THE CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY

First released in 1969, Chicago Transit Authority was just about the perfect rock storm imaginable. Boasting a solid four piece combo of keys, drums, bass and guitar, the band also featured a three piece horn section; within this seven piece line-up were three excellent lead vocalists, each with a unique voice that in turn fit in with a particular sub-genre. Terry Kath had a gravelly voice suitable for hard rock leanings, while Robert Lamm had a softer soulful tone. At the same time, Peter Cetera had a voice made for pop. They all harmonized well together. All the musicians proved excellent at their instruments, my favorite being Terry Kath, a first-rate lead guitarist who was much admired by someone of no less stature that Jimi Hendrix. The songwriting is stellar as well. This album alone yielded four top forty hits, two of which also reached the top twenty. For people like me who grew up in the 70s, these songs (Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? Beginnings, Questions 67 and 68, and I'm a Man) were part of the soundtrack of our lives. But don't pass this band off as a mere hit machine, and don't compare this album to the music they produced in the 80s. This album is as far off that total pop style as can be. The music rocks, even at its most poppish. Most of the songs undergo their own evolution.

Take the opener as a case in point. Appropriately called Introduction, it starts off with a horn-filled blast and rocks old style underneath a set of lyrics telling the listener precisely what the band is going to do. There is a guitar solo, horn solos, and a slow section which highlights Lamm's piano work. And it has good melody. This song is like the album in miniature. After this piece we get a 1- 2-3 pop punch with Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? Beginnings, and Questions 67 & 68. Beginnings is another good one to show how the band works through various sections in a single song. It starts off with acoustic guitar and evolves to a plateau of all instruments firing full- bore and ends with pure percussion. South California Purples and I'm a Man are solid blues rockers. The final piece, Liberation, is a 16 minute jam with several false endings. And if you wonder what Jimi Hendrix heard in Terry Kath, compare the Free Form Guitar here to Hendrix's Star Spangled Banner.

It is appropriate to call Chicago a Jazz/Rock fusion band, but you won't find anything like Mahavishnu Orchestra or Return to Forever here. The band aimed at the mainstream and hit it square on. They never dumbed down the music to do so, though. The music is intelligent, catchy, and goes through many moods, even, in a single song. If you want to check out Chicago in their early days, this album is an excellent introduction. All the elements that made up this band fit together perfectly. Highly recommended.