The sixth effort by Chicago was the first and one of the few to picture the band on the cover

By Phill Marder

(Seventh in a series on artists who should be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, but are not)

Four members of the original Chicago appeared on Chris Isaak’s excellent show, which runs on Sundance. Isaak asked them point blank – and I paraphrase – “Just who did you piss off?”

Isaak’s query revolved around the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s failure to induct (or even nominate) the group that now ranks as the most popular – chartwise – the United States ever has produced. How can this be?

True, the still-active band may have overstayed its welcome, but from 1969 until Peter Cetera departed in 1985, there was nothing less than top quality work from this group, especially before the 1978 death of lead guitarist Terry Kath. With keyboardist Robert Lamm and the horn section of Walt Parazaider, Lee Loughnane and James Pankow carrying on, the group re-surfaced with a string of blockbuster hits in the late ’80s that garnered public approval but, evidently, proved too schmaltzy for critical blessing.

But Chicago’s initial core, which included Danny Seraphine on drums, gave us some of the most innovative works of the Rock era. Where The Buckinghams and Blood, Sweat & Tears introduced the concept of a horn section supplementing a basic rock group, Chicago was the group that avoided self-destruction and carried on, expanding Rock’s boundaries.

With Kath, supposedly Jimi Hendrix’ favorite guitar player, providing a raw edge, Chicago ran off 10 consecutive Top 10 albums from 1970 to 1977, including a string of five straight No. 1 LPs. Five straight No. 1 albums! Any artist who denies he or they would give his best Fender and Roland to get near the top of the album charts is an artist who has never gotten near the top of the album charts. This group topped the charts five times.

Several other offerings just missed the top, seven reaching the top 10, three of which were double albums and one which came 15 years after their debut. That is a truly unbelievable achievement and the original Chicago seven should be acknowledged by the Hall of Fame. Actually, a carryover from my original list 10 years ago, they should have been recognized long ago.

Though clearly an album-oriented group at the outset, with long, progressive pieces being the norm, the group still managed the ridiculous number of 20 singles to reach the top 10, three landing in the No. 1 position. In the United Kingdom, Chicago also was a regular presence on both album and single charts.

William Ruhlmann, writing in the “Allmusic Guide,” hits the nail right on the head, describing the group’s plight as follows “…Chicago has been singularly underrated since the beginning of its long career, both because of its musical ambitions (to the musicians, rock is only one of several styles of music to be used and blended, along with classical, jazz, R&B, and pop) and because of its refusal to emphasize celebrity over the music. The result has been that fundamentalist rock critics have consistently failed to appreciate its music and that its media profile has always been low. At the same time, however, Chicago has succeeded in the ways it intended to. From the beginning of its emergence as a national act, it has been able to fill arenas with satisfied fans. And beyond the impressive sales and chart statistics, its music has endured, played constantly on the radio and instantly familiar to tens of millions.”

Obviously, those in command of nominating artists feel the intelligence and taste of the majority of record buyers can be described using the same phrase that leads us to picture the rear portion of a horse. It would be nice if the Hall of Fame had the guts to reveal just who holds the public in such low esteem.

Or, as Isaak so elegantly stated to the remaining originals, “Just who did you piss off?”

• Get the new John Lennon book: “John Lennon: Life is What Happens, Music, Memories & Memorabilia”

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Chicago
Chicago Transit Authority
Rhino Handmade B B003EMLCTY
★★★★

By David Beard

Released March 23, this music-only quadradisc DVD release can be played in any DVD player with Surround Sound. A groundbreaking album in every sense, this 1969 debut long player emits a one-of-a-kind horn infused rock and roll album with its jazz, blues, rhythm and funk combination.

Musical events of this nature should be in everyone’s Top 10 album collections. “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?” [#7 on the Hot 100], “Beginnings” [#7], “Questions 67 and 68” [#24] and the group’s cover of the Steve Winwood-written “I’m A Man” [#49] are all here.

These recordings are a part of a song cycle continuum that literally comes to life in the speakers in the Quadradisc presentation – a true, discrete sound. As great as the listening experience and sound presentation both are, the real gold is in the social commentary that’s within the grooves; a place where Robert Lamm and Terry Kath shine.

Cyndi Lauper (above) goes blues?!
Hot off the heals of her stint on Celebrity Apprentice, where Cyndi was undeniably the most colorful character of the bunch, Miss Cyndi Lauper is set to release her much-anticipated 11th studio album entitled “Memphis Blues” on June 22.

After 25 years on the music scene and over 30 million records sold world-wide to date, the new release was recorded with the help of Scott Bomar and William Wittman in Memphis, Tennessee, thus accounting for its bluesy sound.

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Yes it’s shockingly true.  Music legend Willie Nelson has cut off his long and trademark long braided locks.

And in true Nelson’s mellow style, while vacationing in Hawaii this Texas born country singer simply cut off his legendary braids.  According to Willie’s spokesperson Elaine Schock, he didn’t make a fuss and just got tired of it.  As Schock explained,  “there’s a lot of maintenance.”   Enough said! We still love him.

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Grammy award-winning rockers Chicago took time off from touring to appear on the season finale of American Idol this week.

Idol winner Lee DeWyze performed a medley of three of the band’s biggest hits, “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?”, “If You Leave Me Now” and “25 Or 6 To 4.”

With DeWyze being a Chicago native,  the band may see the American Idol winner again this summer as DeWyze told them that if his schedule allows, he would join them on stage when Chicago plays in Chicago at the Charter One Pavilion on Northerly Island on July 16 and 17.

Chicago is gearing up for a U.S. summer tour with the Doobie Brothers, followed by more solo dates and then international tours in South America and Australia.

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Following their Cinco de Mayo performance in Los Angeles earlier this month, Jane’s Addiction is heading out for two major shows in Europe.  They’ll appear Sunday, June 9 at the Gelredome in The Netherlands (with Rage Against the Machine and Gogol Bordello) and then Friday, June 11 at Rock In Rio in Madrid, Spain (with Rage Against the Machine and Cypress Hill).

Singer Perry Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins and new member, bassist Duff McKagan–are in LA writing new material for their next album, tentatively slated to come out in the winter of 2011, followed by a world tour.

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Bruce Springsteen’s “London Calling: Live in Hyde Park” will be released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on June 22.

Taped in London at the Hard Rock Calling Festival on June 28, 2009, the 172-minute film documents 27 tracks of live Springsteen, all in HD.

“London Calling: Live In Hyde Park” shows both the experience of being on stage  and in the crowd in a festival environment. he set list spans from “Born To Run” era to “Working On a Dream” and includes rare covers and fan favorites.

Produced by Grammy and Emmy Award winner Thom Zimny and director Chris Hilson, both members of The Boss’ video crew for the last decade, are credited with overseeing the film.  A must-have for any Springsteen fanatic, myself included in that illustrious group!

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Critically acclaimed Canadian musician Meaghan Smith will join Sarah McLachlan, Kelly Clarkson, Mary J. Blige and others on the 2010 Lilith Fair this summer.  Smith will join the traveling celebration of women in music for shows at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in St. Louis on July 16th and First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre in Chicago on July 17th in the U.S., as well as the Bell Center in Montreal, QC on July 23rd in Canada.    Smith released her debut full-length album, The Cricket’s Orchestra, in February 2010.

For information on the entire Lilith Fair 2010, go to http://www.lilithfair.com

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Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax are bringing their  European tour to the global stage by beaming the concert via satellite to movie theaters around the world in  HD. These four band have never shared the same stage until the June 22nd concert from the tour’s stop of the Sonisphere Festival in Sofia, Bulgaria. It will air the same day in over 450 theaters in more than 140 markets in the U.S., as well as beamed into theaters in Europe, Canada and Latin America. Delayed screenings are planned in Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. Tickets for “The Big Four:  Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax” go on sale starting today Friday, May 21st in the U.S. and internationally starting Friday, May 28th at participating theater box offices and at www.thebigfourlive.com, to watch the trailer.

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Speaking of heavy metal, AC/DC’s “Iron Man 2″ soundtrack (Columbia/Sony Music Entertainment) is  starting its fifth week at #1 on  Billboard’s European Albums chart.

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The Undertones are reissuing in digital their first four albums plus a “Best Of” compilation.   Reissued in the U.S. are a the band’s self-titled LP,  “Hypnotised,” “Positive Touch,” “The Sin of Pride,”  plus “The Best of the Undertones.” The Undertones, inspired by bands like the Ramones, were signed to Sire Records straight off a BBC RAdio appearance.

On June 28, 2010, Union Square Music will make the Undertones’ four albums available digitally.  For more information, head over to www.unionsquaremusic.co.uk

Compiled By Carol Anne Szel

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