My opinion of Chicago Transit Authority is forever changed
My opinion of Chicago Transit Authority is forever changed after an evening of listening to sides 3 and 4 of their debut. This electric jazz freakout suited my late night work session, and warranted repeat plays for a few hours.
Next stop, Speakers Corner's reissue of Argenta's Espana (Decca). My expectations were high given the audiophile credentials, but while pleasant, it couldn't really draw my attention from emails.
Ian & Sylvia's Four Strong Winds (Cisco/Vanguard reissue) was so attention grabbing that I couldn't possibly write emails. Hard panned stereo with Ian in one ear and Sylvia the other make it a curious experience on headphones.
Currently spinning is Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet (Mercury Living Presence). An FR1 pressing (that's the first stamper), $1 from a thrift store. This title was just reissued by Speakers Corner, so it is satisfying to have the original. Despite the occasional tick and mucky appearance, this plays well enough. Romantic, and now commanding most of my attention, since I've stopped with the work emails.
The prospect of only five hours of sleep is sending me bedwards, but this has provided a pleasant wind down.
Next stop, Speakers Corner's reissue of Argenta's Espana (Decca). My expectations were high given the audiophile credentials, but while pleasant, it couldn't really draw my attention from emails.
Ian & Sylvia's Four Strong Winds (Cisco/Vanguard reissue) was so attention grabbing that I couldn't possibly write emails. Hard panned stereo with Ian in one ear and Sylvia the other make it a curious experience on headphones.
Currently spinning is Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet (Mercury Living Presence). An FR1 pressing (that's the first stamper), $1 from a thrift store. This title was just reissued by Speakers Corner, so it is satisfying to have the original. Despite the occasional tick and mucky appearance, this plays well enough. Romantic, and now commanding most of my attention, since I've stopped with the work emails.
The prospect of only five hours of sleep is sending me bedwards, but this has provided a pleasant wind down.
posted by David Poole at 12:58 AM
1 Comments:
If you enjoyed The Chicago Transit Authority, drop by www.BasementRug.com and check out my re-exploration of their earliest works. It's a shame that Columbia has abandoned this part of their catalog, and that it took Rhino to get these items back into circulation, and I am not sure those are even still available. The first 7 albums are all incredible. The live one from Japan (their 5th?) is very hard to find, but a must have. Chicago VII is the last of the great "freak out" albums. Note the order of the songs - the most commercial songs that became the "hits" are put at the end of side 4. It's as though the band was forcing you to listen to the music that they wanted to record, before they would let you at the music that Columbia knew was more marketable. After Terry Kath accidentally shot himself, the band went into MOR territory and never came back. I actually enjoying several of their MOR hits, but to me, it's just not the same band. What's even more interesting is how successful the band was with its freakier music, and the fact that they still managed to sell quite a few records in those early days, when ALL of their releases (except one) were multi-LP sets. The early Chicago records show up in bins where I dig all the time, but they are rarely in playable condition. Keep your eyes peeled and if you find one in good condition - especially if it is the original pressing (check guides if you are not familiar with the Columbia record label history) - don't hesitate to grab them.
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