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Pat Metheny Unity Group: Kin -- WTF?

I'm a long time Pat Metheny fan, and spotted the new Unity group recording in a store yesterday, so I bought it. I've never been disappointed with anything he's recorded. I made it through two 2 listening sessions before deciding this one is getting traded in immediately.

The musicianship is stellar, but I cannot figure out why Antonio Sanchez's huge cymbal crashes are hit so often or why they were engineered so loudly into the mix. It's so distracting and annoying...on every single song, that I found myself wishing for his kit to be taken away. It's as if Zildjian financed the studio time in exhange for their 22" crash to be put front and center.

If you're a PMG fan, be sure to try this one before you buy. If you like the sound of two garbage can lids being slammed together, this may be your album.
yakbob
ptmconsulting
1,000 posts
 
I wasn't loving this either when I first got it, but it has grown on my with repeated listening. However I think the "innovation" that Metheny always surprised me with in his songs seems to be missing. Methinks he is tryin gto find a new sound by continuing to mine the old one forever.

Hell, he's been around forever, and has usually surprised and delighted me, so I can't fault him for phoning in an album once in a while.

BTW - the vinyl version of Kin does sound a bit better than the digital version.
yakbob OP
466 posts
 
Agreed PTM, and I can't really ever fault someone with that much talent, I've just never had a whole album ruined for me by one simple instrument/engineering oversight. Quite dumbfounding given all the experience in this project.
rpeluso
1,046 posts
 
Methinks?
lowrider57's avatar
lowrider57
5,417 posts
 
Kin seems to be one of his experimental departures; not sure if I like it.
I do like the "Unity Band" CD, but there is also a lot of loud cymbal work going on.
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