Sunday 14 July 2013

California Transit Authority - Sacred Ground



Transitory Name

As Chicago ‘lost’ their Transit Authority surname after the release of the band’s classic and outstanding debut double album, it was perhaps fair game for it to be appropriated now for the second outing from California Transit Authority, the band founded by former and original Chicago drummer Danny Seraphine. Joined by guitarist Marc Bonilla, and obviously a host of others, the test of how well this collective wears that appellation with its new geographical location is in the horn section – playing and orchestration – and I think it delivers with an impressive representation of a familiar past. Of course, this outfit’s sound is also more a reflection of the AOR sound of Chicago [like the saccharine penultimate track Go On], post the first three albums, but if you like that you’ll like this. Instrumentals like fifth track Primetime and eleventh In The Kitchen [both superb] echo that rock big band sound best, and there is an interesting cover of I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know, the song made famous by their ‘rivals’ and other key fashioner of this genre, Blood, Sweat and Tears. Bonilla cuts some fine solos throughout a number of the tracks, and Seraphine’s drumming is, as one would expect, a powerhouse core to the lot. 

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