Pat Metheny Group “American Garage”

The second album released by the first iteration of the Pat Metheny Group, led by the indisputably world-renowned guitarist Pat Metheny, came out in 1979 on ECM. The lineup consisted of Lyle Mays (keys), Mark Egan (b), and Dan Gottlieb (ds). Recorded in the same year at Long View Farm, a farm in Missouri often regarded as one of the most beautiful places in the world, this album was produced by Pat Metheny himself, with Manfred Eicher serving as the executive producer. At this stage, the quintessential guitar synthesizer hadn't yet been introduced, so Metheny played 6-string/12-string guitars, while Lyle Mays provided electronic sounds using Oberheim and autoharp. Throughout the album, a world of delicate and beautiful sounds, akin to the sparkling rays of the sun, unfolds, allowing listeners to savor the distinctive sound of the Pat Metheny Group. This is the original German pressing.

A1: (Cross The) Heartland

B2: The Epic