First Circle

Perhaps the greatest concert I’ve ever seen. The PMG “Band” came out of the lobby from hence where everyone entered the theater playing, “Forward March”…, a disgustingly funny March. Pat soon explained the oddity of the song compared to the genius of the rest of the album…, “Every band needs a march!”. Everyone laughed as it symbolized that the group had enough genius to not take themselves too seriously. Each track is literally transcending through the genres of emotions and talents that grow as a “life soundtrack” with whatever venue on this great planet you happen to be.

I find the albums the PMG released from 1981 to 1987 their peak (but “peak” here means 9/10 instead of 8/10). This effort is the center of that period. Skip “Forward March” if you prefer convention. What follows is so varied and so good that if you can’t find anything you like in it, then you ought to skip the band entirely.

As sharply beautiful as when I first heard it in 1984 - didn't know how to characterize it at the time -since I was only 18 and hardly understood music at all - it just felt so emotionally simple and bright and pure - I hadn't heard Pat Metheny before and this was a great introduction