Chicago

Blood, Sweat and Tears started it all. Critics and the public jumped on the bandwagon and heralded a new era in pop music. Unfortunately the mass adulation that heralded the second BS&T album completely ignored other worthwhile groups. I still get annoyed with the blase manner in which most people ignore Chicago, who offer a much more exciting, inventive approach towards Big Band Rock. They have put out two double LP sets, both retailing at a special low price of $7.65. These are Chicago Transit Authority (CPS SBP 473676) and Chicago (CBS 473753).

The group's seven piece line-up is: Terry Kath—lead guitar/lead vocals; Peter Cetera—bass guitar/lead vocals; Daniel Seraphine—drums; Lee Loughanne—trumpet/flugelhorn/background vocals; James Pankow—trombone; Walter Parazaider-saxophone/clarinet background vocals; and Robert Lamm—pinao/lead vocals.

Chicago Transit Authority was a fantastic effort for a first record. It spotlighted the powerful, compact brass sound supported by swinging big band drumming and superb bass lines "establishing a melody of their own without detracting from the driving rhythms laid down by Kath and Seraphine". BS&T often tend to act as a mere backing group for vocalist David Clayton-Thomas plays uninteresting brass lines whereas Chicago's James Pankow's scorings allow much more scope for individual musicians. The only disappointments on this set are the uneven vocals and Free Form Guitar—minutes of Kath's feed-back efforts on a Fender Stratocaster which is as disastrous as the Beatles' Number Nine.

Chicago is a further extension of the promise shown on the first record. This time all the tunes were written within the group, the majority by Pankow. My favourite tracks are those written by Lamm. He appears to realize Chicago's potential best of all and Poem for the People. Fancy Colours and 25 or 6 to 4 highlight the group's versatility. Kath contributes Prelude. A.M. Mourning, P.M. Mourning and Memories of Love which have a very lyrical classical structure featuring strings and a sensitive cohesion between Parazaider and Pankow.

The main feature of the performances is a much more evenly balanced sound than on the earlier record. There is not so much flashy work by Kath, his leads are now a much more integral part of the total group sound, a good example is the tasteful use of the wah-wah pedal on Fancy Colours. The brass is even tighter and the reed work is given more scope. The vocals have improved enormously with all three lead vocals taking solos and harmonizing well. The vocals on the ballad-style numbers Poem for the People, Memories of Love and Colour My World illustrate just how great the improvement is.

All in all Chicago is the best Big Band Rock album ever released. At times it seems incredible that these musicians never double-track. Presumably we can believe the American and English critics who claim that Chicago are as good live as on record.