Song Review(s): Chicago and the Norte Dame Marching Band - “25 or 6 to 4,” “Saturday in the Park” and “Does Anybody Really Know What Time it Is?” (Live, Oct. 21, 2017)
Chicago teamed up with the Norte Dame Marching Band for a mini-concert before the ND-USC football game on Saturday.
The show consisted of truncated, big-band arrangements of “25 or 6 to 4,” “Saturday in the Park,” “Does Anybody Really Know What Time it Is?” and “Look Away,” which represents the nadir of the band’s schlocky, 1980s era and shall not cross Sound Bites’ ears unless he is attending a Chicago concert - which he’s done at least 12 times since 1982 - and is unable to escape it.
Though the idea was first executed by Fleetwood Mac and USC’s band for “Tusk,” virtually all of Chicago’s music is ideally suited for the marching-band treatment and these performances are fun to listen to even with their attendant flaws.
The biggest is vocalist/keyboardist Robert Lamm’s inability to reach the range required for a successful rendition of “Saturday in the Park,” which mars the song for those of us listening after the fact, although it was undoubtedly enjoyable in person. Fortunately, Lamm fares better on “Does Anybody Really Know What Time it Is?,” on which the marching band was underutilized, and these shortcomings render the two numbers relatively weak.
“Look Away” was assuredly worse, but Sound Bites’ll never know because he refused to listen.
The best of the bunch was “25 or 6 to 4,” above, which featured the college band blasting away mightily and guitarist Keith Howland, who bears the unfortunate burden of standing in for Terry Kath, bright-green kicks notwithstanding, reeling off a nice guitar solo as bassist Jeff Coffey - and not Lamm, as the emcee, who also botched the song’s title, incorrectly announced - recreated Peter Cetera’s lead vocal more convincingly than Jason Scheff ever did.
The short show came before the groups, who’ve collaborated in the past, got together again to perform “25 or 6 to 4″ at halftime, a performance not yet available on YouTube. It occurred on the 71st birthday of trumpeter Lee Loughnane, one the band’s three remaining original members, along with Lamm and trombonist James Pankow.
For the sports fans out there, Notre Dame pummeled USC by a score of 49 to 10 plus 4.
Grade card: Chicago and the Norte Dame Marching Band - “25 or 6 to 4,” “Saturday in the Park” and “Does Anybody Really Know What Time it Is?” - B/C-/C+
Hear “Saturday in the Park” here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jcXuOjaLOT4
Hear “Does Anybody Really Know What Time it Is?” here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gQnALfVsPbg
10/22/17
