Customer Reviews

First Circle (ECM Touchstones)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

While the Metheny Group performance in "First Circle" deserves 5+ stars (no doubt about it since the album original release in 1984), the sound quality of this re-release missed the mark.

"If I Could" track 4 and "Mas Alla (Beyond) track 7 sound reasonably good (these have few percussions). However, "Yolanda, You Learn" track 2 and all the other tracks with lots of percussion sound congested and compressed.

I would have given this album 5 stars if at least it sounded as good as Metheny's 1993 "The Road to You" Geffen GEFD-24601, (which sounds great in comparison).

For having been re-issued in 2008 and with the current 24-bit Resolution Digital Processing, Remastering and equipment readily available in the Pro Audio Industry, the Universal Music Group should have been capable of re-releasing this CD without smeared percussions or compressed dynamics.

If the UMG marketing people -and Pat Metheny- are listening, perhaps they'll ask their sound and mastering engineers to get it right on the next re-release (hopefully it won't take 6+ more years to get it done).

To get loyal Metheny and the legendary ECM sound fans to purchase the next re-issue of this album, at a minimum, the music label should offer it on an clean sounding, uncompressed CD and a 192KHz 24-bit DVD combo that really do justice to the very detailed and dynamic sound of this album's original ECM master tape.

First Circle
This is NOT a remastered version of the Pat Metheny Group's 1984 masterpiece. I have been eagerly waiting for a digitally remastered reissue of First Circle, one of the greatest jazz records of all time, and I thought this was it. But this is just a Japanese reissue (or reprint) of the AAD 1984 disc. There is nothing in the liner notes that mentions a new master; also the copyright notice has the date 1984 and the disc has the tag AAD. It was not printed from a new master. The description that Amazon gives for this item is **misleading** and should be revised. I bought the CD for a steep USD 28.29 (+S&H to Europe) and I will keep it though, as a collectible item. See http://speakeasy.jazzcorner.com/speakeasy/showthread.php?t=20661 for a discussion of Japanese ECM reissues. If you're looking for a true remastered edition of First Circle do NOT buy this item. Be patient...

This is one of my favorite albums of Metheny's. I really didn't notice a sound recording quality issue like one of the reviewers did. Pedro Aznar vocals add to the quality of these pieces. He's my favorite vocalist of several that Pat has used over the years. For the most part he sings wordless vocals, except Mas Alla on this album, and also a very beautiful tune called Dream of the Return on the Letter From Home album. I believe First Circle was the early work of this combination of players, which would go on to do more great albums and tours. I always like hearing the early work of a particular group when they are just figuring out "their" sound. The alternating meter rhythms on the album's title song are hard to tap along with but fun to try and figure out. The other tunes are great also. Just don't get stumped on "Forward March," a song where all the band members sound like they just learned to play marching band instruments five minutes ago. It does show however that Pat has a sense of humor. All the rest of the pieces hit the mark and just sound "cool" even now some 27 years later. I enjoy listening to this one again and again.

I forgot how good this album was.... I had the vinyl and recorded it onto a cassette years ago and wore it out . I didn't replace it for whatever reason and finally got the CD. I saw this tour in Minneapolis back in the 80's and it brought back great memories .

The music and performances on this CD are pure Metheny joy. I can't listen to it without a lift in my spirits and a smile on my face.

pat metheny group;first circle cd is mellow and smooth,and it got his distintive sound like his other albums it,s a good album i enjoy it very much.

THE CONCEPT OF THIS ALBUM WAS DIFFERENT , PAT METHENY GUITARS AN PEDRO AZNAR VOICE MADE AN INCOMPARABLE DUET.

... MEXICO D.F.