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John Gargo 
Forum Senior Member
Joined: January 26 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 450
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 Topic: Chicago... Where do I Stop?
Posted: November 14 2005 at 18:22 |
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Chicago Transit Authority and Chicago II are cool prog-tinged pop rock albums that I enjoy quite a lot. However, hearing the band's later ballads on the radio depress me and I'm not sure exactly when they "sold out." For fans of this band, what is the last Chicago album worth getting?
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GoldenSpiral
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: May 27 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 3839
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Posted: November 14 2005 at 18:32 |
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As a general rule, do not listen to bands named after cities.
States, however, are OK.
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Sean Trane
Special Collaborator
Prog Folk
Joined: April 29 2004
Location: Heart of Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 19597
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Posted: November 15 2005 at 03:38 |
 John Gargo wrote:
Chicago Transit Authority and Chicago II are cool prog-tinged pop rock albums that I enjoy quite a lot. However, hearing the band's later ballads on the radio depress me and I'm not sure exactly when they "sold out." For fans of this band, what is the last Chicago album worth getting? |
You can keep on safely to Chi 3 and the Live At Carnegie hall> From the 5 to 8th album you will still find excellent moments although they are rarer than before> I advise you to stop and not go beyond 8.
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let's just stay above the moral melee
prefer the sink to the gutter
keep our sand-castle virtues
content to be a doer
as well as a thinker,
prefer lifting our pen
rather than un-sheath our sword
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Dick Heath
Special Collaborator
Jazz-Rock Specialist
Joined: April 19 2004
Location: England
Status: Offline
Points: 12798
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Posted: November 15 2005 at 13:13 |
John Gargo wrote:
Chicago Transit Authority and Chicago II are cool prog-tinged pop rock albums that I enjoy quite a lot. However, hearing the band's later ballads on the radio depress me and I'm not sure exactly when they "sold out." For fans of this band, what is the last Chicago album worth getting? |
CTA , II and III are great rock jazz or brass rock albums, but IMHO little lends itself to pop - they edited down the great 25 or 6 to 4 as a "sure fire hit single" (as they say on the overlong and disappointing IV) but did not succeed. If you want to hear brass rock as pop, check out Ides of March doing Vehicle. The last album with the majority of tracks in the brass rock area, included the pairing of Chicago with the Beach Boys (by manager James Guercio) doing the smooth Wishing You Were Here. Saturday In the Park represents their sell out and is duly cringeworthy, although the later Street Player - especially the alternative version with Chicago backing Chaka Khan, as opposed to the Chicago version with Chaka Khan as guest vocalist - had a good feel. However, avoid like the plague the DVD Chicago By Request, unless you want to see how low a band can go regurgitating favorites without any feeling to fans who lack any critical facilities. The more recent Chicago with Earth Fire & Wind DVD, is better - especially when Chicago join EFW playing EFW hits!
When I pulled a brass rock compilation together 3 years ago and I first asked friends for nominations. I was pointed in the direction of Tower Of Power and Cold Blood, and really enjoyed the Best Of Tower Of Power (Warners) and Cold Blood/Sysyphus (a two for one on Atlantic's Collectibles series). Also check out the mid 90's band Glueleg, for a good brass rock interpretation of Krimson's Red. Of course check out the first two Blood Sweat & Tears albums: The Child Is Father Of The Man and Blood Sweat & Tears.
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Moogtron III
Prog Reviewer
Joined: April 26 2005
Location: Belgium
Status: Offline
Points: 10616
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Posted: November 15 2005 at 13:28 |
GoldenSpiral wrote:
As a general rule, do not listen to bands named after cities.
States, however, are OK.
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And bands that are called after continents? 2 out of 3 times they play melodious pomp rock, I suppose 
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GoldenSpiral
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: May 27 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 3839
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Posted: November 15 2005 at 13:38 |
Moogtron III wrote:
GoldenSpiral wrote:
As a general rule, do not listen to bands named after cities.
States, however, are OK.
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And bands that are called after continents? 2 out of 3 times they play melodious pomp rock, I suppose |
Wow, I wasn't thinking on that grand a scale. I suppose the 2
pomp rockers youre talking about are Asia and Europe, and it's ok to
listen to those in moderation, but I cant think of a 3rd continent
band, unless you consider America a continent.
this is gonna bug me all day. 
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greenback
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: August 14 2004
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 3300
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Posted: November 15 2005 at 13:41 |
alabama
boston
chicago
atlanta (rhythm section)
of montreal
Edited by greenback
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[HEADPINS - LINE OF FIRE: THE RECORD HAVING THE MOST POWERFUL GUITAR SOUND IN THE WHOLE HISTORY OF MUSIC!>
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Dick Heath
Special Collaborator
Jazz-Rock Specialist
Joined: April 19 2004
Location: England
Status: Offline
Points: 12798
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Posted: November 17 2005 at 15:30 |
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The Future Sound Of London's new album has had a good write-up...........................
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Gianthogweed
Forum Senior Member
Joined: August 22 2005
Status: Offline
Points: 224
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Posted: November 17 2005 at 21:42 |
Yeah, they sort of gradually go bad. The rule of thumb is to stay away from any of the albums that came out after Terry Kath died in 1977. Here's my breakdown:
Must Haves (All Great)
Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago II
Excellent Albums (All around good, with some great)
Chicago III
Chicago V
Very Good Albums (Some excellent songs, but a few weak ones, VII is better imo)
Chicago VI
Chicago VII
Good Albums (some great moments, some very bad moments)
Chicago VIII
Chicago X
Chicago XI
Actually, you could probably safely skip XI and not miss much, but it's still better than anything that came after. Terry Kath died after Chicago XI came out, and they sort of just lost it after that. You may find some good moments, but it's probably not worth wading through the crap. Consider Chicago XI to be the Duke of of Chicago albums. But, in my opinion, the stuff Genesis did after 1980 was many times better than the post 1980 Chicago dreck.
Edited by Gianthogweed
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John Gargo
Forum Senior Member
Joined: January 26 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 450
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Posted: November 18 2005 at 09:11 |
Thanks for the rundown... so basically everything they did up to XI then. I like Duke after all. 
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Zac M
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: July 03 2005
Status: Offline
Points: 3577
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Posted: November 18 2005 at 21:34 |
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The eighties stuff isn't bad for POP, but it's nothing like the earlier
albums. VII is probably the best overall, a good mix of vocal
tracks and outstanding instrumentals. Chicago at their
experimental peak!!!
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"Art is not imitation, nor is it something manufactured according to the wishes of instinct or good taste. It is a process of expression."
-Merleau-Ponty
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darren
Forum Senior Member
Joined: October 31 2005
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 452
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Posted: November 19 2005 at 02:05 |
I think you should stop when producer David Foster took over. If you listen to anything produced by Foster (which is a lot), it sells to the baby boomers but it all has the same french horn/grand piano/drum/electric guitar sound.
He basically turned Chicago into a backing band for Peter Cetera.
Edited by darren
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"they locked up a man who wanted to rule the world.
the fools
they locked up the wrong man."
- Leonard Cohen
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Chicago... Where do I Stop?