PAT METHENY
Zero Tolerance for Silence
[Geffen-1994]
Fifteen years ago Geffen Records released one of the most controversial albums ever recorded by an established artist. A huge departure from the melodic jazz to which he had accustomed his large following, legendary guitarist Pat Metheny shocked listeners with Zero Tolerance for Silence, a distorted, noisy, dense solo guitar record, which to this day remains a singularly unique and much debated part of his catalog.
Although Metheny has denied purposely making this record as a fuck-you to Geffen--it was the last record of his contract with the label--many firmly believe that's exactly what it is. We don't ascribe to that theory--in part, because it was recorded two years before it saw the light of day--and have always considered it to be an example of an artist simply confounding expectations; a piece of music that reflected his creative perspective at that point in time. More importantly, we've embraced the album as the aural equivalent of a deep howl; the soundtrack to a dark night of the soul, if you will.
The artist himself told Guitar Player magazine there was no ulterior motive at work and that "the record speaks for itself in its own musical terms....and that was exactly what it was intended to be." This hasn't stopped critics and fans alike from asking Metheny to disown it, which he has refused. But it's not like there was no precedent for this kind of music in Metheny's previous work--Song X [Geffen-1985], his collaboration with the great Ornette Coleman, comes to mind. Of course there are quite a few who disagree with the naysayers, among them Sonic Youth guitarist Thurston Moore who praised Metheny and called him "a master" on a sticker affixed to the album's cover during its original run. (It is currently out of print.)
Often compared to Lou Reed's equally contested Metal Machine Music [RCA-1975], Zero Tolerance might be deemed by many to be be an unadulterated noisefest. But it deserves a fair shake and should be judged on its own merits. And for those up for a challenge and willing to cast aside preconceived notions of Metheny's music, Zero Tolerance for Silence will be one hard but ultimately satisfying listening experience.
[Cover art courtesy of Allmusic.com]
