Comments on: CHART ATTACK!: 6/7/75

By: Geoff

Geoff — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:31:29 +0000

Correction: It turns out that several post-”Old Days” Chicago songs which I like a lot *were* released as singles: “You Are On My Mind”, “Little One” and “Take Me Back to Chicago”. They just were not major hits. Thus “Old Days” to me remains the period at the end of the classic Chicago era. Moreover, while all the other songs on this chart are definitively 1975, the song stands out as pop gem that transcends the era.

I would not even have posted this correction except I notice a couple of pop chart connoisseurs lurking on this forum … men/women after my own heart!

By: Geoff

Geoff — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:31:29 +0000

I would not even have posted this correction except I notice a couple of pop chart connoisseurs lurking on this forum … men/women after my own heart!

By: mojo

mojo — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 15:25:04 +0000

ah said pig-pen this here's the rubber duck, and ah ain't a gonna pay no toll. so we crashed the gate, doin' 98 and said “Let them truckers roll, 10-4″

WOW I still remember it just like it was yesterday. One of the few songs that came on the radio that my dad (41 years old when I was born 41 years ago) and I both liked at the time. In fact that might have been the only hit to do that particular “crossover,” ever.

By: mojo

mojo — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 15:21:04 +0000

THere are a lot of songs I don't like, or maybe worse...maybe if you like them I might think badly of you.

But I'm Not Lisa goes farther, inducing actual nausea. That song just emits a stench.

Freddy Fender, OTOH, can do no wrong.

That is the difference between quality country and...vomiting.

By: Geoff

Geoff — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:10:41 +0000

Never really pondered it before — and I was/am a big fan of pre-Terry Kath death Chicago — but, yes, I agree that “Old Days” was Chicago's last truly great pop/rock song. I do like “If You Leave Me Now” of Mellow Gold fame, and in weaker moments will confess to being partial to “Hard To Say I'm Sorry”, but those are Cetera ballads rather than classic Chicago songs.

“Chicago XI”, the last LP they did before Terry Kath's death and source of the inferior hit “Baby, What A Big Surprise”, has a couple of nice cuts that were not released as singles and did not get big FM airplay either. So “Old Days” was it. Great song.

By: jasonhare

jasonhare — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 13:28:35 +0000

So glad you enjoyed, Sharon. I pick the charts pretty much at random so it's always a crapshoot whether we're going to get good songs or not. I was pretty happy with this bunch. And I post this series every other week, so…

By: jasonhare

jasonhare — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 13:19:27 +0000

“A Christmas Together” by John Denver and the Muppets is my favorite Christmas record of all time.

By: Sharon

Sharon — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 06:12:03 +0000

I absolutely loved this week's Chart Attack. I mean, I love all the write ups, but the songs during this time are great. I'm not sure if I loved them at the time or if I enjoy them more now. The country/pop crossover songs are some of my favorites during this time.

My parents were also Denver fans and we learned to like him as well and sat through Oh God! a few times. Appropriate title, I think. I blame my parents for my love of MOR music. Heh! I'm gonna bring that up in therapy.

Thanks for another fantastic Chart Attack Jason! But, uhm, what do you mean, “…we'll see you in a COUPLE of weeks…”?!

By: forwardgirl

forwardgirl — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 05:15:59 +0000

Damn Beau, didn't mean to step on your line. This is great Mellow Chart Gold Attack, I love this era with the country/pop crossover vibe. And Linda Ronstadt is just pop perfection to me.
We must be of an age, Jason, I can't think of John Denver without thinking of the Muppets…

By: forwardgirl

forwardgirl — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 04:44:21 +0000

“I'll have what she's having.”