The Smiley Smile Message Board

Chicago has a new album coming out, and honestly, I'm quite excited about it.  Judging by the music samples and singles they've been releasing in the last few months, this may be the most remarkable album they've released in decades.  Check it out...

http://www.musictap.net/2014/04/16/chicago-to-release-new-album-now-chicago-xxxvi-in-july/

I'll buy this.  I thought they were awesome on the Grammies, and I've never bought their other albums (other than their greatest hits) so now's the time for me to get into them.

Do yourself a favor and pick up their debut album, Chicago Transit Authority.  You won't be disappointed.

Yeah, the early years with Terry Kath and Peter Cetera and Jim Guercio as producer was when they were at their creative peak.  They never really recovered after Cetera left, even if they continue to be a great nostalgia act in concert.

Hmm...sounds a lot like another band we discuss frequently on this board.

Agreed.  You could argue that Cetera's work with David Foster in the 80's extended the group's lifespan, but trapped them in adult contemporary hell ever since.  With this new album, it would appear they've finally broken free from that grip and are basically just doing the kind of music they want to do.  If you think the Beach Boys don't get enough respect from their peers, try spending a day with Chicago.  Critics have been largely unfair with the group and they remain outside of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.  I think the Grammy performance did pique some curiosity for the band and for the first time in a long time, I'm quite excited for them.   

Hi all,

That is wonderful news about Chigaco!!!

As far as I'm concerned, Chicago pretty much died with Terry Kath.

Yeah I couldn't really dispute that.  The band is still capable of putting out good music though.  Check out Robert Lamm's criminally underrated solo albums.  If Kath was the soul of the group then Lamm is definitely the heart.

As I ordered this album in advance, I got to download it in MP3 format before it's official release.  I will tell you, this is a very satisfying record.  It really is an impressive effort by a group that I had believed retired creatively years ago.  Those familiar enough with the band know that the group started out as a progressive rock band with jazz-infused horns.  They slowly but surely morphed into a commercially successful but creatively bankrupt unit.  And ever since Peter Cetera left the group in the 1980's, it seemed like Chicago has spent the last few decades chasing hits and reliving old glories.

Thankfully with Now, it seems the band has finally to simply put out an album of good music.  Probably taking a cue from Robert Lamm and his criminally underrated solo albums, the group is no longer playing it safe and is putting out music with some furious horn arrangements and wicked key changes. 

I've followed this band almost as closely as I have the Beach Boys, and I think you can draw a lot of similarities between the two groups.  If you've liked Chicago at all in the past, definitely pick this one up!!

The new album is not bad. Vocally & instrumentally, it has plenty of the Chicago sound, with some modern touches.

I should point out, that though the late Terry Kath was the group's most soulful vocalist and the only true rock n'roller in the group, that keyboardist Robert Lamm & Trombonist James Pankow were always the group's dominant songwriters. During the years when the group recorded only original material, Lamm & Pankow wrote 80% of it.

Agreed.  They were dominating the songwriting thing until a certain bassist in the group had to go and write "If You Leave Me Now". 

I did too for a long time but when Peter left (and Danny too) I never got used to Jason's voice and still can't.  The curse of having a voice as unique as Peter's I guess.

No matter though, I hope this album does well for them as they are road warriors, always bringing the music to the fans.

Most of it is pretty good! Lots of horns on every song. No doubt you're listening to a Chicago album even if the voices have changed and there some modern beats and production methods. It's a nice light Summer album.

I have heard three of the new songs on their YouTube channel and they left me feeling blasé. The horns sound Chicago but that is it. It's like a new BBs album where they have the harmonies but with leads by different people. If Peter came back, different story. Maybe the Robert Lamm leads will be better on other songs but I am not buying this.

Were Lamm and Pankow too busy counting money during the 80s to see any need to musically challenge/counter Cetera and his bland syrupy Diane Warren style easy listening ballads? Did the Boomers really love cheesy AC ballads so much that it remained a viable style well into the 90s? I partially blame Cetera for paving the way for the onslaught of Christopher Cross, Whitney Houston, Luther Vandross, Bryan Adams, Boys 2 Men, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Michael Bolton, Aerosmith`s latter day power ballads, etc.