It is not Carnegie Hall, it's Largo, MD. They were running out their prog string at this point, and I would make the case that the album they were supporting on this tour (can't remember which number, but it's the one with the cardinal [?] on the cover and poster and iron-on applique [?] inside) didn't have the multiple massive hits of earlier discs. (I think it's Chicago 8, actually. And maybe 7, which was another double album after a couple of single discs, was the last truly prog effort, although I can't think of anything heavy on 7. Cool fake-tooled-leather cover, tho.)
Anyhoo, the playing on the samples Rhino has up sounds pretty loose, and the recording sounds a bit cavernous. But they were four years removed from Carnegie Hall, probably better chops by that time and still the original line-up with the percussionist added. Plus they got a few more decent hits in first half of 70s since Carnegie. So maybe it is worth a listen. Maybe it's worth a listen only for "Got To Get You Into My Life," which is perhaps the song the band was formed around? The boys said they were heavily influenced by the Beatles.
http://www.rhino.com/shop/product/chicago-live-in-75
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
"Rocket Man" -- A better song out there in '72?
I purchased "Rocket Man" and "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" off iTunes after hearing the latter on tv show my wife was watching. I have liked the latter song for a long time, I can't think of a more evocative song from that time frame (summer '72). Man, did Elton produce some major tuneage or what? He had a great band, the bass playing is killer, so is the drumming. But I'm thinking the production (Gus Dudgeon) is what really did it. (I just went and checked Gus' wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gus_Dudgeon and learned that he called the Elton's "Caribou" album "a piece of crap," and I find some comfort in that opinion because I think by then Sir Reg was starting to lose the plot after his absolute masterwork "Good Bye Yellow Brick Road.") This song is so damn dense with atmosphere. It's not really even a piano song or keyboard son, it's really acoustic guitar and some freaky geetar noising from Davey Johnstone, another monster player. The piano playing on it is really perfect, just the right amount.
I will grant you, this song does rip off Bowie's astronaut song, both in subject matter and in manner. But for some reason it's just as good, if a bit less artistic (maybe, maybe not) and original. At that point we were still trudging around on that sandy orb up there, and if you do not think the best music of this an many generations was a result of the boundaries being pushed up there in the Heavens, then THINK AGAIN! '68 to '73? When was the last moonwalk? December '72, that's when. WhadayathinkofTHAT?
Was there a more exquisite song out that summer of '72? you tell me. "Take it Easy" was a pretty good one, that song does me in too. Both of them things sound just as good coming over a 2-inch speaker (or single earphone) as on my hi-fi stereo!
I will grant you, this song does rip off Bowie's astronaut song, both in subject matter and in manner. But for some reason it's just as good, if a bit less artistic (maybe, maybe not) and original. At that point we were still trudging around on that sandy orb up there, and if you do not think the best music of this an many generations was a result of the boundaries being pushed up there in the Heavens, then THINK AGAIN! '68 to '73? When was the last moonwalk? December '72, that's when. WhadayathinkofTHAT?
Was there a more exquisite song out that summer of '72? you tell me. "Take it Easy" was a pretty good one, that song does me in too. Both of them things sound just as good coming over a 2-inch speaker (or single earphone) as on my hi-fi stereo!
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Comparing Katie Couric with Kurt Cobain
Rolling Stone concluded a story about Katie Couric's situation with that of Kurt Cobain's, and it is pretty funny. Occasionally RS still hits on something, but like a broken watch it's not really reliable. For every decent issue (and this is one, as it turns out -- interesting story about an internet teen star, Nirvana retrospective at Experience Music in Seattle, Foo Fighters, other stuff), there are dozens every year that deaden my nerves with their cultural irrelevance (or maybe that's now the problem, what's culturally relevant is now consistently nerve-deadening). It doesn't help being not 15 anymore, much more difficult to suspend disbelief.
Perfect example: Just got an e-mail from RS about its coverage of the Royal Wedding. What could possibly be interesting about that? Rock music has been anything but subversive for at least 25 years now, and looking at everything through that prism no longer serves any purpose other than to distort our sad reality. Especially when most of what passes as rawk these days is so camped up.
That's why the English music magazines (Mojo and Q) are so much more adept at keeping it all interesting and in perspective. Excellent mix of current and historical, very little self-seriousness. Just too expensive to purchase all the time.
Perfect example: Just got an e-mail from RS about its coverage of the Royal Wedding. What could possibly be interesting about that? Rock music has been anything but subversive for at least 25 years now, and looking at everything through that prism no longer serves any purpose other than to distort our sad reality. Especially when most of what passes as rawk these days is so camped up.
That's why the English music magazines (Mojo and Q) are so much more adept at keeping it all interesting and in perspective. Excellent mix of current and historical, very little self-seriousness. Just too expensive to purchase all the time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)