Jugband_Blues Posted March 26, 2005 Report Share Posted March 26, 2005 I recently started listening to Chicago, and have found them to be excellant, with their own distinctive sound and quality to their music. Upon some research I've seen that they are not in the Rock and Roll HOF, despite: 13 platinum albums 5 #1 albums 20 top 10 singles 5 #1 singles over 120 million record sales I was just wondering how everyone else liked Chicago, and if they have any idea how they're not in the hall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_jr_ Posted March 26, 2005 Report Share Posted March 26, 2005 I liked Chicago before Peter Cetera castrated them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunt_Acid Posted March 26, 2005 Report Share Posted March 26, 2005 if they have any idea how they're not in the hall. Color My World. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesboy Posted March 26, 2005 Report Share Posted March 26, 2005 Yeah, I agree with Jr, those first couple albums are dynamite. good one RW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunt_Acid Posted March 26, 2005 Report Share Posted March 26, 2005 My two favorite Chicago songs are probably Dialogue, and Question 67& 68 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Joe Posted March 26, 2005 Report Share Posted March 26, 2005 Good choices Chris. I also like their version of I'm A Man. Beginnings is good, too. Their first albun, Chicago Transit Authority is pure platinum. I agree with Jr. as well about their later stuff. Every now and then a pearl, but mostly sentimental pap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanAm Posted March 26, 2005 Report Share Posted March 26, 2005 I very much like the music of Chicago. My favourite Chicago tunes are Poem For The People, Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?, Old Days and Call On Me. While I agree with Bluesboy that Chicago's early material was their best, I don't agree that Peter Cetera's influence ruined the band. If you like the sytle of music that Chicago plays(lots of brass and woodwinds), check out Lighthouse (particularly their early material) and Blood, Sweat & Tears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Joe Posted March 26, 2005 Report Share Posted March 26, 2005 I agree about Lighthouse/Chicago, but Blood Sweat and Tears is in another league altogerther. This band had balls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batman Posted March 26, 2005 Report Share Posted March 26, 2005 My dad has most of their early records, but the only song I have heard by them so far is "25 or 6 or 4" I'm not sure if thats the exact numbers, but something like that. It's got a great opening riff, which greenday stole Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edna Posted March 26, 2005 Report Share Posted March 26, 2005 Sure the first Chicago albums were the best ones. All the classic songs like "25 or 6 to 4", "Does anybody know what time it is?", etc... and a song that was in the second album, "At the sunrise"... I remember when they were called "Chicago Transit Authority"... I lost my old records in some moving or divorce, as usual... I had to get me some cds... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windy1 Posted March 26, 2005 Report Share Posted March 26, 2005 I don't know Joe. When I was young I always got Blood Sweat and Tears confused with Chicago. Didn't care a lot for either. But as I got older I learned to appreciate them. Peter Cetera? Nothing great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunt_Acid Posted March 26, 2005 Report Share Posted March 26, 2005 It's got a great opening riff, which greenday stole That Chicago stole from Led Zeppelin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_jr_ Posted March 26, 2005 Report Share Posted March 26, 2005 Actually, folks, "25 or 6 to 4" is the reason I found Songfacts. I googled the title, trying to find the meaning. And here I am. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny Posted March 28, 2005 Report Share Posted March 28, 2005 I'm sad to say that I own a couple of Chicago albums after Peter Cetera.....I was a teenager and into that sappy stuff. Still, on Chicago 17, there's a song called "Remember the feeling" that I think is really pretty. As for their old stuff, "25 or 6 to 4" rocks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steel2Velvet Posted March 28, 2005 Report Share Posted March 28, 2005 Say what you will about Peter Cetera, but the man had/has an appealingly distinctive voice, could sing excellent harmonies, a good songwriter and was a better than average bassist for Chicago. The entire band got way too comercial after about the Chicago 8 album. Today they are all just the shell of a great memory. My personal favorites: Lowdown Searchin' For So Long Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edna Posted March 28, 2005 Report Share Posted March 28, 2005 Actually, folks, "25 or 6 to 4" is the reason I found Songfacts. I googled the title, trying to find the meaning. And here I am. And so what was the meaning, Jr? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazooka Posted March 29, 2005 Report Share Posted March 29, 2005 And so what was the meaning, Jr? edna, if you're reading this, you are within easy reach of the facts. I was puzzled just like jr. The best explanation I found in my research is that it is about being up at 3:34 or 3:35 a.m. [twenty-five or (twenty-)six to four] with lyric writer's block. Have you heard the one about George Harrison's Bluejay Way? The song is supposedly pretty much just a literal report of Harrison getting tired waiting for friends who couldn't find the house (on Bluejay Way) one foggy night in L.A. It's funny that it was made to sound so heavy and ominous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesboy Posted March 29, 2005 Report Share Posted March 29, 2005 Isn't Bluejay Way in Bel Air, up above Beverly Hills ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Posted March 29, 2005 Report Share Posted March 29, 2005 25 or 6 to 4 is one of the more interesting songs on Songfacts, and it gets a lot of hits. The only band I can think of that had such a hard swing from fantastic ("Beginnings") to craptastic ("Hard For Me To Say I'm Sorry") is Jefferson Airplane (listening to "White Rabbit" vs. "We Built This City" is like watching Ali fighting Foreman and then watching him fight Larry Holmes when he should have been home watching Matlock). A great disc to buy if you can find it is Chicago's Live At Carnegie Hall. Excellent stuff with the band near their peak. The Chicago/Earth, Wind and Fire tour is a good one. Sara and I saw it last summer and had a great time. If you see me walking by, and the tears are in my eyes... you know what to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunt_Acid Posted March 30, 2005 Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 Post deleted by HDThoreau Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Joe Posted March 30, 2005 Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 Rajah, you'll never make it as a grief counselor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OLD 55 Posted March 30, 2005 Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 Well....Peter Cetera has had more success individually than the band has since he left! He (and Roy Orbison) have the most distinctive voice(s) in Pop Music. Maybe that's my trouble - I like POP, which is short for POPULAR. . I've never really considered Chicago as a ROCK Band anyhow. "If You Leave Me Now" is in a League of it's own and "Hard For me To Say I'm Sorry" is not far behind it. My favorite Chicago song WITHOUT PC on lead vocals is "Saturday In The Park". Some of you guys would have probably voted him out in the first round of "American Idol" from the sound of your posts. HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OLD 55 Posted March 30, 2005 Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 Jefferson Airplane (listening to "White Rabbit" vs. "We Built This City") Starship. Well, what was left of the original band were no longer freaked out flower children in 1985. Also Mickey Thomas sounds a bit different to Grace Slick. (I can't believe it - she's older than me). You should've used the beautiful song "Sara" as an example, Carl, instead of the schmaltzy "City" and you may have gotten a few arguments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_jr_ Posted March 30, 2005 Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 And so what was the meaning, Jr? bazooka's got it, edna. Anyway, here are the lyrics. They fit with the explanation, anyway. Waiting for the break of day Searching for something to say Dancing lights againnst the sky Giving up I close my eyes Sitting cross-legged on the floor 25 or 6 to 4 Staring blindly into space Getting up to splash my face Wanting just to stay awake Wondering how much I can take Should have tried to do some more 25 or 6 to 4 Solo Feeling like I ought to sleep Spinning room is sinking deep Searching for something to say Waiting for the break of day 25 or 6 to 4 25 or 6 to 4 Seems to me it could also have something to do with the ending of a relationship, as well as trying to write a song. I suppose it's open to interpretation in that regard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny Posted March 30, 2005 Report Share Posted March 30, 2005 "If You Leave Me Now" is in a League of it's own and "Hard For me To Say I'm Sorry" is not far behind it. I like those, too, Old 55. Yes, I'm a sucker for sappy mushy love songs, what can I say? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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