Great Rock Album Hat Tricks-Chicago!

[SAT-I need more room!!]

This was a suggestion from Pete, but you all know how much I love Chicago, so I would've eventually done it.


Chicago Transit Authority-Without question, one of the greatest debuts of all time. The first songs are just killer, so much so, they all made the first box set. Introduction is just that-an introduction to the band! You really get a feel of the sound the band was going for here! This is then followed up by one of their first singles, Does Anybody Really Know What Time it is? When I got this CD, I didn't understand why the classic rock stations cut out the piano in the beginning! Bad enough the oldies stations play the single edit! Beginnings is the next track, another single, and again, that single edit is embarrassing. Wonderful mini jam at the end, again showing their talent. Yet another single was Questions 67 & 68 that has been unjustly slighted in fave of their bigger hits. It's my fave on the album, with the wonderful sharing of the lead vocals with Peter and Robert. After that is Listen, a wonderful album track I discovered after getting the box set. This should be getting FM play. Another box set discovery was Poem 58, another goodie. On side 2 of course is their wonderful jamming cover of I'm a Man, bettering the original, IMO.

Chicago II-Their second album was another double album (pretty ambious, even in those days). Several multi-part songs filled the album, with the best being the "Ballet For a Girl in Buchannon" which contains two of the albums hit singles, Colour My World and Make Me Smile. This little suite was obviously a spotlight on Terry as he sings lead on these 2. I know it seems like too much music, even for FM, since it's made up of 7 parts, but in reality it only clocks in at a little over 10 minutes, less than many radio cuts. Another good track is Where Do We Go From Here? and another single, 25 or 6 to 4. The radio stations here have occasionally played Wake Up Sunshine as well.

Chicago III-They got REALLY ambious here, releasing another double album that was again filled with several suites. But in between (and even in the suites themselves) are some of their best songs, IMO. If you are an AM hits only fan of Chicago, you may not recognize anything on here. I was once that person. But I later found out that both Terry's jamming Free and Peter's wonderful Lowdown were both singles, just not big hits. Included in the Travel Suite with Free is Flight 602, which is a really nice mellow acoustic tune. Another highlight is Robert's Mother which is actually about the environment (who says they only recorded love song fluff?). But as much as I love all the aforementioned songs (and I really do!), the highlight for me is Peter's What Else Can I Say. From the fade in, to Peter's great vocals, I really latched onto this song after I got the box set.


After this, the group released the huge 4 LP live set. Although I loved Chicago for the rest of the 70's, they never truly jammed like they did on these three big albums.


Whattya think?

[smittykins--70s pop RULES!]

Well, Adam, it's about time you got to these three!

Actually, I can't dispute anything you've written here; I'll just add my own comments.

CTA: What can you say, not a lemon in this bunch. I agree with you, the single edit of "Beginnings is just atrocious(and the oldies station in Syracuse plays it!). The interplay between trumpet and trombone in that section is one of my favorite parts of the song. "South California Purples" is another example of Terry's killer playing, along with Lamm's Beatles salute in the middle. I even like "Free Form Guitar"--especially the part that sounds like a race car squealing the tires!

II: Probably my most favorite Chicago album of all When I was working the closing shift at Burger King, I'd bring my Walkman and cassette copy of II, and would listen to it while sweeping and mopping the dining room. (Incidentally, I taped a radio program after 17 came out in which Cetera claims that Terry was "totally loaded on wine" when he recorded the vocals to "Make Me Smile", he'd been chosen to sing it and then decided he didn't want to). I also like his and Peter's duet on "In the Country."

III: As you said, more experimental; and I guess a little "too" out there for me. But I do like Free, Lowdown(which you never hear on the radio anymore), What Else Can I Say and Flight 602(the Carnegie Hall version has trumpeter Lee Loughnane on acoustic guitar). There was a big debate on the chicagofans.org board(which I recently discovered and highly recommend)about the meaning of Terry's "Hour In The Shower," and if it means what I think it means, all I can say is, TMI!

[Dawn]

I own all three of these albums on vinyl, and agree that they're top-notch. From the debut, I too am not fond of the single edits of Does Anyone Really Know What Time It Is? and especially Beginnings, which the oldies/classic stations have edited down to the point where there's scarcely anything left to it. But in their full-length form, they're superb tracks, among my favorite Chicago songs. The album cuts are wonderful as well, especially Terry Kath's guitar. He was an amazing talent.

Chicago II is a solid follow-up, lots of great melodies and arrangements here. Colour My World has long been a favorite - love to play the arpeggio chords on the piano. Make Me Smile captures them at their prime, and Wake Up Sunshine is a wonderful track that should have been released as a single.

I haven't listened to III as often as CTA and II, but there's some very good material there as well. Free and Lowdown are the standouts, but Flight 602, Once Upon A Time, What Else Can I Say and others are very good also.

[KittyKat - RIP Luciano]

While the first three albums are great, for me my personal Hat Trick would be:

Chicago V
Chicago VI
Chicago VII

Maybe it's because these three kind of define my first experience with the band and remind me of good times growing up. Plus my two favorites songs - "Saturday In The Park" and "Wishing You Were Here" are represented on these.

[Pete70s]

I once told a friend (who was interested in getting the Carnegie Hall set) to "Just get the first three albums, they're all you need!" To an extent, I was right. I STILL don't own the live album on CD (My brother has the vinyl box set), but of course, they continued to do great stuff after these three albums (I consider VII their last REALLY great album, after that it was a gradual decline).

Despite releasing THREE double-albums in a row, there is very little in the way of "filler" (III probably has the most). With 7 members contributing material, it wasn't a hard accomplishment.

CTA is the most "Hit friendly" album, but it was out for a LONG time before it spawned a hit (I think "Does Anybody...." was the first, in late '70. Then "Beginnings" and "Questions" in mid-late '71, AFTER the release of III!) So, basically, here's a band with three double albums out, STILL having hits from the first and second albums after releasing their third!

II is probably my favorite of the three, in that it has the best "flow" and the least filler. I absolutely love "It Better End Soon", "Fancy Colours", and all of sides 1 & 2. Pretty much the only thing I don't care for is the instrumental suite on side 3 (Prelude/ AM Mourning/ PM Mourning/ Memories of Love).

III got more expirmental and maybe a little TOO indulgent (as shown by it's lack of a huge hit single, though "Free" and "Lowdown" were certainly no slouches musically). Terry's "Hour In The Shower" suite was OK, but not QUITE up to par with the material on II. The "Flight 602" suite on side 2 has some good moments, but could have been shortened considerably. The four cuts on side one are probably the best (excluding the two singles). Side 4, "Elegy", doesn't do much for me. It opens with a poem, and the rest of the side is instrumental. There seems to be a political theme here, as the album originally came with a poster of the band standing in a cemetary, surrounded by crosses. It's been a while since I've played it all the way through.

After the live album, they made the right move by trimming the excess and doing single albums for V and VI. By this time they were more geared towards the hit singles market, and would be successful through the 70's and 80's.

[Pete70s]

smittykins said:

There was a big debate on the chicagofans.org board(which I recently discovered and highly recommend)about the meaning of Terry's "Hour In The Shower," and if it means what I think it means, all I can say is, TMI!

With Terry's personality, I wouldn't doubt it!

[Ken]

I'm not all that familiar with any of Chicago's individual albums other than the mid 70's Greatest Hits. So all I know from each of these are the singles that were released. Also of course I have Rhino's Very Best Of on CD.

CTA - Tracks such as Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is, Questions 67 & 68 and Beginnings are all first rate.I remember hearing their version of I'm a Man on the radio for the first time, sometime I guess in the early 80's and thought it was fantastic. I later picked up the 45.


Chicago II - I've mentioned before that Make Me Smile is a track I wish we could have played in the High School stage band. It's always been a huge fave. Colour My World IMO is one of the prettiest ballads ever recorded.


Chicago III - Free, I hear occasionally on the radio,which is great because it's a fine tune.I love the tricky time signature at the beginning. Great bassline as well.

[55dodger]

Great group Chicago, I have the debut album & II on both vinyl & CD. Both well worth the money spent. Never owned III on vinyl, but found it used a few months ago, and I'm glad I picked it up. Free & Lowdown are great songs, and the "suites" aren't so bad.

Chicago Transit Authority I - Beginnings remains one of my favorite songs, and I love the horns in Does Anyone Know What Time it Is. Always liked listening to Southern California Purples, mostly because I'm from Southern California.

Chicago II - Probably their best, but it also has one of their most overplayed song, IMO. That would Colour My World. Good song, just can't listen to it more than every other year or so. 25 or 6 to 4 rocks, and Make Me Smile is great. My favorite from this album though is Fancy Colors. Would always listen to it first when listening to this album.