Monday. Arguably the worst day of the week. Staying in bed this morning seemed like the best option for me - yet here I am, slaving away at the office. All made better by music as usual though, and getting started with some old school Chicago today. 1967 saw the beginning of a band that started in...well, I think you could guess. The band met while studying at DePaul University. They started a band and called it 'The Big Thing' which was a fairly successful cover band playing local shows. Upon getting a nice record deal - they decided to change it to the 'Chicago Transit Authority'. They did release one studio record as that name - but obviously shortened it to Chicago on this album - their second studio release. I would say pretty much everyone would recognize a couple tracks by Chicago - even if they think they've never heard of them. Peter Cetera (lead vocal) has a pretty distinct voice that you'd have heard at least 100 times. Now, some of the tracks you may know and love could be his solo stuff, but a track like 'You're The Inspiration' is pretty well known, and a Chicago track. I guess the reason I chose this particular album, was the track '25 or 6 to 4'. It's always been my favorite song by the band. Mainly because it's actually a pretty fast paced, rockin' harder sound. And after the first couple releases, the band got pretty experimental and quite ballady. I don't take issue with it, I simply prefer this old school sound. The album here is all over the place. The vinyl was broken up on symphonies almost, with each of them sounding pretty unique. I understand that first timers think this is pretty out there, and I agree. I wouldn't be able to listen to this very often, and I have to be in the right mood. But Chicago still paved the way for rock bands to use woodwind and brass instruments - so props for that. Feel free to dabble in this today, but don't need to listen to the whole kit and kaboodle.
TRACK LISTING:
1. Movin' In
2. Road, The
3. Poem for the People
4. In the Country
5. Wake Up Sunshine
6. Make Me Smile
7. So Much to Say, So Much to Give
8. Anxiety's Moment
9. West Virginia Fantasies
10. Colour My World
11. To Be Free
12. Now More Than Ever
13. Fancy Colours
14. 25 or 6 to 4
15. Prelude
16. A.M. Mourning
17. P.M. Mourning
18. Memories of Love
19. 1st Movement
20. 2nd Movement
21. 3rd Movement
22. 4th Movement
23. Where Do We Go from Here?
Listen To Samples
Top 3 Tracks:
1. 25 or 6 to 4
2. Make Me Smile
3. Color My World
FINAL RATING:
2.75 out of 5 stars
new greenday gets a 3.5 and this only gets 2.75? wtf? green day puts out another album of the same old shit, and you mark it with more stars than a classic album like this. *sigh*
ReplyDelete25 or 6 to 4 is my favorite too. it's great for air jamming with air brass. just like 'these eyes.'
This album is so up and down. Maybe I wasn't in the right mood for it or something. Normally the very strange tempo changes and arrangement shifts wouldn't bother me - but yesterday I wasn't feeling it.
ReplyDeleteThat is a great song. If this record had 10 more tracks that hit it like '25', then I'd have given it a solid 4.75.
And the Green Day album is good. Don't be so hard on them.