Cetera on a slothead

[Hornisse]

Chicago II is one of my favorites as well.  Side 2 is worth the price of admission alone.  I agree with your assessment of Kath.  After his death the band was never the same. 

[sniper]

the very first song i ever heard by 'CTA" was Free Form Guitar. i was a fan ever since even though the band went in a different direction than i was expecting after hearing that song.

[jumbodbassman]

Are we sure that's a live performance? Sounds like a studio version for a TV special made to look like a live performance.

As always, I could be wrong.

i agree.  I  played with a horn section in several bands in the late 70's.  They are a special breed.....   I always looked at them (4) as one instrument which always pissed them off all the more.  But when they were really on some songs would make the hair stand up it was so good.....We did a lot of Chicago, BST and TOP back then plus mandatory disco type of stuff but less comercial stuff....  Played withg many sax players since then but usually only one so never the same for me. 

[uwe]

I love those big horn arrangements of early Chicago and BST. Or of Swallow, that other horn rock outfit from the early seventies.

[jumbodbassman]

my favorite Chicago tune

[lowend1]

Or of Swallow, that other horn rock outfit from the early seventies.

Swallow, huh? Are you sure those were horns in their mouths?
(cue thread derailing sound effect)

[lowend1]

I posted this awhile back - the bass is more upfront in the mix.

[lowend1]

I preferred Blood, Sweat & Tears when it came to horny rock, but Chicago had their moments before they got too syrupy and Peter Cetera discovered the perceived beauty of synth bass. He also sang too much in his late phase with the band, I preferred the other lead voices in the band they had, Cetera gets on my nerves after three tracks.

BS&T had a great lead vocalist in David Clayton-Thomas, but the rest of the band was too steeped in jazz for my head. The great part about the vocals in Chicago was the interplay between Kath, Cetera and Lamm. Cetera is probably my favorite "singing bass player" - well, him and Gene! This vid is clipped at the end, but you can see the tradeoffs between Kath and Cetera, and how Bobby Lamm ties it all together.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHTr4Bs_sg4&feature=related

[lowend1]

Okay, I'll stop now...

[fur85]

Just gotta say, those guys all look better without beards, especially Peter Cetera.

[Dave W]

Anyone remember Chase?

[uwe]

I think Cetera's prominent underbite cried for a beard. He looked a little silly without one.

[lowend1]

I think Cetera's prominent underbite cried for a beard. He looked a little silly without one.

Interesting story about his vocal style though - from an interview:

TFP: Is that a true story about how you came to have that clenched-jaw singing style? You, a Chicago Cubs fan, were at a game in Los Angeles in 1969 and got into a fight?

Cetera: Yeah, let's just say some Marines didn't like my long hair and we got into a little beef, and I had a broken jaw and I was wired shut for a few months. And when they cut the wires off, I was always afraid of my jaw sticking open again, so I don't really open my mouth a lot when I sing

[uwe]

I didn't know he stood up for the right thing!

[lowend1]

I didn't know he stood up for the right thing!

Yeah, the Chicago Cubs. I recall reading somewhere else that the fight was sparked by Cetera's love for the Cubbies - he was at a Cubs-Dodgers game in LA, and apparently was acting like, well, a Cubs fan.