First an admission. Even though I am the New Music Editor for Popdose, I can be pretty old school. If you’ve been reading along, you already know that. There’s some really good new music coming out, but I have a soft spot in my heart not only for the older artists, but for the old way of doing things. I like real guitars, drums, and pianos. They’re doing amazing things with technology these days, but there’s no doubt that some of music’s soul has been lost in the process. Another issue I have is that so much new music is presented in hushed tones, per the “quiet is the new loud” movement. There’s a place for that, but I need an injection of good, upbeat rock and roll now and then as well.

I was happy when the new album by Bill Champlin came over my transom. Although Bill has been a member of Chicago since 1981, and has contributed songwriting, keyboard playing, and vocals to many of the band’s hits, I haven’t really been following Chicago, so I’ve pretty much missed that. My admiration for Bill goes back to the late ’60s when he fronted a San Francisco Bay-area jazz/funk band with horns called the Sons of Champlin. The band made several albums, but the one that sticks out for me was their wonderful debut album Loosen Up Naturally, which was released in 1969. It is pretty much solely on that album that Bill Champlin’s reputation rests with me. (more…)