technically - or musically? - speaking
As many people I know know, I've been a rather loyal fan of Peter Cetera's music for a very very long time. Some might have even called me obsessive for a while there. But times change, and as such, I've branched away from his music quite a bit. Over the past few years, I've gone from listening almost ONLY to his music to listening to it as rarely as I once listened to anything else. In other words, I've branched out, and happily so. There's a lot of great music out there! My ears opened to new worlds of talent, of musical genius, of new styles, instruments, vocals, and lyrics. There are no regrets whatsoever, and I feel no disloyalty. After all, it was Peter's musical talents that caught my ear in the first place and gave me a long repertoire of music to analyze, dissect, and downright enjoy.
Yet I cannot help but notice his voice sail out of store speakers, out of the multitudes of radio waves, or out of the window of a passing vehicle. His voice has always been distinct, and of course I know it well! I also have a little bit of an affinity for audio cassettes. There's something more homey about them. Maybe it's just because I grew up with them and the very first album I ever bought was Chicago 17 on tape. I learned how to mix my own tapes before I ever saw a computer. And they somehow seem to sound better than anything digital. A musician guy I know told me once that digitizing music actually does do something to the analogue sound of a song, but I can't remember what it was. Maybe that's a part of it.
Regardless, every now and again the occasion strikes and I plop a tape into the deck. I tend toward Sony for all my serious musical needs because in my opinion they have the best sound of anything I've ever heard. Hey, Sony, that's free and voluntary advertising for you... like to donate one of your products? Seriously, if Sony had mp3 players back when I bought my little Creative MuVo, I may even have veered that way... now, that's called divided loyalties - Creative is my other kudo despite less of a history. Hey, free advertising for them, too. LOL Anywho, back to the subject at hand - what is my point again? I think I was going to comment more on Peter Cetera's music.
Indeed, nothing quite equates to Peter's work. Despite all my musical adventures, I keep coming home to my roots. I swear I've found music that seems to me to be more technically correct, or more creative in some way. In fact I know I have. Yet there's a deep feeling of excitement and gratitude that resonates within my being whenever I hear a Cetera tune. It can be one of my favourites, or even one I don't know as well, and the moment the bass starts in, the tempo kicks up, and Peter's voice shoots over the air at my waiting ears, I'm floored by the gentle intensity of my feelings for it all.
Perhaps it's just because his music is so familiar to me now. Or maybe part of my old obsession refuses to die. Or maybe despite all the technical possibilities he never quite reached like some others have, maybe, just maybe... he's got something the others don't. Where others have the perfect drum lick, or the perfect riff, Peter's got that extra oomph that marks the song as his and makes it something you want to keep coming back to again and again and again. Despite the perfectionistic advances in musical technology, there are some things that just can't sound better than Peter Cetera. Technically speaking, I don't see Peter as the most perfect musician. Musically, however, he still rules my musical world.
A breath of fresh analogue air in today's digital society if you will.
Yet I cannot help but notice his voice sail out of store speakers, out of the multitudes of radio waves, or out of the window of a passing vehicle. His voice has always been distinct, and of course I know it well! I also have a little bit of an affinity for audio cassettes. There's something more homey about them. Maybe it's just because I grew up with them and the very first album I ever bought was Chicago 17 on tape. I learned how to mix my own tapes before I ever saw a computer. And they somehow seem to sound better than anything digital. A musician guy I know told me once that digitizing music actually does do something to the analogue sound of a song, but I can't remember what it was. Maybe that's a part of it.
Regardless, every now and again the occasion strikes and I plop a tape into the deck. I tend toward Sony for all my serious musical needs because in my opinion they have the best sound of anything I've ever heard. Hey, Sony, that's free and voluntary advertising for you... like to donate one of your products? Seriously, if Sony had mp3 players back when I bought my little Creative MuVo, I may even have veered that way... now, that's called divided loyalties - Creative is my other kudo despite less of a history. Hey, free advertising for them, too. LOL Anywho, back to the subject at hand - what is my point again? I think I was going to comment more on Peter Cetera's music.
Indeed, nothing quite equates to Peter's work. Despite all my musical adventures, I keep coming home to my roots. I swear I've found music that seems to me to be more technically correct, or more creative in some way. In fact I know I have. Yet there's a deep feeling of excitement and gratitude that resonates within my being whenever I hear a Cetera tune. It can be one of my favourites, or even one I don't know as well, and the moment the bass starts in, the tempo kicks up, and Peter's voice shoots over the air at my waiting ears, I'm floored by the gentle intensity of my feelings for it all.
Perhaps it's just because his music is so familiar to me now. Or maybe part of my old obsession refuses to die. Or maybe despite all the technical possibilities he never quite reached like some others have, maybe, just maybe... he's got something the others don't. Where others have the perfect drum lick, or the perfect riff, Peter's got that extra oomph that marks the song as his and makes it something you want to keep coming back to again and again and again. Despite the perfectionistic advances in musical technology, there are some things that just can't sound better than Peter Cetera. Technically speaking, I don't see Peter as the most perfect musician. Musically, however, he still rules my musical world.
A breath of fresh analogue air in today's digital society if you will.
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