Pat Metheny Fans, Great Suggestions Please ??

Rx8man - 'The Pat Metheny Group' (aka White Album) is one of the best pieces of music that you will spend your money on - EVER. 'Travels' would be my next pick. Also check around for used copies of "Pat Metheny Works" releases put out by ECM. They contain great samplings of his earlier work if you want a taste of his direction from album to album.

Certainly a lot to like from Metheny/Mays. In addition to those already mentioned, try:
Letter from Home
The First Circle
Still Life(talking)
The Way Up
You will like the one with "San Lorenzo," which may have been the first release. For something really interesting, try Bob Curnow's LA Big Band doing some amazing transcriptions of some of the M/M pieces. You might also like the new release Metheny did with pianist Brad Mehldau--very enjoyable. I second the suggestion to check out the Lyle Mays solo work. Enjoy the music!

I was close friends with a guy who was working in a pressing factory in Phoenix,1978. Pat Metheny's first was being pressed in that factory. He just handed me a copy and said "check it out". Today, still it is my all time favorite. Title is Pat Metheny Group, Lyle Mays, Mark Egan, Don Gottlieb. All the others are great, the first is (I believe)out of this world. In fact, I think I'll put it on now.

2 not mentioned so far, "Letter from Home" and "The Road to You" (live). Both are "signature" Metheny recordings.

I first saw Pat and company at the McCarter (sp?) Theater in Princeton NJ when "As Falls Witchita..." came out. It was a magical show. (Check out solo stuff by Lyle Mays, too.)

Metheny has covered a lot of ground and a lot of styles, as you would expect from someone with such a long history and a well respected talent. I'll try to sum up the styles and best-of's within each period:

Primarily acoustic & "mood" jazz
- One Quiet Night
- Watercolors
- New Chautauqua
- Bright Size Life

Metheny Group (early &/or more acoustic)
- Pat Metheny Group
- Quartet

Metheny Group (more electric)
- The Way Up
- Offramp
- American Garage
- Imaginary Day
- We Live Here
- Letter From Home
- Speaking of Now
- Still Lift (Talking)

Metheny Solo & softer pairings
- Secret Story
- Reunion
- Beyond the Missouri Sky
- As Falls Whichita
- Jim Hall & ...

Metheny solo & more frenetic pairings
- I Can See Your House From Here
- 80/81
- Zero Tolerance for Silence

Enjoy,
Bob