CHICAGO - "LIBERATION" (reaction)

[@craigw1911]

To put this track in context, the opening track of the album "Chicago Transit Authority", titled "Introduction", has guitarist and lead singer Terry Kath addressing an audience about to hear the band for the first time. Kath is literally introducing this new sound to the audience. "Listen" on this same album had keyboard player Robert Lamm on lead vocals imploring the audience to listen to them and try to understand the band. "Liberation" closes this double-LP album with Kath singing "Thank you people", again addressing the audience, thanking them for giving Chicago a chance to play their music for them.

[@daveburns3886]

Brilliant concept idea for an album.. makes one think of ELP karn evil 9, and sgt peppers

[@freegracetruthembrace7188]

Splains why Hendrix lavished untold ups for Terry Kath .

[@markwideman339]

Terry Kath and Peter Cetera are beasts on guitar and bass....the drummer kills it as well.

[@lucasroth7922]

Their first and best album imho! Just unbelievably raw master musicians!!...✌🤘

[@joelliebler5690]

One great jam session with out of this world musicians, especially Terry and Danny!

[@jamesgabbert9375]

Thanks! No one does this track. Love it.

[@SightAfterDark]

Thanks for watching James!

[@prodoverjeff2876]

In the 60's guys were still learning how to control things like amp feedback. Some guys were so advanced, they made feedback part of the music. This left the rest of the band to figure out how to comp feedback. The result was some pretty cool sounds.

[@freegracetruthembrace7188]

As raw as it got - that maiden album . Fact is , their first 7 albums cut with that vibe . Terry Kath was the Pulmonary artery of that incessant pulse . Mercy , utterly staggering ability to flow .

[@JeremyS86]

Kath played up until chicago 11. The heart and soul was gone after that

[@henryhernandez7281]

@@JeremyS86 Years later, I still miss his spirit and how he drove their sound!

[@karensaldanha4760]

Love these deep dives.

[@brianwhitney5441]

Terry Cath was a top 5 guitarist in my opinion. He always played at 110 mph and it's totally under control and very appealing to the ear.

[@SightAfterDark]

He’s amazing!

[@davidschecter5247]

So many brilliant Chicago cuts, especially on the early albums...

[@mrheem44]

only on the early albums

[@davidmay8104]

@@mrheem44 Especially on them.😻😻😻😻😻😻😻. 7 cool cats!

[@asdfqwer1234zxcv]

I'm pretty sure the singer in this one is Terry Kath, the lead guitar player.

[@SightAfterDark]

Yep! ☺️We found out in the replies.

[@shakypuddin9857]

Whole album is great. Try Southern California purple.

[@OliverPeabody]

Wow, props for taking this one on. This merits 6 months of Patreon just on principal.

[@SightAfterDark]

😆 Thanks for the support!

[@yvesbouillet1290]

When this vinyl appeared ..such a blast ..

[@jamespaivapaiva4460]

And thus ends the bands, first group acid trip!

[@SightAfterDark]

😄

[@henryhernandez7281]

Liberation is an amazing collection of different parts and styles....hard rock riffs, jazz, and even Avant Garde sound with smooth guitar and horns to wrap it up! The virtuosity of Chicago was unbridled and free!

[@mrtyreus0]

Peter Cetera, the bass player. After his close friend Terry passed, due to a stupid mistake, he literally never played the same again. Peter's bass playing passion passed with Terry Kath, the incredible guitarist you hear here.

[@SightAfterDark]

Wow. That’s a shame. Thanks for watching Andrew!

[@izzonj]

The whole soul of the band was gone after Terry Kath died. I was one of their biggest fans with Kath. After - they just were not the same band.

[@neilphelan145]

@@izzonj Sadly, so true. Kath was the soul of the body. ☹

[@toastoftowne1076]

I’m 56 now and I was playing air guitar to Terry Kath in 1973. I’m going to do it right now of old time sakes. Music is tons of fun but it’s best when it’s shared, that’s why these reaction videos are so entertaining. Music has no boarders. It’s nowhere at the same time it’s everywhere. It’s a common denominator. It is the best part of being human. Thanks. Aloha

[@SightAfterDark]

We agree! Aloha!

[@Chicago_Podcast_Authority]

I love how you have each other's back. When one of you is at a loss for words the other instinctualy steps in. That's chemistry 🤘🏻

[@SightAfterDark]

😊

[@squidkid2]

The first album by Chicago when guitarist Terry Kath was still with the band. This IMHO is the only true Chicago album. It rocks hard but all the subsequent Chicago albums were just filled with luke-warm power ballads that never came close to the energy of this double album. And all that energy comes primarily from Kath's over the top guitar work. It alway sounded to me like this album was done in one take in the studio and they just rolled the tape. I have heard that Hendrix thought Kath was the better guitarist of the two. Perhaps urban legend but I have to say he certainly gave Hendrix a run for his money. Discuss amongst yourselves!

[@SightAfterDark]

Great discussion to have!

[@craigw1911]

At the risk of mentioning another channel on KZbin, with apologies to Sight After Dark as I mean no harm in mentioning another on their channel and I only wanted to provide some backstory, Chicago's trombone player James Pankow was interviewed by Joe Chambers, CEO and Founder of the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum and James discussed the first time they met Jimi Hendrix at the Whisky A Go-Go in L.A ("Jimi Hendrix Meets Terry Kath" is the clip title). They were playing the Whisky as Chicago Transit Authority at the time and were in the dressing room just coming out to do their second set. Jimi was in town and caught their first set, went to the dressing room, saw them, and said "You guys have a horn section that sounds like one set of lungs, and a guitar player that's better than me! You wanna go on the road?" They said yeah and became Hendrix's opening act. Well worth listening to James Pankow talk about the band's history. He did a long interview with Chambers, broken into a couple of parts. The title I referenced is a shorter excerpt from the full part 1 & part 2 he did. Chicago's first three albums, all double-LPs, were very innovative music for their time. Lots of rock, and influenced by the politics of the time. Chicago V to some extent too with "Dialogue" and "State Of The Union".

[@lucasroth7922]

Kath was Hendrix favorite he couldn't figure out what fucking notes he was playing!! Just unreal, surreal what ever! DAMN!✌🤘

[@SightAfterDark]

🤘!

[@stephenkelly9002]

Jimi Hendrix said that Terry Kath was the best guitar player he ever heard.

[@emilymartinez6961]

Please react to the whole album, it's AWESOME, you won't regret it 🤟🤪

[@SightAfterDark]

Head on over to our Patreon, and suggest it. It may win! Thanks Emily!

[@davidadams7578]

In 69 they rocked!!!!!!

[@charlesf2804]

Congratulations to you both for taking on this track. It's the first time I've seen anybody react to it. Needless to say, I hit "Like."

[@SightAfterDark]

Thanks for watching!

[@chazblitz]

You guys should check out the Tanglewood concert with live footage. These guys were absolute monsters back then. Sad what it eventually became.

[@submandave1125]

Most impressive but least remarked on part of the Tanglewood concert is that Terry plays completely different but equally scorching improvised solos from what was recorded. The man was truly amazing.

[@davidmay8104]

@@submandave1125 From what I've seen via multiple concert footage and audio recordings throughout Terry's years with them, he ALWAYS improvised the solos. Each one is approached differently. That's what you see in jazz. This was recorded in 1969. As is obvious, they far outshone the vast majority of so called "acid rock" bands of that time. Groups like Iron Butterfly, amongst others. Yet the public didn't catch up with Chicago's music for a couple or three years; and sadly, once they had a few hits under their belt, the rock press, aided by the cynicism and increased hedonism of popular culture, started to belittle them. Didn't affect me as a kid, I knew what a great band they were. I was a fan up until their post Terry Kath work. I still listen to them. There have been so many live performances of theirs that have cropped up on you tube over the past couple of years to be discovered. 🎸🎺🎷

[@ganazby]

Terry fuckin’ Kath.

[@wagstaff6135]

They were so great when Terry Kath was still alive.

[@freegracetruthembrace7188]

If it moves you & time permits - some future fire from the rawer side of the Original Chicago : 1. Sing A Mean Tune Kid 2. 25 or 6 to 4 live at Tanglewood 3. It Better End Soon 4. Poem 58 5. What's This World Coming To ? 6. The Approaching Storm

[@Chicago_Podcast_Authority]

Your wishes may come true 👍

[@mrysedeers]

jammin'

[@MB-mw1xr]

When I saw a Liberation reaction, I HAD to subscribe!!

[@SightAfterDark]

Thanks so much!

[@-R.Gray-]

I always thought the song was about being liberated from the situation which was the subject of the previous 2 cuts on the album's last side. These songs were about anti Vietnam war protesters being beaten and arrested by Chicago police outside the Democratic Convention in 1968. This is where the protesters were chanting "The whole world is watching" and recordings of the chant were used on the record. The singer is Terry Kath, the guitar player, so the whole soloing culminating in feedback is like a catharsis, and the sudden quiet followed by his singing represents the liberation from the violence, and the achievement of peace (sort of like the sudden quiet after the colorful trippy part in the movie 2001 A Space Odyssey which came out the same year). That's what I always thought the song was about anyway. You might have heard this same chant being used in more recent protests. Actually my favorite guitar on the album is on the song "Poem 58", and "Listen" is OK too.

[@asdfqwer1234zxcv]

DITTO, hehe but I also like the part where the guy with the megaphone says "God give us the blood to keep going"

[@SightAfterDark]

We had no idea there was so much context! Thanks:).

[@stereo999]

Chicago's first album when they still went by Chicago Transit Authority. Name another album that had long jams, field recordings of a protest, 7 minutes of guitar feedback and also a couple of Top 40 hits.

[@mrysedeers]

Terry Kath was THE driving heart of Chicago (the band)...just sayin';)

[@davidadams7578]

Poem 58 is on the same album you doing now

[@marrkhicks]

Top notch, class A fucking bass player

[@garycolon4213]

Regarding your comment at the16:20 mark: The singer didn't have to wait to participate. He was pretty busy playing the guitar up to that point.

[@davidadams7578]

Poem 58 is a jewl

[@poem5897]

🍻

[@markconnolly312]

LMBO, You two are so much fun to watch reacting! I love the line about " The unmitigated audacity" of putting the singer into the musical chaos! I love that you both really appreciate Frank Zappa too! Peace friends!!

[@SightAfterDark]

We appreciate your support Mark, thanks!

[@prodoverjeff2876]

Pre Yuppie music was so cool!

[@damonhines8187]

Just jammin'!! Goddamn. Rest In Peace, Terry Kath, what else can I say? Soooo unnecessary. What a band. And what's a band to do? Go on, somehow; and they did, somehow. Same with us, I remember when I heard. And again, reality has gone rogue on me, chronology-wise: Google and the NYT would have it that Terry accidentally shot himself proving to his friend, drinking companion and roadie Don Johnson, (him?hmm?nope) that his gun, which he'd drawn and begun twirling, wasn't loaded... Jan. 23 '78. I was still in Toronto, working on music, including 'Color My World' and 'Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is', with an American singer/harmonica and trumpet player/drummer-percussionist, a reggae bassist days and my old band evenings, including the bass-player who'd burned my shit up, when I heard that he'd done himself playing Russian Roulette... a year earlier. By Jan. '78, I was in Ocean Park, near White Rock(where my youngest sister lives now), British Columbia living with John Armstrong and Bill Scherk(Modernettes, Young Canadians) and going to gigs with them, Canpunk legends Art Bergmann and DOA, for whom I later auditioned. Oh, and attending classes at Douglas College on campuses spread over the Vancouver area. That how it looks/looked from here. I'm gonna listen again. I loved Peter Cetera's bass playing too, over his vocals for the most part, James Pankow's horn arrangements, and Robert Lamm's keys and vocals. Terry's out front pretty much all the way on this one though...it's great to hear after so long. 💔✌😘🎶🎸🔥🎷🎺🎹💞

[@thesoundship]

Terry Kath time!!!!!

[@JeremyS86]

This whole album is great, im surprised i havent worn it out

[@SightAfterDark]

Agreed!

[@erolbulut2584]

Miss Terry, very much

[@markwideman339]

The great Terry Kath on guitar....my favorite guitar player of all-time....Peter Cetera is the greatest bass player.

[@SightAfterDark]

They’re both amazing!

[@markwideman339]

@@SightAfterDark The more you listen to them you will begin to recognize their voices. Peter Cetera, the high tenor, Robert Lamm, the bass/tenor, and great soulful voice of Terry Kath....

[@dennisjohndreher7258]

Terry Kath

[@marrkhicks]

Peter cetera btw

[@jeffkendrick6726]

It takes an attention span.

[@denisefleener8755]

Bass player = Peter Cetera

[@lindaloe]

TERRY KATH GUITAR PETER CETERA BASS!!

[@glenndespres5317]

The use of the term ‘underrated’ is IMHO, overrated in the KZbinrverse. That said, this song is much neglected by reactors and I applaud you two for doing it. See why Jimi Hendrix saw Kath play and said, “this guy is way better than me.” ?

[@markdearlove8634]

Dudes are trippin'

[@SightAfterDark]

😆

[@thomasmaxwell8353]

the lady is not feeling anything

[@SightAfterDark]

Not true

[@markwideman339]

Terry Kath to me ...is BETTER than Hendrix

[@mstewart109]

Ok bye. So regular viewers don't get to select? .

[@SightAfterDark]

We tried doing that, but there’s just too many comments and no fair way to choose which ones we do. This helps to keep everything transparent and organized. Thanks for watching!