In First Circle, the Pat Metheny Group settled into a lineup that lasted for quite a while -- with Metheny, keyboardist Lyle Mays, bassist Steve Rodby, and new drummer Paul Wertico forming the core quartet.
The ever-restless Metheny also mixes up the music, not quite leaving the Brazilian glide behind but coming up with some fascinating permutations always affixed with his personal stamp.
"Forward March," the album opener, is a bizarre parody full of detuned instruments and half-cocked trumpet from Mays; one wonders if this was directed at a few silly skirmishes of the day (Grenada? the Falklands?).
"The First Circle" has Brazilian elements, but now in the service of a grander architectural context, while nothing could be simpler and yet more sophisticated than the delicate ballad "If I Could." "End of the Game" might be the best track on the record, equipped with a beautiful pop-flavored set of tunes and harmonies, with a rock beat fused to the floating ambience of South America as personified by the new Argentine percussionist/vocalist Pedro Aznar.
"Praise," the closer, is an out-and-out rock tune, an affirmative flip side of "Forward March" and the last of a series of delightful surprises.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Forward MarchLyle Mays, Pat Metheny | Pat Metheny Group, Pat Metheny | Play | 02:49 | 6 MB | 14 MB |
| 2 | Yolanda, You LearnLyle Mays, Pat Metheny | Pat Metheny Group, Pat Metheny | Play | 04:49 | 11 MB | 34 MB |
| 3 | If I CouldLyle Mays, Pat Metheny | Pat Metheny Group, Pat Metheny | Play | 06:59 | 16 MB | 31 MB |
| 4 | Tell It AllLyle Mays, Pat Metheny | Pat Metheny Group, Pat Metheny | Play | 07:59 | 18 MB | 52 MB |
| 5 | End of the GameLyle Mays, Pat Metheny | Pat Metheny Group, Pat Metheny | Play | 08:02 | 18 MB | 51 MB |
| 6 | PraiseLyle Mays, Pat Metheny | Pat Metheny Group, Pat Metheny | Play | 04:19 | 9 MB | 29 MB |
| 7 | Mas Alia (Beyond) | Pat Metheny | Play | 05:40 | 13 MB | 28 MB |
| 40 mins | 93 MB | |||||
| 40 mins | 242 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vance Anderson | Assistant Producer, Producer, Production Assistant |
| 2 | Pedro Aznar | Bells, Glockenspiel, Guitar, Guitar (12 String), Guitar (12 String Acoustic), Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Classical), Guitar (Nylon String), Lyricist, Percussion, Vocals, Voices, Whistle (Human), Whistle (Instrument) |
| 3 | Juan Castagnola | Photography |
| 4 | William Clift | Photography |
| 5 | Rob Eaton | Assistant Engineer |
| 6 | Niki Gatos | Assistant Producer, Producer, Production Assistant |
| 7 | Jan Erik Kongshaug | Engineer |
| 8 | Lyle Mays | Agogo Bell, Bells, Composer, Keyboards, Oberheim Synthesizer, Organ, Piano, Synclavier, Synthesizer, Trumpet |
| 9 | Pat Metheny | Composer, Guitar, Guitar (12 String), Guitar (12 String Acoustic), Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Classical), Guitar (Electric), Guitar (Steel), Guitar (Synthesizer), Performer, Primary Artist, Producer, Sitar, Sitar (Electric), Slide Guitar, Soloist, Synclavier, Synclavier Guitar, Synthesizer |
| 10 | Pat Metheny Group | Performer, Primary Artist |
| 11 | Paul Natkin | Photography |
| 12 | David Oakes | Assistant Producer, Producer, Production Assistant |
| 13 | Jerry Radas | Assistant Producer, Producer, Production Assistant |
| 14 | Steve Rodby | Bass, Bass (Electric), Drums (Bass), Guitar (Bass) |
| 15 | Tom Sheehan | Assistant Producer, Producer, Production Assistant |
| 16 | Paul Wertico | Cymbals, Drums, Drums (Snare) |
| 17 | Barbara Wojirsch | Cover Design |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |