Dog or not, The Ripper is the main bass used on one of the best selling albums of all time: Nirvana's "Nevermind". The tone is awesome, by the way. I use mine for recording and playing out all the time. Can't say it's anymore of a dog than a p-bass. IMHO.
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Peter Cetera in Bass Player
- Thread starter Dr. Cheese
- Start date
I was just listening to Peter's line in "Beginnings" -- all I can say is WOW!
It's funny how you can hear something new in old songs, no matter how many times you have heard them before. I can really see how Paul McCartney would have been an influence. Peter is all over the neck.
It's funny how you can hear something new in old songs, no matter how many times you have heard them before. I can really see how Paul McCartney would have been an influence. Peter is all over the neck.
I've been wearing out Chicago V like Burke suggested a few years ago. Cetera was ridiculous! I honestly don't know which Chicago area bassist was hotter: Cetera or Verdine White!
A pick and flatwounds have never sounded as good since.
A pick and flatwounds have never sounded as good since.Chicago (and BS&T) kicked ass live because they were MUSICIANS, not puppet entertainers (nothing against the Muppets here). If you really want to see just where the music stopped and the entertaining began, check out the current "Chicago" SHOW with Earth Wind and Fire seen on TV , where the handlers won't allow either band to play live... two hours of dancing, finger snapping, fake smiles, lip sinking, and avoiding close drum shots. YUK!
Peter Cetera (and Jim Fielder) were two of the greatest bassists ever!!
Peter Cetera (and Jim Fielder) were two of the greatest bassists ever!!
I've been wearing out Chicago V like Burke suggested a few years ago. Cetera was ridiculous! I honestly don't know which Chicago area bassist was hotter: Cetera or Verdine White!
Dr. another tune from Chicago I forgot "What is this world coming to" off of Chicago VI. While I wouldn't recommend the whole CD, that tune and "Tiered of Being alone" (With Al Green) are definitely worth downloading off of I-tunes. What is this world almost sounds like a Rocco Prestia line, it just kicks major butt. Peter definitely got a killer sound out of a P with dead strings. Not many players were as up-front as he was in the mix on those early Chicago Albums.
The "rock" band with horns pretty much ended when Kath passed on. He was obviously the "rock" influence of the group. After, the remaining members focused on their strengths which were tunes with Cetera singing ballad type songs. Sure they get crap for that but hey, they wanted to stay in business and they did what every business does when one of the founders passes on: they adapt.
I don't have a copy of the original CH album but the re-issue from a couple of years ago sounds very nice; other reviewers have indicated that it greatly improved the brass sound and overall balance. I don't know whether the remaster is a victim of the "loudness wars" but the waveform looks fine in my audio editor.
The LIJ album is available on Amazon as well, for those of you who prefer MP3 format over Apple's (I'm a Mac user, but "It's your thang..."). My download sounds great, and I concur that this is a "must-have" for lovers of early Chicago material.
Also, for those of you who hate the sound of the second album as much as I do (the 'ballet" sounds like it was mastered from a 5th-generation copy of the tape), it might be worth looking up a copy of the DTS DVD-A release. The remaster was allegedly made from the lowest generation tapes available, and is MUCH clearer; unfortunately, the mastering engineer decided that it needed to be volume-compressed within an inch of its life in order to compete with all the pop recordings being made today, and the clarity is diluted by an almost complete lack of dynamic range.
I saw these guys in 1969 (the first of many shows I attended) and they delivered a set which was probably underappreciated by the crowd; full of extended jams, new stuff not on the CTA album, and spiked with energy. The last time I saw them, in 1976, I couldn't believe the difference. They were already sounding like a top-40 band, and while I celebrate their years of success, I can't get into almost anything they've done in the last 30 years.
I really think that was one of two issues. Kath was the soul of the band, no question in my mind. He also was the most aggressive vocalist. But, I also think the end of the war and election of Jimmy Carter hurt them too. They were very anti-war/Nixon. All of the sudden their guy was the establishment. They couldn't do "fight the man" songs anymore, because he was their man. So the only thing left was silly love songs. This attitude seemed to effect pop music in general around that era. Instead of it having a message it became very superficial.
Street Player is the baddest display of meat-and-potatoes bass and horns EVER!!!!!!!!!
But just like Kook and the Gang, Chicago HAD to change!
But just like Kook and the Gang, Chicago HAD to change!
Nice to find this old thread about Pete Cetera . CTA was the first album I ever owned, getting it when I was about 12 I'd say. I even loved Free Form Guitar then. It has held it's own in my music library over the years, along with Carnegie and Chicago VII.
Has anybody checked out the recent Rhino release of CTA, in quadraphonic sound? Very cool listening to it on a surround sound system, with different instrument tracks on different channels. A very clear remastering.
Cetera has been a huge influence on me, and Kath THE most underrated guitarist of all time IMHO.
Has anybody checked out the recent Rhino release of CTA, in quadraphonic sound? Very cool listening to it on a surround sound system, with different instrument tracks on different channels. A very clear remastering.
Cetera has been a huge influence on me, and Kath THE most underrated guitarist of all time IMHO.
Chicago's debut album is one of the 10-best debut albums...any genre...IMO.
I have not checked out the Quad or DVD-Audio releases.
This is something I recently stumbled upon...looks great on paper, though the reviews prevented me from pulling the trigger.
Amazon.com: Chicago Xxxiv: Live in '75 (Rhino Handmade): Chicago: Music
Or at RHINO's site ($39.98)-
Rhino | CHICAGO | Live In '75
Link Removed has some '70s classic Chicago on tap-
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
I have not checked out the Quad or DVD-Audio releases.
This is something I recently stumbled upon...looks great on paper, though the reviews prevented me from pulling the trigger.
Amazon.com: Chicago Xxxiv: Live in '75 (Rhino Handmade): Chicago: Music
Or at RHINO's site ($39.98)-
Rhino | CHICAGO | Live In '75
Link Removed has some '70s classic Chicago on tap-
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
As an Amazon Associate, TalkBass may receive commissions from qualifying purchases made via links on this site.
Thanks for the Wolfgang's Vault pointer. I had not seen that before. I did read about the '75 show from Rhino but I didn't think the sound samples were that great quality-wise.
What I'd REALLY like to find is a video I have heard about but never found, of a Chicago show in Japan in the early 70's. I think it may just be an import.
Also a ton of great old videos on YouTube. I just searched and realized that the guy who put the best ones up there, ChicagoKid1969, no longer has anything posted there. Maybe copyright issues
What I'd REALLY like to find is a video I have heard about but never found, of a Chicago show in Japan in the early 70's. I think it may just be an import.
Also a ton of great old videos on YouTube. I just searched and realized that the guy who put the best ones up there, ChicagoKid1969, no longer has anything posted there. Maybe copyright issues
The Live In Japan album/cd is on my radar...if it ever gets re-issued.
For now, I'm settling for the iTunes download vs. what the gougers are wanting at Amazon, et al.
CTA through Chicago X there isn't a note a disagree with.
Ten solid albums, all with the original lineup!
After that, they got more spotty, but who keeps up THAT level of greatness? A lot of those were DOUBLE ALBUMS!
One of my all time favorite bands, and one of the best rhythm sections I can think of.
Ten solid albums, all with the original lineup!
After that, they got more spotty, but who keeps up THAT level of greatness? A lot of those were DOUBLE ALBUMS!
One of my all time favorite bands, and one of the best rhythm sections I can think of.
+1
The first good band I was back in back in '69 covered a lot of the tunes on the first album. For almost 2 years, we opened every show with Introduction. Our 4 piece horn section had it down! The rhythm section did okay, too. I was using a Hofner and a Kustom 200 w/2x15 JBL cab. Great tone with that rig. Could have been louder, of course, but it did okay.
I really enjoy listening to their albums with some really good headphones. All kinds of nuanced parts pop up all the time. Almost like hearing them for the first time.
We caught their first two shows at the Whiskey back then. Sat about 10 feet from the stage. Awesome (a word I don't use often).
It was great seeing Terry and Peter rip it up.
RIP Terry Kath.
VERY talented musicians/bassist, hugely underrated. Having said that, I respect the man but cannot stand the sound of his voice or his latter period cheesy commercial material.
I still have the Cetera issue of Bass Player, and in fact just reread it the other day. I dropped my BP subscription many years ago because it seemed like they just kept alternating between the same handful of players for their cover features all the time. It was great to see Peter get his due in their pages.
That said, Chicago definitely suffered from the cheesy production styles of the '80s. I'd go farther yet and say they started to lose me about the time of "Old Days" (1975?).
I saw Chicago a few years ago at the Beale Street Music Festival and thought Jason did a great job, but I must agree that it came off like a glorified tribute band.
That said, Chicago definitely suffered from the cheesy production styles of the '80s. I'd go farther yet and say they started to lose me about the time of "Old Days" (1975?).
I saw Chicago a few years ago at the Beale Street Music Festival and thought Jason did a great job, but I must agree that it came off like a glorified tribute band.
Agree...will only add that, IMO, the Cetera article/interview was way too short. Years ago, Guitar Player did a great job with an Anthony Jackson interview/feature. That should be the standard for doing a feature article.
'80s Chicago suffered from David Foster-itis. Same malady inflicted EW&F, AWB, & The Tubes. Whatever "edge" these bands had...got smoooothed out by Foster's production. Thing is, back then, I totally dug Foster's magic. Later, I did not. AWB has some interesting comments regarding that period of their career (like losing control)...even worse was their album with Dan Hartman as the producer.
Regarding "Old Days"...it is from Chicago VIII. If possible, check out "Brand New Love Affair Parts 1 & 2". Same album...believe it or not.
Agreed.
Jason is a great player...probably the only guy that coulda replaced Cetera.
To answer your question, Jack Bruce had just spent some time in the Tony Williams Lifetime. And, in 1968, he recorded an album called "Things We Like" with John McLaughlin, Dick Heckstall-Smith and Jon Hiseman. On this album, he plays only upright bass, and the music is straight ahead, uncompromising jazz.
As for Chicago... even on the very first album, they were too cheesy for me. For the rock band with horns thing, I preferred Blood Sweat and Tears. Chicago just were too midwestern for me, or something... like "lite" blues-rock and psychedelia.
But, to each his own.
