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Title: Chicago – VI (1973) [MFSL 2013]
Genre: Rock
Format: SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

This is the sixth album from the jazz/pop/rock combo Chicago, and was likewise the first to be recorded at the plush, well-lit, and custom-built Caribou Studios in Nederland, CO. The facility was owned and operated by the band’s manager and producer, James William Guercio, and eventually became the group’s retreat for their next five (non-compilation) long-players. Another and perhaps more significant change was the incorporation of several “outside” additional musicians – most notably Laudir De Oliveira (percussion), who would remain with the band for the next seven years and eight LPs. Although Chicago had begun as a harder-edged rock & roll band, popular music styles were undergoing a shift during the mid-’70s into a decidedly more middle-of-the-road (MOR) and less-aggressive sound. This is reflected in the succinct pop and light rock efforts, contrasting the earlier lengthy and multi-movement epics that filled their earlier works. Nowhere is this more evident than on Chicago VI’s (1973) two Top Ten singles: the easygoing James Pankow (trombone) ballad “Just You & Me” as well as the up-tempo rocker “Feelin’ Stronger Every Day,” which Pankow co-wrote with Peter Cetera (vocal/bass). This more melodic and introverted sensibility pervades the rest of the disc as well – especially from Robert Lamm (keyboard/vocals), who is particularly prolific, penning half of the material on the disc. Even his sardonically titled “Critics’ Choice” – which is undoubtedly a musical rebuttal to Chicago’s increasingly negative critical assessment – is a languid and delicate response, rather than a full-force confutation. “Darlin’ Dear” – another Lamm contribution – on the other hand, is a horn-fuelled rocker that actually recalls Little Feat more than it does most of Chicago’s previous sides. Compositions from other bandmembers include the heartfelt Terry Kath (guitar/vocals) ballad “Jenny,” which features some fluid fretwork much in the same vein as that of Jimi Hendrix’s “Angel” or “Castles Made of Sand.” Additionally, Peter Cetera’s (bass/vocals) “In Terms of Two” includes a more down-home and countrified acoustic vibe. While Chicago VI is an undeniably strong effort – supported at the time by its chart-topping status – many bandmembers and longtime enthusiasts were beginning to grow apart from the lighter, pop-oriented material.

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Title: Chicago – Chicago V (1972) [Japanese Reissue 2011]
Genre: Rock
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

With four gold multi-disc LPs and twice as many hit singles to its credit, Chicago issued its fifth effort, the first to clock in at under an hour. What they lack in quantity, they more than make up for in the wide range of quality of material. The disc erupts with the progressive free-form “A Hit by Varese” — which seems to have been inspired as much by Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s Tarkus (1971) or Yes circa Close to the Edge (1972) as by the Parisian composer for whom it is named. Fully 80 percent of the material on Chicago V (1972) is also a spotlight for the prolific songwriting of Robert Lamm (keyboards/vocals). In addition to penning the opening rocker, he is also responsible for the easy and airy “All Is Well,” which is particularly notable for its lush Beach Boys-esque harmonies. However, Lamm’s most memorable contributions are undoubtedly the Top Ten sunshine power pop anthem “Saturday in the Park” and the equally upbeat and buoyant “Dialogue, Pt. 1″ and “Dialogue, Pt. 2.” Those more accessible tracks are contrasted by James Pankow’s (trombone/percussion) aggressive jazz fusion “Now That You’ve Gone.” Although somewhat dark and brooding, it recalls the bittersweet “So Much to Say, So Much to Give” and “Anxiety’s Moment” movements of “Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon” found on Chicago II…

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Title: Chicago – The Chicago Transit Authority (1969) [MFSL 2015]
Genre: Rock
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Few debut albums can boast as consistently solid an effort as the self-titled Chicago Transit Authority (1969). Even fewer can claim to have enough material to fill out a double-disc affair. Although this long- player was ultimately the septet’s first national exposure, the group was far from the proverbial “overnight sensation.” Under the guise of the Big Thing, the group soon to be known as CTA had been honing its eclectic blend of jazz, classical, and straight-ahead rock & roll in and around the Windy City for several years. Their initial non-musical meeting occurred during a mid-February 1967 confab between the original combo at Walter Parazaider’s apartment on the north side of Chi Town. Over a year later, Columbia Records staff producer James Guercio became a key supporter of the group, which he rechristened Chicago Transit Authority. In fairly short order the band relocated to the West Coast and began woodshedding the material that would comprise this title. In April of 1969, the dozen sides of Chicago Transit Authority unleashed a formidable and ultimately American musical experience. This included an unheralded synthesis of electric guitar wailin’ rock & roll to more deeply rooted jazz influences and arrangements. This approach economized the finest of what the band had to offer — actually two highly stylized units that coexisted with remarkable singularity. On the one hand, listeners were presented with an incendiary rock & roll quartet of Terry Kath (lead guitar/vocals), Robert Lamm (keyboards/vocals), Peter Cetera (bass/vocals), and Danny Seraphine (drums). They were augmented by the equally aggressive power brass trio that included Lee Loughnane (trumpet/vocals), James Pankow (trombone), and the aforementioned Parazaider (woodwind/vocals). This fusion of rock with jazz would also yield some memorable pop sides and enthusiasts’ favorites as well. Most notably, a quarter of the material on the double album — “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?,” “Beginnings,” “Questions 67 and 68,” and the only cover on the project, Steve Winwood’s “I’m a Man” — also scored as respective entries on the singles chart. The tight, infectious, and decidedly pop arrangements contrast with the piledriving blues-based rock of “Introduction” and “South California Purples” as well as the 15-plus minute extemporaneous free for all “Liberation.” Even farther left of center are the experimental avant-garde “Free Form Guitar” and the politically intoned and emotive “Prologue, August 29, 1968″ and “Someday (August 29, 1968).” The 2003 remastered edition of Chicago Transit Authority offers a marked sonic improvement over all previous pressings — including the pricey gold disc incarnation.

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