Rick Andreoli

                                        Biography

I got my first guitar when I was 9. It was a classical guitar,so it had nylon strings.Our neighbor,a few houses over,gave me some lessons. She was a friend of my Mom's. She taught me the open chords. I believe the first song she taught me how to play was I Don't Want to Spoil the Party by the Beatles. It's not the easiest song to start out on. I guess she was a good teacher!

A few years later,my parents signed me up to take lessons at a studio run by the music store in Ardmore,Medley Music. I had a male teacher this time. He was a little serious,and he taught me all the bar chords. This was a big step,because now I actually could play all of the basic chords! He was just starting to teach me how to read music when I quit. I think I attended class for close to a year. The building was right off of Lancaster Avenue,down a hill a little,right by the train tracks. From then on,I could play any Beatles song I wanted to,so I figured I had studied enough!

My first electric guitar deserves an entire chapter of its own! I went from a nylon string classical straight to an electric. An older brother of my friend had this home made telecaster and somehow heard I was in the market for an electric guitar. I was around 13 or 14. Anyway,I bought this thing for like 25 bucks! It was definitely home made,and it looked just like a black and white(tuxedo)Telecaster! It was a little rough,but it played quite nicely.I had this guitar for about 10 years,and I don't think I even had a case for it! I used it to play a lot of Beatles,Stones and Zeppelin. I jammed with my friend Brendon,who played bass. We jammed up in my tiny bedroom,full blast! Somehow,I just hung on to it,and finally,when I was about 23, I sold it to a kid that lived down on South Street in the city. The home made guitar still sounded good after all of those years!

I finally bought my first steel string acoustic guitar during the summer that I was 19! This was a revelation! The reason for this is because a steel string guitar has such a deep and fuller sound than a nylon string classical guitar. A real acoustic guitar is versatile and can be used to play any style of music. It's just plain louder and cleaner! I bought it at Medley Music Store in Ardmore,PA. It was a wonderful,sunny summer that year,with nothing but a bright and hopeful future ahead of me. A steel string acoustic is also great for writing on. Anyway,I showed my new guitar to my brothers and friends,and everyone got a real kick out of it. Several years later I graduated to a Yamaha acoustic,and eventually I bought a Taylor. All of these purchases were great leaps forward. You sort of have to have an acoustic guitar if you're a songwriter! There's no other way to go!

Music has always been such a big part of my life. I always had a stereo,like since I was 6! I guess the reason I loved music so much was because there was so much great music out there. From the Beatles in my childhood to Stevie Wonder in my teen years. And the Stones, Zeppelin, the Who, Dylan, Chicago, Jethro Tull, Carole King and so many more! I always loved listening to the car radio too. I can remember riding in my Dad's car to King of Prussia Mall and listening to Suite:Judy Blue Eyes with him. Those sweet harmonies of Crosby,Stills and Nash made driving along a real cool experience! It's such a rush listening to a song you love in your car. And it's a great way to discover a new song or rediscover one. Many times, I could swear that I was thinking of a song,and when I got into my car,it actually came on! It must be the radio waves floating around out there. They somehow get into your brain. There's no other explanation!

When the Beatles broke up,suddenly you had 4 acts to follow. All of them had success as solo artists. One of my favorite solo Beatles songs is McCartney's Another Day. I remember it being played a lot on the air waves. It's such a nice acoustic guitar song,and I've always loved playing it. Paul always seemed to have those great acoustic guitar songs,like Bluebird and Band on the Run. And,without a doubt,one of the most exciting moments of my childhood,was buying McCartney's first solo album,entitled McCartney! Now this was an acoustic guitar lover's dream come true. To this day,it remains one of the great acoustic albums ever! I thought Harrison had some great songs too,like My Sweet Lord and Give Me Love,and his Living in the Material World album was always one of our favorites,and another amazing acoustic album! George is a REAL master on acoustic guitar! It was music like this that always kept me interested in playing my acoustic and figuring out new songs. I have to say,though, Mrs. Robinson by Simon and Garfunkel,might be the definitive acoustic guitar song! With its killer riff,it packs a real punch! Needless to say,it's also fun to play.

Music has always been the background soundtrack to my life,and this great music always gave me a reason to be happy,joyous and of course, play guitar! I remember Christmas shopping with my parents and little brothers in Center City. We were walking along Chestnut Street and it was a typical cold and chilly December evening. What made the night so special,besides the obvious Christmas spirit,was the loud echo of the Beatles song Hello Goodbye,playing on a loudspeaker coming from one of the stores! This is a very electric upbeat pop song,and it just added magic to an already magic night. And a few years later,during summer,my friends and I would take the Paoli Local train to Center City. We'd get off at 30th Street Station. We were around 11 years old. We'd cross the old concrete bridge and then we'd head down to the loading docks by the river. It was Saturday,so we had the whole place to ourselves. I remember admiring the old bridge and just contemplating the bright sunshine and peaceful summer day,without any worries about the future.  It was always a peaceful time going down there. And then going back, I remember hearing the Beatles song She's So Heavy from a stairway and looking in and seeing a young guitar teacher trying to teach the song to a young female student. The guitar part to the chorus was typical Beatles,with a great riff,backed up by haunting and higher interconnected pick patterns. The Beatles waited to make their best album cover with their last album,Abbey Road. My brothers and I had a lot of fun just looking at the front and back! Anyway, me and my buddies would soon head back to the platform at 30th Street and headed home.

At Christmas,there always seemed to be a Beatles album or a Beatles solo album by the tree. I remember getting the White Album,and listening to all four sides! Martha My Dear was a favorite,along with I'm So Tired. And a few years later,it was Harrison's triple album,All Things Must Pass,sitting by the tree,right beside Let It Be! And I remember being with my Dad on weekends,along with my 2 little brothers. My parents had just split up,and my Dad lived in a tiny row home in Southwest Philly. Lennon's song Imagine was number 1 and it was all you heard on the car radio,but no one was complaining. It was such a beautiful message. And the Stones,Chicago and Bread were all on top of the charts too. And the Carpenters,who my Dad really liked!

And I remember being at Captain Starns in Atlantic City. This was at the north end of the boardwalk,where all the fishing boats docked. There were stores there that sold seafood and other stuff. We were with my Dad's new partner,and with the seagulls singing in the background,I remember hearing the Stones hit single Honky Tonk Woman on a loud speaker. It was a revelation to hear such great electric guitar work by Keith Richards and how Jagger's vocal seemed to fit in with it so perfectly. Back at home, my cousin Joey and I both loved the Stones. I think our favorite song was Dandelion!

Back then it was all about the Saturday Matinee,which usually was a horror double feature. My favorite thing about going to the movies was eating Sweet Tarts! We'd often go to Suburban Square in Ardmore and before the movie we'd sometimes go to the pharmacy counter and order grilled cheese sandwiches. Then it was movie time. As we got a little older,we'd meet girls from school there. My gang in Ardmore was Brendon,his older brother Mike,Billy,Eric who was also older,Peter and Joey. We hung out in Eric's bedroom and listened to Rubber Soul or a George Carlin comedy album. The Bee Gees were new to the music scene. I remember digging their first big hit Lonely Days,at the local ice cream store on Cricket Avenue. One evening,as we were just hanging out,Mike leaned on the window from outside and the whole thing cracked. We ran toward the tracks so fast,we must have broken every world record there was! We never looked back until we were in another county!

I remember we got a snow day,and we just headed out toward the pike to look for a new adventure. There were snow mounds in the parking lot behind the 5 and Dime Store. I don't think we ever appreciated the work that went into making those big mounds!Anyway,Stevie Wonder had a big hit single,Living For the City. It was a real rocker with a great beat,and it was all you heard from all the car and store radios. It was a winter wonderland,but on top of the joyous snow drifts was this intense protest song by Stevie Wonder. And the funny thing is,I think we got it. We fully understood his message. Yes,we were pretty poor,but the people in this song definitely had it worse than we had it. And we got it! Now,that's what you call great art!

As we grew up,our musical tastes changed. Brendon was really into jazz. And we started listening to people like Jeff Beck and other jazz fusion bands. I remember walking up Ardmore Avenue in the summer and coming upon an older kid with a few girls. They were sitting under a shady tree and he was reading a Rolling Stone magazine. On the cover was Bob Dylan. And I remember hearing Dylan's new hit single Tangled Up in Blue on this kid's transistor radio. Now that's a great acoustic guitar song and if you had a guitar,you had to eventually figure it out! Dylan was always there. We had his first greatest hits album,and my brothers and I loved Positively 4th Street. It really was a magic time growing up in the 70's!

Sometimes it was cool to be friends with different people,just to get turned on to the music they liked. My first big crush was on a girl named Dawn. She was the niece to my Dad's new partner. Dawn was into Glam Rock,and her parents bought us tickets to see David Bowie at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby. Now that was an event. Bowie was a real rocker. I think half of the audience had their hair died red,just like Bowie's hair. It was a little unsettling,to say the least,but I definitely enjoyed the concert! Dawn also turned me on to Alice Cooper. Their record School's Out,was one of my favorites!

I am really thankful to my parents for letting me experience the music scene back then. My Dad was the one working and buying me all these albums. Of course,I eventually started buying my own albums,but it was usually with his money! My Mom was one of us. She liked exactly who we liked,the Beatles,Dylan,Stevie Wonder and even Zeppelin! Dad preferred more grown up music like Neil Diamond,Barbra Streisand and the Carpenters. And that was cool.

Discovering Jimi Hendrix was a real coming of age experience. All the older kids had the Woodstock album,and my friends and I were definitely interested in listening. I remember those sunny days in Ardmore and hearing all of that great music. An older kid across the street had a mini-bike. He took me for a few rides on it;that was cool. I suppose the first actual thing we heard from Hendrix was the Star Spangled Banner! It must have gone right over our young heads. Still,something magic was amidst;we could feel the hippie movement,even though we were too young to be hippies ourselves! We knew older people that were actual hippies,so we were there!

I had already heard plenty of Zeppelin,so I was familiar with powerful blues rock. But when I heard my first Hendrix album,it was an amazing discovery indeed. This is a live album;Hendrix had many! To hear an electric guitar being played like he played it,was truly a revelation! He played incredibly fast,clear and powerful lead guitar,and he came up with more special effects than a Star Wars movie! His power chords were just as breathtaking,and his style was groundbreaking,flamboyant and brilliant. He was also a great singer and composer! I've heard Purple Haze played by an ensemble of classical instruments on the Classical station!

Hendrix invented an entire genre of blues rock. He was a unique force of nature,and his death is one of the music world's great tragedies. Very few would even attempt to imitate his style. After discovering him,my friends and I couldn't get enough of his albums,many of them posthumous compilations,cashing in on his legend and fame after his death. It was a way for us to live through the peak of the hippie movement again,and a wonderful trip back to the Psychedelic era and onward into the 21st Century! Hendrix was a century ahead of his time. He dressed,played guitar and dreamed with every color of the rainbow. He is the Pablo Picasso of rock music!

Led Zeppelin was also a blues rock band,with such a powerful sound,that they were impossible to ignore. They were also simply a force of nature. Jimmy Page was the guitarist,and he is my favorite guitar player. Zeppelin's catalogue can be a little deceiving,because many of their songs are based on very simple and powerful riffs. But underneath,there is a brilliant layering of sound,that no other band has ever matched. Page is a brilliant stylist on the guitar. He can create an endless assortment of sounds and moods with his instruments. On Dancing Days,he makes the electric guitars sound like an actual choir,with familiar sentiments and emotional exclamations,all told in a lively and humorous way! This is one of my favorite songs,and there's nothing on the planet like it,before or since. The guitars are layered in an irresistible fashion,crying out like actual voices and then going into higher octaves,for an emotional climax. It's real musical magic! Page is a genius! Over the Hills and Far Away is another masterpiece on the album Houses of the Holy,which I believe is their greatest album. This song is the most intriguing and brilliant combination of acoustic and electric guitars that I have ever heard! Again,the basic guitar riff is quite simple,but underneath it,Page creates a beautiful symphony of sound,with interconnected guitar parts,so dynamic and fulfilling,it's easily a century ahead of its time! As we grew older,waiting for the next Zeppelin album was always very exciting. I remember listening to Presence on one of the rock stations,with my two little brothers,and holding my breath before each guitar solo. Now that was a magical time! It doesn't get any better than that!!

Going to see Led Zeppelin was certainly the most exciting musical moment of my life. We got a ride to the Spectrum in Philly,because we were still too young to drive. You could feel the excitement in the air the minute you took your seat. We were pretty high up in the top section of seats,but we were there! When the lights dimmed,every person in the audience sighed and took a deep breath. The anticipation was almost over! And when Bonham hit his first drums,it was like an earthquake of uproarious cheering that exploded and nearly blew the roof down! Then Jimmy Page danced out onto the stage,playing the power chords of Rock and Roll,and Plant quickly joined him to sing the first verse. None of us moved an inch for the entire song!

When Page stepped forward for his first guitar solo,the audience once again took a deep collective breath. And a spotlight went right onto his guitar as he played that fast and crisp funky style that only he could play! They performed many of their most popular songs like Whole Lotta Love and Dazed and Confused. There was a strange smelling cloud of smoke that began to float throughout the Spectrum. We were just starting to learn about pot;hey,it was the 70's! They played a fair share of their new double album Physical Graffiti,which my friends and I already knew by heart. They also played one of my favorite songs, Over the Hills and Far Away. When Page played the main electric riff,he bent his knees and leaned down in that very cool way as he powered through it. And the solo was even more breathtaking! From that night on,I knew I had witnessed a piece of rock history. It was truly epic!!

I was very lucky to have young parents that were very tuned into popular culture and popular music. I remember listening to the big hit "Hold Me,Thrill Me,Kiss Me" by Mel Carter on the radio at home with my parents. It was a wonderful song with a big backup chorus. We rented a beautiful row home in Germantown. The front common steps went up and then different steps went to the left and right,leading to the two doors of each home. Thus, the front doors were opposite each other, giving the homes two layers of front windows. The inner window facing the street was cozy, and I remember my Dad putting a window fan onto the window sill. How I loved the sound a fan made, all my life! My Dad bought me my first album,Beatles'65. Beatles'65 is a Capitol Records version of Beatles songs. Side one was basically identical to side one of the Parlophone release Beatles for Sale. It's a strong,wonderful side of music that includes the powerhouse vocals and beat of Lennon's No Reply and his acoustic confessional I'm a Loser. Besides all of McCartney's obvious achievements over the years, it's here in the early years where he proves himself as the greatest backup vocalist in all of rock! His high harmonies on these Lennon songs are simply breathtaking. Lennon may have still been the leader of the band at this point, but McCartney was and remained the actual glue that kept the Beatles at such a high level. All of his backup vocals, throughout the Beatles catalog, are simply brilliant! Baby's in Black and I'll Follow the Sun are also on this side,as is Lennon's dramatic cover of Chuck Berry's Rock and Roll Music. Side two gets even better, with Capitol's own mix of the number one hit I Feel Fine! Capitol added a lot of reverb and made it sound even bigger. I Feel Fine has one of the great electric guitar riffs of all time, along with an early use of feedback. It was a brilliant invention from Lennon! The riff is built right into the 3 bar chords of each dramatic intro and then also forms the foundation of each verse. This huge Capitol version was the mix we all listened to for decades,until Past Masters was finally released!

I remember watching The Ed Sullivan Show with my parents and grandparents. This was a wonderful show on Sunday nights,that showcased all of the new musical acts of the time. The Beatles made their conquest of America on this show! There were other great acts that appeared on this show,such as Diana Ross and the Supremes. The Supremes were huge, and their fame came close to the Beatles at that time in the mid-sixties. They were an exciting all female vocal group,and they had many hits that totally rocked out with the astounding session musicians of Motown studios! Their great hits include,"You Can't Hurry Love" and "Reflections". The Supremes were glamorous, talented and beautiful. They had it all. When they appeared on Ed Sullivan, each performance was a major event! The Mamas and Papas looked and sounded different from any other band. They were a great folk rock vocal group that had huge hits like "California Dreamin'" and "Monday,Monday"! They had a big sound and they were led by composer John Phillips, who sometimes wore a big leather hat when performing on Ed Sullivan. Denny Doherty was the chief male singer and his vocals are breathtaking! Cass Elliot was the dominant female singer and had a one of a kind set of pipes! Michelle Phillips completed the foursome. They had wonderful harmonies and big vocal productions. Their music,along with most 60's music, put out a real positive vibe,and that's why people loved music back then!

And then there was the Monkees! They were corporate America's answer to the Beatles,and somehow,it worked! They were the first,and the best prefabricated boy band in musical history. The Monkees was a zany and silly half hour show,with so much energy, it was irresistible. The opening song was probably the best thing about the show,along with the other musical numbers. Along with the Beatles, the Monkees perfected the new art form of music videos! My favorite thing about the show back then was the spiral staircase they had in the middle of their apartment. The Monkees were all good singers. Micky Dolenz, who sings hits like "I'm a Believer" and "Last Train to Clarksville", is most definitely one of my favorite singers! They eventually learned how to play their instruments better and actually became a "real" band. It's a fascinating story indeed.

The Beatles,however, were always at the forefront of the rock scene, and I remember watching the Shea Stadium concert live with my Mom and baby brothers. The concert made a real impact on me, and the highlights were Paul singing I'm Down and John, Paul and George singing I Feel Fine and Ticket to Ride, which is my favorite Beatles record. With a thick layering of electric guitars and an overall amazing and big production, and with Ringo in top form on the drums, this song was light years ahead of its time. Once again, Lennon comes up with a brilliant guitar riff, played with an open A chord. There are a few brilliant little tricks on this track! Lennon's vocal is unforgettable as is McCartney's harmony. On top of this, Ticket to Ride had a more mature subject matter than most Beatles songs up to this point. This is the peak for me; of all human history? Maybe not. But when it comes to making the perfect record, the Beatles came closer than anyone else. Only a few other artists, like Stevie Wonder, would also come so close to perfection on a record. And I remember watching the two movies A Hard Day's Night and Help on TV with my family. I remember the beautiful harmonies of If I Fell and the scene on the train when Lennon sings and plays the harmonica on I Should Have Known Better. Yes, the Beatles and their director Richard Lester, did invent the music video. The Beatles helped invent the 60's. It was a time of high hopes and many new trends, dreams, experiences and new ways of looking at things. Their impact cannot be underestimated, whether you love them or not. They were talented, entertaining, funny and cool! When they broke up in 1970, we all had to grow up and move on. The 70's was a great time anyway, with many great singer songwriters, and great hard rock bands, like Zeppelin and the Who! The Beatles legend would only grow, up until this day!

Before I go back into the 70's, I have one more interesting story to tell. Our first stereo that my parents and I shared, actually looked like a piece of furniture, and all of the components were fully enclosed and connected. It had white colored wood with a tan design. In my last spring in Germantown, my Dad bought me the Beatles album Sgt.Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. For some tragic reason, our stereo stopped working, so I had this beautiful and colorful fold out album, with wonderful art work and lyrics, but I couldn't play it! I remember reading the lyrics and trying to imagine what the songs would sound like! It seemed like a lifetime, and we actually may have moved to Ardmore during this episode. Anyway, the repairman finally came and fixed it, and I got to listen to what many people believe is the greatest rock album of all time. The album was quite brilliant, filled with imaginative images and colorful and different sounds. The musicianship was very sophisticated and the pauses between each track were split seconds! The opening track starts with the sound of an audience and a band tuning up. The intro is unforgettable and the title track is a real rocker that hooks you immediately. This leads right into Ringo's theme song, With a Little Help From My Friends. The electric guitars and bass sound very crisp and clean, and the responsive vocal verses of John and Paul reach new heights in harmonic invention and performance. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds is Lennon at his psychedelic best and Paul's harmony at the chorus is breathtaking. Getting Better is a Paul composition and an ironic look at trying to be optimistic, no matter what the odds are. It has a crisp and pronounced rhythm guitar with high notes screaming out in optimism,in spite of the dark lyrics!  And the vocals by John,Paul and George are simply joyous. This is a song that can really hook you. When Paul sings "It's getting better all the time", John and George sing back "Can't get no worse".  Side two has The Lovely Rita and Lennon's A Day in the Life, which is an epic acoustic rocker with a nice backup piano. It eventually turns into a breathtaking rock symphony, filled with modern angst and boredom; a true 20th Century masterpiece! Sgt.Pepper was a new high point and helped lead the way into the psychedelic era. The Beatles would reach new heights on their final masterpiece album Abbey Road, but Sgt. Pepper was a great leap forward for the rock genre!

After the shocking breakup of the Beatles in early 1970, the world had to learn how to move on. Though I was still quite young, I somehow discovered the Jethro Tull album Aqualung. This was my first exposure to progressive rock. Tull was a formidable rock band with exceptional musicians. They combined elements of folk, blues and jazz into their style of playing. The title song Aqualung has one of the greatest guitar riffs ever! The riff follows each verse all the way through, and becomes more dramatically embellished and symphonic with each new verse, building and building to a climax. The song also features an interesting acoustic interlude, before going back to the main song and rebuilding to another final climax. Ian Anderson is the flamboyant leader of Tull and an obvious intellect that writes profound lyrics. He is the lead singer, and the flutist and acoustic guitarist for the band. Anderson and Tull are a one of a kind band, with a very original sound, thanks in part to Anderson's wonderfully dramatic flute playing and his amazing writing. They have a powerful, yet sophisticated sound. Aqualung was a groundbreaking album! I'm not sure how I discovered them, but I'm so glad I did. There were other great rockers on this album, including Cross-Eyed Mary and Locomotive Breath. I remember endlessly playing the album on my new black stereo in the living room of my house in Ardmore. Our house sat back from the street and was surrounded by grass. It was a great house for playing loud music. My friends and I soon discovered their album Benefit. Benefit also features some classic guitar riffs, such as Teacher and To Cry You a Song. As on many Tull songs, when Anderson adds his flute to the riff on Teacher, the entire song becomes so much more dynamic, with a totally original sound, never made by any other band!

Our house in Ardmore sort of sat in the middle of the block. At the back, there was a driveway that went up a hill and led us to Ardmore Avenue. Right across the street was the Ardmore Public Library. After watching cartoons and Gilligan's Island and the Munsters after school, my brothers and I would go do our homework at the library. There were a lot of college kids and graduate students that lived in Ardmore, and one night we met an older fellow named Harvey. He was a nice clean cut guy with a nice button shirt. He was pretty tall and very polite. He was probably in his early to mid-twenties. To us, he was a real grownup. Anyway, we hung out with him at the library, and started to talk about music. Harvey was crazy about the Rolling Stones song Wild Horses. He simply thought it was the greatest thing ever done. It was a track from the 1971 album Sticky Fingers. We got a real kick out of discussing music with an older dude, and we had quite a few laughs with our new friend. Wild Horses was a real departure for the Stones. It's a real peaceful folk and country rock song, with some lovely acoustic and electric guitar work. It certainly is some type of peak. Harvey showed us that the song was great, and we appreciated his opinion. We didn't see much of him after that one year, but it's still a nice and innocent memory, way back when the sky was always sunny and the future always bright!

There were big things happening on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean also! The great American Songbook had a big infusion of life injected into it, when the great American band Chicago came onto the scene. Chicago had a big sound that was like nothing anyone had ever heard before, and a big reason for this was from their permanent brass section. This new sound seemed almost revolutionary for its time. It brought so much more color and flavor to the airwaves! Some of the members' names like Robert Lamm, Peter Cetera, James Pankow and Terry Kath, are synonymous with the great composers and musicians of the 20th Century! Here was a group of composers that produced a stunning array of big hits and classic songs. Their debut album was a double album and featured the timeless classic Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? This is a one of a kind masterpiece that somehow reflects and conveys the hustle and bustle of a modern city during rush hour; a truly magnificent musical achievement. The narrator assures us that everything isn't what it seems, when he states in the chorus, Does anybody really know what time it is, does anybody really care? It's a brilliant musical theme of just shrugging off the whole rat race, and learning to smell the roses! The song starts off with a beautiful early morning trumpet solo, and then builds up into a hectic day in the city, but the narrator remains oblivious to the useless chaos. This is a wonderful work of art, and one of the finest songs ever written!

Their debut album featured other classic songs, such as Questions 67 and 68 and Beginnings. Chicago Transit Authority was an album every hot-blooded young teenage boy had! I'm a Man was a cover song, and featured an epic bass guitar by Peter Cetera and an even more amazing electric guitar from Terry Kath. One of rock's truly great guitar solos is played by Kath on the song 25 or 6 to 4, which is on their memorable second album. Make Me Smile is their groundbreaking and energetic masterpiece from their second album. Once again, Chicago captures a mood that can't be resisted. It's a wonderfully exciting anthem of optimism and modern love. Its amazing physicality of instrumentation reflects the high energy of a modern and expressive lifestyle, one in which positive thinking is the only way to pursue love and happiness! It starts off like a modern symphony, with a wondrous horn introduction; and then goes into the main song. Make Me Smile also features one of the greatest instrumental middle sections ever recorded. This features some serious electric guitar strumming by Terry Kath, along with his great solo. With an ending that sounds like a John Philip Sousa March, Chicago proves how versatile they are every step of the way! Terry Kath sings the lead vocal, and his deep and funky voice adds a sense of realism unmatched in modern music! This hit single made radio exciting again!

Chicago would go on to release great hits and classic songs right through the rest of the 70's and beyond. Just a small sampling of their songs sounds like a list of the greatest songs ever written; Make Me Smile, Colour My World, Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?, 25 or 6 to 4, Just You "N" Me, Old Days, If You Leave Me Now, Feelin' Stronger Every Day and last, but not least, Saturday in the Park! Robert Lamm's Saturday in the Park is another brilliant portrait of American life. It paints a wonderfully sentimental picture of a sleepy Saturday at the park. The listener can actually walk into the song and feel like they're in the park too! Driven by beautiful and dramatic piano chords, this is a totally original anthem of peace and love. It's an idyllic remembrance of being in the now, and feeling the magic and joy of the outdoors, with its beautiful hills and trees and all the good vibrations of a modern lifestyle. One line, A man selling ice cream, singing Italian songs, is so nostalgic and so colorful, it makes the entire song irresistible! It's an upbeat and colorful rendering of a now bygone time of innocent optimism and sheer wonderment. It's such an original song, but has a totally easy and natural flow to it. In spite of this, it is a highly complex and impressive composition. Chicago recorded commercial music, when commercial still meant good and high-quality. They are America's most accomplished and greatest band. When I hear them on the radio, a deep and special part of my heart opens up each time!

When Cat Stevens burst onto the music scene in the early 70's,his spiritual passion and intimate emotion was groundbreaking. His naturally beautiful and deep voice had a spiritual longing and emotional immediacy that was new to popular music. His songs were written in a simple way,but were also quite classic and profound. He sang and played guitar as if he was performing from heaven.(Only George Harrison could also write and sing on such a spiritual level.) It seemed music history became frozen in time when Stevens first came on the scene and achieved great success with classic hits such as Wild World, Peace Train and Morning Has Broken. His songs were pure and his albums very Beatles-like in their perfection. He found a muse that led him to create such classic albums as Tea for the Tillerman and Teaser and the Firecat. He set a whole new standard for the folk-rock genre.

Wild World was one of his biggest hits,and it is a stunning song on many levels! When you first hear that opening A minor being strummed on the guitar, you know it's Wild World. Not many artists have such an overwhelming signature. Cat Stevens made it all look easy! The chords and lyrics of this song form a perfect partnership. The song is a cautionary lecture to a younger girlfriend,who has decided to go out on her own,"But if you wanna leave take good care,hope you have a lot of nice things to wear,but then a lot of nice things turn bad out there." And then the wonderful chorus,"Ooh baby,baby,it's a wild world,it's hard to get by just upon a smile...". Wild World is filled with wisdom,love and regret. As in other Cat Stevens songs, the narrator is speaking to a younger and less experienced person and trying to teach them a little lesson about life. It's a truly moving and poignant piece of writing and one of the all-time classic folk songs ever written!

Other great and unforgettable songs of his include Miles From Nowhere, Father and Son, Morning Has Broken, Moonshadow, Longer Boats, Changes 4, If I Laugh, Peace Train and Bitterblue. Peace Train starts out with one of the most recognizable acoustic guitar riffs in rock history! It's a wondrous anthem for peace and love,and sung with great passion. He sings,"Now I've been happy lately,thinking about the good things to come,and I believe it could be,something good has begun,oh I've been smiling lately,dreaming about the world as one,and I believe it could be,some day it's going to come...". It's a moving song of optimism! And then the wonderful chorus,"Oh peace train sounding louder,glide on the peace train,ooh aah ooh aah,come on now peace train,yes peace train holy roller,everyone jump upon the peace train,ooh aah ooh aah,come on now peace train...". Like all great works of art,these songs sound like they were always meant to be,and they come from a deep and spiritual place. They are beautiful creations,simple yet profound.

In Bitterblue, the narrator questions fate itself, in one of the most poignant and dramatic folk songs of all time. This song has all of the great signature traits of a classic Cat Stevens song,with a real good beat! He sings,"I gave my last chance to you,don't hand it back to me bitterblue,no bitterblue. Yes,I've done all one man can do,don't pass me up oh bitterblue,my bitterblue..." This is a truly great drama for a folk song, on almost a Biblical scale. When I first heard this song,my life changed forever. This is the impact great art has on us. There's no other statement in rock music with such spiritual yearning and poignancy.  In the chorus,he sings,"Cause I've been waiting a long time, Aeons been and gone, Looking at the horizon, for my light to dawn...". This is one of my favorite songs! These beautiful and simple melodies and profound poetic statements set a whole new standard for modern songwriting! Indeed, time stood still for Cat Stevens, and it still does!

Being the oldest of 3 boys and coming from a broken family, the one way I seemed to benefit was in getting sent to numerous day camps and even a few overnight camps. My 2 younger brothers didn't experience the camp thing, because by the time they came of age, they were set in their ways and quite independent. Anyway,my Dad got some older kid to drive me to camp each day one summer. The happiest day for me that summer was the last day of camp. I really was a homebody,and I just wanted to hang around at home. The kid that drove me each morning was a college student and he was a son of one of my Dad's customers. My Dad was a hairdresser. Needless to say, on a sleepy late June day, with clouds and drizzle, the last thing I wanted to do was go to camp.

As we cruised along Montgomery Avenue, Elton John's Rocket Man came onto the radio. It was an irresistible rock ballad with a beautiful piano and Elton John's wonderful voice. It was a story about a lonely spaceman who just wanted to be back down on Earth with his family. The lonely song complemented my lonely mood just perfectly, and featured a wonderfully dramatic Beatles-like chorus that is irresistible! Elton John had a very pure British voice, much like John Lennon had. The similarity of their singing styles is quite profound! Elton John had a very clean and crisp singing voice, much like Lennon, with a very expressive and stimulating tone. Like Lennon, his vocal chords were very well tuned and powerful. Riding to camp on that lonely and dreary morning was a wonderful way to discover Rocket Man and the true brilliance of this most wonderful artist. Even the electric guitars sounded super-sonic, just like a rocket ship! It took the damper out of my foggy mood. This is what great music can do for you!

Elton John brought the fun back into rock music. It had been gone since the Beatles disbanded. He was a logical continuation of the magical and colorful music that the Beatles had produced. His music was also filled with wonderful melody and colorful lyrics! The baton had been passed! There are so many unforgettable Elton John songs! Here was one of the great songwriting partnerships in music history. Bernie Taupin wrote the brilliant lyrics, while Elton John wrote the beautiful music and performed the songs. Their child-like passion and fascination for life is both endearing and highly contagious to the listener of their music! This is an unmistakable example of the lyrics coming first method of writing, and a great reason to try doing it this way yourself!

Elton John's music is the soundtrack of my late childhood,my teens and beyond! His music was always stimulating and high energy. I always found the song Levon very intriguing. It's a moving coming of age tale, between a father and a son, and a colorful story about life and letting go. The presentation builds up to an emotional climax and becomes simply epic! Daniel is another one of a kind rock songs. It's a sentimental remembrance of an older and adventurous brother named Daniel. The image of Daniel waving goodbye from the window of a jet plane is very cool;it's just one of those unforgettable lines from a rock song! Of course, he's on his way to Spain! This song features some of the smoothest sounding organ work that I have ever heard! The vocal is impeccable! This song may contain the most perfect stanza in rock music. John sings,"Daniel is traveling tonight on a plane, I can see the red tail lights heading for Spain, Oh and I can see Daniel waving goodbye, God it looks like Daniel,must be the clouds in my eyes." If there's a better lyric than this by any group or artist, I haven't found it yet! John sings out,"Daniel you're a star,in the face of the sky." All younger siblings feel like their older sibling is a star! The unforgettable lyrics, when combined with John's voice and music, is simply classic! Sheer beautiful poetry!!

Crocodile Rock is an ode to an older time in rock and roll; a sentimental remembrance of a bygone time with a bygone beat. It features some wonderfully ironic lyrics, "But the years went by and Crock Rock died, Suzie went and left us for some foreign guy,long nights crying by the record machine,dreaming of my Chevy and my old blue jeans". Do any of these things sound familiar? This is all about the pain of growing up and letting go of one's youth, but John somehow makes it all fun and filled with magical nostalgia. This is a charming and energetic big hit song with all of the right ingredients to make it one of my sentimental favorites! It features an amazingly wonderful retro guitar riff and a killer retro chorus of,"la....,la,la,la,la,la,la,la,la,la,la,la,la,la,la,la." It also features a charming carnival organ to add to the other worldliness of this older era. This song is just pure joy and may be one of the most fun and lovable singles ever released! Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting is a serious electric guitar rocker and perhaps his heaviest song. It's a great song about just hanging out and looking for trouble. It captures the drama of teen angst at the local bowling alley just perfectly!

The list of wonderful songs goes on seemingly forever! Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is the Moon River of rock. A simply unforgettable melody; this song features impeccable piano work and perhaps the most complex and perfectly flowing melody in the history of rock. It's a very sentimental song about wanting to go back to an older and more simple and happier time. It's a subtle and poetic indictment of big city fame and empty celebrity and success. This is where the yellow brick road seemed to lead to, but after all is said and done, it was maybe not the greatest path to take. John states,"I should have stayed on the farm. I should have listened to my old man". Now, we all know this was the hardest thing in the world to do, but our fathers did have the wisdom we really craved for! In the chorus John sings,"So goodbye yellow brick road,Where the dogs of society howl,You can't plant me in your penthouse,I'm going back to my plough". This is beautiful poetry! The chorus builds up to a dramatic and melodic crescendo in unforgettable fashion! Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is the title track to John's classic double album, which is now regarded as his masterpiece and contains some of his more colorful songs such as Bennie and the Jets and Grey Seal. And over the years more great and epic rock ballads followed such as Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me, Someone Saved My Life Tonight and Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word,all written with brilliant musical and lyrical wisdom!

Tiny Dancer comes very close to being an actual symphony! The song has 4 distinct melodic sections, with exceptional bridges and transitions. It starts out with a beautiful piano phrase, which repeats itself throughout the song and is used as one of the major bridges of the separate sections. As the song builds up, there are actual strings and a choir in the background, making the song very sentimental and memorable. Taupin's lyrics are a nostalgic remembrance of a past lover. They encapsulate a homage to the free-spirited late 60's and early 70's. John sings,"Blue jean baby,L.A.lady,seamstress for the band, Pretty eyed, pirate smile,you'll marry a music man, Ballerina, you must have seen her, dancing in the sand." Tiny Dancer is also a road story with movement and memorable images. It's a moving love story, but it's John's and Taupin's genuine love of life that makes their songs a celebration of the poignancy of life!

Elton John brought a pristine and refreshingly original sound to the pop music scene. His voice and style were unmistakable and irresistible! He made listening to radio fun again, and he created a Beatles-like universe of sights and sounds, with help from his brilliant lyricist Bernie Taupin! John picked up the pieces of our lost childhoods, and rebuilt for us a new life of musical adventure and intrigue. Just that image of Daniel waving to us from a jet plane headed for the south of Spain is enough to put this songwriting duo on the same level as any other duo, including Lennon and McCartney! John's hit songs never disappointed us, and his career has lasted more than most! He made us happy with his musical surprises and he filled our hearts with a lot of love!!!!

Before I get back to the Beatles, I just wanted to name some artists that actually came into their own after 1980! We always loved the Police and I went to see them play live twice in 1983 and 1984. My wife and I still have very fond memories of those 2 concerts. I've also always been a fan of Van Halen, and I consider Eddie Van Halen one of the truly great guitarists of all time! I've also always been a fan of the Jacksons and of course, Michael Jackson, who is a truly fascinating artist! Way back in the 90's, I became a big fan of Shawn Colvin. Her album A Few Small Repairs has some real masterpieces on it! Get Out of This House is played in a minor key, and it is very Beatles-like in its sheer brilliance of sound and tempo.Wichita Skyline is also a real gem. It's so laid back and so beautiful. This is a wonderful artist to be reckoned with! She ended my 20th Century on a very high and lovely note!