PAT METHENY GROOP / LETTER FROM JAPAN TOUR 1990 Soundboard (2CDR)

PAT METHENY GROUP /
LETTER FROM JAPAN TOUR 1990
(2-CD-R) SB0000
The Ultimate Soundboard Recording.
Featuring high-sampling, 24-bit digital hyper-mastering.

Disc 1
1. HAVE YOU HEARD
2. EVERY SUMMER NIGHT
3. LAST TRAIN HOME
4. NEW BALLAD (ROAD TO YOU)
5. SPRING AIN’T HERE
6. THE FIRST CIRCLE

Disc 2
1. STRAIGHT ON RED
2. ARE YOU GOING WITH ME?
3. BEAT 70
4. MINUANO
5. THIRD WIND

The second release from Stoic Blue Records!!
This set features a soundboard-quality recording of a 1990 live performance in Japan by guitarist Pat Metheny—an artist celebrated for his broad musical range and diverse playing style. Enhanced with 24-bit mastering, it delivers a powerful, immersive listening experience.

[Review from a specialized music magazine]
This release captures the second night of the Pat Metheny Group’s 1990 Japan tour in Tokyo. The concert was broadcast over FM radio across two weeks, and this recording is sourced from those FM airchecks. Typically, FM radio recordings tend to feature sharp high frequencies and tight low ends; while they often sacrifice spatial depth and breadth, they usually offer excellent clarity, with each instrument standing out distinctly. This recording, however, is the complete opposite. There is a very deep, pervasive reverb—even Metheny’s spoken introductions are drenched in it. It is unclear whether this was an intentional choice made during the remastering process or if the performance itself took place within such an acoustic environment; consequently, an objective assessment of the sound quality is quite difficult.
That said, in my personal opinion, this acoustic effect has a profound and positive impact on their performance. These sonic effects ensure that their performance does not remain confined to straightforward fusion; instead, it evokes a mysterious, immersive quality—reminiscent of the currently popular band ROVO—that draws the listener into a trance-like state. In a sense, they have reached a realm that transcends fusion by a significant margin. The lineup is anchored by Pat Metheny (guitar), Lyle Mays (keyboards), Paul Wertico (drums), and Steve Rodby (bass), with the addition of—presumably—Pedro Aznar (vocals) and Armand Marcal (percussion).