Chicago appreciation

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by jwb1231970, Feb 14, 2017.

  1. jwb1231970

    jwb1231970 Ordinary Guy Thread Starter

    Location:
    USA
    I've always been a fan of the group but lately have become especially a fan of the horns- Walt , jimmy and Lee. Amazing they have been together for 50 years.

    Peter Cetera - my favorite bass player of all time

    Robert lamm - very cool dude who wrote excellent, almost meditative music

    Terry Kath - monster guitarist and vocalist

    As a group I think only the Beatles compare in all around groupdom
     
  2. Greg Carrier

    Greg Carrier Senior Member

    Location:
    Iowa City
    You mention everybody in the original lineup but Danny Seraphine. Awesome drums on those early albums. Every member of the original group was essential to what they accomplished.
     
  3. zebop

    zebop Well Known Stranger


    That original group was very special. The rhythm section, especially with Kath and drummer Danny Seraphine had a very unique sound.
     
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  4. jwb1231970

    jwb1231970 Ordinary Guy Thread Starter

    Location:
    USA
    Oh yeah, Danny
     
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  5. jwb1231970

    jwb1231970 Ordinary Guy Thread Starter

    Location:
    USA
    3 songwriters who actually wrote memorable material, 3 vocalists who split the duties evenly, and like you say everyone was essential to the overall sound. Not many groups that share these qualities, I think of the beatles and not anyone else
     
  6. AudiophilePhil

    AudiophilePhil Senior Member

    Location:
    San Diego, CA
    Even Laudir de Oliveira, the Brazillian percussionist who played with Sergio Mendes and was added to the original Chicago lineup in 1974 was a great percussionist.
     
  7. AudiophilePhil

    AudiophilePhil Senior Member

    Location:
    San Diego, CA
    Three vocalists with distinctive voices and styles.
     
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  8. MikaelaArsenault

    MikaelaArsenault Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Hampshire
    Love their ballads.
     
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  9. AudiophilePhil

    AudiophilePhil Senior Member

    Location:
    San Diego, CA
    He was an old school drummer whose style of drumming was similar to Bobby Colomby's style but I love his chops much better than the guy who replaced him (Tris Imboden).
     
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  10. Johnny Reb

    Johnny Reb RĂ©sident du forum

    Location:
    MA
    One of my favorite bands. The unique sound they had (have) is a thrilling one to say the least. Chicago Transit Authority was one brilliant debut, as were most of the albums that followed (although I haven't heard much post-17, but XXV is great).
     
  11. AudiophilePhil

    AudiophilePhil Senior Member

    Location:
    San Diego, CA
    The original band (1969-1977) had a rare distinction of being a 70's supergroup and yet remained a faceless band. They let the music spoke for itself.
     
  12. driverdrummer

    driverdrummer Forum Resident

    Location:
    Irmo, SC
    I heard Chicago II for the first time this week. Superb album!!!!!
     
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  13. AudiophilePhil

    AudiophilePhil Senior Member

    Location:
    San Diego, CA
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    Last edited: Feb 14, 2017
  14. AudiophilePhil

    AudiophilePhil Senior Member

    Location:
    San Diego, CA
  15. Holy Diver

    Holy Diver Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    I love them. This is a great one.

     
  16. sean monaghan

    sean monaghan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ireland
    I really Chicago though I'm more of a fan of their 80's output. Peter Cetera is a very underatted vocalist IMO.
     
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  17. Steve Carras

    Steve Carras Golden Retriever

    Location:
    Norco, CA, USA
    Chicago Transit Authroity, an excellent double album (and I got it on both CD and cassette!). See also Artist's Double Album is their Best Work.
     
  18. DK Pete

    DK Pete Forum Resident

    Location:
    Levittown. NY
    I've been listening to the remix of Chicago II on and off for the last three weeks. A subtle remix to be sure but, after repeated listens,, has made me appreciate the album even more than I already did. One thing I never understood is why Terry Kath's brilliant, soaring guitar work took an increasing back seat as they went into the mid-seventies. The combination of his razor sharp playing and the horns was one of the things that made them unique on their first couple of albums. As time went on he became more of a background rhythm player which was all well and good, but left me wanting much more..
     
  19. DK Pete

    DK Pete Forum Resident

    Location:
    Levittown. NY
    Wow!! Excellent! Thank you!!
     
  20. AudiophilePhil

    AudiophilePhil Senior Member

    Location:
    San Diego, CA
    There are lots of Terry Kath's brilliant guitar work on "Chicago III"(1971) , "Chicago At Carnegie Hall" (1971) and "Chicago VII" (1974) specially the instrumental sides, "Byblos" and "Woman Don't Want To Love Me". I also love his short guitar solo at the end of the song "(I've Been) Searchin' So Long".
     
  21. DK Pete

    DK Pete Forum Resident

    Location:
    Levittown. NY
    I was actually referring to the first three studio albums when i said "couple". You're right about the instrumental sides of VII; that's the final Chicago album I ever bought and, to be honest, go back to the least. Oversight on my part.
     
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  22. Chemguy

    Chemguy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Western Canada
    I really Chicago though I'm more of a fan of their 70's output. Peter Cetera is a very underated bassist, IMO.

    :)
     
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  23. AudiophilePhil

    AudiophilePhil Senior Member

    Location:
    San Diego, CA
    The original Chicago which was one of the few bands that started as a jazz-rock band with horns, was not the kind of band that everybody expected to sell well and become a super group but they defied the odds (such as not being a critic favorite as one example) by becoming a successful outfit in both the album and singles charts and three decades later, they finally got inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame just because of the body of work the original line up created from 1969-1977.
    Do you think their success as a band can be attributed to their songwriting abilities to produce hits and some good deep album tracks during their classic years (1969-1977) or was it because they were a band with three distinctive voices and a super-talented guitarist or a combination of all of these attributes?
     
    Last edited: Feb 15, 2017
  24. lennonfan1

    lennonfan1 Senior Member

    Location:
    baltimore maryland
    all the above
     
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  25. videoman

    videoman Senior Member

    Location:
    Lake Tahoe, NV
    You're right, but it's the double album Chicago VII that is their best work. ;)
     

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