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Peter Cetera in Bass Player

Dr. Cheese

Dr. Cheese

Supporting Member
Mar 3, 2004
57,285
120,422
Metro St. Louis
#1
It was a great article. It is easy to forget how old Cetera is, he is only half a generation away from the roots of rock and roll and modern r&b. His explanation of putting down the bass made lots of sense. Like another TB'er mentioned in a closed thread, Cetera is a very gifted singer (4 1/2 octaves :eek:), and no one can blame him for focusing on his wonderful voice.
Since he is an ear player, I can see why he laid off playing on his solo work since it was the keyboard bass era, and he was working with big time producer's who were likley used to dealing with very skilled studio bassists.

I'm just glad he now realizes how much he is respected, and that he is back on the bass again.
 
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#2
I can't wait to see the article. Not only did I bury my self in Peter's lines growing up, but his band led me into my appreciation for Jazz. In 74 or 75 I read an interview with Robert Lamm (Chicago's Keyboards) and he was commenting on how much he loved Herbie Hancock. About a week after, PBS soundstage had a show with Herbie and I checked it out. The opening act was a band I had never heard of called Return to Forever. To see Stanley doing his thing, changed my whole attitudes about the possibilities of Music. It is ironic that the band that woke me up to possibility in music, destroyed their own legacy by playing it safe.

Chicago will never get the appreciation for their musicianship or the boundaries they broke due to what they became. In a sense what the industry became in the 80's contributed to it, but on the other hand these guys were set for life, and they very much made their own choices. While I understand taking a gig to pay the bills, I don't understand sacrificing your integrity when you've already arrived and forgetting what got you there. They became irrelevant by their own choice. When I mention Chicago to most younger players, I get weird looks, and Chicago has no one to blame but themselves.
 
#3
I'm going to have to pick this up because I am a huge fan of Chicago and especially of Cetera(bass players are always my favorite members of bands:bassist:). I have a friend who is one of very few people in our school who share that common love for Chicago's music. We are getting together to play a couple songs for the school's variety show this year, to entertain and bring back some of the memories of the older folk that will be there to watch their kids.
 
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#4
I've always been a fan of Chicago and Cetera, even some of their cheesiest '80's moments. I wonder if Cetera penned the cool (synth) bass line in their smash ballad "You're the Inspiration"? Melodic pop noodling at it's best!
 
#7
Dave R said:
Yeah, Cetera had some cool licks. I love the bass intro to "Saturday in the Park."
Click to expand...

Classic flatwound mic'ed speaker tone. Great band. 25 or 6 to 4 and all that ...

It's funny how some of these edgy and interesting acts in the 70s that went on to have huge commercial success in the 80s have a two identity problem. Mention REO SpeedWagon, Hall and Oates, Chicago, Foreigner, Kenny Loggins (Loggins & Messina) etc...

and you get two types of raised eyebrows:

A. What? You are kidding surely???
B. Hey, you know something there most people don't.
 
#9
It's a great article. For some reason, I always thought that Cetera had the reputation for being somewhat of a 'jerk'. He comes off wonderfully in that article... very articulate and thoughtful, and even mentions how much he likes Jason Scheff's playing. Very cool!

And the Nordy review is nice also!!!!
 
#12
Goose72 said:
I'm going to have to pick this up because I am a huge fan of Chicago and especially of Cetera(bass players are always my favorite members of bands:bassist:). I have a friend who is one of very few people in our school who share that common love for Chicago's music. We are getting together to play a couple songs for the school's variety show this year, to entertain and bring back some of the memories of the older folk that will be there to watch their kids.
Click to expand...

I was a Big "Chicago" fan in the '70s, but the shlock type music drove me away. Then I got free tickets to a Peter Cetera show at "The Nugget" in Reno, NV in 2006...3 songs and we were outta there! Serious Cheese. :rollno:
 
#15
I really enjoyed the Peter Cetera article. It was a great change from the usual suspects like Geddy Lee, Victor Wooten, and Marcus Miller. I really felt that I learned some history, and Cetera really seemed humbled at the notion that bassists learned from him. I know am learning from him now. Although I know all of Chicago's hits from the radio, I went out and bought their debut album today, and I was blown away! Dang, they were talented! Lsitening to Cetera made me want to strap on a P-bass immediately! Chicago around 1969 must have really happening since Chicago and Earth, Wind, and Fire came out of there at the same time.:eek:
 
#18
Cetera made me want to play the bass when I was young. I took up guitar instead, before finally switching to bass.

Time to spin some old Chicago vinyl I guess (I have all the early albums up to Five, and a couple of later ones). Its about time I tried to cop a few of his bass lines.
 
#19
Jerry Ziarko said:
Irrelevant by whose standards, yours? I know we disagree on this point but that is one word I can never see being used to describe their legacy. Yeah I too blame them for having a successful 35 yr run. :eyebrow:
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IMO a vast majority of musicians (especially those exposed to music post late 70's) have no idea of the ground they broke or the level of musicianship they possessed. For instance many younger guitar players know about Hendrix, Clapton,Page or even Santana, but I get blank stares when I mention Terry Kath, a player who was certainly in the same class. Cetera, was as good a pop bass player as ANYONE in his era, but I don't think I've met one bass player born after 1970 who knows who he is. While they are relevant to me, I would call that irrelevant or at the very least unappreciated. And it was their own doing.:hmm:
 
#20
Dr. Cheese said:
I really enjoyed the Peter Cetera article. It was a great change from the usual suspects like Geddy Lee, Victor Wooten, and Marcus Miller. I really felt that I learned some history, and Cetera really seemed humbled at the notion that bassists learned from him. I know am learning from him now. Although I know all of Chicago's hits from the radio, I went out and bought their debut album today, and I was blown away! Dang, they were talented! Lsitening to Cetera made me want to strap on a P-bass immediately! Chicago around 1969 must have really happening since Chicago and Earth, Wind, and Fire came out of there at the same time.:eek:
Click to expand...

CTA is an incredible and almost timeless CD. Dr, If you want to check out the next step, pick up Chicago V, perhaps the "jazziest" Album they did. Like I said earlier Chuck Rainy would be impressed by the bass playing on that CD!:bassist:
 

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