There's nothing more beautiful than Lyle May's piano solos

Pat is one of the great American guitarists, a composer, an innovator, sometimes seemingly undervalued in the flow of time. This is a brilliant track.

RIP Lyle. One of the best piano solos he did with the group. Also love the Roland synth solo by Pat. I have listened to this piece hundreds of times and never tire of it.

"September fifteenth" from the album "As falls Witchita, so falls Witchita Falls". You won't regret listening to this masterpiece.

Doug - ya gotta do "First Circle".  Melodically, Harmonically and Rhythmically - it will push all your buttons, while being so subtle you will end up just digging the ride.

one of the most beautiful things ever recorded.

This song never fails to get to me.  Its a jam, its dramatic, colorful, textural, deeply emotional and captivating.  One of my top faves.  ❤️‍🔥

RIP Lyle, we all love you, you were 50% of Pat Metheny Group

PM will be remembered as perhaps the best jazz artist of our generation. Genius.

The thunderclap makes for a perfect climax for Pat's guitar synth solo here. I've read that it was a lucky accident. They were recording in New England when a storm moved in and this was captured on tape. Not at that precise moment in the score, I'd suspect, but edited in. As you delve into Pat's ECM work, you'll see much use of such "found sounds." Train noises are a recurring theme. Echoed human voices are major sonic elements of "As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls."  Pat and Lyle wrote this after witnessing a tornado near Metheny's Kansas home. Three intervals of crowd  voices mark the progress of the  storm. First, the calm tones of casual conversations, then screams of anguish, then, as positive resolution,  a bunch of children laughing and shrieking, playing in a pool.

Those little unexpected doses of real-world sounds, a la musique concrete, were one of the most appealing aspects of the Pat Metheny Group's music. It was almost unprecedented in jazz, but it echoed the sonic collages of The Beatles later period.

"As falls Witchita, so falls Witchita Falls" is another classic that should not be missed. Turn down the lights, crank up the volume and just soak in the brilliance of Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays. Love your show, Doug. Keep up the great work.

The title is "To the end of the world" the sound effect is just that. The end  - a break up. The last solo is a grand lament ending in the crash. "To the end of the world"  moves me to tears every time I hear it

Great reaction to my favorite song EVER!!!  I was a DJ at WUMR (formerly 91.7 FM, "The Jazz Lover") and from what I was told, I was one of the first DJ's to play "To The End of The World", live, on the air, in it's entirety.  Having been a music major over 40 years ago, the progressions drove my ears insane!!!  It was love at first listen.  I wholeheartedly agree with your excitement regarding the song.  The ONLY place we disagree is that the SOUND EFFECT sections lends itself to separating the first 10 minutes from the last 2 minutes.  It was a demarcation that I thought was absolutely brilliant.  I closed my radio show at midnight with the song every time I was on the air.  I played it uninterrupted until the VAMP AND FADE.  That's when I back announced and signed off.

Thanks for your insights.

Barry Ford

Letter from Home is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever....

Started listening to Pat and Company in 85'. To this day I cannot tire of any of his songs and ALWAYS find something new within them. IMO he's is among the greatest composers alive today. BTW, RIP Lyle, you were a great one and your music will live on.

The thunder storm and rain that happens was recorded by accident. It was storming outside during the recording and was captured through an open door. They decided to keep it in the final recording and even had lighting effects that simulate the lightning during the live performance. YouTube has one of the live performance of you search. Also, Pats podcast “Behind The Music” gives accounts by the band members on how all of the albums came to be. Many of the albums anyway.

A suggestion: "Are You Going With Me?" from the album Offramp by the Pat Metheny Group.  I find it hauntingly beautiful.  There is also a live version on the album Travels.

This is a journey of utmost listening experience.

One of my favorite PMG tunes is "So May It Secretly Begin", studio version, highlighted by Lyly's solo. It melts me.

"Floating Music."
I love The Pat Metheny Group!