Terry Kath affected my life tremendously. His passion in his guitar playing, vocals, and in his writing was infectuous. The combination of Peter Cetera, Terry Kath, and Danny Seraphin, along with Robert Lamm and of course their unbelieveable horn section created music that stands up to anything to this day. Chicago is one of the groups that made me want to grow beyond being just a casual musician and become a professional. The fact that Chicago has survived with four original members and been able to perform live with replacements for the others is quite a testament to the character of this super group. Terry's untimely and shocking death robbed us all of the music that Terry could've shared with us as he grew and matured as a musician. His vocals are in the Karen Carpenter arena- that is, almost nobody can do them justice. I saw Chicago live before Terry's death- right before the VII album came out. It was a virtual hit parade. God bless Terry's family and Chicago!

Now that's what I want to hear - why we love the music, how it affected us.
Personally Chicago never did anything for me, but it's a big wide world and everyone has different tastes. I don't dig that stuff but I'm very happy to hear how other people do. This is the heart of the matter for me, and way more important than who is 'better' than who.

_________________
"...Compared to the flowers and the birds and the trees, I am an Apeman."

You, sir, are my hero!
Nicely done- and an enjoyable read too!

Regarding Terry Kath, here is a fact for you all... One time while Terry was playing JIMI HENDRIX said to one of the members of Chicago, " Your guitar player is better than I am."
So, Jimi thought he was pretty good.

Here's my question... I AM a Clapton fan, BUT why do people think he is a technically amazing guitarist? He isn't. He has said in interviews he was afraid to follow SRV, but, to his surprise, the crowd responded really well to him playing his standard Clapton stuff. Clapton would tell you himself he's not the caliber of SRV and there are guys who are.

And I am a big fan of Eric Clapton's music! I'm also a big Chicago fan... particularly the Cetera stuff since I never knew the pre-Cetera stuff until recently.

I also don't care who is better than who... But Kath could outplay Clapton just as Hendric could. Maybe that's why Clapton got into drugs... people were painting "Clapton is God" on walls in England and he knew he couldn't live up to it. I'm just kidding- don't take that too seriously, people.

Joe Satriani and John Petrucci can outplay anyone, but they usually lack passion in their playing. If they slow down they improve and John is REALLY good and passionate IF he slows WAY down.

Now, Steve Vai can outplay anyone, but his music makes me want to commit suicide. Go figure.

Don´t know who Terry was, I admire Slowhand, but Clapton to me is overrated, and quite frankly find his recent music boring and predictable, like he never evolved after "layla" and "sunshine of you love", well "Journeyman" was a good album where he was going somewhere else, and then back 2 the same old boring predicatble blues. SRV took the blues and maxed them out, made something new, unlike Clapton.
As a blues purist there´s other guitarists of his generation that blow him away in a second, even as a Brit, Page played the blues with more feeling.
If Clapton was called a "god" once, wonder what Page, Beck, and Gilmour are. But of course it´s all a matter of personal taste, some can disagree on my opinion. If I had to name one guitarist as the best blues player ever it would be Roy Buchanan.
I agree that Slowhand has a humble attitude towards other guitarists, and that´s cool about him, I just wish he had pushed the envelope a bit more and hadn´t got stuck so much in "Blues Purism"....

+1 Talk about pulling guitar face, Vai always looks like indescribable things are happening to his internal organs while he plays The guy crams so many notes into so little time that it's not musical, you can't hear how they relate to each other, they might as well be random. It's finger olympics, not great music. I'd rather hear a good song.

_________________
"...Compared to the flowers and the birds and the trees, I am an Apeman."

I second that.

The best-sounding (not most incredibly fantastic extremely difficult and fast) guitar playing is simple and meaningful.

Music isn't supposed to be (and it really can't be) a way to show off your skills on an instrument, it's supposed to be a way to express feelings and satisfy your own desires.

Who freakin cares what other people think of your own music?

_________________
Vox AC30 coming soon!

You know some of you get the point and some of you will never understand. I used Terry Kath because he was a legend and did it in a way that few ever will. Clapton seem to be the "Chosen One" of you younger folks it's admirable for all of you to choose someone you wish to play like or think is great. However, dig deep down it's wonderful to think the world of someone but, try thinking the world of yourself. Think of how someone will someday think the world of you...

Good post!
Psychology actually says that people have heros because they symbolize the potential they have inside themselves to become that great... even if they are not aware of it. Some people don't do the work to follow in the footsteps of their heros and some think they can't make it so why try.

Thank you, sir!

_________________
Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

Clapton himself said he was more interested in writing good. melodic songs than being a guitar hero. Lots of Chicago's songs featured no or very little guitar-that kind of band setup called for teamwork-Kath was a tremendous player, as is Clapton, but both of them do/did what it took to serve THE SONG. To me, that is more important (wasn't always that way). I've never cared for Danny Gatton's playing-undoubtedly a brilliant technician and fun to listen to, but Paul Kossoff absolutely rips my heart out, a player at the total opposite end of the technical spectrum as Gatton, but with so much heart and soul.

Terry Kath was certainly very fast. But a lot of the stuff he played I just didn't like. Speed for the sake of speed. I wish I had that kind of speed - but I think I would do something different with it.

He was also obsessed with feedback, but his use of feedback couldn't be compared to what Jimi Hendrix could do.

Finally, I didn't like the way he used a wah. He would just rock back and forth - wacka, wacka, wacka. Both Hendrix and Claption used the wah to change the timbre of their tone in different sections of a song. Check out Clapton's "In the Presence of the Lord" or Hendrix's "Voodoo Child - Slight Return."

So, a technically excellent guitar player playing things that I, for one, didn't warm up to.

_________________
James Burton Upgrade Telecaster
Hot Rodded Am Fat Strat Texas Special (now featuring Kinman Traditional II pickups)
Fender Blues Jr.
SWR California Blonde
Pedals Pedals Pedals

Kath was more technically proficient and yes he could play circles around Clapton or Hendrix at that point. He knew more of the scales and the overall fingerboard more than Hendrix or Clapton playing their usual block method pentatonics. Hendrix and Chicago used to tour together back in the 60s and 70s and one day Hendrix goes into Chicago's dressing room and talks to Walter Parazaider (Chicago's) sax player and says I'm good but your guitarist is something else. Not to say Clapton or Hendrix isn't good but Kath could definitely outplay both of them was more technically brilliant and knowing and much broader array of scales and knowing the overall fingerboard playing not to mention all over the neck and speedy fast. He sure can outplay Clapton. Clapton was good but limited in his technical ability and mastering of the whole fingerboard in general as to where Terry knew more scales and was all over the neck more proficient than both Hendrix and Clapton and could definitely outplay circles around them without a hitch!

_________________
Fender Natural reissue 70's Stratocaster!

I love Kath's playing now.

_________________
"If you're on a path that's beaten, it's not your path." Joseph Campbell

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me."

"All that is impossible remains to be achieved."
Jules Verne

www.stratcollector.com

Technique aside, Clapton was a member of two of the most influential bands of the 60's (Yardbirds and Bluesbreakers), co-founded the most influential band to come out of England in the 60's (Cream), collaborated with some Big Guns for a brief but incredibly Influential projects (Derek & the Dominoes, Blind Faith), collaborated with some lesser known talent because he wanted to (Bonnie and Delaney), then started into the most successful and influential solo career in the history of Rock and Roll (40+ years of Artistic and Commercial milestones), now he's keeping the flame lit with his Star Studded Crossroads festivals and constant touring. And, of course, his career is studded with guest appearances with the best of the best (Beatles, B.B. King, Phil Collins, et. al.)

Kath was Chicago's guitar player. One format, one style of music and a hand full of well received songs, mostly based on Horns, Vocals and Big Band arrangement.


Hmm... Quite a contest

Kath and Sly Stone would be a better comparison.

_________________
"Persistence Is The Father Of Invention"
-Crazy Old Man In Training