Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Chicago
Label: Columbia Records
Release: 1969
Length: 76:36
Rating: 5/5
“The Chicago Transit Authority” is the debut of Chicago, the legendary American jazz-rock institution. Back then they were still going by the longer name The Chicago Transit Authority, which changed soon after this album came out and the tour wrapped up, since their rising popularity was followed by legal action from the Chicago transit agency. “The Chicago Tranist Authority” went down in the annals of music history as one of those groundbreaking records that blurred the line between popular and experimental music and crossed plenty of genre boundaries. Among fans of prog rock, fusion and classic rock alike, it’s rightfully hailed as one of the best debuts of all time and stands among the biggest highlights of their entire career.
The winning recipe that shot Chicago to the front of the pack of their era’s musical innovators almost overnight was a passionate fusion of big-band jazz and soul-spiced rock, while their sonic vocabulary also nodded to plenty of other genres. On top of their unbelievable technical chops, the individual members also nurtured a razor-sharp sense for building catchy melodies, one that only got sharper over the years, even though they later started neglecting their experimental side more and more, which was never as pronounced as it is on this very record.
In every respect, the album is an authentic embodiment of the energetic, technically flawless interplay of jazz fusion, progressive rock and hard rock. The brilliant production was handled by James William Guercio, who had already picked up production experience working with the stylistically related Blood, Sweat & Tears. The lengthy recording sessions ultimately gave birth to a double album (I’m of course talking about the original LP format here), which was an extremely bold move for a debut. In the original lineup, the vocals were shared between bassist Peter Cetera, keyboardist Robert Lamm and guitarist Terry Kath, while the horns were handled by Lee Loguhane, James Pankow and Walter Parazaider. Danny Seraphine played the drums. Lamm, Kath and Pankow also wrote most of the compositions, and it was Lamm in particular who contributed all three of the album’s most beloved songs. It should be said that all the musicians were technical masters, but guitarist Kath was a chapter all his own. His incredible guitar wizardry reportedly blew away none other than Jimi Hendrix, who instantly became one of his followers. Besides a kindred guitar technique, the two guitarists also shared a sad fate, as both died relatively young. Kath accidentally shot himself with a pistol in 1978, at the age of 32.
The album is stuffed with a host of wildly eclectic compositions that can still easily satisfy the appetites of even the most demanding music gourmets. The rowdy bunch warms up the room properly with the opening jazz-rocker “Introduction” and makes it clear they’re not messing around: a combination of spirited horn arrangements, multi-part rhythms and passionate soul vocals unfolds into a teasing melody that sucks the listener into the album in an instant. With incredible artistry and ease they make their way through the individual motifs, tied together by horn and keyboard arrangements and a branching bass line. Despite all the technical pretension, they keep the melodies irresistibly likable the whole way through.
Next comes a classic and one of their best-known songs, “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?”, where, with its abundance of teasing horn arrangements and Lamm’s excellent singing, every music connoisseur’s ears still prick up good and proper. Lamm’s opening piano solo is followed by a superb transition into a majestic horn section with plenty of juicy trumpet flourishes and top-notch vocal work (even then they were masters of atmospheric multi-part harmonies). Today it probably surprises many people that the lyrics of such a cheerfully upbeat song deal with the stress of the still-ongoing Vietnam War and the daily trauma of young American men who dreaded the day they’d be sent to the battlefield to join their (fallen) comrades. The main message of this anti-war classic is that people shouldn’t be preoccupied with trivial things like what time it is, but should end the senseless war as soon as possible. Music gourmets should also check out the excellent cover of this classic by the obscure British outfit The Goverment, with David Coverdale (later of Deep Purple and Whitesnake) on vocals.
The romantic “Beginnings” is another Lamm songwriting classic that has earned its place in gold letters among Chicago’s evergreens. Mighty horn arrangements and ethereal vocalizations are laid over a pleasant acoustic guitar melody, while Lamm’s vocal is loaded with an unusual expressive power that instantly touches the hearts of the more emotionally open listeners. Meanwhile, rattling bass lines and striking drum fills, not to mention the “Caribbean” percussion, hold up some astonishing rhythmic intervals. “Questions 67 and 68” is the third beloved classic. Here guitarist Kath especially shines with teasing wah-wah passages, while Lamm’s and Cetera’s phenomenal singing is once again a chapter of its own. Between the individual vocal melodies, they glide gracefully into a longer instrumental section, where we’re dealing with a veritable cannonade of rowdy horn arrangements and clever guitar embellishments. “Listen” features an interesting bluesy guitar riff, wah-wah pedal and bell accompaniment, running over ragged horns, while the vocal is full of untamed passion, making it more than an interesting hybrid of hard rock, progressive rock and jazz fusion.
The highly complex yet, despite all its technical adventures, no less melodic “Poem 58” is definitely one of the album’s peaks. Lamm’s totally spontaneous but never overlong guitar solos take your breath away again and again, while the rhythm section kills it with all sorts of jazzy flourishes. Eventually Mr. Lamm comes up with an interesting bluesy riff, which is joined by mighty soul-based vocalizations that slowly build a rowdy melody. “Free Form Guitar” is, as its name suggests, a stunning guitar improvisation by Lamm that reportedly fascinated Hendrix himself. Kath played it without any pedals whatsoever, which still surprises plenty of guitar lovers today.
The splendid “South California Purples”, ruled by a heart-wrenching soul vocal, is infused with hard-rocking riffs and first-rate Hammond organ seasoning. For extra juiciness, they throw in a pinch of psychedelia. “I’m a Man” is an excellent cover of the original by the legendary English band Spencer Davis Group (the song’s original author was none other than the famed keyboardist/singer Steve Winwood). Fans of adventurous rhythms can still be properly fascinated today by Cetera’s grooving bass lines, which, teamed with ethnic percussion and bluesy guitar passages, make for a real feast for the ears when it comes to multi-part harmonies. The dramatic vocalizations, with no shortage of trade-offs between all three singers, are the cherry on top of this incredibly tasty compositional cake.
On “Prologue (August 29, 1968)”/”Someday (August 29, 1968)” they once again demonstrate their incredible knack for building catchy melodies within dynamic horn- and keyboard-based harmonies. The drama is further ratcheted up by a hugely heartfelt vocal paired with romantic multi-part harmonies. The date in the titles of both songs marks the day of the American Democratic National Convention, which went down in history for huge anti-government demonstrations followed by numerous riots. With the closing masterpiece, the nearly 15-minute jam “Liberation”, they confirm once more for the grand finale that in their day they could go toe to toe with the best jazz fusion bands of their time. Despite the countless improvisations and sudden shifts in time signature, there isn’t a single boring moment in there, and it’s all played with such fire that plenty of today’s prog rock and fusion experimentalists could learn a thing or two with their jaws on the floor. The opening horn sections and bluesy guitar passages give way to orgasmic guitar improvisations that Hendrix could rightfully rave about, since at times it sounds as if his soul had touched them. Eventually the guitar master gets into a playful use of the wah-wah pedal, while the Hammonds in the background provide mischievous accompaniment. A shorter cacophonous section at the end is followed by an exceptionally beautiful guitar arrangement, a veritable horn cataclysm and a passionate vocal improvisation. A total victory.
“The Chicago Transit Authority” is one of those “eternal” albums everyone should hear at least once in their life before they can lie down for their final rest. This timeless masterpiece points to the often-overlooked importance of the legendary band, who earned their worldwide fame mainly in soft rock, for the development of fusion and prog. The album became a big hit right on release, which isn’t even surprising considering it’s their most experimental effort ever, as the times were more than receptive to every kind of adventurous music. With it, Chicago heralded a magnificent and hugely successful career with numerous multi-platinum albums, and despite many changes and ups and downs, a general consistency in quality prevailed throughout, which let them survive all the way to the present day.
Lineup
Peter Cetera – bass guitar, vocals
Terry Kath – guitar, vocals
Robert Lamm – keyboards, vocals
Lee Loughnane – trumpet
James Pankow – trombone
Walter Parazaider – saxophone, woodwinds
Danny Seraphine – drums
Production
James William Guercio
Track list
1. Introduction
2. Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?
3. Beginnings
4. Question 67 And 68
5. Listen 3:24
6. Poem 58
7. Free Form Guitar
8. Southern California Purples
9. I’m A Man
10. Prologue, August 29, 1968
11. Someday (August 29, 1968)
12. Liberation
