Chicago The Band, Not The City

I first heard Chicago when I was seven years old. I did not know much about them at that age, but I could guess that they were my dad's favorite band because he used to play the record all the time. He would sit back after having dinner with my mother and just play the album. He would tell me how important Chicago was and how he liked the band because they had horns and had a great happy rock and roll feel. He told me that he saw them in 1970 and 1971 and loved every moment of them on stage. They would get the crowd involved and also make everyone feel great to be part of the moment.

My father had their first six albums and it was not a surprise that he go a week just playing one album. My father was a horn player as well and he told me that if he stuck it out after the military he would have tried to form a band like Chicago. He had the two other friend who played horns and he also had a great guitar player in one of his closest friends. All he needed was a keyboard, bass and drums and he would have the perfect band. Sadly my fathers dream never came true. He still tells me to this day he should went out and looked for the people to play the instruments that were missing in the band he was trying to form. I play drums so I know how hard it would have been to help my dad's vision.



The music of Chicago was unique for it's time. Sure, you had Blood Sweet and Tears and a few other horn driven bands, but they were not (I think) as cool as Chicago. They were good on all accounts. They had a kick ass horn section that included Lee Loughnane, James Pankow, and Walter Parazaider. The drums of Danny Seraphine. The Bass of Peter Cetera. The Keyboards of Robert Lamm, and lastly my favorite guitarist for a while and still think how great he really was Terry Kath. You put this great band together and for about eight years this was the most powerful band in the world. The proof is in so many songs from their debut album.

Chicago Transit Authority is an amazing piece of work. From the first song to the last their is not really a bad song. They have their own unique and characteristic greatness. Even the vocals of Terry Kath made it sound great and sometimes really bluesy. There is even a little Avant-Garde moment when the opening of side three on the record is a bunch of Guitar feedback that washes over you like your being brushed with a paint brush. It sounds out of sink with the rest of the album make it fun to hear a bunch of guitar feed back and noise. The funny part of the whole song is the middle part where Terry Kath laughs. I bet it made Hendrix blush a bit.



What makes the first Chicago album somewhat unique is the lone cover of Steve Winwood's "I'm A Man." It might have the melody of the song, but that's the only similarity. The Robert Lamm Bass line is amazing and the groove in the middle has something that no other song can have or top. The song begs to be turned really high in volume and wants you to sing along. Chicago had their best work when they had Terry Kath. After he died while cleaning his gun they were never the same. They were very soft rock pop headliners. I had the chance to see them and I had a great time.

So you can laugh all you want about Chicago, but if you have not heard the early albums this where it should start. Yea! It's the first but it still has some great power. A must own and even something the older folks will like too. Even at college I had the wonderful great debate how great Chicago was. Listen and enjoy! Just remember that you might play it over and over like my father did when I was growing up. Enjoy!