The Moon is a Harsh Mistress - Charlie Haden & Pat Metheny

For Justine:)

Charlie Haden and Pat Metheny have been good friends since the 1970s, so it comes as a bit of a surprise that Beyond the Missouri Sky should be their first duet album together. Both musicians are from small towns in Missouri, which leads Metheny to speculate in the liner notes if this similarity of childhood ambience might have something to do with the two players' obvious love and affinity for each other. Whatever the answer, the result of this logical pairing is a rather somber and moody one. Metheny has a dark tone on his electric guitar, and on Beyond the Missouri Sky, where he plays acoustic, his sound is similarly deep and rounded. Metheny has called Haden one of the greatest improvisers of all time, and although this may be hyperbolic exaggeration from a longtime friend, Haden has at least earned the right to defend the claim. On Beyond the Missouri Sky, his playing is as sensitive and beautiful as always. Although one can understand the vibe that Haden and Metheny were going for, the preponderance of slow and mid-tempo material can wear on the listener. When they eschew the dirge-like tempos, as on the fantastic "The Precious Jewel," the results are just as atmospheric and are, in fact, even more evocative of the Midwestern landscapes that are featured so prominently in the album art. With Metheny setting up a strummy rhythm, Haden plays the stately melody with impeccable tone. This track, one of many, also showcases Metheny overdubbing different guitars to thicken out the sound of the performance. The results are similar, at least in spirit, to Bill Frisell's recordings in the latter half of the 1990s. Although many Metheny and Haden compositions that are featured on this record, it is their readings of older material that are most effective. The Jimmy Webb classic "The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress" is wonderfully nostalgic, as Metheny uses subtle guitar and synth washes to pad a beautiful duet performance, and the traditional "He's Gone Away" is the greatest lullaby that never was. Overall, Beyond the Missouri Sky is a fine record when the material is happening, but a bit of a chore when it is not. If Haden and Metheny had gone with the more Americana theme throughout, instead of interspersing that rootsy feel with post-bop, it would have been a much stronger record. ~ Daniel Gioffre

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Moon
• is
• Harsh
• Mistress
• Charlie
• Haden
• Pat
• Metheny
• Granako

[deepkeel65]

Can someone tell us where the video was taken?

[minstral2]

Very beautiful and peaceful video. It relaxed my tired soul. Thanks for sharing. :o)

[LongshoeSam]

One person has lost his or her ever-lovin' mind.



[ArturoVillarrealJAZZ]

Simply love Pat Metheny for this kind of work. Even though its not his composition. His guitar playing soothes my soul, relaxes me and brings me close to my own spirit. If I could travel to a place like this, i will definetely hold my girls hand and wish for eternity. Arturo, PANAMA CENTRAL AMERICA.

[brainsparkles]

nice video of the Grand Canyon. thanks for uploading this song. Pat Metheny is the greatest guitarist in the universe, i think!

[mobedro]

@deepkeel65 The beginning is almost certainly from the area of the table-top mountains called "tepuis" in southeastern Venezuela, There's virtually nowhere else on earth like it. The ending sequences are on Auyantepui, showing Salto Angel, aka Angel Falls, the highest waterfall in the world. The middle sequences are of the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, and one in particular appears to be of the Toroweap area.

[maidoodesu]

nice !...

[HimmelaufErden]

looks like several different places, gran canyon seems to be one of them

[DAToDATonian]

I have always considered this song Jimmy Webb's greatest achievement in songwriting. I was surprised to learn that Glen Campbell, who has recored many of Jimmy's songs, feels the same as I do.

[bokimaradona1]

somehow and sometimes,something is so beautifull that it becomes painfull in someway..but niceway..this melody sounds exactly like that...