Bill Champlin leaves Chicago

Yesterday I learned that one of my favorite musicians, Bill Champlin, left one of my favorite bands-- Chicago. While not an original member of the band, Bill had been in Chicago for over 28 years and was an integral part of their popular renaissance in the eighties. And while it wasn't so much Bill's voice that got me hooked on Chicago's music as an eleven year old boy back in the fall of 1988, it was largely Bill's voice which held my interest in the band's recent back catalog-- before I'd started to discover their earlier works with the late great Terry Kath.

It was through Bill's gritty soulful vocals that I discovered his OTHER band, The Sons of Champlin-- a staple of the San Francisco Bay area music scene of the late sixties and into the seventies. And in discovering the Sons, I also branched out into some of their contemporaries like Tower of Power and Quicksilver Messenger Service.

Due to lack of significant output in recent years, my interest in Chicago has waned. However they are my musical compass... Whenever life has been too overwhelming or confusing it's been Chicago's music I've returned to. And it's that music that brought me back to happier times and given me the strength and focus to re-center and re-focus on life before tackling whatever issues had been plaguing me.

Bill's departure, while not entirely unexpected given his level of professionalism and musical adventurousness contrasted with the complacency of his now former band is somewhat bittersweet. Now Bill has the time to devote to making new music, to being himself and stretching out-- to being the consumate professional he's always been at heart. But on the flipside, Chicago has lost one of the few (if not only) bandmember interested in creating new music and driving forward rather than looking back.

During Bill's 28 plus tenure in Chicago, I had the pleasure of seeing them live 9 times. I'll always treasure my memories of those shows... the first two in 1993 and 1994 featured 6 hour (roundtrip) road trips from the Northern tier of NY to the capitol district (Albany/Latham/Saratoga Springs) 3 hours south with my father I'll hold especially dear. Since I've moved over 16 hours away from my parents my time with them is limited these days-- I treasure the special times I had with them when I was growing up and lived closer-- and I hold my memories of the Chicago concerts we attended together especially dear.

I had the pleasure of meeting Bill in 1994 after Chicago's concert @ the Starlite Theatre in Latham and again the following year prior to their concert at the Joyce Center @ Notre Dame. Bill was then and from what I can tell, continues to be, a class act.

I will continue to enjoy the music Bill has already recorded and look forward to the music he's yet to create. I'm excited about what the future has in store for him and at the same time growing more pessimistic about the future creative output (or lack thereof) of his former band in his absence.

Here's Bill performing Turn Your Love Around back in 1994:



For more Bill Champlin related goodness:
More Bill Champlin related reviews
Bill Champlin's Official Website

The Superlatives of '08

Best New Album: Steve Lukather Ever Changing Times

Lukather shows what he's capable outside the confines of being a studio musician and frontman/founding member of Toto.

Honorable mentions: Bill Champlin No Place Left to Fall

Champlin is one of the most respected session vocalists in the industry. This album was a family affair as it also features his wife, Tamara, and son, Will, guesting on a handful of tracks. It also shows off Champlin's love of the B3 with a serious soulful funky edge. His new arrangement of Chicago's hit, Look Away actually restores some semblance of passion and emotional conviction to the song that Chicago had overproduced to the point of sterility. And if the man can give a vapid, dime-a-dozen Diane Warren song conviction, well THAT'S talent.

Best Book I Read This Year: The Conscience of a Conservative by Barry Goldwater

This book should be required reading for all Republicans seeking office. This is what the party was and is supposed to stand for not the mess it's turned into in recent years. Much of it is just as true today as it was when the book was initially written in 1959.

Best debut Novel: The Little Book by Selden Edwards

The book took Edwards over 30 years to write. It's an excellent well-woven time travel tale that I'd recommend to anyone.

Biggest Surprise(s): Guns 'n' Roses Chinese Democracy

After several years, several missteps, and millions of dollars the surprise is two-fold... One that the album was actually finally released and two that the album was actually pretty damned good. Axl has successfully shown the world that he still has some tricks up his sleeve.

Best Film: The Dark Knight

It's not often that a movie villain overshadows the hero to the extent Heath Ledger's Joker did to Christian Bale's Batman. I'd also argue that Aaron Eckhart's portrayal of Harvey Dent/Two-Face was excellent (although was still no match for Ledger's Joker). Also Maggie Gyllenhaal's portrayal of Rachel blew Katie Holmes portrayal of the same character in Batman Begins out of the water (not difficult to do).

Honorable mentions: Iron Man - Robert Downey Jr. did an exceptional job in the title role making this a thoroughly enjoyable super-hero romp. Definitely, Maybe - I'd argue this was the best date movie of the year. It doesn't hurt that Isla Fisher is easy on the eyes nor that Ryan Reynolds had excellent chemistry with all 4 leading ladies (counting Abigail Breslin as well as Rachel Weisz, Elizabeth Banks, and Isla Fisher).

Best Moment: The election of Barack Obama on November 4, 2008

Even though, I'm ideologically nearly his polar opposite I respect what his election means to this country and hope that his election goes a long way towards improving race relations in this country. I believe Will Smith put it best "No more excuses." Obama's election proves that anyone of any race is capable of becoming anything he/she wants that no door is closed-- not even the presidency. His cabinet choices thus far have given me plenty of reason for optimism that he'll rule from the center and not from the far left.

Worst Moment: The arrest of Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich on December 9, 2008

His corruption is only surpassed by his pig-headedness and unwillingness to do what is best for the state of Illinois and resign. He's cast a negative pall on what should have been/should be a smooth and celebratory transition for Obama into the White House. I mean it's pretty bad when even former NY governor, Eliot Spitzer looks good by comparison (see below).

(Dis)Honorable Mentions: NY governor Eliot Spitzer being charged with transporting a prostitute across state lines (at least he had the decency to throw in the towel and go quietly), Governor Blagojevich's appointment of Roland Burris to Obama's vacant senate seat despite stiff opposition from everyone except Blagojevich and Burris (and the hits just keep on coming... this has gone from the sublime to the ridiculous to the sublimely ridiculous).

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Now playing: Tommy Shaw - Ever Since The World Began (LP Version)
via FoxyTunes

Colour My World

So, last night I was putzing around YouTube and found:





Considering I've been a Chicago fan since I was about 11 years old I'm all too familiar with Colour My World. But last night as I watched that video clip I was struck clear to the core with a sense of nostalgic melancholy. The song has never had that effect on me before.

I felt like I was hearing the song for the first time all over again... And maybe I was, for the first time in a long time I didn't just HEAR the song, I FELT it. It's almost as if we Americans have been so spoon-fed dime-a-dozen cookie cutter crap that's pleasing to listen to but beyond that lacks substance that we've forgotten how to not just hear but also FEEL music. It's hard to feel music, when there's nothing to feel-- when it's completely manufactured vapid crap. Sure, a lot of American rock and roll SOUNDS good, but where's the feeling? Maybe it's just me, but I don't just want to HEAR music, I want to FEEL it.

Maybe that's why Chicago is my musical compass. Their music always helps me find my way "home" emotionally, no matter what else is going on in my life.

I guess that lately I've felt more emotionally adrift in my life than I realized and hearing Colour My World last night just brought me "home."