Are Chicago prog related or fusion etc?

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I'm no expert only got their greatist hits, but I know quite a few of their albums had epic  suite, and jazzy improv.
Anyway  what does everyone else think, anyone out there a Chicago expert and think they should be in the archives?
perhaps this is wrong place to stick this topic.

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Cheesecakemouse Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: April 05 2006 Location: New Zealand Status: Offline Points: 1751	Topic: Are Chicago prog related or fusion etc? Posted: April 02 2009 at 01:58
	I'm no expert only got their greatist hits, but I know quite a few of their albums had epic suite, and jazzy improv. Anyway what does everyone else think, anyone out there a Chicago expert and think they should be in the archives? perhaps this is wrong place to stick this topic.


Chicapah Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: February 14 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 8238	Posted: April 02 2009 at 07:28
	In their early years Chicago was extremely progressive and boldly pushing the envelope of what a "horn band" could do. I think guitarist Terry Kath had a lot to do with urging the others to take chances and stretch out but, with his untimely death, they eventually fell in love with commercialism and the 3 minute chartbuster. If it was possible to isolate their first few albums and designate those as prog related I would like to see them get an honorary mention or something. But the bulk of their catalogue is miles away from belonging here.
	"Literature is well enough, as a time-passer, and for the improvement and general elevation and purification of mankind, but it has no practical value" - Mark Twain

Raff Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 29 2005 Location: None Status: Offline Points: 24391	Posted: April 02 2009 at 07:53
	The idea of having a 'single album' category for cases such as this one has been recently discussed in the Collaborators' Zone. Personally, I think it is an excellent idea, but unfortunately I am not the one responsible for implementing such suggestions... Edited by Raff - April 02 2009 at 08:06

Padraic Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: February 16 2006 Location: Pennsylvania Status: Offline Points: 31165	Posted: April 02 2009 at 08:28
	Early Chicago is definitely prog-related at least, in my view, and probably belong in JR/F for their early output. As Chicapah said after Kath died they went in a different direction - the bulk of their discography just didn't match up in quality or "progressiveness" to the earlier stuff, I'm afraid. Their early work (I'd say CTA through VII) are really outstanding. edit, amended after listening to VII - my mind is changed Edited by NaturalScience - April 05 2009 at 10:00

Sean Trane Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Prog Folk Joined: April 29 2004 Location: Heart of Europe Status: Offline Points: 19612	Posted: April 02 2009 at 09:08
	Early Chicago (up to the 7th album) is full blown prog and belong in JR/F . They belong there way more than Blood Sweat & Tears and most of the brass rock groups already included in that subgenre? True Kath and the keyboardists and Pankow were the prog-minded writers, and Peter Cetera is the only "MOR poison" (fortunately not too present in the first few albums) in the group I say: YES!! It's their turn to be included.
	let's just stay above the moral melee prefer the sink to the gutter keep our sand-castle virtues content to be a doer as well as a thinker, prefer lifting our pen rather than un-sheath our sword

tszirmay Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: August 17 2006 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 6673	Posted: April 02 2009 at 10:12
	I have seen them twice (post Kath) in th late 70s and the reason was that the first concert was so dreadful that I thought maybe I was too intoxicated. Turns out I wasn't , the second show was even worse! Horrible , noisy, disheveled pop music with tons of pretense and arrogance. Yuck, Big Time! I , for one, would definitely vote against any inclusion, as 95 % of their catalog is unsuited to this site.
	I never post anything anywhere without doing more than basic research, often in depth.

clarke2001 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: June 14 2006 Location: Croatia Status: Offline Points: 4160	Posted: April 02 2009 at 11:07
	Weren't they named 'Chicago Transity Authority' at the beginning? If so, we could at least add that pre-Chicago band without much hustle. Great psyche prog! If, however, they were named 'Chicago' from the very beginning (with CTA being the album title) then this suggestion of mine goes down the drain...I heard both but I don't know which fact is true.

rushfan4 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: May 22 2007 Location: Michigan, U.S. Status: Offline Points: 65937	Posted: April 02 2009 at 11:32
	I think that Chicago have been approved for inclusion by the jazz/rock team. They were looking for volunteers to write a bio and add them. This is if my memory serves me correctly.


darkshade Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: November 19 2005 Location: New Jersey Status: Offline Points: 10964	Posted: April 02 2009 at 11:35
	what's the last good Chicago album?
	My Last.fm

Padraic Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: February 16 2006 Location: Pennsylvania Status: Offline Points: 31165	Posted: April 02 2009 at 12:33
	I'd say VII, but there might be bits here and there on a few later albums that are not too bad. Certainly everything after Kath died is to be avoided, IMO.

LiquidEternity Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: December 07 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 900	Posted: April 02 2009 at 12:42
	Oh, good, they absolutely deserve to be added. It always makes me laugh when people try to deny a band addition to the archives because their later albums weren't progressive. Because, if history has much to say about it, one could say that the definition of a classic prog band is that they did go mainstream and non-prog by the 80s...


Easy Livin Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin Joined: February 21 2004 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 15585	Posted: April 02 2009 at 14:37
	CTA should definitely be included if they are added (IMO). It was made by the same band, who simply abreviated their name.

akin Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: February 06 2004 Location: Brazil Status: Offline Points: 976	Posted: April 02 2009 at 15:20
	Chicago's first eight albums, IMO, are full blown prog, and X andl XI prog-related. Considering that Chicago has more or less 20 studio albums, half of them are prog or prog-related, which is not bad for a prog band. But I don't see them getting added because people believe most of their output is pop-rock and they would be quite controvertial

Raff Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 29 2005 Location: None Status: Offline Points: 24391	Posted: April 02 2009 at 15:37
	If those albums are really prog, the band must be added. People must learn to stop whining every time a controversial addition is made. There are so many nearly unknown bands on our database for people to explore, and ignore instead what they don't like.

Padraic Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: February 16 2006 Location: Pennsylvania Status: Offline Points: 31165	Posted: April 02 2009 at 16:04
	Agree - and if they have been approved, we should look into getting their addition in place, and if not, contact the JR/F team regarding their addition, barring that prog-related.

Raff Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 29 2005 Location: None Status: Offline Points: 24391	Posted: April 02 2009 at 16:06
	Amen, brother Pat!

Mandrakeroot Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Italian Prog Specialist Joined: March 01 2006 Location: San Foca, Friûl Status: Offline Points: 5851	Posted: April 03 2009 at 16:55
	As already said Chicago is a Related Prog band. Listening to their Prog material (in some collection) and their more recent material (I have '17') I did not find many differences, if not in the arrangement. For '17' the arrangements are so light that music has become AOR. Certainly I think that PR is a good category for Chicago, also if their Prog material is sure JR (or better Fusion).

Cheesecakemouse Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: April 05 2006 Location: New Zealand Status: Offline Points: 1751	Posted: April 04 2009 at 19:41
	Well I hope they do go in, I'd like to find out what albums of their's are pivotal and what to avoid


micky Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: October 02 2005 Location: . Status: Offline Points: 46828	Posted: April 04 2009 at 19:43
	Chicago are under evaluation... .stay tuned .....
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Easy Livin Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin Joined: February 21 2004 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 15585	Posted: April 05 2009 at 09:48
	For which genre Micky? Easy Money thinks they may have already been approved for JR/F.