CHICAGO V

Somewhat incredibly the group's first single-disc release, 'Chicago V' had the difficult trick of following on from the mammoth four-disc set 'Chicago At Carnegie Hall' and the trio byzantine double-albums that preceded. So, it's no real surprise then to find that this 1972 album fails to live up to expectations. With the original line-up still in place 'Chicago V' is not, as some might suspect, the sound of a group in decline but instead the sound of a group heading slowly in a new direction. For the most, gone are the psychedelic Terry Kath guitar wig-outs that gave 'Chicago Transit Authority' and 'Chicago II' their impressive experimental edges, in comes simpler compositions, prettier melodies and the hit-making populist streak that would soon come - for better or worse - to characterize the group's career. However, that said, this is is still Chicago we're talking about. Yes, it's definitely less adventurous that its predecessors, yet there's still a strong selection of tunes on offer here, with such group classics as the soaring opener 'Hit By Varese', the two-part jazz-rock opus 'Dialogue' - a live favourite - and the breezy big band-themed ballad 'Saturday In The Park' standing out. One major point of interest: this is an album dominated by keyboardist-and-vocalist Robert Lamm who here pens eight out of the album's ten tracks. This, and the unusually short length does maybe hint towards an overall lack of available quality material, though whilst as a result of this 'Chicago V' may prove to be a minor work, this is still nevertheless a major group still more than capable of producing highly memorable music. Even Chicago's unessential albums have their gems, with 'Chicago V' a perfect example. STEFAN TURNER, STOKE NEWINGTON, 2012