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Chicago III I wish to preface the history, and my review of the band, with my personal background of Chicago. I had not discovered this band (in the sense of actually giving them a listen) until just recently - where I relistened to their first two records before giving "III" a try. "CTA" I enjoyed to an extent, but it really wore out its welcome for me after sitting through the almost 2-hour duration that it played - too experimental and all over the place for me. "II" remains my favorite from the day I heard it because I think that record is where they understood commercial potential and how to appeal to their fans. The record delivered hit upon hit with nothing that can be classified as 'filler'; The band really found their footing here - that is until we get to the next record where the ship begins to sink (just a bit). I tend to stay in the world of 'progressive rock' when listening to music for enjoyment. This doesn't mean I never put on anything else, but everything labeled under the name always appeals to me on an emotional level. I could not pass up Chicago after hearing the hype and 'prog-adjacent' qualities attributed to them, and frankly, I was not disappointed at all, because I love music that eludes categorization!
Chicago were a formidable rock and roll combo-turned jazz pop/rockers hailing from the windy city of Chicago. The group met in Walter Parazaider's apartment in the north of town in 1967, before bursting onto the scene with a record contract from Columbia a year later. The original lineup consisted of Terry Kath (guitar, vocals) , Peter Cetera (bass, guitar & vocals) , Robert Lamm (keys & vocals) , and Danny Seraphine (drums & percussion) - plus a 3 piece brass and woodwinds section (courtesy of Lee Loughnane on trumpet, James Pankow on trombone, and Walter Parazaider on saxophones & flute). From the very onset, the soon assembled septet developed a rich amalgamation of signature sound: melding blues rock, classical, jazz, funk, waltz, pop, etc. With a burning desire for playing their music and allowing it to be played on AM radio, the group recorded a slew of material that was to become their first double LP "Chicago Transit Authority". The band scored moderate success, with a quarter or so of the album hitting the top 40 US billboard singles chart. To avoid litigation scandal with the CTA proper, the band was forced to cut their name short to Chicago. Following on the heels of the more jazz/blues heavy debut record, the group brushed up their new slew of material with a distinctly more AM radio friendly sound and production. What followed was the aptly titled "Chicago II" double LP; the title numbering approach they began using would last most of their career. The band scored more success in sales and booking dates with their sophomore effort, which offered a whole new incentive to keep writing songs. This album is arguably their most consistent and commercially successful record to date, scoring one of their most well known hits "25 or 6 to 4". Here is where we arrive at album number 3 - obviously titled "Chicago III". The band carry over their pop songwriting skills from II.
We start things off with "Sing A Mean Tune Kid" (9:13) : a Lamm-written piece with vocals done by Cetera. A "1" countdown gives way to a boogie guitar line, dropping in alongside the rest of the band. A jazz-blues and rock tune with brass flourishes incorporates a harmonized chorus singing the title phrase with an "ah yeah yeah yeah" line just following it. The band then burst into a groovy long-form jam lasting the remainder of the song.
"Loneliness Is Just A Word" (2:36) begins with a horn stabbing intro, accompanying Kath's rich and warm vocals - giving us a lesson about the irrationality of attributing the emotion to anybody at any given time - given, they are just being who they want to be. "What Else Can I Say" (3:12) starts off with an underlying rhythm guitar on top of a casual rock and roll beat. Cetera vocally reminisces about a girl he lost, knowing deep down that she would never let him down. A short and sweet ditty of a song!
"I Don't Want Your Money" (4:47) is a blues boogie number written by Lamm. I really like Kath's bluesy guitar wailings on top of the vocal melody. The horns come in towards the latter part of the song - with Kath laying some more pronounced licks before the group breathe a sigh of relief at song's end.
"Travel Suite" (22:30) starts things off with "Flight 602": a Lamm-written piece sung by Cetera - it really gives off a country vibe! There is what sounds like a spanish guitar - giving off a 'twang' effect with a lot of picking. This is a very enjoyable piece - not least for seeing the band deviate into country realms and giving us something different! "Motorboat to Mars" begins the next sequence of the suite and also happens to be written by Danny Seraphine. The track holds its own as a brief interlude consisting of nothing but a drum solo. "Free" quickly gets things going with a fast-paced drum beat on top of harmonized vocals and horns - Danny does some impressive hi-hat crashing here! The main chorus, loud and urgent, fades out the track. "Free Country" is another instrumental interlude (almost avant-garde) - consisting of mellow keys, alongside a low-register flute improvisation. "At the Sunrise" is another pop-flavored song written by Lamm. This one has the typical song structure format that the band is all too known for. Cetera very soulfully and painstakingly carries the vocals through. " Happy 'Cause I'm Going Home" features a wordless vocal melody on top of a funky rhythm track (and some flute accents). The latter part of the track is the rhythm section and flute playing off each other to beautiful effect; Danny lays down a good jazz-funk groove here in different time signatures! A spectacular coda to the suite and the second side of the record!
"Mother" (4:30) begins with a boogie bass and guitar line, with accenting horns and Lamm's vocals. An extended multi-tracked horn section kicks in before bringing back the opening line. As the drums mellow out, so do the horns - creating a slow jazz atmosphere. This is one of my favorites on this disc for sure!
"Lowdown" (3:35) quickly brings in Cetera's country vocal stylings on top of the prevalent horns. Kath provides some more of his signature whammy tone. The song brings the feeling of losing a dear friend and being in a state of 'lowdown'. This one has a ballad-like sound with pop wonderment.
"An Hour In The Shower" (5:30) : is a multi-part suite comprised of 'mini vignettes' - each offering a different style. "A Hard Risin..." begins a country beat accentuated by a thick bass line. Kath offers another rich vocal delivery in tune with the main melody. "Shower" is a fast-paced brassy rock workout carrying itself over into the next part "Fallin Out". "Dreamin Home" reminds us of the Abbey Road Medley midsection where the acapella harmonies create a rich texture and melody. "Morning Blues Again" brings an urgent sounding climax to the Kath-written suite.
"Elegy" (15:27) : The third and last of the suites starts things off with "When All The Laughter" - a spoken word piece giving a metaphor of what seems to be a hopeful turn of events in the world. "Canon" starts off with several horns playing a virtuous and marching tune on top of each other. "Once Upon a Time" gives us the rare yet pleasant flute section, playing a beautiful melody alongside a steady beat and punctuated horns. We seamlessly carry over into "Progress?" - the horns from the last section pile up and begin sounding disjointed. An avant-garde section with all kinds of noise (possibly giving the impression of a revolution), ending in a toilet being flushed, is arguably the most fascinating sequence on the record! "The Approaching Storm" begins with more rushed horns, slowly picking up the rest of the band. The jazz-rock workout actually includes a hammond-organ solo dropped mid-song! A full-blown jazz backing with a noodly guitar carries us through to the final sequence of the suite, and that is " Man vs Man". Here, the horns take center stage, utilizing a non-compromising march-like structure, accentuated by an even more uncompromising drum fill - courtesy of Danny Seraphine. We conclude the record on a dramatic yet fitting note! What has been my assessment of "III" versus the first two discs? Well, a step down from II, and less so from CTA. This album marks the band further honing their great fusion of jazz-rock-funk. This album, like their evolving sound after this point, is a good gateway point for any newcomer to the group! 3.5/5.
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