Track Listing

1. Waltz for Ruth
2. Our Spanish Love Song
3. Message to a Friend
4. Two for the Road
5. First Song
6. Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
7. Precious Jewel
8. He's Gone Away
9. Moon Song
10. Tears of Rain
11. Cinema Paradiso (Love Theme)
12. Cinema Paradiso (Main Theme)
13. Spiritual

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8991 in Music
• Brand: Haden
• Released on: 1997-02-25
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .23 pounds

Album Description
Full title - Beyond the Missouri Sky (Short Stories). European tour edition of 1996 album includes a bonus DVD (PAL) with two live tracks, 'First Song (For Ruth)' & 'Our Spanish Love Song' recorded in 1997 at Jazz international festival of Montreal plus o

Amazon.com essential recording
This subtle, sublime collaboration finds bassist Charlie Haden and guitarist Pat Metheny crafting bejeweled chamber duets that transcend genre. With their shared Missouri lineage as a thematic touchstone, Haden and Metheny forge a lyrical, mostly acoustic style at once intimate and expansive. Both pare their playing to a Zen-like economy, focusing on a purity of tone, clarity of harmony, and counterpoint to achieve a tender lyricism.

Metheny's acoustic steel-string and classical guitars predominate, but he also applies discreet overdubs (including some delicate synthesizer and keyboard textures) to sculpt orchestral detail. Haden, as always, is both a generous foil and a deft melodist on his own, moving easily into his instrument's upper register as he twines through Metheny's lines. The set's emotional coherence is particularly satisfying in light of the material, which spans Ennio Morricone ("Cinema Paradiso"), Henry Mancini ("Two for the Road"), Jim Webb ("The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress"), and Roy Acuff ("The Precious Jewel") as well as affecting originals by both leaders. And giving the project a sense of closure, while commenting obliquely on the generational dialogue it represents, is the luminous "Spiritual" (composed by Haden's son, Josh), an instrumental prayer that exemplifies the balance of concision and deep emotion at the heart of this exquisite triumph. --Sam Sutherland

Customer Reviews

Beyond ANY sky
Pat Metheny and Charlie Haden are apparently close neighbours, well, that much is now obvious. These two masterful musicians have become one in a most wonderful way, so close that they're almost the same person.

The recording has an earthy, very "real" sound to it, Metheny is sitting over there, Haden just over there, and you're alone with them, listening to these two masters entertain you. It is an intimate record, to be listened to when you're feeling extremely comfortable for it to achieve its maximum effect.

The melodies and chord choices are superlative, generally I know where they're going to take the tune, but when they make different choices I realise why they're in the league that they are. The results can haunt me, lift me, leave me wondering just how they could have made that melodic line so perfect.

It is not at all provocative, it doesn't jarr the senses in any way. It soothes and relaxes as it passes by. If there has to be any criticism of the record it cannot be directed at the musicianship, which is of the highest order. A number of similar-sounding tracks can eventually coalesce in the memory, and that is a problem here, there are peaks of pleasure and plains of placidity, but they're subtle, and the musical landscape ends up looking rather like the sumptuous cover art.

The only recording niggle I might direct at the recording is that some of Pat's more percussive acoustic notes come awfully close to distorting the recording on a couple of tracks. Depending upon my mood these sometimes enhance that "two masters in your living room" effect, and at other times I'll feel that they're intrusive.

As soon as I bought this album and found such beauty I passed on a recommendation to a friend with similarly avant-garde tastes in other areas (I regularly listen to Bill Nelson, David Torn, Fripp, Russell Mills, Allan Holdsworth etc but appreciate Metheny's tremendous musicality nonetheless). My friend was immediately captured by the same spell. In the years we've known each other he's never used the word "beautiful" to describe any music he's ever talked about, except for "Missouri sky ...".

A Stunning Surprise
This has been a big seller, and with Pat Metheny one might wary that is because of a certain commercial blandness, albeit a pretty and pleasing one. And while the record is lovely, the beauty of it comes from a real strength in playing by Haden and Metheny, and especially a focus and discipline to accept the spare sound of guitar and base for it's own qualities, and not overdue the production or the repetoire. The tunes are collected from each player and also some country and folk classics, and each is a real gem. Haden is straight forward and simple and always interesting - he's one of the very few bass players who realizes that a lovely tune just needs to be played, and nothing more. Metheny displays an ideal balance between chops and taste. The album is quiet and low-key, yet totally engrossing; it demans your listening attention and captures it. Most importantly, it's absolutely beautiful in sound and sentiment. A real surprise, and a great, great record.

An unique collaboration among two giants
For those who know each of Haden's and Metheny's careers, this is an unusual album, somewhat out of the "mainstream". Similarly, do not expect to find similarities to other past Metheny-Haden projects such as the "Rejoicing" CD. Yet, both musicians deliver a solid musical communication that trascends their respective musical paths. That is perhaps what makes this album unique. Guitar-bass interactions go hand in hand, nothing on top of anything. Not-so-very-acoustic elements have been nicely incorporated into the recording. This is a rare opportunity to fully listen to Pat Metheny playing the acoustic guitar. At times his play is a bit rough (too much electric fingering?), but overall his performance is excellent. It reminds me of his earlier collaboration with Milton Nascimento's "Angelus" CD where Metheny plays the acoustic guitar on the track titled "amor amigo" on this 1994 album.

If you do not know Pat Metheny and Charlie Haden, I nevertheless recommend this album for the jazz listener. For most of the tunes, the performing quality of both artists will fly over any musical preconceptions. Buy it.