Gimme Five (a fun, stress-free thread I hope)

"You can't print that."

 

Top 5 Steve Buscemi performances
1. Fargo
2. Reservoir Dogs
3. Boardwalk Empire
4. Big Lebowski
5. Living in Oblivion

 

Great songs but you have to put “25 or 6 to 4” in there somewhere.

 

It does have one of Kath's best solos.

And it's not about drugs!!!

 

Beginnings (tops my list, trombone/trumpet solos)
25 or 6 to 4 (guitar solo)
Feelin' Stronger Every Day (fantastic transition into the jam)
I'm A Man (hearing the count)
Make Me Smile (the whole enchilada)

On CTA and II, couldn't agree more.

 

I remember hearing CTA for the first time at a friends house, his Dad bought a record player and the record and brought it home while I was there. We set it up and were practically pissing our pants to put the record on. Had no idea who they were. “Introduction” blew us away. We looked at each other and said ‘holy shit’, or something, and listened to side one for probably 3 hours. What an ‘introduction’! Terry Kath was crazy good.
I’ve owned that album in every conceivable format. Saw them in Vegas at the Venetian a couple of years ago doing Chicago II and then their greatest hits. What a fantastic show.

 

In 1970 when I started Junior College, I was in the marching band. We had some phenomenal musicians. We played rock 'n' roll on the football field. Halftimes were as good as the games (because our team sucked). They built amps on wheels powered by car batteries, so we marched with electric guitar, bass and organ. "Organ pusher" was an official position in the band. They wrote a score for "Make Me Smile" and the first time I heard it, I was hooked. It had the trumpets playing the singing parts. Chicago's music was conducive to our style so they produced a score for "I'm A Man" and "25 or 6 to 4." That continued through other songs. "Midnight Hour" became our theme song. It was perfect for the trumpets to play the singing part. We had a great version of "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" for a Christmas parade.

 

Nah, sounds way too much like the original.

 

Were you one of the trumpet players?

 

No, snare drummer. We had a big drum section and we could rattle windows during street parades. We did a Rams halftime each year. We had to be at the Coliseum early for a rehearsal so the TV guys could decided if they wanted to show any of it. Our highlight was lining up at the top of the tunnel and marching down to the field with us drummers going balls to the walls. It was unbelievably loud. The problem was we had a big party the night before and we were all hungover. But we didn't want to miss the opportunity to blast out of the Coliseum tunnel.
If I wasn't a drummer, I think I would have wanted to be a trumpet player.

 

Here's the thing, though ... a great marching band doesn't need a rock 'n roll section. Leave that to Rush.

A great band can play a stellar mix of '70s-era Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire and some more traditional selections and let someone else worry about auxiliary crap and car batteries. Leave that crap on the bus.

 

I think we did it because nobody else did it. We were innovative. One other school in our league was a year ahead with the electric, but it was shabby and sloppy. We did better shows along with the music. When we met at the stadium, we blew them away.

Earth, Wind & Fire came along right at that same time but hadn't caught on yet. Rush debuted in 1974, four years later. It's hard to play a guitar solo without a guitar. Are you going to tell Neil Peart he doesn't need all of those drums and cymbals? You play just fine with the basic stuff -- snare, bass, tomtom, high-hat, ride, crash. Nah, I don't think so.

That first year, we did the Rose Parade, 7 miles. We reached a point when we were all gassed and it was damn nice to let the electrics take over over and jam for a half-mile or so to give us a break.