''CHICAGO PRESENTS THE INNOVATIVE GUITAR OF TERRY KATH''
FEBRUARY 18 1997
74:45
1 Once Or Twice (Terry Kath) 03:01
2 I'm A Man (Jimmy Miller, Steve Winwood) 07:40
3 Dialogue, Part One & Part Two 07:27
4 Ain't It Blue? 03:26
5 25 Or 6 To 4 (Live) 07:42
6 Mississippi Delta City Blues (Terry Kath) (Live) 05:35
7 Listen 03:22
8 Southern California Purples 06:26
9 Darlin' Dear 02:55
10 An Hour In The Shower: An Hour In The Shower: A Hard Risin' Morning Without Breakfast/Off To Work/Fallin' Out/Dreamin' Home/Morning Blues Again 05:35
11 In The Country (Terry Kath) 06:32
12 I Don't Want Your Money (Terry Kath, Robert Lamm) 04:46
13 Scrapbook 03:28
14 Free Form Guitar (Terry Kath) 06:44
Tracks By Robert Lamm, Except As Indicated
Peter Cetera/Bass Guitar, Vocals, Backing Vocals
Terry Kath/Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Vocals, Backing Vocals
Robert Lamm/Keyboards, Vocals, Backing Vocals
Lee Loughnane/Trumpet, Backing Vocals
James Pankow/Trombone, Backing Vocals
Walter Parazaider/Saxophone, Woodwind, Backing Vocals
Daniel Seraphine/Drums
REVIEW/AMG
by Lindsay Planer
****1/2 Of *****
To many, the late Terry Kath (guitar/vocals) was the heart and soul of Chicago. This is especially true of his contributions to the band's early blend of jazz with amped-up unadulterated wailing guitar rock. Sadly, Kath's tenure with the group was cut tragically short when, in late January of 1978, he accidentally and fatally shot himself. In hindsight, the band never fully recovered from the loss, and it would take four years before Chicago would creatively and critically reinvent itself on Chicago 16 (1982). The Innovative Guitar of Terry Kath (1997) includes 14 seminal selections and examples of the string man at the peak of his prowess. While there are no previously unissued songs, this compilation scans the nine Chicago studio long-players that Kath performed on as well the incendiary readings of "25 or 6 to 4" and "Mississippi Delta City Blues" from the must-own Live in Japan 1972 concert set. The track list is rather heavily represented, and rightfully so, by the first three Chicago titles -- Chicago Transit Authority (1969) , Chicago II (1970), and Chicago III (1971). Among them are the fully improvised "Free Form Guitar," "Listen," "An Hour in the Shower," and "South California Purples." Chronologically, later offerings include "Dialogue, Pts. 1-2" from Chicago V (1972) and "Darlin' Dear" off of Chicago VI (1973). Although the follow-up Chicago VII (1974) is glossed over, "Ain't It Blue?" ably represents Chicago VIII (1975) and both the soulful "Scrapbook" and the Memphis-style R&B rave-up on "Once or Twice" are taken from Chicago X (1976). (Note that 1975's Chicago IX was the band's first "best-of" and contained no new songs.) Kath's final effort was Chicago XI (1978); there is nothing featured from that album, although it is represented via the previously mentioned version of "Mississippi Delta City Blues" from Live in Japan 1972. While hardcore enthusiasts will inevitably have all of these selections, the real audience for The Innovative Guitar of Terry Kath is the uninitiated and burgeoning listener who is well-served by the broad range of the selected materials.
MORE ABOUT THE ALBUM
By Tim Wood, terrykath.com
As a guitarist and a Chicago fan, the prospect of a Terry Kath tribute album was a dream come true for me. I ordered the CD "sight unseen" and wasn't disappointed at all. You don't have to be a guitar nut or a Chicago enthusiast to appreciate "Chicago Presents The Innovative Guitar of Terry Kath."
In one sense, my expectations for this CD were too high. I was hoping for some previously-unreleased Kath music. There have been reports that Kath was working on a solo album before his death, but it is not known if any music actually was recorded. Chicago Records has stated on the fan forum that a search was made for unreleased Kath music, but none was found.
The music you do get with this CD is a very good representation of Terry Kath's genius. As I grew up listening to Chicago, I often wondered why a guitarist this good never got the recognition that other players received. I often wondered if my judgment was biased, in light of how much I liked the band. William Ruhlmann's liner notes for the Kath CD address this question and offer considerable insight.
I don't agree completely with the selections for this CD, but there are only 74 minutes on a CD and the producers used almost every one of them. Highlights of the CD include the live version of "25 or 6 to 4" from the "Live in Japan" album. I've heard four recorded versions of Kath soloing on this song and he never used the same solo twice - an example of his creativity and originality. "Mississippi Delta City Blues," a song that appeared on Chicago 11, appears here in a live version also from the "Live in Japan" record.
More cuts on this project come from Chicago Transit Authority than from any other Chicago project. Kath was allowed to cut loose on this album more than on any other Chicago studio project. CTA always has sounded very much like a "live" album to me. CTA cuts are "I'm a Man," "Listen," "South California Purples," and the classic "Free Form Guitar."
One interesting choice was "Darlin' Dear" from Chicago VI. This is the only song I'm aware of on which Kath played slide guitar. In a Guitar Player magazine interview published a few years before this song came out, Kath was quoted as saying he had tried slide but was frustrated with it. He obviously figured something out in the interim, as the slide work on this song is sizzlin'.
Although the cuts have appeared on other albums, this compilation also includes some "pre-song chatter." We hear Kath mumbling about taking his sandals off so they wouldn't make much noise and someone telling him to slow down the tempo before he launches into the classic guitar intro to "Dialogue." He sings along with his acoustic guitar a la George Benson before cranking up "Hour in the Shower."
Other cuts include "Once or Twice," "Ain't It Blue," "In the Country," "I Don't Want Your Money" and " Scrapbook." Two songs which I wish could have been included are "Byblos" and "Thank You Great Spirit." "Byblos" is my favorite Terry Kath song and one of my all-time favorite songs - period. However, I'm at a loss to suggest what should have been cut to make room for those two songs.
There are some photos of Kath and Chicago which have never appeared on any Chicago album I've ever seen. The liner notes are excellent. The CD itself features a shot of Kath playing his "Pignose Telecaster" guitar and wearing one of his trademark hockey shirts.
I hope this CD is heard by someone besides Chicago fans. It makes a good case for Kath being one of the best guitarists of the 1960s and 1970s. It raises the question of what Kath could have accomplished had he not died. He certainly would have gone nuts over the incredible leaps in guitar technology. He was a master of using the crude (by today's standards) effects devices of the late 1960s and 1970s. Today's digital guitar processors would have been a dream come true for him.
Nonetheless, Kath left a rich musical legacy which is captured on this CD. Even if you already have all of this music in your collection, consider tracking down this CD. There's nothing like listening to 74 minutes of great guitar. And who knows? the fans of the 1990s just might discover "the innovative guitar of Terry Kath."
MORE ABOUT TERRY
Terry Kath – Accidentally Shot Himself
by Sterling Whitaker
Terry Kath was a founding member and lead guitarist of Chicago, and fans the world over have marveled at his playing on the classic ‘25 or 6 to 4‘ for decades. He was also a singer and multi-instrumentalist who played banjo, accordion, bass and drums. He sang lead on such Chicago tracks as ‘Colour My World‘ and ‘Make Me Smile.’
Kath also had a history of drug and alcohol problems. He died at a party at a crew member’s house on Jan. 23, 1978, after picking up an unloaded .38 revolver and putting it to his head, pulling the trigger. Still fooling around, Kath then did the same with a 9 mm semiautomatic pistol — which unfortunately was loaded. He died instantly.
BIOGRAPHY/AMG
by Greg Prato
Although Chicago is often thought of as a ballad-based soft rock outfit, early on in their career, guitarist/singer Terry Kath brought a much more rock-based edge to the band. Kath proved to be an integral member of the group, who was looked up to as an on-stage leader by the other members, but a senseless tragedy silenced Kath's guitar playing for good in the late '70s. Born on January 31, 1946 in Chicago, IL, Kath learned guitar completely by ear, and by his teenaged years was playing Ventures covers in local outfits. Throughout the early to mi-'60s, Kath played in such forgotten groups as Jimmy Rice & the Gentlemen and Jimmy Ford & the Executives, the latter of which served as the backup group at one point for Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars (Kath also doubled on bass at times for these bands, as well). By the later part of the decade, Kath had signed on with several other Chicago-based musicians to form a rock band that would utilize a horn section, and during early 1967, the Chicago Transit Authority was born. It was after an early CTA performance that Kath received perhaps the highest accolade any guitarist could obtain, when Jimi Hendrix told sax player Walter Parazaider, "Your guitar player is better than me." Later shortening their name to just Chicago, the band would soon go on to become one of the top rock bands during the following decade.
Kath's fine guitar chops could be sampled on such Chicago hits as "25 or 6 to 4" (from 1970's Chicago II) as well as the lesser-known "Free Form Guitar" (off Chicago's self-titled 1969 debut). Appearing on a total of 11 Chicago recordings from 1969 through 1977 (all of which at obtained at least gold certification) and numerous sold-out tours, there was no reason to believe that Chicago's incredible streak of hits wouldn't continue uninterrupted for years to come. But at a party at his house on the evening of January 23, 1978, Kath (who was a longtime gun aficionado) took out one of his weapons to clean, and when asked to put it away, put the gun to his head. Reassuring everyone that it wasn't loaded, Kath pulled the trigger, and the gun did turn out to be loaded -- instantly killing the guitarist barely a week shy of what would have been his 32nd birthday. Chicago would continue on with several different guitarists over the years attempting to fill Kath's shoes, but the results were never quite the same. In 1997, Chicago compiled a 14-track album that spotlighted Kath's finest performances, The Innovative Guitar of Terry Kath, and several years later, Kath's tragic tale was retold in an episode of VH1's Behind the Music series that focused on Chicago. In addition to his skilled guitar work, Kath also possessed a fine singing voice, as evidenced on such Chicago tunes as "Introduction," "I'm a Man," "Free," and "Wishin' You Were Here," plus such hit singles as "Make Me Smile" and "Color My World."
TO THE TOP
FEBRUARY 18 1997
74:45
1 Once Or Twice (Terry Kath) 03:01
2 I'm A Man (Jimmy Miller, Steve Winwood) 07:40
3 Dialogue, Part One & Part Two 07:27
4 Ain't It Blue? 03:26
5 25 Or 6 To 4 (Live) 07:42
6 Mississippi Delta City Blues (Terry Kath) (Live) 05:35
7 Listen 03:22
8 Southern California Purples 06:26
9 Darlin' Dear 02:55
10 An Hour In The Shower: An Hour In The Shower: A Hard Risin' Morning Without Breakfast/Off To Work/Fallin' Out/Dreamin' Home/Morning Blues Again 05:35
11 In The Country (Terry Kath) 06:32
12 I Don't Want Your Money (Terry Kath, Robert Lamm) 04:46
13 Scrapbook 03:28
14 Free Form Guitar (Terry Kath) 06:44
Tracks By Robert Lamm, Except As Indicated
Peter Cetera/Bass Guitar, Vocals, Backing Vocals
Terry Kath/Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Vocals, Backing Vocals
Robert Lamm/Keyboards, Vocals, Backing Vocals
Lee Loughnane/Trumpet, Backing Vocals
James Pankow/Trombone, Backing Vocals
Walter Parazaider/Saxophone, Woodwind, Backing Vocals
Daniel Seraphine/Drums
REVIEW/AMG
by Lindsay Planer
****1/2 Of *****
To many, the late Terry Kath (guitar/vocals) was the heart and soul of Chicago. This is especially true of his contributions to the band's early blend of jazz with amped-up unadulterated wailing guitar rock. Sadly, Kath's tenure with the group was cut tragically short when, in late January of 1978, he accidentally and fatally shot himself. In hindsight, the band never fully recovered from the loss, and it would take four years before Chicago would creatively and critically reinvent itself on Chicago 16 (1982). The Innovative Guitar of Terry Kath (1997) includes 14 seminal selections and examples of the string man at the peak of his prowess. While there are no previously unissued songs, this compilation scans the nine Chicago studio long-players that Kath performed on as well the incendiary readings of "25 or 6 to 4" and "Mississippi Delta City Blues" from the must-own Live in Japan 1972 concert set. The track list is rather heavily represented, and rightfully so, by the first three Chicago titles -- Chicago Transit Authority (1969) , Chicago II (1970), and Chicago III (1971). Among them are the fully improvised "Free Form Guitar," "Listen," "An Hour in the Shower," and "South California Purples." Chronologically, later offerings include "Dialogue, Pts. 1-2" from Chicago V (1972) and "Darlin' Dear" off of Chicago VI (1973). Although the follow-up Chicago VII (1974) is glossed over, "Ain't It Blue?" ably represents Chicago VIII (1975) and both the soulful "Scrapbook" and the Memphis-style R&B rave-up on "Once or Twice" are taken from Chicago X (1976). (Note that 1975's Chicago IX was the band's first "best-of" and contained no new songs.) Kath's final effort was Chicago XI (1978); there is nothing featured from that album, although it is represented via the previously mentioned version of "Mississippi Delta City Blues" from Live in Japan 1972. While hardcore enthusiasts will inevitably have all of these selections, the real audience for The Innovative Guitar of Terry Kath is the uninitiated and burgeoning listener who is well-served by the broad range of the selected materials.
MORE ABOUT THE ALBUM
By Tim Wood, terrykath.com
As a guitarist and a Chicago fan, the prospect of a Terry Kath tribute album was a dream come true for me. I ordered the CD "sight unseen" and wasn't disappointed at all. You don't have to be a guitar nut or a Chicago enthusiast to appreciate "Chicago Presents The Innovative Guitar of Terry Kath."
In one sense, my expectations for this CD were too high. I was hoping for some previously-unreleased Kath music. There have been reports that Kath was working on a solo album before his death, but it is not known if any music actually was recorded. Chicago Records has stated on the fan forum that a search was made for unreleased Kath music, but none was found.
The music you do get with this CD is a very good representation of Terry Kath's genius. As I grew up listening to Chicago, I often wondered why a guitarist this good never got the recognition that other players received. I often wondered if my judgment was biased, in light of how much I liked the band. William Ruhlmann's liner notes for the Kath CD address this question and offer considerable insight.
I don't agree completely with the selections for this CD, but there are only 74 minutes on a CD and the producers used almost every one of them. Highlights of the CD include the live version of "25 or 6 to 4" from the "Live in Japan" album. I've heard four recorded versions of Kath soloing on this song and he never used the same solo twice - an example of his creativity and originality. "Mississippi Delta City Blues," a song that appeared on Chicago 11, appears here in a live version also from the "Live in Japan" record.
More cuts on this project come from Chicago Transit Authority than from any other Chicago project. Kath was allowed to cut loose on this album more than on any other Chicago studio project. CTA always has sounded very much like a "live" album to me. CTA cuts are "I'm a Man," "Listen," "South California Purples," and the classic "Free Form Guitar."
One interesting choice was "Darlin' Dear" from Chicago VI. This is the only song I'm aware of on which Kath played slide guitar. In a Guitar Player magazine interview published a few years before this song came out, Kath was quoted as saying he had tried slide but was frustrated with it. He obviously figured something out in the interim, as the slide work on this song is sizzlin'.
Although the cuts have appeared on other albums, this compilation also includes some "pre-song chatter." We hear Kath mumbling about taking his sandals off so they wouldn't make much noise and someone telling him to slow down the tempo before he launches into the classic guitar intro to "Dialogue." He sings along with his acoustic guitar a la George Benson before cranking up "Hour in the Shower."
Other cuts include "Once or Twice," "Ain't It Blue," "In the Country," "I Don't Want Your Money" and " Scrapbook." Two songs which I wish could have been included are "Byblos" and "Thank You Great Spirit." "Byblos" is my favorite Terry Kath song and one of my all-time favorite songs - period. However, I'm at a loss to suggest what should have been cut to make room for those two songs.
There are some photos of Kath and Chicago which have never appeared on any Chicago album I've ever seen. The liner notes are excellent. The CD itself features a shot of Kath playing his "Pignose Telecaster" guitar and wearing one of his trademark hockey shirts.
I hope this CD is heard by someone besides Chicago fans. It makes a good case for Kath being one of the best guitarists of the 1960s and 1970s. It raises the question of what Kath could have accomplished had he not died. He certainly would have gone nuts over the incredible leaps in guitar technology. He was a master of using the crude (by today's standards) effects devices of the late 1960s and 1970s. Today's digital guitar processors would have been a dream come true for him.
Nonetheless, Kath left a rich musical legacy which is captured on this CD. Even if you already have all of this music in your collection, consider tracking down this CD. There's nothing like listening to 74 minutes of great guitar. And who knows? the fans of the 1990s just might discover "the innovative guitar of Terry Kath."
MORE ABOUT TERRY
Terry Kath – Accidentally Shot Himself
by Sterling Whitaker
Terry Kath was a founding member and lead guitarist of Chicago, and fans the world over have marveled at his playing on the classic ‘25 or 6 to 4‘ for decades. He was also a singer and multi-instrumentalist who played banjo, accordion, bass and drums. He sang lead on such Chicago tracks as ‘Colour My World‘ and ‘Make Me Smile.’
Kath also had a history of drug and alcohol problems. He died at a party at a crew member’s house on Jan. 23, 1978, after picking up an unloaded .38 revolver and putting it to his head, pulling the trigger. Still fooling around, Kath then did the same with a 9 mm semiautomatic pistol — which unfortunately was loaded. He died instantly.
BIOGRAPHY/AMG
by Greg Prato
Although Chicago is often thought of as a ballad-based soft rock outfit, early on in their career, guitarist/singer Terry Kath brought a much more rock-based edge to the band. Kath proved to be an integral member of the group, who was looked up to as an on-stage leader by the other members, but a senseless tragedy silenced Kath's guitar playing for good in the late '70s. Born on January 31, 1946 in Chicago, IL, Kath learned guitar completely by ear, and by his teenaged years was playing Ventures covers in local outfits. Throughout the early to mi-'60s, Kath played in such forgotten groups as Jimmy Rice & the Gentlemen and Jimmy Ford & the Executives, the latter of which served as the backup group at one point for Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars (Kath also doubled on bass at times for these bands, as well). By the later part of the decade, Kath had signed on with several other Chicago-based musicians to form a rock band that would utilize a horn section, and during early 1967, the Chicago Transit Authority was born. It was after an early CTA performance that Kath received perhaps the highest accolade any guitarist could obtain, when Jimi Hendrix told sax player Walter Parazaider, "Your guitar player is better than me." Later shortening their name to just Chicago, the band would soon go on to become one of the top rock bands during the following decade.
Kath's fine guitar chops could be sampled on such Chicago hits as "25 or 6 to 4" (from 1970's Chicago II) as well as the lesser-known "Free Form Guitar" (off Chicago's self-titled 1969 debut). Appearing on a total of 11 Chicago recordings from 1969 through 1977 (all of which at obtained at least gold certification) and numerous sold-out tours, there was no reason to believe that Chicago's incredible streak of hits wouldn't continue uninterrupted for years to come. But at a party at his house on the evening of January 23, 1978, Kath (who was a longtime gun aficionado) took out one of his weapons to clean, and when asked to put it away, put the gun to his head. Reassuring everyone that it wasn't loaded, Kath pulled the trigger, and the gun did turn out to be loaded -- instantly killing the guitarist barely a week shy of what would have been his 32nd birthday. Chicago would continue on with several different guitarists over the years attempting to fill Kath's shoes, but the results were never quite the same. In 1997, Chicago compiled a 14-track album that spotlighted Kath's finest performances, The Innovative Guitar of Terry Kath, and several years later, Kath's tragic tale was retold in an episode of VH1's Behind the Music series that focused on Chicago. In addition to his skilled guitar work, Kath also possessed a fine singing voice, as evidenced on such Chicago tunes as "Introduction," "I'm a Man," "Free," and "Wishin' You Were Here," plus such hit singles as "Make Me Smile" and "Color My World."
TO THE TOP
2 comments :
Many thanks for that post. What a great guitar player who departed this world too early !!!
Yes unfortunately. And there was no solo record ...
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