Pat Metheny: 80/81 (ECM)
Richard C. Walls, Creem, March 1981
THE CONTROVERSY thus far: Pretty is the word you want to use when you talk about Pat Metheny — from his guitar styling to his dimpled chin, the guy radiates "pretty." Unfortunately, for many people into jazz (talking about critics here, mostly), "pretty" is an almost exclusively perjorative description, denoting as it does a surface attractiveness without any of the emotional undercurrents and complexities found in the best of the music. Why settle for pretty when you can have beautiful?
Total word count of piece: 603
