American Garage

Pat Metheny Group: Pat Metheny (6-& 12-string guitars); Lyle Mays (piano, Oberheim, autoharp, organ); Mark Egan (bass); Dan Gottlieb (drums).
Recorded at Longview Farm, North Brookfield, Massachussetts in June 1979.
Personnel: Pat Metheny (guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, 12-string guitar); Lyle Mays (autoharp, piano, electric organ, Oberheim synthesizer); Mark Egan (electric bass); Danny Gottlieb (drums).
With AMERICAN GARAGE, the 1979-model Pat Metheny Group created a soundscape of the American heartland, combining elements of jazz, rock and gospel music. With layers of guitars, rolling keyboard textures, and a rhythm section that could both rock and play with openness and delicacy, they defined a sound that influenced a generation of musicians.
Tight ensemble playing, inspired soloing, and the individual members' personal voices made this group a wonderful vehicle for Metheny and Mays' compositions. "(Cross the) Heartland," "The Search," and "The Epic" all feature strong melodic writing, with insightful arrangements and orchestration. Though Metheny's unmistakable guitar, and Mays' lyrical piano and synth playing are featured throughout, these pieces showcase the entire group.