The Blues Blogger

I do a lot of soul searching on this blog… I listen to selected pieces of music as a way to relax and ponder aspects of my life I haven’t thought of in many years. Recently I was thinking about how my life has changed since my heart attack last fall. One thing I know for sure, I feel more at ease when reflecting back to certain moments from my past… And for the first time ever, I’m beginning to get clarity on past events that were once complicated to comprehend.

I Was Inspired by Terry Kath

Between growing up listening to my brother play guitar every night and the sounds of Mike Bloomfield, Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton and then Terry Kath, it’s no wonder my interest in being an engineer in a recording studio developed. Yes I was young in the late sixties, but while there were many things I couldn’t comprehend because of my age, I was still miles ahead of any kid, or some adults for that matter, when it came to music.

Towards the end of 1969

circumstances were starting to shift drastically in my household. My father’s own heart attack in his late forties appeared to be a defining moment for several members of my family. He survived, but it was serious. It knocked him out of work force and he was never the same. His zest for life disappeared and that glow I so fondly remember was lost. The harmonica that he always carried around in his pocket I never saw again.

My mother worked hard putting in 6 days a week twelve to fourteen hours a day to make ends meet. Because I was only ten, and was too young to understand the scope of the situation, my thoughts became muddled in selfishness. It would be a point in time I have only recently come to understand as I blamed my father for so many unnecessary things.

As we headed into the seventies the vibrant house I grew up in became very sombre. My parents on one income could not afford the payments, and sold the house. Both my brother and sister decided to discover their own lives and moved out. My parents moved into an apartment where I would have my own bedroom for the first time. I spent all my time in that room hiding from all the things I didn’t want to understand. I got lost in my own thoughts and would listen to endless amounts of music… Everything I could get my hands on I would listen to. Any album cover I could read I would read… And I started to write; escaping into a world that would take me away from the bummer of my family going their separate ways…

Chicago Transit Authority

was a band that seemed to combine all the elements I heard in my household while growing up. It was a unique and very successful blend of genres. It was the first double LP I could call my own and a gift from my brother when he moved out of the room we had shared all our life. I then became enthralled by the incredible guitar work of Terry Kath and the soulful infectious rhythmic grooves I heard on the album.

Almost 40 years later

this LP stands out as a major influence to many musicians and older rock music buffs. The band owes more to artists such as Benny Goodman’s swing style rather than the rock riffs of Elvis or Buddy Holly. Original band members Walter Parazaider, Terry Kath, Danny Seraphine, Lee Loughnane, James Pankow, Robert Lamm, and Peter Cetera formed a group with a unique vision and the result was a diverse powerhouse that created a “new rock sound with horns.” The group’s desire to make it big turned out to be more successful than they ever dreamed.

As most people already know, the band shortened its name to Chicago for their second album and became a pop ballad juggernaut. While they gained huge massive appeal, many of their fans went elsewhere after their first two albums. For older music lovers and rock historians that first album has gone into the history books as a hugely creative, experimental and very musical piece of work on the same level as some of the best music ever produced in a debut effort.

The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From the Tree

My own son tries to figure out in his own way how to deal with a father with a heart condition. When he gets concerned, I try and tell him that it’s a different era today than in his grandfather’s time. We know well more in advance as to what is going on. And we can take preventative measures long before it can get too out of hand… As I said in the beginning my priorities have changed … After 9 months since my own heart attack, thanks to my wife TBBW, I have lost over 50 pounds. I’m eating better than ever and have an appreciation and understanding of things I never had before. I also enjoy my long walks with my faithful golden retriever Lucille.

The Chicago Transit Authority album has played a huge significance in remembering moments in my past. But I have to ask you… Does CTA’s first album after 40 years play any significance in time for you? Do you have any favourites from this classic album in music history? Please leave your comments …

Tags: Reflections, The Seventies, The Sixties //