My name is Adam, and I'm a closet Chicago fan

[yendi]

No, I'm not talking about the musical or the city (I'm not exactly in the closet on those fronts). I'm talking about the group that was fronted by Peter Cetera for so many years.

VH1's Tuesday Two-Play just hit me with two of my all-time favorite songs by them (I'm at home today, awaiting the handyman).

First, they played Look Away. There is no song -- and I mean no song ever written -- that wrenches me as much as this one does. Part of it, of course, is that it applies to just about every relationship I've been in. And that I first heard it after my first heartbreak. But it's also just a damned good song. Wish I had a link to an MP3 -- just typing lyrics doesn't cut it. This is probably the only good thing Chicago really did after Cetera left (other than the revised version of 25 or 6 to 4), but it's still a classic. And painful as it can be to listen to, I don't think I've ever been able to flip the channel or change the radio station when it comes on. Interestingly, for such a depressing song, it's got an amazingly sexy video.


Look Away

Well, you called me up this morning
Told me 'bout the new love that you found
Said, "I'm happy for you. I'm really happy for you."
Found someone else, I guess I won't be coming 'round
I guess it's over, baby
It's really over, baby,
And from what you're saying
I know you've gotten over me
It'll never be the way it used to be
So if it's gotta be this way
Don't worry, baby, I can take the news okay

But if you see me walking by, and the tears are in my eyes,
Look away, baby, look away.
If we meet on the street some day, and I don't know what to say,
Look away, baby, look away.
Don't look at me, I don't want you to see me this way.

When we both agreed as lovers
We were better off as friends
That's how it had to be
Yeah, that's how it had to be
I tell you I'm fine, but sometimes I just pretend
Wish you were holding me, wish you were still holding me,
I just never thought
That I would be replaced so soon
I wasn't prepared to hear those words from you
I know I wanted to be free
Yeah, baby this is how we wanted it to be

But if you see me walking by, and the tears are in my eyes,
Look away, baby, look away.
And if we meet on the street some day, and I don't know what to say,
Look away, baby, look away.
Don't look at me, I don't want you to see me this way.

If you see me walking by, and the tears are in my eyes,
Look away, baby, look away.
And if we meet on the street some day, and I don't know what to say,
Look away, baby, look away.
Don't look at me, I don't want you to see me this way.

If you see me walking by, and the tears are in my eyes,
Look away, baby, look away.
Don't look at me, I don't want you to see me.

Well, you called me up this morning
Told me 'bout the new love that you found
I said, "I'm happy for you. I'm really happy for you."



This was then followed (thankfully) by my favorite happy Chicago song, Along Comes a Woman, which also happens to be one of my favorite videos of all time, a pastiche of Raiders of the Lost Ark and Casablanca. Just as Look Away is the end of every relationship I've had, Along Comes a Woman is what each relationship I've been in has felt like. It's happy, and hopeful, and it's dead right. It's also off the best Chicago album, Chicago 17. Few songs make me happier than this, regardless of whether I'm in a relationship at the time..



Along Comes a Woman

There is a time when a man needs somebody to talk to
Someone to talk to, somebody who'll always be there
(All alone) Nothin' seemed to matter
(So alone) Doesn't get much better
(Can't explain) Something that you're feeling
For the very first time

There was a time when you needed someone to hold on to
Someone to hold you, somebody who's always sincere
(All alone) Suddenly you see her
(So alone) You know you're gonna meet her
(Can't explain) Something that you're feeling
For the very first time

Then along comes a woman
There's a change in the way
That you're feeling tonight
Then along comes a woman
And you know that it's right

There was a time that you needed somebody to count on
You needed someone to count on, somebody to care
(Now she's here) Nothin' seems to matter
(She's so near) Everything is better
(Can't explain) Something that you're feeling
For the very first time

Then along comes a woman
There's a change in the way
That you're feeling tonight
Then along comes a woman
And you know that it's right
(And you know that it's right)

Then along comes a woman
There's a change in the air
That you're breathing tonight
Then along comes a woman
And you're holding her tight

Then along comes a woman
There's a change in the way
That you're feeling tonight
Then along comes a woman
And you know that it's right
(And you know that it's right)

Then along comes a woman
There's a change in the air
That you're breathing tonight
Then along comes a woman
And you're holding her tight



Really, I don't care if they're dismissed as pop pap, or lumped together with Michael Bolton and Air Supply. I'll always be a fan of this band.

Comments

[fiddledragon]

Heh - you won't see me lumping Chicago in with MB or AS. They've always been one of my favorites - Chicago 17 also being my favorite album.

You should hear their Christmas CD that came out a couple of years ago :)

But then I'm fairly biased. Lee (trumpet) is probably my dad's closest friend right now. So I was already impressed with the band before my dad and Lee met, and now, I'm even more impressed with at least one of the band members (and hey - he now has a Lee, Jr. just born last month :) ). He's a good family man, and takes his commitments seriously, which always impresses me, but even more so when that someone is attached to the entertainment or music industry. Haven't met anyone else in the band ever, but Lee's a good man.

[yendi]

Cool! I love discovering these sort of connections. :-)

[fiddledragon]

*nod* I do too :) I love hearing about how other people know someone well-known :)

[aussie-nyc.livejournal.com]

Somewhere I have the Peter Cetera CD single One Good Woman. That's pretty wrenching too, in the right circumstances.

[yendi]

*nod* I enjoyed that one as well.

[bardiphouka.livejournal.com]

am I the only one who remembers them being a jazz/blues group? Truly they were..under the name CTA. Which lasted..hmm..one album I think. Still one of my favourites from the time period.

[yendi]

I had a CTA album -- they were damned good then, too.

[wolfshaman.livejournal.com]

I have always enjoyed their music.
They seem to have a much wider range then most of
the bands they are compared to.

[yendi]

*nod* They were remembered mainly for some ballads (although they did damned few of them), but they did just about every type of music.

Chi-cago, Chicago...

[scarcrest.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Cetera had a hell of a set of pipes on him. I also really liked the very depressing "Chasing the Wind" song off one of their last studio albums. And I enjoyed parts of the big band album, especially the version of "Blues in the Night" with Joe Perry of Aerosmith on guitar. They're mainly just touring now, right?

Re: Chi-cago, Chicago...

[yendi]

Yep -- like pretty much every '70s and '80s band, they're making the rounds.

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

I always thought Chicago 16 was the best thing they did... "Hard To Say I'm Sorry" being the standout track, if... IF the radio stations would ever learn to play "Get Away" along with it... one of those segue-into kind of tracks that really showed up Chicago's versatility when compared to the sappy, balladesque "Sorry".... (for those as don't know, "Get Away" is a fast, jazzy piece, full of snarling guitar and horns... so very un-Peter-Cetera.... and a big finish, for both itself and the album...)

I had this on vinyl many moons ago... *sigh*

[yendi]

Chicago 16 is nothing to sneeze at. It just didn't get as much replay time as 17 for me.

[stevenglassman.livejournal.com]

I'm fond of those two as well. Actually, the entirety of 16, 17, 18, and 19 is good stuff.

I like Once In A Lifetime as well. And Niagra Falls.

I heard 21 once, and it was completely forgettable.

Oh, and Cetera's first solo album is brilliant. The second and third are just decent. ::grin::

[yendi]

I think the problem with his solo career is that he started drifting too far into the ballad side of things. Even with his voice, he did a great job on the rock songs, and should have stayed versatile.

Re:

[stevenglassman.livejournal.com]

See, the first solo album wasn't as ballady. There's some really variant stuff in there.

[podling]

Yeah, I totally have to agree with you there. It's something I always thought was true. And even now, I find myself listening to the earlier rockier Chicago stuff more.

I still like both Chicago and PC. Definitely a closet fan for the most part though. I haven't listened to 17 in forever... I should totally do that later tonight.

[kellinator.livejournal.com]

I'm mainly a '70's-era Chicago fan because my high school marching band did an all-Chicago show one year -- "Make Me Smile," "25 or 6 to 4," etc.

[dslartoo.livejournal.com]

Cetera does indeed have a unique and recognizable voice. It's also quite good (the two are, unfortunately, not always put together).

I don't know a whole lot about Chicago other than their tremendous lack of originality regarding album titles, but I have always enjoyed the songs I have heard by them.

Never apologize for the music you like. If somebody else doesn't care for them, so what? :)

cheers,
Phil

[terracinque.livejournal.com]

My favorite thing about Chicago is, they took a break from titling their albums with numbers ("Chicago 9," "Chicago 10," "Chicago 11") to title one "Hot Streets."

...Then went right back to numbering with "Chicago 13," "Chicago 14"...

screw the closet

[arien-mommy.livejournal.com]

I'm showing off my geek-a-tude, but I LOVE them! I also love REO Speedwagon, Rush, Styx, etc.... SIGH Rock ballads are our friends!!

Re: screw the closet

[yendi]

*nod* Love 'em all. Although I wouldn't call REO purely a ballad band (Ridin' The Storm Out is just a kick-ass rock song), and Rush is just unique.

Re: screw the closet

[arien-mommy.livejournal.com]

*SIGH* Rush....yummy!

[olliesmama.livejournal.com]

One of my favorites was always "Stay the Night". And of course, I love Peter Cetera on his own...and that song he did with Cher, "After All", always brings me to tears.

[tyrantmouth.livejournal.com]

I love them, too. When I need to just get some stuff out from inside, I've been known to put on "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" and/or "Look Away" and just belt it out. I'm also particularly smitten with "Will You Still Love Me?" and "You're the Inspiration."