 Chicago Transit Authority (1969) [ larger cover art ] |
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Listen,
If you think that we're here for the money
You couldn't be right, you know(owowow)
But the bread is not too good here
It could be so natural
I said all you got to do is listen
Listen,
If you don't hear what you can tell us
If it's good you can tell us all
Or you can smile, that's alright my friend
It could be so nice, you know
If only you would listen
Listen,
If you don't understand it, no no no no
You got to try to fly
And don't you put me down, please
For creating beyond your mind
I said all you got to do is listen
If you think that we're here for the money
You couldn't be right, you know(owowow)
But the bread is not too good here
It could be so natural
I said all you got to do is listen
Listen,
If you don't hear what you can tell us
If it's good you can tell us all
Or you can smile, that's alright my friend
It could be so nice, you know
If only you would listen
Listen,
If you don't understand it, no no no no
You got to try to fly
And don't you put me down, please
For creating beyond your mind
I said all you got to do is listen
| d48m02h1918 | Posted: Jun 06, 2013 - 10:07 Just an incredible debut album - nothing like this today, that's for sure!!  |
| dejapete (Wisconsin) | Posted: May 27, 2013 - 19:09 I have an early version of the LP where the brass are on one stereo channel and drums on the other...very old sounding. I think on later remasterings, you don't hear that separation. |
| kcar | Posted: Nov 20, 2012 - 11:31 blotto wrote: more cowbell. This should keep you entertained: http://www.c-eye.net/c-eyev3/flash/WalkenCowbellSB.html |
| jersey_birdman | Posted: Nov 20, 2012 - 11:29 More Early Chicago! The complete "Ballet for a Girl from Buchannon" is always good!  |
| WonderLizard (2,755.46 mi. due east of Paradise) | Posted: Nov 20, 2012 - 11:29 Love the bass line. Peter Cetera gets brickbats these days for his balladeering of yore, but he played a mean ass bass. |
| JKFinally | Posted: Nov 20, 2012 - 11:29 Great song from a great (for a period of 3 or 4 years at least) band |
| blotto (127.0.0.1) | Posted: Sep 18, 2012 - 14:21 more cowbell. |
| oldviolin (Esse Quam Videri) | Posted: Sep 18, 2012 - 14:17 Keef wrote: makes me horny keep calm and hobo tapioca |
| Keef (Confluence of the American River) | Posted: Jul 17, 2012 - 16:14 oldviolin wrote: horns makes me horny |
| oldviolin (Esse Quam Videri) | Posted: May 15, 2012 - 07:20 ricmo wrote: Anyone who doesn't think much of Chicago (and that's understandable now) please listen to virtually anything from their first 3 or 4 LPs. Just amazing stuff! 10/4 |
| oldviolin (Esse Quam Videri) | Posted: May 15, 2012 - 07:19 martinc wrote: 1969 and this is Chicago Transit Authority. I always though everything feel off the tracks when they became Chicago and their original guitarist committed suicide um, no offense but you have been misinformed on both counts... |
| ricmo | Posted: May 15, 2012 - 07:18 Anyone who doesn't think much of Chicago (and that's understandable now) please listen to virtually anything from their first 3 or 4 LPs. Just amazing stuff! |
| martinc (Ottawa Canada) | Posted: May 15, 2012 - 07:15 1969 and this is Chicago Transit Authority. I always though everything feel off the tracks when they became Chicago and their original guitarist committed suicide |
| oldviolin (Esse Quam Videri) | Posted: May 15, 2012 - 07:15 horns |
| bam23 (Berkeley) | Posted: Apr 13, 2012 - 13:58 drsteevo wrote: This is one of the very few bands that make me turn off RP. Those frenetic horns sound very dated, I even hated listening to them when I was kid. Indeed. I have not really tried to like Chicago (what's the point of trying if it does not appeal?), but repeated exposures through the years have not improved the product. Frenetic horns says it well. Anyway, the city of Chicago has given us so much more interesting and better music than this. |
| Bozo (Steeler Penguin Pirate land) | Posted: Apr 13, 2012 - 13:56 When they were good, they were VERY good and deserving of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame |
| ozzie1313 | Posted: Apr 13, 2012 - 13:54 Ist time seeing these guys was 1969 at Tanglewood in MA, last time outside in baseball park at Portland, OR in 2000 (?). |
| MiracleDrug (Earth) | Posted: Apr 13, 2012 - 13:53 Darlington wrote: I don't know...during the Peter Cetera era they DID get pretty wimpy..... umm Cetera's playing on this one... DAVID FOSTER is the issue.... |
| slikr | Posted: Mar 12, 2012 - 22:14 Chicago Live at Carnegie Hall is one of my all time favorites. Early Chicago = GOOD |
| drsteevo (Location Location) | Posted: Jan 09, 2012 - 08:21 This is one of the very few bands that make me turn off RP. Those frenetic horns sound very dated, I even hated listening to them when I was kid. |
| WonderLizard (2,755.46 mi. due east of Paradise) | Posted: Dec 15, 2011 - 17:45 ThePoose wrote: Saw them play in summer 1969 at Expo 67 before they were famous and before they lost the litigation brought on by the real Chicago Transit Authority and had to truncate their name to Chicago. I knew immediately they were gonna hit the big time. Yeah, we saw them as CTA and no album at Fillmore West—the newly rechristened Carousel Ballroom. Blew us away. Big band. Big sound. 'Tude. And, I agree, we just knew they were hot. Man, they were accessible—jawed for a long time with a bunch of college long hairs, slightly stoned and still reeling from the onslaught. Great guys. |
| swell_sailor (The Gorge) | Posted: Dec 15, 2011 - 17:42 Had to turn this up to eleven. Have never heard this one played here until today........that I recall. Thanks! |
| MiracleDrug (Earth) | Posted: Dec 08, 2011 - 13:06 More_Cowbell wrote: Love that Cowbell! LOADS of cowbell...  |
| ch83575 | Posted: Dec 08, 2011 - 13:06 wxman wrote:  You mean this later version of the band? Alexandra wrote: You know, EVERY TIME a Chicago song is played, BillG has to talk about how wimpy the later version of the band got. But I liked a lot of their later material, as well as the early stuff. I know he's the owner of RP and all, but that is an awfully strong opinion to utter as the ultimate musical truth. Just sayin.... Yeah, that guy doesn't look like a wimp. Wait... well... |
| drewd | Posted: Dec 08, 2011 - 13:06 More_Cowbell wrote: Love that Cowbell! The Cowbell is strong in this one !!! |
| ThePoose | Posted: Oct 13, 2011 - 11:32 Saw them play in summer 1969 at Expo 67 before they were famous and before they lost the litigation brought on by the real Chicago Transit Authority and had to truncate their name to Chicago. I knew immediately they were gonna hit the big time. |
| More_Cowbell (Northern IL) | Posted: Oct 13, 2011 - 11:31 Love that Cowbell! |
| lemmoth (NYC) | Posted: Aug 11, 2011 - 14:15 Darlington wrote: I don't know...during the Peter Cetera era they DID get pretty wimpy..... Acutually Peter was an original member, playing bass and singing on some great songs. But yes he also played on some stuff as they slid down into mediocrity or worse. And don't get me started on his solo career. |
| Nerubo (Denver, CO) | Posted: Aug 11, 2011 - 14:13 Has sufficient cowbell. |
| dpvest (northern cali) | Posted: Aug 11, 2011 - 14:13 love that horns/bass combo...ahhhh...the good old chicago |
| bpkengor (York, Maine, USA) | Posted: Aug 11, 2011 - 14:11 On_The_Beach wrote: Chicago, before they started producing the musical equivalent of pancake syrup. we talking about the processed supermarket stuff or we talking about real maple syrup? |
| lsfeder (At the wheel of a Benzo) | Posted: Aug 11, 2011 - 14:10 Never ceases to amaze me how such an awesome band got so damn cheesy |
| wxman (a random dimension) | Posted: Aug 04, 2011 - 12:11 You mean this later version of the band? Alexandra wrote: You know, EVERY TIME a Chicago song is played, BillG has to talk about how wimpy the later version of the band got. But I liked a lot of their later material, as well as the early stuff. I know he's the owner of RP and all, but that is an awfully strong opinion to utter as the ultimate musical truth. Just sayin.... |
| jmsmy (Music Town, Klein, Texas) | Posted: Aug 04, 2011 - 12:09 Lots of songs have a cow bell - but how many have a moving cow bell. Panning left to right - right to left. Useless trivia. |
| bmeador (24fps) | Posted: Aug 04, 2011 - 12:03 And then, knowing that everyone had their stereos cranked up to 10, Bill follows Copland's "Fanfare" with this. Priceless. Thanks! |
| coloradojohn (Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan -- 15 min. west of Shinjuku, center of the freaking Universe) | Posted: Jul 11, 2011 - 05:32 Yup, these guys sure blew, laid down, and belted out some of the best sounds of an era...buoyant life-attesting soundtrack of some Heavy Times we all went through and can look back on...I try to remember them for what they did right, before they got commercialized to death...and they sure did a lot of stuff right that still sounds good on hot summer days no matter where I am in the wide, wild world... |
| cc_rider (Austin Texas. Y'all.) | Posted: Jun 09, 2011 - 13:54 Alexandra wrote: You know, EVERY TIME a Chicago song is played, BillG has to talk about how wimpy the later version of the band got. But I liked a lot of their later material, as well as the early stuff. I know he's the owner of RP and all, but that is an awfully strong opinion to utter as the ultimate musical truth. You make a valid point, but the fact is, Bill's opinion is shared by a great number of people. Their later material never reached the promise of their first album. Sure there is some fine material there, but nothing like the early stuff.Just sayin.... |
| Propayne (Richmond VA) | Posted: Jun 09, 2011 - 13:53 IMHO Free rocks. |
| Darlington (Columbia, South Carolina) | Posted: Jun 02, 2011 - 11:55 Alexandra wrote: You know, EVERY TIME a Chicago song is played, BillG has to talk about how wimpy the later version of the band got. But I liked a lot of their later material, as well as the early stuff. I know he's the owner of RP and all, but that is an awfully strong opinion to utter as the ultimate musical truth. Just sayin.... I don't know...during the Peter Cetera era they DID get pretty wimpy..... |
| Alexandra (Hopefully, departing the Gem City VERY soon) | Posted: Jun 02, 2011 - 11:47 You know, EVERY TIME a Chicago song is played, BillG has to talk about how wimpy the later version of the band got. But I liked a lot of their later material, as well as the early stuff. I know he's the owner of RP and all, but that is an awfully strong opinion to utter as the ultimate musical truth. Just sayin.... |
| martinc (Ottawa Canada) | Posted: Jun 02, 2011 - 11:45 1969 the year when many bands gave us their best. |
| kcar | Posted: Jun 02, 2011 - 11:43 jwaters wrote: Must agree with cmplus! Brilliant transition from Common Man to Listen! The seasons have changed, but the segue still works at the beginning of summer. Totally forgot about this song. Amazing how good this band sounded early on, and how awful it became. |
| Ruff (Uppsala, Sweden) | Posted: Jun 02, 2011 - 11:43 Aaron Copland ==> Listen. Never gets old. |
| cc_rider (Austin Texas. Y'all.) | Posted: Jun 02, 2011 - 11:43 On_The_Beach wrote: Chicago, before they started producing the musical equivalent of pancake syrup. Yes indeed. How the mighty fell, so far and so fast. |
| Frater_Kork (Uppsala, Sweden) | Posted: Mar 31, 2011 - 06:51 Oh Hells Yeah! |
| newwavegurly | Posted: Mar 31, 2011 - 06:51 Those horns and that bass line.  |
| rjewyo (Ventura, CA) | Posted: Jan 27, 2011 - 13:08 BigIslandBlues wrote: Listen...Just listen....isn't that a cowbell!  Well, Bill IS in farm country! |
| mapman | Posted: Jan 27, 2011 - 13:08 Pop fusion. |
| Blaggart | Posted: Jan 27, 2011 - 13:08 In 1969, these guys were as raw and connected as anything you were likely to hear. |
| BigIslandBlues | Posted: Jan 27, 2011 - 13:06 Listen...Just listen....isn't that a cowbell! |