I agree 💯 I've seen some great Guitarists in my life time SRV, Randy Rhodes, Eddie Van Halen Jimmie Page and others. This Solo is my favorite. I always come back to Terry. ❤
One can still make a strong case 50 years on, that the late, great Terry Kath stands alone as the GOAT as a Master of Guitar. His soulful voice is icing on the cake. The greats Hendrix, Page, and Walsh each marveled at Terry Kath. These and other pioneers of the craft accomplished this without the multitude of analog effect pedals, loopers, etc., or their later digital equivalents … their imagination, Innovation, improvisation as well as composition ability stand as testament of the greatness in the guitarists of the 60s and 70s. They stood upon the shoulders of greats from blues, jazz, and rock and roll guitar of the previous generation and raised the bar to a point where only a few greats have since approached. Usually when I speak to those making a living with guitar about the great Terry Kath, the end their praise with saying “I wish we had more of his work. We lost him way too soon.” His recordings and films preserve his magnificent talent, thankfully, but I do wonder what might have been. R.I.P. Terry Kath 🙏
The day Terry Kath died was the day Chicago lost at least 50% of its upside. He was just and incredible guitarist, but it is a testament to the remaining band members that they were able to go on and have such a successful and long stint as a band without him. One thing you don't see in this video in regards to Terry Kath, is that he was perhaps the best guitarist I've ever seen at playing absolutely mind-altering guitar riffs while at the same time singing.
It says everything about Terry Kath that he blows out that mind bending solo, but then he's right back in the pocket. He was a man who knew how to shine, and let his bandmates shine too. One of a kind.
Terry Kath is certainly one of the most underrated guitarists of all time and doesn’t even show up on most underrated guitarists lists. But it was none other than Jimi Hendrix that was blown away by Kath’s unique off-the-charts playing, on full display here is this video, live from 1970. Chicago was an unknown band, opening for Albert King at the Whiskey, a club in LA. Hendrix caught their set and went backstage with Mitch Mitchell to praise the group and stated that their guitarist, Terry was better than him. Snooty guitar wankers often challenge that Hendrix ever said this, but Jimi backed it up by taking Chicago on the road as his opening act shortly thereafter. This led to instant success for Chicago and 12 straight platinum albums in the 70’s alone, starting with their iconic debut “The Chicago Transit Authority” which is honored in the Grammy Hall of Fame.
To blow your mind further, you MUST react to "I'm a Man," recorded live-in-studio for their first album, "Chicago Transit Authority." In truth that entire album is a masterpiece. Unfortunately, the guitarist, Terry Kath, died in 1978.
I love watching when a "reactor" has no idea what's coming. It's good fun. Hendrix commented that "Terry Kath was the best guitarist that he had ever seen" and that performance you just watched is Terry Kath in Beast Mode. You should check out "I'm a Man" from the same concert (it's here on the 'tube). Cheers.
"...No idea what's coming..." you're right. That's the best part. RIP Terry Kath and Jimi Hendrix; (and at LEAST half of everybody whose great music I grew up listening to).
@@antoniocarlin5026 I remember CTA form from when they first hit the airwaves and have been a life long fan. It was right around the time that this video was posted that I learned who Terry Kath was.... I never heard the name before. His solo in this video is nothing short of spectacular, That day, his stream of consciousness came out of his guitar. If you watch the whole concert, you will see that Danny was replacing a symbol (maybe it broke?). In an attempt to keep things moving, Terry went into the opening riff and Peter and Robert joined in. When Danny finally got things in order, Terry turned up the volume to create feedback and let it rip. I've watched a lot of videos of this song and this is the only one with this opening and that inspired sole. I am so glad I found it. If you haven't already, check out the special "Chicago: The Terry Kath Experience" on Amazon Prime. This concert was in July of 70, Hendrix died in September or 70. To think that if Jimi lived longer, he and Terry would have likely worked on a project together. I can't even fathom what would have been like. Terry Kath is my guitar hero.
Major goosebumps!!! All over! I know the song, but every time I hear this it does something with me. Fabulous combination of guitars and trumpet/sax... And the musicians, the pleasure exploded from the faces playing this. Absolutely phenomenal.
A great choice of songs...especially this concert version. Kath was amazing...you get the feeling that he'd never run out of ideas..."8 more bars" was nothing to him. As a child of the 70's and 80's, I loved all of Chicago's stuff back then, collecting all their albums (cassettes), but my admiration for Kath didn't come until recent years when I finally got to see him more on YT. Unfortunately, Chicago is perhaps best known for their commercial hits in the 80s, the slower ballads around the Chicago 16/17/18 albums where everything became so focused on Peter Cetera and the Karate Kid movie soundtracks. I'm not one to say that was all bad, but it did overshadow the magnificence of their earlier Kath era songs. Just a great band...and a great reaction!
Peter Cetera is the lead singer and bass player all through early Chicago including this song. I saw them many times 68-71 and most recently in 2016. Terry not only was a top rated guitar player, he was leading the band into Rock. Once he died, the record studios wanted love songs.
A reporter was doing an interview with Jimmy Hendricks and the reporter asked Jimmy " how does it feel to be the best guitar player in the world"? Jimmy answered, " I don't know, you'll have to ask Terry Kath". That guitar player you just heard play with Chicago, performing 25 or 6 to 4, was Terry Kath!
I love to watch the amazement on people’s faces when they hear how good Chicago really is. Best group to come out of the 70’s. Peter Cetera is an amazing singer and Terry Kath was killer on guitar.
CHICAGO, was a great band. All were top one musicians. This whole concert at Tanglewood is one the top concerts I've witnessed on UA-cam. Thanks for this reaction Rhueban. 25 or six to 4, had to do with the time of morning they wrote this song and an actual event
@@candicescott7176 Terry Kath, the lead guitarist, didn't. He is self taught but comes from a musical family. He tried to take lessons once and couldn't. lol And I know Peter Cetera, the bass player, has a jazz background, but any more than that I don't know. In any event, they are all amazing musicians!,
IVE HEARD THIS CONCERT HUNDREDS OF TIMES AND WHEN I SEE IT AGAIN ITS LIKE THE VERY FIRST TIME !! THE BASS GUITARIST WAS DOING VOCALS / THE HORNS AND THE LEAD SOLO HAS GOT TO BE THE GREATEST EXHIBITION OF PLAYING NO. 1
Mr. Terry Kath on lead guitar. When first hearing Terry Kath play, Jimi Hendrix was quoted as saying that he thought Terry Kath played guitar better than he did. It was later on reported that Jimi Hendrix also called Terry Kath the “Best Guitarist in the Universe.”
No disrespect to Terry Kath from me but Hendrix said that about a few people. Said it about Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top. Hendrix was a humble dude who had great respect for fellow musicians. And yep Terry Kath is a helluva guitar player. Chicago was done after his death as a great rock band.
I saw this video for the first time about 2 months ago. I was stunned by the guitarist and the fact that I'd never seen it before that time. The song was a big hit when I was a youngster. Finding hidden gems is a reason I like UA-cam so much.
And this, Ladies and Gentlemen, is how you do a reaction video. You watch it, without unnecessarily interrupting it every 5 seconds and then show your reaction. It's not quantum physics. It's simple. But most people don't get it. This gentleman does.
When this album came out I was fourteen or fifteen years old so four years later when I was on my own and making a living this was one of the first albums I bought. The lyrics, "25 or 6 to 4, should i try to do some more," have several interpretations. More Cocaine? More housework? I am sticking with more song writing. These guys were good and one of the few rock bands who always had BRASS!
The song was (generally) about writing a song, being up late and being on a creative roll. It refers to him looking at the clock and thinking "is that what time it is?" He looked at the clock and saw damn near 4 a.m. and thought "is it 25 or 26 minutes to 4? Should I stop or keep on going?" If you're an artist or musician you KNOW what that's like. (There MAY have been some blow involved ... it was 1970).
This was very awesome. I've heard the song from time to time, and they said it's Chicago. I kind of grew up listening to them, but only on MTV. It was so different. This must be their best song. Great video, Ruben. Love the channel.
Hi Ruben, Love your reaction to this one. They truly don't make 'em like this anymore. This concert was recorded during the year of my high school graduation and this is one of my favorite performances on YT. The simplicity of the stage set up, no lights, no costumes, no fog machines, no fire pits. Just a group of young guys with awesome talent having a great time sharing it. The name "25 or 6 to 4", I read in a YT clip some time ago, comes from an offhand comment made by one of the people in the recording booth while they were working on their second album. I'm paraphrasing. It was in the middle of the night and they needed one more song to finish the album. They were apparently having a lot of trouble coming up with a decent song. One of the guys in the band asked what time it was. The answer from the booth: "It's 25 or 6 to 4". You have to understand how we Americans mangle the language. The proper way to express the statement would have been, "It's 25 or 26 minutes until 4:00." The way it was stated apparently engendered quite a bit of laughter and inspired the band to keep working. This is the song that they come up with. If you ever decide to revisit Chicago I would suggest the song "I'm A Man" from this same Tanglewood concert, 1970. All 3 lead singers take different verses and it's quite enjoyable. RIP Terry Kath. We miss you still.
Thanks Andy Goodall for this request, so I'm not the only Patron requesting at times some stuff from before Ruben's coming of age. I'm a fan of early Chicago but probably wouldn't have tossed it at Ruben until getting through a bunch more other stuff (more Outlaws, more Rush, and some bands Ruben likely still hasn't heard). But this is good stuff.
That song came off their 1st album in 1969. The were initially called the Big Thing. Changed their name to Chicago Transit Authority. After a lawsuit from the city bus system for using their name they then became Chicago. The horn players were all graduates from DePaul University's school of music.
OKAY! Awesome song. I love this one. Thanks. I love this track. This was one of the bands the older kids would listen to when I was in grade school. In '71 we had moved to Maine from Connecticut and I was half way through first grade. My oldest brother is ten years older, and this was the stuff everyone his age was listening to. ...and at the time the extended guitar solo was so much the rage...great stuff. Glad you enjoyed it. 🤘 Thanks for the heart. Yeah, I can remember a lot of the music from the early seventies... my oldest brother loved American Pie. My second brother, seven years older, liked BTO at the time and Three Dog Night. Both of them liked Deep Purple and I fell in love with that band. I can remember riding with my brothers to the car salvage parts place listening to early Alice Cooper on eight track...but that was probably a few years later. ...and then toward the end of the decade everybody started talking about a new guitar player named Eddie Van Halen and everything started changing...but that was the younger crowd mostly...and about '78 I fell in love with a scrappy Punk band called Blondie and I've been chasing down good female rock vocalists ever since. Thanks again. You've got a great channel.
OK... this was on my reel to reel tape collection. Together with CCR, Foghat Kansas, Frantic, April Wine and all of these late 60.s early 70.s great rock bands... moved to a cassette tape and then road music for long drives...
Bob Seeger The Guess Who Doobie Brothers Cheap Trick Crosby Stills & Nash & Young Peter Frampton Dire Straits Supertramp Boston Styx Foreigner Eric Clapton Eagles Santana Eddie Money Bad Company John Fogerty
If you enjoyed the shredding on "25 or 6 To 4" from that Tanglewood concert, listen to the studio version on Chicago's second album for a comparison. and the studio version of "Poem 58" on their debut album "Chicago Transit Authority". Also listen to Kath's vocals & guitar on "Introduction" and "Make Me Smile", vocals on "Colour My World", "Once Or Twice". Kath could play lead, rhythm, and sing lead vocal all at the same time! Rest in peace, Terry you were the best!
Excellent \m/ THANK YOU! Glad to see this specific LIVE song reaction. Always, always astonished to see & listen to this concert footage. R.I.P. Terry Kath I had suggested this one for different reaction channels, but somehow they ended up reacting to the studio version instead. This was a real treat 🖒🖒
25 or 6 to 4 was said as they sat in the studio in the middle of the night trying to come up with one more song idea. Sitting on the floor, someone asked what time it was. Instead of saying 3:34 or 3:35 am, they said it the other way.
I hope you have gotten to hear the studio version by now. The audio is much more pristine. The notes of the guitar solo from that studio version is permanently recorded in all our brains.
It’s strange how the mind will remember the words to songs. I was 7 years old when this came out and I’m 56 years old now (but I’ll be 57 in a couple of weeks) and I grew up listening to rock music, including Chicago. I haven’t actually heard this song for years but I still remember the words. I wonder if the group (band) thought this song would have the positive reaction it has today in 2020 (50 years after it came out)?
Ik hou van Chicago. One of my favorite groups. I lived in Holland for four years. I’m American. I played several Chicago songs for my friends in Holland. It helps that I learn to speak the language. I had a great time. I still miss Holland and will visit in the next year or two.
Chicago, as they ended up calling themselves, after starting out the first couple of years as "CTA, or "Chicago Transit Authority" were a band that slowly morphed from a down and dirty/gritty Band, into a more pop/am radio friendly Band that featured a horn section, and vocally pleasing sound. The clip you just played, featuring the great "Terry Kath" on lead guitar, is from the period when they were still playing with a raw and gritty sound. I preferred their early sound, to the more refined sound that came later.
Actually, they shortened the name to Chicago after the real Chicago Transit Authority threatened to sue. That was after the first album in 1969 (they formed in 67 as "The Big Thing"), Also, they had horns when they started, saxophonist Walter Parazaider, , trombonist James Pankow and trumpet player Lee Loughnane. They described themselves as "A rock and roll band with horns".
My first time seeing you on UA-cam and was not surprised at your reaction as they are an amazing band. I have subscribed to you and look forward to seeing what other bands you react to!
The song is about the writer being on acid. (studio version). It was 6 minutes to 4am... and he was trying to write his 25th song. "Should I try to do some more...."... etc. ;-) Listen.
Fantastic to have video of Chicago playing live! I'm also a big believer in album tracks, like Lennon. Kath's solo on this song, ( Chicago, their second album, ) is tasty. Group had two incredible singers, Kath and Cetera. Lamm was good but for bluesy vocals, Kath killed.
The funny thing is he started as a bass player! I always drawn to old Chicago . I have grown up in the early 80s hearing Chicago on the radio countless times
Great reaction.I .jIMI loved Terry"s playing .I attended an early concert in "I think " 1970 at Cornell University. I believe it was close to or during that same tour., a completely awesome show.
Jimi Hendrix heard them play one night where was appearing. He went up to Terry Kath and said "you're a better Guitar player than I am" and asked them to open for him on his road tour.
I saw this (early) Chicago band three times - Terry Kath's nephew was a roomate of mine too. Each musician was an A+, and Jimmy Hendrix once said that Terry Kath was a better guitarist than he was (they toured together). This band may have represented the most talented concentration of musicians, in all of rock.
in related trivia "They ( Led Zeppelin) performed over 600 concerts, initially playing small clubs and ballrooms and then, as their popularity increased, larger venues and arenas as well. In the early years of their existence, Led Zeppelin made a concerted effort to establish themselves as a compelling live music act." so people who say he was sloppy should find 300 or more concerts where he was sloppy in a remarkable way.
I think people forget the fact that Terry was not only the greatest guitar player of all time but his voice on Brand New Love Affair and others like Little one , Dialogue and many others he has a unique blues / soul voice like no one else ! The perfect musician of his time
Chicago has changed with quite a few personnel changes over the years. The two most critical was when their lead singer quit, (Peter Cetera) and when their lead guitar player died ('Terry Kath).
25 or 6 to 4 refers to the time of the morning. The song is about spending all night trying to create a song, with no luck. The time on the clock was 4:35 AM or was it 4:36AM? So what did they do? They wrote a song about their song writing troubles.
The original name of their band was the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA). However, they had to change their name to Chicago because the city sued them for using the name of its mass transit system (Chicago Transit Authority).
Oops hit sent too soon....so the time 3:34 or 3:36 could actually b referred to as “25 or 26 to 4:00 o’clock”...... but when abbreviated, people in Chicago say “25 or 26 until 4:00” .... or “25 or 6 to 4” ..... hope this helps explain the meaning ...
You can tell that you were very young and you knew nothing about this band I grew up with this painted and it was absolutely mind-blowing when you listen to these guys your hair would stand on end with their music just absolutely mind-blowing and 100 million LPs they well deserved it
kurtisle Jimi wasn’t “scared” of any guitarist. He didn’t have an ego to fear another guitarist. Bad call on your part. Jimi not only praised Terry Kath, but he always praised guitarists and other musicians of the time. He first met Terry when Chicago opened for Jimi
Brings back some great memories of when I first saw this when I'd never heard of Terry Kath.. a few folk asking if I was OK afterwards apparantly as I was looking well and truly dumbstruck (more so than usual) for quite a while, imagine having a certain mr Hendrix as a bit of a fan of yours! Such a bleedin' shame he died so young, imagine the sort of stuff he would have produced..
For me, this is the best guitar solo (Tanglewood) I have ever heard.
The whole concert at tanglewood and the concerts at the studio were some of the best.
I agree with you 💯 👍 👌
I agree 💯 I've seen some great Guitarists in my life time SRV, Randy Rhodes, Eddie Van Halen Jimmie Page and others. This Solo is my favorite. I always come back to Terry. ❤
One can still make a strong case 50 years on, that the late, great Terry Kath stands alone as the GOAT as a Master of Guitar. His soulful voice is icing on the cake. The greats Hendrix, Page, and Walsh each marveled at Terry Kath.
These and other pioneers of the craft accomplished this without the multitude of analog effect pedals, loopers, etc., or their later digital equivalents … their imagination, Innovation, improvisation as well as composition ability stand as testament of the greatness in the guitarists of the 60s and 70s. They stood upon the shoulders of greats from blues, jazz, and rock and roll guitar of the previous generation and raised the bar to a point where only a few greats have since approached. Usually when I speak to those making a living with guitar about the great Terry Kath, the end their praise with saying “I wish we had more of his work. We lost him way too soon.” His recordings and films preserve his magnificent talent, thankfully, but I do wonder what might have been. R.I.P. Terry Kath 🙏
The day Terry Kath died was the day Chicago lost at least 50% of its upside. He was just and incredible guitarist, but it is a testament to the remaining band members that they were able to go on and have such a successful and long stint as a band without him. One thing you don't see in this video in regards to Terry Kath, is that he was perhaps the best guitarist I've ever seen at playing absolutely mind-altering guitar riffs while at the same time singing.
It says everything about Terry Kath that he blows out that mind bending solo, but then he's right back in the pocket. He was a man who knew how to shine, and let his bandmates shine too. One of a kind.
Terry Kath was an incredible under rated guitarist.🎼🎶🎵
THE GREATEST EVER too
More like unappreciated. If Jimi Hendrix says you are the best guitar player he has ever seen, that's insane. Everyone should know who Terry is.
Terry Kath is certainly one of the most underrated guitarists of all time and doesn’t even show up on most underrated guitarists lists. But it was none other than Jimi Hendrix that was blown away by Kath’s unique off-the-charts playing, on full display here is this video, live from 1970. Chicago was an unknown band, opening for Albert King at the Whiskey, a club in LA. Hendrix caught their set and went backstage with Mitch Mitchell to praise the group and stated that their guitarist, Terry was better than him. Snooty guitar wankers often challenge that Hendrix ever said this, but Jimi backed it up by taking Chicago on the road as his opening act shortly thereafter. This led to instant success for Chicago and 12 straight platinum albums in the 70’s alone, starting with their iconic debut “The Chicago Transit Authority” which is honored in the Grammy Hall of Fame.
1983 asshole
Terry Kate was the best. To think he accidentally shot himself in the head so young! May he rest in peace!
To blow your mind further, you MUST react to "I'm a Man," recorded live-in-studio for their first album, "Chicago Transit Authority." In truth that entire album is a masterpiece. Unfortunately, the guitarist, Terry Kath, died in 1978.
Nothing beats Tanglewood. One of the greatest gigs any band ever.
I love watching when a "reactor" has no idea what's coming. It's good fun. Hendrix commented that "Terry Kath was the best guitarist that he had ever seen" and that performance you just watched is Terry Kath in Beast Mode. You should check out "I'm a Man" from the same concert (it's here on the 'tube). Cheers.
And after watching that solo how could you argue?
"...No idea what's coming..." you're right. That's the best part. RIP Terry Kath and Jimi Hendrix; (and at LEAST half of everybody whose great music I grew up listening to).
I had a idea this is a FAKE...who dont know Chicago???
@@antoniocarlin5026 I remember CTA form from when they first hit the airwaves and have been a life long fan. It was right around the time that this video was posted that I learned who Terry Kath was.... I never heard the name before.
His solo in this video is nothing short of spectacular, That day, his stream of consciousness came out of his guitar. If you watch the whole concert, you will see that Danny was replacing a symbol (maybe it broke?). In an attempt to keep things moving, Terry went into the opening riff and Peter and Robert joined in. When Danny finally got things in order, Terry turned up the volume to create feedback and let it rip. I've watched a lot of videos of this song and this is the only one with this opening and that inspired sole. I am so glad I found it.
If you haven't already, check out the special "Chicago: The Terry Kath Experience" on Amazon Prime. This concert was in July of 70, Hendrix died in September or 70. To think that if Jimi lived longer, he and Terry would have likely worked on a project together. I can't even fathom what would have been like.
Terry Kath is my guitar hero.
Chris, I refer to this as "you're about to get punched in the mouth and ask for more"
Your face says it all my friend. Stunned disbelief. The late great Terry Kath was from another world!
Major goosebumps!!! All over! I know the song, but every time I hear this it does something with me. Fabulous combination of guitars and trumpet/sax... And the musicians, the pleasure exploded from the faces playing this. Absolutely phenomenal.
A great choice of songs...especially this concert version. Kath was amazing...you get the feeling that he'd never run out of ideas..."8 more bars" was nothing to him. As a child of the 70's and 80's, I loved all of Chicago's stuff back then, collecting all their albums (cassettes), but my admiration for Kath didn't come until recent years when I finally got to see him more on YT. Unfortunately, Chicago is perhaps best known for their commercial hits in the 80s, the slower ballads around the Chicago 16/17/18 albums where everything became so focused on Peter Cetera and the Karate Kid movie soundtracks. I'm not one to say that was all bad, but it did overshadow the magnificence of their earlier Kath era songs. Just a great band...and a great reaction!
Terry Kath: One of the biggest losses in rock music history. Right up there with Hendrix and Stevie Ray.
And now Eddie Van Halen.
Throw Prince on that list as well---a very underrated guitarist
70’s Chicago was amazing, creative, and innovative, then in the 80s they mostly put out super popular, but not very interesting, love ballads
I wasn't into them when Peter Cetera took over the lyrics and lead singer role.
Jerry Lai For sure! While Peter Cetera sounds great here, when he took over the bands style things became less interesting
Peter Cetera is the lead singer and bass player all through early Chicago including this song. I saw them many times 68-71 and most recently in 2016. Terry not only was a top rated guitar player, he was leading the band into Rock. Once he died, the record studios wanted love songs.
Terry Kath WAS the HEART and SOUL of Chicago.After his death in the late 1970's they never were the same.
A reporter was doing an interview with Jimmy Hendricks and the reporter asked Jimmy " how does it feel to be the best guitar player in the world"? Jimmy answered, " I don't know, you'll have to ask Terry Kath". That guitar player you just heard play with Chicago, performing 25 or 6 to 4, was Terry Kath!
I love to watch the amazement on people’s faces when they hear how good Chicago really is. Best group to come out of the 70’s. Peter Cetera is an amazing singer and Terry Kath was killer on guitar.
And Lamm was a terrific writer and props to Pankows brass arrangements. Thanks to Leonid and Friends for making it all seem perfect again
"Beginnings" is highly recommended.
CHICAGO, was a great band. All were top one musicians. This whole concert at Tanglewood is one the top concerts I've witnessed on UA-cam. Thanks for this reaction Rhueban. 25 or six to 4, had to do with the time of morning they wrote this song and an actual event
Ruben
I once heard they all had master degrees in music...or at least the ones that started the group.
Candice, you are correct.
@@candicescott7176 Terry Kath, the lead guitarist, didn't. He is self taught but comes from a musical family. He tried to take lessons once and couldn't. lol And I know Peter Cetera, the bass player, has a jazz background, but any more than that I don't know. In any event, they are all amazing musicians!,
Bobby lamm wrote it all by himself. He carried the band for 2-3 albums cuz he was already a composer
IVE HEARD THIS CONCERT HUNDREDS OF TIMES AND WHEN I SEE IT AGAIN ITS LIKE THE VERY FIRST TIME !! THE BASS GUITARIST WAS DOING VOCALS / THE HORNS AND THE LEAD SOLO HAS GOT TO BE THE GREATEST EXHIBITION OF PLAYING NO. 1
It's amazing that despite the years, this band continues to teach us the meaning of good Feeling,
Chicago🖤
Mr. Terry Kath on lead guitar. When first hearing Terry Kath play, Jimi Hendrix was quoted as saying that he thought Terry Kath played guitar better than he did. It was later on reported that Jimi Hendrix also called Terry Kath the “Best Guitarist in the Universe.”
No disrespect to Terry Kath from me but Hendrix said that about a few people. Said it about Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top. Hendrix was a humble dude who had great respect for fellow musicians. And yep Terry Kath is a helluva guitar player. Chicago was done after his death as a great rock band.
@@brianforgie5515 yeah if that gun was actually unloaded chicago could be death metal by now
The incredible Terry Kath experience! Chicago is an awesome band and one of my favorites of all time.
I saw this video for the first time about 2 months ago. I was stunned by the guitarist and the fact that I'd never seen it before that time. The song was a big hit when I was a youngster. Finding hidden gems is a reason I like UA-cam so much.
This song literally NEVER gets old!
And this, Ladies and Gentlemen, is how you do a reaction video.
You watch it, without unnecessarily interrupting it every 5 seconds and then show your reaction. It's not quantum physics. It's simple. But most people don't get it.
This gentleman does.
Terry Kath was the SOUL of the rock band: "Chicago." AND Terry was also the best 🎸 player ever! Admired by none other than Jimmy's Hendrix.
for me, this is the best solo of all time.
When this album came out I was fourteen or fifteen years old so four years later when I was on my own and making a living this was one of the first albums I bought.
The lyrics, "25 or 6 to 4, should i try to do some more," have several interpretations. More Cocaine? More housework?
I am sticking with more song writing. These guys were good and one of the few rock bands who always had BRASS!
Apparently, it was after a long session in the studio and they were exhausted. 25 or 6 to 4 in the morning.
The song was (generally) about writing a song, being up late and being on a creative roll. It refers to him looking at the clock and thinking "is that what time it is?" He looked at the clock and saw damn near 4 a.m. and thought "is it 25 or 26 minutes to 4? Should I stop or keep on going?" If you're an artist or musician you KNOW what that's like. (There MAY have been some blow involved ... it was 1970).
This was very awesome. I've heard the song from time to time, and they said it's Chicago. I kind of grew up listening to them, but only on MTV. It was so different. This must be their best song.
Great video, Ruben. Love the channel.
The MTV era in the 80s was very pop/ballad heavy. You might enjoy a lot of their 1970s era songs.
Hi Ruben, Love your reaction to this one. They truly don't make 'em like this anymore. This concert was recorded during the year of my high school graduation and this is one of my favorite performances on YT. The simplicity of the stage set up, no lights, no costumes, no fog machines, no fire pits. Just a group of young guys with awesome talent having a great time sharing it. The name "25 or 6 to 4", I read in a YT clip some time ago, comes from an offhand comment made by one of the people in the recording booth while they were working on their second album. I'm paraphrasing. It was in the middle of the night and they needed one more song to finish the album. They were apparently having a lot of trouble coming up with a decent song. One of the guys in the band asked what time it was. The answer from the booth: "It's 25 or 6 to 4". You have to understand how we Americans mangle the language. The proper way to express the statement would have been, "It's 25 or 26 minutes until 4:00." The way it was stated apparently engendered quite a bit of laughter and inspired the band to keep working. This is the song that they come up with. If you ever decide to revisit Chicago I would suggest the song "I'm A Man" from this same Tanglewood concert, 1970. All 3 lead singers take different verses and it's quite enjoyable. RIP Terry Kath. We miss you still.
Thanks Andy Goodall for this request, so I'm not the only Patron requesting at times some stuff from before Ruben's coming of age. I'm a fan of early Chicago but probably wouldn't have tossed it at Ruben until getting through a bunch more other stuff (more Outlaws, more Rush, and some bands Ruben likely still hasn't heard). But this is good stuff.
That song came off their 1st album in 1969. The were initially called the Big Thing. Changed their name to Chicago Transit Authority. After a lawsuit from the city bus system for using their name they then became Chicago. The horn players were all graduates from DePaul University's school of music.
What’s great about UA-cam is seeing stuff or hearing things like this that you’ll never see today
He was writing a song and it was early in the morning - 25 or 26 minutes before 4 am, 25 or 6 to 4. Great tune!
One of greatest guitarists that lived. A sad day when music lost Terry!
"I forgot everything around me when that guy was playing". Perfect statement about that guitar solo. How music should be.
OKAY! Awesome song. I love this one. Thanks.
I love this track. This was one of the bands the older kids would listen to when I was in grade school. In '71 we had moved to Maine from Connecticut and I was half way through first grade. My oldest brother is ten years older, and this was the stuff everyone his age was listening to. ...and at the time the extended guitar solo was so much the rage...great stuff. Glad you enjoyed it. 🤘
Thanks for the heart. Yeah, I can remember a lot of the music from the early seventies... my oldest brother loved American Pie. My second brother, seven years older, liked BTO at the time and Three Dog Night. Both of them liked Deep Purple and I fell in love with that band. I can remember riding with my brothers to the car salvage parts place listening to early Alice Cooper on eight track...but that was probably a few years later. ...and then toward the end of the decade everybody started talking about a new guitar player named Eddie Van Halen and everything started changing...but that was the younger crowd mostly...and about '78 I fell in love with a scrappy Punk band called Blondie and I've been chasing down good female rock vocalists ever since. Thanks again. You've got a great channel.
OK... this was on my reel to reel tape collection. Together with CCR, Foghat Kansas, Frantic, April Wine and all of these late 60.s early 70.s great rock bands... moved to a cassette tape and then road music for long drives...
Mine too. What sound quality my reel to real had. Wow.
Everyone ignores Foghat on reaction channels.....I don’t know why. Same for Seger....
Bob Seeger
The Guess Who
Doobie Brothers
Cheap Trick
Crosby Stills & Nash
& Young
Peter Frampton
Dire Straits
Supertramp
Boston
Styx
Foreigner
Eric Clapton
Eagles
Santana
Eddie Money
Bad Company
John Fogerty
@@ms.chuckfu1088 definitely all greats I listen to still just on my Spotify account!
Insanely good musicianship. Wow.
I saw them live while Terry was still alive. The greatest guitar solo ever. I love Stevie too but Terry was guitar God. So clean and intricate.
If you enjoyed the shredding on "25 or 6 To 4" from that Tanglewood concert, listen to the studio version on Chicago's second album for a comparison. and the studio version of "Poem 58" on their debut album "Chicago Transit Authority". Also listen to Kath's vocals & guitar on "Introduction" and "Make Me Smile", vocals on "Colour My World", "Once Or Twice". Kath could play lead, rhythm, and sing lead vocal all at the same time! Rest in peace, Terry you were the best!
Excellent \m/ THANK YOU!
Glad to see this specific LIVE song reaction. Always, always astonished to see & listen to this concert footage. R.I.P. Terry Kath
I had suggested this one for different reaction channels, but somehow they ended up reacting to the studio version instead. This was a real treat 🖒🖒
25 or 6 to 4 was said as they sat in the studio in the middle of the night trying to come up with one more song idea. Sitting on the floor, someone asked what time it was. Instead of saying 3:34 or 3:35 am, they said it the other way.
He was in a ZONE / HENDRIX STOOD JUST OFF STAGE AND WATCHED HIM PLAY THAT VERY RIFF AND SAID THIS GUY IS THE BEST IN ROCK
Excellent reaction to this spectacular live performance. Bravo.
HENDRIX SAID TERRY WAS ONE OF THE BEST....
Rafael Felan yes...the Best !
He also said the same of Billy Gibbons 🎸🎶
Thank you so much for your appreciation of Chicago in the beginning. I am 65 and have seen them evolve.....but the 70's early 80's were the best.
'
I saw them in concert twice in 2019. So yeah they still tour.
I hope you have gotten to hear the studio version by now. The audio is much more pristine. The notes of the guitar solo from that studio version is permanently recorded in all our brains.
Terry Kath was also in the movie "Electra Glide in Blue" with Robert Blake in 1972. Awesome band.............
So was Peter
Really liked your reaction when Terry Kath started getting in to his solo. Genius guitar work.
It’s strange how the mind will remember the words to songs. I was 7 years old when this came out and I’m 56 years old now (but I’ll be 57 in a couple of weeks) and I grew up listening to rock music, including Chicago. I haven’t actually heard this song for years but I still remember the words. I wonder if the group (band) thought this song would have the positive reaction it has today in 2020 (50 years after it came out)?
I finally watched most if not all reactions to this song/version and yours was one of the best .
Really enjoy your video. I grew up listening to this - you've made me "re-appreciate" it again! Thanks man!
At the end I think it was Jimmy Panko that shouted out to Terry Kath but sounds like he said Take Care.
It was Robert Lamm saying "Terry Kath" to acknowledge that incredible guitar playing on that song
Chicago was a soundtrack of my youth. Performance video was great. "Reaction" was five minutes I'll never get back.
Blistering guitar rif, Holy shit!
Ik hou van Chicago. One of my favorite groups. I lived in Holland for four years. I’m American. I played several Chicago songs for my friends in Holland. It helps that I learn to speak the language. I had a great time. I still miss Holland and will visit in the next year or two.
Chicago, as they ended up calling themselves, after starting out the first couple of years as "CTA, or "Chicago Transit Authority" were a band that slowly morphed from a down and dirty/gritty Band, into a more pop/am radio friendly Band that featured a horn section, and vocally pleasing sound. The clip you just played, featuring the great "Terry Kath" on lead guitar, is from the period when they were still playing with a raw and gritty sound.
I preferred their early sound, to the more refined sound that came later.
Actually, they shortened the name to Chicago after the real Chicago Transit Authority threatened to sue. That was after the first album in 1969 (they formed in 67 as "The Big Thing"), Also, they had horns when they started, saxophonist Walter Parazaider, , trombonist James Pankow and trumpet player Lee Loughnane. They described themselves as "A rock and roll band with horns".
The song is about trying to write a song and staying up till almost 4:00am trying. Great choice!
My god...the expression on your face during Terry Kath's solo....PRICELESS!!!
Hey Rubin, I loved them when I was young, and am a lot older, still love them! Rock On, young dude 😎🍑
My first time seeing you on UA-cam and was not surprised at your reaction as they are an amazing band. I have subscribed to you and look forward to seeing what other bands you react to!
The song is about the writer being on acid. (studio version).
It was 6 minutes to 4am... and he was trying to write his 25th song.
"Should I try to do some more...."... etc. ;-)
Listen.
I always thought it was "(20)5 or (20)6 till 4", to paraphrase. Not that it really matters! cheers!
Fantastic to have video of Chicago playing live! I'm also a big believer in album tracks, like Lennon. Kath's solo on this song, ( Chicago, their second album, ) is tasty. Group had two incredible singers, Kath and Cetera. Lamm was good but for bluesy vocals, Kath killed.
For me, 12 years old and when Terry Kath died I cried. Coming from a musician family. He was the absolute best.
The funny thing is he started as a bass player! I always drawn to old Chicago . I have grown up in the early 80s hearing Chicago on the radio countless times
Great reaction.I .jIMI loved Terry"s playing .I attended an early concert in "I think " 1970 at Cornell University. I believe it was close to or during that same tour., a completely awesome show.
Jimi Hendrix heard them play one night where was appearing. He went up to Terry Kath and said "you're a better Guitar player than I am" and asked them to open for him on his road tour.
They were my favorite teenager band. I played the trumpet in Junior high and this band top notch amazing
One of the most talented group of musicians ever assembled.
"I should have a cigarette". Good one. : )
You are quite right! Kath was brilliant! Chicago's first six albums are all worth a good listen!
I saw this (early) Chicago band three times - Terry Kath's nephew was a roomate of mine too. Each musician was an A+, and Jimmy Hendrix once said that Terry Kath was a better guitarist than he was (they toured together). This band may have represented the most talented concentration of musicians, in all of rock.
BTW, Jimi LOVED Terry Kath. Even gave him a guitar.
in related trivia "They ( Led Zeppelin) performed over 600 concerts, initially playing small clubs and ballrooms and then, as their popularity increased, larger venues and arenas as well. In the early years of their existence, Led Zeppelin made a concerted effort to establish themselves as a compelling live music act." so people who say he was sloppy should find 300 or more concerts where he was sloppy in a remarkable way.
I think people forget the fact that Terry was not only the greatest guitar player of all time but his voice on Brand New Love Affair and others like Little one , Dialogue and many others he has a unique blues / soul voice like no one else ! The perfect musician of his time
Terry Kath was killing it on this song. Great guitar work by the late great Terry Kath (1946-1978).
Chicago has changed with quite a few personnel changes over the years. The two most critical was when their lead singer quit, (Peter Cetera) and when their lead guitar player died ('Terry Kath).
25 or 6 to 4 refers to the time of the morning. The song is about spending all night trying to create a song, with no luck. The time on the clock was 4:35 AM or was it 4:36AM? So what did they do? They wrote a song about their song writing troubles.
About 10 seconds in you looked and smiled. I thought "he ain't even started, just wait".
The original name of their band was the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA). However, they had to change their name to Chicago because the city sued them for using the name of its mass transit system (Chicago Transit Authority).
Oops hit sent too soon....so the time 3:34 or 3:36 could actually b referred to as “25 or 26 to 4:00 o’clock”...... but when abbreviated, people in Chicago say “25 or 26 until 4:00” .... or “25 or 6 to 4” ..... hope this helps explain the meaning ...
( Documentary: "The Terry Kath Experience" 2016) - 50 years later...even more I appreciate getting to live when I did...
Oh man thank you for NOT having to pause. Unreal isn't it?
A great song about trying to write a song. I can listen to this over and over.
Your expressions of amazement and even disbelief says it all. I think it was Hendrix who said he was a better guitarist than himself. Which was true.
The stunned and wordless reaction, reminds me of my first time hearing this beauty. Cheers 🇬🇧 Edit: spelling.
Love your reactions especially from an older person which I am THANK YOU SIR ❤
I kinda liked how he said thank you when he said take care. So polite.
He wasn't saying "take care", he was saying Terry Kath. ; )
That was Lamm on the keyboards saying terry kath
they don't make them like they used to, absolutely right
Hi Ruben, it's 25 or 26 minutes until 4am.
You can tell that you were very young and you knew nothing about this band I grew up with this painted and it was absolutely mind-blowing when you listen to these guys your hair would stand on end with their music just absolutely mind-blowing and 100 million LPs they well deserved it
Terry keith was underrated. I think he was one of theee best guitar players in music. Bummed me out when I heard he had passed away.
Trying to write a song and the time is 25 or 26 minutes before 4 o'clock AM
That look at 6:14 said volumes
Terry Kath was the only guitarist that scared Jimi Hendrix. He was his favorite. The greatest.
kurtisle Jimi wasn’t “scared” of any guitarist. He didn’t have an ego to fear another guitarist. Bad call on your part. Jimi not only praised Terry Kath, but he always praised guitarists and other musicians of the time. He first met Terry when Chicago opened for Jimi
Ha,ha, your expression says it all,shock, disbelief ,amazement! Great song!
up all night writing this song and now it's 25 or 26 before 4 am.....
Bro this solo was epic
Every original member of the band Chicago had a degree in Music.
Brings back some great memories of when I first saw this when I'd never heard of Terry Kath.. a few folk asking if I was OK afterwards apparantly as I was looking well and truly dumbstruck (more so than usual) for quite a while, imagine having a certain mr Hendrix as a bit of a fan of yours!
Such a bleedin' shame he died so young, imagine the sort of stuff he would have produced..
I heard a radio show hosted by Eddie Van Halen where he played his favorite guitar solos from other bands. This was one of his favorites.