@AirplayBeats reacts to Chicago - Questions 67 & 68 Like comment and subscribe patreon.com/user?u=81569817 Airplay Beats 3609 Bradshaw Rd Ste H #337 Sacramento, CA 95827 Www.Airplaybeats.com
I have an original pressing of this album. My sister bought this in 71. Great album. I highly recommend everything they did until 1978. When Terry Kath died, they went in a completely different direction.
Chicago was a great rock band. Absolutely history-making. When Pete Cetera took over the band after Terry's death, he chose to go with his great voice, and went top 40. There are some memorable songs from that era, but nothing as stunning as the original line up.
It could be argued that they were going in that direction already - tracks such as If You Leave Me Now and Baby, What A Big Surprise were recorded while TK was still in the band.
The FIRST TWO albums are special. Top 20 LPs of that era. Everything after Kath . . . Well, best to leave it alone. Kath was genuine. The heart and soul of the band.
I can't wait until you both react to "I'm a Man" by Chicago. It's from the same debut album which includes great songs like "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is" and "Beginnings".
Yup, I'm a Man is totally badass. Actually, I don't recall the song, but the song before this one in the ballet, from the five minute mark onward, really gets all bluesy and is the perfect lead-in to Man. Ah, it's called Poem 58.
This album was released in April 1969, my Jr. year in High School. I was in the High School band and this album just blew us away. No one had ever heard anything like this. Still an amazing album lo these many years later.
The story on this song is that the songwriter, the keyboard player Robert Lamm, wrote this song about a girl he was dating in the years 1967 and 1968. You REALLY NEED to play the song "POEM 58" from that debut album. Nine minutes of PURE FUNK led by Terry Kath on guitar, Danny Seraphine on drums, and Peter Cetera on bass. Terry's rhythm and lead playing will blow you away! Jimi Hendrix saw them playing at the Whiskey in LA and told them, "You guys have a horn section that sounds like one set of lungs, and a guitar player that's better than me!"
Masterpieces were the Rule - rather than the Exception - for these Maestros while Guitarist Terry Kath was still with us . Particularly Albums 1-7 . Thanks much , gentlemen .
Listen to that first LP in its entirety. It is a WHOLE that reflects the times, the crises, the culture, the upheaval, but also the personal. It is incomparable in the mastery of the instruments and reflection of the times.
Nice!! One of my favorite Chicago tunes right from the get go. Great horns by Pankow and the boys.Cetera and Lamm vocals. Thanks for reacting to this gem. Think of 70s Chicago as the "big band" version of Steely Dan! 😉 When I've played this for people only familiar with Chicago's David Foster 80s easy listening period, they are blown away by the power of those horns! Its like the cloak of schmaltz that they heard on the radio all those years is lifted to reveal the true essence of Chicago!! I don't think you've done Beginnings or Does Anybody Really Know What Time It is?, their 2 big hits sung by Robert Lamm from the CTA album. Also, their cover of I'm a Man is must listen,features all 3 vocalists trading verses. "Listen" is an overlooked tune, and if you want funkier and more out there, Poem 58 and Southern California Purples will give you more Terry Kath. All from the debut CTA album!!
Amazing debut album…and doubly amazing to have the balls to release a double album for your debut…and back it up with all killer and no filler! And they released 2 more double albums for their 2nd and 3rd efforts! Incredible, the amount of material for a young band at the time. I am still most partial to this one of the 3, although they are all great, the others containing many suites sprinkled with some radio friendly hits etc. A deep track not to be missed on this debut that gets overlooked a lot is South California Purples. One of my favorites on the album.
As others have said, Blood, Sweat And Tears has a similar feel to it. When I was 10 or 11 I bought this album for my older brothers birthday in about 1970 or '71. As it was a double album I had to collect a lot of empty pop bottles to come up with the money to buy it! It's was also one of the first albums to be recorded in "Quadraphonic Sound", for those who had invested in the new, 4-channel quadraphonic sound system. I believe my uncle had a Concord brand Quad receiver but I wasn't yet interested in such things. Baseball cards and girls in hot-pants occupied most of my time!
For me, they were never hard to categorize. A rock band to the core with horns to take it to the next level. At least for the first 7 albums. Albums 1-3 are just phenomenal. Another nice reaction La & Che. Keep Chicago coming. 😀
So much complexity in this song...all the change-ups. I kept hearing that drummer going crazy. So much happening at once but somehow it worked. Peter Cetera is a great singer!
Terry Kath is one of the greatest guitarists who’s not mentioned enough. Even Jimi Hendrix said he was one of best. Early Chicago produced some great music
The horn pattern change up at about the <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="233">3:53</a> mark is reminiscent and probably a bit of a nod to Up, Up and Away (In My Beautiful Balloon) which was a huge hit by the 5th Dimension a few years earlier. They did that with a few songs. Another that comes to mind on this album is South California Purples which has a few chords of I Am the Walrus by the Beatles in it.
The music genre is called JAZZ ROCK. BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS, ALSO LIGHTHOUSE, and others played this type of music. Vocalists were PETER CATERRA (BASS), TERRY KATH (one of the most ubderated guitarists) ROBERT LAMM (keyboards). Their first 3 albums were the best. Terry Kath died, they fired their original drummer, and the group decided to make pop music from then on. Peter Caterra became the voice of Chicago, then they fired him also. They had lots of hits, but nothing like their original material.
I have all the original pressed records these guys listen to been collecting since early 70s....I DJed in the early 80s to early 90s...sitting in my closet in orange crates 👍👍👍🤟👈💯%
Man Chicago w/ out Terry is so fucking different! They achieved greatness after Terry’s passing but totally different group. Rip great Terry, one of the goats!!!
Call it, or label it what ever you want. These guys are special, and forever thankful for their contribution to music. Seen them in the 90’s. Phenomenal!
Early Chicago, when they were called Chicago Transit Authority, was unique. A true ensemble of musicians, a great singer and wonderful arrangements. And you’re right - they crossed genres. Quick aside: their songs got a lot of radio play despite being different. So much creativity in music - led to many new radio stations. And by necessity the stations really deferred to their individual DJs to listen to demos, go to shows, and keep current with new groups. A great time to be a musical lover growing up. So much variety and great music!
They had 3 great singers. Cetera, Kath and Lamm. And they were an INCREDIBLE group far longer than just the one CTA debut album. I through XI was the Kath era, I would say at least through VIII is essential.
The next two songs after this on the Chicago TA album are absolute Terry Kath monster tracks. He didn't write them but his guitar chops are well on display. Songs are "Listen" and "Poem 58."
horns melodies written by James Pankw - the trombonist; lyrics and other musical arrangements written by Robert Lamm - the pianist/keyboards; main vocals from Peter Cetera - bass guitar. Backing vocals from Robert Lamm and Terry Kath. How'd you like those 3 tempo changes - with everyone in sync. Next up: try Dialogue Parts I & II.
I love Zeppelin, The Who, Pink Floyd,The Beatles, The Stones but Chicago was one of the greats in my opinion too, and don’t get the credit that to me is so deserved!
My two older brothers saw them at The New Orleans Pop Festival a few weeks after Woodstock. Before they called it air guitar I played Moms kitchen broom to Liberation & Poem 58. I've been searching for better guitar solo's since. Still searching.
The cut on this album that really got me was Free Form Guitar, when i heard that i couldn't believe nobody was talking about this guitar player, everybody knew Clapton and Hendrix but i could tell this Terry Kath was the real deal. I was already playing sax by then and it was easy to see how good this guy was!
Thank you for your reactions to Chicago songs. I hope you would react to their "Make Me Smile" song. That one, Terry Kath doesn't only do his guitar stuff, but he also does the lead singing. Terry Kath was a Ray Charles fan - and in that "Make Me Smile" song - one might be able to hear that Ray Charles sound from Terry's voice. Thank you again. I really appreciate you guys.
The first half dozen Chicago albums are pure gold. I don’t care much for the “adult contemporary” easy listening hits of the 80’s ( my high school and college years.) But to be fair, even that era is well written and well produced, and Peter Cetera is an excellent singer. But they are missing the swag they had early on. They released their first three albums in less than two years, and each of them was a double album. You have lots to discover!
JAZZ-rock! Man, this is a great channel if you want to hear Chicago as it was originally conceived. "Questions..." gets reacted to extremely rarely. Really enjoyed!!! :)
Yeah the first, I would say five Chicago albums are probably their strongest. Yeah they were pretty eclectic, even getting into some classical type structures on their second album. What is cool starting with the second is there is more soloing from individual members in the horn section. There is a track on Chicago V titled "Now That You've Gone" in which Lee Loughnane really tears it up on the sax towards the end of the song. Unfortunately starting with Chicago VI, they started moving towards more straightforward song structures and some of the magic of their early albums was not their and was completely gone when Terry died in 1978.
Tommy Bolin Private Eyes album. Incredible stuff. Rolling stones Some Girls album. These two are really good albums and my 65 mustang fastback had these tapes on a rotation back in the day
"Make Me Smile" is a radio edit missing some integral parts, Kath's solo among them. The "Ballet for a Girl in Buchanon" suite is how the band originally intended the music to be heard.
The mystery of this title is that Mr. Lambs relationship was either in 1967 or maybe 1968... great song tho' right? and thumbs up for another great reaction guys!
I bought this album when it came out in 1969 (I was a senior in high school). The cover eventually fell apart from use. Eventually got it on CD and it's also on my phone playlist now. I think it's one of the top debut albums ever.
