I think that for those who are familiar with me (on a music taste level I suppose) it is no surprise that my entry towards the world of Jazz was through Jazz Fusion. Of course, Miles Davis had a huge hand in this, particularly with that electric period that just kept me on the edge over and over throughout all the amount of hours I spent getting very into it, but also due a lot of other factors and characters that I encountered and just managed to drag me right into their little world. Pat Metheny and The Way Up were one of those things.
It is very curious really, The Way Up is an album that always felt magical to me, in the sense that it is, in my opinion and many others throughout the years apparently, one of the most perfect Jazz albums for people who are very classic/progressive rock oriented. Silly thing to say, but a very truthful one at that. The album is just baffling and engaging from beginning to end. It was THE last album by THE fucking legendary Pat Metheny Group. A name that, despite changing members throughout many phases, always managed to embody the most ambitious and challenging music that Metheny would ever bring through his personal catalog. This was the culmination, an almost 70 minute long album that was made up by a single piece that drifted across several different segments and motifs. It was undoubtedly just a very noticeable accomplishment, a statement to be made about the ambitions of an artist and his collaborators that helped him bring ideas to life. It was simply a huge achievement that channeled all the ideas, talent, versatility and virtuosity that Metheny had been building up to that point with his Group project.
It is also very understandable why this period of Metheny can be very tacky for most. Virtuosity, as undeniable as it might be, can easily come across as very exaggerated for most with stuff like a 42-string guitar being displayed throughout a lot of compositions. The Way Up is a very interesting record to go through, and a very divisive one at that. The sprawling piece has simply way too many things going on. Motifs being built up from the very first few minutes, a lot of solos that take presence all throughout, a mix that can be somewhat overwhelming due to the attempt of bringing all the pieces of the album together on a coherent manner, and also the fact that most just are not used to 60+ minute album experiences (let alone those that are apparently made up by ONE single track dividing into parts). It can all be a bit too much, ending up being cataloged or described under terms such as "wanky" (dogshit term, btw), "pretentious", or stuff like that. All of which I can honestly understand to some extent.
I think I am the only one in my "music" friend/acquaintance group that is really into this project. It is one of those special projects that, from time to time, as I expand my musical library and revisit albums or artists, I think about in a "was it really as good as I remember?" and it always ends up being as fucking amazing as I remember it. What a project. I just can't hate it, and I doubt that will ever change.
What can I say. Listening to the album again and again, being able to somehow replicate a lot of it on drums during the time I was a very active drummer, it being one of THE gateways for me into some of my favorite genres and artists, and just loving it over and over for more than 15 years now is just hmmmmmmmmmm... The main album is so fucking great...
The tour that followed it was also an accomplishment on its own right. The recording made in South Korea, that was made up into The Way Up Live DVD, is simply something I watch religiously every single year during Christmas season, on December 20, in honor of the first time I watched it entirely by myself after begging one of my friends to burn it on a blank DVD-R that would end up scratched into oblivion (partially due to one of my dogs attacking it), and full recordings of the 2004-2005 performances are always something I am on the lookout for... and have not been very particularly successful at getting my hands on...
Records of shows like the Hummingbird Center or Piazzale del Castello ones being available in bootleg form do exist, although I haven't been able to get my hands on them and I doubt that will change anytime soon. Even stuff like a full recording of the piece at Montreal 2005 has proven as very difficult for me to find, either due to traders being assholes (nothing new) or them asking for very exaggerated things in return (nothing new there as well), making my search of a full pristine recording from 2005 that includes all of The Way Up and the rest of the set just being one of my many bootleg/music lover dreams....
This right here is as good as it gets at this point though. A partial full recording of a 2005 set from the Jazz à Vienne festival, FM Broadcast and all. The sound is, thankfully, very clear, but the performance is sadly very chopped up... The Way Up can be found here, but only partially, many cuts involved, with a lot of fading in an out on every "Part" being included, and even if it's not as bad with the rest of the set, it definitely gets in the way of fully enjoying the experience, at least in my opinion. It is still a fantastic recording. The whole band is on point, very sublime chemistry and a lot of tracks like Roots of Coincidence, Always and Forever, and, of course, what can be heard of The Way Up are just a joy to listen to. I just wish the whole recording was available but it is what it is.
I really hope Metheny and company plan to release a full recording of this tour officially anytime soon, but that doesn't seem the case... Either way I can only hope that a full recording somehow ends up in my hands.
I really hate the french radio host here, but then again I hate most french folk either way (kidding....)
Hope your 2025 is going well and that you enjoy this wonderful music! Or just whatever you are listening to.
Cheers!
During this recording, the Pat Metheny Group were:
Pat Metheny: guitars, guitar synthesizer, pikasso 42-string guitar, electric sitar
Lyle Mays: piano, synthesizers, guitar
Steve Rodby: acoustic bass, electric bass
Antonio Sanchez: drums, percussion, electric bass
Gregoire Maret: harmonica, vocals, guitar, electric bass, percussion, marimba, kalimba
Cuong Vu: trumpet, vocals, guitar, percussion, marimba, glockenspiel
Nando Lauria: guitars, vocals, percussion, vibraphone, flugelhorn, melodica, kalimba
1. The Way Up Part One (8:22)
2. The Way Up Part Two (6:19)
3. The Way Up Part Three (11:28)
4. The Way Up Part Four (2:56)
5. Drum Solo Into Ending of Lone Jack (3:58)
6. Pikasso Guitar Intro to AYGWM (4:37)
7. Are You Going With Me? (9:22)
8. Last Train Home (5:09)
9. The Roots of Coincidence (7:34)
10. Always and Forever (11:21)
11. Farmer's Trust (5:31)
12. Minuano (Six Eight) (7:59)
13. Song for Bilbao (10:48)
Artwork made by yours truly
DOWNLOAD HERE:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1hw_EdVE7nCjIyRAbHcbyLVduzuwzyYMJ?usp=sharing
https://archive.org/details/pat-metheny-group-theatre-antique-jazz-a-vienne-vienne-france-2005-07-02
