Customer Reviews

Common Bond

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When this album was released, I had the pleasure of seeing MANY Ides shows in the Chicago area and the live performances of these songs are ingrained in my soul. This was/is the finest band from Chicago, hands down. As a drummer in a Chicago horn band myself, each new member of my band was taken to an Ides show and told that this was as good as it gets.
"Friends of Feeling" has always been my favorite Ides song and it is a shame that it has not worked its way into their current set list, but to hear it remastered in all of its glory makes up for that. Truer words about the inner workings of a band on the run were never written.
Although "Ogre" is not listed as one of the bands favorite songs, it has its charm and Mike Borch's drumming is flawless. The riff reminds one of "New Day Yesterday" from early Jethro Tull.
Currently a favorite of local Chicago radio, thanks to DJ Bob Stroud's resurrection of the song a few years ago and always a fan favorite of current Ides shows, "L.A. Goodbye" is as beautifully crafted as a song can be. Expert harmonies and thoughtful lyrics make this one unforgettable.
"Hymn for Her" shows the quiet and plaintive side of songwriter Peterik and beautiful performances from the whole band.
Even though the lyrics to "Mrs. Grayson's Farm" have frayed a bit at their patched denim edges, it is a fun romp through the whole 70's rock pantheon. It still evokes a smile.
"Superman" was the obligatory followup to "Vehicle" and all in all, holds up well with a brilliant middle eight. It is still performed occasionally with tongues planted firmly in cheeks.
Poco meets The Association on "We Are Pillows" for a playful uptempo tune about young love. Quote of the year-"Here we lie in a common place, not worried 'bout time, not worried 'bout the space- With nothing on but Doctor John and a pair of newfound smiles" is too rich.
The band shows their great versatility with "Prelude to Freedom" and "Freedom Suite" by shifting gears several times throughout and bringing about a harmony laden climax unparalelled by other bands of the time.
As the incense and patchouli drench our senses in "Tie-Dye Princess", take a moment to realize what a beautifully crafted piece of music this is. Enjoy the now retro lyrics as Mr. Peabody takes you on a trip with his time machine. Live, this song was a tour-de-force and still stands out as an example of rock brilliance.
For those who were not able to see this band live in the day, experience the Common Bond shared by these great performers on this CD and by all means check out theidesofmarch.com for this years model and make a point of catching all of these same performers breath life into their beautiful catalogue.
Needless to say, I love The Ides of March and this album is one of my favorites of all time.
Thanks to Collector's Choice for doing such a beautiful job of bringing this to the fans, old and new
RC McWilliams

An album I've been hoping to find on CD for several years. Not a great album by any means, but a good find regardless, one that should have sold much better than it did back in 1971. In fact, I bought the single of "LA Goodbye" when I was a kid, and I'm still trying to figure out 37 years later why it wasn't a big hit. If you like the horn bands of the early '70s - Blood Sweat & Tears, Chicago, Lighthouse, Chase - then you'll enjoy this.

If you're like 99% of music fans then you equate The Ides of March with one song - 1970's 'Vehicle'. I'm guilty as charged. I didn't even know this album (their second studio set), existed for years.

Co-produced by Vic Destocki and Frank Rand, 1971's "Common Bond" wasn't a major change in musical direction for the group. Anyone who enjoyed the debut album's pseudo-Blood, Sweat & Tears moves was going to be fairly happy with this collection. That said, this time out Jim Peterik and company made a couple of attempts to expand their musical horizons - nothing too drastic, but exemplified by tracks like 'L.A. Goodbye' and 'We Are Pillows' it was clear the band had been listening to plenty of FM radio, in particular soft rock bands like American and Crosby, Stills & Nash. Personally, I enjoyed the change in direction, but those tracks were simply too far and few to make much of a difference. Adding to the problem, again responsible for all of the material, this time out Peterik seemed to have slacked off in the song writing arena; only four of the ten compositions making much of an impression (and one of them 'Superman" sounded like a re-write of 'Vehicle'. Regardless, Peterik's voice remained a treasure; one of the few guys who could really pull off a blue-eyed soul performance.

- The opening guitar chords momentarily left you wondering if this was a new direction for the band, but then the horns kicked in and the song took on a familiar direction and sound. Peterik sounded fine, but the track would have been far stronger without the fussy horn arrangement. Not sure why the song faded out early ... rating: ** stars
- 'Ogre' saw the band trying to toughen up their sound with an emphasis on electric guitar, Unfortunately the jazzed-up horn charts came off sounding uncomfortably like a Blood, Sweat & Tears number; that comparison underscored by Peterik's vocal which sounded uncannily like David Clayton Thomas. rating: ** stars
- 'L.A. Goodbye' was a major change in direction. Showcasing a breezy melody complete with strumming guitars and some wonderful harmony vocals, this one sounded like a cross between early America and Crosby, Stills & Nash. Quite commercial, it was easy to see why Warner Brothers tapped it as a single. rating: **** stars
- Opening up with some martial trumpets, 'Hymn for Her' quickly devolved into a sappy ballad. It may have been commercial, but that didn't make it enjoyable. rating: ** stars
- 'Mrs. Grayson's Farm' was kind of a mess - basically it sounded like a series of song fragments stitched together into a semblance of a final song. The fuzz guitar segment was nice, but this was another track that would have been better without the horns. rating: ** stars
- Previously released as a single, 'Superman' sounded like a blatant attempt to cash-in on the 'Vehicle' formula (something Petrik has readily admitted to). As is usual the case, the re-write simply wasn't as good as the original. rating: *** stars
- For a long time I didn't believe Peterik handled the lead vocal on 'We Are Pillows'. The sound was just sooo different from his normal raspy delivery (and I'm a huge fan of the man). As mentioned above, this was another CS&N-inspired number which showcased the band's wonderful harmony vocals (and stood as one of the few songs with an understated horn arrangement - it didn't kick in until the end of the track). One of the album highlights. rating: *** stars
- An acoustic ballad, 'Freedom Sweet' sounded absolutely nothing like Ides of March the horn band ... nice. rating: *** stars
- Clocking in at just under 12 minutes, 'Tie-Dye Princess' found the band at their most experimental. Yeah, the lyrics haven't aged all that well and yes, the horns were back, but this one was surprisingly entertaining. With a strong melody, Peterik seldom sounded as good. He also turned in a tasty jazz-tinged guitar solo, and the song again served to showcase some excellent CS&N-styled harmony vocals. rating: **** stars



As mentioned above, the album was tapped for a pair of singles in the form of:
- 1970's 'Superman' b/w 'Home' (Warner Brothers catalog number 7043)
- 1971's 'L.A. Goodbye' b/w 'Mrs. Grayson's Farm' (Warner Brothers catalog number 7466) # 73 pop

Worth looking for since you can still find it on the cheap, but if you're only going to buy one Ides of March LP go for the debut.

"Common Bond" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Friends of Feeling (Jim Peterik) - 3:49
2.) Ogre (Jim Peterik) - 4:14
3.) L.A. Goodbye (Jim Peterik) - 2:51
4.) Hymn for Her (Jim Peterik) - 4:03
5.) Mrs. Grayson's Farm (Jim Peterik) - 5:19

(side 2)
1.) Superman (Jim Peterik) - 3:01
2.) We Are Pillows (Jim Peterik) - 3:14
3.) Prelude to Freedom (Jim Peterik) - 0:26
4.) Freedom Sweet (Jim Peterik) - 3:31
5.) Tie-Dye Princess (Jim Peterik) - 11:38


The band are still active and have a nice website at:
[...]

I got this purely because I know the group for their hit Vehilcle; AND this CD is out of print, so when I saw it selling for 12.95 and the next used copy at 4 times the price, I had to get it. It was a good impulse buy. This is a good jazz-rock group, more in the vein of B,S, & T than Chicago, which is to say there are not as many frenetic instrumental jam sections, and many of the songs are more pop-oriented. However, the band is good and their songs grow on you quickly. The Highlight is Tye-Dye Princess, a 10 minute plus song with great instrumentation and very nice vocals. Hard-rocking songs like Ogre and Superman are also very good, reminiscient of Vehilce. Overall a great CD if you're into Chicago or B,S, & T or Lighthouse. Hihgly recommended if you can find a reasonably priced copy!

Its' about time that this album is released. This was a follow-up of the famous Vehicle album. It seems that Warner Brothers dropped the ball when they didn't promote the Ides of March. There are many great songs on this album. But I feel that the most overlooked song, "Superman", is the best on this CD. This CD brings back the quality that performers used to have. The Ides of March (Jim Peterik, Larry Millas, Mike Borch, Bob Bergland, Chuck Soumar, John Larson, Dave Stahlberg and Scott May) still provide that type of quality of music that we all need. Now, let's get World Woven and Midnight Oil released!