As Falls Wichita, so Falls Wichita Falls

As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls
Studio album by Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays
Released	May 1981
Recorded	September 1980
Genre	Jazz fusion
Length	43:34
Label	ECM
Producer	Manfred Eicher
Pat Metheny chronology
80/81 (1980) As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls (1981) Offramp (1982)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Rolling Stone	[1]
Allmusic	[2]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide	[3]

As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls is a collaborative album by Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays, released in 1981. The title makes reference to Wichita, Kansas and Wichita Falls, Texas. The title tune is just under 21 minutes.

It is one of the few albums where Metheny not only acts as both the lead and accompanying guitarist but also the bassist, as each track uses fair amounts of overdubbing. The track "September Fifteenth" is in reference to September 15, 1980, the day the American jazz pianist Bill Evans died. Metheny and Mays cite Evans as a main influence. Both "September Fifteenth" and "'It's for You'" appear in the score for the 1985 film Fandango. "'It's for You'" would later be covered by Akiko Yano, with Metheny on guitar, for her 1989 album Welcome Back.

The front cover photograph is a reference to the lyrics of the Jimmy Webb country-pop song "Wichita Lineman".

Track listing

All music composed by Pat Metheny & Lyle Mays.

Side I
No.	Title	Length
1.	"As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls"	20:44

Side II
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Ozark"	4:03
2.	"September Fifteenth" (dedicated to Bill Evans)	7:45
3.	"'It's for You'"	8:20
4.	"Estupenda Graça"	2:40

Personnel

• Lyle Mays - piano, synthesizer, electric organ, autoharp
• Pat Metheny - electric and acoustic 6 and 12-string guitars, electric bass
• Naná Vasconcelos - berimbau, percussion, drums, vocals

Charts

Album - Billboard

Year	Chart	Position
1981	Jazz Albums	1
1981	Pop Albums	50

References

1. Shewey, Don (2011). "Pat Metheny: As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". Archived from the original on 1 March 2009. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
2. Cook, Stephen (2011). "As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls - Lyle Mays | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
3. Swenson, J. (Editor) (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 139. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.