On November 24 2001 I went to my home studio, turned on the recorder and spent the evening playing. I had rediscovered a special low Nashville tuning that I had worked with some years ago, and applied it to a recently acquired baritone guitar.”
That’s Pat Metheny — 15 times a Grammy winner — settling into his personal space on One Quiet Night (Gallo). On a superficial level it’s a tinkling tribute to some of Metheny’s old favourites, but as the album progresses it becomes an odyssey and one is sharing in the master’s ups and downs. Look beyond renditions of the Norah Jones hit Don’t Know Why and the old Britpop Ferry Cross the Mersey and there is something secret lurking there: ‘This record is about essentially one sound, basically one mood, and taking the time to go deep inside that single world,” Metheny says.
An ad hoc Internet critic has aptly described the album as ‘a kind of Celtic-oriented sound with [an] avant-Brazilian undertone”. This would seem justified in light of the fact that Metheny himself has cited Brazilian guitar wizard Toninho Horta as a major influence. Famous United States critic Robert Palmer — in describing why Metheny (like so many) fell under the spell of Brazilian music — wrote in 1980 that, ‘in Brazil, the distinctions between popular song, rock’n’roll, folk music and jazz, which North Americans tend to take for granted, simply do not apply”.
Late at night, when the musician is improvising alone, all categories disappear entirely. At best it’s a meditation, at worst it’s great background music at a classy pizzeria.
POD: Payable on Death (Gallo)
POD return with a much-anticipated album that has the attitude, the throbbing bass, the hard-edged guitar riffs, an artfully designed booklet, good production, multimedia content, socially aware lyrics, the well-crafted rock hit Will You — but somehow doesn’t leave much of an impression. With a few exceptions, the music feels nondescript; meandering aimlessly and with varying tempo through rock and an injection of reggae (lead man Sonny even adds a Rasta accent at times). The six-minute, instrumental penultimate track Eternal (which should have been last) drops out of the pattern completely with a slow and bluesy sound, before the rock is cranked up again for the bonus track Sleeping Awake. Note that Payable on Death is not a low-quality album; maybe it just takes some getting used to. For now, however, I’ll rather dig out their Satellite album again. — Riaan Wolmarans
Various: American Pie: The Wedding (Universal)
The jokes in the movie may be a bit threadbare at times, but at least the soundtrack packs a mean and marvellous rock punch, including a healthy dose of hits by the likes of the Foo Fighters, Good Charlotte and the All American Rejects’ irresistible Swing Swing. Also turn up the volume for Sum 41, Feeder, The Wallflowers and other worthy contributors — too bad about the inclusion of folk-rocker Matt Nathanson’s lazy, uninspired cover of the James classic Laid. — RW
Various: Smash Hits (EMI)
Another flavour-of-the-month compilation that will embarrass the grandchildren 40 years from now. Some cool tracks are included, though — 50 Cent, Daniel Bedingfield, Radiohead, Busted, Watershed, Placebo, Skin — oh, and Melanie C, unfortunately. — RW