Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Chicago
Label: Columbia Records
Release: 1970
Length: 67:21
Rating: 4.5/5
American legends of sophisticated jazz rock (later soft rock), Chicago were forced to shorten their name after the success of their debut »The Chicago Transit Authority« and the successful tour that followed. Their original name, The Chicago Transit Authority, had become too touchy a matter for the actual Chicago transit agency once the band unexpectedly took off and got more and more recognizable across the US, and the agency threatened to take them to court. With the shortened name, the band, led by keyboardist/vocalist Robert Lamm, guitarist/vocalist Terry Kath, bassist/vocalist Peter Cetera, drummer Danny Seraphine and the mighty Loughnane/Pankow/Parazaider horn section, recorded the album »Chicago«, which later, once the tradition took hold of giving every Chicago album a new sequential Roman numeral, became known as »Chicago II«.
On the double album »Chicago II«, Chicago polished their eye-catching blend of jazz fusion, soul and rock to a shine. The record is packed with longer, experimental compositions and shorter gems with strong melodies, which are still a feast for the ears of anyone who loves quality, sophisticated pop rock. The horn arrangements with a big-band work ethic, the lounge-style piano bits and Kath’s soul-based vocals come brilliantly alive on the opening energy catalyst »Movin’ In«. On »The Road«, backed by gorgeous vocal harmonies and exuberant horn passages, bassist Cetera shines with his trademark tenor and keeps up the seriously lively rhythmic pulse of this album.
»Poem For The People« also has progressive rock elements thanks to its sudden time-signature swerves, and with its mysterious-romantic atmosphere it’s closer to the songwriting approach of some British experimental bands from the early seventies. Here keyboardist Lamm, known for his socially engaged and critical lyrics, so atypical for the American rock scene, takes the spotlight on lead vocals. The vocal harmonies are once again superbly tight, while the razor-sharp horn section, alongside Kath’s inventive guitar variations, is the main calling card of these technical masters. Of the tragically departed Terry Kath, Jimmy Hendrix, who had enormous respect for all the members of Chicago, especially their vocal harmonies, supposedly once said, in typically modest fashion given his own talent, that Kath was a better guitarist than he was.
On the standard »In The Country«, marked by bluesy guitar riffs, Kath and Cetera share the vocal duties in perfect sync, while the horn section, amid a flattering offering of melodic arrangements, once again plays a key role in building an ambient drama. The excellent »Wake Up Sunshine«, which is a bit of a surprise for not becoming a hit given its irresistible chorus, has a nostalgic, upbeat pulse thanks to the lovely vocal harmonies and colorful horn backdrop. The centerpiece of the album is without a doubt the ambitious, 13-minute epic suite »Ballet For a Girl in Buchannon«, split into seven sections. Its creator and chief arranger James Pankow truly outdid himself. The first section, »Make Me Smile«, with Kath as lead vocalist, became a hit and is still often part of Chicago concerts today. The fifth section also deserves a special mention: »Colour My World«, steeped in gentle piano and horn arrangements, which with its slow rhythmic pulse was reportedly even a favorite backdrop for student dances in the early seventies.
»Fancy Colurs« is marked by mighty vocal harmonies the Beach Boys would have been proud of, and it’s also packed with unusual time-signature swerves and cheeky horn ‘outbursts’. Among the best-known songs, the real classics, is also Lamm’s evergreen »25 Or 6 to 4«, driven by ‘planted’ guitar riffs and stormy horn passages, while Cetera’s trademark, relaxed tenor conjures up an atmosphere as dramatic as it gets. Kath’s sly guitar improvisations are once again mouth-watering, and together with the horn section, which never ran short of imagination, they tie different musical worlds together beautifully. The ambition and creativity of this band in their early years knew no bounds, as the 9-minute, ballad-leaning suite in four sections, titled »Memories Of Love«, also proves, containing even some arranging touches typical of British symphonic prog rock.
»It Better End Soon« is a 10-minute suite in four parts which, in contrast to the melancholic »Memories Of Love«, is a much more energetic and rowdy affair with plenty of clever jazz-fusion-based improvisations. Bassist Cetera, who many years later scored a roaring success as a solo artist, also contributed his first original Chicago song, inspired by the then-‘fresh’ human landing on the Moon. That’s the closing ballad »Where Do We Go From Here«, another of the most beloved pieces on »Chicago II« and an extremely emotional tribute to Neil Armstrong and his family.
Very few rock bands could boast such artistic achievements right at the start of their career, ones that appealed both to lovers of ‘serious’ music (read: classical) and jazz and to those with less demanding musical tastes, as Chicago managed to do, becoming stars in no time. »Chicago« was every bit as deserving of an even bigger commercial hit than the cult debut, and it gave this wildly ambitious collective its big breakthrough on the world music scene. On every single »Chicago« track you can hear the band gradually growing in songwriting and arranging maturity, so it’s no surprise that Chicago were pretty much a success story throughout the entire seventies and eighties.
Lineup
Robert Lamm – keyboards, vocals
Terry Kath – guitar, vocals
Peter Cetera – bass guitar, vocals
Danny Seraphine – drums
Lee Loughnane – trumpet
James Pankow – trombone
Walter Parazaider – saxophone, woodwinds
Production
James William Guercio
Tracklist
1. Movin’ In (4:06)
2. The Road (3:10)
3. Poem For The People (5:31)
4. In The Country (6:34)
5. Wake Up Sunshine (2:29)
6. Ballet For A Girl In Buchannon (12:55)
– a. Make Me Smile (3:16)
– b. So Much To Say, So Much To Give (1:12)
– c. Anxiety’s Moment (1:01)
– d. West Virginia Fantasies (1:34)
– e. Colour My World (3:01)
– f. To Be Free (1:15)
– g. Now More Than Ever (1:26)
7. Fancy Colours (5:10)
8. 25 Or 6 To 4 (4:50)
9. Memories Of Love (9:12)
– a. Prelude (1:10)
– b. A.M. Mourning (2:05)
– c. P.M. Mourning (1:58)
– d. Memories Of Love (3:59)
10. It Better End Soon (10:24)
– a. 1st Movement (2:33)
– b. 2nd Movement (3:41)
– c. 3rd Movement (3:19)
– d. 4th Movement (0:51)
11. Where Do We Go From Here (2:49)
