NOW - CHICAGO XXXVI

We discover pieces of eternity all the time and now I have discovered Chicago! They are from the big town Chicago in the United States and they has been playing and recording since 1969 which makes them musical veterans. For this forum htey are famous for their earlier jazz rock but even today they have apparently kept something of their genuineness. Prog Archives lists "Chicago XXXVI:Now" as their twentyfourth studio album but English Wikipedia claims it's their twentythird. Well it doesn't matter. You can guess it is their thirtysixth one!

The record released this year are very checkered in black and white boxes with the traditional Chicago emblem in the middle. The musicians present here are Robert Lamm, Walter Parazaider, Lee Loughnane, James Pankow, Jason Scheff, Keith Howland, Tris Imboden, Lou Pardini and Walfredo Reyes Junior and together they play a lot of instruments such as keyboards, horns, saxophones, trumpets, flugelhorns, trombones, basses, guitars, pianos, drums, organ, vocals and percussionss. They also use a lot of guest musicians.

The music is amazingly produced and the quality is indisputable. Then is it a matter of taste, as usual with music and art. Chicago plays a grown up rock with jazz and brass ingredients and it's very American. The title track "Now" (8/10) is a wonderful example of their musicality. With horns and different vocal parts. You feel you experience the American seventies or eighties in music. That is a feeling you keep during the whle listening session. "America" is a love song to the land or the continent. it is full of clichés and buzzwords but nevertheless it's very pleasant(7/10). "Something's coming I know"(7/10) is the third of the album's best songs and I'd call it very enjoyable. The other songs are well composed and performed and give you something of everything: great musicianship, beautiful instruments and harmonies.

The record is in a few words nice and undemanding. Without being pretentious or too artistic Chicago here has created intelligent pop music. I'd call this record good but not essential. It give's me inspiration to go backwords and explore this band further. Three solid stars! Best song: "Now"