Pat Metheny - Zero Tolerance for Silence

[randomlimit27]

very strange.... but i like it :)

[nellgwenn]

It sounds like a real horrible version of Black Dog.

[wakajawakka]

you people are so dramatic! Pat has said himself he intended it to be completely flat music...whatever that means. but obvisously it is not a serious music statement. The rumours about it being a 'fuck you' to Geffen are probably true.

[awfulguitarplucker]

also..this track has something vaguely...Crimson!

[awfulguitarplucker]

with this album..Pat just said us all..

LOLOLOLOLOLOITROLLUITROLLUITRO­LLUUMADBRAUMADBRA?

[Multipl1cite]

I saw this live and it totally felt like Metheny was waiting for someone to say "It sucks!" to give him the thumb up. Probably had one last album on his contract and that was his middle finger.

[zorn1111]

if you enjoy Pat in this typer of setting, check out the recording made with the great Derek Bailey at the knitting factory in nyc.

[hiddenfire65]

I remember when this came out. I remember one casual Metheny fan bringing it to me and asking me if I thought Metheny was serious or not, or pranking his fans. I told him what I tell you now - someone slipped Metheny some Sonic Youth records from the time, he must have liked them, and I think he was in earnest about this very bad CD.

[bobbygoesbig]

@hiddenfire65 thurston moore has stated that he loves this album so maybe there is a connection

[kyrizis]

what's abstract in this boring square playing?

[psyoptica]

As great as Pat is, it's funny to here his take on "rock" playing. This sounds like a 13 year old who just learned a pentatonic scale and bought a delay pedal.

[jkovert]

So he got tired of playing his Weather Channel digital delay stuff. Who can blame him?

[jackweir85]

The fact that there is so much controversy over this album says much more about the listener than it does about the artist. I respect Metheny as a guitar player, improviser and composer. I love this album, tracks two and five actually contain some really beautiful (if very raw) melodies and chord changes but obviously you're not going to hear them if you can't face challenging your pre-concieved notions of what art is or is not. A large percentage of Metheny fans seem to be very narrow minded.

[peters9nine]

I'll bet Billy Squire would kill to have a song like this.....

[somebodysvids]

I read that he recorded this album in a day. Maybe he was pissed off and this is a cathartic thing.

[nathanvanrijn]

I've got a feeling that he is doing the zappa-gimmick. I kinda like the irony in this music :')

[jkovert]

@nathanvanrijn Yeah, or a sort of Captian Beefheart trip.

[vivelavidarocka]

Fucking Jaco gave a bad acid to Pat.

[vivelavidarocka]

Wow!! I thought I could never say this about a Pat's song, but I really think anybody (me, included) could play this track...

[VitJazz]

I love it. It's different from mainstream. Just like say mountain Everest.

[JScottPeregrine]

Wow! this is worse than Kenny G!

[WontReadReply]

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[al29902]

That's really beautiful. It reminds me of some of the post-minimalist music I've heard.

[RivieraStudios]

I think this is Metheny giving the finger to Geffen records.

[peters9nine]

Thank you for NOT posting the other 4 tracks.

[TRayner704]

What am I listening to?? Huge Metheny fan (seen him 4 times, have almost every record of his), but...WTF??

[gmcummings]

@TRayner704 This is really Pat playing. Pretty unbelieveable, huh?

[ShaneMacgowanFan93]

@TRayner704 You're listening to the one good thing he's ever done!

[TRayner704]

@ShaneMacgowanFan93 Not sure if trolling or a Kenny G fan...

[ShaneMacgowanFan93]

If Pat Metheny fans hate it, it must be good.

[spiriteye7]

It sounds unfinished, and it's really not that abstract .. this needs a drum & bass groove to turn it into a finished piece ... a flute might be a welcome addition, too, but not strictly necessary.

[LouiePlaysDrums]

This really is Pat Metheny. It's not fake. I bought "Zero Tolerance For Silence" when it first came out and couldn't believe my ears. I love this album even though I completely understand why a lot of people out there don't like it. I remember reading an article back in 1994 in which the writer called this album "Metal Metheny Music" - a nod to "Metal Machine Music" by Lou Reed.

[nobodady1]

I think this music is authentic exploration. Pat seems to be seeking something more primative, more elemental, and this seems a nod toward Blues and the electric guitar as a sound source. He contradicts, quite likely, his own tastes as well as his fans, in allowing himslef to explore this territory. I'm sure Pat needed to go to this place at this time, and I trust him and will follow him most anywhere.

[lkb3rd]

He has done a wide variety of stuff, from the wEEEEEEAAYYYYOOOOO pmg stuff, to straight jazz tunes, to weirder stuff.

So I don't doubt this is him.

I don't personally like it, like I like a lot of his other stuff :/

[ThePatheticClub]

The rumor that this was recorded out of protest is likely false. Metheny recorded another album of similar style called "The Sign Of 4" at the Knitting Factory under no label pressure. Like musical visionaries before him, Pat dares break rules and defy expectations. An artist of his caliber deserves the benefit of doubt. Some of you consider yourself fans but are evidently not giving Metheny the respect he's come to deserve. If you don't like something, there's no reason to spit vitriol at it.

[ThePatheticClub]

I've listened to this album many times. I love it.

[indeliblepurpose]

this is the guy who said kenny g's music is the worse music that the world has ever seen lol!

[FiatObscuritas]

I cant' find the first and lovely track =/, can you up load it please? (this is an excellent track too!)

[gmcummings]

@FiatObscuritas I'll try and upload it soon!

[antonjjok]

the only Metheny album that I really like except for 80/81 that I appreciate as well

[999manman]

Heck, I like this! Not nearly as abstract as I expected! Go Pat!

[raelkids]

Is this some kind of mode? But real Pat Metheny.

[trinoply]

Hi, i'm Pat Metheny, and I betcha can't play this!

[TheSludger]

THIS IS PAT METHENY. I owned this album:i've listened to it a few times and then I sold it. Now I regreth...

[alexguitarman]

First I heard this music, i just wanted to run away ... sounded horrible. But something in me wanted to hear it again ... think this kinda music has something very special and interesting

[sxmadrid]

It's revolting to my ear, and kinda comical. Pat Swayze's in the side bar with a lyrical masterpiece - She's like the wind (through my tree!)

She leads me to moonlight only to burn me with the sun...

...Her body close to me.

Can’t look in her eyes, she’s out of my league!

I prefer Metheny's experimentations.

[claudioalvino]

this is not metheny. Its Fake

[gmcummings]

I know, it's hard to believe, isn't it? Not characteristic of him at all. And this is the most tolerable song on the CD. The rest is absolute garbage if you ask me. Serious, do a google search--you can find it on Amazon too. Sorry to dissappoint you.

[roddil777]

@gmcummings Jaco would have dug this. :P

[awfulguitarplucker]

@roddil777 sure as hell! i can see Jaco smileing at Pat and after placing an hand over his shoulder sayin: "well done,bro!"

[taildragger53]

@gmcummings And he talks about Kenny G??

[Cotele1]

@claudioalvino

Those who do not know the work of Pat Metheny, no comment and explore, this is one of the most acid, which mixes influences Zappata, coleman´s, and jazz players, divided into 4 / 4, stuck in a blender, a little distorcsion And Zero Tolerance for Silence ... Is that clear??

[future4you]

This is Metheny's experimental tune. Not at all like his typical stuff.

I'm not sure what I think of it!

[jangartack]

Tab anyone?

[yammerskooner]

Don't forget that Metheny played guitar on Steve Reich's "Different Trains".

[yammerskooner]

Uh, this song is devoid of 'feeling' because he's doing his own version of Steve Reich.

[vampiroangelico]

WOW I'm one of the biggest Metheny fans in the whole wide world, I've been a working guitarist for 30 years, and I didn't even know of the existence of this.

I'm not liking what I hear at all. It doesn't sound like Metheny AT ALL.

It just sounds like an angry Angus Young wannabe, cranking -what sounds like- a Gibson SG through a distorted Marshall.

I love Metheny, I've been loving the PMG ever since 1977, I have almost all his CDs, but I'm not a collector of his stuff.

I'm NOT buying this.

[astordelaguila]

@vampiroangelico Can you comment something that not tells the same thing over and over agian.Man!!! i've seen another pat video where you comment the exact same thing....Belive me..¡¡¡WE DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR LIFE!!!!

Pat Metheny is a fucking geniuos, and i'm sure he had a very good reason to do this album...not everything is perfect.....not every song has to have a beautiful melody....You beter think before writing something as stupid as "i'm NOT buying this" in a PAT METHENY video.

[vampiroangelico]

@astordelaguila Common sense suggests that YOU think before typing deliberate personal attacks to people who are peaceful and have done nothing to you.

[astordelaguila]

@vampiroangelico Start thinking about what music is.If you knew something about music you would have naver said anything bad about this album.Pat did this album knowing that most peolple would't like it;don't you think he tried to say something?

[vampiroangelico]

@astordelaguila OK let's think about music itself....what is music for me? Music is soothing, music is beautiful, music is uplifting, and as a musician myself (I play every music genre out there) I would never waste the precious opportunity to do an album, by recording a bunch of racket just out of mere protest, when I can do that just by expressing my thoughts articulately, verbally.

[Asymmatrix]

Pat has a unique, jazz guitarist genius way of saying 'f*ck you.' Love it.

[LaposMK]

This video is fake and if it is true that someone check.

[gmcummings]

I created the video, but this is a real song composed by Pat Metheny -- amazon(dot)com(slash)Zero-Tole­rance-Silence-Pat-Metheny(slas­h)dp(slash)B000008BQO

[MonsieurSteven]

real music

real feelings

incredible talent

A LOT OF LOVE FOR PAT MATHENY

[technoforbeer]

Here comes the spirit of Jimi.

[swhite237]

@KlassicStrat72 I can't respect it as an expression or as music. The point of self expression in music is to pull in the listener, to evoke the same emotions or images the artist experienced at the time of the recording. Sometimes the attempt to do this pulls the artist in new ways, ways that existing and new fans may find hard to understand. However, this isn't happening here. This is trash. What kind of trash, I don't know.  This music does nothing for anyone, I can't imagine why it exists

[n0thank7]

@swhite237 It does it for me, speak for yourself man.

[fendweller]

Towards the end it gets seriously like Robert Fripp/late King Crimson. Actually not bad. I think it's unlikely Pat would make a record to get one over on the label. Too much of a pro for that, though I think we need some other kind of explanation for such a crazy aberration.

[awfulguitarplucker]

@fendweller oh so its true! i too sensed some "crimson-ness" on that part of the piece...

[kingsweet]

The only real difference between this and his other work is that it's got distortion on it and no bottom end. If you need precedents in his work I would point to "Video Games", "Lakes" (you try to solo over the changes during the solo and see what you get), or "Electric Counterpoint" (phase/motets). Once you get past the actual sound of the guitar it's precisely what Metheny is known for playing.

[ThePatheticClub]

@kingsweet

Very interesting argument. That had not occurred to me. I must admit.

[DaMystikalOne]

this has Captain Beefheart written all over it..

[miguelbaptista]

trey gunn once said that, after doing so much cerebral music, with king crimson and gordian knot and his own band, he just wants to hang out sometimes with friends and play punk music.

my guess is that this is what metheny tried to do here. but i really find it repetitive and irritating without rest. as an art expression he is in his right to do what he wants though.

[acefireburst]

I'm sorry but I just do NOT understand this album. If you look at it as a self-expression thing that he personally made for himself, then yeah I do get it, and I appreciate the abstract but this is just hard to listen to. And this was the first album I listen to from Metheny! lol! I almost got the wrong impression of him. The man is a genius though.

[divyx]

Hahaha! =P I've actually never heard this album yet in couple years but now i do! First time and all i can say is, LOL that this was the first album you heard hehehehe. =P

[acefireburst]

Yeah! lolll. I was all "The Metheny dude is CLEARLY overrated!" Hahaha :P

[matthewhenson1]

@KlassicStrat72 Can totally see where you're coming from, but must respectfully disagree! I personally believe there is more to appreciating music than enjoyment of a given aesthetic. Take Coltrane's 'A Love Supreme' for example. Although I happen to enjoy the sound of the album IMMENSELY it is certainly not his most melodic moment - someone with an 'ear for music' may prefer Blue Train, etc. The album is all about expression of pain and other passionate emotions - much like Zero Tolerance!

[AbstractMan23]

i love pat but this seems so devoid of his usual 'feeling'. was that the intention? i read somewhere he wanted to piss off his label with this release...??

[gmcummings]

Yes, that's what I've heard too...but I've never researched and read any of Pat's notes on this piece. I'll have to try and find that. Thanks!

[seb2112]

@gmcummings from wikipedia: That rumor was started by a journalist who was seriously not listening to the album. All it would have taken was a quick phone call [to me] to find out that that wasn't the case. Besides, I would never do something like that. It isn't the way I operate, which I think has been pretty self-evident over the years.

[jazz3000k]

This isn't your usual PM recording, which is the very thing that makes it special. I feel this measures up in every way, to his other "guitar" vehicle Scrap Metal. I'd like to hear the whole CD.....off to Amazon to see what I can see.

Metal dudes watch your back, Pat can indeed hang with the best of them.

[VincesVinyl]

I found this pretty powerful.

[bastardtubeuser]

Any Pat fans here ever see an old video concert of pat playing complelty Atonal music with a very large band some time in the early 90s ?

bass player was black with glasses, had a "funk style". the drummer might have been black also, cant say about the rest of the band, but i think most of them were wearing green glittering suites ?

cheers

[bastardtubeuser]

PS, they were on quite a large stage, huge band, very over the top, hard to endure musically.

[fulcrum100]

That might have been the track "Half light of Absolution" [from.. i think.... "Imaginary Day" album].

[bastardtubeuser]

@fulcrum100 Cheers for the suggestion fulcrum, i realize how hard it will be to find this video.

The thing im looking for was nearly 1 hour long, and was Atonal / messy randomness with a full bad (all live)

Thanks again.

[fendweller]

@bastardtubeuser It's not Half Life of Absolution! And that's not on Imaginary Day! The vid I think you may mean is Pat playing with Ornette Coleman and Prime Time. Can't place the name the of tune though I can hear it in my head (ah! It may be Dancing in My Head) but there are lots of guys in horrid suits and the music is pretty horrible too, mostly because Denardo Coleman seriously grates on the drums.

[fetik3]

Are you thinking of the time he came out and played with Ornette Coleman? That was on Bravo around that time (if memory serves me correctly; it often doesn't).

[Normagrant]

O tolerance for silence,But thats what happen when you listen to Pat,

overwhelmed and speechless,

need I say More?????

[Ourfli]

Wow it's so strange, but so AMAZING. I can't describe!

[faig1958]

Its me or theres an A string strummed during the whole song?!

Anyway, it seems a rare piece. Got to listen twice or three times to find melody. Very strange.

Thanks for the song! Can you upload the other ones?

[gmcummings]

It is VERY different than Pat's normal works. He was obviously trying to make a statement of some kind. I only uploaded this one, because its the only one that 1/2 way makes any sense to me. I really try not to upload an entire CD...out of respect for the artist and the music...ya know? Sorry. Take Care.

[317and88]

He owes me money for this one! I bought this thinking I had one up on my father when it first came out. My father fell out. He was like "why do you think I didn't get it?! I heard this in the store first"!

[ZeropointZero70]

this is definately PM telling his then record label to go fuck themselves as he switched to another. When an artist makes a full album of dissonance and void of structure, it's to get even. otherwise, the artist would only use a piece like this for only 1 track on a record. You can only take a point so far before overkill sets in. This is actually ok but i don't want to hear a full lp of it. Why take it out on the fans, although it seems many enjoy this regardless.

[spongey222]

Doesn't sound like pat at all...

[mrgone78]

I have been searching for ages for this. THIS IS FUCKING GREAT!!!!

[aartifex]

I like Part 2. After 18 minutes of the first part it sounds just like heaven.

[mikroHAUSstudio]

Terrific!!

[beanabus77]

I much prefer this to Imaginary day. But I prefer Napalm Death and Wes Montgomery.

[homemquecalculava]

I like it, though my favorite is part 3.

[Audioholics]

Pat I love you, but this is shameful and truly a shitstain on your career as a musician. I'd rather listen to Kenny G than this!

[mrz88]

Yes, this album is out there. It takes a lot of thought and listening to even be able to see what he's trying to do. My friend describes it as Metheny throwing cats at his guitar.

He actually spent 3 years writing this album, it's not a joke, it is just very exploratory. When you get to the point in music where Metheny was at this point you start getting frustrated with the same structure and want to just completely fuck it up sometimes... hence this dissonant masterpiece.

[gmcummings]

Good explanation...well said!

[blacklung7]

this is how my 6 year old sister plays guitar

[awfulguitarplucker]

no music is said music without a spoonful of healthy "noise" once in a whie

[JohnsonLobster]

I seem to like it more and more at each listening. Thanks for the video !

[gmcummings]

I know what you mean...it does sort of 'grow on you' after a while.

[CJ81]

Pat has stated this album is NOT a contractual obligation to Geffen. He has said he wanted to explore a dense monochromatic environment with that piece

[rsanti101]

I love "half life of absolution" it brings out the rocknroll in Pat it's one of the best pieces pat has played and written!

[taildragger51]

When i first got this CD i was so appalled by it i returned it but now i realise why Pat did it. His roots were always rock'n'roll and sometimes we ALL just like to "shred", let off steam. He must've felt really mellow afterwards. Hendrix did it and this was Pat's time. I recently bought the CD again.

[gmcummings]

I know, I felt the same way when I first bought the CD. But, because it was Pat, I decided to keep it. Glad you decided to repurchase it :)

[taildragger51]

gmcummings: I suppose Hendrix had his "Smashing Of Amps" which was a show of inner aggression (possibly in reaction to his manager) but he also could be very lyrical ..Miles Davis had some cacophonous times and got crucified for it...John McLaughlin too. Pat reminded me of Sonny Sharrock on this CD.

[scentline]

Right, Sonny Sharrock with Elvin Jones.

[taildragger51]

scentline: Absolutely 100% correct! Not enough is known about Sonny but he was wild! He was playing some really far out, controversial stuff way back in the mid 60s. Sort of punk-jazz.

[Spazman173]

The album was to get out of a contract with Geffin. It sounds like it does because he didn't want to give a good album to a label he was angry with.

[gupta76]

when PMG do a gig in Indonesia (it was in 94-95), a friend of mine asked pat about this particular album, and pat answer in an emotionally manner "Man! That's the greatest album i've ever done!" Hmmm... but i bought the cassette (no cd back then) anyway hehehehe

[sl4rvid]

this is pretty chilll... metheny is cool

[stevem7]

More like "Zero Tolerance For Pentatonic Scales". This seems like Metheny's musical middle finger to rock guitar, which I can certainly appreciate. It was during this time ('94) that he was reeling in the success of my favourite album of his, A Secret Story, a creative masterpiece. I don't have, nor have I listened to, the album this came from, but perhaps it was the creative "release" from that era that led to this tune. I give the tune 3 stars, the video creation about 4. Thanks for sharing!

[ciremelf]

just.....no

this is probably the best track off the entire album... which is why it was given justice as a youtube video.

this is pat metheny at his intentional worst

[frisell1968]

metheny is a very deep person... this album is way far out, but still justifies metheny as the best artist, not just a guitarplayer..

[gmcummings]

I totally AGREE

[stevem7]

Are you any relation to Bill Frisell? Just curious...

[kinase2010]

I think ZTFS was his love letter to the suits at Geffen.

[enigmaticocean]

misunderstood for good reason- ugh.

[mrgone78]

his most misunderstood work.