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moshkito 
Forum Senior Member
Joined: January 04 2007
Location: Grok City
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Points: 17836
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 Posted: September 01 2009 at 10:13 |
Hi,
I think Chicago deserves a lot more respect than they get, and in many ways they were progressive when no one else was, and in their first two albums you can check out long cuts ... and they are very good, and not just jams ... in other words, deserve the credit for being progressive, or at least for wanting to take their music further than simply the pop music market.
With all due respect, ELO is very good, but simply a pop band, and nothing else, and they never really produced anything that was more than just pop ... yes, it was adventurous and better defined and well constructed instrumentation, highly influenced by classical music ... but how would they compare to Chicago?
I would think they do not at all ... but I am not sure that anyone in this board has the first 5 albums by Chicago (I still do!) ... they are all worth it, and the long cuts are very good all around. Specially the first album (the dark covered one) ... which is sensational and then some ... and should be considered a prog classic ... period!
(Edited later)
Also interesting and was rather off-key and somewhat progressive (is there such a thing?) were The Sons of Champlin (the leader of which was to join Chicago way later on!), and then Ides of March ... which had a hit single, but a much better album with a killer version of Eleanor Rigby on it! These were about the same as Chicago, not "progressive and out there" like a KC for example, but they were breaking away the bonds in rock music and taking long cuts into nice areas, that were not just "jams" .... these were more jazz oriented in my ear, but still free, and unlike the San Francisco jams that were more off key and sometimes not as interesting, but at times far out and off the wall ... in a way the ones from these groups were more formulaic and much easier to handle and ... sometimes I like to say ... had less dope in them than other musics.
Edited by moshkito - September 01 2009 at 10:38
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marktheshark
Forum Senior Member
Joined: April 24 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 1695
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Posted: August 28 2009 at 18:39 |
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I don't know how you can possibly compare the two! They're miles apart IMO. One is more in line with big-band-jazz and pop, the other is more in line with symphonic classical sounds. Whatever!
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Hyardacil
Forum Groupie
Joined: August 04 2009
Location: Estonia
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Points: 70
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Posted: August 25 2009 at 03:54 |
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ELO, definitely.
The early works from them are definitely proggy. I don't like the later pop ones either much. But Overture 10538... C'mon. Cellos acting as electic guitar's... some notes from the trumpet. Truly has a symphonic feel to it.
And there have been other great tracks as well.
Check out Battle for Marson Moor for example. What other rock band has a piece just for cellos?
EDIT: ... oh yeah... right.
Well I'll discount them as I don't like them...
Edited by Hyardacil - August 25 2009 at 03:54
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"I am sitting in your eyes..."
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Kazuhiro
Prog Reviewer
Joined: January 14 2009
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Status: Offline
Points: 1336
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Posted: August 24 2009 at 18:48 |
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The album of Chicago of the fourth piece is my favorite.
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micky
Special Collaborator
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Joined: October 02 2005
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Points: 46838
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Posted: August 24 2009 at 15:47 |
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ELO all the way.... Micky does love those cape wearing cello and violin players...
and props to Roll Over Beethoven having one of the single greatest rock violin solos of all time... demonic!!!
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The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip
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crimhead
Forum Senior Member
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Joined: October 10 2006
Location: Missouri
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Points: 19236
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Posted: August 24 2009 at 13:14 |
 Snow Dog wrote:
I hate Chicago...really do.
I find ELO pretty bad as well though, but I guess I prefer them. |
Don't sugar coat it. Tell us how you really feel about it.
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St.Cleve Chronicle
Forum Senior Member
Joined: June 02 2008
Location: Finland
Status: Offline
Points: 1131
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Posted: August 24 2009 at 12:00 |
Epignosis wrote:
I prefer strings to horns...and evil women to Saturdays in the park. 
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And I prefer "A ballet for a girl in Buchannon" to "Roll over Beethoven". ...which is also pretty cool.
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DRACCA
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Joined: August 06 2009
Location: Salem,N.J.
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Posted: August 24 2009 at 07:34 |
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ELO's approach on the No Answer debut title is stylistically based(on a few tracks), on a Gentle Giant or KC sound. ELO II and On The Third Day have certain errie-ness to them. Chicago had some excellent material especially pieces like Introduction. Terry Kath was an under--rated guitarist. Forget 25 or 6 to 4 with the wah-wah guitar! Listen to the guitar solo on Approaching Storm from Chicago Three. Then put on some great fusion guitar solos from Billy Cobham records and compare. Many times Kath chose not to use distortion and for God's sake he sounded like a George Benson at Carnegie Hall. He was also very technical. More technical than many people would ever realize. I can't compare the 2 bands. There are things I enjoy about both of them, especially in the early days. However Chicago blew me away with "The Devil's Suite" which was on a later album Chicago Seven.
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HolyMoly
Special Collaborator
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Joined: April 01 2009
Location: Atlanta
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Points: 26138
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Posted: July 31 2009 at 15:19 |
tdfloyd wrote:
Got to go with Chicago. 3 excellent vocalists, horn section, many writers and styles. And if you wait for it, Terry Kath could rip it up when he was given the chance. |
Tough to call, I like em both a lot, for different reasons (and I even like both of them up until quite a few albums past their "prog prime"), but in the end I went for Chicago for the reasons above.
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My other avatar is a Porsche
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased.
-Kehlog Albran
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markosherrera
Forum Senior Member
Joined: October 01 2006
Location: World
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Points: 3252
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Posted: July 29 2009 at 13:49 |
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Electric Light Orchestra
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Hi progmaniacs of all the world
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Liimatta
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Joined: July 24 2009
Location: Finland
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Points: 64
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Posted: July 29 2009 at 03:21 |
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I just love ELO. Out of the blue is just pure gold.
I have never cared for Chicago.
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Whichonespink93
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Joined: July 24 2009
Location: 'Stralia
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Points: 18
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Posted: July 29 2009 at 03:16 |
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I personally don't consider the two of them actual "prog", but meh. ^^ I'm gonna go with ELO. I love Chicago's sound and all, but I've been an ELO fan since I was about 11 and I just really enjoy their stuff- pretty unique, really.
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Snow Dog
Special Collaborator
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Joined: March 23 2005
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Posted: July 28 2009 at 13:25 |
I hate Chicago...really do.
I find ELO pretty bad as well though, but I guess I prefer them.
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Epignosis
Special Collaborator
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Joined: December 30 2007
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Posted: July 28 2009 at 13:22 |
I prefer strings to horns...and evil women to Saturdays in the park.
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Greg W
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Joined: August 24 2004
Location: Chicago
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Posted: July 28 2009 at 13:19 |
Chicago is awesome(the first few lps anyway,)
ELO is just okay.
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Equality 7-2521
Forum Senior Member
Joined: August 11 2005
Location: Philly
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Points: 15784
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Posted: July 27 2009 at 09:04 |
I have to go with ELO. Jeff Lynne was just a great songwriter and I quite like the more poppy shift the music took after the first 3 albums.
Chicago had some nice songs, but that was it for me.
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"One had to be a Newton to notice that the moon is falling, when everyone sees that it doesn't fall. "
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Misomex777
Forum Senior Member
Joined: June 19 2008
Status: Offline
Points: 276
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Posted: July 25 2009 at 23:08 |
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I thought this was progressive rock?
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Finnforest
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Posted: July 25 2009 at 22:25 |
Padraic wrote:
Chicago, easily. Can't stand ELO.
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Me too, Pat. Chicago's best material gets to me emotionally, fulfills something. ELO has never gotten beyond empty calories for me. Ear candy, no protein. I know when I start describing music in culinary terms, I must be getting hungry. 
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...that moment you realize you like "Mob Rules" better than "Heaven and Hell"
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rushfan4
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Posted: July 25 2009 at 21:48 |
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I like both, but Chicago is definitely my favorite between the two.
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Padraic
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Joined: February 16 2006
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Posted: July 25 2009 at 21:48 |
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Chicago, easily. Can't stand ELO.
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Chicago or ELO?
