“Vehicle” by Ides of March
From the 1970 album Vehicle

This is not really prog… really… but as prog was forming, mostly in the U.K., in 1969/1970, so too was the genre of jazz-rock forming, mostly in Chicago. The styles had a lot in common, at least at the time, though they would diverge over the course of the decade that followed.

The band from that era in Chicago that had the most enduring success was, not surprisingly, Chicago, even though their sound was obliterated changed greatly before they attained their greatest success. Put it this way: I bet you didn’t know Peter Cetera was a pretty badass bass player.

Another Chicago band that didn’t last so long, even though they sounded very similar (if not better) at the time, was Ides of March. “Vehicle,” their biggest hit, still shows up on classic rock radio occasionally, which is where I’ve heard it a few times before. But the reason I’m posting it today is that I just heard it in my neighborhood supermarket, which has recently reinvented itself from a dumpy forgotten third-rate chain store to a semi-upscale independent shop. The quality of their meat has certainly improved, as has the quality of their Muzak.

This video is a modern performance, from 2007, but it’s true to the spirit of the original. Certainly it’s better than Bo Bice’s competent but thoroughly unnecessary cover.