CHICAGO V

Having recorded double LPs for their first three releases, Chicago really went over the top for the album dubbed "Chicago IV", and came up with a 4 LP live set "Chicago at Carnegie Hall". Being a live album, this once again upset the numbering of the studio albums, and this their fourth studio release was given the title "Chicago V".

In retrospect, it was apparent on "Chicago III" that the demands of coming up with sufficient quality material for successive double albums was taking its toll, and "Chicago V" became the band's first conventional single LP release. Further clues to this drying up of the inspirational juices is evident here when we find that Robert Lamm writes all but two of the tracks. The line up though remained firmly intact, the album being recorded in late 1971 around the time of the release of the live set. Because of this, "Chicago V" did not hit the shelves until mid-1972.

A single "Saturday in the park" was taken from the album around the time of its release, and became the band's biggest US hit to date, with the album itself finding similar success there. Outside the US however, interest in the band continued to wane, the single being all but ignored in the UK and the album breaching only the top 30 there. The explanation for the increasing polarisation on either side of the Atlantic is difficult to explain, although the band were perhaps becoming increasingly American (the first two albums were mid-Atlantic), "Saturday in the park" making repeated references to the Fourth of July.

For "Chicago V", the band reined in their ambitions and indulgences considerably. Out went the side long suites, the modest 2 part "Dialogue" being the only nod in that direction, and in came shorter more accessible songs with tight arrangements.

The opening "A Hit by Varèse" pays tribute to the French Father of Electronic Music. The track shows that the band's foundations are still firmly rooted in the big band brass sound, the jazz inspired improvisation at the core of the piece being distinctly BS&T like. Later, "Now that you've gone" also features such improvisation. The following "All is well" is more representative of the album as a whole though, Peter Cetera's soft vocal contrasting rather nicely with the brass instrumental passage.

The aforementioned two part "Dialogue" is so named as part one features a vocal conversation between Terry Kath and Peter Cetera. The second part is the more inspired though, with harmony vocals, strong lead guitar and the more conventional brass sound of the band.

Elsewhere, "While the city sleeps" has a sound similar to that of fellow travellers Lighthouse (q.v.), the deep brass sound and trademark harmonies making this the most powerful song on the album. The two longest tracks, "State of the union" and "Goodbye" come towards the end. The former seems rather unfocussed, while the latter is a softer, slightly funky number. Terry Kath's quasi blues/gospel "Alma mater" which closes the set makes for an uplifting final statement.

In all, a better album than the disappointing "Chicago III", but still somewhat below the band's initial achievements. The tracks which are memorable here are so because of their commercial appeal; their catchiness if you will. The early (in the album) lapses into improvisation are mistakes in my view, although these are more than compensated for by some superb big sound brass. The decision to draw things in and record a single album was the right one, but the over reliance on Robert Lamm to come up with enough quality material put too much pressure on one area, and the results are at best mixed.

The CD remaster has three well selected bonus tracks. "A Song for Richard and His Friends" is an 8 minute studio instrumental rehearsal of an indulgence which made its début on the "Live at Carnegie hall" album. A clearly almost finalised demo of Terry Kath's "Mississippi Delta City Blues" was recorded around the time of this album, but it would have to wait until 1977's "Chicago XI" to appear on an album. The third bonus track is a shortened single edit of "Dialogue".

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