Secret Story by Pat Metheny Group (2007-08-03)

This is the best Pat Metheny album ever. The beginning and the end. The desert island disc. So good that you never get enough of it. To those "purists" who scoff because there's an orchestra inside: get over it. You're in a minority of minorities. Near-perfect, soul-grabbing music. Reverberant and jaw-dropping, pinpoint sound. Don't deprive yourself of this.

Uggh, what a waste of money this was. I only give it two stars instead of one because for what it is, I suppose it's well done. But make no mistake, this is for the urban yuppie liberal Boomer, who enjoys paying $$$ for burnt tasting, bitter swill they call coffee from Starbucks (and don't forget to order in Italian!), as it makes them feel sophisticated and worldly (the coffee and the music). This is music you'd hear and tune out while waiting for your floor on the elevator. It's breezy, light, and completely uninspired. It's hard for me to wrap my brain around the fact that this tripe came from the same artist who was responsible for real jazz masterpieces like Bright Size Life, Rejoicing, Question and Answer, Trio 99/00, and Trio 99/00 Live. If Metheny never made more than those five albums his place in jazz history would be cemented, and it is. His Metheny Group albums however come from a completely different head space, and it's very bizarre. It would be like any hard bop guitarist, say Hall, Pass, Burrell, Farlow, Breau, Christian, etc., guesting on a Kenny G album, it just wouldn't compute! Speaking of Kenny G, I remember in the 90's, Metheny was being interviewed in some music magazine (don't remember which one now) and tore into Kenny as being the kind of jazz artist who gave jazz a bad name. What, excuse me Pat, but isn't that super hypocritical!? Actually, Kenny G would have felt right at home playing on the new age muzak Secret Story album.Pat Metheny is one of the greatest jazz guitar players ever in the history of the instrument, top ten for sure. His trio work is outstanding, and it's the real deal. But you'd never know that when Metheny reverts to his alter ego New-Age World Muzak Guy, or NAWMG for short. If you enjoy your coffee black right from your own coffee maker at home (imagine that, homemade coffee!), and your version of easy listening jazz is say, Coltrane's Giant Steps, stay far, far away from NAWMG and this album!

The recording are very good. His playing is always great. This group of songs are more compositional in nature. They are constructed as he seems to be concentrating on song writing and not having a blow in the studio. It's a fine recording easy to listen to. The more World Music things are the most enjoyable to me.

This project, recorded and originally released in 1992, had a bonus disc with about 15 minutes of new music added in 2007. If you like 1980s Pat Metheny, you'll go for Secret Stories and its lush, orchestrated sound. If you don't like the wordless vocals he employed during that time, be warned; there are some on here. Personally, I think some of his best playing comes in more intimate settings, but I'll give Secret Stories 3 stars.

Besides being emotionally gratifying music, it's Great travelling music, too. I had missed having a good copy in my library for some time, and recently with my desire to return to good audio gear/sound, this album was one of half a dozen top favorites I wanted to reclaim. It has aged like fine wine!

I'm writing this review specifically for the remastered versions of Still Life Talking, Letter From Home, and Secret Story. Chances are you probably already own these and are wondering about the new versions. If these are some of your favorite albums, as they are mine, then you can't go wrong. Of the 3, SLT and LFH show the biggest improvements. They both have a much wider soundstage and improved depth with a much cleaner high end as well as powerful bass and clarity. I have listened side by side with the originals and the difference is VERY noticeable. If you have a good system these are fine recordings. (No Ipods please.)However unless you are die hard Metheny fan, Secret Story is not that great an improvement. This was already a great recording, especially for 15 years ago, and side by side with the original it's hard to tell. In some areas slightly. Enough to warrant the cost of a new CD, well maybe. The extra bonus CD material is mediocre at best and even though I'm a huge fan I probably could have lived without it. It's just OK. Nothing stellar here.Bottom line: SLT and LFH? Yes, definitely an improvement. Get them. SS....well, maybe if you're a huge fan. (Or if you've never heard this album in the first place. Some of the best music ever made. Period.)

I had this 2-CD set years ago and somehow the main CD got lost. I love Pat Metheny and will make sure I don't lose this set. His music always takes me to my zen spot and is truly soothing and relaxing. My cat even enjoys it. She sits underneath end table with her eyes closed and her paws crossed just grooving.

Well, that depends on the listener. If you are a PMG nut like me who only wants the best version available for this masterpiece of ear candy, then the answer is Yes! I estimate this remaster to have about a 10-20% increase in presence when listened to on a Hi-Fi system. It has more definition and separation especially when Pat plays in unison with other instruments. The strings are more present as well. No compression side-effects and is well balanced. If you already own this title and listen to it on an MP3 player, or mostly "Low-Fi" equipment, then you may not hear much of a difference. If you are a big fan and listen to music on Hi-Fi, then Yes! The bonus songs on disc #2 are pretty good (best is Track #1), and have the film-sountrack w/strings emphasis.

My review for the original CD ran :-"Sgt Pepper, Blood Sweat and Tears 2 are the only other albums which had such an impact on me as Secret Story. It may just be a matter of timing. I put the CD onto my Walkman and played it through the night on a sleeper train crossing France and the memory and impression of the music is still just as strong over 10 years later.If it wasn't for a chance visit to HMV Oxford St where this was the album playing on the Jazz floor I would never have heard of PMG. Odd. A chance encounter that has introduced me to a band that is one on the most played on my CD. The album seems aptly named as PMG still seems to be one of the best kept secrets of the music world and I have never heard a track on BBC radio or any other station."I had to buy the remastered CD not mainly for the extra tracks (pretty mediocre by PMG standards and I can see why they didn't make the original cut) but because any improvement on such a fantastic CD was a 'must hear'. Initially I was puzzled by what the remastering had achieved, but the real test is that I am still regularly listening to the album, and I think that is because the overall sound and impact is much improved. Difficult to pin down but I am now fully convinced that the remastering was worthwhile. There is also a DVD of a live concert of Secret Story which I have also reviewed, but for the full audio experience, this CD is a must buy.16 years after buying the original CD when it was released in the UK, I am still moved and hugely impressed by the emotional range, variety, originality and uniqueness of the Secret Story project. In an interview, Pat Metheny said that many listeners thought it was a soundtrack without a movie. That is a great summary and if there was ever a film to go with the soundtrack, that would be a cinematic experience I would queue a long time to see. I would probably have to take a big box of tissues too. 'The Truth Will Always Be' is still one of the great musical moments in my life and often reduces me to tears. Extraordinary talent, that Mr Metheny.

The original Secret Story has been one of my favourite albums since it was released back in 1992. Hearing a while back that it was going to be included in the reissues of remastered Pat Metheny titles I must admit to wondering whether it would be worth buying - would the sound be that much better than the original, which already sounds pretty good?Well, thanks be to Pat Metheny because this is a remastered album in the truest sense. Not only does it sound so much better, but some of the pieces have been altered by bringing various tracks either higher or lower in the mix - it's almost like listening to new songs. This has really added a great deal and has brought so much more to the Secret Story experience.As far as the 5 previously unreleased tracks go - they are included together on a separate disc, which is really the only good thing because I won't have to think about having to skip any tracks while enjoying the original running order. They are not that good - pleasantly middle of the road at best - and probably easy to see why they didn't make it onto the original version. Hey, I'm a massive Pat Metheny fan, but you gotta be honest. I notice that the new tracks have been downloaded many times on itunes - many more times than any of the other ST tracks. You guys who do this rather then buying the album are crazy because you're missing out on what the real issue is - the joy of the remastered Secret Story.The new packaging is nice but I would have liked some extra info - maybe some new liner notes, some thoughts by Pat on what he felt and thought about whilst revisiting the album.I remember watching in awe Pat play the album live (in Wolverhampton of all places) when he toured it in the 90s. In light of the current trend of artists playing one of their great albums in it's entirety - wouldn't it be amazing if he were to tour this album again 15 years later

I have been playing this album since it came out in 1992 and it is my all time favourite.The music is completely original and was written on a Synclavier synthesizer, then 'coloured in' by various live musicians and finally a string section. The music climaxes in the second half and then finishes quietly. It's a genius composition by Pat Metheny and I am sure it will continue to stand the test of time.I will still be playing it until I am dead.

Sgt Pepper, Blood Sweat and Tears 2 are the only other albums which had such an impact on me as Secret Story. It may just be a matter of timing. I put the CD onto my Walkman and played it through the night on a sleeper train crossing France and the memory and impression of the music is still just as strong over 10 years later.If it wasn't for a chance visit to HMV Oxford St where this was the album playing on the Jazz floor I would never have heard of PMG. Odd. A chance encounter that has introduced me to a band that is one on the most played on my CD. The album seems aptly named as PMG still seems to be one of the best kept secrets of the music world and I have never heard a track on BBC radio or any other station.

Never fails to deliver. I was introduced to the PTG and the album when testing amplifiers in a HIFI listening comparison back in the early 90's, and i bought the cd there and then along with the class A amp. I still have both some 25 years later. For the curious .. the amp is an Musical Fidelity A120 with RTL3 speakers.