Author Topic: The Chicago Thread (Read 1223 times)

MrBoom_shack-a-lack · « **on:** October 11, 2020, 11:37:08 AM »

I searched but couldn't find a thread about this band. Please delete or merge if it does exist.

So I have been listening alot on these guys for the last couple of weeks mainly because i'm starting a Chicago tribute band as a hobby project. I'm been deep in their 70s era catalogue with brass and soo many great songs i've never heard of, i'm still finding gems.

Any fans here?

Orberts Discography thread: https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=38009.0

Cool Chris · « **Reply #1 on:** October 11, 2020, 11:50:30 AM »

Chicago's ballads from the late 80s were the soundtrack to all my teenage break-ups and heartbreaks.

King Postwhore · « **Reply #2 on:** October 11, 2020, 11:53:35 AM »

I've seen Chicago 9 times live. Always a great show. Fan of both the early years and the 80's hitmakers.

Big Hath · « **Reply #3 on:** October 11, 2020, 12:30:06 PM »

Chicago 17 is just about perfection to me

MrBoom_shack-a-lack · « **Reply #4 on:** October 11, 2020, 12:45:33 PM »

Yea I mean I love the 80s stuff too and those hits along with Street Player was pretty much the extension of my knowledge about the band. Never explored more than that so i'm really enjoying the journey right now.

Poem for the people for example, what a song.

Big Hath · « **Reply #5 on:** October 11, 2020, 01:36:17 PM »

CTA through VII are all awesome. seems the song writing ran out of steam a little after that although there are still some great tracks on the rest.

Kwyjibo · « **Reply #6 on:** October 11, 2020, 01:42:44 PM »

Only a casual fan, but there's a discography thread by Orbert which tells you all you need to know.

https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=38009.0

MrBoom_shack-a-lack · « **Reply #7 on:** October 11, 2020, 01:50:52 PM »

Quote from: Kwyjibo on October 11, 2020, 01:42:44 PM

Only a casual fan, but there's a discography thread by Orbert which tells you all you need to know.

https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=38009.0

Oh wow, completely missed that. Thx!

Lupton · « **Reply #8 on:** October 11, 2020, 02:00:48 PM »

Yeah Orbert's discography thread turned me into a fan sometime back (2013-2014?). Shit, how the time flies! But.....does anybody still really know what time it is anyway??

Many stuff in the early Chicago catalog which I think many prog fans would dig. If I had to choose just one song from that era to encapsulate this for someone who's never heard old Chicago, I'd probably play "A Hit By Varese". If that doesn't do the trick, then I don't know what else would!

emtee · « **Reply #9 on:** October 11, 2020, 02:50:18 PM »

Huge fan of the early material...CTA through VII. As a youth, VII was the very first album I bought. Many great songs spread through their albums and memories galore. As my tastes in music changed, I lost track of them after VII. To this day, I'll get in a mood where I'll immerse myself in the early albums. It really takes me back.

Lupton · « **Reply #10 on:** October 11, 2020, 02:59:14 PM »

And drumming-wise....Danny is a BEAST on the 1st side of VII. For me he's right up there with any of the most loved rock drummers of the 70s (Peart, Bruford, Palmer)

HOF · « **Reply #11 on:** October 11, 2020, 06:04:13 PM »

One of those bands I’ve always liked some of what I’ve heard and thought if I really gave it a chance I would like them, but just never dove in.

ytserush · « **Reply #12 on:** October 17, 2020, 02:27:04 PM »

I jump off the Chicago train around 1980 when most of the fusion stopped.

jammindude · « **Reply #13 on:** October 17, 2020, 10:22:31 PM »

Quote from: ytserush on October 17, 2020, 02:27:04 PM

I jump off the Chicago train around 1980 when most of the fusion stopped.

Is that right about the time you left them now...and took away the biggest part of them?

DragonAttack · « **Reply #14 on:** October 17, 2020, 11:29:04 PM »

hunnus2000 · « **Reply #15 on:** October 18, 2020, 07:28:52 AM »

Always enjoyed the band but mainly during the Kath and Cetera years.

Have you heard of the Chicago tribute band Leonid and Friends? Check them out. There from Russia or somewhere in that part of the world and have done multiple tours here in the US. They're freakin awesome!

MrBoom_shack-a-lack · « **Reply #16 on:** October 18, 2020, 09:11:01 AM »

Yes, they're awesome!

MrBoom_shack-a-lack · « **Reply #17 on:** October 19, 2020, 02:17:16 PM »

Really diggin What's This World Comin' To atm. Some killin bass lines by Cetera!

Surprisingly the middle part when they go bezerk 2:32 reminds me of RHCP for some reason.

Lupton · « **Reply #18 on:** October 19, 2020, 02:24:55 PM »

Quote from: MrBoom_shack-a-lack on October 19, 2020, 02:17:16 PM

Really diggin What's This World Comin' To atm. Some killin bass lines by Cetera! Surprisingly the middle part when they go bezerk 2:32 reminds me of RHCP for some reason.

Good call. VI tends to get a bad rap due to its shorter more commercial approach, but I always felt like it was a perfect counterpart album to V. Whereas V is more consistently that patent Chicago jazz-fuzed blend, VI seems to lean more genre specific for each individual song (rock, country, funk).

Orbert · « **Reply #19 on:** October 19, 2020, 09:21:42 PM »

I love Chicago, especially the early years. As others have said, the debut through VII are all killer, with plenty of good to great tracks through XI, the last Terry Kath album. The heart and soul of the band was gone, but I can't blame the rest of them for wanting to continue, especially Lamm and Pankow, the other main songwriters and de facto leaders of the band.

Also, yeah, I did a Discography thread on them a while back, and blabbed about them a lot there, so I'll keep things kinda short here.

Orbert · « **Reply #20 on:** October 19, 2020, 09:22:55 PM »

Quote from: MrBoom_shack-a-lack on October 19, 2020, 02:17:16 PM

Really diggin What's This World Comin' To atm. Some killin bass lines by Cetera! Surprisingly the middle part when they go bezerk 2:32 reminds me of RHCP for some reason.

Peter Cetera was a great bass player! His early stuff with them is incredible.

MrBoom_shack-a-lack · « **Reply #21 on:** October 20, 2020, 10:52:41 AM »

Quote from: Lupton on October 19, 2020, 02:24:55 PM

Quote from: MrBoom_shack-a-lack on October 19, 2020, 02:17:16 PM
Really diggin What's This World Comin' To atm. Some killin bass lines by Cetera! Surprisingly the middle part when they go bezerk 2:32 reminds me of RHCP for some reason.

Good call. VI tends to get a bad rap due to its shorter more commercial approach, but I always felt like it was a perfect counterpart album to V. Whereas V is more consistently that patent Chicago jazz-fuzed blend, VI seems to lean more genre specific for each individual song (rock, country, funk).

That's one thing that's been fun exploring their disco, they have a pretty wide range of styles especially on that album as you say.
I also have to say how much the horns actually do for their songs, without the horns the songs would've been a bit boring since Pankow really made the horns be a big part of their sound and not only as side musicians as they sometimes can be.

Your disco thread Orbert is:

Orbert · « **Reply #22 on:** October 20, 2020, 11:00:49 AM »

Thanks. I do love a good disco.

hefdaddy42 · « **Reply #23 on:** October 20, 2020, 11:10:37 AM »

Chicago is amazing, particularly, as Orbert said, the early stuff. Although my first introduction to the band was Chicago 17, which was my first "favorite album" by anyone, and so continues to hold a special place in my heart, even though it isn't very like the older classic stuff.

Lupton · « **Reply #24 on:** October 20, 2020, 03:40:30 PM »

Quote from: MrBoom_shack-a-lack on October 20, 2020, 10:52:41 AM

That's one thing that's been fun exploring their disco, they have a pretty wide range of styles especially on that album as you say.
I also have to say how much the horns actually do for their songs, without the horns the songs would've been a bit boring since Pankow really made the horns be a big part of their sound and not only as side musicians as they sometimes can be.

Your disco thread Orbert is:

Rediscovery (also on VI) almost sounds like psychedelic slow-motion disco! But disco-wise, really love their version of Street Player. There's a couple of other (non-disco-y) things on 13 I like, but I can only stomach about 80% of Hot Streets. Pretty much agree with most everyone else here is saying that every record up to Kath's death has some magic. But relating to what hefdaddy threw in, the David Foster records are going to have a special nostalgic value for many people. I can tell you, growing up in the 80s, as a veteran of many long suffering carpool arrangements, I'm pretty sure 16 and 17 got played MANY times what with being kid-safe music that the parents could also enjoy.

The Walrus · « **Reply #25 on:** October 20, 2020, 03:41:53 PM »

After doing a very brief Google search on this band's hits, I really would like to explore their discography. But that is a massive, time consuming task. It's on the agenda... eventually. Whenever I'm in the mood to tackle it I guess, but hopefully soon.

Lupton · « **Reply #26 on:** October 20, 2020, 03:44:30 PM »

Quote from: The Walrus on October 20, 2020, 03:41:53 PM

After doing a very brief Google search on this band's hits, I really would like to explore their discography. But that is a massive, time consuming task. It's on the agenda... eventually. Whenever I'm in the mood to tackle it I guess, but hopefully soon.

You should check out Orbert's discography thread. I think somebody linked it upthread? It's a pretty good read. I know it was my gateway into the band.

Orbert · « **Reply #27 on:** October 20, 2020, 09:29:59 PM »

The Discography Tracker thread is stickied here in General Music Discussion, and the first post has links to all of the Discographies.

MrBoom_shack-a-lack · « **Reply #28 on:** October 21, 2020, 01:14:49 AM »

Quote from: Orbert on October 20, 2020, 09:29:59 PM

The Discography Tracker thread is stickied here in General Music Discussion, and the first post has links to all of the Discographies.

MrBoom_shack-a-lack · « **Reply #29 on:** October 21, 2020, 01:29:10 AM »

Quote from: Lupton on October 11, 2020, 02:59:14 PM

And drumming-wise....Danny is a BEAST on the 1st side of VII. For me he's right up there with any of the most loved rock drummers of the 70s (Peart, Bruford, Palmer)

I'm ashamed i've never really noticed Danny's drumming in the past but since discovering their older stuff and also "studied" the sheetmusic for slot of their songs i've been pleasently surprised by his ability to play lose and free. He does alot of improv and subtle things that are tricky to to. Kinda of follows the 70s style of experiment with music if you know what I mean.

By the way, I bought the Chicago Transcribed scores volume 1 and 2. Really fun to follow along while listening to their music.

Orbert · « **Reply #30 on:** October 21, 2020, 12:14:57 PM »

Back in the 70's, you used to be able to buy "Sketch Scores". Most sheet music was your basic piano/vocal/chords, but Chicago Anthology One (first four albums) and Chicago Anthology Two (V through VII) were also available as Sketch Scores. I think I picked up a standalone book for Chicago VIII as well.

Instead of the cheapo way most sheet music transcribes just the "main" parts of the songs, usually skipping the instrumentals and solos, and sometimes intros and outros as well, the Sketch Scores took more care to give you the whole song, with horn parts, background vocals, even bass parts if they were non-standard. Not a full score, but something you could read and play on the piano if you were so inclined, which I was. I was still in high school, still teaching myself piano, so cooking up my own solo piano arrangements based on chords, a melody, and condensed horn parts was a fun challenge, and I learned a lot about arranging by playing from sketch scores and having to extrapolate the rest.

emtee · « **Reply #31 on:** October 21, 2020, 01:06:57 PM »

They were a really special band for me. I hope that someone much younger than me, like The Walrus, would be able to listen through the discography and be able to connect with the music by being transported to the time when the music was released. This band was transcendent. They have rockers and ballads that REALLY have a way of getting right into your soul.

hefdaddy42 · « **Reply #32 on:** October 21, 2020, 01:57:56 PM »

Also, and I cannot stress this enough, Terry Kath was the goddamn MAN.

hunnus2000 · « **Reply #33 on:** October 21, 2020, 02:26:51 PM »

Quote from: hefdaddy42 on October 21, 2020, 01:57:56 PM

Also, and I cannot stress this enough, Terry Kath was the goddamn MAN.

I remember that Jimi Hendrix thought that Kath was a better guitarist the him and that the horns section blew with one lung. Yeah, Kath was the shiznit!

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Author Topic: The Chicago Thread (Read 1223 times)