Early Chicago

[OverHillandDale(Admin)]

I was listing to the first two Chicago albums this weekend and realize how much of an influence they are on my musical tastes changing direction as it did (along with a few others of that time like Santana and Led Zepplin).

Would adding Chicago's early work to the Aural Moon be too "outside the box" for folks? I would only do CTA, II (for sure) and III at the most.

What do you think?

[gr8sho92]

And the IVth one is the live at Carnegie Hall album. It's almost like you put a bracket around the 1970-1972 time and grab everything you can (well almost). I consider myself a big Chicago fan for their entire recording history. I may be delusional, but I'm sure I've heard tracks from CTA on here but I can't figure out where in the library it's stored.

I think the trouble I have with Chicago is the notion of horns being a cornerstone instrument for the band that's performing. Not something I typically associate with prog.

[MrMagoo]

Originally Posted by gr8sho92

I think the trouble I have with Chicago is the notion of horns being a cornerstone instrument for the band that's performing. Not something I typically associate with prog.

Nor violin, accordion, bassoon, hurdy gurdy, bagpipes... I've heard them all & more, maybe not as cornerstones to a band, but certainly key in songs.

IMNSHO, Chicago - although "instrumental" in my music underpinnings & still a favorite - just misses the prog genre.

[Rick and Roll]

Originally Posted by MrMagoo

Nor violin, accordion, bassoon, hurdy gurdy, bagpipes... I've heard them all & more, maybe not as cornerstones to a band, but certainly key in songs.

IMNSHO, Chicago - although "instrumental" in my music underpinnings & still a favorite - just misses the prog genre.

Chicago I-VII are all GREAT. 8 is not great, just ok.

As Star trek movies are mostly good in even numbers, Chicago's are odd.

VII is my favorite, then III.

While the first one is special, it's never been really prog. I did a Chicago show once but i'm not convinced they "belong" here".

What's everyone got against violin as a prog instrument? Kind of weird

[MrMagoo]

Originally Posted by Rick and Roll

What's everyone got against violin as a prog instrument? Kind of weird

It's not what comes to my addled brain as a core instrument from prog roots. But after seeing Jean Luc Ponty, Stephen Grappeli, Daryl Anger, Mark O'connor over & over & over to see if I really like violins, I think I do.

[gr8sho92]

Originally Posted by Rick and Roll

Chicago I-VII are all GREAT. 8 is not great, just ok.

As Star trek movies are mostly good in even numbers, Chicago's are odd.

VII is my favorite, then III.

While the first one is special, it's never been really prog. I did a Chicago show once but i'm not convinced they "belong" here".

What's everyone got against violin as a prog instrument? Kind of weird

Not so fast kimosabe. Being very very partial to italian symphonic sub-genre of prog, violin is a very important instrument, so I feel this one definitely belongs in the club. And to be more specific, Mauro Pagani and Lucio Fabbri, both of PFM, are tremendous talents and contributors to prog.

On Chicago, VIII was my first purchase. I actually like this album a lot. This was the next to last studio album with legendary guitarist Terry Kath and some good stuff on there, although not as poppy as some other Chicago albums.

[mossy]

To my ears they aren't something I would want to listen to when I listen to the Moon. There are so many tweeners who fall somewhere between the Moon and somewhere else. I've nothing against Chicago at all, even went to see them, but I'm not sure of the Moon Appeal...

I think Rick's done a Chicago show in the past. To me, the tweeners etc are better suited to shows than to a permanent place in the queue.

[SnardLivesHere]

OverHillandDale, I support your asumption that early Chicago would be out of the AM box. They were a big part of my formative muisical years, especially the first album. "Introduction" is still a good listen for me, along with most of CTA.
My high school "senior song" is OLD DAYS (voted by the calss), but that's not early Chicago. And my wife and I consider Colour My World as "our song", because we always slow-danced to it in school. 25 or 6 to 4, and Questions 67 and 68 were verry popular anthems back in the day. Those three songs wore out my cassette player - or was it 8-track?

Some of the edgier stuff was a bit ahead of it's time, but probably doesn't belong on the Moon.

[SnardLivesHere]

On the other hand, Queen is on the moon. Queen's second album, although containing some semi-prog elements, is basically a straightforward 4/4 time signature for most of the album, and is a good rock album. Ahead of it's time possibly, and a major influence on my musical tastes. Does it belong on the Moon? I wouldn't want it taken off. Can someone assert why it is here, but not early Chicago? The England factor? The dramatics of Fredie Mercury? The edgy lyrics, and very stylized themes? Who knows. I still would not vote for Chicago to be here. BTW, the Fairy Feller's Master Stroke is genius, IMHO.

[podakayne]

I'm sorry GOO did you miss the violins from all those wonderful japanese prog bands and what about UK?

and no one could love Chicago more then me (well maybe a few) but alas i unable to give my vote for inclusion on the moon....

loved, loved, loved the Rickter Scale show where he played it...as was present and accounted for in Chicago when they came on the scene...and thou they were a part of a resurgence of the "frackin big band---gotta brass section" (EWF, Average White and many R&B groups)

gr8sho92, you slay me with your "Not so fast kimosabe."
and ditto the Italian prog

:insert heavy sigh: bobby, bobby, bobby


thats my $.02

[progdirjim(Admin)]

speaking of violins, Kansas anyone? duh.
Rick was nice enough to upload much of the first 5-7 Chicago CDs, and while some pieces from the first two were tempting, the horns and vocals gave it just too much of a pop and/or jazz feel to my ears. neither of those meant in a bad way. A few select songs still may show up someday

[wennykelly1]

if you really sat down and review the early chicago albums, you might come up with some tracks that could fit into auralmoon. if terry kath had not passed away i'd guess he would have had some solo things for a.m.
as for queen's first two albums, these are progressive rock and i would guess that the progressive rock audience was the target. you may rememebr fm radio at one timed respected porg rock. it's still the only two queen albums i would have in my collection.

[Rick and Roll]

I'm perfectly happy with what ever shows up on the playlist. Everyone has a differing, and I think correct, view. For instance I don't consider Uriah Heep prog, but I do Iron Maiden.

A big reason I don't get to a lot of "established" bands on my show is the inclusion of so many tweeners. I figure it's good to hear every so often but on the playlist may be inappropriate. I'll realize "I haven't played band x in so long". There's already more on the list than I'll ever hear. It's a wonderful thing!

I'm not a big fan of selected songs by an artist. On every record there's a lot of variation. Is "Seamus" prog? In the end it really doesn't matter. What's here is here....

btw thanks for the nice words...

I think mossy's comment about tweeners being suited for shows and the like is spot on.

I, too, love Chicago but doubt that too many of their songs would get requested that often.

Nick Drake on the other hand......................

[gr8sho92]

Originally Posted by KeithieW

I think mossy's comment about tweeners being suited for shows and the like is spot on.

I, too, love Chicago but doubt that too many of their songs would get requested that often.

Nick Drake on the other hand......................

Keith, I think the problem isn't whether or not they get requested, but rather the mere presence of that type of music in the library. SAM can always play it. I was blown away this morning when I was listening to AM and heard what I thought was some straight rock and it just flat out sounded weird as all heck on this station.

[jtmckinley]

I like Chicago's early stuff, saw them in Chicago at a free fest in the 80's (past their prime, but still an OK show), but I don't really consider them to be prog. I'm with Rick on selected songs tho, much prefer the whole album be put in even if some songs don't really fit the Moon. Just my $0.02...

[Michael]

Originally Posted by progdirjim

speaking of violins, Kansas anyone? duh.

Jean Luc Ponty is pretty bad ass at the violin

[carlos77]

Totally agree OHD...I like all Chicago music...but for the moon guess the three first are their most progressive (if you like) work...

[Andyyyy]

To the first three I would add the instrumental side of VII. If you imagine those compositions played on different instruments, they would fit right in as prog. You have odd time signatures, polyrhythms and great playing.

[rricci]

Chicago is over when Terry Kath died!
He was the band's energy.
He was the leader.