996 I had seen her live 7 times. Several of them in 2nd or 3rd row center seats, since this was back when you could actually wait all night for tickets and be rewarded for it. This album spoke to me in a way no other album has, or really could. Frustration with women, with Christianity and with life, I didn’t want to hear about hope in the horizon. I obviously needed to experience the frustration of someone who understood. I still have a red-head obsession because of Tori. This is in my ten favorite albums of all time and always will be. Little Earthquakes is full of intense and pretty compositions. The humor of “Happy Phantom” contrasts the pain of “Me and a Gun”. And the included track here is “Precious Things”, which sees Tori Amos exposing herself as the angry and sexual piano player she truly is. Myra Ellen Amos is quite simply a beast.
MELISSA – MERCYFUL FATE (1983)
Mercyful Fate’s first two albums are among the best Metal albums of all time. When you realize that this album came out a full year before Kill ‘Em All did you can start to see just how important this band truly were. Mercyful Fate are the High Priestesses of underappreciation. Yes King Diamond looks kinda ridiculous. And yes their lyrics are nothing short of evil incarnate. Lines such as “Drinking the blood of a new born child” and “I’ll be the first to watch your funeral, and I’ll be the last to leave” sometimes are so over the top that I guess it is understandable how an album this good could be ignored. If Thin Lizzy and Iron Maiden had a baby, and that baby grew up listening to nothing but Black Sabbath, the end result would have to look and sound something like Mercyful Fate. It’s no coincidence that the best thing Metallica has recorded since …And Justice For All is their medley-cover simply-titled “Mercyful Fate”. One of the greatest Metal albums of all time hands down. Click on the YouTube link and hear the start of “Curse of the Pharaohs”. If you don’t immediately recognize “2 Minutes to Midnight” you are lying to yourself.
NEVER, NEVERLAND – ANNIHILATOR (1990)
After Annihilator’s first album, Alice in Hell, it was time for a new lead singer. Out was the awful singing of the ridiculously-named Randy Rampage, and in was ex-Omen singer Coburn Pharr. The second album of this Ottawa, Ontario band was a vast improvement over the first album in every way. Without question the guitar playing of Jeff Waters alone makes this an absolute must-have recording for fans of thrash guitar or just guitar in general. If you can think of a better Metal album to come out of Canada then I would love to hear it. If you have never heard this album, and you consider yourself a “Metal guy” then you are missing out huge. I am having a hard time trying to pick a song to post here for listening purposes. That is how truly great this record is from beginning to end.
OPUS EPONYMOUS – GHOST (2011)
I know, I cannot believe it either. Only the second of twenty (so far) albums to be released after 1999 that appear on this list. This album by Swedish band Ghost is nothing but special. Before I heard this album I was told that it sounded like a cross between thrash metal and Blue Oyster Cult. As it turned out that description really was right on the money. Melodic background vocals nestled in between heavy riffing. I have to say that this album is my favorite Metal album in probably the last twenty years. The PERFECT blend of melody and heaviness. This is the only album that since I have got my iPod, every time I switch the music on it I leave this whole album on there. Every minute of this album is pure genius and I am super-stoked for their upcoming 2nd album titled Infestissumam that will be released this spring. Hail Satan!!!!
That’s it for now, stay tuned for part 3, coming soon…
PAT METHENY – Bright Size Life (1976 ECM)
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