10 Albums: Chicago Transit Authority

My first concert was seeing Chicago play Memorial Hall in Kansas City, KS. The band, previously known as Chicago Transit Authority (only to have the real Chicago Transit Authority threaten legal action if the name wasn't changed), by that point had released three double albums and a multi-disc live album from their multi-night appearance at Carnegie Hall in New York.

This first album stands out as Chicago's best. The original lineup of Terry Kath, Robert Lamm, Danny Seraphine, Walt Parazaider, Lee Loughnane and James Pankow brought a sound to rock-and-roll that was similar to Blood, Sweat & Tears, but with more rock influence given Kath's guitar playing prowess. (Jimi Hendrix once famously told band members that "he (Kath) is better than me!" Kath died in 1978 of an accidental gunshot wound to the head.)

This debut album was yet another great record from 1969. It was unique in that it was a double album--unheard of at the time for debut albums. The album netted a Grammy nomination for the band and stayed on the Billboard 200 chart for 171 weeks, beating the previous record of 155 weeks for a rock album's longevity.

Initial sales of Chicago Transit Authority were slow but FM radio helped push out songs that would be later released as singles--"Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?," "Beginnings," and "Questions 67 and 68." All made it to the Billboard 100, eventually, with "Time" and "Beginnings" both reaching number 7 on the chart.

I loved this band's early work given the blend of horns, guitar, keyboard and drums. Their initial focus on politically-focused lyrics evolved into a softer, ballad-heavy sound that helped the band sell over 40 million units--one of the most successful U.S. rock bands ever. It's the early stuff, though, that is still listenable today for me.

Chicago Transit Authority--another album from my formative music-listening years.

10 Albums: Who's Next

I could make an argument that Who's Next is the greatest rock album of all time. The Who's 1971 album is the only vinyl that I literally wore out through repeated plays.

My love for The Who began through a high school friend who saw them play Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas and came away a devotee. I initially fell in love with Tommy, the band's 1969 rock opera album that was hailed by critics and was the foundation for The Who's 1970 set at Woodstock. (The band, scheduled to appear prior to Jefferson Airplane at the festival on Saturday night, August 16, 1970, did not play until 5:00 a.m. on Sunday morning given the disorganization and chaos of the event. To this day, surviving band members Pete Townsend and Roger Daltrey have only negative things to say about Woodstock and their performance there.)

The following year, Who's Next was released and became an immediate hit. The songs on the album were part of an aborted Townsend project called Lifehouse, which was another Townsend rock opera that was to be a follow-up to Tommy.

The bombast of The Who is on full display on Who's Next. A better band live than in studio, this album captured drummer Keith Moon's flailing attack on his drum kit, Daltrey's voice at the peak of its range, bassist John Entwistle's steady complement to Moon's tempest, and the genius of Townsend displayed through both song and guitar. Every song on this album stands the test of time. And, to the dismay of some fans, that's been proven out in how many songs from Who's Next have shown up as music tracks for television shows or commercials.

I finally got to see The Who perform in December 1975 at Kemper Arena as part of The Who By Numbers tour. The band was in its original format and did not disappoint given that they played a 23-song set that included Baba O'Riley, My Wife, Behind Blue Eyes and Won't Get Fooled Again.

Who's Next--album number two on the list of my 10 most influential albums.

10 Albums: Led Zeppelin II

Yes, I know you saw the headline and probably thought, "Wait--isn't that the Facebook thing where a friend challenges another friend to name 10 albums?" Yep, you're right, but this iteration of the game is to go into a bit more depth on each selection in my top 10.

These are the albums that influenced my taste in music--the ones that I play over and over and that are foundations for the various playlists on my Spotify account.

The first is Led Zeppelin II. And, in my history of love for music, my biggest regret is not seeing this band live.

Zep II was released on October 22, 1969--the year when my consumption of music moved from AM radio, and top single cuts, to vinyl albums. Zep II wasn't the first album I purchased (that distinction goes to Three Dog Night's first release) but was the first where I had this need to get to the local record outlet right now to check out the vinyl that included "Whole Lotta Love."

The album came on the heels of Led Zeppelin, the debut release, which was released in January of the same year. Rarely has a band had two initial albums with the punch and virtuosity of these two releases. The second album went to #1 on the U.S. charts and knocked The Beatles' Abbey Road off that perch, which in the late '60s was unprecedented given John, Paul, George and Ringo's hold on the album and singles charts.

Six of the nine cuts on II were written by Zeppelin; the other three ("Bring It On Home, "Whole Lotta Love," and "The Lemon Song") were Chicago bluesmen standards or inspired by the same.

For me, II was an opening into the world of hard rock--of Robert Plant's shriek and Jimmy Page's guitar licks. And, of course, there was John "Bonzo" Bonham. For this kid who aspired to be on stage playing drums, Bonham and Keith Moon were my standards--the guys who I wished I could be in order to experience the high of setting the foundation for a band of that magnitude.

Led Zeppelin II--the first album in my set of 10 that impacted my lens into the role of music in my life. Led Zeppelin II is the first album in the soundtrack of my life.

My Dad

My father died five years ago today. He was 83.

I miss him every day. Yet, I am thankful that he's not here as I fear that he and I would have major disagreements on the state of our country.

My father was a conservative. He was unwavering in that conservatism. He believed that you either chose one side or the other and had little time for moderates who, in his mind, straddled the issues of the day.

For all of his conservatism and strength of opinion, my father was soft-hearted. His emotions would pour out when seeing his grandchildren or hearing of their exploits. He was fiercely devoted to his wife, and to me, and enjoyed when the broader family would gather. He loved to tease and no one was safe from his digs, be it wife, son, daughter-in-law, parents, parents-in-law, nieces and on and on.

I learned much from my father. But, what's striking to me is how much my children took away from their time with him and my mother.  While it takes a village to raise a child, it certainly helps when grandparents add to and complement the direction provided by parents.

My father's memory was waning fast in the days and weeks prior to his passing. His body had failed him long before. Seeing his mind falter was something that would have been hell to continue to observe.

I miss him. I am blessed to have had him as my Dad.

The View...via Zoom

Who knew that "zoom" would become not only the name of product but a verb, and a verb not in the sense of speed or movement?

It's been awhile, friends and followers, and I apologize for being AWOL. You see, there's been a lot going on in our little ol' world that's been a bit distracting.

So, in keeping with that general distraction and "new" normal, here are some random observations about life, both professional and personal, through staring at a computer screen all day and then shifting senses to what's coming through the telly, bluetooth speaker or on the turntable.

+ I read a blog post by Diageo's Andrew Geoghegan earlier this week, in which he wrote, "Hire for mindset: curious, culturally connected, provocative, bold, innovative, objective and collaborative." That's one of those lines that I wish that I had written as I agree completely--being around the curious is what spawns great insight, thinking and, ultimately, action.

- Is there anything more damning as to our state of affairs than the fact that the wearing of a mask is now a political issue and split by party lines? Please...please--listen to science and wear a mask. The spread of a virus only slows if all of us listen to science.

+ Is there a better song of lost love than Sinatra's rendition of "One For My Baby (And One More For the Road)?"

- Why did someone have to come up with the term "social distancing" when, in reality, being socially distant is the last thing that we need at this time? "Physically distancing" is more appropriate. Don't distance yourself socially--reach out, connect, reconnect, even if not physically in proximity to one another.

+ Billions on Showtime. Watch it.

- "Zoom fatigue." It's a thing, yet...

+ ...I have reconnected with friends and colleagues across the country because of the wonder of Zoom technology. It's been a conduit for connection in as personal a way as possible in these times.

- Mike Gundy. C'mon man, v1...

+ You don't have to be a country fan to respect the incomparable success of Garth Brooks, both in album sales but also in his uncanny ability to sell out venues across the world. I strongly recommend the two part documentary series on Brooks on Netflix titled "The Road I'm On."

- C'mon man, v2 = Major League Baseball.

+ And, finally, this bit of truly anecdotal "research." I have, through my work, consistently asked colleagues in other businesses how they and their teams are doing. To a person, the common theme is "productivity is higher than ever." Will that productivity continue as the stay-at-home situation continues for many? Who knows...but isn't this a testament to the reality that an office is not a necessity for achieving results?

Stay well, dear readers. Be safe.

Let's go move mountains

A friend and colleague of mine - Andy DiOrio - recently reached out and told me that he was using some of this work-at-home time to sharpen his professional development skills. His question to me was "What would be the three best practices or learnings you've found in leading your teams?"

He went on to say that his three are:

Be insightful. "Find out what motivates each team member as it will offer insight into what levers to pull or be sensitive to."

Be flexible. He said that early in his career, he thought all had to be managed a certain way. Over time, he's learned flexibility to accommodate life and work conditions, which positively impact engagement.

Be clear. "If the assignment isn't getting done, plainly lay out/re-emphasize the importance of he project and the consequences of not being done."

I believe that all three of those are very important in order to be an effective leader.
- I'm a big believer in 360 evaluations or similar tools to help mine insights into what motivates each team member.
- So too do I work with each team member to understand their needs in order to find flexible solutions  that will boost efficiency, productivity and a positive culture.
- Finally, clarity goes directly to communications. The best leaders I know are the ones who are always crystal clear with their setting of a vision, defining an assignment, and outlining expectations.

How did I reply with my three? Here you go:

Be genuine. If you try to become someone or something that you are not, you'll be figured out immediately. Be yourself, which means knowing yourself - how you're wired, your strengths - and, yes, your tendencies, which can work against you.

Trust is an absolute. I need to trust my teammates and they need to trust me. Without that, greatness cannot and will not be achieved.

Simplify the challenge. It's hard to simplify - sometimes, really hard. It's the role of a leader to simplify the problem and prioritize the needed actions. It's why I love the following Steve Jobs quote: "Simple can be harder than complex. You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it's worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains."

Let's go move some mountains. Be well. Be safe.

(Check out Andy at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adiorio/)

"How are you doing?"

"How are you doing?"

That question has been the opening for every meeting that I and my colleagues have had over the past three weeks. It's a mandatory as we have all agreed to care for each other, hear each other, and make our personal story one that others know so that we, in this time of #alonetogether, can truly help and care for one another.

Some of us are actually dealing with the disease. Others are one degree of separation from someone who has the disease. Others are dealing with the physical isolation of living alone.

Everyone - everyone - has a story as we collectively deal with COVID-19. And, those stories are now expanding every week--job loss, salary cuts, business impacts, canceled events, closing businesses.

We will come out of this. Yet, I also know that "normal" will not be life as we knew it. The impact has been too vast. The learnings will, I trust, be taken to heart by leaders in business, sports, the arts and politics. (Or, at least, I hope...)

And, while the need for "social distancing" may make its way into our future life. I'm warning you now that I plan to do a lot of hugging--of friends, colleagues and the unexpecting, once we come out of our respective homes. It's been too long since I've truly seen you all.

"How are you doing?"